Review: Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill

Book info:

Title:  Within These Lines
Author:  Stephanie Morrill
Genre:  YA Historical Fiction
Release Date:  March 5th, 2019
Publisher:  Blink YA
Source:  ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
Evalina Cassano’s life in an Italian-American family in 1941 is everything it “should be” until she falls in love with Taichi Hamasaki, the son of Japanese immigrants. Despite the scandal it would cause and that inter-racial marriage is illegal in California, Evalina and Taichi vow they will find a way to be together. But anti-Japanese feelings erupt across the country after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Taichi and his family are forced to give up their farm and move to an internment camp.

Degrading treatment make life at Manzanar Relocation Center difficult. Taichi’s only connection to the outside world are treasured letters from Evalina. Feeling that the only action she can take to help Taichi is to speak out on behalf of all Japanese Americans, Evalina becomes increasingly vocal at school and at home. Meanwhile, inside Manzanar, fighting between different Japanese-American factions arises. Taichi begins to doubt he will ever leave the camp alive.

With tensions running high and their freedom on the line, Evalina and Taichi must hold true to their values and believe in their love to make a way back to each other against unbelievable odds.


My Review:
Although this one actually started off slow for me, and I was unsure if I would like it, it really redeemed itself in the end.  I usually love historical fiction like this, especially when it is about certain parts of history that I only know the bare minimum about.  To be honest, the only thing I really  knew about the Japanese detainment camps during WWII had to do with what I'd learned from one of the characters in the original Karate Kid movie.  Yeah, I know, that's sad.  I'm sure I learned other things in school, but that is all that stuck with me.  

The book started out seeming like it was just going to be a pretty simple romance story with some of the historical times that it was set in. But once we got to the point where Taichi got sent to the camp, it really got into what resonated with me.  The fact that here in America we would start a camp, and run it, almost as bad as what the Nazi's were doing in Germany, frustrates me. However, the book reminded me about how the press made sure to only cover what made it look like the camps were nice relaxing, fun places.  That the truth of the matter wasn't really shown.  That kind of detail is so relevant in today's world, when we hear about fake news, and you hear that governments or companies, want to control what is reported.  

But it wasn't just the Japanese interment camp parts that this book really brought up.  There was also the bit that Evalina had to deal with not only as a female, but also as a minority in the country at that time as well.  The fact that inter-racial marriage was so illegal at that time, so much more than really ever occurred to me, a very sheltered girl when I was growing up in the suburbs of the 80s.  

Overall this was a great historical fiction for teens, and I look forward to putting it in my school library for my students to read. 
 

Cleaning Up My TBR: Down the TBR Hole #6 with Giveaway

This meme was started by Lost in a Story.  Here is how it works:

• Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

Because I have so many to do, I'm going to try to do this weekly, and do 10 at a time.

1.  Stiff:  The Curious Lives Of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach:

Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. In this fascinating account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries and tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them. 

My thoughts:
I really do want to read a book by this author at some point.  And this is one that I am definitely interested in.  I think I should keep at least one book by this author on my TBR to make sure I don't forget her.

Verdict:  Keep


2.  Under a Green Sky: Global Warming, the Mass Extinctions of the Past, and What They Can Tell Us About Our Future by Peter D. Ward:

By looking backward at the course of great extinctions, a paleontologist sees what the future holds.

More than 200 million years ago, a cataclysmic event known as the Permian extinction destroyed more than 90 percent of all species and nearly 97 percent of all living things. Its origins have long been a puzzle for paleontologists. During the 1990s and the early part of this century, a great battle was fought between those who thought that death had come from above and those who thought something more complicated was at work.

Paleontologist Peter. D. Ward, fresh from helping prove that an asteroid had killed the dinosaurs, turned to the Permian problem, and he has come to a stunning conclusion. In his investigations of the fates of several groups of mollusks during that extinction and others, he discovered that the near-total devastation at the end of the Permian period was caused by rising levels of carbon dioxide leading to climate change. But it's not the heat (nor the humidity) that's directly responsible for the extinctions, and the story of the discovery of what is responsible makes for a fascinating, globe-spanning adventure.

In Under a Green Sky, Ward explains how the Permian extinction as well as four others happened, and describes the freakish oceans—belching poisonous gas—and sky—slightly green and always hazy—that would have attended them. Those ancient upheavals demonstrate that the threat of climate change cannot be ignored, lest the world's life today—ourselves included—face the same dire fate that has overwhelmed our planet several times before.  

My thoughts:  So, in a way, you could call me a bit of a "climate change denier".  Although honestly, what I think about it is based on the education I received to become a science teacher in college.  And this book is right up my alley.  I think that a lot of the change our climate goes through is natural, but I do feel that as humans we could be speeding things up. The fact that this book looks back at other extinctions in our past is one that interests me due to my background in earth science and paleontology.

Verdict:  Keep


3.  Beauty Sleep:  A Retelling of Sleeping Beauty by Cameron Dokey:

"ONCE UPON A TIME"
IS TIMELESS 

The Princess Aurore has had an unusual childhood. Cursed at birth, Aurore is fated to prick her finger at the age of sixteen and sleep for one hundred years -- until a prince awakens her with a kiss. So, to protect her, Aurore's loving parents forbid any task requiring a needle. 

Unable to sew or embroider like most little princesses, Aurore instead explores the castle grounds and beyond, where her warmth and generosity soon endear her to the townspeople. their devotion to the spirited princess grows as she does. 

On her sixteenth birthday, Aurore learns that the impending curse will harm not only her, but the entire kingdom as well. Unwilling to cause suffering, she will embark on a quest to end the evil magic. The princess's bravery will be rewarded as she finds adventure, enchantment, a handsome prince, and ultimately her destiny.

My thoughts:  If you know me, you know I love a good fairy tell retelling.  And while this one definitely sounds good, I don't know if it is one I will ever get to.  But again, I'm afraid to take it off my list, because the author, while prolific in this type of story, isn't as popular these days.

Verdict:  Keep  


4.  Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura E. Williams and A. Nancy Goldstein (illustrator):

It's 1942. Thirteen-year-old Korinna Rehme is an active member of her local Jungmadel, a Nazi youth group, along with many of her friends. She believes that Hitler is helping Germany by instituting a program to deal with what he calls the "Jewish problem," a program that she witnesses as her Jewish neighbors are attacked and taken from their homes. Korinna's parents, however, are members of a secret underground group providing a means of escape to the Jews of their city. Korinna is shocked to discover that they are hiding a refugee family behind the wall of her bedroom. But as she comes to know the family, her sympathies begin to turn. When someone tips off the Gestapo, loyalties are put to the test and Korinna must decide what she really believes and whom she really trusts. Filled with adventure, Behind the Bedroom Wall helps readers understand the forces that drove so many to turn on their neighbors and the courage that allowed some to resist.  

My thoughts:  I am someone who seeks out books about the holocaust.  I think that I feel like if I can read about what happened, and feel their stories however it is possible, then I have done something to make the memories of the horrible injustices live on, and not let it ever happen again.   This is a less well known story, as far as I know, so I think I will probably still want to read it some day.

Verdict:  Keep


5.  Truancy by Isama Fukui:

In an alternate world, in a nameless totalitarian city, the autocratic Mayor rules the school system with an iron fist, with the help of his Educators. Fighting against the Mayor and his repressive Educators is a group of former students called the Truancy, whose goal is to take down the system by any means possible - at any cost.

Fifteen-year-old Tack is just trying to survive. His days are filled with sadistic teachers, unrelenting schoolwork, and indifferent parents. Things start to look up when he meets Umasi, a mysterious boy who becomes Tack's mentor.

Then someone close to Tack gets killed in the cross fire between the Educators and the Truants, and he swears to avenge her. To achieve his purpose, he abandons his old life and joins the Truancy, looking for an opportunity to confront Zyid, its enigmatic leader. But Tack soon finds himself torn between his desire for revenge and his growing sympathy for the Truants.  

My thoughts:  I think this is one that I became interested in around the time I was reading The Hunger Games. While it sounds like maybe something I'd like, I don't know that I will probably get to it.  I've had chances to read it, but haven't taken any of them.  

Verdict: Toss 


6.  Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr:

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty - especially if they learn of her Sight - and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost — regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first-century faery tale.  

My thoughts:  So, Melissa Marr is an author that I either love, or else can't get into.  This is one that while it sounds good, I don't know if I'll ever get to it.  However, I feel that Marr is a well-enough known author that this is one I won't have to worry about forgetting even if I don't keep her on the list.  

Verdict:  Toss 


7.  Cut by Patricia McCormick:

Callie cuts herself. Never too deep, never enough to die. But enough to feel the pain. Enough to feel the scream inside.

Now she's at Sea Pines, a "residential treatment facility" filled with girls struggling with problems of their own. Callie doesn't want to have anything to do with them. She doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone. She won't even speak.

But Callie can only stay silent for so long...   

My thoughts:  I know that this is a well-known classic, and I think it has won awards.  And it is one I'd probably want to read.  But, I know that I've read other books about this topic, and so not sure if this is one I have to read or not.  It is short enough that it would be a quick read, but as I said, probably not one I have to save the name of so I don't forget it.

Verdict:  Toss 


 8.  Going Home by Harriet Evans:

They say love feels like going home . . . 
but what if your home is no longer there? 

Leaving her tiny flat in London -- and a whole host of headaches behind -- Lizzy Walter is making the familiar journey back home to spend Christmas with her chaotic but big-hearted family. In an ever-changing world, her parents' country home, Keeper House, is the one constant. But behind the mistletoe and mince pies, family secrets and rivalries lurk. And when David, the Love of Her Life -- or so she thought -- makes an unexpected reappearance, this one ranks as a Christmas she would definitely rather forget.

As winter slowly turns to spring, all the things that Lizzy has taken for granted begin to shift. Keeper House is in jeopardy and might have to be sold for reasons Lizzy doesn't understand. Her family seems fractured like never before. And, with a new man in her life, she may finally have to kiss her dream of a reunion with David good-bye. By the time the Walters gather at Keeper House for a summer wedding, the stakes have never been higher -- for Lizzy, for her family, and for love.  

My thoughts:  I honestly have no idea why I saved this one.  If I've read other books by the author, her name doesn't stand out to me. And the synopsis isn't enough to make me sure I want to read it again.

Verdict: Toss 


9.  Evolution's Darling by Scott Westerfeld:

Does a clone have a soul? Darling, an astronavigational control unit and personal companion, achieves sentience and wants to know. Now, 200 years and an artificial body later, he is off in search of a dead artist, a living artwork, and the forces behind a mystery that spans the universe. Accompanied by a female assassin, he'll confront the Maker and get the answer.  

My thoughts:
So, I love Scott Westerfeld.  And this is an older book, but still sounds like one I would want to read.  You don't see it around much, so even though Westerfeld is a well-known author, I'm afraid to take it off my list and not remember some day that I want to read it.

Verdict:  Keep 


10.  Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent:  How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War by Thomas B. Allen and Carla Bauer (Illustrator):

It's 1863. Harriet Tubman is facing one of the biggest—and most dangerous— challenges of her life. She has survived her master's lash, escaped from slavery, and risked her life countless times to lead runaway slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Now she has a new role—that of Union spy! The outcome of a secret night raid deep into Confederate territory depends on the accuracy of the intelligence she and other black spies have gathered. Success will mean freedom for hundreds of slaves. Failure will mean death by hanging. 

You are about to enter the undercover world of African-American spies—enslaved and free—risking everything in the name of freedom. How were the Underground Railroad and slave songs used to pass secret messages? What were "contrabands" and "Black Dispatches?" What did Harriet have in common with the Secret Six and a maidservant in the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis? You'll discover these answers and more as the action unfolds. 

Thomas B. Allen, author of the award-winning George Washington, Spymaster, has sifted through military and intelligence archives, diaries, and little-known memoirs from ex-slaves to bring to light new facts about the role Harriet and other black spies played in helping the Union win the war. 

This detailed account combined with powerful archival images supplemented with woodcuts by Carla Bauer, maps, a time line, footnotes, and extensive quote sources make this incredibly detailed account an excellent resource for report writing as well as an exciting true-life adventure.

National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.  

My thoughts:  So, back in middle school, in the 80s, we still had a class called handwriting.   What we did was to choose a book to copy from and practice our handwriting, cursive, and then turn in what we'd copied.  That's when I first really learned about Harriet Tubman and became very interested in her whole story and others of that time.  This is one that may be hard to find, but I feel like I'd still like to read it some day.

Verdict:  Keep 



Well, didn't do quite as well this week with tossing books, well, kept more than I tossed. But that's okay.  I'm going to rectify the physical stacks with the giveaway below!  Tell me, have you read any of the books above?  Would you agree with my decision to keep or toss them?


Giveaway:
I'm going to continue doing this giveaway that I started last week.  Once again I can only do a US giveaway, unless you are INT and want to chip in on the shipping costs because you really want a book from my shelves.  Just as with last week, you get to pick any book from the pictures below, as long as they don't get traded away, or picked by last week's winner, and I will pick a surprise book from the piles to add to your choice.  Here are your choices:

The picture above is all of the 2018 ARCs I have for this giveaway

These are the 2017 ARCs I have to giveaway

These are the ARCs I have from 2013-2016.

There you have it!  Just enter in the rafflecopter below to win!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Promo Post: With Ballet in My Soul - Adventures of a Globetrotting Impresario - A Memoir by Eva Maze

Book info:

Title:  With Ballet in My Soul - Adventures of a Globetrotting Impresario  
Author:  Eva Maze
Published:  April 1st, 2017
Publisher:  Moonstone Press LLC
Source:  Received from Book Publicity Services for promo and possible review 

Synopsis:

A life spanning close to 100 years is noteworthy, if only because of its longevity. The rich life of a woman committed to a professional vision ahead of its time, filled with glamour, excitement, and adventure, is truly remarkable. Narrated in her own words, this is the story of such a woman, Eva Maze, who, from the time she left Romania as a teenager in 1939, dreamed of being a ballet dancer, and through a series a circumstances, became instead one of the most successful theatrical impresarios in Europe – with a career spanning more than 40 years.

Now in her nineties, Maze looks back at the path and passion that led her from Bucharest to the United States as an immigrant, and then, as a married woman, back again to Europe and Asia, where she found her professional calling.

Set against key historical events of the 20th century, including the building of the Berlin Wall, the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, as well as the rise and fall of Pan American Airlines, Maze’s fascinating past is brought to life through a combination of serious commentary and amusing anecdotes about the risks and rewards of the business side of theater and dance, some of the personalities who were part of those worlds from the 1940s to the 1990s, her own motivation for being an impresario, and her personal life. Her narration is supported by more than 250 captivating historical and modern images going back to her birth in 1922.

Representing artists and companies abroad from a vast array of talent in the performing arts of the time – including The Alvin Ailey Dance Company, The Living Theatre, and The Swingle Singers – this unique woman became a prolific producer of more than 100 different types of theatrical programs from the world of dance, music, mime, cabaret, and drama.

Preorder Links: 

• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble
• The Book Depository

My thoughts: This isn't a book that I normally sit down and read, and I'll admit I didn't actually read it cover to cover, word for word.  However, I did page through it, stopping at passages that looked interesting, as well as checking out the pictures that show so much history and culture.  Eva Maze's life is one that is something you rarely hear about.  All of the different times of the world that she experienced.  Also she gives such a great example of what a strong woman can accomplish if they go out and do what they want and don't take no for an answer.  This is a book I am going to place in the high school library where I work, knowing that my students will get a lot out of it, both just in her life story, as well as the great history resource she provides.

 Excerpt:

Chapter 1 – Bucharest

My dreams of becoming a ballerina were shattered when I was diagnosed with scarlet fever in the Spring of 1929. “I can’t see, Mamma. Mamma, I’m blind,” I kept repeating over and over again. My body shook, racked with a very high fever, and I couldn’t stop crying. “It will be fine,” my mother whispered as she held me in her arms.“ The doctor is coming.” My mother’s voice was calm as she tried to soothe me, but nothing she said or did seemed to help. I was seven years old, exhausted, and terrified. In my panic, I remember a doctor coming to our house to deliver the verdict.

It was not unusual in those days for a child my age to come down with scarlet fever, or what was also known as “brain fever.” Usually contracted at school, it would begin with a sore throat and rash, and once diagnosed, the entire family was isolated and quarantined. There were no vaccines or antibiotics then, and the child would often die.

Following a previous misdiagnosis – that of an ear infection – I was finally rushed to the hospital for an operation by a specialist, a 70-year-old ear, nose, and throat surgeon known as Professor Popovici. He ended up breaking the mastoid bones behind my ears to drain the buildup of fluids from my brain. In today’s world, this disease would have successfully been treated with antibiotics, but this was Bucharest, Romania, in 1929, and many medical advances lay in the future. The surgery was successful, and with two scars that, to this day, have remained behind my ears, I am indebted to Dr. Popovici for having saved my eyesight – and my life. While this was to be the most traumatic experience of my childhood, it taught me something perhaps more valuable that has carried me through life: to have courage.

As far back as I can remember, I had dreamt of becoming a ballerina, and though I eventually made a full recovery, my hopes of dancing on stage soon faded when my parents, concerned about my health, refused to allow me to exert myself physically in any way. Ballet classes I had previously taken and thoroughly enjoyed were now forbidden. I was their only child, and had almost died, so their overprotection was perhaps understandable, but I was very disappointed, especially since, prior to my illness, my mother had actually wanted me to study ballet. She had taken me to a ballet performance at the Opera House in Bucharest and, much to my delight, arranged for my first ballet lessons at the age of five. My teacher at the time – an imposing former Russian dancer named Madame Semeonova – thought I had a talent for ballet, and even offered me a scholarship. Once I had recovered completely, she did her best to convince my parents to have me resume my lessons, but they would have none of it. My mother had made up her mind that any strenuous activity, including ballet, would endanger my health.

I did, however, continue to dance around the house on my own, since moving my body to music came naturally to me. We all have different ways of expressing ourselves, and responding to beautiful music physically made me feel romantic and ethereal – as if I were floating on air. It would be another 13 years until I returned to my early love of ballet class when, as a young, married 20-year-old, I began training seriously in New York City. By then, I knew it was too late for me to have a professional career as a ballet dancer, though I continued to have a deep affection for the world of music and dance – and felt an almost mystical connection to it. Little did I know this feeling would eventually lead me to another fascinating career in the performing arts: that of managing and touring other talented dancers and artists. Though I myself would not end up dancing on stage in front of audiences around the world (other than in a few bit parts early in my professional life), I would do my best to work behind the scenes and instead, as what is known as an “impresario,” bring the wonderfully artistic world of dance – and other highly creative theatrical mediums – directly to the myriads of passionate spectators who support them worldwide.

 
Praise:

“Lively, educational, and a fun romp through Europe's professional circles, With Ballet in My Soul blends the artistry of performance and visual enhancements with an adventurer's heart to provide a heady mix of travelogue, career journey and personal odyssey that's hard to put down.” - Midwest Book Review

“A fascinating life story about a remarkable woman who had a thriving career as an impresario that lasted for more than forty years, With Ballet in My Soul is an excellent memoir about one woman’s world travels, and how the places we travel to can shape our lives. Growing up in Bucharest, Romania, the narrative told in Maze’s own words spans the course of her life, following her leaving Romania in 1939 and immigrating to the United States, with dreams of becoming a ballet dancer often on her mind. After getting married in Brooklyn, New York, Maze eventually returns to Europe, and then travels to Asia, finding her calling not as a dancer, but as an impresario, who put together many successful theatrical performances. With intriguing images following along the rich text, the life of Maze comes alive on the page, as real world events such as the building of the Berlin Wall, the Munich massacre, and the rise and fall of Pan Am airlines are discussed through Maze’s viewpoint. The story is told in a variety of styles, including straight-forward commentary and entertaining anecdotes detailing the business side of theater and dance, revelations about personalities who were part of those worlds across the decades, and Maze’s own motivation for being an impresario, with details of her personal life sprinkled throughout the text, allowing the reader to get to know the author in an intimate fashion. This is a well-constructed autobiography about a woman who has accomplished much in her years. With beautiful photographs throughout the book, accompanying a pleasing design that makes the memoir feel as if it is almost a scrapbook, the story is engaging, well-written, and constantly surprising.” – 5 Stars, Red City Review

"Although this memoir details the life of a remarkable woman, it documents many important historical world events. From life in England shortly after WWII, to New Delhi in the 1950s, to being a part of the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, to living in Greece during turbulent times, there is a wealth of interesting, factual material. She includes many photographs, newspaper articles, and personal artifacts throughout the book. In With Ballet in My Soul: Adventures of a Globetrotting Impresario, Eva Maze shares many memories from her extraordinary life. Ms. Maze is an excellent writer, captivating the reader from the first chapter to the last.” - 5 Stars, Readers’ Favorite

Audio Book Review: Passion (Fallen #3) by Lauren Kate (September Sequel Challenge #2)

Once again I downloaded the audio book from the library to go on with this story. And I really enjoyed a lot about this next part in the series.  It was filled with so many different periods in history, which was a lot of fun.  We didn't get to see all of the characters that much in this book, other than of course Luce and Daniel, although the others did show up here and there for small parts of the story.  If you haven't read this far in the series yet, you can stop here and go back and read my review of the first book, Fallen, so that I don't give you any spoilers. 

In this story we pick up right where we left off from book 2, Torment, Luce has taken off inside of an Announcer, and the others are following her, trying to find her.  Especially Daniel.  Luce is trying to understand just why do they always fall in love.  It leads to death for her every time, and horrible heartbreak for Daniel every time.  And she doesn't know just why they fell in love, or if they are just compelled to because of the curse.  And so she is going back to her past lives to try to figure out why they love each other.  Along the way she will pick up someone named Bill, a gargoyle, who is there to help her figure out what she wants to see.  She will find out in some lives she is a much different girl than she is now.  She will see Daniel in all of his different human bodies as well.  We get to see how she dies, and Luce gets to actually be inside the bodies to experience the death in some of the situations.  I loved all the reincarnations, although so many were in Europe and places other than America, even before it got into the more ancient history.  But there was World War I, and World War II.  Russia, Shakespeare's time, ancient Mayans, and the one I was beginning to wonder if they'd have, ancient Egypt.

The whole time Daniel is following her, always showing up just right after she's left it seems.  And he is just hoping that she won't do something that could mess up all of history, including their love.  In the end, they will find each other, but it will be after something horrible is about to be set in motion.  You see the devil himself will show up, and he will have something to say about this whole thing with Luce and Daniel, and his own wants.  And we'll be left waiting to find out how the gang will fight him, and whether Luce and Daniel's love will really survive, and if they can finally break the curse.

I liked it better than the first two, although there were still moments I wanted to smack Luce, and moments that Daniel was still kind of a controlling jerk.  But again, I'm so ready to read the next book and find out what happens.  Or should I say listen to the next book.  I also heard there is going to be a 5th book, told from Cam's point of view.  And does anyone know when the movie comes out?  I thought it was this fall, but I haven't seen any previews for it.

Review: The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights by Steven Sheinkin

This book is one from the Battle of the Books list for the school district where I am a librarian.  I have to write the questions for the competition for this book, so I picked it up to read.  I'm glad I picked this book, because it really opened my eyes to things I wasn't aware of, things I wonder how many other people are actually aware happened. 

This is a true story, based on 50 black soldiers who were accused of mutiny towards the end of World War II.  Now, I never realized just how segregated even the army was back then.  The black men were not allowed to actually go on the ships, or into the battles even. They worked on bases, had separate dorms from the white soldiers, and were only allowed certain jobs.  They couldn't even be promoted to officers in any way that would make them above a white man. 

This specific story is about a base called Port Chicago which is in San Francisco.  It was here that bombs and ammunition were loaded in order to go to the soldiers who were fighting in the war.  It turns out this was being done by the black soldiers.  And really, they had no training.  No one knew what was dangerous, although it was often wondered about how it might actually be.  So, there were no regulations, and no rules.  And no one there who might have been an expert on the actual bombs themselves.  It was so unbelievable to me, because the officers would even have their groups race and bet on which group would load the fastest.  Well, as you might expect at some point something is going to explode.  On July 17th, 1944, there was a huge explosion, and because everyone on the boat was killed, no one will ever know exactly what happened.  The whole port was destroyed. 

The black soldiers who weren't killed or severely injured were sent to another port to go back to work.  The ammunition was needed for the war.  But some of those men, 200 at first, were afraid to go back to working with the bombs after what had happened.  And they balked when they were first sent to do it again.  The basically said they would follow any order, other than they would not go load the bombs again.  They were threatened with being charged with mutiny, and even with being shot.  Some gave in, and went back to work. But 50 did not.  The book goes through their trial for mutiny. 

Of all the civil rights fights, this is one I'd never heard of.  As I read this, the way people actually thought about other people just because they were different?  My mouth just dropped open in shock.  I was appalled and so horrified.  Yes, I know things were bad, I'm not trying to pretend they weren't.  I guess I just never realized that people, who normally you'd consider pretty smart, could really be that stupid based on racism or prejudices.  I think things like this book, as well as fiction like The Help, are really important types of reads for people.  While there is still much unrest between people even today, to hear just how some people justify, or at least used to justify their beliefs is really eye-opening. 

Review and Blog Tour: Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2) by Anne Blankman (And Giveaway)

First, thanks to Balzer and Bray and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley of this book.  I requested it clear back in November, as soon as I saw it available because I LOVED the first book, Prisoner of Night and Fog, and you can go read my review of that one HERE.  What I love about this series is that it is about Hitler, but it starts after World War I, and we are seeing his rise and leading up to World War II.  I have always been fascinated and had to read all things about World War II. Rarely did I ever really get my interest peaked by World War I history. But the first book did that for me.  To see how they really were all connected, and one really led to the other, and that is why I love this book, and now its sequel, so much. 

BOOK DETAILS
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2)
by Anne Blankman
416 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 21st 2015

At the end of the first book Gretchen and Daniel had escaped from Germany and Hitler.  Gretchen had always looked up to Hitler, he had been her Uncle Dolf.  But when she fell in love with a Jew, and found out that Hitler was behind the murder of her father, she was now no longer his darling.  She lost her mother by having to run away, and her mother had to go live with her parents.  Her brother was now dead, also because of Hitler.  Daniel had to leave his family as well.  This book begins with Gretchen staying with her friend that had lived in the boarding house her mother ran in the first book.  He is a psychologist, and had been there to try to learn more about Hitler and study him.  He's now invited Gretchen to live with his family and continue her schooling.  Daniel is working for a paper in England, only instead of the hard-hitting reporting that he was used to, he is now doing the social/gossip page.  He gets a message that someone in his family needs him and he goes back to Germany, even knowing it will be dangerous for him there.  When Gretchen gets a coded message saying that Daniel has been charged with a murder and is on the run, she knows that she must go back and help him.  Back in Germany they must try to prove Daniel's innocence while staying out of the hands of Hitler and his men, who will probably execute them on sight.  It is a very suspenseful story, but so much stuff to learn about the time period.  German gangsters, how the police became part of Hitler's group, how all the political parties used to get along in the country.

I really just love how the author weaves true historical facts and events in with wonderful fictional characters that you really care about.  Characters that don't make it through everything unscathed, they suffer tragedies and losses and even permanent debilitating injuries.  And for the most part, they do act the way you would think people really act.  Even if there is still some of the silly stuff that people in love in books seem to do.  And it was like watching the Titanic movie, you rooted for the people, even knowing that in the end the really bad things, like the boat sinking or in this case Hitler rising to power, are still going to happen.  Even though you know if they do prove what they try to prove, it won't actually end up saving Germany and all the people in the Holocaust, you still root for them to do what they can.  So irritated that the copy of the first book I ordered for the school library where I work hasn't arrived yet, because reading this sequel made me want to talk and share the first one again with teachers and students. 

BOOK LINKS:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22838220-conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke?ac=1
Amazon paperback: http://tinyurl.com/l8ecbco
Barnes and Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke-anne-blankman/1120020441?ean=9780062278845
Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Conspiracy-Blood-Smoke-Anne-Blankman/9780062278845
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke/id903967365?mt=11
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/es-ES/ebook/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Prisoner of Night and Fog: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668473-prisoner-of-night-and-fog

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.

After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.

Anne Blankman is the author of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, the first in a three-book deal slated for publication in spring 2014 from Balzer + Bray | HarperCollins. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://www.anneblankman.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012378.Anne_Blankman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneBlankman

TOUR SCHEDULE:
 http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2015/02/tour-schedule-conspiracy-of-blood-and.html

GIVEAWAY
Details: 3 prizes
GRAND PRIZE: Win a signed ARC of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG and a signed ARC of CONSPIRACY OF BLOOD AND SMOKE (US Only)
FIRST PRIZE:  Win (1) of (2) signed ARCs of CONSPIRACY OF BLOOD AND SMOKE (US Only)

Starts: April 13th, 2015
Ends: April 22nd, 2015


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