The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck

A compelling story about three women who at the end of World War 2 share a previously luxurious castle home. trying to pick up the pieces of their lives in a devastated Germany. An interesting exploration of people who had to deal with what they knew about the horrific actions of the Hitler regime, their secrets, denials, acquiescences that enabled them to survive the horrors of the Holocaust and the war.

In The Great Green Room by Amy Gary

 An informative, interesting and quick read that focuses on this author's private life and relationships over the years she attended college and then developed into a children's author. It leaves me desirous to know more about her writing. I am familiar with only the most well known like Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. I do not want to be negative about this book but I find that I do need to express my regret that the book is so focused on this author's personal life. She was such a giant in writing children's books, and also in establishing children's books as a lucrative genre. I would love to know more about her impact on children's literature. It is sad to realize that she died so young. What other treasures might she have produced?

The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory

Fascinating historical fiction about Plantagenet Margaret Pole and her very precarious relationship to the Tudor family during the reigns of King Henry VII and then his son, King Henry VIII.  Married off to a kindly knight, she raises her family in rural obscurity hoping to avoid the horrible fate of her father and brother, both of whom were executed. She and her husband become foster parents for Arthur, the Prince of Wales, and then her life becomes gradually more intertwined in the Tudor Family travails as she develops a close relationship with Catherine of Aragon, and involved in caring for Princess Mary. Rich in detail and flavor, this book adds the perspective of an important player in the Tudor story.

Before We Visit The Goddess by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Absorbing narrative of three generations of Indian women. Well written novels about family trials, tribulations, and triumphs as well, provide a reader with much to contemplate, and a diversity of cultural experiences enriches our understanding of life.

Music of the Ghosts by Vaddey Ratner

Very difficult book to read/absorb about Cambodians who endured and survived the horrific Pol Pot regime.

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See

Fantastic historical fiction about Chinese Tea production and trade by the minority Akha people that follows the life of a female who moves far beyond her traditional role of wife and mother to globalize the sale of a specialized type of tea called Pu'er. Her personal life is threaded through this fascinating narrative with sad events but also brave resolve that poignantly enriches this wonderful story.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Delightful, humorous recounting of the author's childhood during the Fifties. I found myself chortling time and again as the author describes experiences and escapades of a mischievous nature but also reminds the Baby Boomer reader vividly of the many memorable elements of this decade from specific toys, television programs, and candies to events and attitudes that stemmed from a robust post WW2 economy but also the Cold War, and the Space Race. If you grew up in the Fifties, give yourself a treat and read this entertaining book.

Lillian Boxfish takes a walk bu Kathleen Rooney

 "The point of living in the world is just to stay interested" says Lillian Boxfish in this fictionalized journey through the life of a real woman who in the 1930s penetrated the world of advertising to become its most accomplished female voice at a time when clever, witty words had the power to manipulate consumers; and interested she remains over her long lifetime spent in a bustling, ever-changing New York City.  This delightful story works as a paean to both early feminism and the urban life of a remarkable city. Recommended.

In the Shadow of Man by Jane Van Lawick-Goodall

Re-read this book. First read in 1971 when I was studying Anthropology at Berkeley. Incredible story of Jane Goodall's establishment of the Gombe study of chimpanzees, and an introduction to a fascinating cast of chimp characters.

We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

This is an incredible story of a Polish Jewish family who miraculously and with great resourcefulness and courage survived the horrors of World War 2. Imbued with authenticity because it is in fact based on the family history of the author and significant research, this engrossing, poignant story conveys much of the horror of the Holocaust even as it also transmits the tremendous spirit of one human family to endure and overcome inhumane consequences of such unfathomable dimensions. Highly recommended.

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

 Delightful travelogue by American expat that takes the reader through parts of England and Scotland. It is written with fondness and refreshing honesty and enlivened by humor.