March: What I Read & Spring Salads

Bird’s Eye View by Elinor Florence 🇨🇦 Father Figure – A book with a FMC who is in a position of power. This is a uniquely Canadian look at WWII. Rose is working as a young reporter fresh out of high school in her small farm town of Touchwood, Saskatchewan when Canada joins the war in September 1939. It’s kind of surreal reading this book right now with the news on in the background. I didn’t know that the Canadian government was one of the last to allow women to enlist. Rose enlists with the British Air Force because Canada wouldn’t let its women leave the country and she wanted to be IN the war, doing more than typing. This is a different view of the war and I found it very interesting. She moves up the ranks quickly and I enjoyed learning more about aerial photography especially because my FIL was an aerial photographer with the Canadian Airforce. I thought it was really awesome how she advanced in her Air Force career into reconnaissance and what made her special was being a Canadian farm girl. I loved how she described her intelligence work as being a bird and using all her senses to really put herself into the scene, horrifying as it was. I loved the slow burn romance in this book and being a Canadian Prairie girl myself, I loved this book.

A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan Wi$h Li$t – A book that features fated mates. This fantasy novel felt very familiar with a few new twists. It also felt very much like a young adult book channeling Six of Crows. This book is like many fantasy stories where there is a long history of war between classes. In this case the artisans are the favoured ones that are given magical powers and the other is the crafters, the people who mine for the products used to make the magic. The story of Patrick and Nina begins when they meet at 12 years old when the artisans test all 12 year olds to see if they have magical abilities and they find out that the chosen ones are preselected. After their initial encounter they go their separate ways. Nina, who becomes the only earth charmer in existence and Patrick a crafter who is later involved/leading the Miner’s Union, a rebellion organization. There is also a small romance, a sorta love triangle and a lot of lies and secrets that all seemed easily fixed except for the lack of communication. These don’t seem like adults and their love doesn’t seem “proven”. The ending was fantastic though but I’m worried that I might not remember Nina & Patrick by the time the second one comes out. I hope the next one has a bit more depth now that we know the players, the deceptions and the lay of the land.

The Eights by Joanna Miller Set at a School In 1920 history was made when women were allowed into the University of Oxford. Some men applauded these women but most, jeered. This is the story of 4 of those women fortunate enough to walk the halls but unfortunately not as equals. Even during week 0 the reader can spot the differences between how the 2 sexes will be treated at the esteemed University. Interesting views on who gets the recognition, the last to take the baton in the relay race. This book really shows the misogyny that the women had to deal with at Oxford. It is also about friendship and how the four women of the eighth corridor had each other‘s backs. As this story takes place after the first world war there is an overtone of PTSD in all the women’s stories. This was a good story about friendship with a few twists but it could have been more. I was satisfied with the conclusion.

Isola by Allegra Goodman Star Selections. Being Canadian, I grew up learning about Jacques Cartier, but I had never heard Marguerite’s story. This true story takes place in the 16th century when sea exploration was booming. Marguerite is an orphan who is left an heiress under in her cousin’s guardianship. When he spends her inheritance, he takes her with him on his next adventure to new France, Canada. Broken up into different parts we see Marguerite’s lonely childhood, and then her years living under her guardian’s roof, before she is forced to join her cousin at sea. The voyage to New France was short but eventful and the next part is when Marguerite, her companion and her love are exiled to what we now know as the small island of Harrington Harbour, Quebec. The next 2 parts when they have to fend for themselves on a deserted island was fascinating and heartbreaking. The last part is her journey home and the realization that everything in life is a contradiction. This was a very interesting book, the fact that it is based on a true story is fascinating and I was very satisfied with the ending.

The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton A book that spans multiple generations This book is written in three different time periods. The book begins in 2024, but the story actually starts in 1900 right after Cuba won its independence from Spain. Around this time, Eva goes to Harvard with other Cuban teachers for the summer where she continues to write her novel, A Time for Forgetting. In 1966 Cubans are fleeing Castro’s dictatorship and Pilar, a quiet librarian has just lost her husband to Castro’s unjust imprisonments. Pilar’s neighbour flees but leaves Eva’s book with Pilar with directions to find her mother’s old friend, the author of the book and return it to her. In 2024 Margo is an antique finder and has been hired to find Eva’s lost story. I love how books are talked about, this is a book about the love of books. I have never read a book Cuba’s fight for independence or the Cuban Revolution. Each of the stories are interesting but I enjoyed Margo’s story with murder, treasure hunting and her ex husband the best. This book had a bit of everything, history, murder, a treasure hunt, romance and family drama. Maybe too much. I would like to read more about the Cuban Revolution after learning a little bit from Eva and Pilar’s stories. Everything can together in the end and I was satisfied with the conclusion.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray Lasting Reads I like historical fictions that introduce me to new characters that deserve to be remembered throughout the years. This book tells the story of Belle Marion Greener later known as, Belle La Costa Greene or JP Morgan’s personal librarian. Belle is an interesting historical person because she rose to great heights in the early 1900s by changing her name and passing as a white woman. In doing so, she enjoyed privileges that would have never been afforded to her as a black woman. I didn’t really know anything about JP Morgan, and found reading and learning about the wealthiest Americans at the beginning of the 20th century, was fascinating. There were a lot of layers to this book, a lot happened during that time and Miss Greene was an eyewitness to most of it. What a life!

The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr Elizabeth Taylor – A story which includes a celebrity character. This book starts off feeling like the book, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo but quickly lets the reader know, this is not going to be a glamorous romance novel, that this is the story of the glamorous Lena Browning and the dangerous and secret things that made her the femme fatale that she has been for over 50 years. Part 1 begins in 1943 in Warsaw but has flashbacks to the Used to Be, before 400000 Polish Jewish people were collected and put into a ghetto and systematically put on trains to be murdered. In 1943 her name is Bina and she and her husband and his brother are part of a resistance group made up of art people that are trying to preserve the reality of the ghetto. Wanting to do more, Bina and her brother-in-law join the resistance army. Bina becomes Irene and uses her Aryan looks to arm her militia and become an assassin. Part 2 begins 13 years later, in Hollywood and Bina is now Lena Browning. A famous actress that is unable to leave her past behind her. Part 3 picks up where the prologue left off, in Hollywood 2005 where the new “It Girl” is playing Lena in a biopic about her life. This is Lena’s last act and she closes the door on all the lives she has played. This was a different take than I have ever read about WWII and I thought Bina’s story was suspenseful, tragic and satisfying.

Beg, Borrow or Steal by Sarah Adams Swoony Stories The Walkers are back! This time it’s Emily’s story and she might be my favourite sibling yet! This book takes us back to Rome, Kentucky for a sweet enemies to lovers romance. Right off the top, the town of Rome is front and centre. The people of Rome are so funny and the town vibe helps makes this series so funny and familiar. Jack likes it too so when his engagement breaks up, he moves to Rome, into the house next door to Emily. I love that Jack and Emily have been rivals since college and have been in each other’s lives for ten years. That they actually had feelings they didn’t understand fully for so long. I really like how Adam’s writes her male leads. I have been reading for a long time and I love how consent and communication are key factors in their intimacy, I notice it in a lot of books now but especially in this series. Although all the Walker siblings are in each book, we really don’t see Emily and Maddie very much in the first 2 but I related with Emily and her story the most. I also like how loss, grief and depression are discussed in this book. My favourite book in the series so far!

Shrill by Lindy West Memorable Memoirs Lindy West shoots down all the stereotypes in this book! From the first chapter where she points out how popular culture has polluted people’s minds by showing characters that are overweight as slovenly, silly and gluttonous. She then gets right to how society has made women feel like menstruation is evil or bad. We are roughly the same age because I got all of her pop culture references, and there are a lot! Even Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. I loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle! Lindy’s advice is to realize stuff happens to everyone, when the big stuff happens it’s not embarrassing, it’s normal. She doesn’t shy away from any topic and with sarcasm, humor, and wit, she discusses abortion, body shaming, the fear of growing up, rape culture, women in the comedy world and female sexuality. This was a good book that came out in 2016, but boy would I LOVE to hear Lindy’s take on the world we live in today.