"In My Hands, Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer" by Irena Gut Opdyke. A very somber story of the life of a young woman in Poland during World War II. The story was told matter-of-factly, without self pity. I admire the writer for her courage, especially considering she was young and separated from her family. It was incredible that she made the decisions to feed, warn and hide Jewish people in German-occupied Poland. The writer was honored in Israel as one of "The Righteous Among the Nations" and planted a tree on the Avenue of Remembrance.

A Thread of Sky--by Advanced Reader copy that I received through Bookbrowse. I thought and expected to like this much more than I did. It was about 6 women who travelled to China in search of their heritage. I expected more historical facts and information, it ended up being mostly about the women themselves. The chapters were divided between the women and it felt disconnected.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. I did not like this book at all. It was not at all what I expected. I thought that there would be more details about Julia Child in the book. I didn't find the narrator appealing and never became interested in her "project". I barely skimmed the last 50 or so pages. (I think I need to read another memoir this month to make up for this poor one.)

The Concubine's Daughter by Pai Kit Fai

"The Lake of Dead Languages" by Carol Goodman. Interesting book written mostly in narrative form. Goes back and forth between past and present during the course of the book. Story unfolds in an unhurried, suspenseful manner. I enjoyed the book even though I saw the "twist" coming.