We Live, We Learn, We Remember... DOUBLE Review!

Hello again!

Welcome back to another exciting day here on Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Some of you are frequent visitors (I'm hugging you right now!), some not so frequent (high fives all around!), and others still simply stumbled across my site looking for something in the world wide web 🌐 ... mad props to all of you reading this from the bottom of my heart! We live, we learn, we remember...a curious post title, but most appropriate for today's feature because we have two Historical works on deck, however one takes its place on fiction, the other is specifically non. So, if you're ready to add to your must read piles, read on my friend, read on...

The War Pianist

by

Mandy Robotham

9780008564308

Avon Books

Presented to you in the order in which I read them, this first title is the work of Fiction. We go behind the lines and into the life of Marnie Fern. 

She's no soldier, but she's about to have a big impact on the war effort, as will the people she's in contact with both near and far. Speaking of far, the Pianist part of the title is referring to a talented radio operator, as in a person that would take the risk to help transmit messages across the wires in order to move the war forward, aid the resistance, and find peace amongst the rubble their lives were turned into. In this case, Marnie after she takes up the mantle of someone that came before her, someone she cared for deeply, trusted implicitly, and misses like no other. That well worn connection serves her well in her darkest hours, as does the new relationship she has with Willem. 

It's not what you think; it's a relationship built around secrets, ultimate trust, and genuine need, that serves the greater good.  Through everything they encounter, they never lose heart... and eventually their efforts show results, but it's not without heartache, and loss along the way. You truly feel for them both, as well as their cohorts, as this story unfolds. There was so much danger, so many times that turning a blind eye would have been easier, moments when giving in was certainly the simpler option, but the strength of character they showed, the morals they stuck to, and the backbone they shared with those that needed their fair share, made them people you'd want to know. 

Speaking of people you'd want to know, that brings us to our second book...

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The Girl Who Survived Auschwitz

by

Sara Leibovits & Eti Elboim

9780008600280

One More Chapter 

This title is the Nonfiction book. This tale shares in story format the recollections of Sara Leibovits, as well as the impact the events had on her life, both during the imprisonment and after. We also get an insider's view of the far reaching impact these atrocities had on the life of her daughter, Eti Elboim, a second generation survivor... and beyond. 

It's not that they choose to live in the past, unwilling to move forward, but rather they choose to remember and share all that transpired as a means of never forgetting those that were lost, nor the hatred that generated enough momentum to try and destroy a people. This work is yet another triumph over those times, proof that the people at the target center of all that rage are still here, making memories, building lives, creating futures that someone tried to tell them they were not entitled to. No one has that right. No one should ever have that right. 

Stepping between these pages was often difficult, but experiencing the events in person seems impossible... surviving them, even more so... and yet, she did, as did others, and as remarkable as that seems, it's still a crime against humanity that should have never occurred. The best way to prevent it from happening again... awareness, remembrance, open minds, and open hearts. 

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Special thanks to both the publishers listed, and their fabulous publicists for the copies for review. (THANKS!) For more information on these titles, the authors, or the publishers, feel free to click through the links provided above. Both titles are now available, so make a plan to visit your local brick and mortar or click on over to your favorite online retailer!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Walden Pond Press presents... THE WITCH OF WOODLAND by Laurel Snyder - REVIEW!

It's an exciting BOOK BIRTHDAY week and today, we're focusing in on a NEW TITLE available now via Walden Pond Press!  It's a Middle Grade Fiction title that deals with so many issues that readers can relate to with a little dash of MAGIC.  Curious?  You should be...and I'm about to lift the proverbial veil on today's celebrant.  Ready, set, here we go!  All eyes on today's book of choice...

The Witch of Woodland

by

Laurel Snyder

Walden Pond Press

About the book...

Laurel Snyder, author of Orphan Island, returns with a story of one girl’s quest to answer the seemingly unanswerable questions about what makes us who we are.

Hi, whoever is reading this. I’m Zipporah Chava McConnell, but everyone calls me Zippy.

Things used to be simple—until a few weeks ago. Now my best friend, Bea, is acting funny; everyone at school thinks I’m weird; and my mom is making me start preparing for my bat mitzvah, even though we barely ever go to synagogue.

In fact, the only thing that still seems to make sense is magic.

See, the thing is, I’m a witch. I’ve been casting spells since I was little. And even if no one else wants to believe in magic anymore, it’s always made sense to me, always felt true. But I was still shocked the day I found a strange red book at the library and somehow...I conjured something. A girl, actually. A beautiful girl with no memory, and wings like an angel. You probably don’t believe me, but I swear it’s the truth.

Miriam is like no one else I’ve ever met. She’s proof that magic is real. And, it’s hard to explain this part, but I just know that we’re connected. That means it’s up to me to help Miriam figure out what she is and where she came from. If I can do that, maybe everything else in my life will start to make sense too.

Anyway, it’s worth a try.

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Okay, so a few things...

...no, the title is not missing a word; WOODLAND is the name of Zippy's street.

...no, you're not seeing double; the magical looking image just behind our leading little lady on the cover IS there!

...it's not a Fantasy novel despite having that dash of magic.

Now that that's all cleared up, let's get a little deeper....

Zippy is growing up, and aside from the normal biological changes, her world is practically turning upside down.  She doesn't feel like she fits in pretty much anywhere.  She's losing her best friend to another group of girls that are all the things she isn't.  She's being tasked with having a bat mitzvah, and, for someone who doesn't know if she even believes the stories and practices it preaches, that's a tall order.  Quite frankly, she's alone in a very large crowd, and just wants to find her way back to the safety of the familiar.  The thing is...change is inevitable.  It's a constant, and, just like time, marches on.  We either go with it, or watch it leave us behind, but there is always a choice.

In this case, Zippy's choice comes in the shape of a girl with wings, with no memories, no name, and no idea where she came from.  Could she be an angel?  Maybe something malicious?  Or is she simply a manifestation of the hopes and fears in one young girl come to life? Except, it's not so simple whatever the answer may be because now that Miriam IS...she can't bear to undo her into oblivion no matter the cost to herself.  But Zippy isn't a girl who gives up.  She may be scared, and unsure, but she'll find her way, and she's got a great support system waiting in the wings, once she's ready to let them in.

I loved how inclusive the story was!  There were so many backgrounds, such a large variety of characters, beliefs that ran the gambit from secular to more otherworldly, and so many things in-between.  All was treated with respect, while educating readers along the way.   It was refreshing to see the open-mindedness of others in accepting things that were outside of their own comfort zone, in lieu of simply condemning it or ignoring it completely.  I wasn't sure how Zippy's rabbi would go about navigating her pagan explorations, and yet the approach taken accepted her for who she was, shined a light on the fact that she belonged, and welcomed her with open arms.  It reminds readers that things outside our personal boxes aren't wrong, just different, and everyone is entitled to their beliefs.  The world would be a boring place if we were all the same, and, after all, variety is the spice of life.  I liked the variety, the spice that Zippy added to the story.  She wasn't afraid to be who she wanted to be, but by book's end, she owns that statement with confidence.  It shines like the glittery girl she aimed to save, and sparkled like the light shining from all those pieces that remained when the "God-light" was split asunder (a story shared within the story).  

When all is said and done, we've got a story that makes us think, invites us to learn, and reminds us to grow.  It doesn't tell us that it'll be easy, but it does help us realize it's worth all the bumps in the road along the way...and those bumps make for some mighty good memories (or perhaps a story?) to be shared when the time is right.

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About the author...

Laurel Snyder is the beloved author of many picture books and novels for children, including the National Book Award nominee Orphan Island and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner Charlie & Mouse. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, she teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in writing for children and young adults program. Laurel lives in Atlanta with her family and can be found online at www.laurelsnyder.com.

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Special thanks to Debbie and the Walden Pond Press team for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to snag your copy today, and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

May 16

Nerdy Book Club

@nerdybookclub

May 16

Unleashing Readers

@unleashreaders

May 17

Teachers Who Read

@teachers_read

May 18

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

@grgenius

May 22

StoryMamas

@storymamas

May 23

LitCoachLou

@litcoachlou

May 26

A Library Mama

@librarymama

May 30

A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust

@bethshaum

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

Happy BOOK BIRTHDAY to... TO DREAM OF SHADOWS by Steve N. Lee - REVIEW!

Hello again!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend.  May it have been light on work, and heavy on pleasure with much of that leisure time occupies by great reads!  As for mine...I worked, and ran errands prior to work, but such is life, and I still managed to squeeze in some reading time, so I still count it as a win.  Speaking of which...

The reading here lately has been AMAZING and I'm currently sitting on several titles that need reviewing, so keep tuning in for updates and new suggestions for your TBR.  Today's featured title is not one of those held in waiting, but a NEW RELEASE available right now for your reading pleasure.  Now, I say that with a grain of salt because while reading is a pleasurable pastime, the subject matter covered within this title, the history pages it was torn from, are anything but enjoyable...however, the story itself, how it was built, shaped, and shared was memorable from start to finish.  Ready to learn more?  Ladies and gents, here comes today's ebook of choice...

To Dream of Shadows

by

Steve N. Lee

About the book...

She will save hundreds of lives. But can she save her own?

Inspired by a previously untold true story.

1943. 18-year-old Czech, Inge is torn from her family and imprisoned in some godforsaken hellhole. There, she suffers month after month of torturous labor while praying for liberation by the Allies. But rescue never comes. And her dream of surviving the war dies.

Heinz, an SS Sergeant, has been force-fed the Reich's poison since childhood, but nowadays, he covertly helps prisoners.

So when a random act of kindness thrusts Inge and Heinz together, they can't resist being drawn to one another. Unable to deny their feelings, they dare to dream of a future, a life — together.

But their relationship does not go unnoticed. For Inge and Heinz, falling in love becomes a death sentence. And not just for them, but for all those they care about.

Unless…

Inge makes an unthinkable sacrifice.

Set during history’s darkest hour, “To Dream Of Shadows” is an epic tale of compassion, sacrifice, and the strength of the human spirit.  Discover one of the most heartwarming, heartbreaking, and heroic tales of the Holocaust. 

GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

AMAZON  US | UK | CA | AU

B&N | iBooks | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

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I've read this author's work before, and while I did enjoy it, it tore my heart out, stomped on it, placed it back in my chest, and then tore it out once again.  I mean, the emotions pulled from you were exhausting...and while yes, it meant that the author really connected with you, I wasn't so sure if I could take another heart beating...hence, it's been a little while since I read/reviewed his work.  Then we have today...

This week, or rather just yesterday, saw us celebrating the release of yet another title from author Steve N. Lee, and this time around it was a Historical Fiction novel that really sounded like something I needed to read.  So, I took a chance.  I gambled.  I let my heart out of its confines to explore this new venture from someone that has penned great yet heartbreaking work before...and I can't say I'm sorry for having done so.

This story has its bare bones in history, but the details, the fleshing out, and the ending are all speculation.  It provided the author with a time period well known, locations visited many times over, and lives to explore on both sides of the war, along with the atrocities that still shock to this day, and the evil that was done in the name of a homeland.  It allowed him to build complex characters that we can't help but feel for.  Now whether those feelings were in favor of them or wishing they would fall into their own mass graves is something to be determined, but I will say this...while you could easily get lost in the story, both that of life in the camps, and the potential for love brewing in the most unlikely of places, it raised some interesting questions...at least for this reader.  In no way shape or form are the events that transpired excusable, but I have to wonder...how many were not fighting for something they believed in, but something they were made to believe, or to protect their families, or to save themselves?  Does it make them a coward for not falling on the blade, so to speak, or just as evil as those in command if they were acting against their will for the good of others?

Inge's character I was behind one hundred percent.  Even though she talked out of turn with no care for herself at times, she was always trying to help others, save others, protect others, and then eventually herself.  It wasn't an easy road to walk in any way, but she did the best she could in the dire situation presented.  It was so hard watching her struggles day in and day out, but it was equally hard seeing the hardships of those around her, and the people in general.  It's so heartbreaking to know things like that actually happened, and that's where my second query came in.  Heinz was a character that I had a very hard time liking.  Grant it, it was more plausible than Gruber, or Kloser, or several others, but although he was nicer, he was still one of them.  It wasn't until about seventy-five percent through the book that I was willing to accept him as something more than an instrument of war.  Yes, he worked to change things.  Yes, he stepped in on the prisoners behalves.  Yes, he was still a member of a party of "people" that believed they were the only true race that should exist...and though he was "fed poison" all his life, and obviously harbored doubts to be how he was when we met him, it was still SO HARD to think anything kind on his behalf...hence the questions his character raised while I was reading.

All in all, it was both captivating, and heartbreaking.  It gave us another glimpse into history, while raising questions that are very hard to answer, and still grabbing us by the heartstrings as we wait with baited breath to see if things turn out right in the end.  FYI...I'm not spoiling that part, but I will say this...there is a twisty surprise along the way, and...the author wounded me once again with the story of Heinz's dog.  Just...bring the tissues, okay...you'll need them on more than one occasion.

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About the author...

Apart from animals and writing, Steve’s passion is travel. He’s visited 60 countries and enjoyed some amazing experiences, including cage-diving with great white sharks, sparring with a monk at a Shaolin temple, and watching a turtle lay eggs on a moonlit beach. He’s explored Machu Picchu, Pompeii, and the Great Wall of China, yet for all that, he’s a man of simple tastes — give him an egg sandwich and the TV remote control, and he’ll be happy for hours!

He lives in the North of England with his partner, Ania, and two black cats who arrived in the garden one day and liked it so much, they stayed. Graciously, the cats allow Steve and Ania to stay in 'their' house.

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Special thanks to author Steve N. Lee for the ebook for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or his others works, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is AVAILABLE NOW via Blue Zoo, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!

RRR presents... LOVE & AGITA by Grayson Avery - REVIEW!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we've got Rachel's Random Resources on deck as we discover the latest from author Grayson Avery.  He's known for writing witty, comedic Romantic Comedies filled with good friends, family drama, hilarious moments, and offbeat chances at love.  Today's title certainly lives up to the reputation, and I, myself, felt a bit of kinship with it.  How so?  We'll get to that, but first, let's meet the title front and center for today's post...

Love & Agita

by

Grayson Avery

About the book...

"The Hating Game meets My Big Fat Greek Wedding!"

You think you have a crazy family? Meet Leo Donati, a great guy from a wacky NY Italian family, who is expected to live his life a certain way. There are a few family rules etched in stone that he has done his best to follow:

1. Attend Sunday family dinner. It’s at 2:00. Nobody knows why.

2. Love your mother.

3. Never tell Nonna you're full. Unless you have a death wish.

4. Marry Italian.

5. Family comes first. Always. Friends come and go, but family is forever.

The only problem? He's not living his best life. Not even close. Single, lonely, and spending way too much time at the gym burning sexual energy and ungodly amounts of pasta, Leo hopes his life will change when his father hands over the family business. If only things were that simple. A takeover offer on the business puts Leo on the war path against a strikingly sexy, but overly competitive Jewish woman who is seemingly intent on ruining his life. At least that's how Leo sees it.

As tension rises and Italian tempers flare, Leo wonders if perhaps hate isn't the most accurate word for how he feels about his new nemesis. But it could never work. Yeah, the pizza bagel exists, but real-life cultural divides are more complicated than that, aren't they?

Humor abounds as corporations and cultures collide. Leo tries to thwart the takeover, find love and happiness, while also trying to avoid being bludgeoned to death by his Nonna's wooden spoon.

Love & Agita is a laugh-out loud, romantic comedy that has it all: twists, turns, emotional depth, sparkling chemistry and hilarious banter that flies off the page.

AMAZON  UK  |  US

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A Romantic Comedy featuring a clash of cultures like you've never seen before!  The Italian and the Jewish communities were not exactly at odds, but there were some things they didn't share...and that was bloodlines; a notion from many, many, many moons ago.  The thing is, we've moved into a new century (or five) since then, and the heart wants what the heart wants.  In this case, Leo's heart DOESN'T want any of the Italian gals his well-meaning mother has constantly thrown in his path.  He DOESN'T want the family business to be sold out from under him just when it was about to be his turn at the helm.  He DOESN'T want to get tongue-tied and act like a stunad every time a particular woman is around, especially when one day she may very well be his boss! His solution to all this lack of want, quietly sabotage the selling process, and maybe get control of his tongue and/or heart?  Good luck, Leo!  You're gonna need it!

Rae, on the other hand, was a tougher nut to crack.  She DOESN'T want to be seen as just a beautiful face or body, but a business woman with the means to get the job done.  She DOESN'T want to disappoint her father and live a half life.  She DEFINITELY DOESN'T want to fell anything for the stumbling, bumbling, H.R. issue in the making son of her new acquisition...other than the weight of a signed contract making good on his commitment....to the company.  A drunken kiss means nothing, right?  Ahem...sorry Rae, but often times, it does...and especially in YOUR case.  Despite being on opposite sides of the playing field, she's a great character.  Her notes at the end of each chapter were a fun detail, and the share of those thoughts she crossed out despite having crossed her mind, made you chuckle if not smile at internal battle she was having with her own heart.

The meeting of these two minds, nay...these two cultures was made for a romcom.  Seriously!  They both have such BIG personalities, and their beliefs play a lot into their daily lives, families, and ideals. Whether familiar with either one, you'll feel like part of the extended family by book's end.  That kinship I mentioned at post start...it's with the Italian side.  Yep, a shared heritage, so some of the information shared, and the jokes made, were THAT much funnier because yeah, so true!  🤣  All in all a great read, and the perfect way to feel better about your own mixed, dysfunctional, or otherwise overbearing family...that you wouldn't trade for the world!

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About the author...

Grayson Avery is the author of The Sweet Water Circle Series, a romantic comedy series that focuses on childhood friends in their 30's and 40's as they help each other navigate the stormy waters of dating, marriage, divorce, and a whole lot of inappropriate, naughty, and downright hysterical situations. He is also the author of the upcoming book, Love & Agita.

FACEBOOK | AMAZON | GOODREADS

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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!