Book Review: Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield

Garden of Stones by Sophie Littlefield




I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I was impressed with the writing, the complexity of emotions, the feelings it invoked... I was also pleasantly surprised that a book from Harlequin wasn't... well, what I thought all Harlequin books were like. To be honest, when I requested the book I thought it was from Harlequin teen. I mightn't have requested it otherwise. For the most part I am glad I did.

Now, a warning... there is some strong language (the "F" word... twice? Maybe once or so more) and a brief.. scene... not terribly explicit, but at the same time it was. It just didn't go on and on.

This book ended with a twist. A mind-blowing twist. Loved that. I love to be surprised in books. It is sometimes easy to predict an ending (especially when there is foreshadowing) and that's okay, but it is really fun to read a book and be so sure you had it figured out and BOOM! You don't. You couldn't have even guessed. Or maybe if you go back you'd see clues, but never the first time through.

This book was set partly in the late 70's and mostly back in the 40's during the Japanese internment at Manzanar. The scene is set so well and the characters are vibrant and alive... the villains practically 3D.

In the end I didn't love the... message? this book sent. I can't say without giving away the ending, but for me I wish things had been different -- that people had been stronger. I also wish that justification wasn't so prevalent. However, it was terribly well written and heart-wrenching.

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Book Review: The Last Waltz

The Last Waltz by G.G. Vandagriff


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I was impressed. This is a long book, and there's a lot of back and forth between the characters but it is interesting and enthralling. I couldn't put it down.


The Last Waltz follows a young girl of 19 from pre-ww1 Vienna, Austria to when she becomes a 40-something woman at the start of ww11 in Austria. She falls in love, but also learns about fidelity and the deeper love that can grow in a marriage. She is sometimes foolish and selfish and plays (unwittingly in some ways) with the hearts of the men who love her -- which makes her character real and flawed (which as you know, I find almost necessary). She becomes an outspoken political activist as much as a woman could be in those days.


The book was well-researched and well-written and terribly interesting.


Though it was long I felt it was not a waste of time at all.


I didn't like the ending, but it didn't ruin the whole book for me.




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Book Review: The Second Bend in the River

The Second Bend in the River by Ann Rinaldi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Hm. What did I think? Well. I thought this book was well written. It was a fun and interesting read. I always loved this one book when I was younger about a young girl captured and taken to live with indians and she comes to learn about them... anyway, it was a good book and I cannot remember the name of it to save my life. But when I read the synopsis for this book I was immediately intrigued since it is also about early Americans and their relationships with the indians.

I really enjoy historical fiction and this was well written and well researched. You get a feel for how life was for people when America was still being settled and you get a good look at how the indians and the settlers were feeling.

I'd say: if you like historical fiction and if you like a little love story... this book is a good choice.



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