"The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd. ****

• Audiobook
• Book Club Selection
• US author
• Originally published in 2014

Review:  

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The two protagonists, Sarah and Hetty/"Handfull", were engaging, strong characters. In fact, most of the characters were memorable, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear the author's afterword in which she reveals that most of the story is faithful to actual history. This is at once a story of the birth of the abolitionist movement and women's rights, and a story about two women growing into themselves and finding the means to express themselves despite current social and religious morays. So we have a tale in which social movements and two memorable women find their wings and move from fledgling to full maturity. 

"Sleepyhead" by Mark Billingham ****

• Audiobook
• Mystery/Suspense
• #1 in Tom Thorne series
• Review:  This is the fist Tom Thorne novel. I really liked this murder mystery. The author writes very well, the characters were engaging, and the story kept me guessing. I look forward to the next one in the series. 

"Redeployment" by Phil Klay ****

:  Audiobook
:  Short Stories
:  US author
:  Iraq war
:  Review:  Powerful exploration of the experiences and emotional impact of being a soldier.  I think what sets this apart from other war writing by veterans are the wide range of perspectives the author explores and ability of the author to so clearly explicate through his narrative how a soldier can be both proud and ashamed of the role played at war.  Understanding thus helps to convey the already conflicted psychological state experienced before coming home.  Reading this set of war stories makes it abundantly clear why "redeployment" is often the simplest choice for our soldiers.  Coming home is a nightmare in so many ways, not least of which is contending with the assumptions and opinions of people who have lived in comfort, freedom, and security the majority, if not all, of their lives.

"The Snow Queen" by Michael Cunningham. ***

●  Audiobook
●  Originally published in 2014
●  US author
●  Review:  A well written novel of the search for meaning in life.  Not the luminous novel I expected.

"The Cove" by Ron Rash. ****

●  Audiobook
●  US author
●  Originally published in 2012
●  Review:  What is a cove?  It is a safe harbor, secure from heavy winds and storms.  Just so is the cove in this tale set in pre WWII South Carolina.  Laurel, with her birthmark......Hank, her brother, with his amputated hand....and suddenly also, Walter, from Germany who makes beautiful music on his flute.  However, the ugly winds of war reach into the cove to disrupt the peace.  Well written, sweet, and tough.  I like Ron Rash's writing, his characters, and his style. 

"The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches" by Alan Bradley. ****

●  Audiobook
●  #6 in Flavia de Luce series
●  Canadian author
●  Review:  Wonderful installment of the Flavia de Luce series!  The author tastefully addresses and resolves the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Flavia's mother, and does it while maintaining Flavia's childish and precocious wisdom, and her emotional youthfulness.  Well done!

"The Dark Monk" by Oliver Potzsch. ***

●  Audiobook
●  German author
●  Originally published in 2012
●  Second in series of Hangman's series
●  Setting:  1600s Germany
●  Templar's treasure
●  Review:  Another Knights Templar tale.  I am a bit weary of them.  I do, however, enjoy Potzsch's stories set in 1600s Germany.  The recurring characters are also enjoyable