May 2020 books

The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the Greatest Rescue Mission of World War II by Gregory A. Freeman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked hearing stories about second-generation immigrants to the US going back to the Old Country to do some major good works for the Allies during WW2! Anytime the book moves away from those individual compelling stories, it suffers. And I could have done without the introduction's odd take on the modern politics of the region - it wasn't really necessary to understand the story and it makes the rest of the book seem like it has a chip on its shoulder re: the Serbs.

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The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was so excited for this book: King Arthur/Guinevere?!?! Written by the person who gave us the And I Darken series? Yes, please!

Unfortunately, it ended up not really being my thing. Mostly it felt like a bunch of stuff just...happening. It was the kind of simplistic plot and characterization that could be at home in a middle-grade book, but with some more mature (but respectful) subject matter thrown in. So it didn't work for me!

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The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really good YA non-fiction!

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Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love a good YA western! This is right along the lines of Vengeance Road and Walk on Earth a Stranger, but it is definitely my favorite of the three. It has some mature themes but treads lightly. It's hopeful but realistic. And WHAT an ending!

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The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really like this author! This was a complex, engaging story with a rich sense of time and place. If you're looking for a historical fiction YA book that isn't the same old same old, this is a great pick.

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Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

You know how sometimes when a historical fiction book is about That Big Thing that happened, and you start reading, and keep wondering when you'll get to the part about That Big Thing? Well, this book's Big Thing is the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. But I kept forgetting that! I was so wrapped up in the story about all the stuff happening before the Big Thing that when it came, I was surprised!

And...disappointed? I kinda liked the story I was reading about a plucky Chinatown girl infiltrating an elite school for white girls and securing business rights for a chocolate shop! The earthquake obviously interrupted all that and it took a while to adjust to the new storyline (as I am sure it would have been hard for the characters to do, as well).

But the characters are interesting and there are some really heartwarming/heartrending moments in this story!

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The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White


It's funny to me that THIS book - a kind of reimagining of a corner of the Frankenstein story - is what I couldn't handle during Coronavirus Times. I got one-fourth of the way through I just feel like, maybe when SOCIETY is better, then I can go back to reading dark fiction for fun. Because what I read was really good! TRUST KIERSTEN WHITE. I'll pick this up another time.

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Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love British history so I really enjoyed those aspects of this story, but the central mystery was a little bit confusing to me (albeit with some fun misdirects).

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The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Hmm, not sure what to do with this one. On the one hand, it was less interesting than its blurb makes it out to be. But on the other hand, I did like the overall message of the book, especially as conveyed in the last few chapters. But on the OTHER hand, this book does that thing where a character is entering some kind of otherworldly realm, and they have received very strict instructions not to talk to anyone lest dire consequences befall them, but the first time they see a creature, what do they do?? TALK TO IT. It's a pet peeve of mine (see also: Seth in Fablehaven) and it happened a few times in this book.

So there's less here than meets the eye, but it's fine, and it has a good message! Whatever!

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The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Third reading May 2020. I love this book.

Second reading May 2015: Delicious, delicious book. I loved it even more the second time around. This was the book that made me give The Raven Boys a chance when it came out, and I'm so glad I did. And now I can see aspects of certain Raven Boys characters in The Scorpio Races.

Plus, Sean Kendrick is the original Mysterious Loner Dude, am I right? Except better somehow. And obviously not literally the original since this book is from 2011, but the term was invented for him to eventually fulfill to the max, FOR SURE.

Also, I cannot stop laughing at this line: "Dory is what Mum used to call a 'strong-looking woman,' which meant that, from the back, she looked like a man, and, from the front, you preferred the back." I put the book down and just giggled to myself for a few minutes at that one. And then I read it to Jeremy and cackled some more. Classic Maggie Stiefvater.

First reading August 2012: It was such a joy to read this book - very beautiful and touching. The author spent so long (probably 9/10 of the book) spinning a detailed web of characters and motivations and obstacles and settings that by the time the end came, all she needed to do was tug a few strings and the story turned into a lovely complete picture, with the reader caught in the middle, enchanted.

By the way, if you asked me when and where this story took place, I could hardly tell you, though it obviously could exist in the real world. The fact that the story was not moored to a particular place or time made it all the more lovely.

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The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had similar feelings about this book as I did about its predecessor (The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue): it was fine, could have been better, but fine. Just like the other book, this one got too big, too grand, too weird in parts for me to really enjoy. And I found myself, again, wanting to hear a different character's story: Johanna's! I would love to read the book that comes before this one and is written from her perspective.

So this is another book I've read recently that maybe wasn't my exact cup of tea but whose message I have admired (see also The Kingdom of Back). It's worth reading even if you don't end up loving it.

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