"The Lost Girls of Paris"

Perfect summer reading, this is a total page turner. It's a bit formulaic--it starts with a woman finding an abandoned suitcase in Grand Central. When she looks into it she finds an envelope with photos of several women. Cut to a woman in London being recruited to be s spy in Occupied France near the end of WWII. The two stories are interwoven as the book progresses. I've read a couple books recently that followed the same pattern. Not original but enjoyable nonetheless. One thing that drives me crazy is when an author of historical fiction does't get the facts straight. There's a mention of the woman wanting to go on a cruise aboard the QE2. The book takes place in the 1940s and Queen Elizabeth wasn't crowned until the 1950s. And the ship didn't launch until 1968! And I found a couple typos, which is a mortal sin in my book. Anyway, the book is definitely a quick and enjoyable read.

"A Tale for the Time Being"

Two stories in one, actually. It's a tale about an author living in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, who discovers a diary washed up on the beach. It's from Japan and possible from the aftermath of the tsunami and nuclear meltdown that took place years before. The story follows her search for the young girl who wrote it as well as the life of the girl who penned the diary. It's a beautifully crafted novel that brings up the question of just what is reality and do we have a hand in shaping it. It can be read on a number of levels, but truth be told, I'm of average intelligence and I think a portion of the book went largely over my head. But it was a great read nonetheless. 

"Little"

One of the more unusual books I've ever read, and I've read plenty of them. "Little" is a tale, told through the eyes of Marie, a young, vertically-challenged girl. She lives in Germany with her mother, who works for a doctor specializing in making models of human organs. After her mother dies, Marie moves to Paris with the doctor and the two of them live with an absolutely wicked widow. There, they become somewhat famous making and displaying life masks of French celebrities. Marie is then hired as a companion for Louis XVI's young sister, whom she resembles. The story is ostensibly about the life of Madame Tussaud. I found the book absolutely riveting and couldn't[t put it down. Not only is it well written, it gives the reader an unvarnished view of what life was like in late 18th century France. I found the book in London, so it might not be as readily available here in the U.S..

"The Light Between Oceans"

Following his experiences fighting in the First World War, a young man Tom finds himself in southwestern Australia. He takes a job as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island and eventually marries a local girl, Isabel. One day, the couple hear the sounds of a baby crying, and discover a newborn aboard a rowboat along with the body of a young man. Isabel, who has lost three babies in childbirth, decides that it's a "sign from God" and keeps the child as her own. This is a beautifully written and superbly crafted first novel by M.L. Stedman. While I couldn't wait to find out what happened, I also didn't want the book to end. I look forward to see what she writes next.

"The Light Over London"

I'm a total Anglophile and a sucker for WWII novels in general. So just seeing the cover of this book immediately grabbed my attention. I'm glad I gave it a shot, although I'm grateful my local library had it--while a good read, hardly worth adding to my permanent and out of control collection of books. The story is about Cara, a young divorcee who works for an antique dealer. While (or whilst, as the English would say) visiting an estate, the contents of which are to be sold off, she finds the diary of a young woman, Louise, who writes about her experiences during the war. The story jumps between the diary entries, Cara's pursuit of the diarist, and the story as told through Louise's eyes. The book is quite enjoyable, however I found the writing to be so-so and full of cliches. 

"The Hard Stuff"

If you grew up in the Mid-West in the late 1960s, you had to know about the MC5. They were the hardest rocking group on the planet. I only had the opportunity to see them live once, and I have to say, they were as high energy as The Who--and that's saying a lot. So if you fall into that category, or are just interested in a well-written rock and roll autobiography, you'll enjoy this book. Wayne Kramer proves to be an intelligent, observant, and prosaic writer. His book starts from when he was a young kid and takes you through the highs and lows (and there were plenty of those), of his life. You can tell he didn't have a ghost writer and that's something I appreciate. A very insightful book. And who knows? You might even say, "hey, I was at that concert!"

"A Gentleman in Moscow"

Thoroughly delightful book. I revolves a Russian Count who is placed under house arrest in a luxurious hotel in downtown Moscow, just after the Russian Revolution. At first he resides in a large suite but is soon banished into a closet-sized room in the attic of the hotel. He reminisces about his days on the family estate, painting a beautiful picture of pre-revolutionary Russia. The Count  befriends a young girl and the two of them explore the hotel together. As the story progresses, various friends stop by and they share stories of their times together. It's one of those charming books you just don't want to end.