The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz

 This is an incredible book that I almost didn't read! I could barely face another prison book, or another World War 2 book, or another book focused on starvation and cruelty. However, I gave it a go, because I wanted to be able to talk about it at our Stonebridge Ward book club meeting in September. It was available in the library, so I checked it out.

This author is Polish and is story is amazing! It was told to another person, who wrote it down. The author's sincerity and integrity comes through very strongly. He is wrongly accused of being a spy, is sent to Siberia for 25 years, and most of the story is his journey with some of his fellow-prisoners after they escape. Their brotherhood and their ingenuity in facing all the obstacles is incredible. It also showed what one is willing to do when they have nothing to lose!

My favorite part of the story is when their group makes it to the safety of Mongolia and enjoy the hospitality of the incredible people there. They live simply and share all that they have! It was fascinating to me, too, to learn about how much recovery time they needed in the hospital after they had traveled for the year. They found a man living in a cave with his dog and sheep. They saw creatures that sound like the abominable snowman! They ate snakes in the Gobi Desert to survive. They made moccasins about of sheep's hide. They starved and they thirsted for days at a time. They found a young woman and she joined their little band so bravely and fought the obstacles as long as she could. The slow death of Kristina and the other one, as their legs swelled and they stumbled in the desert was heart-breaking. So many memorable moments in this book. 

As I lay in my air-conditioned comfort, fully fed and wanting nothing, it makes me wonder how long I would have been able to survive this incredible challenge. I kept referring to the map in the beginning of the book to see the geography and miles they covered. I'm not familiar with that part of the world, but it all sounded incredible, in its own way. I came away grateful for my comforts and inspired by the human spirit of survival and love of freedom. Just an incredible story!

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

 So, another Kristin Hannah. Again, not great writing, but some insightful moments of being human. The first 134 pages were a frustrating re-hash of the daughters' frustration with their mother and one daughter's deteriorating marriage. On and on. Finally, things started to break loose as the daughters convinced their mother to share her story. 

We get the story in increments, and it is a harrowing story of suffering, starvation, and hope lost during the siege of Leningrad under Stalin. I've read of this before. It's hard stuff. Up close and personal descriptions of the loss, the pain, and the hunger. Anya (Vera) is the mother-story-teller and is an example of post-trauma suffering, and eventual redemption. 

We're reading this in the Monterey book club; otherwise I wouldn't have chosen it and I will never choose it again. However, it did hold my interest and the daughters and their dialogue and relationship had elements of truth... I'm sure they'll (book clubbers) will all want to drink vodka shots at our meeting; something the daughters begin as a tradition with their mothers. I gert a little tired of their (book clubbers) glorifying each others' drinking, but I'm hanging in there for now...

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

 What a happy surprise this little gem of a book is! Someone in our Stonebridge Friends book club recommended it, and we'll discuss it in August. It was available at the library now, so I snapped it up. It is witty, clever, sweet, and has TONS of literary allusions and suggestions. A wonderful little read! Well, not so little -- 258 pages, but they went by quickly.

There are some F bombs, but not too many. And there is some jumping into bed early in relationships, but these do not dominate the story. And I can live with them, given the sparkling dialogue and compassionate story. It's also got a little mystery that is tied up neatly and surprisingly at the end. The characters are delightful and you want them all to be your friend. I loved how the curmudgeonly A.J. develops into a very sweet person. 

One of the highlights for me is the way several people in the story describe what they like to read. They are so specific! And there are many books and short stories that are recommended and they would make a great TBR list on their own. The little town on Alice Island sounds quaint, and the book store is where you wish you could shop. I also loved it when A.J. was able to educate the police chief's taste and then grow a police book club grow.

I'm considering buying my own copy so I can reread it and mark up the parts I like best. It was fun to watch the relationship grow between Amelia, the book rep, and A.J., the book seller. I might do that in time for our meeting in August. I'm very curious to know who recommended this one. I'm also excited to see that this author has other books. And since this was published in 2014, maybe there are even more? I hope so!

True Colors by Kristin Hannah

 This story begins in the 80s and the author purposefully gives us lots of fashion and cultural references to be sure we get it. They lessen as the story unfolds into later decades. It was kind of fun to remember some of the trends, like the big poufy bangs...but at other tines I felt she was hitting me over the head.

And the characters...These three daughters and their relationship at times felt true and at other times felt contrived, as did all of the characters. There were some stunningly accurate portrayals of inner thinking and love, and how we can deceive ourselves about whom and how we love.  

The first few chapters made me mad, and I thought, why do I read this sappy escapist tripe, and at other times, I thought wow, I've felt that way. I liked the horse settings and stories. I liked how accurately the prejudice against Native Americans was portrayed in this small Washington town. I was also pretty sure that Dallas, the dark Native, would eventually be exonerated, but it took a long time and a lot of pages. 

The story got better and more interesting as Winona started to see herself and her foibles more accurately; she was the know-it-all sister who was unlucky in love but lucky in her legal career. Eventually she comes to some good conclusions and some right actions. So she was the most interesting to me... I actually considered quitting the Monterey Book Club while I was reading this. I thought, if THIS is what they think is a good reading, then I'm out of here. But on the other hand, there were some redeeming ideas...I still may exit if the next few are like this...There are so many good books, why would we choose such mediocrity?

I just reread my reviews of the other two Kristin Hannah books I've read, and I liked them better. I can see how she has developed as a writer; this True Colors was written earlier. She's good at captivating the reader and with some surprises along the way. I think her research and depth have improved over time.

For when we talk about this book in book club, the three sisters are: Winona, Aurora, and Vivi Ann. Vivi Ann and Dallas have a son named Noah...

The Ruby Prince by Beth Brower - Book Two of Imirillia

 It was fun to fill in the middle part of the story, after having read the third book. I enjoyed this one, because it described the mythical city of Zarbadast, and we get acquainted with Prince Basaal's brothers and fathers. Eleanor continues to exhibit royal and noble behavior throughout, despite falling in love with the Prince. They agree their countries come first...Queen Eleanor's journey back to Aemgen is the beginning of the end of this part of the story. 

Quietly enjoyable, a little repetitive, not too much character development, and some beautiful descriptions of interesting landscapes. Not worth recommending, but a good foray into fantasy for me. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and I only took this one on because of the author's other work. Still awaiting news about Book 9 of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion!

The Wanderer's Mark by Beth Brower - Book Three of Imirillia

 This is something I have never done before. The library had book 3 weeks before book 2. So, I went ahead and read book 3! Next I'll read book 2, now that I know how it all ends. Of course I suspected that Eleanor would end up with Prince Basaal, and she did, even though it was a rocky road to get there.

This book had a lot more action and characters than book 1, since Eleanor was escaping from Imirillia and then defending Admogen. It was interesting and not as slow. Still, it was rather predictable, but I enjoyed the "Illuminating God" and the spiritual scrolls. It was neat to see Basaal purify himself, and wrestle with the impossible choices he had to make. I enjoyed it. But it's not my usual genre, although it was more enjoyable than any other fantasy I have read. Or tried to read! Now on to book 2! There are a few characters I need to learn the backstory of!

When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner

I had to order this one from Amazon since it wasn't in any of our library options, and I was hopeful it would be worth it, since Ariel Lawhon's Frozen River was such a good book.  We are reading it in our Stonebridge/Monterey book club, hence my desire to read it. The Amazon reviews were pretty good.

But...it's historical fiction with predictable characters, challenges, and romance. It was a hard one to read and enjoy, though, because it's set in the Philippines during World War II, and mostly in prison camps. The starvation and cruelty dominated the stories... And yet it was interesting to learn about these brave nurses who spent most of the war incarcerated. Their challenges were HARD, and they bore up well under them.

The cruelty of the Japanese overseers was tough to read about. Very much like the Germans in another book we read in this group, The Wartime Book Club... This book also reminded me of The Women, and the nurses there who endured very tough conditions in Viet Nam. Hard to read about, maybe good to learn about.

These three nurses were an interesting mix; two Americans and one Filipina. It was interesting to read about the difference in treatment of the Americans vs. the Filipina. I liked that many of these episodes in the story are based on real-life events that happened and are documented, even though these particular nurses and their boyfriends are fictional. Their relationships moves the story forward.

You would never call this great writing. But it was interesting, to a point. I will be able to talk about it at book club, but it's not a book I would ever highly recommend or read again...