Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just loved it. History with a perspective... A perceptive I could not have imagined. The story is complete, sappy yet filled with people who seem more than just the constructions of an author. I got to know them and understand them. Well done. Great history and a good story. Americans have almost no reference points to the blitz and the suffering of the Brits in both wars.

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Moonlight over Paris by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this series and this author. I get this great image in my mind from her writing. I also feel that I earn about the time period. Her ability to mix classes and nationalities and create universal characters is incredible. Not too spoil anything but this book will help you understand people during this incredible time in the world's history.

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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ok, I liked the book. I just didn't find that it was a story about marriage. It was a story of love, hate, racisim and many other things but not about marriage. I was unhappy with the portrayal of men and not all that happy about the women either. I read this for book club and they convinced me I was right.

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Final Option by Clive Cussler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If its from Clive Cussler I like it. Non-stop action that is just believable enough to be fun. The action starts on page one and continues page after page. I was a bit shocked with some of the plot twists and some of them make me look forward to the next book in this series. I traveled to part of the world where this took place and that made the story even more interesting to me. Keep ‘em coming Clive and friends.

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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Don't read this book at the beginning of the corona virus outbreak. I've been washing my hands until they are raw.
Interesting story premis that is handled quite well, even intriguing. I liked the author's style and the way she carried the plot and characters through so many different events, times and places. Quite a good read.

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Treason by Stuart Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As usual, I love these books, although lately they have been a little thin on plot. More novelas. I will continue to read and follow Woods.

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After the War Is Over by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great continuation of the first book. This books takes a character from one book and extends her story without leaving the rest of the cast behind. Again, the best part of this series is the personal glimpse into this period in England. The dynamics of the British system has intrigued me. This book is again substoried in the class system and the royals vs the rest of society. A good read.

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Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the kind of book that I am a sucker for. A story that is based on the history surrounding WWI. An attempt to understand, for me, how the war shaped our modern world. The characteers are a little bigger than life, they do things real people might not. They are thoughtful and idealistic but yet for me the story holds up pretty well. I'd like to see what happens to these people born out of Robson's imagination.

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This is my book list for 2019. Might add one more but here they are. I've boldfaced my favorite five but this was a year of great books.

My number one was "The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa"

1. Secret Asset (Liz Carlyle #2) - Stella Rimington
2. A Delicate Touch (Stone Barrington 48) - Stuart Woods
3. The Alice Network - Kate Quinn
4. Into the Water - Paula Hawkins
5. Illegal Action (Liz Carlyle #3) - Stella Rimington
6. Birth of the Loud - Ian S. Port
7. The Lost Girls of Paris - Pam Jenoff
8. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
9. The Huntress - Kate Quinn
10. Ordinary Grace - William Kent Krueger
11. Dead Line - Stella Rimington ( Liz Carlyle #4)
12. Wild Card (Stone Barrington, #49) - Stuart Woods
13. Among the Mad (Maisie Dobbs #6) - Jacqueline Winspear
14. The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs #7) - Jacqueline Winspear
15. China Dolls - LIsa See
16. A Lesson in Secrets (Maisie Dobbs #8) - Jacqueline Winspear
17. Elegy for Eddie (Maisie Dobbs #9) - Jacqueline Winspear
18. Leaving Everything Most Loved  (Maisie Dobbs #10) - Jacqueline Winspear
19. Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah
20.  A Dangerous Place (Maisie Dobbs #11)  - Jacqueline Winspear
21. The Latte Factor - David Bach
22. Journey to Munich (Maisie Dobbs #12)  - Jacqueline Winspear
23. In This Grave Hour (Maisie Dobbs #13)  - Jacqueline Winspear
24. To Die But Once (Maisie Dobbs #14)  - Jacqueline Winspear
25. The American Agent (Maisie Dobbs #15)  - Jacqueline Winspear
26. The Hearing Heartbeats - Jan-Philipp Sendker
27. Neon Prey - John Sandford
28.  Not Our Kind - Kitty Zeldis
29. Something in the Water - Catherine Steadman
30. Skin Game - (Teddy Faye #3) Stuart Woods
31. Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi
32. The New Girl (Gabriel Allon #19) - Daniel Silva
33. Contraband - (Stone Barrington #50) - Stuart Woods
34. The Memory Police - Yōko Ogawa
35. The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale #2) - Margaret Atwood
36. American War - Omar El Akkad
37. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane - Lisa See
38. Stealth - (Stone Barrington #51) - Stuart Woods
39. Blue Moon - (Jack Reacher #24) - Lee Child
40. The Accomplice -  Joseph Kanon
41. The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding - Jennifer Robson
42. Kindred - Octavia E. Butler
43. Nine Perfect Strangers - liane Moriarity

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A quick read but just not my cup of tea. Maybe glad I read it, but its for book club. Without loyalty to my fellow members, I might have put it down after the first few chapters. To neat and wildly predictable. Even the ending was trite to me.

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Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a brillant book. Illuminating and filled with emotion. Forget the wonderful plot, and the interesting characters. This is a book about slavery. We have a decreasing number of first hand accounts of this period in out history and this book is an example of what a brilliant writer can do. Bravo. I can't wait to read more of her books.

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The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A magnificent book. Illuminating on so many levels. It brought a small period in history into sharp focus and gave additional insight into the people of Great Britain. The relationship between the crown, gown and the people who made the gown is one that is hard to pin down but Robson has done it in spades and made a fan out of me.
One must speak of Roson's style. Its perfect for me. I could see the places and people and the story moved quickly. Not sure many authors could keep me interested in embroidery but she might be able to write about paint drying and make it interesting.

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