My Secret Life in Hut Six - Review

My Secret Life in Hut 6: One Woman's Experiences at Bletchley Park by Mair and Gethen Russell Jones
Rating:
Source: NetGalley
Description:  This is the memoir of a woman who worked at Bletchley Park during World War 2 just after leaving college.

Genre: Non-fiction
Why I Picked This Book:  I'm fascinated with Bletchley Park.  I've watched every movie and show I could find about it but haven't seen that many books on the subject.

My Impression:
Pros:  So much that I had never thought of was covered in this book.  I knew the basics of Bletchley but how the employees were found, who they were and where they'd stayed were things that it had never occurred to me to even wonder about.  In this book we get to know an intelligent, high minded, serious young Welsh woman who happened to be good at puzzles, showed leadership ability and was minoring in German at the university in Cardiff.  You really are able to feel the weight of keeping such a tremendous secret has on such a young woman.  Through her eyes the readers sees what it's really like to get up every morning and work a shift at Bletchley.  It had never occurred to me that the employees were not only not boarded on the property but actually had boarded with townspeople who weren't allowed to know what they did and some as is the case with Mair's first landlady, resented the intrusion.  I also found parts of Mair's story pre-Bletchley interesting.  Seeing through the eyes of an ordinary girl as World War 2 is ramping up was very interesting and unique.  After war breaks out she casually talks about enduring a 10 hour bombing of Cardiff and then getting up and going to lectures the next day.  The contrast of ordinary events contrasted with horrific wartime actions is startling.

Cons:  While I feel like I got to know Mair and liked and sympathized with her there was a lot of excess information in this book.  While her involvement with the Christian groups both at school and at Bletchley was very important to her it took away a bit from the story.  There is a mention early on the book that Mair's narrative is in italics and her son's overview is in regular text this doesn't happen in the Kindle edition.  Since I had a review copy this may be fixed in the finished product.  The jumping back and forth from Mair to her son can feel a little disjointed and this is exaggerated a little by the lack of italics.

Overall: If you are interested in Bletchley Park history or what it was like on the home front during World War 2 this would be of some interest.  While the writing is somewhat cumbersome you do get a good sense of the place and the person.  I just wish there wasn't so much extra information.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?:  Probably not but I don't see this author as publishing more books of this type.  If there is more information on Bletchley or Mair's time there I would read it.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Only to people with a strong interest in Bletchley Park, World War 2 history or religious organizations.

This Week in Reading - July 13

The Sunday Post is a linkup with The Caffeinated Book Reviewer

What I Got:

NetGalley:

I actually did better this week.  I only requested 1 book and an older pending request got approved.

How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are by Anne Berest et. al

I thought this little guide book about French fashion and habits sounded fun.

The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan

I have several friends who absolutely adore her.  Instead of actually reading the book by her that I've already bought I decided to get this one when I saw it on NetGalley

Other:

The Ghoul Next Door by Victoria Laurie

This one came through Paperbackswap.  This is a series that I can't seem to quit reading despite the fact that I haven't exactly loved the last few.  The main characters suffers from an extreme case of know-it-allness.

Clammed Up by Barbara Ross - enjoyed the 2nd one of this series so much that I went and immediately bought the first.

I also ended up with Key of Light by Nora Roberts and Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley.  These are both rereads but the Tornado wanted to go to the playground by the library after story hour and I had forgotten my Kindle so I thought a nice fun reread would do the trick.

Other:

The garden has hit the wild stage.  While it had been all nice and neat everything's gotten so big it's been a tumbled mess.  I'm getting tons of tomatoes and making BLTs and bruschetta toppings like crazy.  My favorite dinner right now is to lightly pan fry some chicken, top with it with a little fresh mozzarella and then top that with a mix of chopped tomatoes, basil and balsamic.  Seriously yummy! 

Allergies are better so I'm trying to get caught up on some stuff!  We've hit the part of summer where the kids are restless.  Well mostly the Tornado and Eleanor as Emma and Paul are busy enough with work and friends that they are rarely still.  I think Eleanor is looking forward to going back to school and living on her own again and the Tornado is just restless.  The weather has been to hot and humid to really do much outside.  We're thinking about making a few day trips though - Nashville and Atlanta most likely - so that will keep him busy.  We're in the last month of summer which is odd to think about.

We've had a great weekend.  Friday night J and Eleanor went to a play for a class that she's taking this summer and Emma and Paul both had other plans.  The Tornado and I had a pajama party which mostly consisted of putting pajamas on early, eating ice cream for dinner and watching Frozen.  We hadn't seen it before but I really enjoyed it.  He liked it but was ready to get back to the Batman cartoon he's been watching on Netflix these days.

I seem to have hit a reading slump which is annoying.  I just can't get into any book I've tried lately.  I'm about to have to bust out a reread to see if that helps.

On the Blog:

This Week:

The Awakening of Miss Prim - a book I really wanted to like

On Sunset Beach - Finally a book in Stewart's Chesapeake Diary series that was exactly what I've been hoping for this whole time!

The Cape Cod Mystery- a classic American mystery.  Fun read but not nearly as timeless as most of the British mysteries of this time period.  Still not sure why this is.

Boiled Over - a fun cozy set in a Maine fishing village.

A few excerpts from the Agatha Christie book I'm currently reading.

Coming Up:

The week I'm hoping to get 3 or 4 reviews out
My top ten favorite other entertainment list which will probably be mostly TV
The review for my July Birchbox
Brought to you by the letter B post

Also, I'm working on another page where I try and layout a more official rating system.

Have a great week and happy reading!

Boiled Over - Review

Boiled Over by Barbara Ross

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Source: NetGalley

Description:  Julia Snowden is trying to keep her family's clambake business afloat when she gets roped into being on the board for Founder's weekend.  Things going from chaotic to nightmarish when a body turns up in the fire that's keeping the clambake cooking and one of the Snowden employees is suspected.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  The cover caught my eye and it sounded like an unusual premise for a cozy.

My Impression:

Pros:  This was a really fun mystery.  I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded page by page.  We got more and more information about the boy Julia's trying to help and the victim as the story went on.  The flashbacks were short enough to give you a picture of the events and characters without so long that it got confusing. Seeing Julia's struggle with identity and figuring out where she fit in added some depth to the character and humanized her a bit.  The history of the place and the connection of the characters was interesting and it made Busman's Harbor seem like a real place.  The pacing was very good and while not an action packed thriller I kept turning the pages because I wanted to find out what happened next.  There was always a new theory to be explored or a new piece of evidence to deal with.  I could have easily read this book in one sitting if life hadn't kept intervening!  While this is the 2nd in the series it can be read as a stand alone.  I had not read the first one and had no problem figuring out what was going on or identifying the characters.  While there are mentions of the first book - just enough to get you curious if you haven't read it - there are also no spoilers.

Cons: Julia is a serious busybody.  She's trying to help and her intentions seem sincere which makes it not so bad but she does a lot of showing up at people's houses and asking questions.  I could have had less focus on her personal life and more focus on the available suspects.

Overall: This is a fun mystery in an interesting setting with likable characters.  I'm definitely looking forward to another visit to Busman's Harbor.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?:  Yes, actually about halfway through this book I discovered the first one in the series was on sale and bought that it.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes.  This is a fun cozy!

Friday Linkups: Destination Unknown

It's Friday so I'm linking up with Book Blogger Hop hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings on Friday hosted by Rose City Reader and The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice.

Today's book blogger question is:  Do you read books in translation?  What are the last 3 you read?

My Answer:  Not really.  Recently, I read The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera which I believe was originally published in Spanish and I think a lot of the charm and emotion was lost in the translation.  I think much of the original sentiment can get lost when the language changes so even if the story stays basically the same as readers some of the possibilities for an emotional connection gets lost.  I wouldn't necessarily avoid a translated book but I would probably be more hesitant.

For Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56 I'm revisiting Agatha Christie.  Today's book was published in 1954 under the original title of So Many Steps to Death.  After a decade or 2 of country house murders Agatha takes us once again on a few international adventures.

The Beginning:  "The Man behind the desk moved a heavy glass paper weight four inches to the right.  His face was not so much thoughtful or abstracted as expressionless.  He had the pale complexion that comes from living most of the day in artificial light.  This man, you felt, was an indoor man."


The 56: (from page 56 of my 1987 paperback)
Jessop thought: "There's passion there - and guts - and somewhere, damped but not quenched, there's a gay spirit that's tough - and that enjoys life and searches out for adventure."
"You'll do", he said to her.  "You're an apt pupil."

This is a rather fun book, full of secrets and hidden identities.  Very different from some of the more proper Poirots and Marples.

The Cape Cod Mystery - TBR Review

The Cape Cod Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Source: Purchased
Description:  Miss Prudence Whitsby and her niece Betsey are expecting to have to fend off a deluge of people wanting to visit there beach house on a hot summer weekend.  What they aren't expecting is to have to figure out who killed their neighbor the very much disliked novelist Dale Sanborn before their dear friend Bill Porter ends up taking the blame.  Luckily Asey Mayo and Prudence Whitsby are on the case.

Genre: Mystery
Why I Picked This Book:  The author came up on my Goodreads recommends list.  Apparently she's considered a classic American mystery writer and I've somehow missed her.

My Impression:
Pros:  The setting is very well done.  It's easy to visualize the summer cottage and the shore.  Even though I don't think the main character ever physically goes to the beach the setting FEELS like a beach town.  This is a very classic mystery with a very unlikable dead guy and bunches of suspects.  The sheriff of the small town is incredibly inept which is normally a negative for me but in this situation it makes sense.  This is a small town with basically no crime so the position of sheriff is just to fill in the blank.  They picked the only resident who had any law enforcement experience to fill the role.  The book was published in 1931 and that came out.  There's talk about how exciting it is to have a new electric refrigerator especially as all the other people are hauling around large chunks of ice on car running boards.  The actual investigation is done in a very casual fashion without much trust in physical evidence.  At one point the sheriff is suspicious of the doctor because the doctor could talk about what kind of weapon was used.  I really didn't see the ending coming but it made sense and I was very satisfied with it.

Cons: The pace is a little slow and it's very dialogue heavy which makes it a touch on the dry side.  Despite not being very long (less than 200 pages) it did take me a little while to get through.  Because of this it also took a little while to really get caught up in the story.  Because the book was published in 1931 there are a few very un-politically correct statements but these are used as expressions and not directed at a specific person.

Overall:  I enjoyed this very classic feeling mystery.  While it may not have been the fastest read it was enjoyable and anyone who likes Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers or Mary Roberts Rinehart would enjoy this one.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes!

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes!  If you're a mystery reader this one is definitely worth trying out.

On Sunset Beach - Review

On Sunset Beach: The Chesapeake Diaries by Mariah Stewart

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Source: NetGalley

Description:  Art dealer and gallery owner Carly Summit is thrilled when a huge cache of paintings by an artist who was previously thought to have very little work was discovered in the attic of her friend Ellie's house in St. Dennis.  The only catch - the paintings must be shown in St. Dennis.  Carly heads to the coast to manage the exhibit and meets Ford Sinclair.  Ford has just returned home after 6 years in war torn central Africa where he has seen too many atrocities to not change him.  Both are unsettled and looking for changes but can the solutions they seek be found right here in this little town on the Chesapeake Bay?

Genre: Romance
Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed several of Stewart's romantic suspense titles and I really want to like this series.  Also, this seemed like the perfect book for the COYER Fun in the Sun Read-A-Thon.

My Impression:
Pros: If you heard a sigh of contentment this past Sunday morning that was me finishing this book.  I've had mixed results with this series - liked the 1st but got confusing with all the tie-ins to a previous series, couldn't finish the 2nd, thought the 3rd was okay but flawed.  This book was everything I've wanted the series to be.  The characters were wonderful.  I love Ford and how much attention he paid to Carly.  He noticed what she liked and paid attention to what she said and then tried to surprise her just to make her happy.  It was lovely.  Carly's also a great character.  She's ambitious and intelligent but also good-hearted, warm spirited and optimistic.  While Ford has been through hell and he is wounded he's not scarred.  He's more lost and restless, trying to adjust to regular life after so much time spent on the edge.  I love Grace Sinclair and for once the diary entries really felt right with the book.  While other characters were mentioned it was only when they fit into the story so there wasn't that deluge of story lines you have to sort out.  This could definitely be read as a stand alone though it did make me want to go back and read the stories of the characters who played a role in the book - Ellie/Cam and Lucy/Clay.

Cons: This is a fairly predictable book.  You can pretty much guess what's going to happen 50 pages in.  I didn't necessarily find this to be a bad thing but some people might.

Overall Impression:  This book delivers a small town setting filled with great characters.  While it is book 8 in the series it can easily be read on it's own.  I loved the Carly and Ford and look forward to going back to read Ellie's story.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes, can't wait to read more of this series!

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Definitely!  If you're wanting a nice summer read in a beautiful setting about a really nice couple this is definitely the book!

Top Ten Tuesday Blogger Confessions

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the awesome people at The Broke and the Bookish

Today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is blogger confessions.  I've been really looking forward to this topic if for the primary reason of seeing everyone else's confessions.  Here's mine:

1.  I wasn't an English major.  In fact not only was a not an English major but I was thrilled to be done with the 3 English classes I had to take as a Computer Science major.  My professors were fine but discussing symbolism and true meanings makes me want to run at top speed into the nearest wall.  If I went back to school to get a degree in something purely for fun it would be history which I adore.

2.  I don't like Feels reads.  I know when someone says something along the lines of "I cried buckets with this one" people line up to read it.  I'm not one of them.  I hate to cry or have a gut wrenching read.  If a book is strongly recommended enough I might cave but it's reluctantly.

3.  I read fast.  Like freakishly fast. It's a handy skill particularly now that my reading time has been significantly cut down.  I got self conscious about it because in elementary school my teachers couldn't believe I could read as fast as I was and comprehend things despite the fact that my grades in subjects that relied on reading comprehension were excellent.  It wasn't a lot of fun.  There were parent teacher conferences about it and 1 teacher who had absolutely no business teaching children tried to trip me up in class about it basically constantly.

4.  I watch a lot of TV.  I really like TV and watch a pretty good bit of it.  I watch Netflix while I'm cooking dinner (getting through the series Numbers right now) and at least a show while I eat lunch and another before I go upstairs at night.  There's not a food competition show I haven't tried and my list of crime shows is pretty complete - NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, CSI, Criminal Minds, Unforgettable, Elementary.  Then there's Doctor Who, Torchwood and Sherlock (though since that's only 3 shows every 2 years I'm not sure it counts).  As well as The Big Bang Theory, The Bachelor/Bachelorette (which I watch with Emma which is pretty entertaining to hear her take on it).  Then there's the whole Investigation Discovery channel showing true crime shows.  It's a problem!  I wasn't allowed to watch TV at all when I was a kid so I'm making up for lost time now I think.

5.  I have a lot of review books.  Like a lot.  Like over 60 currently to review.  It's a problem.  Moderation has never been my strong suit when it comes to books and I had a lot of fun with NetGalley.  I'm working to get it under control and luckily I don't view review books like homework so that helps.

6.  Only a very few people that I know in real life know about this blog or really how much I read in general.  Pretty much there's only my immediate family and 1 other friend.

7.  I don't really like blog tours unless they're accompanied by a review.  I like to read about books people are waiting for or excited about but if it's just general information on a book or a press release than I skip over it.

8.  I love comments!  Every time a comment shows up in my email it gives me a little mood lift!

9.  I suck at tags and cross-posting.  I really want to be more organized on both but so far I haven't been great at follow through.  At some point I'm going to get all my posts tagged and all my reviews cross-posted on goodreads and amazon but today is not that day.

10.  I'm really bad about staying completely in my rather narrow comfort zone.  Blogging has helped a bit because it's exposed me to new and different books that I wouldn't have even seen if it was for people writing about them.  Even with trying new and different genres there are still a few subjects I tend to avoid because they make me uncomfortable.  That's chicken I know but I'm still in baby steps here!

I was looking for a picture of me but didn't have much luck but this one taken in the summer of 2009 of Emma and Paul made me laugh so I thought I'd share.  This is one of the reasons why having kids is fun.