Three Books I Highly Recommend
My Summer travels continue to Poland, Paris and London. Immerse yourself in these places, with a memoir, mystery, and historical romance.
Vodka and Apple Juice by Jay Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book delighted me! The cover attracted me with its promise of “vodka and apple juice” and its hook of the saucy tagline, “Travels of an undiplomatic wife in Poland”.
Readers, have you ever wanted to leave your regular life and move to another country for a few years and try a different way of living? That doesn’t appeal to me, but I do enjoy reading about folks like the author and her husband who gave away their dog, packed their possessions and shipped them to another land. One day they were in Canberra Australia, and the next they were sipping coffee in a sunlit square in Warsaw, Poland.
Not only did they change locations, but the author’s husband changed careers and entered the Australian diplomatic service. This book is part travel, part marriage and relationships, and part self-help and personal success. I found each aspect to be fascinating as the author shared her experiences and thoughts in a well-crafted way.
Jay Martin certainly gave the three-year Polish experience her all. She learned the language, and traveled throughout Poland. She did her best to be a good diplomatic wife. Some of her experiences are funny and some, especially those dealing with the history of Poland and the Holocaust are sad. One of my favorite scenes was when the author visited a church and realized she was seeing paintings from the fifteenth century that could still speak to a woman from the twenty-first century.
The title seems to come from the author’s first time trying Polish vodka. She didn’t like it until her host added some apple juice. That seemed to sum up her feelings about this time in her life- she always tried to add something “sweet” to the challenges she encountered.
She concluded the book, “Now I could see that living an interesting life has nothing to do with where you are, what you’re doing, or the people you meet. It comes from making a choice, every day, to be interested in where you are, what you’re doing, and the people you meet.”
Highly recommend!
Death in Paris: A Death in Paris Mystery by Emilia Bernhard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
First in a new series…and please keep them coming! Death in Paris has been described as a cozy mystery and as a traditional mystery. But, at the start of the book, you’ll be wondering if there even is a mystery! Let me explain.
“Edgar Bowen died in his soup,” Rachel said to Magda as they sat in Rachel’s kitchen. Magda started to laugh at her friend’s news, until she realized that Rachel was shaken about the details of her former lover’s demise. Monsieur Bowen was a rich, cultured gentleman. Although no one in Paris suspected murder at all, Rachel did.
The two friends team up to solve the death, although the only thing they know about sleuthing has been gleaned from TV detective and police procedural shows. But, they are caring and perceptive, and soon they have plenty to solve.
Rachel and Magda are more sophisticated and refined than the usual cozy heroines, and they are long-time American expats living in a beautiful city, not a small village. Their world is one of charming cafes, elegant shops and department stores, and grand apartments. Yes, all marvelous to read about and I grew fond of the ladies and their friends.
The author writes in a calm and composed way, with plenty of wry and dry humor. Usually, I rush through a mystery because I am so eager to solve it, but the superbly crafted conversations and observations were a pleasure to savor and made for a satisfying read. French words and phrase are naturally placed in the conversations and lend charm to the story. There are quite a few lengthy conversations in the book, but this is a small price to pay for such a fresh and appealing story.
Readers you will smile at the ending when you find out “who did it.” Quite a nice touch.
The first book in the series takes place in the1st Arrondissement of Paris, where you will find the Louvre and Palais Royale. The plan seems to be that Rachel and Magda will visit each arrondissement in subsequent books. I’m glad there are twenty in Paris- many more good stories await! And there is one last question that Rachel didn’t answer at the end of the book- and I want to know more! Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for an ARC.
The Light Over London by Julia Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The best part of this story- the Ack Ack Girls!
The present meets the past in this pleasant book by Julia Kelley. Cara is the modern day character, broken by a divorce and the death of her parents. Louise is a young woman in the 1940’s, growing up in a small village in Cornwall.
Cara has left her posh life in London and retreated to a small town, where she works for an antique dealer. She discovers a diary in a dusty armoire, reads it and bonds with the writer. She decides to track down the writer, or at least the young diarist’s family.
Cara and Louise’ stories are told in alternating chapters, which works because much of Cara’s story is based on the diary, that we know is Louise’s. Each woman has a love interest and both of their men are appealing.
Louise has dreams to go to college and yearns for California. She is ready to leave her confining small town life, so when a British airman sweeps her off her feet, she runs away and joins the Auxiiliary Territorial Service (ATS). She qualifies to be a Gunner Girl and serves in London and other posts, shooting down enemy pilots.
Thanks to the author for featuring the story of the Ack Ack Girls. The stories of their brave service should be remembered. The historical part of the book interested me the most.
The romances of Cara and Louise were interesting but not compelling. The mystery involving Cara’s grandmother- the grandma is a fun character, didn’t move me. Perhaps this book needed to be longer, so that that the coming of age story of Louise could really shine on the dramatic stage of World War II.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.
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