Category: books

Top 10 Books of 2020: Number 8

leianajade

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland

Surprisingly, it’s not a spoiler to say that Florence Adler dies. The real story in this book is how the family copes with her loss, as well as keeping her death a secret from her sister, who is confined to bedrest during pregnancy.
The story is set in the summer of 1934, before good pre-natal care, before cell phones, and before social media. It was hard enough to keep such a tragic story under wraps back then – this is one of those stories that could not occur today.

Despite the story being centered around Florence’s death, she is little more than a catalyst for the growth of the other characters. Because she dies so early, everything we find out about her comes posthumously, through the memories of the other characters.

One reason I loved this book was that every character had a clear arc. I feel like by the time I finished the book, I could have plotted out what happened to each character easily. There were no lampshades here. Each character had choices to make that not only affected their own lives, but their interactions with the other characters. The characters in this book were very well written, in my opinion.

Mind you, this book isn’t what you’d call light hearted, but there is a good amount of levity throughout, so it’s not as depressing as you might think, given the premise. If you like historical fiction, this book is well worth your time.

For the fantastic characters and the “couldn’t put it down” aspect of this book, Florence Adler Swims Forever earns a spot in my top 10 for 2020.

Top 10 Books of 2020: Number 9

leianajade

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

As I told you in my last post, I am a sucker for historical fiction. This book is that, and it does not disappoint.

Set primarily in World War II era France, Eva Traube’s life is upended when the Nazis start ripping Jews from their homes. She ends up at a small town on the border of Switzerland, and falls in with a network of people working to usher vulnerable individuals across the border.

I don’t know if it’s just the book clubs I’m in, or whether there is actually a lot of books about World War II lately, but I feel like I’ve read more than my share of World War II fiction over the last few years. That said, Lost Names was very good. It managed to be both at times gut-wrenching and uplifting. While the “Jew in hiding” story is not an uncommon theme, watching a character become empowered and sure in her skin while helping others is not super common, and it was a delight to read. Plus there was romance. It was well done, and that’s always a bonus in my book.

Now, let me tell you about the one thing I really didn’t care for about the book. It’s a trope I’m really not fond of in writing, and in this case, it involves heavy spoilers for the novel. So, if you haven’t read the novel, but you’re interested, please avert your eyes.

***SPOILERS START HERE***

So, throughout the story, Eva falls in love with Remy, but things are far too treacherous for them to do anything about it. Well, they end up doing that whole “we’ll meet when this is over” thing in secret code, and then Eva waits for him…and waits. Finally, she meets someone else, moves away and has a decently happy life with this fella. In 2005, (where the story has been periodically popping in and out of) she goes back to Paris where – surprise! She finds Remy.

Here’s what I, personally, loathe: Why not just let her be happy with Remy without a 60 year interlude? After all she goes through, and this is fiction, why not just give her that?
But also, what about this poor chap she married? While the book says that she was happy, it does so in such a way that feels very clear that he was no Remy, and that she never spoke of Remy until the events in 2005. I thoroughly dislike this trope of, “she married this guy and he was good enough!”

***SPOILERS END HERE***

On the whole, I was really engrossed in the story. There were characters I loved and felt for, and there were characters I vehemently disliked, and all felt very well-written. I’m not sure I’ll go back and read the book again – heaven knows I barely have time for unread books, let alone to go back – but I liked it enough that, for now, it’s sitting on my keeper shelf. If I do decide to part with it, I’m going to try and pass it on to a friend rather than tossing it in the donation box. That’s how I know that I really adored it.

So because I really couldn’t put the book down and couldn’t help but feel connected to the character despite being nothing alike, The Book of Lost Names snags the number nine spot on my top ten list for 2020.

Top 10 Books for 2020

leianajade

In 2020, I read 65 books, ranging from sappy historical romance to light a fire underneath you social justice non-fiction, with plenty in-between. Some came out this year, some are several years old at this point. The only thing they have in common is that I really enjoyed them.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to break down that list for you, and talk a little bit about the books I picked, and why they engaged me enough to make it into my top 10.

So without further introduction, here’s #10…

The Lure of the Moonflower by Lauren Willig

If the internet is to be believed, I’ve loved Lauren Willig’s books for about ten years now. The Lure of the Moonflower is the twelfth and final book in her Pink Carnation series. For that reason, this book may not be the one you should start with.

Truth be told, I’ve had this book on my shelf since it was released in 2015. I’ve read most of Willig’s non-pink books that have come out both before and since Moonflower, but have left this one sitting unread all this time. It’s not that I didn’t want to read it, truth be told, I didn’t want this series to end. I haven’t been this attached to a series since Robin Jones Gunn’s Glenbrooke series, which I read back in my early teens.

In short, I’m a sucker for historical romance. I mean, books that have some sort of romantic subplot are typically right up my alley, but these kinds of books, with the history, and the intrigue, and the romance? :chef’s kiss:

Because it’s such a late entry in the series, I don’t want to go heavy on the spoilers. Basically, there’s a spy network that has been building throughout the series, and of course, there’s a floral theme. Set in the early 1800’s, the series is set in the time of Napoleon, and centers on spies trying to bring down France and protect England. One thing that I adore about the series is that the main characters are usually former minor characters from previous books. Otherwise, the character is somehow otherwise related to another, whether by blood or friendship, so it all makes the world feel fleshed out and connected. That, in my opinion, makes for a really fun series, and keeps it engaging over the twelve books.

I will say that this book brings a satisfying conclusion, ties up all the necessary loose ends, but still leaves just a touch of wiggle room should Willig ever decide to revisit the world. (Which, honestly, I kind of doubt, because she’s had some pretty good success with her standalone novels!)

If this sounds like something that would appeal to you, I recommend checking out some of her standalone historical fiction books before diving into the Pink Carnation series. That would give you a taste of her style, and not commit you to twelve books – assuming you’re like me and really don’t need twelve more books in your to be read pile. *Ahem*

Anyway, for my absolute love of the series, a satisfying conclusion, and a cheerful ride along the way, The Lure of the Moonflower easily takes the top 10 spot on my list for 2020.