The Red Ribbon

Sometimes I steer away from Holocaust fiction because there is so much of it and sometimes it's too much to take in. It's like reading misery porn and at a certain point you have to take a breather. The Red Ribbon is a young adult novel that focuses on a little known bit of Auschwitz lore, the sewing studio. The commandant's wife is a fashionista and she decides that she  may as well put some prisoners to work crafting her stylish new outfits and tailoring her clothes. The officer's wives get jealous and soon she opens it up to them and expands the workshop. Fourteen year old, Ella lucks into working in the studio and tries to lose herself in her work so she doesn't have to observe the hellhole around her. At least she's making pretty things even if they are going to monsters. Her only other distraction is a quirky young girl named Rose who spins the most delightful stories and always seems to have her head in the clouds. Although annoyed by her at first, Ella soon realizes how important it is to have hope and keep dreaming and they soon become inseparable. Although not explicitly graphic, this book doesn't shy away from hard truths either, it's a nice middle ground that young adults can read without being "too horrified" while still being informed about atrocities.

Never Judge A Book By It's Cover

After reading a heavy duty romance I was due for a light-hearted sappy read and this fit the bill. It's a story about hope and redemption and looking beyond the surface, it's a great feel good read.

The story follows Sasha, a 37 year old world famous ballerina who has just suffered a life altering fall and will never be the same again. Sasha decides to retreat from the world, her fans, her friends, and her husband by going back to her hometown to re-cooperate and learn to walk again. The thought of never dancing again throws Sasha into a deep and miserable depression, enter Evelyn. Evelyn is a bright young girl who is happily engaged and does odd jobs around town to save up for her wedding. Everyone in town (especially her parents) is disappointed that she chose to turn down college for her fiance (who has questionable morals and is seemingly marrying Evelyn to get in her pants, something she staunchly refuses to do before marriage). Evelyn takes a job as in home care for Sasha and the two constantly butt heads. In time though they begin to depend and rely on each other. And the roles momentarily flip when Sasha starts to heal and Evelyn's life is turned upside down. The unwilling pair make an unlikely duo as they struggle through life's challenges together.

It was a cute read and it took no time at all to plow through it. Definitely a beach read :)

Dream Lake

Having just read the first book in Lisa Kleypas' Friday Harbor Trilogy last week, I was eager to continue the series. So eager in fact, that I read this book in half a day. Fun, fast, easy, and romantic, not necessarily something you would re-read but a nice way to pass the time and put you in a better mood.

Unlike the last novel the story focuses on Zoe, Lucy's friend and minor character in "Rainshadow Road." Zoe's grandmother takes a turn for the worst and Zoe wants to bring her to the island as soon as possible to care for her personally. In order to do that she has to restore her grandmother's long neglected cottage so she has a safe place to care for her grandmother. Enter Alex Nolan, Sam's youngest, unruly and alcoholic brother. Having recently gone through a divorce that emptied his bank account, Alex is hard pressed for money and he renovates Zoe's cottage to get some cash and get away from booze. Things get interesting when a ghost starts following Alex around, the ghost remembers nothing of his former life but relies on Alex to help him remember. They form an unlikely duo and the ghost helps Alex rid himself of his drinking addiction and realize what a catch Zoe is.

The ghost aspect of the story sounds cheesy, but surprisingly it's not. I love how this story subtly ties in with "Rainshadow Road," I would highly recommend that they are read in order to get the full effect. I eagerly await the third installment, "Crystal Cove," which will be released in February of next year.

I received this book for free from GoodReads Giveaways in return for my unbiased honest opinion.