Juliet by Anne Fortier

While reading Juliet by Anne Fortier, I never found a good way to explain this book when people asked me what I was reading. So to be completely lame, here is the synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

Twenty-five-year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved aunt Rose. But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister. The only thing Julie receives is a key—one carried by her mother on the day she herself died—to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy.

This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever—a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei. In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo. Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart. The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her—superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is destined to be its next target. Only someone like Romeo, it seems, could save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago. Or did it?

Now for my views on the book....I loved it. The story was so intriguing and the main character, Julie, sucked me right in. For most of the book, the chapters alternate between modern day and the original story of Romeo and Giuletta. At first I was a little distracted and wanted to just read the modern day ones and then the original story. But, after the first few chapters, it all came together and I loved learning the tidbits as the main character discovered the history. It made me feel like I wanted to be in Siena with the character.

The book was really everything that I love in a book, history, intrigue and a bit of love. The book is going into my top 10 favorite books of the year. I highly recommend it. I loved it.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Almost every time that I go to Costco, I walk past all of the books and see what catches my eye. Even though I have a never ending stack of books on my night stand, I always want more. I am selfish like that with my books. A couple of months ago, I was on my regular walk by and I saw this book, Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. This is one of my best finds and I would like to thank Costco for always providing me with books to read (and with good food to eat while I read the books...)

Rather than go into the plot from my perspective, mainly because I am still processing everything I read, this is a synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

Along with that synopsis, I just add my recommendation that it is a really great read. The story is fascinating and so well written. I don't know what it is lately, but I have really enjoyed the last several books that I have read. I hope the trend continues because I am loving these books.

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner

Have you ever read a fictional novel and when you turn the last page, you wished it was a true story? After finishing These Is My Words, I really wished it was a true story so that I could google the name of the character and learn more about her life. These Is My Words is a novel of journal entries from a feisty western woman named Sarah Agnes Prine. Sarah was 17 when the book begins and she and her family are traveling in a wagon train from the Territories to Texas. She has no formal education and only a rudimentary knowledge of the alphabet, but she taught herself to read and write. Sarah is nowhere near the polite and lady-like woman that others expect and some look down on her for her seriously awesome survival skills (which obviously baffles me considering the fact that I just called them seriously awesome).

The journal covers twenty years of Sarah's life and, believe me, there is enough in those twenty years to keep you turning the pages. Sarah is a very feisty and independent woman who fights to keep her family alive as they encounter tragedy after tragedy as they travel along the trail, including the loss of Sarah's father and little brother. The best news is that she and her remaining family end up in the Arizona Territory, familiar and not far from where they began their journey.

Life in the Territories is rough business and there isn't really a dull week in her life. These Is My Words is a fabulous book and I REALLY recommend it. I got so obsessed with her story that I really was disappointed that it was fiction because I wanted Sarah to be real so that I could find out everything about her.

To wrap it up, read the book, you will love it. If you don't, I am sorry.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Every time that someone asked me lately what I was reading and I told them I was reading The Postmistress, they gave me a questioning look. No, this book is not about a mistress. Read this review and then read the book, it is a great World War II era book.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake is a remarkable novel about three women whose lives are loosely intertwined during World War II. The war is ravaging in Europe but America is not yet involved.
Iris James is a single woman who arrives in Franklin, Massachusetts to take the position of postmistress (a woman in charge of a post office, aka postmaster). Iris prides herself in the order and reason of her post office. She is at the center of Franklin society and knows almost everything about everyone but keeps things in confidence. Emma Fitch is the new bride of the young town doctor who has just arrived in Franklin. Emma has dreamed for years to find the feeling of home after her parents died when she was young. She feels lost and empty when her new husband leaves to volunteer in war torn London, promising to return in six months. Frankie Bard is an American journalist reporting from London, delivering powerful and heart-wrenching stories. Frankie is reporting on the blitz in London hoping to wake up Americans and make them see what the war is doing to Europe.

Each woman questions how the stories of life are written and whether or not they have a say. Do things just happen or do we have control? Are there things that are better left unsaid or is it our obligation to share our experiences and share things with the world? What is our role in life?

It was a book that has left me thinking long after I finished the last page. I really enjoyed it!

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean

This novel was an interesting fusion of dealing with Alzheimer's and shocking history. The main character, Marina, is an old woman who is losing touch with the present while recalling in perfect detail her past experience as a museum tour guide in the Hermitage in Leningrad during World War II.

I loved the art described in the book. It was beautiful, and made me run to the Hermitage's website to get a better mental image of the paintings and the halls.

I was also intrigued by the siege of Leningrad, not something I have ever heard or read about. As the author says, "I had never been taught in school about the Soviet Union's role in the Second World War...I had never heard about the siege of Leningrad." One of the Russian women she spoke with responded, "But we stopped Hitler...Over 2 million people died." I was disturbed a bit by the fact that we DON'T learn this in school.

It was a great book. Read it.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

I absolutely loved Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. It is a story about Henry, a Chinese American, who was born in the Chinatown of Seattle. The story is set in the 1940s and also in the 1980s as Henry is looking back on his childhood. Henry was raised by his strict Chinese parents to embrace his Chinese ancestry. Therefore, Henry becomes confused when his parents take him out of the Chinese elementary school he was attending, enroll him in an all-American elementary school, and then forbid him from speaking their native language of Cantonese and insist that he speak English at all times even though they can only understand a small percentage of English. Because his parents can hardly understand English and he cannot communicate with them in Cantonese, he feels completely isolated from his parents. Not only is he isolated at home but he is ostracized at his new elementary school so he feels very alone, until he meets a new friend.

His new friend, Keiko Okabe, is a Japanese American girl that is also enrolled in the all-American elementary school. Keiko is also ostrasized and forges a deep relationship with Henry. The two of them become very close despite the prejudices of the time period. As the friends grow closer and closer, all of the Japanese Americans were evacuated to internment camps by order of the government, despite the fact that many of them were American citizens. Henry is, of course, completely devastated but promises that he will find her again.

This book is amazing and I highly recommend it, especially if you like a little bit of history in your novels. Enjoy!

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

This is by no means a new novel. In fact, it was first published in the early 1960's. However, the premise of this novel is timeless, as it's capturing the art and life of Michelangelo.

Even after finishing this lengthy novel, I still can't pinpoint exactly what it is that kept me reading. Perhaps it fascinated me that the researcher (Stone) was so precise, so I felt that it was extremely accurate. Or maybe it was watching Michelangelo develop as he learned to channel his love of art into incredible works that I have seen multiple times but never appreciated as a concept coming from a human mind. Possibly, I loved it because I secretly want to take a one-month trip to Italy just to sit in front of old paintings and statues. Whatever the reason, I loved this book.

Read it. I know you'll love it. (Extra points for whoever can name that movie.)

*Thanks to Amazon.com for the picture

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

If you need a good book to read, choose this one. It is a great choice.

Cleopatra's Daughter is the fascinating story of Selene, Alexander and Ptolemy, the children of Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, as told by the voice of Selene.

Cleopatra's kingdom of Egypt was conquered in 30 BC by Octavian of Rome. Cleopatra and her husband, Marc Antony, committed suicide as the army of Octavian overtook Egypt and left their three children's fate up to the conqueror Octavian. The children are exiled from their kingdom and sent to Rome to be raised by Ocavian's sister, Octavia, who was ironically abandoned by Marc Antony when he left her for Cleopatra.

Instead of hating them as they suspected, Octavia became a mother to them and treated them with kindness. As the children acclimated to the culture in Rome, they are anxious about their fates since Octavian holds their future in his hands and they are constantly reminded of that. In the years that pass as the children mature to adulthood in Rome, Selene elegantly learns lessons of love, trial, friendship, forgiveness and bitterness. Her character shines in the midst of uncertainty and the dangers of Rome. It is a captivating story and I felt in touch with the characters.

Michelle Moran has a great feature on her website where you can watch a book trailer. This is the first time I have ever seen this and I really like it! Go here to check it out.

I absolutely loved this book and I did not want it to end. I finished the last sentence and I felt sad that it was over. The story is truly beautiful and I don't want to give anything away because I want everyone to read this book. I give my highest recommendations and I hope that you enjoy the book as much as I did.