Review: Agent to the Stars

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Delightful!
I forgot to review this book when I first 'read' it (listened to it), but six months later the delight is still with me. Part science-fiction, part light mystery thriller, mostly it was a fun, funny, surprising and unfathomable adventure. I'll definitely read another John Scalzi.

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Review: The Paris Architect

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a complelling book!
I loved this book, all while it broke my heart, and fed my soul. As soon as the book starts, wham, you are taken immediately to the horrors of World War II in Paris, as Jews are torn from their homes. This experienced through the words and eyes of a little girl, and how she tries to save the life of her little brother in a hiding place they used for hide and seek. Fast forward 3 or 4 years, and the theme of hiding continues, as we learn the story of the architect who risked his life creating places to hide jews in Paris. Fast forward to almost modern times, and the stories that unfold as a woman and her husband get ready to move into the home that was once that of the little girl who hid her brother. Many twists and turns, compelling characters, and insights into the stories from Paris in wartime. Brilliant.

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Review: The Day That Went Missing

The Day That Went Missing by Richard Beard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

How a moment changed everything...
Poignant story of a little boy who drowned in the UK, told by the brother who was with him, and only just saved himself. But oddly little was said following the incident, the family went on with their lives, even finishing their summer vacation, barely speaking about what happened. As if pretending nothing happened. Rarely mentioning the absent family member caused grieving to be stunted. As an adult, the surviving brother sets out to find out what happened. Compelling and surprising - and very interesting.

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Review: L'Appart

L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home by David Lebovitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ah, an apartment in Paris! How lovely! Or maybe not...
David Lebovitz has a way with words. Maybe it was the thought of an apartment in Paris that grabbed me, but he even had me listening to recipes, with pleasure (and I don't cook!). Equal parts appalling and amusing, follow David as he buys and renovates an old flat in Paris. OMG! This should be MANDATORY reading if you are even thinking of doing the same. I swear you will be too frightened to do it, which is probably a good thing. For someone like me, however, I learned a lot more about the quirkiness of Paris, Parisians, and the French. Nothing is as simple as you can imagine. An enjoyable light read.

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Review: The Foundling (the Paul Fronczak story)

The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me by Paul Joseph Fronczak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a surprising and incredible story!
At 10, a little boy learns he had been kidnapped as a newborn. Later, he learns it was a full 2 years before he was 'found' and returned 'home'. But was he the same child? And if not, who was he? And where was the kidnapped infant? Follow this journey of discovery, from the feeling 'other' and not really part of his family, to the twists and turns that his story takes as a result of today's access to DNA and sites like Ancestry. It makes me think of the thousands of skeletons in people's closets that are never, or rarely, revealed. Fascinating stuff, and a compelling story. I hope one day more of his story will be revealed.

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