Review: Mala’s Cat by Mala Kacenberg

In some ways, every Holocaust story is like every other: the horrors endured, the unbelievable cruelty, watching family members die, and having to make unimaginable decisions to survive. But in other ways, every Holocaust story is unique, as is this one. Born in 1927 in Tarnograd, Poland, Mala had a happy childhood until 1939, when…

Review: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

I read this for my book club and really enjoyed it. This is the kind of book you put down and then you find yourself thinking about long afterwards. This author won the Nobel Prize in 2018, and I can see why. It’s kind of a strange book, but then I always find translated works a little difficult…

Mini-Reviews: Lethal White, In the Distance, I Am I Am I am, We Were the Lucky Ones

I didn’t have a chance to review any of the books I read in December because I was traveling, so I’m posting some mini-reviews of the more interesting books I read during my trip: Lethal White by Robert Galbraith: I will only say here that I was disappointed with this entry in the series, which…

Following Up with Authors I’ve Reviewed, Part I

For the fifth anniversary of The Book Stop, I wanted to follow up with some of the authors who asked me to review their books. The authors I chose wrote books that really stood out — not only for the quality of the writing, but because there was something unique about the story told. The…

The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly

This book was written by Eric P. Kelly in 1928 and won a Newbery award in 1929.  It tells the true story of a 12th century boy in Krakow who dies will blowing a trumpet on the town walls during the invasion of the Tartars. Then it tells the fictional story of a 14th century…

Review: Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law by Michelle Granas

I was interested in this book for two reasons.  First, it’s sort of a historical/political novel about modern-day Poland.  I’m a quarter Polish, and visited Poland for the first time two years ago, and loved it.  We were fascinated by the country’s rich history and modern-day politics. But secondly, as I started reading the book,…