Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

McLain's latest work of historical fiction spans the life of Beryl Markham, a British-born Kenyan aviator, horse trainer, and in her later years, author.  She was one of the first bush pilots, and was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. 

Beryl was born in England to Clara and Charles Clutterbuck (an accomplished horse trainer).  When she was four, the family moves to Kenya, which at that time was then colonial British East Africa.  Beryl's mother returns to England and leaving her husband, son, and daughter.  It is there, on her family's farm, where Beryl develops her love of horses and applies her knowledge to become first licensed female racehorse trainer in the country.  The Kenyan landscape feeds Beryl's reckless and strong spirit and she forms a live-long love affair with the country.

The story follows Beryl's life, her love affairs with men, horses, and flying.  She is beautiful and electric, admired by many for her non-conformist ways, and never tamed.   

McLain writes with beautiful sweeping dialogue, and her descriptions of Africa are vivid and gorgeous.  I was hooked from the opening sentences which are of Beryl's Atlantic crossing.  Oh and I also love the cover!  If you enjoyed The Paris Wife, you will love this–McLain is at the top of her game.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

A special thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A chance encounter at a christening party for Franny Keating, ignites a spark between the hostess and an uninvited guest that puts in motion a chain of events that will span five decades and forever join two families.

When she is in her twenties, Franny begins an affair with the legendary author Leo Posen. She tells him stories about her family which he then uses as the basis for a novel that becomes extremely successful which sets another chain of events in motion; the children must come to terms with their guilt over the loss they share and the responsibility that it brings which binds them together.    

What is amazing about Commonwealth is that many of the characters go one step beyond flawed and are completely unlikeable, and that at times, it feels there is not a lot going on. But in actuality, the work is incredibly nuanced and layered so that when it unfolds, it becomes a truly mesmerizing, heartbreaking, and relatable story.  

One Half From the East by Nadia Hashimi

A special thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Nadia Hashimi's first YA novel is a coming-of-age story with a twist.  Set in modern-day Afghanistan, we meet Obayda, the youngest girl of four sisters, who becomes a bacha posh (a preteen girl dressed as a boy) to bring her family luck. 

Obayda, now Obayd, must live as though she were a boy however, is struggling as he straddles both worlds until he meets another bacha posh, Rahim.  Together they try to find a way to make their transformations stick so that they can enjoy their newfound freedoms.

Hashimi explores the bacha posh in The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, and crosses over the character of Rahima/Rahim.  She was interested in this part of Afghanistan's past after reading an article about how a king would use women, dressed as men, to guard his harem (trust no man!).  These women are generations apart, being dressed as boys in a country where being female is a consequence.   

This book is a wonderful story of tenacity, friendship, and survival set against a backdrop of harsh realities.  Give it a read, you will not be disappointed.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This historical fiction novel is about Ravensbruck, the concentration camp that conducted horrific medical experimental on young, healthy, Polish women.  The story is told by three separate narrators and spans two decades from the onset of Hitler invading Poland in 1939 through to 1959.   

Caroline Ferriday is a former actress from a wealthy and predominant family who is working with the French Consulate in New York City. 

Kasia, along with her mother and sister, have been caught working for the underground resistance in Poland.  They are sent to Ravensbruck and are subjected to torturous experiments.  These women were called 'rabbits' because they would hop about on their healthy leg, and they were the Nazi's experimental 'rabbits'.

Herta Oberheuser is a young German doctor, the only female physician at Ravensbruck.  She is part of the group of doctors responsible for the horrific experiments performed on the Polish women with the goal of learning how to best heal the German soldiers. 

The stories do not converge until after the war—Caroline's narrative is completely separate from Herta and Kasia's and I thought this was very effective.  Caroline seeks out the 'rabbits', bringing many of them to the U.S. where they were operated on with success to correct some of the prolonged effects they were experiencing.   

I really enjoyed Hall Kelly's author's note at the end of the book.  Her research is incredibly impressive and thorough.  This provides the reader with a deeper understanding and connection with the characters, especially when you find out that they actually existed.

The Mermaid Girl by Erika Swyler

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A short, but mesmerizing story that is actually a prequel to The Book of Speculation.  I was absolutely hooked from the first sentence.

The story is a love story between Daniel and Paulina, the parents of the narrator of The Book of Speculation.  He fell in love with the mermaid from a travelling circus and fears she will leave.  "The problem with marrying the mermaid girl from the carnival was knowing that one day she'd swim away."

There is an inherent doomed aspect to the relationship.  Even though she was a circus mermaid and not a real one, it is as though she is just as restless as if she was once a real mermaid and is being called back to the ocean.

The love story between the two is so sad, he yearns for her, and she yearns for something else.  Freedom? Her past life?  Swyler brilliantly pens the fragile nature of their relationship and leaves the reader breathless and yearning for more.

ERIKA SWYLER is a graduate of New York University. She is a writer and playwright whose work has appeared in literary journals and anthologies. Born and raised on Long Island's north shore, Erika is also a baker, photographer and blogger.

My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl

A special thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful, humourous, honest, and sometimes heartbreaking.  I really enjoyed this book and have heard it is a TV show as well that I would love to check out since I absolutely adore British telly.  My only complaint is that it was a bit long, I felt some of the entries could've been omitted.  All-in-all, a super fun read, and I can't wait for the next one.