Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I wanted to love this book. Its my kind of story and it is set in a time I like to read about. In the end I fell in love with it but the courtship was a little long. Don't take the story lightly, its about war and the things it does to those who live through it. Its clear that the Blitz was war and the people of London were among the soldiers and they suffered beyond our imagination. This is the backdrop for an unlikely look at Britain and British society before and during the war and a complicated love story.
I found the writing beautiful and the characters, for the most part, rich and complex. The conflicts are remarkably clear but often unstated. I guess the author considers us smart enough to figure things out. The resolutions are also complex and leave one to think about what it must have been like during those harrowing three years. I also wonder how people managed to put their lives back in place.... but they did.




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The Romanov Ransom by Clive Cussler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clive Cussler is consistently fun to read. Not sure I was ever surprised with this plot but the action is non-stop and covers the globe. The story is somewhat formulaic in that the same characters and essentially the same plot line continues from book to book. This series might have run its course for me. With so many books to read I might look to other series.

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Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just loved it. It seems to be a book with a bit of everything. A remarkable story told beautifully by a master writer. Ms. Amend grabs you and pulls you into an unlikely and unbelievable story. In some ways it reminds us that people make the story and interesting people make interesting stories. A few characters that are fully developed and completely believable. Should be because they are based on real people. Weirdest WWII story I've read but also gave a fascinating look at how people really behave.

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