Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

A beautifully written novel that I highly recommend. While the novel is fiction, it is based on true events. During WWII, an ocean liner carrying refugees and wartime personnel was sunk by a Soviet submarine. An estimated 9,000 passengers were killed, making it the greatest maritime disaster in history.

It’s a heartbreaking story and the author handles the re-telling with grace. Sepetys bounces from different POVs but not in a way that felt distracting. The characters made me feel humbled, disgusted and hopeful. It’s an emotional book that I couldn’t put down. I wouldn’t recommend this book as a vacation read but pick it up when you can. You won’t regret it.

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Woodrow Wilson Nickel, at age 105, feels enough energy for one last act: to write his story. At age seventeen, he travelled cross-country with two giraffes. It’s 1938 and Woody embarks on a twelve-day adventure to deliver the giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. The experience is filled with assorted characters; people that will make you want to weep at their acts of kindness and those that you’ll want to punch in the face. And of course, there are the gentle giants themselves, the two giraffes. Inspired by true events, this novel is a great mixture of adventure, history, and coming-of-age love story.

I’ll need to read more by this author!

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

How long would you wait to report your mother missing? Especially if the most obvious suspect is your father? That’s the dilemma facing the four Delaney siblings.

They’re a family who plays tennis to win, but no one made it big. Now that Stan and Joy are retired, what should they do to fill their days? Their kids are busy with their lives, but not busy giving them grandchildren. When a stranger knocks on their door, they take her into their home. But what seemed simple turns complicated, and when Joy goes missing, her children begin to reanalyze their family history.

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors for a reason. She writes a story I can’t put down. I had to fight the desire to skip ahead and I’m so glad I didn’t. All the twists and turns piece together like the perfect puzzle. Her ability to explore the complexities of family life is remarkable and hilarious. She’s a master of the craft. Five stars!