The Book Thieves: The Nazi Looting of Europe's Libraries and the Race to Return a Literary Inheritance by Anders Rydell, Henning Koch

I picked up this book because I am a self proclaimed bibliophile and wanted to learn about the great libraries that had been plundered during World War II by the Nazis and their allies. What I got instead was a look at the way that bit by bit Germany tried too and almost succeeded in, erasing the very existence of millions of their enemies from the history records completely. What this book does is not only take you along as we try to discover what happened to large, well established libraries but also personal libraries and those of every day people who might just have had a few books they treasured laying around the house. This is a look at the grip that books have had on every civilization on Earth since the beginning, how even when all was being destroyed that didn't fit into the skewed view of the world the Nazis held as their ideology, they still understood how important the written word could be and were determined to build their new world not only on the bones of their victims but on schools and libraries built from the very books that had so lovingly been crafted by those they so loathed.

This book will bring home how whole villages were simply erased off the face of the earth. How books were so much more than just written pages to people who had lost everything and placed so much more on the line to try and save what they could. The stories in here don't just revolve around the books but around the PEOPLE who were lost. This is a heart breaking look at how West and East Europe were treated as different and yet were just as violated by the Nazis and after when the war was won were once again delivered crippling blows by the loss of life and millions of books which simply disappeared forever taking with them wisdom and knowledge that can never be replaced.

Today, well established libraries around the world hold in their collections books that once held hope and promise for readers just like you and me. They don't look any different from the others on the shelf except maybe for a label on the outside that for those who know, carries the truth in plain sight that once upon a time this book belonged to an individual who was destroyed to make room for the vainglory of a nationalistic point of view. They are the sole reminders, tucked away without fanfare of lives lost and we are the poorer for it. For the few determined individuals you will meet in this book who strive to make these stories speak out and be heard this is a never ending struggle, for you as the reader it is a reminder of why we must always be vigilant. The next time you walk into a second hand shop or find a book with a ex libris or written inscription, take a moment to wonder about the former owner because after reading this book you will never be able not too.

Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard

This is the second book in the Red Queen series and carries on the story of Mare Barrows and the revolution which she has found herself in the midst of. Being a leader is not what Mare had in mind when she ran for her life. She has been betrayed, seen friends die, killed, all just to survive and now she finds herself at the forefront of the fight, trying to save other red bloods like herself, each one of them on a hit list. Saving them can perhaps keep Mare from having to face the horrors awaiting her and help to defeat the Silvers and their reign of terror. As The Lightning Girl she has become both respected and feared. Mare's greatest secret is that she has become a stranger to herself. Her scars and powers have created her own cage from which she sees herself changing and becoming something that very closely resembles exactly what she is fighting against and when events lead to her worst nightmare she will have to delve deep into her true nature and decide exactly how much of herself she can let go of.

This story continues to provide a gripping, visceral look at events that will determine the future of all and the untold horrors committed by those in power against those who would dare to look forward. Political ambition, world machinations, betrayals, hopes, and schemes are threaded together into a story that continues to deliver on its promise of a spectacular read. A definite recommend.

The King Slayer (The Witch Hunter, #2) by Virginia Boecker

In the conclusion of The Witch Hunter series we find Elizabeth hiding in Harrow from Lord Blackwell, the new King of Anglia. Unfortunately out of sight is not out of mind and both the denizens of Harrow and Elizabeth are only to aware that time is running out for them. The magic that protects Harrow is being infiltrated and everyone is in danger. When an attack is aimed at Elizabeth at her hearing a new truth is revealed, there is a traitor amongst them.

Blackwell is preparing to launch a war against all those who oppose him and Elizabeth has become more important to him then ever for she possesses something that is integral to his thirst for power. What Blackwell doesn't realize is that Elizabeth is no longer the one he seeks and with the need to keep her secret safe and destroy Blackwell, she cannot let herself give in to weakness of body or mind. As she strives to overcome the distrust of those she once persecuted she comes to realize that no matter what she does it can never make up for her past and as John begins to slip away from her she is faced with the only reality she can grasp. She must be what she was trained to be, manipulative, a liar, a killer.

Elizabeth is a full fledged character whose sharp edges are blunted by the fears, hopes, and delusions that we all share. The story line is well developed and full of surprise twists that will make your breath hitch and your heart pound.Each page will entice you further until you realize that Boecker must be a witch herself to ensnare you so deeply in this story.

“I think, in time, you’ll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory.”

This is definitely a victory and quite frankly I find myself wishing for once that this was at least a trilogy because when you find a series this good you just don't want to let it go.

Cruel Crown (Red Queen, #0.1-#0.2) by Victoria Aveyard

If you are currently reading the Red Queen series or you've finished the third book and haven't read Cruel Crown you can skip it all together. However, reading these two prequel stories will help to flesh out the characters and give their universe a more in depth feel.

There are two stories in Cruel Crown: Queen Song and Steel Scars.

In Queen Song we come to learn how Cal's mother was chosen Queen, about her life, and her death. We meet young Elara and learn how deep her treachery really runs. And we learn how some things once set in motion are inevitable. Here we see too how deep family ties can run and how Cal is in some ways very like the mother he lost.

Steel Scars brings us to the red blooded Farley, captain in the Red Guard. As we follow Farley we begin to understand more of her background and her determination to help end the Silver Bloods rule. As she sets out to recruit others to the cause and lay down new connections throughout the reaches of the lands she will come into contact with someone unlike any other she has ever met. In turn she becomes the first to realize how important a young girl will be to the cause and the revolution.

Definitely recommend as it really does make Mare and her world much more distinctive and full fledged.

The Turn (The Hollows #0.1) by Kim Harrison

For those of us who read the final book in the Rachel Morgan story line, The Turn is a welcome return to her world that we have been looking forward to. This official prequel sets up the very machinations that lead to the near extinguishing of humanity and the re emergence of those who have hidden from them for so very long. Here are the bare bones of the future Hollows and its denizens and how it all came to be.

Being a Dark Elf and a woman is an obstacle in a world where both are considered inferior. Unfortunately for Trisk being both and having a bitter rivalry with the young Kalamack, things just couldn't be worse. Unless you take into account the decimation of their species. Both are vying to save the Elves from extinction, but there are events happening with those in power and nothing is as simple as it may seem. These two will become pawns in a game that is far beyond their understanding, and as one creates a hope for the world, the other will destroy it in his need for revenge and glory.

A human lab will create a new virus to incapacitate enemies without killing them and Trisk will create a genetically modified tomato that will help to feed the world but Kalamack will be the cause of both combining to form a plague that will take the humans of the world until they are on the precipice of extinction. As Trisk fights to stop the plague, Kalamack will deceive every step of the way to make sure she is blamed for the disaster, even if he has to kill to do so.

As their struggle plays out the Paranormal communities across the world must decide whether or not to help save humanity or stay safely in the shadows and watch it die. However as the death toll rises it becomes more apparent that without humanity it is only a matter of time before their world starts to implode in on itself. There are some who know exactly what will happen; that is just what they want.

With the first appearance of characters we've come to know along with those we meet for the first time, this is a perfect addition to the background story. It is a satisfying stand alone as well. Finally, we can truly understand the depth of fear that one single tomato on Rachel's window ledge really represents. Grab yourself a bowl of tomato salad and sit down with this satisfying addition to The Hollows.

Secondhand Souls (Grim Reaper, #2) by Christopher Moore

In this second book of the Grim Reaper series, Moore continues the story that began in A Dirty Job. After having died and been restored in a new and unexpected body, Charlie Asher and his friends are facing a new threat. Souls of dying people are not being collected by Death Merchants but where are they going instead? Is an old evil reviving? Who are the Squirrel People and why do they live under the house? Is Sophie still the supernatural dealer of death or has a new more powerful player stepped up to the bat? These questions and more are answered in hysterical hi jinks that slowly reveal the links connecting the missing souls and the actions of our heroes with the underworld and a feud as old as time. 

With gems such as " Their names are Death, Disease, War, and Sparkle-Darkle Glittertits. They're the four little ponies of the Apocalypse. ", strewn throughout the story, you are sure to find this book a laugh riot all the way to the very end. Can be read as a stand alone as well. If you've never read a Moore title before, get ready to laugh until it hurts.

The Witchfinder's Sister by Beth Underdown

This was sent to me as an ARC by the publisher but the review is my own.

In the England of the 1640s, witch hunts began to be conducted, some led by the historical Witchfinder, General Matthew Hopkins. A man who made it his mission in life to track down and destroy witches hiding among the people of rural places like Manningtree. But what if we found ourselves in possession of evidence of what led this man to such actions, what could we learn. Underdown has written a book that reveals the terrifying reasons that might have existed.

Alice Hopkins, after suffering a terrible loss has returned to her childhood home, to her brother Matthew. Her prospects lie entirely on his acceptance of her, but where once they were close now time has changed the boy she knew into a man whose superficial scars seem to run deeper than she could ever have guessed. Now a man of wealth and local influence, he has also become a persecutor of witches, keeping a book full of names of women suspected of this heinous crime. No one is immune to Matthew's need to rip out this wickedness and with powerful men behind him giving him the authority to continue his inquiries, there seems no end to his work.

This summer, my brother Matthew set himself to killing women, but without ever once breaking the law.

As Alice begins to come to grips with the depth of her brother's atrocities she begins to understand that her family's history may be the root cause of his cold actions. As she tries to guide her brother away from his line of pursuit, Alice realizes that she will have to make a choice between her inner beliefs and the safety of blending into Matthew's world. Coming to terms with the suspicions and doubts of those who believe Matthew is doing the work of God and being seen as a willing bystander to his actions by the very women standing accused, Alice must make a decision as to what she must do and what she must sacrifice.

As she unravels the stories behind her family and the women being judged, we come to see how the small vagaries of life could led to accusations that could destroy lives. How decisions made could cause the greatest harm in the name of good and how monsters lurk among us although sometimes they wear the faces of those we most love. She will come to learn that sometimes in order to set things right you must find it in yourself to be far crueler than you ever thought you could be.

As a fictional account of a historical event you will be haunted by this story long after you have finished reading it. Alice will become the reflection you are afraid to face, the dark place within yourself that you only dare to explore in the light of day. What would you have done or said? Underdown dares you to find out.