My Historical Fiction Evolution Part 5

Today I will wrap up my series by talking about technology. But first let’s recap the previous posts:

Part 1: My introduction to historical fiction in elementary school with Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.

Part 2: Historical fiction close to home with Booky: A Trilogy by Bernice Thurman Hunter and Guest of War Trilogy by Kit Pearson.

Part 3: Learning about the holocaust.

Part 4: Eras of Interest

How today's technology has enhanced my historical fiction evolution

It’s no secret that technology has come a long way in the past 20 years. Hell it’s come a long way in the past year alone. And with that new technology it has brought an enhanced experience for readers.

The internet alone has opened the door to me for more learning opportunities than I could have ever imagined.

All those time periods I have been mentioning, now I can find out more on a topic I have read about, with just a click of the mouse. Websites like Goodreads and Pinterest have made my TBR list never ending and many of those books are of the historical fiction and non-fiction genres.

Goodreads

Goodreads allows its users to create bookshelves to organize their books. I have created several bookshelves for my historical fiction and non-fiction books. Click on the links below to see my shelves:

• Historical Fiction
• World War I
• World War II

Pinterest

One thing I enjoy when reading a historical book is looking up pictures of that time period, the events that occurred and even sometimes the people. My cell phone comes in handy in case I’m not near my computer at the time. I have started to save these pictures in a Pinterest board I created called From the Books I Have Read.

eBooks

There are many books I have read over the past couple of years that I haven’t been able to get a physical copy of, but have been able to obtain in eBook format. This has been a wonderful and cost effective way to get my dose of history.

I read my eBooks using:

• My Kobo
• Kindle for PC
• Adobe Digital Editions

Blogging and Booktube

And of course the blogging community and booktube has been a wonderful source for great recommendations.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

By: Sarah Addison Allen

Published: March 2010

Published By: Books on Tape

Format Read: Audio Book

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Magical Realism 

Rating: 4/5

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Emily Benedict is sent to live with her Grandfather, after her Mother’s untimely death. Not only is he a real life giant, but the small South Carolina town of Mullaby is home to many magical secrets. One of which was the catalyst for Emily’s Mother leaving town. She befriends neighbor Julia Winterson, owner of a local BBQ restaurant and baker of the most delicious cakes.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen is a contemporary novel with dusting of magic. Normally fantasy or magical realism isn’t my cup of tea, but I decided to give this one a shot anyway. And in the end I was happy that I did.

The author painted a beautifully magical picture of the small southern town of Mullaby. The characters were charming with detailed backstories. Rebecca Lowman was a good fit as narrator for this book and kept me engaged throughout.

While I really enjoyed the contemporary romance story-line, I found that the explanations behind the mystery and magic to be a bit underwhelming. I had hoped it would be more exciting or shocking.

Still I think that The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen was a good book and worthy of a 4 star rating. I would recommend this book to fans of lightly magical contemporaries. I will consider reading more from this author in the future. 

ML's Worth a Watch: Book Trailers (January-June 2017)

Today I would like to share with you some of the trailers for books I have read between January and June 2017.

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

If You're Gone by Brittany Goodwin 

My Historical Fiction Evolution Part 4

Welcome back to the next installment in my series about how my love for historical fiction has evolved.

Here is a recap of my previous posts. Click on the links to check them out.

Part 1: My introduction to historical fiction in elementary school with Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.

Part 2: Historical fiction close to home with Booky: A Trilogy by Bernice Thurman Hunter and Guest of War Trilogy by Kit Pearson.

Part 3: Learning about the holocaust.

Notable Time Periods

Today I will spotlight some of the other different time periods I have discovered through books.

As I got older I began to read adult books (both fiction and non-fiction) and this opened the door to discover more events, eras, cultures and places throughout history. I began to branch out from books set during World War II to include a wider variety that fascinated me just as much.

Some of these books include:

The Russian Revolution including The Romanov’s

Edwardian Aristocrats and the people who worked for them

Old New York City

The Immigrant Experience

Pre-20^th Century America

The Tudors

Among others..

I just love being transported to a different time and discovering all there is to know about. I know that my future reading will only take me farther and I can’t wait to learn more about the past.

In the 5^th and final installment of My Historical Fiction Evolution will focus on today’s technology and how it has enhanced my reading experience.

What are some different time periods you enjoy reading about? Leave me a message in the comments. Recommendations are always welcome. 

"If You're Gone" Inspired Playlist

Every once in a while I hear a song that reminds me of a certain book that I have read. Recently I had the chance to read and review If You're Gone by Brittany Goodwin (click on the link to read my review).
Book synopsis from Goodreads:

Lillian White was planning for the perfect summer- spending every waking minute at the lake with her heartthrob boyfriend, Brad Lee. But her world is shattered when Brad mysteriously disappears the night of his graduation ceremony- the same night he tells her he loves her for the first time. After law enforcement dismisses the case, classifying Brad as voluntarily missing, Lillian becomes desperate to prove that he couldn’t have just walked away. Not from his family. Not from his friends. Not from her.

Heartbroken but determined to find answers, Lillian begins to uncover secrets from Brad’s past that force her to question everything she thought she knew about him and their relationship. Will the truth lead her to him? Or are Brad’s lies just the beginning of the mystery? 

 Upon visiting the authors website I discovered that she had compiled a playlist herself for the short story.

Goodwin's playlist included songs from Daughtry, David Cook and Nickelback (among others). However my personal favourite is A Thousand Years by Christina Perri:

Here are some other songs that reminded me of If You're Gone:

Fix You by Coldplay

A Little Bit Stronger by Sara Evans

When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne 

Be sure to check out author Brittany Goodwin's post for her If You're Gone Playlist. 

My Historical Fiction Evolution Part 3

Welcome to part 3 in My Historical Fiction Evolution series where I discuss my love for the genre and how it has changed over the past 20 years.

Click the links below to check out the first two posts in this series.

To recap:

Part 1: My introduction to historical fiction in elementary school with Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.

Part 2: Historical fiction close to home with Booky: A Trilogy by Bernice Thurman Hunter and Guest of War Trilogy by Kit Pearson.

After learning about the terrible lasting effects of the atom bomb in Japan and the hardships of those during Great Depression and World War II Toronto, my historical fiction evolution was about to delve even deeper.  

It was my grade 7 teacher who introduced me to the horrors of the Holocaust, when my class watched the film Life is Beautiful. Click below to watch the movies trailer.

This film follows a Jewish man and his son as they are sent to a concentration camp during World War II. The atrocities the Jewish people faced absolutely horrified me, but it also made me want to learn more.

So naturally I turned to my newfound love of history and historical fiction. This would also mark the first time I would read non-fiction.

Now you are probably expecting me to mention The Diary of aYoung Girl by Anne Frank, however I admit that this wasn’t one of my favourite books. Instead I will focus on the following middle grade and young adult books set during this time period:

Surviving Hitler

Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps by AndreaWarren gives the true account of a holocaust survivor as he recounts his harrowing tale. This book is chalk full of pictures, many of which were extremely hard to look at. These pictures made the time period come alive for me.

My Canary Yellow Star 

My Canary Yellow Star by Eva Wiseman was a book I was given in high school by my mom who met the author. Like Surviving Hitler, it follows a young Jewish person (in this case a girl named Marta) as their rights are stripped away by the Nazi regime and sent to a concentration camp.

I have reread both of these books several times over the years (and will continue to do so), but their horrors and message of hope will never dull. It is with books like these that the people whose lives were tragically cut short are remembered. They are also a great learning tool for the youth of today.

Stay tuned for part 4 in my series where my evolution in historical fiction continues.

Are there any books set during the holocaust that you would recommend? Leave me a message in the comments. 

If You're Gone by Brittany Goodwin

If You're Gone

By: Brittany Goodwin

Published: June 2016

Published By: Edge of 22 Publishing

Format Read: eBook

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Christian Fiction, Mystery

Rating: 3.5/5

🌟🌟🌟.5

I was sent a copy of If You’re Gone by Brittany Goodwin by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Lillian White never would have imagined that she would fall in love with the school bad boy, but a chance encounter with neighbour Brad Lee would change everything. After 6 months of bliss, Brad finally tells Lillian that he loves her on the night of his high school graduation. The next morning she awakes to a frantic message from Brad’s mother saying that he has gone missing without a trace.

Brittany Goodwin’s If You’re Gone is a short story that shines the light on missing youth. Instead of focusing on the details of the investigation into Brad’s disappearance, it follows the hardships Lillian, their friends and families faced. This character driven plot sets this story apart from other mysteries that I have read in the past, which tend to be plot driven.

Although naive characters like Lillian aren’t my favourite, I found that I was able to relate to her love for Brad and their relationship was similar to my own. While her family and friends dealt with her grief in different ways, I was able to understand why she was feeling the way she did and how it affected her. The author did a good job of fitting all the details into such a short story. It was quite an emotional read for me and I flew through the pages.

For those who are interested in learning how Lillian fared in the years after If You’re Gone, they are encouraged to visit Brittany Goodwin’s website where she has posted a hidden chapter.

I would recommend this short story to fans of young adult contemporary fiction. 

Visit Brittany Goodwin's website at the link: http://www.brittanygoodwin.com 

My Historical Fiction Evolution Part 2

For the first post in My Historical Fiction Evolution series I discussed how Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr sparked my love for the genre when I was a child. Today I will talk about how that love evolved during the years of my youth.

Booky

Shortly after being introduced to historical fiction with Sadako, I was introduced to another young fictional girl by the name of Booky. Like Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, Booky: A Trilogy by Bernice ThurmanHunter was also read aloud by my teacher to the class. The main character in this series was also close in age to myself at the time. But what made her even more relatable was the fact that this trilogy was set in a place not far from home: Toronto! Even though the time period was set during the Great Depression, it mentioned many different locations in and around the city that are still there today (or were about 20 years ago). Some of those locations include: Eaton’s and the CNE, not to mention the different neighbourhoods Booky and her family lived in.

Guests of War

Around this time my love for reading in general had picked up and I was beginning to try different books outside of The Babysitter’s Club and Sweet Valley High, which I had been reading for several years prior. I came across another historical fiction book by another Canadian author.

Guests of War Trilogy by Kit Pearson was also set in Toronto and followed a young girl around my age. However this one was set during World War II and followed two British children as they are sent to Canada for safety.

There is something about reading of familiar places during a different time period that I find so interesting. Not only is it a great learning experience, but it is also interesting to compare the old ways of life to the present day.

Even after all these years I still consider Bernice Thurman Hunter’s Booky: A Trilogy and Kit Pearson’s Guests of War Trilogy to be my lasting favourites.

Stay tuned for part 3 of My Historical Fiction Evolution series where I will talk about books set during the Holocaust. 

Sunday Wrap-up: July 9, 2017

Hello everyone,

I'm racing to get this posted before midnight, as I have another one already lined up to be published. I try to spread out my posts throughout the week. But because I've made some good reading progress lately and I'm reading two different books, I thought I'd do this Sunday wrap-up.

My Reading Progress:

I have completed 2 books since my last update.

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I listened to this contemporary fiction in audio format via the Overdrive app. I enjoyed it and hope to read more from this author. 

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really liked this historical fiction set in Niagara Falls. Not only was it a great history lesson on my own province, but it is set in a location I've been several times. 

Currently Reading

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. 

Happy reading! 

Links

Hosted by: Book Date

Hosted by: Caffeinated Book Reviewer 

Mid-year Book Freak Out Tag 2017

This tag has been making its rounds on Book Tube recently, so I decided to give it a try. Although this isn't the original creator for this tag, I first came across it on BooksandLala's channel.

🎆1. Best book you've read so far in 2017 🎆

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

🎆2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2017🎆

A Vote for Murder (Murder, She Wrote #22) by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

🎆3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to🎆 

The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

🎆4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year🎆

Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford 

🎆5. Biggest disappointment🎆

The Littlest Cowboy (The Texas Brands #1) by Maggie Shayne

🎆6. Biggest Surprise🎆

Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

🎆7. Favourite new author (debut or new to you) 🎆

Jamie Ford

🎆8. Newest fictional crush🎆

None so far. 

🎆9. Newest favourite character🎆

Solomon from Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley

🎆10. Book that made you cry🎆

If You're Gone by Brittany Goodwin

🎆11. Book that made you happy🎆

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 

🎆12. Most beautiful book that you've bought (or received) so far this year? 🎆

Grandma Loves You! (Given to my son)

🎆13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year? 🎆

Plum Lovin' (Stephanie Plum, #12.5) by Janet Evanovich

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Did you participate in the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag? If so be sure to leave your link in the comments so I can check it out. 

My Historical Fiction Evolution Part 1

I am a member of many different groups on Facebook, as I’m sure many of you are. One of which I find I participate in more than others and that group is called BookAholic Café. Recently a member posted a question about going back and reading or rereading older children’s books as an adult. This is something I have been doing myself over the past couple of years. Just last year I read Tuck Everlasting and started the Nancy Drew series. I have also been re-reading the Little House on the Prairie books as well.

One of the members mentioned re-reading Sadako and theThousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. This brought back memories for me of when I read it back in the mid 90’s. It was first introduced to me by one of my teachers in elementary school, when she read it aloud to my class. Afterwards I borrowed it from the library and read it aloud with my mom.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes follows a young Hiroshima girl who has leukemia, or the “atom bomb disease” as it is also known. Sadako’s story is absolutely heart wrenching and I still remember the tears that flowed each time I read it. As I was only young at the time I didn’t even know what leukemia was, nor did I know of the terrors that occurred when the atom bombs were dropped on Japan during the Second World War.

Thinking back I now realize that it was from reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes that my love for historical fiction began. It sparked a curiosity in me to learn about different time periods and how different it was compared to the present day.

Over the past 20 years my love for historical fiction has grown and evolved to where it is today. But it all began with Eleanor Coerr’s Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.

For the next post in My Historical Fiction Evolution series I will discuss how it evolved during the years of my youth.

Is there one specific book that kicked off your love for a certain genre? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.