Happy (almost) Spring, readers! I know I’m a little early but I’m very over winter and ready for better weather and all that it brings with it. I’m grateful this ten stack brought me through these last few weeks of winter and for the most part these were some fantastic reads. I don’t often have trouble picking my favorite read each month but these ten made me really struggle with selecting just one. Hope you can find a few to add to your TBR list.

“I Want You to Know We’re Still Here” by Esther Safran Foer

As the child of two parents who were the only surviving members of their family after the Holocaust some family stories were just too painful to discuss. When Esther’s mother finally opened up and shared a family secret, it sent her on a full investigation into her father’s past to learn more about the wife and daughter he lost to the Nazis, a sister she never knew had existed. Her journey takes her to Ukraine to track down any surviving residents who may remember their family and could possibly shed light on what happened and how her father survived when so many did not. “I Want You to Know We’re Still Here” is a non-fiction must read for anyone who is interested in hearing from a Holocaust survivor’s perspective. So many details that Esther was able to uncover were heartbreaking and I just couldn’t imagine putting myself in her shoes standing in the same places her father did all those years later. I highly recommend the audiobook version. The first chapter and epilogue are read by the author herself.

“The Moment I Met You” by Debbie Johnson

Elena and Harry are on a vacation of a lifetime exploring Mexico together. Something has been feeling off between them lately and Elena had hoped that this trip would help but so far it has only increased her worry that they may no longer be right together. When their tour group makes a stop in a remote village Elena sits down at a cafe and Harry says he will be right back…and then a massive earthquake hits. Next thing Elena knows she is trapped under debris with another person from their tour group. Elena and Alex do everything they can to help each other while praying help is on the way. Their ordeal bonding the two in a way no one else could understand. Ten years later and someone is reaching out to the survivors of that horrible night wanting to reconnect them but Elena isn’t sure she is ready to bring herself back. “The Moment I Met You” is the second book I’ve read by author Debbie Johnson. Though the story was well crafted I found myself skimming at times and the characters were a little punchable at times. Overall this was a decent read but I definitely enjoyed “Maybe One Day” more.

“Daisy Jones & The Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Daisy is a wild child. She’s everywhere that the beautiful people are on the Sunset Strip in the late sixties getting into everything a teenager shouldn’t be but no one cares about Daisy enough to stop her. Daisy dreams of being a star and by the time she reaches her early twenties she’s well on her way to being somebody on the rock and roll scene. The Six are climbing the fame ladder at the same time led by frontman Billy Dunne. The group are making their rounds at clubs and getting air time just as Billy’s life is starting to split into two. The lead singer begins to spiral as the pressures of his responsibilities outside of The Six start to creep in. When the two artist’s producer devises a brilliant plan to have Daisy and The Six join forces instant magic happens, the stuff of legends. Read along through interviews as Daisy Jones, members of The Six and friends and family talk about their rise to fame in the 70s and what really happened to cause their epic breakup at the height of their popularity. I think I may be one of the last people on earth to read “Daisy Jones & the Six”. I think the hype made me hesitant to pick it up, worried that it was just another trend read. I was so wrong. I loved this book and how creatively TJR told this story. If you are like me and have yet to pick this book up, don’t wait any longer. Add this to your TBR list today.

“The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot” by Marianne Cronin

At seventeen, Lenni’s whole world is the Princess Royal Hospital. As a resident of the May Ward, Lenni is facing the reality that she will never leave. Desperate for something more, when a new art room opens for patients, Lenni joins right away despite her doctor’s warnings. Only Lenni doesn’t join the class for her own age; she decides she enjoys the over 80’s class more, forming a fast friendship with Margot. The duo realizes that combined they have lived one hundred years and decide to document their time through art sharing their life stories with each other as they paint. Determined to create one hundred paintings Lenni and Margot both hope that they will be given enough time to see their project through. As Lenni’s days pass she begins to form some unlikely friendships inside Princess Royal that fill her life with love, kindness and strength reminding us that family is not only those we are born to but who we chose along the way. Author Marianne Cronin has written an absolutely beautiful story in “The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot.” It’s the type of book that you could read quickly but found myself putting it down at times just to savor the story just a little bit longer not wanting to reach the end. If you have yet to discover Lenni and Margot I highly recommend adding this to your TBR list…but don’t forget the tissues.

“A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II” by Sonia Purnell

In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: “She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her.” The woman Hitler feared was American Virginia Hall. Rejected from service because she was a woman and because she wore a prosthetic leg, Hall worked her way into being the first woman deployed into occupied France. Setting up resistance groups along the way, earning herself the nickname “The Madonna of the Resistance”, Hall became one of the most important spies in World War II. One thing I love about historical books, whether they are fictional or not, is that there is always a new story to uncover and learn from. I found the audiobook a little hard to follow as the narrator’s voice didn’t always hold my attention but learning of Virginia Hall’s story and life is well worth picking this one up if you are interested in this period of history.

“The Art of Traveling Strangers” by Zoe Disigny

Claire’s life is falling apart. Her marriage is in shambles and her job has been canceled for the summer leaving Claire unsure of what to do next. When the opportunity to become an art tour guide through Italy and France for Viv Chancey is offered, Claire really has no choice but to take it. The unlikely duo arrive in Europe and Claire quickly learns Viv has her own agenda to spend less time in museums and more time tearing through the high end fashion boutiques. As Claire and Viv tour around Italy they attempt to help one another heal while surrounded by lessons from the past. To be completely honest, if this hadn’t been a gifted book I received in exchange for a review I probably wouldn’t have finished it. There are so many trigger warnings to go along with this: emotional/mental abuse, infidelity, divorce, loss of a parent, loss of a child, addiction, mental illness, homophobia…the list goes on. I understand that this book is set in the 80s so there are certain behaviors and slang that was used in that decade that is no longer used today but yikes. The language used, especially in conversations around homophobia, is just shocking to read published in 2022. The few redeeming qualities of “The Art of Traveling Strangers” are the beautiful descriptions of the art Claire and Viv see throughout Italy and Paris, the fashion and art history thrown in and the way that you feel you are traveling the streets with these two women. (I miss traveling.) Maybe there is a target reader out there for this book but it certainly wasn’t me.

“Twenties Girl” by Sophie Kinsella

At the funeral for the great-aunt she barely knew, Lara decides she is going mad; great-aunt Sadie’s spirit stands before her in her gorgeous flapper attire speaking directly to her. Surely this is some sort of psychotic break from stress or lack of sleep or something. Sadie demands that Lara stops her funeral to help fulfill her last wish – find her beloved necklace that she treasured all her life and return it to her. Only then can Sadie rest and only then will she leave Lara alone. Sadie makes Lara’s life chaos at first but as the two settle into more of a routine they find that these distant relatives are more alike than they could have imagined. As Lara untangles the mystery of what became of Sadie’s necklace she starts realize that she has much to learn from an aunt she never took the time to know in life. As always Sophie Kinsella has written a heartwarming story with “Twenties Girl”. I love Kinsella’s light-hearted writing style and this book is one not to miss. Be sure to add this to your TBR list if you are a Kinsella fan, too.

“The Whispers of War” by Julia Kelly

On the brink of WWII, England is coming to terms with the fact that another war is on the horizon. With old wounds still healing from the one they just left behind, the country hasn’t let go of what happened nearly two decades before. Nora, Hazel and Marie have been the best of friends since they were young girls but one of them, now with this new war tiptoeing closer each day, has more to lose than the others. Marie, being German born, now faces the possibilities of being forced to leave the country she has called home since she was twelve and the only country she feels dedicated to. Those who do not flee England could face internment, a fate Marie is sure she could not bare. Three lifelong friends navigate what it means to be loyal – to each other, to their country as well as to themselves but what will it cost them? “The Whispers of War” highlights an aspect of WWII not often discussed in historical fiction books; what it mean to live in a country that thought of your nationality as the enemy. Though this topic is sadly still on the lips of many even all these years later, Julia Kelly has written a beautiful story that you will want to pour through slowly.

“Five Days Gone: The Mystery of My Mother’s Disappearance as a Child” by Laura Cumming

A family secret that was hidden for decades from Laura Cumming’s mother is the subject of her book “Five Days Gone” At the age of three her mother was kidnapped from the shores of the local beach as her mother sat nearby. It was suspected that it was someone the family knew as the young toddler didn’t make a sound before being whisked away. When she was discovered unharmed and well cared for in a local village, no one was ever arrested for the crime. The incident was pushed to the back of the family closet and was never discussed again. Questions begin to bubble up as she got older and eventually with some digging Laura’s mother uncovered the truth about her five days gone. A heartbreaking story that more than a few families of this time could potentially relate to, Laura Cumming has beautifully preserved in time her mother’s legacy forever.

“Portrait of a Scotsman” by Evie Dunmore

Hattie Greenfield is a romantic with a simple wish list of attributes to find for her future husband. Someone who will allow her to keep painting, someone kind, someone to drink hot chocolate with while traveling…she didn’t think it was all too much to ask for. So how did Hattie end up at the altar across from Lucian Blackstone, the complete opposite of the man she dreamed of? Blackstone’s name strikes fear in those who oppose him and those who cross his path in business. Driven by revenge, Blackstone won’t stop until he feels rightly satisfied that those who wronged him in the past have paid their debts. Hattie and her creative, politically ambitious thinking were not a part of his plan. Now a journey to Scotland forces the newlyweds to learn who they are really married to for better and for worse…if only better seemed likely to Hattie. This third installment of the A League of Extraordinary Women series gives all of the historical fiction romance spice we have all grown to love from author Evie Dunmore. Though “Portrait of a Scotsman” can be read as a stand alone I would recommend starting with book one to not miss anything from this entertaining series. Can’t wait for book four!

Til next time,

The Booked Mama

Be sure to follow/like/add @thebookedmama on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter