The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 20107. Adult fiction.

From 1938 to 1991, this well written historical novel basically follows the stories of three women: Marianne von Lingenfels, a wealthy woman whose husband is connected to a plot to kill Hitler himself; Benita, a beautiful and naïve young woman who marries one of Marianne’s best friends; and Ania and her sons who Marianne rescues from a shelter because she is the wife of a resister. At the ruins of the Bavarian castle of her husband’s family, Marianne works to provide food and safety for these women. Over the years, the three reveal their own secrets and work to stay alive and adapt to their pasts, presents, and futures.  

The Baker's Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan

  

The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2017. Adult fiction.

Inhabited by the Nazis in WWII, a small village in Normandy is the scene for survival and resistance by villagers. Emma, apprenticed to the local baker, is the center of a system working to keep people alive.  All of the characters she comes in contact with blend together to provide a riveting look at survival and creativity. As the story continues, some people die and Emma herself finds her elaborate network unravelling. Emma believes the Allies will never come, but by the day they land, readers will find it hard to put down this book. Beautifully written, exquisitely plotted, the novel is one of the best I’ve read the whole summer.

 

Deal or Duel: An Alexander Hamilton Card Game

Deal or Duel: An Alexander Hamilton Card Game by Clarkson Potter. 2017 Recommended for older children, teens, and adults.




If you have older children or teach teens who love all things Alexander Hamilton, try this boxed card game. A large folded game board provides structure and places to put the "Debtors' Prison", card piles for action and discards, and money, "The Treasury", Around the edges are footsteps to pace the "Dueling Ground" as skirmishes happen.. A separate page identifies the personalities of the times; they are multicultural and diverse in careers.. You can win like a Democratic-Republican or a Federalist so players really learn a great deal about the people and the Constitution while playing. It takes awhile to get the rules right in your head, but perseverance pays for dedicated players!  The small box easily fits into a beach bag and parts are well constructed. I received this from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Tangerine: A Novel by Christine Mangan

Tangerine: A Novel by Christine Mangan. ECC, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2018.
Adult fiction. Reviewed advanced readers' copy from American Library Association conference in Chicago, June, 2017.  Cover not finalized.

It's the 1950's. Alice Shipley left Bennington College after a mysterious incident. She has married and moved to Tangier with her new husband. Then her college roommate, Lucy Mason, arrives. Lucy is confident where Alice is shy. Lucy has a murky past while Alice has shared every detail of her wealthy upbringing with Lucy.  Lucy was always the one who made plans, took chances, and ventured fearlessly into the world. Now, Alice is back into the old patterns of following Lucy's lead. Last time, things didn't end so well. Has anything changed?


Mangan does a good job of making each woman a distinct personality. The setting is really a character as the heat and foreign streets and markets come alive in the detailed descriptions. Putting the book in the 1950's reinforces the few options available to women at the time. Readers may think the book is going one direction, but things change and keep readers on their toes...and on the edge of their seats!

House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick

 House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick. Graydon House, 2015. Adult fiction.


Part mystery, part romance, part historical fiction, House of Shadows combines them all! When modern-day Holly Ansell's brother disappears near the mill they knew as children, she returns to her roots to try and find him. The English countryside is home to gardens and forests where Elizabeth Stuart, the Winter Queen, spent her last years. Legends abound about a famous pearl and a diamond encrusted mirror that Elizabeth thought could see the future and bring disaster. In the early 1801's a woman named Lavinia Flyte wrote a diary that involves past, present, and future.


Cornick is a historian and docent for a seventeenth century house in Oxfordshire. Her research pays off as she describes details of Ashdown House quite realistically. She writes smoothly and makes it easy to keep the threads of the different stories from tangling.

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

      The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins) to be published October, 2017. Adult fiction.

Looking for your next psychological thriller? Join the moneyed world of Daphne and Jackson Parrish of Connecticut. Seemingly the perfect couple, the perfect life, the perfect family, the two suck readers right into their perfect world. The first third of the story is told through Daphne's view. The second third of the tale is told through the voice of Amber Patterson, a young woman who becomes Daphne's friend. Amber soon establishes herself as very jealous, and wants Daphne's life and her husband. The last third of the book puts a new spin on the traditional gold digger, second wife tale and will have readers hurrying to find out what happens to them all. Love, friendship, manipulation, intrigue, all  play into this twisty and well written novel by two sisters who write under the pen name of Liv Constantine.

Anne of Green Gables (graphic novel) by Marsden and Thummler

 Anne of Green Gables, A Graphic Novel. Adapted by Mariah Marsden and illustrated by Brenna Thummler. Andrews McMeel, to be published October, 2017.


If you know and love the Anne stories or are new to them, pick up a copy of this graphic novel. You will experience Anne in a whole new way. Thummler's colorful illustrations add to the classic tale of an orphan who comes to live on Prince Edward Island in Canada. Marsden's adaptation includes all of the key adventures and drama of the child as she matures into a young woman. This would make a great gift for cruise travelers or anyone who plans a trip to the area...a quick read with the flavor and sweetness of the original by Lucy M. Montgomery. Who wouldn't want to just move next door to Anne?