Lovely War by Julie Berry

Synopsis: They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. A classical pianist from London, a British would-be architect-turned-soldier, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the U.S. Army, and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past. Their story, as told by goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of Love.



My Review:  So I read this book as my first ever Buddy Read and wow. I am still blown away from this book. This was my first read of 2020 and it was the BEST one to start off the year with! This book as it all: romance, mythology, historical setting with current events of the time. And it's all wrapped up into a beautiful love story. The chapters are all POV but it never gets confusing which person is telling their side of the story (if you're like me and eventually stop reading the chapter headings). It's just an absolute gem! 

I was really happy to finally have a historical fiction novel set during WW1. I feel like we have so many WW2 books that it's becoming a bit overdone, so this was already a positive for me. I had no idea this had any mythology at all in it so the retelling of the story by Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares and Hades was a pleasant surprise. I also really liked how the author touched on some hot topic happenings to keep the book as accurate as she could. She talked about how the African American regiment was treated during this time. She talked about how the soldiers with PTSD were not, and still aren't if I am being frank, getting the treatment they need and deserve. Rarely does a book elicit tears and this one had me bawling in the break room at my work.

If this book has been on your radar, check it out. If your book hasn't been on your radar, get it on there. And then check it out. This one is one that can't be missed and won't disappoint.

Book rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Synopsis: She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford's campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral--viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time.

Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways--there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.

My review: "How quickly victims must begin fighting, converting feelings into logic, navigating the legal system, the intrusion of strangers, the relentless judgment." When a woman is assented, one of the first questions people ask is, "Did you say yes?" This question assumes that the answer is always yes, and that is her job to revoke the agreement."

So I don't believe in reviewing memoirs. Like yeah talking about different aspects of the story sure but giving it a rating? No. So there will be no rating from me except to say this book was so important and such a deep emotional read. 

I wasn't going to read this honestly. Truth be told, I didn't even know this was Emily Doe. I knew a bit about Brock Turner case and what I do know, I wasn't pleased. But the Bookstagram world has been talking about this for awhile and my work had it, so I snagged it. And I am so glad I didd. Rarely do we hear from the victim. Rarely do we get an intimate detail of what they overcame. We can assume, sure. But we have no idea. And honestly, we don't need to know their personal details. But it takes immense courage to let those feelings out to the world. Especially in a time when victims are rarely heard and victims are scrutinized at every turn.

If you've been debating on reading this one, do it. Prepare to be angry, sad, annoyed, infuriated and everything in between. But  her message is so important to victims out there: you're not alone 💓

The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

In addition to writing reviews because I like to but also for my bookstagram community, one of the projects at work is writing book reviews for our Facebook page. The patrons seem to really love it because they eventually come to a standstill with their reading and don't know where to go next! The patrons are already really receptive about this new addition to the website and it makes me happy to know that my opinion is reaching out to people! 

This book was the first one I reviewed and man...was it a tearjerker.

Synopsis: Nuri is a beekeeper and Afra, his wife, is an artist. Mornings, Nuri rises early to hear the call to prayer before driving to his hives in the countryside. On weekends, Afra sells her colorful landscape paintings at the open-air market. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the hills of the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo—until the unthinkable happens. When all they love is destroyed by war, Nuri knows they have no choice except to leave their home. But escaping Syria will be no easy task: Afra has lost her sight, leaving Nuri to navigate her grief as well as a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece toward an uncertain future in Britain.

Nuri is sustained only by the knowledge that waiting for them is his cousin Mustafa, who has started an apiary in Yorkshire and is teaching fellow refugees beekeeping. As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss but dangers that would overwhelm even the bravest souls. Above all, they must make the difficult journey back to each other, a path once so familiar yet rendered foreign by the heartache of displacement.

Moving, intimate, and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a book for our times: a novel that at once reminds us that the most peaceful and ordinary lives can be utterly upended in unimaginable ways and brings a journey in faraway lands close to home, never to be forgotten.

My review: This deeply emotional story follows Nuri, a former beekeeper, and Afra, his blind wife, as they escape their war torn country of Syria. Not only does this story show us their harrowing escape from Aleppo but also their lives as they seek asylum in the UK. It's a book about loss, danger, suffering and heartbreak. 

I really enjoyed this book. While yes this is a work of fiction, this is a very real story. Something similar was and is happening in Syria. Christy's writing made you feel real emotion. There was so many times I put the book down and just thought "wow" or hugged my kids. There were moments where I had to take a walk to process the horror they are suffering. This one just reminded me of how fortunate I am to be living the life I am. But it also made me angry that this is even going on.

I will recommend this book over and over again. It is a heavily emotional read but the chapters are pretty quick and short. It's a book I feel would and should strike up some dialogue about what's going on in the world. 

Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐