Miss Amelia's List by Mercedes Lackey

The seventeenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series follows Amelia Stonehold and Serena Meleva as they navigate property acquisition, marriage proposals, and other ancient horrors in Regency England, but with the help of elemental magic

The year is 1815, and an American, Miss Amelia Stonehold, has arrived in the Devon town of Axminster, accompanied by her "cousin" Serena Meleva. She’s brought with her a list to tick off: find a property, investigate the neighbors, bargain for and purchase the property, staff the property and...possibly...find a husband.

But Amelia soon finds herself contending with some decidedly off-list trouble, including the Honorable Captain Harold Roughtower, whose eyes are fixed on her fortune. Little does Amelia know that his plans for her wealth extend far beyond refurbishing his own crumbing estate — they include the hidden Roman temple of Glykon, where something very old, very angry, and very dangerous still lurks. But Roughtower isn’t prepared to reckon with the fact that neither Amelia nor Serena are pushovers. And he certainly isn’t ready for the revelation that he has an Earth Master and a Fire Mage on his hands — or that one of them is a shapeshifter.

I am and always have been a HUGE fan of Mercedes Lackey's elemental masters series so upon release I immediately cracked it open.  This one felt different from her other novels in the series however.  It felt like a regency, Jane Austin type novel with the elemental twist of course.  I did enjoy and would recommend. 

The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi

Third book in the series follows Radha.  She is 32 and living in Paris with her husband and 2 daughters, working as a perfumiest.  She has long since pushed down the feelings of leaving the baby boy she gave birth to a lifetime ago but once a year on his birth day, she cannot.  Her work consumes her and she finds great joy in the gift of scent and creating them for clients and she is very good at it.  But her husband does not understand her need to work and her oldest daughter is the very spitting image of her temperament when Radha was younger too, which Radha doesn't understand as she has given her daughters a life so very different from her upbringing.  Tasked with her first major project, she travels to India for inspiration and to make her stand out as a perfumiest.  However when she is there something will happen that will change her life forever - her past will finally meet her straight in the eye.

Had to finish this trilogy.  And while I am glad I did and have gained the insight of Radha from a grown up perspective, I can't say that I was blown away with this last novel.  I might have enjoyed her second one more.  I don't regret reading this however as I enjoyed revisiting characters and watching them in the grown state.

Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman

This book is the true story  of the most remarkable escape tunnel under the Berlin Wall.  Named Tunnel 29 because 29 people successfully escaped, this book draws upon not only the interviews of those students who devoted 5 months to digging it but also interviews with the survivors, thousands of pages of Stasi documents and the American News crew who documented the whole thing.

I've fallen into an obsession with the Berlin Wall.  It happened in my time and I remember the wall coming down but have never delved into it before now. Out of all of the books, documentary's, movies, interviews etc that I have gone through I would say if you read nothing else, read this one.  Helena captures the very essence of what those at the time period experienced - not just those involved in this tunnel escape, but how live was like on each side of the wall, how people had to make everyday decisions to survive in a paranoid society and if they made it over the wall, how the structure and everyday things in life they took for granted were challenging things in the free East.  Its a fascinating look into Communism - what works, what doesn't, what it does to people and how for 30 years people existed in it.  It makes you wonder about areas now that are experiencing it and how they are coping.  It makes you grateful for the things we take for granted.  

Not only would I recommend this novel but I would also follow it up by watching the documentary the book talks about.  You can find it easily for free online.  But read the book first.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Dawn of the 50th Hunger Games and in District 12 Haymitch Abernathy's whole life is about to change.  The Quarter Quell has different rules and after 50 years the games have changed considerably.  Haymitch just wanted to make it through reaping and be with the girl he loves.  But reaping day had other plans in store for him.  Voluntold he's one of the 4 from District 12, he unwittingly becomes the leader of the Newcomer alliance and the head of the rebellion.  How will Haymitch navigate all this when he his only goal is to get back to District 12 to be with his girl.

Out of all of her books I was most looking forward to this one.  Haymitch's story fascinated me and I so wanted to read what her brain told.  I was not disappointed.  She weaves the dark, broken and heart breaking story she is very good at.  In the Hunger Games novel Haymitch says that no one wins the hunger games, there are only survivors and this pretty much sums up Haymitch in a nutshell.  His story is worth reading and then going back and reading (or watching if that's your thing) Katniss and Peeta's story again cause it adds such a different dimension when you know Haymitch's past.

Read it.

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

Natsuki Books was a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town. Inside, towering shelves reached the ceiling, every one crammed full of wonderful books. Rintaro Natsuki loved this space that his grandfather had created. He spent many happy hours there, reading whatever he liked. It was the perfect refuge for a boy who tended to be something of a recluse. After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last rescue that Rintaro must attempt alone . . .

This one seemed so adorable but it surprised me a bit.  For being such a narrow book (only 500 ish pages!) it was incredible deep and an interesting perspective of our modern day projection on printed books.  I've always enjoy Japanese literature and the way they view the world - you can see so much of their honor as a people and view on how they see things as valuable and always lessons.  This book was no exception to that and the translators captured that essence which I appreciated very much. This book is also a journey on grief and sorting out feelings of losing a loved one.  I would 1000% recommend this short read because of it's depth, journey and lessons.

Belgarath the Sorcerer - David Eddings

When the world was young and Gods still walked among their mortal children, a headstrong orphan boy set out to explore the world. Thus began the extraordinary adventures that would mold that youthful vagabond into a man, and the man into the finely honed instrument of Prophecy known to all the world as Belgarath the Sorcerer.

A continuing/history of Belgarath from David Eddings series The Belgariad & The Mallorean.  The story spans Belgarath's whole life until after the events of the Mallorean series told from his point of view, his thoughts, interactions and conversations.  

I've said it before, David Eddings creates a extremely rich and thoroughly developed world and people and this book encompasses all that he endevoured to created.  Love the book and would absolutely recommend.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

A vampyre bride and a alpha wolf - can an alliance this far off base work in a world so torn between 3 factions?  Misery Lark is the only daughter of the most powerful vampyre councilman of the southwest.  She has spent her life as a sacrifice for her people - first as a trade to the human contingent during her child hood and now as an adult she is once again to be one for the weres.  But will it be enough?  And what of the human childhood "sister" who has gone missing and the only clues Misery can find point to the weres?

This is a far cry from her STEM novels and her first foray into fantasy.  You can feel Ali Hazelwoods touch here but it is such a delicious detachment from STEM.  Misery is a very dry character but it works as a soul sucking vampyre.  I'm used to her male characters being more...visceral and I don't get that here despite him being the alpha were.  But it also works with his upbringing and how he rules his pack.

All in all I did enjoy reading this one but was it because of my current obsession with Ali Hazelwood?  Would I have enjoyed it if it was by another author?  I honestly can't say.