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It seems weird to be talking about the fall, but in reality, the season was only a month ago. The fall is one of the busiest times for blogging, so reading was put on the back burner of work, events, etc. I read much more during the lazy days of summer. But I did, however, read some books this past fall that have now become my favorite. Just like the summer book recap, I am going to give you a synopsis of the book then an honest review- so if you have not read the book yet, skip over the review.
What would it be like if America had a royal family? A family that were descendants of George Washington. In this hypothetical book, American Royals is part one of a series (book two has not come out yet) of a modern-day royal family. Beatrice, the oldest child, is coming of age where she will need to find a husband as she is the successor to the thrown. Beatrice struggles with becoming the next Queen to a country not used to a female in charge and having to always obey protocol and obligations. Meanwhile, her younger twin siblings, Jefferson and Samantha, struggle with trying to find a purpose in life as the “spares” as well as growing older and shedding their mischevious public image. The book is about family ties, the choice to either follow your heart or the duty and obligations you owe to your country. Definitely worth reading!
Review and Spoilers
I enjoyed reading this book and am excited for the sequel. It was so interesting to see American history tweaked as if we had a monarchy. How politics, society, and culture would all be so different for what we know now as the land of the free. I thought it was clever how the author Katharine McGee created this world. Throughout the book, I changed my opinion on whose story I enjoyed the most. In the beginning, I found Samantha and Jefferson’s storylines to be interesting, then quickly changed to Beatrice as she struggled with her love affair with Connor. Their love story is so cute and swoon-worthy! I hope they end up together! I was not that interested in Jefferson’s relationship with close family friend Nina, I thought she was too whiny and insecure. I did, however, find his ex-girlfriend Daphne, the obvious villain of the book, storyline to be entertaining; her backstabbing behavior, her connection with Jefferson’s best friend Ethan, and the unfortunate incident with Himari. Samantha’s storyline I feel is only going to get better as the series evolves. She has gone from troublemaker teenager to a confident young woman. My hope is that Beatrice is allowed to stay Queen and marry Connor (I mean why does she have to give up the thrown for love, why can’t she have it all?) and for Samantha and Teddy to marry and become Duke and Dutches of Boston. I have heard theories that some believe Beatrice will step down from the throne to marry Connor while Samantha will become the successor and marry Teddy. We will have to wait and see!
Set in the 1940s, Vivian Morris finds herself kicked out of Vassar College and sent to live with her Aunt Peg who runs a theatre called the Lily Playhouse in New York City. City of Girls is a story told through the perspective of an older Vivan in a letter explaining the events of her life from a 19-year-old girl to the woman she is today. Life for Vivian in the 40’s is all showgirls, booze, and men when she ends up making the biggest mistake of her life. We follow as Vivian tells a love story of the city, of her friendships, her relationships with many men, and finding the confidence to be an unconventional woman in those days. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend.
Review and Spoilers
Not going to lie this book was long and felt like 4 separate stories tied into one since we follow Vivian through decades of her life. I found her time at the Lily to be the most interesting, a time in our history where things were so uncertain because of the war, everyone wanted to have a good time. I loved Vivian’s time at the theatre and her friendships with all of the showgirls. The 3-some affair, however, I felt was a bit much but definitely made a huge impact. Like you can’t be that dense or drunk to think it was ok to do… Anyway, as Vivian got back on her feet after the scandal, I felt it was empowering to see her start a company with Marjorie- something unlikely for women to do back then, especially unmarried women. I also loved how Walter becomes an important part of her life. I was hoping for them to be together in the end, but I know that was not in their nature. Although the entire book is about Vivian’s life, I enjoyed hearing about her love for New York– something I can relate to. The city really is a magical place that can knock you down, then pick you right back up.
After reading The Alice Network, I can now say it is one of my all-time favorite books. There wasn’t a dull moment. The historical fiction is about a pregnant, unmarried young girl named Charlie “Charlotte” St. Clair from America. Set two years after World War ll ended, Charlotte sets off to France to try and find her cousin Rose who disappeared during the war. Charlotte seeks help from a woman named Eve Gardner from England. Eve was part of a successful spy ring called The Alice Network during World War l. The book flips back and forth between present-day (1947) and the first world war during Eve’s on-the-edge-of-your-seat mission as a spy against Germany. The Alice Network is a true WWl spy circle and most of the characters in the book are based on actual people during the war that were connected to the network. The story itself, however, is not true.
Review and Spoilers
I absolutely LOVED this book! I couldn’t put it down! I thought the present day and the flashbacks were both equally interesting and well written. I could not imagine what it would be like to be a spy, especially during the world wars and at a Germany occupied town in France. It seems terrifying. But I have so much respect for these women who mostly went undetected as spies because back then it was not normal for women to be doing such a terrifying, dishonest job. These women seamlessly executive the most successive spy network in history all thanks to the Queen of Spies. Eve’s experience as a spy kept me flipping the pages, especially when she interacts with René. What a dreadfully awful man. I knew her injured hands had to be because of René and my God, what horror that would have been! I knew the ladies– Lili, Violettes, and Eve would eventually get caught but didn’t know when and how. And when it happened, it did not disappoint! I do think Eve’s story is more exciting than Charlottes, but I was hoping Charlotte would actually find Rose and have a happy ending. Unfortunately, as we know this to not be true. Sadly, this mass execution is a true story with a woman being shot escaping the church with a baby– which makes it even sadder. I thought the entire book was well written, interesting, and suspenseful. When Charlotte and Eve find Rene in Grasse, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I loved how it all played out, how Charlotte and Finn end up together, and Eve beats the demons she has been struggling with for many years. As I said this has become one of my favorite books and I hope it turns into a movie someday!
Homework: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years
I technically did not read Homework, I listened to it on Audiobooks. My first time listening to a book on audio. I much prefer a book, but Julie Andrews herself narrates it and, well, if there is an opportunity to have Julie Andrews read to me I’ll take it. Homework is about her life in Hollywood. Anyone who knows me well knows that I LOVE Julie Andrews! She is my favorite actress and I like to pretend she is my grandmother. I admire her elegance, manners, kind-heart, and of course, her voice! She goes more in-depth into her marriage, the people whom she worked with, and her relationship with her troubled family. Julie Andrews narrating the book makes everything she talks about seem lovely– she even makes cat-calling sound delightful: “and the gentlemen were kindly escorted out of my way”. There is a lot of behind the scenes stuff from some of the best movies like Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music that is so interesting the learn about. It talks not only about her interacting with other actors but she also speaks about costume and set designs, how shots were taken, lighting sets, film locations, etc. I highly highly suggest listening to this on audio or reading it. I currently do not have the physical book but will buy it just to have!
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