The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Seventeenth-century Amsterdam springs to life in brilliant detail as viewed through eighteen year-old Nella Oortman wife of Johannes Brandt, a prosperous trader. The Brandts harbor secrets but things get really mysterious when a “miniaturist” sends Nella small packages in the mail for her miniature cabinet house. As the Brandts get mired into circumstances beyond their control, the packages get increasingly prophetic. Unfortunately, the plot turns out to be predictable and the mystery loses steam. Every stripe of minority is prone to suspicion and worse, which is ironic given that Amsterdam is today considered the most liberal city in the world.

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Think you’ve had enough of historical fiction set during World War II? Think again! Set mostly in Saint-Malo, the gorgeous French coastal town, shown on the cover, All The Light We Cannot See is a testament to the triumph of humanity over overwhelming odds. The story features a blind French girl, a precocious German boy and a precious diamond, intertwining to form the backbone of the suspenseful narrative. Love, resilience, guilt, survival, are all weighty themes that unfold magnificently here. You won’t get your head out of Saint-Malo for a while. Small price to pay for a story this good.

A longer review of this book will be published on Mostlyfiction.com closer to the release date. Thanks to the publishers for making an ARC available on Netgalley.