Books Via Ashley

Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart Synopsis This is the fictionalized true story behind the first female sheriff in the US. In 1914, Constance Kopp and her two sisters are driving into town on their buggy when an automobile crashes into them. The vehicle belongs to no other than Henry Kaufman, a rich and powerful no-good owner of one of the local silk factories. When Kaufman refuses to pay for damages, Constance sues. As a result, she and her sisters are threatened and harassed by Kaufman's gang. Going to the police, Constance finds a friend in Sheriff Heath, who is determined to help the sisters and bring Kaufman in. One of the things he does is give each of the women a revolver and teaches them how to shoot it to defend themselves. Constance also stumbles across another mystery concerning one of the factory worker girls and her son and seeks to solve it. Review I really enjoyed this book. Constance Kopp is an impressive lady (and I like that she was six feet tall!). ...

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline Synopsis Molly Ayer, a 17 year old foster child, has been through twelve families in the last nine years. After stealing a library book, she is ordered to do 50 hours of community service. She is led to Vivian Daly, a 91 year old widow who needs help sorting through boxes in her attic. Molly learns that Vivian also had a rough upbringing; an Irish immigrant, orphaned in New York City when she was 9, she was put on an "orphan train", or trains that took orphans from the crowded Eastern cities out to the Midwest where they would hopefully be adopted, but were usually used as unpaid laborers. As Molly and Vivian learn more about each other, they realize they're not so different. Review This book started out a little slow, but picked up once we started hearing Vivian's story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's a fascinating window into a not very well known part of American history and a story of courage and re...

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin Synopsis It's 1956, and Hitler won WWII. Every year, the Axis powers (the Third Reich and Imperial Japan) hold a motorcycle race across the two continents. The victor gets to attend a fancy ball in Tokyo and have a meeting with the Führer himself. Enter Yael, a Jew whose time in a concentration camp as a medical experiment left her with the ability to skinshift. Her goal? Win the race and kill Hitler. To enter the race, she poses as the previous year's winner, Adele Wolfe. But things prove even more challenging when Adele's brother enters the race, and Yael finds out that Adele had secrets of her own. Review I love books that take history and say "What if..." and create an entirely new sequence of events. I think the events surrounding WWII are especially interesting due to the enormous impact the war and the outcome had on the world. I had been eagerly waiting to read this book since it came out in October and I was not d...

We're off to a great year so far in terms of books! Some new releases from one of my favorite authors made January fun, as well as some books finally coming through on my hold list at the library. (Reviews forthcoming, huzzah!!!) I'm also eagerly awaiting some new releases this month and later this year. What books are you looking forward to the most this year? I've set a goal to read 100 books this year (Though a two week trans-atlantic trip in January has put me behind schedule!) I'm already on my sixth book and have many more queued up.  What are your reading goals? What are you reading right now? As we enter February (how are we a month into 2016 already?!?!), my life and schedule have finally settled down, and I can give this blog some more of the love it deserves! I hope you'll stick with me as I share with you the wonderful books I've been reading, and hopefully help you find new stories and adventures that you'll love.

In 2015 I managed to read 75 books ! That tops the 62 I read in 2014. While I enjoyed almost every book I read, some of them stood out above the rest. My Top Ten of 2015: 1) A Darker Shade of Magic - V. E. Schwab A brilliant new fantasy with richly descriptive new worlds, engaging characters, and a fast-paced plot that makes you want to go on an adventure. 2) An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir The author's debut book, a fantastic YA fantasy with compelling and relatable characters, a fascinating and diverse world, and incredible prose that moves the story through each of its twists and turns. 3) Edenbrooke - Julianne Donaldson Reminiscent of 'Pride & Prejudice', this is a wonderfully written story of finding love for a young woman in Regency-era England. 4) The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah A tear-inducing story that follows the journeys of two sisters struggling to make a difference and stay alive in France during WWII. 5) The Martian - Andy Weir...

It was a good year for reading! I made an effort to broaden my tastes and read from various different genres, or along certain themes. I had a goal to read 75 books and I made it just in the nick of time! I'll be getting more reviews of these books up and coming, once my routine for the new year settles in. Here are all the books I completed* in 2015! *There are many more I started and did not finish. I did not count those Talking to Dragons - Patricia C. Wrede The Paper Magician - Charlie N. Holmberg The Glass Magician - Charlie N. Holmberg The Last Continent - Terry Pratchett Firefight - Brandon Sanderson A Night of Blacker Darkness - Dan Wells Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett The Red Tent - Anita Diamant Ready Player One - Ernest Cline Phantom Tollbooth - Norton Juster Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling Dreaming Spies - Laurie R. King A Darker Shade of Magic - V. E. Schwab Stardust - Neil Gaiman Sourcery - Terry Pratchett Lords ...

The Little Paris Bookshop - Nina George Synopsis Jean Perdu owns a "literary apothecary", a floating bookstore where he prescribes books to help people with their various life ailments. The only person he can't seem to heal is himself. Twenty years after the love of his life left him, Perdu finally opens the last letter she wrote him... And discovers something that sets him off on a journey of renewal to the south of France. He is joined by a young successful author who is trying to escape his newfound fame, an Italian cook, and they meet several other people along the way. Review Reading this book was like eating a delicious chocolate torte: savoring each bite and letting the rich, satisfying taste linger before taking another. I read this book slowly, enjoying the beautiful words and exquisite sentences. Plus, SO MANY FEELS. This book really delves into love, loss, and all the stages of grief in between. These emotions are described so poignantly that yo...