"Light" reading July

Let me shed some "light" on a bit of "light" reading.

Sorry Not Sorry.

Books with the word "light" in the title:

The light after the war: a novel by Abriel, Anita

"It is 1946 when Vera Frankel and her best friend Edith Ban arrive in Naples. Refugees from Hungary, they escaped from a train headed for Auschwitz and were hidden by farmers until the end of the war while the rest of their families perished. Now, they want to start new lives abroad, and armed with a letter of recommendation from an American general, Vera finds work at the United States embassy and falls in love with Captain Anton Wight. But as Vera and Edith grapple with the aftermath of the war, so too does Anton, and when he disappears, Vera is forced to change course, trying to find refuge first in America (where she and Edith are turned away) and then in Venezuela. Their quest for a better life takes Vera and Edith from Naples to Ellis Island to Caracas as they start careers, reunite with old friends, and rebuild their lives after terrible loss"--Publisher's description.

The light of days: the untold story of women resistance fighters in Hitler's ghettos by Batalion, Judith

"As their communities were being destroyed, groups of Jewish women and teenage girls across Poland began transforming Jewish youth groups into resistance factions. These 'ghetto girls' helped build systems of underground bunkers, paid off the Gestapo, and bombed German train lines. At the center of the book is eighteen-year-old Renia Kukielka, who traveled across her war-torn country as a weapons smuggler and messenger. Other women who joined the cause served as armed fighters, spies, and saboteurs, all risking their lives for their missions. It also includes an eight-page insert of black-and-white photos, so that readers can see firsthand the extraordinary women who bravely fought for their freedom in the face of overwhelming odds"--From the publisher's website.

This little light by Lansens, Lori

2023. Rory Ann Miller is on the run with her best friend Feliza Lopez because they are accused of bombing their posh Californian high school during an American Virtue Ball. Rory's mom, a social activist, and lawyer has been arrested and implicated in her daughter's "crimes" whereas her dad is cooperating with the authorities. Rory is cynical and scared, furious and scathing, betrayed, and looking for something or someone to trust. As she blogs, their story, what she has to say about the dads and bosses and politicians lining up to keep women in their place, and about the ways women collaborate in their own undermining, is fierce, and funny, and sad, and true. -- adapted from jacket

Lightseekers by Kayode, M. O

When Dr. Philip Taiwo is called on by a powerful Nigerian politician to investigate the public torture and murder of three university students in remote Port Harcourt, he has no idea that he's about to be enveloped by a perilous case that is far from cold. Philip is not a detective. He's an investigative psychologist, an academic more interested in figuring out the why of a crime than actually solving it. But when he steps off the plane and into the dizzying frenzy of the provincial airport, he soon realizes that the murder of the Okriki Three isn't as straightforward as he thought. With the help of his loyal and streetwise personal driver, Chika, Philip must work against those actively conspiring against him to parse together the truth of what happened to these students.--. Publisher's description.

Chasing the light: writing, directing, and surviving Platoon, Midnight Express, Scarface, Salvador, and the movie game by Stone, Oliver

"An intimate memoir by the controversial, Oscar-winning director and screenwriter about his privileged New York upbringing, volunteering for combat, and his struggles and triumphs making such landmark films as Platoon, Midnight Express, and Scarface"-- Provided by publisher.

The smallest lights in the universe: a memoir by Seager, Sara

"In this luminous memoir, an MIT astrophysicist must reinvent herself in the wake of tragedy and discovers the power of connection on this planet, even as she searches our galaxy for another Earth. Sara Seager has always been in love with the stars: so many lights in the sky, so much possibility. Now a pioneering planetary scientist, she searches for exoplanets--especially that distant, elusive world that sustains life. But with the unexpected death of Seager's husband, the purpose of her own life becomes hard for her to see. Suddenly, at forty, she is a widow and the single mother of two young boys. For the first time, she feels alone in the universe. As she struggles to navigate her life after loss, Seager takes solace in the alien beauty of exoplanets and the technical challenges of exploration. At the same time, she discovers earthbound connections that feel every bit as wondrous, when strangers and loved ones alike reach out to her across the space of her grief. Among them are the Widows of Concord, a group of women offering advice on everything from home maintenance to dating, and her beloved sons, Max and Alex. Most unexpected of all, there is another kind of one-in-a-billion match, not in the stars but here at home. Probing and invigoratingly honest, The Smallest Lights in the Universe is its own kind of light in the dark"-- Provided by publisher.

The library of light and shadow: a novel by Rose, M. J.

"In this riveting and richly drawn novel from "one of the master storytellers of historical fiction" (New York Times bestselling author Beatriz Williams), a talented young artist flees New York for Paris after one of her scandalous drawings reveals a dark secret--and triggers a terrible tragedy. In the wake of a dark and brutal World War, the glitz and glamour of 1925 Manhattan shine like a beacon for the high society set, desperate to keep their gaze firmly fixed to the future. But Delphine Duplessi sees more than most. At a time in her career when she could easily be unknown and penniless, like so many of her classmates from L'École des Beaux Arts, in America she has gained notoriety for her stunning "shadow portraits" that frequently expose her subjects' most scandalous secrets. Most nights Delphine doesn't mind that her gift has become mere entertainment--a party trick--for the fashionable crowd. Then, on a snowy night in February, in a penthouse high above Fifth Avenue, Delphine's mystical talent leads to a tragedy between two brothers. Devastated and disconsolate, Delphine renounces her gift and returns to her old life in the south of France where Picasso, Matisse, and the Fitzgeralds are summering. There, Delphine is thrust into recapturing the past. First by her charismatic twin brother and business manager Sebastian who attempts to cajole her back to work and into co-dependence, then by the world famous opera singer Emma Calve, who is obsessed with the writings of the fourteenth-century alchemist Nicolas Flamel. And finally by her ex-lover Mathieu, who is determined to lure her back into his arms, unaware of the danger that led Delphine to flee Paris for New York five years before. Trapped in an ancient chateau where hidden knowledge lurks in the shadows, Delphine questions everything and everyone she loves the most--her art, her magick, her family, and Mathieu--in an effort to accept them as the gifts they are. Only there can she shed her fear of loving and living with her eyes wide open"-- Provided by publisher.

Light from distant stars by Smucker, Shawn

"When Cohen Marah steps over the body of his dead father on a cold spring morning, he steps into a labyrinth of memory. In the week that follows, he must confront his traumatic past, a violent present, and the most frightening question of all--did he kill his father?"-- Provided by publisher.

The light between worlds by Weymouth, Laura E.

Five years ago, Evelyn and Philippa Hapwell cowered from airstrikes in a London bomb shelter... and were transported to another realm called the Woodlands. In a forest kingdom populated by creatures out of myth and legend, they found temporary refuge. When they finally returned to London, nothing had changed -- except themselves. Overcome with longing, Ev is desperate to return no matter what it takes. Philippa is determined to find a place in this world and moves to America to escape the memory of what was. When Evelyn goes missing, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under. -- adapted from jacket

A light in the window by Karon, Jan

In the gentle tradition of James Herriot, Bailey White, Ferrol Sams, and Garrison Keillor, Karon continues the fresh and beautifully written story of a small mountain town in the South. The village rector, Father Tim, can no longer deny his feeling for his neighbor. But what about the wealthy widow who has been wooing him with casseroles? It's clear that Father Tim is in need of divine intervention.