The Lost Passenger

“The Lost Passenger” by Frances Quinn
Published by Ballantine Books
 
This is the story of a woman stuck in a loveless marriage, living with her in-laws who completely loathe her.  When she and her son survive the sinking of the Titanic, she decides to take the opportunity to start a new life in New York under a different name rather than return to the miserable life waiting for her back in England.  What will she do with this new lease on life?  What if someone finds out?  It’s a risk, but one she feels she must take.
 
I thought it was a good read.  Unfortunately, during the first half of the book I had a hard time not picturing the movie Titanic and making comparisons to the storylines.  It didn’t help that one of the side characters was named Rose.  But putting that aside, I thought it flowed well and had good character development.  I did prefer the New York half of the book better than the 1^st half in England though.  It just seemed a little slower at the beginning.  I do recommend it though – I enjoyed it, and it definitely kept my interest.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 2/27/25 – 3.5/4 stars
 
#thelostpassenger #francesquinn #ballantinebooks #netgalley #2025reads #genxreads 

Honor

 

“Honor” by Thrity Umrigar
Published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
 
This is beautifully written.  Even when there are scenes of violence and mistreatment, it is written with a tone of respect and honor.  Within this book, there is forbidden love, Indian culture (both city and rural), and religious conflicts between Hindus and Muslims.  There is faith, hope, and love but also betrayal, corruption, and persecution.  I highly recommend it, not just as a great book, but an educational insight into a culture so different from my own. 
 
If you do pick it up to read, please make sure to also read the author’s essay, “Reclaiming Honor” at the back to gain insight into what real life events inspired her to write it.
 
Finished 2/23/25 – 4/5 stars
 
#honor #thrityumrigar #algonquinbooks #2025reads #genxreads

The Quiet Librarian

 

“The Quiet Librarian” by Allen Eskens
Published by Mulholland Books
 
Don’t let the title fool you – this story is not about books, libraries, or librarians.  The main character may work in a library, living a quiet life in Minnesota, but that is not the story because whereas Hana may be a quiet librarian now, 30 years ago she was Nura, a Bosnian teenager fighting Serbians.  The book is told in dual timelines – “Bosnia - 1995” and “Minnesota - After Everything”.  While in Bosnia she is fighting for her life and revenge.  While in Minnesota, she has to come out of seclusion to try and find out who murdered her best friend.  And are they coming after her next?  There is history, suspense, action, mystery, and a little bit of a love story all thrown together into one great story.  I definitely recommend it.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the complimentary copy of this book.  As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.
 
Finished 2/15/25 – 4/5 stars (publication date 2/18/25)
 
#thequietlibrarian #alleneskens #mulhollandbooks #netgalley #2025reads #genxreads

Impossible Escape

 “Impossible Escape: A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe” by Steve Sheinkin
Published by Roaring Brook Press
 
This is a YA, and I do hope our youth takes a moment to read it.  It’s very well done and reads more like a novel than a textbook, which is always nice.  I read/listen to a lot of historical fiction and non-fiction related to WWII and the Holocaust and yet I still learned something new from this book.  If you don’t know who Rudolf Vrba is, look him up (or just read this book).  It’s a name everyone should know, and I’m embarrassed to say, I didn’t.  He’s a true hero to many.
 
Finished 2/10/25 – 3.5/5 stars
 
#impossibleescape #stevesheinkin #roaringbrookpress #2025reads #genxreads

The Lincoln Highway

 “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles

Published by Viking

 

I enjoyed this one much more than “A Gentleman in Moscow” by the same author.  Both are very well written with great character development, but I found this storyline to be more entertaining.  Sometimes a book this size will drag in parts, but I didn’t find that to be the case while reading it – I was fully invested the entire time.  And although there are multiple points of view throughout the story, you are still able to have solid connections with the main characters.  I did have to continually remind myself of just how young they were because some are pretty mature for their ages and they are continually thrown into difficult situations.  I definitely recommend it, however, if you have the same pet peeve as me, please know there are no quotation marks.  There are dashes in front of paragraphs with speaking parts that I found helpful though.

 

Finished 2/9/25 – 4/5 stars

 

#thelincolnhighway #amortowles #viking #2025reads #genxreads

Braiding Sweetgrass

 
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Published by Tantor Media
 
My daughter recommended this to me and I was skeptical initially, but I really enjoyed listening to it.  I learned new things about plants and animals but what I enjoyed the most was learning about Native American culture and the ways they show respect and give thanks for all living things, which includes plants.  I found it all very interesting.  It’s obviously not going to be a book for everyone, but if you enjoy nature even just a little bit, I think you’ll enjoy it too.
 
Finished 2/3/25 – 3/5 stars
 
#braidingsweetgrass #robinwallkimmerer #tantormedia #2025reads #genxreads