As we find ourselves just over halfway through the year (give or take a month or so, forgive me for being a little late as I wanted to save this for my big blog relaunch) I thought I'd share a summary of my reading so far in 2022.
I was a bit hesitant about sharing my mid year roundup as I've haven't ticked off nearly as many books towards my goodreads target as I would have liked. But I gave myself a little shake and reminded myself that I am no less valid as a reader or book blogger if I've read less books than my target or than the people I follow on social media.
January-July Reading Statistics
Total Books Read: 11
Total Pages Read: 3808
I only read eleven books in the first half of the year which is very unusual for me but I've found myself in a reading slump it's been difficult to crawl out of. I find my reading is very dependent on my mental health and this is summed up by how well the dips in my reading pace parallels the episodes of poor mental health I've had this year. I can feel my goodreads challenge screaming at me to get a move on!
I would typically want to do some pie charts to summarise the format of the books I've read and the types of books they were (e.g. standalone, part of a series, re-reads) but this did not seem necessary for this roundup as all eleven books were paperback, standalone novels I was reading for the first time. Did I spend the time creating my own piecharts, rather than using the ones provided by storygraph, solely so they matched my blog colour palette? You betcha.
Now, let's roundup the genres I've been reading so far this year:
I wish I could sit here and offer a slightly more eclectic mix of titles in my mid year round up but, as per usual, the majority of my reading has been within the historical fiction genre. This is very typical of me as a reader as it's the one genre where my heart truly lies as it allows me to combine my passion for reading with my love of history.
All of the books I've read within this genre (including my venture into middle grade historical fiction through reading When The World Was Ours) have been set within the twentieth century, with all bar one set within the years leading up to and during the second world war. This is again typical of me as a reader as Second World War Europe is a real special interest of mine.
It is time to review the star ratings I've awarded my reads so far this year:
As you can see, I've read a lot of books so far this year that I've truly loved enough to give five stars. When compiling these statistics, I argued with myself over whether or not I'd been too lenient with my five star reviews as 50% seems a very high statistic but all five novels I ranked as five stars were historical fiction works which really spoke to me emotionally and were books I truly could not put down.
What Have I Been Reading?
1) The Berlin Girl by Mandy Robotham
My Rating: ★★★★★
Trigger Warnings: War and Antisemitism
The Berlin Girl was the book that started the Mandy Robotham reading spree I've been on during the first half of this year and it cemented her as one of my favourite historical fiction authors. The book tells the story of Georgie, a female British journalist posted to Berlin in 1938 to work alongside other foreign correspondents from the international press trying to uncover the truth of the Nazi regime. Georgie finds herself desperate to provide support to those finding themselves persecuted by the regime, such as her Jewish driver Rubin and his family, and Georgie and her colleague Max Spender put their own lives on the line as tensions escalate and Europe finds itself on the brink of war.
I found The Berlin Girl to have an initially slow start with the pace building as the story progressed, but on reflection it became clear that this was actually a powerful literary technique used by the author to perfectly capture how life in Berlin changed as Europe progressed towards war. As with all of Mandy Robotham's characters, the characters in the story are phenomenally compelling. Our protagonist Georgie is a beautifully written and endearing character of real courage and strength and through her occupation of foreign correspondent we get a unique perspective on the build up to the second world war than we've seen in other works of historical fiction.
2) A Woman Of War by Mandy Robotham
My Rating: ★★★★★
Trigger Warnings: Antisemitism, Childbirth, Miscarriage
A Woman Of War (alternatively titled in some versions as 'The German Midwife') tells the story of Anke, a political prisoner and midwife in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp who is taken out of the camp and recruited as the midwife of Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler's mistress and later wife.
Obviously the plot line of novel is based on speculation and historians generally maintain that Hitler never did have any children, but through this alternative timeline A Woman Of War gives us an interesting insight into life into Nazi-occupied Germany, Hitler's inner circle and the horrific realities of pregnancy and childbirth within the concentration camps.
I found A Woman of War to be a truly captivating story I just could not put down. This was Mandy Robotham's debut work and that makes it perfect evidence for what an incredible historical fiction author she is. Mandy Robotham draws on her first hand experiences as a midwife when writing the scenes centred around pregnancy and childbirth and this allows them to be beautifully detailed.
Mandy Robotham writes suspense and tension in the most powerful way and supports this by utilising flashbacks in a more powerful way than I've ever experienced in other historical fiction writing.
3) Last Night At The Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
My Rating: ★★★★
Trigger Warnings: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Racial Slurs, Misogyny and Miscarriage
Set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the Red Scare (a period of widespread fear over the perceived threat posed by the potential rise of communism in the U.S), this book tells the story of Lily Hu, a 17 year old Chinese-American coming of age, discovering her sexuality and falling in love for the first time.
As a historical fiction lover, I found the exploration of the era fascinating and it was wonderful to read a book with both queer and women in STEM representation.
I loved the way the character of Lily was written and the way her growing relationship with Kath is explored. Malinda Lo's portrayal of youthful desire and first love is just beautiful. But my favourite parts of the story were ultimately the vivid descriptions of the Telegraph Club and it's patrons. The wonderful snapshots readers are given about these characters made me crave an opportunity to explore their individual stories on a deeper level, to understand their own individual journeys in an era rife with heteronormative ideology.
I also found myself wishing that the book had been longer. The story seemed to end quickly following the climax of the story and the epilogue provided only a very brief exploration of Lily's life following the significant events portrayed within the novel. As a reader I found myself with so many unanswered questions and for that reason I could only award the novel 4 stars.
4) Wait For Me by Caroline Leech
My Rating: ★★★★★
Trigger Warnings: War, Sexual Assault
How much did I enjoy this book? I started it at 11pm one evening, planning on reading a chapter or two before bed. Next thing I know it's 3am and I'm sobbing, having completely finished the book. Enough said!
Wait For Me is set in 1944/45 in a small coastal village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is the story of Lorna, a farmer's daughter with two brothers serving in Europe. Paul, a German prisoner of war badly injured and then taken prisoner during the D Day landings, starts work at Lorna's family farm and a truly beautiful romance blossoms between him and Lorna.
Themes at the heart of Wait For Me include forgiveness and not judging a character on their outward appearance or nationality. Every part of my being fell instantly in love with the character of Paul. I also adored the way the character of Lorna was written and the way her character grew and evolved throughout her wartime experiences. I'd pay so much money to be able to read a sequel following the characters after the war.
5) The Flower Girls by Alice Clark-Platts
My Rating: ★★★
Trigger Warnings: Child Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Prison
The Flower Girls is a thriller focused around two sisters Laurel and Rosie. At ages 10 and 6 they abduct and murder a toddler. Laurel is convicted of murder and sent to prison, whilst Rosie is given a new identity. Fast forward 19 years and Rosie is staying in a hotel when another child goes missing which leads to her true identity being discovered and the media frenzy starting again.
This is a clever and chilling concept which is told from multiple perspectives and in multiple timelines. I liked this technique as aspects of the crime and trial from 1997/98 were revealed slowly as the story progressed which made it more gripping. But I just feel it didn't match it's potential and I was left feeling (for like of a better word) very meh. I did find the story to be very predictable and it seemed to end very suddenly with little to no explanation. The characters lacked depth and some had no real impact on the plot at all.
6) Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
My Rating: ★★★★★
Trigger Warnings: Antisemitism, War, Violence, Childbirth
It is 1943, Nazi Germany is occupying most of Italy and the threat of arrest is increasing for Italian Jews. Antonia Mazin has one hope for survival: posing as the new bride of Christian farmer and ex student priest Nico Gerardi, a complete stranger. As they live under the pretence of Catholic newlyweds, their relationship begins to blossom. But the Nazi threat follows them to their remote farm as a local Nazi official holds a vendetta against Nico and is immediately suspicious of Nina, Antonia's new identity.
Although I adore historical fiction set in World War Two, Our Darkest Night was new territory for me as it was my first novel set it Nazi Occupied Italy and my first introduction to the author Jennifer Robson.
I was immediately drawn in to the story, which was heart wrenching and heart warming in equal measure. I fell in love with author's writing style and the beautiful characters created within the story. Did I fall instantly in love with Nico? Of course.
Our Darkest Night is a must read for historical fiction fans, especially if you love a bit of romance.
7) How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie
My Rating: ★★★★
Trigger Warnings: Murder, Violence, Blood, Drugs, Alcohol Abuse, Suicide References.
I started May with 'How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie', a book which has been on my to-read list since its publication and one which I was kindly given as a birthday present from my family (talk about irony). I have published a full review of How To Kill Your Family, which you can find here.
8) The Pieces of Ourselves by Maggie Harcourt
My Rating: ★★★
Trigger Warnings: Mental Health
This was a charity shop purchase I was delighted to get my hands on as the novel has been on my to-read list since it's publication in 2020. 'The Pieces of Ourselves' was my introduction to Maggie Harcourt and I was drawn to it because of it's mental health representation.
'The Pieces of Ourselves' is the story of Flora, a seventeen year old with bipolar 2. She left school after an "incident" and now works in a local hotel, keeping her head down and living with her brother and his partner. As she once had an interest in history, her boss asks her to help an important guest, Hal, in a research project into the life of a missing World War One soldier. Despite initial reservations, Flora finds herself immersed in the project and slowly she starts to lower her guard and allow herself to start to fall for Hal.
9) When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler
My Rating: ★★★★★
Trigger Warnings: Antisemitism, War, Violence
In the middle of May, I joined in with Becca's Bookopoly, a 48 hour readathon, and started the readathon with the book 'When The World Was Ours' by Liz Kessler as it matched the readathon prompt 'a book under 300 pages'. This book has been on my to-read list since it's publication in mid 2021 so I welcomed an opportunity to read it. As both a World War Two buff and a primary school teacher, this middle-grade fiction novel about three children living in Nazi-occupied Europe was right up my street. I've read more World War Two focused historical fiction books than I could count but this is definitely up there in one of the best, hence the 5* score.
When The World Was Ours tells the story of three young friends - Elsa, Max and Leo - living in Vienna, who are ripped apart from each other when Europe finds itself on the eve of war. Elsa and Leo are both Jewish, forced to flee the rising anti-Semitism in Austria and Max's father is a prominent member of the SS who encourages Max to join the German youth movement. The story is told through alternating chapters focused on each child and their story, exploring the separate paths through the war they take and how they remain connected through a photograph of the three of them. When The World Was Ours explores the Kindertransport, sponsorship, life in the ghetto and concentration camps, making it a fantastic thought-provoking introduction to the Holocaust and Second World War for children, however I would suggest it is read with a parent or teacher due to the nature of these themes. It has a truly heart-breaking and gut-punching ending that left me sobbing and I found that even though it is a middle-grade novel suitable for older children/teenagers, it'll have a lasting effect on adult readers alike.
10) The Resistance Girl by Mandy Robotham
My Rating: ★★★★
Trigger Warnings: War, Violence, Childbirth
Mandy Robotham has firmly taken her place on my list of favourite authors so I'd been dying to read her latest historical fiction work since it's publication in March and I finally got round to it this month. Despite being a big fan of fiction set during World War Two, I had never read a story set in occupied Norway before so this was a truly fascinating read for me.
'The Resistance Girl' tells the story of Rumi Orlstad, a member of the local resistance in Nazi-occupied Norway who is mourning the death of her fiancé after he drowned whilst operating The Shetland Bus, a special operations run waterway connecting Nazi-occupied Norway and Shetland, Scotland. As part of her resistance work, Rumi finds herself working alongside the half-Norwegian British SOE agent Jens Parkes as he commits acts of sabotage, transmits messages to England and other agents within Norway and works to gain intelligence on Nazi activity within occupied Norway. Jens and Rumi also play an active role in supporting expectant mothers held in Lebensborn homes (where they will give birth to 'Aryan' children fathered by German soldiers which will then be stolen from them and sent back to Germany) to escape their fate and travel out of the country.
Although it was not my favourite of Mandy Robotham's novels (that award continues to be held by her debut novel The German Midwife), she has written yet another fantastic historical fiction novel which introduces readers to an aspect of World War Two history which does not get enough attention. I hope this sparks a rise in fiction set in occupied countries outside of western Europe as there really isn't enough of them to share such a fascinating part of history. Despite really enjoying reading this, I found myself only being able to give the novel four stars due to lack of pace in the first half of the story and the fact that the ending was too clean for my liking. I tend to prefer historical fiction to end in a way which packs a punch and reminds you of the horrors of war, but the ending of The Resistance Girl missed the mark for me here.
I am going to publish a full review of The Resistance Girl next week so please check back to read my thoughts on this wonderful work of historical fiction.
Now it's time for our giveaway! To celebrate the relaunch of Yours, Chloe I am running a giveaway for one reader to win a copy of one of my 2022 reads.
Ends: 12am 4th October 2022
Open to anyone residing in a country Book Depository ships to.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What have you been reading so far in 2022? Do you have any recommendations?
