FRIDAY 56: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

 

Anne@Head Full of Books invited me to participate in Friday56 with other book bloggers, so I'm giving it a go. I hope I do this right!

I'm also including it in Book Beginnings hosted by Rose City Reader.

Title: The Rose Code by Kate Quinn 

Book Beginnings Quote: The enigma arrived in the afternoon post, sealed, smudged, and devastating.

Friday56 quote (quote taken from page 56): Any other woman, Osla reflected, would have run to her husband-to-be if she got menacing letters from a madhouse inmate. It was the sort of thing fiances liked to know, if the woman they loved was being threatened by a lunatic. But Osla knew she was not going to tell a soul.

Summary: (Taken from goodreads):

1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything—beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses—but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of East-End London poverty, works the legendary code-breaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Osla and Mab are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and the impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart.

1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter—the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger - mdash - and their true enemy...

Review: Stay tuned!  This is my book group's next pick. I've just started it -- I'm not even up to page 56 yet, but I'm pulled in so far!

 

HISTORICAL FICTION READING CHALLENGE- 2018

The first challenge I'm signing up for this year is in my favorite genre.  If I read nothing else, I'm sure to read historical fiction.  I'm going to go with the "Ancient History" level of 25 books or more. And I'm looking forward to checking out the reviews of other participants!

Sign up at Passages to the Past.

Links to my reviews will be listed below:

1. An Irish Country Courtship by Patrick Taylor
2. Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh
3. The Maze at Windermere by Gregory Blake Smith
4. The Secret Life of Mrs. London by Rebecca Rosenberg
5. Coffin Scarcely Used by Colin Watson
6. Dying for Rome by Elisabeth Storrs
7. A Brush with Shadows by Anna Lee Huber
8. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
9. Bump in the Night by Colin Watson
10. The English Air by D.E. Stevenson
11. Hopjoy Was Here by Colin Watson
12. Lady Helena Investigates by Jane Steen
13. The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes
14. Lonelyheart 4122 by Colin Watson
15. Charity Ends at Home by Colin Watson
16. Someone to Care by Mary Balogh
17. The Third Nero by Lindsey Davis
18. Dear Mrs.Bird by A.J. Pearce
19. Pandora's Boy by Lindsey Davis
20. Blue Murder by Colin Watson
21. Brave New Earl by Jane Ashford
22. Summer by Edith Wharton
23. In the Presence of Evil by Tania Bayard
24. Whatever's Been Going On at Mumblesby? by Colin Watson
25. 1876 by Gore Vidal

CHALLENGE COMPLETED: Back to the Classics 2016

The Back-to-the-Classics Challenge is one of my favorite reading challenges. It helps me to get to more of the should-reads and they are often among my favorite books of the year. I don’t know why it is always the hardest challenge for me to finish, but this year I made it through all twelve categories! The books, with links to reviews, are below:

　
1. 19th century:  Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
2. 20th century: Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. Woman Author: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
4. Translation: Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann
5. Non-white Author: The Living is Easy by Dorothy West
6. Adventure: Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
7. Science Fiction: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
8. Detective Novel: Penhallow by Georgette Heyer
9. Name of a Place in the Title: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
10. Banned or Censored: Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
11. Re-read a classic: Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
 12. Short Story Collection: A New England Nun and Other Stories by Mary Wilkins Freeman

Thank you to Karen at Books and Chocolate! I’m looking forward to next year.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: Daughter of Australia by Harmony Verna

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine. Bloggers can share the soon-to-be-released books that they can't wait to read.


I can't wait for this one!

Expected publication, March 29th. Goodreads blurb:

In a stunning debut novel that evokes the epic scope of Colleen McCullough's classic The Thorn Birds, Harmony Verna creates a poignant, beautifully told story of love and courage, set in Australia and America in the early decades of the twentieth century.

The desert of Western Australia is vast and unforgiving. It's a miracle that the little girl dressed in rags and abandoned in the sand is still breathing when an old miner discovers her. Even more so that he is able to keep her alive long enough to bring her to the town from which she'll take her name: Leonora. Sent to an orphanage, mute with grief and fear, Leonora slowly bonds with another orphan, James, who fights to protect her until both are sent away--Leonora to a wealthy American family, James to relatives who have emigrated from Ireland to claim him.

Years later, Leonora is given a chance to return to her beloved Australia. There, in Wanjarri Downs, she will again come face to face with James, who's grown from a reticent boy into a strong, resourceful man. Only James knows the truth about Leonora--that her roots and her heart are here, among the gum trees and red earth. And they will fight to find a way back to each other, even as war, turmoil, and jealousy test their courage again and again.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: Death Comes to Kurland Hall by Catherine Lloyd

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine. Bloggers can share the soon-to-be-released books that they can't wait to read.

 

I often introduce a mystery I've read with the statement that I don't read many mysteries, but it's getting to the point where I have to give up that disclaimer because I'm starting to read a lot of mysteries. The thing is, they tend to be series and, once I begin a series, I usually stick with it. One new historical series that has me pretty well hooked is Catherine Lloyd's Kurland St. Mary Mystery Series. (See my reviews starting with Death Comes to the Village and then Death Comes to London.)

Book Three is: Death Comes to Kurland Hall.

The blurb from Goodreads is:


As wedding bells chime in Kurland St. Mary, a motley group of visitors descends on the village—and with a murderer on the prowl, some of them may not be returning home…

Lucy Harrington has returned to Kurland St. Mary to help with her friend Sophia Giffin’s wedding. But her homecoming is made disagreeable by the presence of Major Robert Kurland, whose bungled proposal has ruffled Lucy’s composure, and a meddling widow who has designs on her father, the village rector.

Wary of the cloying Mrs. Chingsford from the start, Lucy has doubts about the busybody’s intentions with her father. But everyone else seems to think they make an ideal match—until the courtship is curtailed when Mrs. Chingsford is found dead at the bottom of a staircase. It’s clear that it wasn’t an accident, and in hopes of finding the culprit, Lucy and Robert call a truce and begin scrutinizing the wedding guests.

But the widow left behind plenty of enemies, and when one of them is the next to turn up dead, Lucy and Robert discover that the truth is far more scandalous than anyone could have imagined…

Due out in November, it'll make a good Christmas present if I can hold out that long!

Stacking the Shelves: More to Read!!!

I'm taking part in a new (to me) meme this week, one that I've watched fellow bloggers participate in for a while now. Being horribly unorganized, I haven't jumped in as yet, but I thought I'd give it a go today. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews.

Two books have come into my house this week. One is a library book, so I'll either read it soon or not read it at all. It came recommended via another book I read and though it's a bit out of my usual reading zone, I really want to tackle it.

 

Literary criticism? I'll give it a whirl.

 

The next is historical fiction, more up my usual alley. I won this book in a giveaway held by The True Book Addict. Set in a time period I love, but a more exotic locale that I usually seek out, I'm looking forward to this read.

 

SIX WORD SATURDAY

Six Word Saturday is a weekly meme hosted by Show My Face. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing.
Post your six words, then link back to Show My Face and hop around to visit other Six Word Saturdays!



My words this week are:

WARM SUNNY WEEKEND. NOT ON CALL!

So I feel blessed this weekend. The snow has melted and I can see my driveway again. This shouldn't be such a big deal in Kentucky in March, but there you go. In a little while I'm going to take a walk to Starbucks. Life is good.

It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks. I've only read one book and that one is to review for the Historical Novels Review, so I've been slacking off on blogging. Two weeks ago, I took my daughter up to Toronto to look at the University. What an adventure! It was great to have some mother-daughter time, but it brings home even more acutely the awareness of how soon she'll be leaving home.

I'm not sure how much reading I'll get done this weekend. I'm a little bored with sitting on my couch under a blanket with my space heater running. I'm going to have to get outside. Can it finally be spring?

Waiting On Wednesday: Bittersweet by Colleen McCullough

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine. Bloggers can share the soon-to-be-released books that they can't wait to read.

The book I'm waiting for is a new one by one of my favorite authors, Colleen McCullough.

 

Here's the blurb from Amazon:

In her first epic romantic novel since The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough weaves a sweeping story of two sets of twins—all trained as nurses, but each with her own ambitions—stepping into womanhood in 1920s and 30s Australia.

Because they are two sets of twins, the four Latimer sisters are as close as can be. Yet these vivacious young women each have their own dreams for themselves: Edda wants to be a doctor, Tufts wants to organize everything, Grace won’t be told what to do, and Kitty wishes to be known for something other than her beauty. They are famous throughout New South Wales for their beauty, wit, and ambition, but as they step into womanhood, they are not enthusiastic about the limited prospects life holds for them.

Together they decide to enroll in a training program for nurses—a new option for women of their time, who have previously been largely limited to the role of wives, and preferably mothers. As the Latimer sisters become immersed in hospital life and the demands of their training, they meet people and encounter challenges that spark new maturity and independence. They meet men from all walks of life—local farmers, their professional colleagues, and even men with national roles and reputations—and each sister must make weighty decisions about what she values most. The results are sometimes happy, sometimes heartbreaking, but always . . . bittersweet.

Rendered with McCullough’s trademark historical accuracy, this dramatic coming of age tale is wise in the ways of the human heart, one that will transport readers to a time in history that feels at once exotic and yet not so very distant from our own.

 

 

The release date is August 19th. Sounds like a great summer read!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

I haven't taken part in this meme in awhile but I have a Saturday morning free to blog so here goes.










To join in, describe in six words what is going on in your life, then visit Show My Face to link up and visit other participating blogs.

Here are my six words:

Snowed in. More time to read!

I'm trying to look at the bright side of this cold, wet weather. At least it's Saturday and I have nowhere I need to be for awhile.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: I am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights eagerly anticipated new releases.

I've been waiting a while for this debut historical novel by Phyllis T. Smith. It's due out in April 2014.

Here's the goodreads blurb:


Her life would be marked by scandal and suspicion, worship and adoration...
At the tender age of fourteen, Livia Drusilla overhears her father and fellow aristocrats plotting the assassination of Julius Caesar. Proving herself an astute confidante, she becomes her father's chief political asset and reluctantly enters into an advantageous marriage to a prominent military officer. Her mother tells her it is possible for a woman to influence public affairs,  reminding Livia that  while she possesses a keen sense for the machinations of the Roman senate, she must also remain patient and practical. But patience and practicality disappear from Livia's mind when she meets Caesar's heir, Octavianus. At only eighteen, he displays both power and modesty. A young wife by that point, Livia finds herself drawn to the golden-haired boy. In time, his fortunes will rise as Livia's family faces terrible danger. But her sharp intellect and her heart will lead Livia to make an unbelievable choice: one that will give her greater sway over Rome than she could have ever foreseen.

Livia is a fascinating historical character and I can't wait to read her story!

And I'm excited to see what other books everyone is waiting for.

STACKING THE SHELVES: I bought books!

I've been on a library binge lately, mainly because I have no room left on my bookshelves. But it's been so long since I've splurged on new books for myself that I couldn't help it. I bought two historical novels.

Hild by Nicola Griffith

This is an editor's choice in the latest Historical Novels Review. The link is to the review. While you're there, you can check out the HNS website. If you're a historical fiction fan, there's no better resource!

My second new acquisition is Longbourn by Jo Baker. I haven't been drawn to Jane Austen spin-offs even though I love Austen. Maybe it's because I read her books so long ago I feel I should re-read the originals before going off on tangents. But this one had a unique sounding premise and I fell for it. So, we'll see what I think when I read it! (Link is to goodreads page)

Longbourn by Jo Baker

This is my first time taking part in Stacking the Shelves hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews. Look at all the wonderful books people are reading!

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: Breakable by Aimee L. Salter

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that highlights eagerly anticipated new releases.

Here's the book I'm looking forward to reading--to be released next week!

 



The goodreads blurb is:



When seventeen-year-old Stacy looks in the mirror she can see and talk to her future self. “Older Me” has been Stacy's secret support through the ongoing battle with their neurotic mother, relentless bullying at school, and dealing with her hopeless love for her best friend, Mark.

Then Stacy discovers Older Me is a liar.

Still reeling from that betrayal, Stacy is targeted again by her most persistent tormentor. Only this time, he's used her own artwork to humiliate her - and threaten her last chance with Mark.

She’s reached breaking point.

Literally.


 

Six Word Saturday

 

 

 

Sending Prayers to Friends Back East

 

 

I love Halloween. It's right up there with my favorite holidays. But this year it sounds too scary with this storm blowing in on the East Coast. I know the media overhypes weather, and I really hope it turns out to be a simple snowstorm without the fearsome impact that's being predicted. Still, I'm nervous for friends and family - and even more so for those who are more likely to be in the storm's path with fewer resources for riding it out.

 

 

What is Six Word Saturday?  Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing.  If you play along in your blog, please add a link to the Mr. Linky at Show My Face. (see details there and links to other participating blogs there.)

MAILBOX MONDAY

Mailbox Monday is a meme created by Marcia's Mailbox, a chance for bloggers to display the great new books they've accumulated over the week. It's now rotating on a monthly basis to different guest hosts. For October, Mailbox Monday can be found here.

Last Thursday, my local library held a talk and signing by Hanna Rosin, author of The End of Men (and the Rise of Women). She's a very engaging speaker. She was also very pleasant and personable at the booksigning afterward. (The line was long, yet she was very goodnatured and didn't seem rushed.) Here's the blurb from goodreads:

A landmark portrait of women, men, and power in a transformed world.
Men have been the dominant sex since, well, the dawn of mankind. But Hanna Rosin was the first to notice that this long-held truth is, astonishingly, no longer true. At this unprecedented moment, by almost every measure, women are no longer gaining on men: They have pulled decisively ahead. And "the end of men"—the title of Rosin’s Atlantic cover story on the subject—has entered the lexicon as dramatically as Betty Friedan’s "feminine mystique," Simone de Beauvoir’s "second sex," Susan Faludi’s "backlash," and Naomi Wolf’s "beauty myth" once did.

In this landmark book, Rosin reveals how this new state of affairs is radically shifting the power dynamics between men and women at every level of society, with profound implications for marriage, sex, children, work, and more. With wide-ranging curiosity and insight unhampered by assumptions or ideology, Rosin shows how the radically different ways men and women today earn, learn, spend, couple up—even kill—has turned the big picture upside down. And in The End of Men she helps us see how, regardless of gender, we can adapt to the new reality and channel it for a better future.

The book is generating a lot of interest. Hanna Rosin a well-respected journalist and the topic is timely. The book title obviously courts controversy, but her discussion of the book made it sound a lot more balanced than the title would imply. I'm eager to read it-- maybe in combination with Grace and Grit by Lilly Ledbetter.

WOW: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. Bloggers can spotlight books that they are eagerly awaiting.

I confess, I am usually so buried under my TBR pile that I am not looking ahead at unreleased books. Even exciting new releases usually have to wait their turn. I buy the books I’m excited about but don’t manage to get to them right away (except for some special favorite, favorite authors whose books get devoured on day one–that means you Margaret Frazer!)

Moreover, I’m a historical fiction reader first and foremost. While I do read some contemporary fiction, it’s usually just to take a break and see what else is out there. So, on one of those forays, I read Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt and I was charmed.

And here is Leavitt’s new book: Going Vintage, due out March 26, 2013l.

When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with an online girlfriend, she swears off boys. She also swears off modern technology. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory decides to "go vintage" and return to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn't cheat on you online). She sets out to complete grandma's list: run for pep club secretary, host a dinner party, sew a homecoming dress, find a steady, do something dangerous. But the list is trickier than it looks. And obviously finding a steady is out . . . no matter how good Oliver (Jeremy's cousin) smells. But with the help of her sister, she'll get it done. Somehow. Lindsey Leavitt perfectly pairs heartfelt family moments, laugh-out-loud humor, and a little bit of romance in this delightful contemporary novel.

　

I can’t wait! Doesn’t it sound fun?

MAILBOX MONDAY

Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia, formerly from The Printed Page, where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week. Mailbox Monday currently is on tour, and this month’s host is Mrs. Q: Book Addict.

This week a book came in the mail that I was thrilled to win from Melissa at Confessions of an Avid Reader. (The link is to her review.)

The GoodReads summary is:

Legendary women--from Anne Boleyn to Queen Elizabeth I to Mary, Queen of Scots--changed the course of history in the royal courts of sixteenth-century England. They are celebrated in history books and novels, but few people know of the powerful women in the Muslim world, who formed alliances, served as key advisers to rulers, lobbied for power on behalf of their sons, and ruled in their own right. In "Equal of the Sun, "Anita Amirrezvani's gorgeously crafted tale of power, loyalty, and love in the royal court of Iran, she brings one such woman to life, Princess Pari Khan Khanoom Safavi. Iran in 1576 is a place of wealth and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah's daughter and protege, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess's maneuvers to instill order after her father's sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her closest adviser, Javaher, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry of secrets and information that reveals a power struggle of epic proportions.

Based loosely on the life of Princess Pari Khan Khanoom, "Equal of the Sun "is a riveting story of political intrigue and a moving portrait of the unlikely bond between a princess and a eunuch. Anita Amirrezvani is a master storyteller, and in her lustrous prose this rich and labyrinthine world comes to vivid life with a stunning cast of characters, passionate and brave men and women who defy or embrace their destiny in a Machiavellian game played by those who lust for power and will do anything to attain it.

I can't wait to read it. Thanks you Melissa and thanks to the publisher for my copy!

SIX WORD SATURDAY

 Six Word Saturday is a meme hosted by Show My Face. Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing.


It's been awhile since I've taken part. My Saturdays tend to get away from me before I know what's happened to them. But here goes:


Hurray for the gorgeous summer Saturday!

After weeks of unending heat wave, a morning of bearable summer weather with reasonable humidity was such a delight. And to have such a beautiful day on a weekend! I went to a Farmers' Market with my daughter. Life is good.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY: Son of Venice by Dori Jones Yang

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a chance to highlight your most eagerly awaited releases.

I'm going to be a stop on the ARC tour for Son of Venice by Dori Jones Yang (the sequel to the wonderful YA historical Daughter of Xanadu.) The tour is hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly.

I'm also going to have a guest post/interview with Dori on Wednesday, July 25th. So be sure to check that out!

Here is the description of the new book from the publisher:

Son of Venice continues the story begun in Daughter of Xanadu, set in thirteenth century China. In that book, Emmajin, an excellent archer and fictional granddaughter of Khubilai Khan, poured all her energy into her dream of becoming the first woman soldier in the Mongol army. When she met Marco Polo, a traveling merchant from Venice, he fascinated her with tales of romantic love and caused her to question her ambition. Son of Venice picks up the story as Emmajin begins her journey to the West, assigned by Khubilai Khan to carry a letter to establish peace and cooperation between her homeland and Marco Polo’s. Marco is to travel in the same caravan. But a shaman’s warning of traitors and danger casts a shadow over their journey. Emmajin wants to win respect as an ambassador of the Great Khan and also to enjoy her time with Marco Polo. But her guards—and her cousin, Temur—insist on keeping them apart. Plus, as she travels west with the army, she begins to doubt the Khan’s intentions. Does he really want her to make peace with the West? Told in alternating points of view, this book follows the adventures of Emmajin and Marco Polo as they head west along the Silk Road. They face battles, intrigue, sinister plots, and unexpected challenges to their unconventional love. Can Marco’s famed eloquence and cleverness help when Emmajin faces perils beyond any she imagined?

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Book Blogger Hop- May 5-11

The book blogger hop, hosted by Crazy for Books is back! Hurray!



Here's how it works:

First, answer the prompt question on your blog:

What are the next five books in your TBR (to-be-read) pile? And, don’t worry, you can change your mind and read something different.

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list at Crazy for Books (enter your Blog Name, Genre you review, and direct link to your post answering this week’s question; failure to do so will result in removal of your link).
3. Visit other blogs in the list, spending quality time getting to know the people you are visiting. Don’t just visit the post with the question, but click around and read some of the blogger’s other content, too! This Hop isn’t about the number of people you can visit, but the quality of each visit.

And have fun!

So here are my next five books.

1.   The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites

This one I'm sure I'll read next because it's a library book, so if I don't, I'll lose the chance.

2. Trinity by Leon Uris
This is the book my historical fiction book club chose for its next meeting, so I have to read this one soon.








After that, I need to get cracking on my Back-to-the-Classics challenge, so I think the next book will be my reread.
3. Madame Bovary by Flaubert.
Then:
4. Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd
5. An Imaginary Life by David Malouf (for the Mount TBR challenge.)

Now I'm excited to get reading. And to see what other bloggers have on deck.

Six Word Saturday

Happy Easter!  Let Spring Break begin!

 

It's time again for Six-Word-Saturday,  hosted by Show My Face.



Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing.


This year, my kids' spring break coincides with Easter. And, even though they are in different schools (high school and middle school) they have the same week off. So, I took the week off from work. I'm looking forward to some time off with family!