The Demon Of Unrest
by Erik Larson

A detailed history of the events leading up to the Civil War. Fort Sumpter, the election of Lincoln, South seceding from the North. A lot taken from journals, diaries and letters.
 
 

THE RESORT
by Sara Ochs

Several mysterious deaths start the story told by Sara Ochs in her first novel, THE RESORT. The resort, on a small remote island in Thailand is home to travelers from around the world who have made their way to the island and decided to stay on as staff at the hotel, bar, and dive shop. Added to the mix are various guests who arrive from time to time ... two of which have never left. Both are newly dead. Accident, suicide, or murder? Not everything and certainly not everyone is who and what they seem ... I enjoyed the novel very much and hope for more by this new author.
 
 

Things My Son Needs To Know About The World
by Fredrik Backman

This book is told with love, insights and humor. As a new father, the author is instructing his newborn about the world of a new parent. From buying the proper diapers, to assembling baby furniture on into toddlerhood and beyond. While reading, I laughed openly, feeling the love this man possesses.
 
 

The God Of The Woods
by Liz Moore

An amazing read this summer. Read carefully and keep track of the changing perspectives and timeline, but it is written so well.
 
 

The Women
by Kristin Hannah

A heart wrenching story about the nurses who served in Viet Nam told from the heroine who didn't know what she was getting into when she volunteered to serve. Harsh reality, death and destruction are mixed with stories of friendship, and reliance on one another. The story also tells about the struggles of coming home to a country who were ashamed of the war and therefore, treated the veterans poorly. I was lucky... by the time my friends were old enough to be drafted or serve; the war ended... I do remember all the protests and news... so this book hit home... Great book; I highly recommend it!
 
 

The Goddess Of Warsaw
by Lisa Barr

One of the top ten Holocaust stories I've ever read. If you like reading these types of books then you will love this one. The heroine is an amazing women. I thought Barr's other book Woman on Fire was also fabulous but this one is even better!
 
 

The Paradise Problem
by Christina Lauren

4.5 stars.
 
 

A Grown-up Kind Of Pretty
by Joshilyn Jackson

At the start of this story, I thought it would be a DNF but by chapter three I was hooked. It was an interesting story of three generations of women that were close in age because the pregnancies occurred when Ginny and and later her daughter, Liza were 15 years old. Ginny, a/k/a Big had an incredible love for her family and would move mountains to keep them safe. Liza had many secrets but she had been paralyzed and was unable to speak. There were several people trying to solve the mystery created by these secrets and It was interesting to see who would solve it first. It was a heartwarming story which I truly enjoyed. I do recommend it.
 
 

The Opposite Of Everyone
by Joshilyn Jackson

I've enjoyed this book. This book was about a women who's lived a very unconventional and challenging life and carved her own path. But her past comes back to haunt her when she finds out about all her half siblings she didn't know she had after a strange cryptic letter from her estranged mother who is dying. As she learns more about the existence of her half siblings, she is flooded with memories of being separated from her family and put in a foster home and finding a way of surviving and trying to reconnect with her mother as a child. One quote that stuck with me was on pg 220 when our protagonist says "I could feel the ghosts of all the girls I'd been behind me in the alleyway, creeping in my wake. I could almost hear my own past footsteps as an echo... I turned to look, their was only silence and darkness." Our protagonist in this story is flawed. But the author makes it clear that every part of her, even the mean and ugly parts, are there out of necessity; to protect her from things that happened in the past. When looking at our past we see versions of ourselves that are so different to who we are now it feels like your looking at a different person. But its all part of our story.
 
 

The Nature Of The Beast
by Louise Penny

35. The nature of the beast by Louise Penny. Nine year old Laurent frequently cries, wolf to his friends and neighbours in the village of Three Pines. When he goes missing, inspector Gamache must investigate. Could Laurent be telling the truth?