Hello, everyone!

I would like to begin by reiterating that I didn’t really have a set TBR for April. If I had a TBR cart, you could say I set various books on it and chose what I wanted to read from this small selection. In a round-about-way, I did that by inputting the small list of books from my previous blog into a digital spinner and then clicked the button to spin the wheel. I created another spinner with the number of notifications and pickups per app listed in screen time for that day from the previous week. Later on in April, I decided to select the numbers 1, 2, and 3, and input them into the spinner four times per number. This way I would have a 4 out of 12 chance of selecting 1, 2, or 3.

Now, we can begin my April wrap-up. I would say I did a little better this month. I completed Her Secret War by Pam Lecky and What Stands in a Storm by Kim Cross. I started The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli but I was unable to complete it by the time April ended. I did end up in a small slump after reading What Stands in a Storm, which I will explain later. I was also off to a late start as I started reading April 15th.

Her Secret War by Pam Lecky

Pages: 372

Published by AVON in January 2022

Genre(s): historical fiction

star rating: ★★★★☆ (4.75 stars)

To recap, Her Secret War ties one life-changing moment, one heart-breaking choice, and one dangerous mission altogether. In May 1941, Germany bombs Dublin, Ireland taking Sarah Gillespie’s home and family from her. Days later, the man she walked away from but still loves enlists with the Royal Air Force (RAF). She later makes the decision to leave Ireland with a burning desire to help the war effort. While living with her relatives, she is tasked with a mission in which the end result will be saving lives while risking her own.

I had actually started this at the end of March, but I found the first half of the book to be a little slow moving for me. However, I was not expecting the plot twist at the very end, which kept me hooked and helped me pick up my reading pace. I was not disappointed in the least. At the end of March, I said my rating would be 4 stars and I was close as my final rating was 4.75 stars. I felt it was very slow, but it picked up speed about 75% into the book, and I truly loved the plot twist. This is not one of my favorite historical fiction books in terms of how it was laid out, but I do recommend this book for those getting into historical fiction who don’t necessarily want to read about history but would enjoy the fictionalized story taking place during that time; if that made any sense. The first book does leave you on a cliff-hanger. I plan to buy the second and third books so I can continue Sarah’s story.

What Stands in a Storm by Kim Cross

Pages: 280

Published by ATRIA Books in March 2015

Genre(s): non-fiction

star rating: ★★★★★ (5+ stars, looking ONLY at the writing)

I have not read a non-fiction book since I completed my Bachelors and had to read various books in the two history classes I took (these were strictly electives as I preferred them over other courses). What Stands in a Storm is about the string of tornadoes that touched down on April 27, 2011 in the southern states. It provides details from responders, meteorologists, and survivors. This book is divided into three parts: (1) The Storm, (2) The Aftermath, and (3) The Recovery. Chapter one starts on April 27, 2011 as Patti Parker races a tornado to get home to her family only to return to down trees and live powerlines and destroyed homes in her neighborhood, praying that her family is still safe. The next set of chapters in the first part tells you what happens leading up to April 27th and the thoughts meteorologist had when discovering the tornado outbreak days prior.

Having studied meteorology in the beginning of my college years, I found this information about how the outbreak had formed and what broadcasters do in the event of severe weather to be fascinating. In high school, I dreamed of wanting to encourage my state to put the warning sirens back in place after having lived through a tornado going down main street not far from my house. We do have tornado sirens, but they are not being used as birds would make their nests in them. I was told, “Tornadoes are rare in Virginia. There would be no point.” However, having those sirens be active again would be better than waiting mere seconds for a meteorologist to tell people to get to a safe place (i.e., basement). I will admit that, over time, the local meteorologists have gotten better when it comes to timing. But I also know, having read so far into this book, that multiple factors can lead to a delay in notifying people, such as equipment needed to monitor the storm being taken out by said storm.

Just a heads up, this will be my longest review of a book I have read. What Stands in a Storm was beautifully written. Kim Cross gave so much detail about the victims and survivors at the beginning of the book (before the storm him), that it felt like you knew them. After chapter one, I wanted to know if Patti Parker reunited with her family. After reading about Danielle, Kelli, Loryn, and Will, I wanted to know if they survived. I felt like I had met all of them; like I was the one doing the interviews or standing with them surveying the damage and waiting for their loved ones to be rescued.

Being that this is non-fiction, I won’t feel bad for spoiling the book. Patti Parker does reunite with her family. I won’t lie, but you may need tissues. This is why I said I felt like I had met them. Danielle, Loryn, and Will did not survive after a tree landed on their house. I cried when their families identified their bodies and I cried when Danielle and Loryn’s parents told their siblings. I’ve watched Twister and I’ve heard stories; as I mentioned, I experienced a tornado going down main street not far from my childhood home, yelling for my grandfather to not worry about chairs and to just come to the basement. I cannot imagine what everyone was going though on April 27, 2011. Looking solely at the writing, I gave this a 5+ star rating, ranking up there with The Last Train to Paradise by Led Standiford, which I have read numerous times.

I then took a small break from reading as What Stands in a Storm left me very emotional (or numb) afterwards. I started reading again on the last day of April.

The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli

Pages: 451

Published by William Morrow in September 2020

Genre(s): historical fiction

star rating: Coming in May

At the time of writing this blog post, I am 75 pages into the book. So far, I have learned about four characters: Leonardo (late 1470s - Florence, Italy), Cecilia (1489 - Milan, Italy), Edith (late 1930s - Munich, Germany), and Dominic (1944 - Normandy, France). Leonardo appears to have futuristic dreams in which he sees people using large, destructive machines to win wars. He decides to draw the machines from his dreams in hopes that someone may want a machine that can help them end the ongoing war in Italy. Cecilia, on the other hand, is looking for a way to escape having to go to a convent after a few of her brothers gambled her dowery away, ultimately ending her engagement. She ends up being asked to become the mistress of Lord Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan, ending all her troubles; or so she thought.

Moving to modern day 1939, Edith is asked to give a presentation on paintings from private collections owned by various families across Poland. During this meeting, she is informed that the German government plans to send the people who work at her museum, including her, to areas in which the Germans plan to take every piece of art to store in a new museum they are building before the Americans can “put them in Jewish museums in America” (page 12). Of course, she feels guilty and she isn’t the only one; but when you are handed conscription orders, you must follow them. Meanwhile, in 1944, Dominic is getting ready to land on the beaches of Normandy. Not only does his platoon succeed, but they also lose a portion of their platoon to the gun fight that was taking place on the beach. The last chapter I read in his point of view had him and one of his fellow soldiers heading somewhere with their commanding officer to discuss a new job with the commander. I will be continue reading this in May.

May TBR

Other than finishing The Night Portrait, here is the rest of the books I hope to read in May:

For the month of May, I will be joining the American Cancer Society’s “Read Everyday Challenge.” My mom is a breast cancer survivor and a few family members have survived various cancers as well; I will be dedicating this fundraiser challenge to them. As per usual, feel free to send me book recs, ideas for reading challenges, and ideas for future reading blogs at blueoceans.sanddollar@gmail.com or comment down below.

See you next blog.