Not So Quiet: Stepdaughters of War by Helen Zenna Smith

Not So Quiet: Stepdaughters of War by Helen Zenna Smith

This story offers a rare, funny, bitter, feminist look at war from women actively engaged in it. Published in London in 1930, Not So Quiet...(on the Western Front) is a novel in autobiographical guise that describes a group of British women ambulance drivers on the French front lines during World War 1. As Voluntary Aid Detachment workers, the women pay for the privilege of driving the wounded through shell fire in the freezing cold, on no sleep and an inedible diet, under the watchful eye of their punishing commandant, nicknamed Mrs. Bitch.

This book was assigned to me for the women and gender studies course I had to drop from last semester due to work overload, but I had been really eager to read it when I first got it. Fortunately, I got the pleasure to finally sit down with it while flying home, and coincidentally back to school.

It's one of those grittier war books where you just know the main character shall either be dead, or all her friends will be and the journey that it takes to get there will be godawful. This summary was entirely accurate for what the book tells the story of, so I'd suggest finding something lighter to read on the side, or you'll be in a dark mood for the better part of a day.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner & Ruined by Paula Morris

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

"I can steal anything."

After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task -- to steal a hidden treasure from another land.

To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

Ruined by Paula Morris

Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans. She's staying in a creepy house with her aunt, who reads tarot cards. And at the snooty prep school, a pack of filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey gives Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda.

Then one night, among the oak trees in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to show Rebecca the nooks and crannies of New Orleans. There's just one catch.

Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca is drawn deeper into a web of old curses and cryptic customs, she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

I highly recommend both. They're fast, enticing reads and you end up racing through simply to see how they're going to end and both have whalloping plot twists, though I found I was guessing at Ruined's twist about halfway through and was eager for it to be revealed.

The Thief is the first novel in a series, but it can very easily stand alone and I find that to be a good thing in it's favor. There's plenty of room for it to continue, but there aren't any glaring cliff hangers left that might irritate a casual reader. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next three in the series as soon as I can.

Is there a fandom for these books yet? I feel like there must be somewhere, hidden. Tell me I'm not wrong.