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Gabriella’s Year In Books

Gabriella’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Gabriella’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Gabriella Saab

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

https://gabriellasaab.com/

Twitter

GabriellaSaab_

Genre

Historical Fiction, Fiction

Member Since

February 2021

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Gabriella Saab is the author of The Last Checkmate. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of business administration in marketing and lives in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, where she works as a barre instructor. She is of Lebanese heritage and is one of the co-hosts of @hfchitchat on Twitter, a recurring monthly chat and community celebrating the love of reading and writing historical fiction.

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Popular Answered Questions

Being a Lebanese/Russian woman, I couldn't skip your new book Daughters of Victory - it took my attention immediately. It would be nice to know more about your story with this book: what inspired you to write about Russian culture in those difficult times and why did you chose this country and culture exactly? Thank you in advance

Gabriella Saab Thank you so much! The inspiration for Daughters of Victory came about when I was researching my debut, The Last Checkmate, and I stumbled across a yo…moreThank you so much! The inspiration for Daughters of Victory came about when I was researching my debut, The Last Checkmate, and I stumbled across a young Soviet partisan named Zina Portnova, who joined the resistance during World War II. You can learn more about her in my historical note in Daughters of Victory (after you read the book - no spoilers!). She fascinated me and made me realize how little I knew about Russian history in general, aside from the usual topics discussed back in my days at school. I wanted to write a novel inspired by Portnova's life, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to educate myself further on Russian history during World War II and also on another fascinating time that I knew only the basics about: the Russian Revolution. I learned so much and came away with a much deeper appreciation for Russian history and culture, and I was so fortunate to have culturally authentic insights from friends and fellow authors who educated me further and were so willing to answer my questions and correct my mistakes (though if any remain, I apologize and those are totally on me ;) By developing this story, I hoped to bring more attention to these lesser-known aspects of history and to some of the real women who lived during these times and inspired my characters. And, as with all my books, I hope to encourage my readers to learn more for themselves.(less)

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What are the content warnings for THE LAST CHECKMATE?

Gabriella Saab THE LAST CHECKMATE is a work of adult fiction set during WWII, a dark and horrific time in history, and thus will not be suitable for all audiences an…moreTHE LAST CHECKMATE is a work of adult fiction set during WWII, a dark and horrific time in history, and thus will not be suitable for all audiences and will be disturbing. I attempted to portray this time as realistically and delicately as possible while being sensitive to readers. The following are mild but non-specific spoilers. Some contain more specific references but should not impact your reading experience. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

-strong language (in multiple languages)
-strong violence/gore
-on-the-page physical and psychological abuse/torture (one scene includes a strip search down to undergarments against a female minor)
-ableism, ageism, and sexism
-antisemitism and anti-Polonism (including racial/ethnic slurs)
-pro-Nazi rhetoric
-mild burns (cigarette burns inflicted for the purpose of torture)
-beatings, including floggings and severe scarring
-concentration/extermination camps
-forced nudity
-mention of rape/sexual assault/prostitution (not witnessed by the reader)
-one scene of sexual assault/attempted rape witnessed by the reader (rape of a female minor is intended but not carried out, and the scene is handled as delicately as possible)
-discussion of conception through rape (assault not witnessed by the reader)
-dehumanization
-tattooing for the purpose of incarceration/dehumanization
-murder (including children, though children's murders are not witnessed by the reader)
-gas chambers and crematoria (mentioned)
-corpses and mass murder
-starvation/emaciation
-smoking
-arson (mentioned but not witnessed by the reader)
-severe illness (typhus and mention of dysentery)
-hypothermia/freezing to death
-drinking/intoxication
-depression
-suicidal thoughts and actions
-severe PTSD(less)

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Gabriella Saab’s books

Average rating: 4.12 · 6,269 ratings · 913 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Last Checkmate 4.18 avg rating — 5,364 ratings — published 2021 — 27 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Daughters of Victory 3.77 avg rating — 896 ratings — published 2023 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Star Society: A Historical Novel 4.56 avg rating — 9 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Gabriella Saab's Blog

Newsletter and a Sneak Peek!

Hi friends! We're less than 4 months away from my next book, THE STAR SOCIETY, hitting shelves - which is so crazy! To celebrate, my publisher has generously released a sample of first THREE chapters, so I wanted to share them with you! Check those out here: https://substack.com/@gabriellasaab/p...

And, as you'll notice from that link, I've joined Substack, so if you'd like to follow along, I'd lov Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 19, 2025 10:21

Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. To create our...

Gabriella is Currently Reading

Gabriella Saab is currently reading

The Briar Club

by Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 11, 2024 09:08PM

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In My Dreams I Hold a Knife

by Ashley Winstead (Goodreads Author)

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May 30, 2024 08:29AM

Gabriella Saab is currently reading

Then She Was Gone

by Lisa Jewell (Goodreads Author)

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Apr 30, 2024 09:58PM

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Gabriella’s Recent Updates

Gabriella Saab and 1 other person liked Ashli Rich's review of The Star Society: A Historical Novel: "The Star Society is a dazzling, powerful historical novel that captures both the shadows of war and the glitter of Hollywood with unforgettable depth. Gabriella Saab brings us the story of Ada and Ingrid—two sisters reunited after believing the other" Read more of this review »
Oct 02, 2025 10:26PM · see review
Gabriella Saab and 1 other person liked Stephanie Nichols's review of The Star Society: A Historical Novel: "I loved this book! It had so many things I am interested in and I enjoy! The complicated relationships of sisters, spies, world war II, glamorous old Hollywood, Holland, romance, intrigue, betrayal, and the Red Scare. If those are things you like too" Read more of this review »
Oct 02, 2025 10:26PM · see review
Gabriella Saab wants to read The Hope Keeper: A Novel by Heather Webb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 23, 2025 07:49AM · like
Gabriella Saab rated a book it was amazing The Star Society: A Historical Novel by Gabriella Saab (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9/19/25: Want to read the first three chapters from THE STAR SOCIETY? Now you can! Find the sample at the bottom of this post and subscribe to my Substack so you'll never miss an update! https://substack.com/@gabriellasaab/p... 7/15/25 update: Great n ...more
Sep 19, 2025 10:08AM · 14 likes · like · see review
Gabriella Saab wants to read Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 10, 2025 10:14AM · like
Gabriella Saab and 4 other people liked Louise Fein's review of The Star Society: A Historical Novel: "The Star Society is ambitious in scope, yet emotionally intimate. A story of sisterly love, the bond between the sisters stretched but never quite broken, as they live through the horrors of war torn Holland, then transported, in very different ways," Read more of this review »
Sep 08, 2025 12:45PM · see review
Gabriella Saab liked Kaylin Stinson's review of The Woman in Suite 11 (Lo Blacklock, #2):
Sep 01, 2025 09:08PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gabriella Saab finished reading Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 30, 2025 09:24PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gabriella Saab wants to read Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 30, 2025 09:03PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gabriella Saab rated a book it was amazing Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book so much! The publishing industry in NYC in the 60s was not for the faint of heart, and Bernadette Swift is many things, but not faint of heart. She's unapologetically herself and a fierce advocate for women, not just in the workplac ...more
Jul 28, 2025 10:00AM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Gabriella Saab (?)

“History is the grand master, and only by studying his game can the pupil learn and improve.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: history

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“When she [Hania] produced a sedative and offered it to me, I shook my head in refusal. I wanted to allow myself to cry, to live fully in this moment, because as painful as it was, it meant my walls had come down in a way I hadn't permitted in a long time. The ache of love and loss pierced me to the core of my soul. And it reminded me that I was still human.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: pain, present-moment-living, walls-down

2 likes

“Before the war, I thanked God for things like my family, friends, and sunshine, but if something affected those blessings, I lamented my misfortune. I had the audacity to ask God why He let rain chase away my sunshine, as if a thunderstorm were the worst thing that could happen to a girl. But far worse things could happen to a girl: getting her entire family arrested, being interrogated by the Gestapo, having no power to present whatever lay ahead. All I had was rain, and I didn't know if the sunshine would ever return. So I'd find blessings amid the thunder and lightning.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: blessings, determination, perspectives-on-life

2 likes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

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Around the Year i...: 45. A book related to a game	67	685	Dec 12, 2022 09:57AM
A Good Thriller: Share Your Review	10160	2253	May 02, 2023 07:48AM
A Good Thriller: Just Finished	15440	3479	May 02, 2023 11:22AM

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Gabriella’s Quotes

“History is the grand master, and only by studying his game can the pupil learn and improve.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: history

5 likes

“What is life after war? Returning to the lives we left is impossible, yet creating a life anew feels nearly as insurmountable. We live, fight, and survive while the memories--and the past--endure.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: life-after-war

2 likes

“Maybe we aren't meant to leave the past behind. Maybe we're meant to bring it with us so we can join others weighed down by the same burdens, and we can carry them together. Maybe that's how we find peace.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: community, shared-sufferings, the-past

2 likes

“True freedom comes from bravery, strength, and goodness. The only one who can take those from you is you.

[Aleksander Florkowski]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: true-freedom

2 likes

tags: pain, present-moment-living, walls-down

2 likes

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