The Last Garden in England

by Julia Kelly

Release Date: January 12, 2021
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Joyce's Review:
This book was fun to read, hard to put down. It is a work of historical fiction covering several time periods in an English country house and its gardens. The details of how the gardens were designed and how they changed throughout time to reflect what was happening in the house and the outside world is fascinating. The character’s growth and change as they interact with each other is well done. I plan to check out other books by this author.

Winterkeep

by Kristin Cashore

Release Date: January 19, 2021
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Katherine's Review:
While I have read the other books in this series, you don't need to remember them well or have even read them to enjoy this one. I really enjoy Kristin Cashore's writing style. She's a great storyteller and writes characters in a way that makes you care about them. A fun return to Bitterblue and the Graceling series.

Faye, Faraway

by Helen Fisher

Release Date: January 26, 2021
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Jill's Review:
This book is described on Goodreads as being for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife and Outlander, so I was very excited to read it. The book had some very good sections, especially the scenes with Faye and her mother which were so moving that I could almost feel the longing and the emotion coming off the pages. Suspension of disbelief is always tricky when it comes to time travel, but the time travel sections were too difficult for me to accept, especially the ending. I would still say that the first 2/3 of the book is emotionally gripping, but it unravels a bit towards the end.

The Four Winds (audio book)

by Kristen Hannah

Release Date: February 2, 2021
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jill's Review:
Kristen Hannah does a lot of research before she writes her books, and that comes through in the details of her stories. This book brought back the feelings I experienced while reading Grapes of Wrath. It is a beautifully written story about the Dust Bowl era, but make sure to be ready for some messy crying!

Annie and the Wolves

by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Release Date: February 2, 2021
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Katherine's Review:
The reason I read this book is that I loved another book written by Andromeda Romano-Lax, “Plum Rains”. If I wasn’t already familiar with the author, I doubt I would have picked this book up as I knew very little about Annie Oakley. However, I’m really glad I did read it. I found this to be very well written and engaging. The characters are complicated and messy which I liked because it makes them more real.

Milk Fed

by Melissa Broder

Release Date: February 2, 2021
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Jill's Review:
Goodreads describes the main character of this book as a lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion. The author certainly has a wicked sense of humor, but this book is not for anyone who may be sensitive to the subjects of eating disorders or sex. I thought one of the book’s strengths was how well she wrote about the link between food and emotions and showing how her food choices were really about having a choice and some control over at least one part of her life. Some parts were funny but others were a bit over-the-top for me.

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted (audio book)

By Suleika Jaouad

Release Date: February 9, 2021
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Jill's Review:
This is a deeply moving memoir of a young woman diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 22, just as her life was beginning. She has been on a long tough journey, including a bone marrow transplant, and I enjoyed listening to her story and how she learned to adapt and evolve during her diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and her reentry to everyday life. The audio was read by the author so that added to the experience for me.

The Kaiser's Web

by Steve Berry

Release Date: February 23, 2021
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Mary's Review:
This is the latest in the author's Cotton Malone series. A secret dossier from a World War II era Soviet spy comes to light. If the information contained within is proven true it would not only rewrite history, it could also impact Germany's upcoming national elections and forever alter the political landscape of Europe. Two candidates are vying to become Chancellor of Germany. One is a patriot that has served for the past sixteen years. The other has commandeered the election, stoking the flames of nationalistic hate. Both harbor secrets, but only one knows the truth about the other. It's fast paced and a page turner! It was a good, interesting read and made you think about the outcomes of elections in general. I didn't give it a 5 because the story was somewhat predictable.

The Lost Apothecary

by Sarah Penner

Release Date: March 2, 2021
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Jill's Review:
A female apothecary secretly dispenses poison to liberate women from the men who have wronged them. That description caught my attention right away, but this book fell apart very quickly for me. Several impossible plot turns made it difficult for me to finish.

Infinite Country

by Patricia Engel

Release Date: March 2, 2021
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jill's Review:
A lyrical novel about a Colombian family fractured by deportation. This storyline is interesting and moving, and the writing is beautiful. Almost a 5-star read for me.

Acts of Desperation

by Megan Nolan

Release Date: March 9, 2021
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jill's Review:
I am not sure what it says about me that I gravitate towards books about female suffering, but I would like to think it is the strength and resilience of the women as they are on their journey. This book is emotionally heavy because of the descriptions of obsession and addiction, but it is also fascinating to “listen” to the interior monologue of the main character who is strong but still seems to need the love of a man to make herself feel real.

Delicates

by Breanna Thummler

Release Date: March 16, 2021
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Kelcey's Review:
Delicates is the follow up graphic novel to Sheets, my 2020 favorite book of the year. Both novels have beautiful illustrations and extremely heart-touching stories about feeling like you don't belong. Thummler has found a way to touch on sensitive topics in a way that is easy for middle-schoolers to understand (the target demographic) and bring light to problems that are often brushed off. So while they do include topics of depression, grief, racism, and bullying it is well done and always has a happy resolution. I think these books are a great bridge into these tough conversations and makes the reader really think about what it is like to step into someone else's shoes for the day.

Unsettled Ground

by Claire Fuller

Release Date: March 25, 2021
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jill's Review:
I have read all four of Claire Fuller’s books. I think I am drawn in to her writing by the bleakness in how real and raw they are, but they are written so beautifully that there is beauty in that bleakness. There is also a sense of hope at the end, but don’t expect a sunshine & rainbows happy ending from any of Claire Fuller’s books. This is a powerful book about resilience and hope.