WWII fiction is my absolute favorite genre to read this time of year. Okay, okay – It’s my favorite genre to read any time of the year, but it’s even better in the chilly months of November and December. It’s so easy to get lost in blustery war-torn Germany when you can curl up by a fire. Prisoner of Night and Fog is the perfect book to read when it’s cold outside.

Anne Blankman completely transported me to 1930s Munich. The setting felt so authentic! From the very first page, Anne’s intense research really shone through. Prisoner of Night and Fog is different from other WWII fiction books I’ve read, because the main character is a close family friend of Adolf Hitler himself. 17-year-old Gretchen Muller’s father was a close comrade to “Uncle Dolf” and died protecting him in a riot Hitler led in the 1920’s. From then on out, Hitler claimed he owed a debt to Gretchen, her mother, and brother, and treated them as family.

When I saw that Elizabeth Wein (my favorite WWII writer), blurbed the book, I knew I could trust that this story would be amazing. In Elizabeth Wein’s two words, Prisoner of Night and Fog is “terrifying and incredible.” I could’t have said it better myself. I am stunned and in awe by how this story came to life. Anne Blankman truly dug deep. This book revealed terrifying truths beyond Hitler the ruthless Nazi leader and behind Hitler the person. Everything was so realistic and honest I had to put the book down at times.

Hitler wasn’t just a background political leader in this story; he was a character! It was frightening how realistic he was. You can see how much time Anne Blankman put into writing him, because at times there were quotes that Hitler had once said that made him seem likable. And at other times, she had his character say something in passing that was cold and ruthless and horrifying. Slowly, his true character and intentions were revealed in a manner of timing that was perfect for the length of the book and believable to Gretchen’s character. I was floored by how the author pulled off bringing Adolf Hitler to life.

Gretchen’s character development couldn’t have been more beautiful. Under the influence of her Nazi father and Uncle Hitler, she knows nothing other than Jews are “sub-human” and must be exterminated in order for Germany to grow stronger. As Gretchen investigates what Hitler is truly proposing, her change of heart is touching and realistic. Writing a character’s transformation from such beliefs can be no easy feat, but Anne Blankman pulled it believably well.

The romance was yet another thing I loved about the book. It played both a subtle and center part of the story. When Gretchen falls for a young Jewish reporter, it shakes everything she knows to be true. Yet the romance still didn’t take over the book. I appreciated that. In the young adult genres particularly, it’s easy for a romance to overshadow the main plot. In Prisoner of Night and Fog, it was well executed. The romance wasn’t meaningless; it moved the plot forward while staying in the background of the novel.

Every page of this book had me in its grip. I’m still enamored by the setting and time Anne Blankman drew me into – seemingly effortlessly. Plot twists on every page, stunning writing, and believable characters kept me reading and reading. I couldn’t put it down!

“So she sat, holding the cup of tea and listening to the talk swirl around her like a creek’s current, and she the stone breaking the water’s flow.”

“By the next morning, the attempted revolution was unraveling like a ripped tapestry.”

“Uncle Dolf had promised their enemies would vanish into the night and fog.”

I would be THROUGH THE ROOF if this book were to be turned into a movie. It’s intense and beautiful, and I can only imagine how wonderful the cast could be. (Fingers crossed. Maybe someday a movie producer will pick this up.) 😉 I can’t wait to pick up the next book – Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke – at my library tomorrow!

Note: I wouldn’t advise this book to younger readers. At times I had to set the book down due to rough content. Overall, it was clean (no sexual scenes or foul language) but in the true brutal realities of Nazi Germany, was in certain scenes violent and gut-wrenching. At the very least, if you’re sensitive to violence, don’t read Prisoner of Night and Fog late at night like I did!

five stars. ★★★★★

Have you read Prisoner of Night and Fog? Or the sequel? What were your thoughts? Does it sound like something you might read? What are your favorite WWII fiction books?

P.S. My cousin Sydney just started her own “lifestyle blog.” 🙂 It would make her day if you left her a comment. You can visit her here.

(Quick shout-out to the best friend ever Brooke who, upon my realization on FaceTime that I had yet to get a post up due to lack of bookish photography, stepped outside onto her little Japanese plot of land and took a photo of her copy of The Winner’s Kiss. *collective deep breath because that was a run-0n sentence* And isn’t it beautiful?)

MARIE RUTKOSKI DID IT AGAIN.

This book is the third in The Winner’s Trilogy. I read the first two books in January and was forced to wait another two months before the final book was published. (Three if you count the month I was agonizingly broke and couldn’t buy the book.) I adore everything about these stories.

1) The writing is purely a masterpiece. So poetic I savored every word; right up my alley indeed. It’s elegant and vague but effective.

“She didn’t like to open the box. The sight of her heart was unsettling. It always looked both smaller and bigger than she expected. It thumped against the white porcelain. A fleshy red knot.” 

2) The political intrigue is my favorite part. The war strategy and positions and race and slavery and MUAH it was so wonderful! I appreciated the fact that the main character’s strengths lie not in her physical attributes but her mental strategy. She is quick and intelligent. Every detail of the war ensuing in Marie Rutkoski’s world is believable and realistic.

3) The love story obviously tickles the romantic bone in my body. (Who am I kidding, every bone in my body is romantic. *swoon*) Kestrel and Arin had enough of both struggle and affection to have me fully invested in their relationship. I love them because they’re not the average frustrating immature couple that is portrayed in a majority of young adult books. They would literally walk the ends of the earth for each other in the midst of a war that divided them in half. It was beautiful and endearing.

Can we talk about the cover(s) for a moment? There are two completely different covers, both US editions, and it really irks me. To me, both are completely misleading and I feel like there ought to be one that’s a combination of both. The first looks too feminine and the second looks not enough. I prefer the first though it still sends me into a tailspin. whyyyy.

I can’t say it enough: The Winner’s Kiss is a winner.

CONTENT DETAILS: For cautious readers, my one complaint was a steamy scene in the end of the book. I was annoyed and very frustrated that it had to be added right at the end. As a heads-up, it is easy to skip over in the chapter and won’t interfere with your understanding of the plot.

five stars. ★★★★★

Umm where’s my heart?? Can I have it back please, Salt to the Sea? I had to let a few days pass between when I finished the book and when I wrote a review to gather my bearings. I was speechless by the last page.

“Just when you think this war has taken everything you loved, you meet someone and realize that somehow you still have more to give.”

After finishing this book, I have read all three of Ruta Sepetys’ works and may I just say: flawless. She is my favorite historical fiction writer. In Salt to the Sea, Ruta tells the story of four European teenagers during WWII. The switching perspectives of each young adult was fascinating because each one views the war through their own cultural lens. It was definitely a unique experience in a historical fiction book.

“She has beaten this war… life has spit in the eye of death.”

Ruta Sepetys also shed light on a little-known casualty of WWII: the Wilhelm Gustloff was a luxury cruise ship that was used in the war to help refugees escape. Soviet U-Boats sunk the ship. The amount of people that died was more than the Titanic and Lusitania combined, yet not near enough people know about it. I felt largely enlightened to get to know about this lesser-known tragedy. I’m grateful that Ruta Sepetys chose this story in particular to tell. (Which, by the way, was inspired by her own Lithuanian family’s history – her aunt was meant to board the Wilhem Gustloff but was spared by getting on another ship!)

“A girl who lost her mother was suddenly a tiny boat on an angry ocean.”

Fans of Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity would enjoy this. I cannot recommend Salt to the Sea enough. It’s certainly my favorite Ruta Sepetys book and I hope more people have the pleasure read it.

five stars. ★★★★★

Title: Ruby Red

Author: Kerstin Gier

Series: The Ruby Trilogy/The Precious Stone Trilogy #1

Publisher: (original German publisher) Arena Verlag

Publication date: January 6, 2009 (German edition)

Source: library

About: Gwyneth Shepherd’s sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon–the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

I CAN’T HANDLE ANY OF THIS. I swear I had chills finishing this book last night (February 10) and now I’ve just watched the movie – OH MY GOSH. Go read it. Go read this book right now. Put down everything and GET IT.

Okay I’m calming myself down (momentarily) so I can explain a few things before I delve into the review: originally, this trilogy (known in some translations as the Precious Stone trilogy, and others the Ruby Red trilogy) was written in German. The books have been translated into seventeen languages, including English. Three movies have been made for the three books – Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, and Emerald Green. Sadly for me, only the first movie has an English voice over. (I found it here to watch for free.) Because of translation issues, in some editions the main character’s name is Gwendolyn and in others it is Gwyneth. (In the movie it was Gwendolyn and the book I read was Gwyneth.) For the sake of the review I’ll call her Gwen. There are also many different covers. The edition my library had is actually my least favorite, so I’ll share a few others for you to decide which ones you like.

^ Here is the movie trailer!

I completely jumped into this series headfirst, not really knowing what to expect at all. I did know I was excited to read it, and for GOOD REASONS. (!!!) It was really neat reading this trilogy because I had never read a translated book before, and I was excited for my first. I’ve heard it can be tricky, because the plot or characters may not be written as well – somehow getting lost in the adapted editions – but Ruby Red was amazing for an English-translated novel! This was also my first time travel book, so I was easily impressed and definitely want to read more like this!

Here’s the American cover! 

Gwen was such a realistic character. She responded exactly the same way you’d expect a 21st century teenager to act if they began traveling into random periods of time unexpectedly. It was so REFRESHING. She was honest about her feelings and not as wishy-washy or indecisive as some YA protagonists can tend to be.

This is the British one; my favorite!

The overall story is very fast-paced. It spans over a period of week or so; or possibly less (?). So there wasn’t really much time for me to become bored. It pulls you straight in and you’re not putting that book down until you finish.

Annnd this is the original German cover!

The romance was so sweet! Right off the bat, I adored it because it’s a classic Darcy/Elizabeth relationship. I actually liked the little break scenes in the movie where Gideon and Gwen were just hanging out, because the book sort of missed that bit. I felt like they were just on a mission the whole time, so I do wish there had been calmer scenes with the two of them.

The pace of the romance was a little confusing, though. In page-terms, it’s great, because Gideon and Gwen *aren’t* lovey-dovey on page two; it takes a good portion of the book for them to realize their feelings for each other. But that said, in the actual time span of the book it felt like Gideon and Gwen only knew each other for a matter of days. I could be wrong in the time span of the book, but it still felt a little awkward.

SO CUTE. 

The movie was actually really enjoyable! I’m not over-the-moon about it, but I’d watch it again. I did watch the dubbed-over version in English, so it was a little annoying since the voices didn’t line up the with their lips, and I reeeallly wish I could tell how well the actors were because they looked amazing! (Now I need to go learn German — which actually would be pretty cool.) I absolutely ADORED how spot-on the actors were as far as looks though. Spot-on. They couldn’t have fit the bill any less; the descriptions were just SO accurate!

The movie was pretty accurate itself, too. Some scenes were misplaced, but other than that it was great. I wouldn’t recommend watching it if you’re ultra picky about spoilers; there was a small one at the very end which leads into the second book. However, it’s a small one and I didn’t mind too much.

It is a bummer that the other two movies haven’t been made into English yet. The latest one, Emerald Green, comes out this June! Can’t wait to get the next two books from the library!

you absolutely HAVE to read this series! go get it soooon & tell your friends about it so they can tell their friends about it so they can tell their friends about it! it’s amaaaazing. (trust me.)

have you read this series before?! and do you think you’ll read it, or be interested in seeing the movie?

P.S. All the GIFs in this post are from the movie!

Title: Always Emily

Author: Michaela MacColl

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Publishing date: April 8, 2014

Length: 282 pages

Source: Kindle (e-book)

About: Emily and Charlotte Brontë are about as opposite as two sisters can be. Charlotte is practical and cautious; Emily is headstrong and imaginative. But they do have one thing in common: a love of writing. This shared passion will lead them to be two of the first published female novelists and authors of several enduring works of classic literature. But they’re not there yet. First, they have to figure out if there is a connection between a string of local burglaries, rumors that a neighbor’s death may not have been accidental, and the appearance on the moors of a mysterious and handsome stranger. The girls have a lot of knots to untangle—before someone else gets killed.

WOW. I’m so in love with this book! (And NOT just because the main character & title are clearly awesome.)

Michaela MacColl took such a creative and well-researched fictional spin on classic authors Emily and Charlotte Bronte! I felt like I got an accurate peak inside these authors’ minds. I especially felt this and loved it getting to see how Ms. MacColl developed her characters’ personalities through true facts about the sisters by reading the author’s note at the end. Michaela MacColl did a great job of meetings the facts with the fiction.

Emily Bronte is our main character, though the book is third-person so we also get inside Charlotte’s head as well. (Though I approve of the title as opposed to ‘Always Charlotte.’ I have to be honest in saying the title was what hooked me! Whaaaat?! I’m biased! I wanted an MC with my name!) I bought this book on my Kindle when it was on sale last year, got about 37% in… and… DNF’d.

I DNF’D. WHYYYYY. If I recall correctly, at the time I’d just finished a cliff-hanging epic saga series and was a tad depressed… so don’t take it out on the book! I picked it up again on a whim (I really had no intention of reading this any time soon) and this time, it hooked me from the very beginning.

IT’S A MYSTERY! I haven’t read a straight-forward mystery in ages. I don’t want to say too much less I give it away… BUT let me just say: suspeeeeeense. I was expecting *more* of a make-believe premise but much of the plot itself was based on the true lives of Charlotte and Em! (Or Emmy, Ems, Emily-Bedemily, Em-N-Em. Etcetera, etcetera.) 🙂 (I just loved that the main character’s name was Emily alright!)

There was a bittersweet romance. I was tempted for a while there to Google who the Bronte sister ended up with… but thankfully I didn’t! It was sweet, and had a satisfying ending.

And the relationship between the sisters was captured so perfectly! The MC’s name IS Emily, but I have to say that she is much more my little sister’s personality – she is the younger sister, after all. Again, MacColl captured such a realistic and true-to-the-facts relationship between Charlotte and Emily. And it certainly was relatable, as an older sibling myself. 😉

I did have a few complaints, which is why this book gets four stars instead of five:

1: I predicted the mystery about 2/3 of the way in. Mostly after that the intrigue was a matter of how the issue was going to be resolved, and the action, which is always fun.

2: I said before that there was a small romance that I enjoyed, but it just didn’t feel realistic. A) Insta-love. Meh. Apparently the characters had a *small* history as kids but I didn’t get any of that, and everything went so fast! It was “boom, boom, BOOM – oh hey I’m kissing you now, that’s cool.” B) The romance simply didn’t have a place in this story. The character who ended up in a romance was never actually involved in a real person with that name and everything (trying not to give anything away; apologies for being vague!) when they actually lived some two hundred years ago and… I just didn’t see any purpose for it at all. I might have liked it more if I knew a bit more about the love interest (he felt like such a flat character and that was sad because he had a ton of room for a more explained back story) but… my overall feelings of that was just: “Eh. They’re alright.”

So Always Emily gets four stars! (Also, I just have to add that I now desperately want to read one of the Bronte sisters’ books, even more now!!)

have you read this book? what did you think? sound like something you’d be interested in? 🙂

Believe it or not, Emily, The Queen of Procrastination, has priorities. I make lists — lots of them. On my mirror, on paper, on sticky notes, in my head (and they all come to me at night, EVERY ONE OF ‘EM, geez!) The point is: I am always thinking about the books I need to read, the ones I need to buy, hold, look for, send, pre-order, get signed, take with me, get rid of, borrow, lend – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

It’s crazy overwhelming, but a ton of fun. The day I die, my last thought shall be “But I didn’t finish my book…”

Because there are a LOT of books to read. I even wrote a post about it on TBR piles a few weeks ago. But this post is a bit different, because today I am tackling the tricky topic (say that ten times fast!) of: reading priorities.

More often lately, I’ve found myself reading three or four books at once. Currently, I am reading three and listening to one on audio. Just a few months ago, I would have said I strictly oppose that habit, because a few years ago I was always toting around two or three or four or five books at once and it drove me nutty!

But here’s the thing: one of my biggest pet peeves it wasting time. Wasting time on anything, really, not just on books, but because it’s just a general annoyance of mine I don’t like wasting any time on a book I will dislike. I do try to push through, however, because an even bigger pet peeve is not finishing books. Yet it’s frustrating because when I dislike a book, it can take me f o r e v e r  to get through – when I’m just DYING inside to read another! (I feel like I’m cheating on my book! “I need to like you so I’m trying, but I just… don’t…”) So recently when I started reading several books at one time again, I remembered why it can sometimes be useful.

I end up reading one book 99% of the time. Yes, I’ve got three on my nightstand, but I’m really involved in only one. It can help me find the book I want to read at that time while still pushing through the others I don’t want to DNF. Breeze through 100 pages of the book you’re really into and read a chapter in the other. Easy peasy.

That said, I’m a nice person. I try to be considerate. I know from experience how hard it can be to write a book, and how much time and effort it takes to bring that story alive. I won’t want my readers to give my book only a portion of their time when I have a book published. So I do feel a tad guilty at times.

I want to give a book my full attention. Reading more than one book at once divides my time. It’s easy to get the characters confused (me, I never forget anything – it’s a curse and a gift, think of me as Ella Enchanted – so this isn’t such a big problem of mine.) But I think this can result in thinking less of a book because your mind is on the other better book of the time. If I had read The Winner’s Trilogy next to another (older) favorite, The Selections series, would I have liked The Selection less? Which one would I have picked? I’m more into The Winner’s Trilogy at the moment because it’s newer to me, but what if I read both at once? I guess I’ll never know.

I’m about to say something that may sound a little silly but I think you’ll get where I’m coming from: sometimes you just have a duty to read a book, but it’s not because I want to. (I have a feeling if I said that to my family they might think I’m being funny, but this is a serious matter!) Listen: when my sister or cousin, who aren’t big readers at all, find a book they’re passionate about, I want to read it because they want me to. I want to be excited for and with them. If my friend lends me a book, I try to read it even if it’s not my style. My mom and I have made deals where I will read a book she likes if she’ll read a book I like, and it’s a fun trade. We both get to talk to each other about books we love, even if we wouldn’t have picked up those books otherwise.

Another scenario is if the book is a “big-hype” book. At the moment I’m listening to Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. To be frank, I’m not really enjoying it so much; but it’s a popular book and I simply wanted to see what made it such a big deal. Now whether or not that should be the reason I read a book? That’s a different topic entirely!

For another day, how ’bout it?

so i guess i don’t really have a right or wrong answer for any of these questions, but i want to hear what you think!

do you read multiple books at one time? what do you think of it? and do you prioritize your books, and the order you read them, or which ones need to be read first? how long does it take you to read a book you dislike?

You know those books that just leave you in a daze, staring at a wall before finally closing the book, still feeling like you’re inside the characters’ world? This is one of those books. I’m in awe of Emily Ann Putzke’s beautiful writing, and her talent to capture what life would have been like in 1940s Germany so perfectly and detailed.

It took me a long time to get into this book – took me a little over than a week to finish, which is rare for a reader like me. That said, I’m almost glad I took my time with it because I’m not ready to say goodbye to Hans and Sophie!

I loved Hans. I don’t read many books from the perspective of males, but wow. Hans was just SO easy to adore: his passion for his cause, desire to protect his friends and family… specifically his younger sister, Sophie! AHH! Their relationship! I don’t have a brother, though I am an older sister, so I still felt like I could relate to Hans and the way he looked at Sophie. His determination, his devoted beliefs, throughout EVERYTHING he went through. He was just an all-around amazing main character who really touched me. I hope everyone who reads this book gets that too.

There were some flaws; I wasn’t a fan of all the background information given to me in the beginning. BUT I’m just so moved by this story, the poetic writing… I really couldn’t give this book any less than five stars.

The fact that this book is largely based on the true story of Hans and Sophie Scholl (brings tears to my eyes because wow wow wow) and Emily took that with such real-life detail – yet the right amount of creative license – is incredible. She did wonderful! (And now I really want to learn more about the real-life Hans and Sophie and their anti-Nazi leaflet, The White Rose.)

I became attached to ALL of the characters in this book

and… I… have no idea what else to say. I’M IN LOVE.

So this book obviously HAS to get five stars. (After raving and going on like how on earth could it not?!) My heart hurts. I’m tempted to start this story all over again because I reealllly hate leaving Hans and Sophie behind… I also feel like I can walk away knowing a lot more about WWII and living in Germany during this time, which is wonderful as I love learning more about that specific time period.

Be sure to grab this one as soon as it hits shelves on February 22nd!

does this sound like something you’ll read? have you read any of emily ann putzke’s other books? (this has been on my first!)

Title: The Winner’s Crime

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Series: The Winner’s Trilogy #2

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

Publication date: March 3, 2015

Source: library

About: {The synopsis contains some small spoilers as this is the second book in a trilogy: Read the review for the first book here for the series synopsis.}

Book two of the dazzling Winner’s Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

I am SO excited to be bringing you this review today, because this trilogy is now one of my favorites of all time. After reading The Winner’s Curse, the first book, in all of twenty-four hours (I reviewed it here last week) I could not WAIT to crack open the second one. (Luckily, I had it on hand from the library!) Annnnd… I’ve died and gone to heaven.

Going in, I knew this would end on a cliff hanger, I knew the last one wasn’t hitting shelves until late March, I knew I would just be frustrating myself, I knew I would be emotional. I knew all of that. I still jumped.

I intended to make it last as long as possible! I DID! I had good intentions! Ha. Ha. Ha. It lasted me three days. (Though that felt like an eternity compared to the one day in which I read The Winner’s Curse.)

Marie Rutkoski’s strong suit is her characters and her poetic way of story-telling. Actually, her strong suit is the plot. And action. And romance. And making her readers cry until they can’t breathe anymore. (It’s all good.)

But seriously! Marie Rutkoski’s way with words is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Her books are pure poetry!

The Winner’s Crime also had a lot more action than the first. I loved that it kept me on my toes: I swear my eyes moved a bazillion times faster than normal!

And the romance. Arin and Kestrel OH MY HEART. One minute I’m swooning and screeching and making happy inhumane noises over the adorableness of my two favorites and the next I’m heartbroken and screaming and making angry inhumane noises over the sheer stupidity of my two favorites. It’s a roller coaster of amazingness.

And of course, the big jerkbag of an emperor kept everything going crazy. (Because when has there ever been a benevolent ruler in a fantasy book?) But it wasn’t just an overused plot line. For example, I had expectations for the prince of the story: to either be a complete skunk or a charming, suave guy and thus creating an annoying love triangle. But Rutoski avoided all those cliches. Nothing was what I expected!

Not to mention Kestrel, our main character. In both of the books out so far, Kestrel isn’t like most YA female heroines. I liked that, for once, the MC *isn’t* physically strong. She can’t fight. She doesn’t have killer instincts. Kestrel’s strengths lie in her snap decisions and being an incredibly scary-smart strategist.

I loved the world. The setting became more and more alive in this second installment; I can’t wait to see how it develops in the next book. (And I really want a map!!)

So of course I am going to recommend this series. Read this book. Read it. So what if they ruin your life? So what if the ending of these books make you wanna throw yourself off a cliff? So what, if after finishing one of these books, it feels like your soul has abandoned your body and found a new home in this pages? In the words of thebookbasement on YouTube, “That doesn’t matter, right?”

5 stars!

have you read these books? are you excited for the last on in march?? are you adding it to your tbr list? go and get it! go and get it NOW, i tell you! now.

i’m going to go cry now because i can’t talk to kestrel again until march 29. later, bookworms!