VictoriaPL rejoins the Category Challenge (thread 2)

Welcome back to my 2021 Reading! I thought it was time for a new thread, being a new month and soon a new season. I sure am ready for all things Fall!

Currently reading: The Plum Tree
On deck next: Monkeewrench, The Turnout & Danzig Passage.

Planned October reads:
Dune (re-read)
Anne of the Island

Happy new thread! I suspect I'll have one more thread in this challenge and one or two more in the 75 one. However, I'm getting close to being on the last one.

Happy new thread! I too am ready for fall, though sadly the fall weather doesn't reach my neck of the woods until about mid-October.

Happy new thread! Not sure how I feel about it being almost Fall. The year has gone by so quickly and so slowly at the same time.

The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Christine Bolz and her mother work as domestics for the Bauermans, a well-to-do Jewish family. When the Nazis pass laws which end their employment, the two women struggle to feed their own family. It is terrible timing, for Isaac Bauerman has just declared his feelings for Christine and now any relationship between them is forbidden. But Christine reciprocates Isaac's love and the two continue to meet in secret while the world crashes and burns around them. Unfortunately when they are caught, Christine is sent to a camp for her crime of being a “Jew-lover”. Her only solace is occasionally catching glances of Isaac through the fences, so close and yet so far away. Will Christine and Isaac live long enough to be liberated by the Allies? Is their love strong enough to survive?

So, you know those reads you slip into like your broken-in, comfy slippers? Yeah. There wasn't any way that I wasn't going to like this one. It didn't strike me as the most riveting WWII fiction or romance that ever I've read, but I've read so many! I thought that it was solid and I have no complaints. If you enjoy the WWII genre as I do, and I know that there are a few of you out there, you may want to add this to your list.

>5 VictoriaPL: Luckily, I have this one on my Kindle so it's good to hear that you enjoyed it.

>2 thornton37814: thanks!
>3 christina_reads: yeah, Fall takes it's time reaching here as well but I hear the latter part of this week will feel like a preview!
>4 rabbitprincess: I know what you mean! Crazy fast!
>6 DeltaQueen50: let me know what you think Judy!

Happy New Thread! I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone. Although I'm hoping things slow down enough so I can get more reading done.

Happy new thread - dropping by to follow along.

>8 dudes22:. I know what you mean Betty!
>9 Helenliz: thanks

Happy new thread! It's still sunny here in Scotland, but I'm having to pretend I can't see all the leaves starting to fall from the trees.

>12 Jackie_K: thanks! You're much farther north, I bet your leaf season starts earlier.

Monkeewrench by P. J. Tracy book 1

Amazon: People are dying for the new computer game by the software company Monkeewrench. Literally. With Serial Killer Detective out in limited release, the real-life murders of a jogger and a young woman have already mimicked the first two scenarios in the game. But Grace McBride and her eccentric Monkeewrench partners are caught in a vise. If they tell the Minneapolis police of the link between their game and the murders, they'll shine a spotlight on the past they thought they had erased-and the horror they thought they'd left behind. If they don't, eighteen more people will die.

Oh my goodness. I think I have a new author crush. Actually, since Tracy is a mother-daughter team, does it count as just one crush, or two? I know I picked this up at a library sale but I don't remember what caught my eye, or if it was on my radar from LT. I really enjoyed the story. It reminds me a bit of Carol O'Connell. I was very aware of the pacing and it is break-neck at the end, maybe a bit too much. But it is the first in the series and debuts get a little leeway. It was SO funny, in a million ways, and yet it did not strike me as campy or trite. I think I could tell that it was two writers and I do prefer one over the other, but it did not bother me much. I will definitely read book two.

>14 VictoriaPL: - I read this earlier in the year, Victoria. It was a recommendation from a friend that we see when we're on vacation a couple of years ago. I too liked it a lot.

>15 dudes22: are you planning to continue with the series, Betty?

>14 VictoriaPL: I had this on my wishlist forever and ran across it on a sale table in a used bookstore recently for $2! Your comments make me want to read it right away.

>17 clue: go for it! And then we can all read the 2nd book together, LOL

I read Monkeewrench a couple of years ago and I was hooked! I have since read the second one and I am hoping to fit the third one in before year end. It's a fun series.

>19 DeltaQueen50: I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it!

>16 VictoriaPL: - Sorry - I meant to say that I'm planning the next book for next year's Alpha Kit unless I can't wait and go for it sooner.

>21 dudes22: I can wait until next year Betty. SO many books on my TBR shelf!

Happy new (ish) one.

>14 VictoriaPL: Well that's tempting!

I took a mini-break to Netflix & Chill.

There's new version of Rebecca out and I enjoyed it. I haven't read it in so long. Even though there some terrible things out about Armie Hammer, I still really enjoy his acting.

Then last night I watched Cold Mountain because I have not yet seen it and I BAWLED. MY. EYES. OUT. Whew!
So many good actors in that cast.

So… back to reading today, LOL

Danzig Passage by Bodie Thoene
Zion Covenant book 5

Amazon: It's November 9, 1938-Kristal Nacht, the "Night of Breaking Glass." As Hitler's minions blaze through Berlin, arresting Jews, burning homes, shops, and synagogues, Pastor Karl Ibsen races to aid the Kalners, a Jewish family in his congregation. But will he be too late? And what price will his wife, Helen, and children, Lori and Jamie, pay for his actions?
As Berlin burns, Karl's family waits in New Church for the Nazis to come. The Wallich family hides in a nearby apartment. Lucy Strasburg, girlfriend of a Nazi officer, watches with horror, realizing what the "glory of the Reich" really means . . . and wondering what, if anything, she can do.
For all, there is only one hope-the Danzig Passage. A narrow corridor to hope and freedom

I skimmed a good bit of it. I think after 5 books my enthusiasm for the series is waning, but being a completist, I will likely finish it.

>25 VictoriaPL: I read that series when it first came out. My enthusiasm waned as well. Like you, I opted to complete it.

The Turnout by Megan Abbott

Amazon: With their long necks and matching buns and pink tights, Dara and Marie Durant have been dancers since they can remember. Growing up, they were homeschooled and trained by their glamorous mother, founder of the Durant School of Dance. After their parents' death in a tragic accident nearly a dozen years ago, the sisters began running the school together, along with Charlie, Dara's husband and once their mother's prized student.
Marie, warm and soft, teaches the younger students; Dara, with her precision, trains the older ones; and Charlie, sidelined from dancing after years of injuries, rules over the back office. Circling around one another, the three have perfected a dance, six days a week, that keeps the studio thriving. But when a suspicious accident occurs, just at the onset of the school's annual performance of The Nutcracker—a season of competition, anxiety, and exhilaration—an interloper arrives and threatens the sisters' delicate balance.

There are few authors that Kay (RidgewayGirl) and I agree on and Megan Abbott is one. I was thrilled when she slipped this one into my hands and said “It's very twisty.” Well, yes, yes it is! I did enjoy it, I took ballet as a girl so there are all those memories. The descriptions of the dancer's feet and toes and aches and pains made me glad I got out before pointe shoes. Abbott writes the “bad guy” so very well, my skin crawled many, many times. I was disappointed at the way one of the main characters ended up but that seems to be a pattern with me. It's like the kiss of death if I find myself liking a character, they lose the bet, lose the game, lose the girl, get maimed or even die, etc, etc. Very good psychological thriller. I need to catch up on the Abbott’s I’ve missed.

>26 thornton37814: Hi Lori! Yes I found myself sighing as I looked at the next four books on my TBR. At least they are smaller in page count.

>27 VictoriaPL: I'm glad you liked it! We have to agree sometimes!

>27 VictoriaPL: "I need to catch up on the Abbott’s I’ve missed."

Me too! Kay is very good shot with a BB. I've only read one but I keep reading good things about The Turnout and then I realized I've missed a few of Abbott's books. Just reading your thoughts about dancer's feet brought back memories of the aches and pains I suffered too.

>29 RidgewayGirl: that is true.

>30 VivienneR: when you next choose an Abbott I encourage you to pick this one, as your dance experience will make the experience even better.

More books.

The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa
Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar
The Traitor by V.S. Alexander
Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
The Nazi’s Wife by Peter Watson
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Mischling by Affinity Konar

>32 VictoriaPL: Mr. K's?

> some, a few by mail. D came in from the mailbox and said “Merry Christmas!” 😊

Interesting haul - I look forward to your reading and reporting on them.

>32 VictoriaPL: The only one I've read is The Night Watch which I enjoyed, but not as much as the same author's Fingersmith.

>35 DeltaQueen50: I’ll do my best!

>36 pamelad: I’m glad you enjoyed it. I have not read Fingersmith.

Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox
Moshui: The Books of Stone and Water Book 1

A coup forces boy emperor, Chien Hua, to retreat to the source of his jade - the small island of Taishu. Jade can only be possessed by the emperor himself due to its inherent properties. It has always been transported, protected and controlled, by wealthy jade masters but with the emperor so close at hand, why shouldn't the miner clans profit from the transaction themselves?
Li Ton, captain of the pirate ship Shalla, has just put all the monks of The Forge to the sword. He's never believed the tales that they ensorcelled a dragon beneath the harbor with their power but he does think their prayers to the old gods keep the fishermen and tradesmen safe. A protection he wants removed, his cargo bays all the better for it.
General Tunghai Wang has all his soldiers in place, ready to cross the harbor, ready to face the emperor and take the jade throne. All that remains is the boat crossing.
And then there's the dragon. She is real, powerful and angry…and free.

I can't recall exactly what brought me to Daniel Fox, it might have been an LT or Amazon recommendation. Chinese fantasy is not something I’ve read before and I wasn't sure what to expect. The world building is lovely, so packed and concise and the language witty and unexpectedly lyrical at times. Will definitely read book two.

First was the perfume in the tea, he could simply sit here and sniff. That too was fragile and beautiful, floral and tender and unexpectedly refreshing. When at last he sipped, his mouth filled with an effusion of light and heat and water, the whole history of growth from the earth through root and branch to the budding leaf…
He laid down his cup- tiny, he'd thought, but the tea was so immense

>32 VictoriaPL: Nice haul!

>33 RidgewayGirl: I didn't realize there were more Mr. K's! I knew about the one in Johnson City. Just discovered they have several more locations. I'm excited about the other three because they are all cities I visit from time to time!

>39 thornton37814: thanks!

>39 thornton37814: The Greenville location is five minutes from my house, so every time that Victoria mentions she's been, it burrows into my brain and a few days later, I find myself standing in the store.

>41 RidgewayGirl: I should get a cut of your orders! 😂

>41 RidgewayGirl: I guess you'll be heading there this week.

The Secret Life of Lobsters by Trevor Corson

There is a hunchback locust lobster and a regal slipper lobster. There are marbled mitten lobsters, velvet fan lobsters, and even a musical furry lobster. The unicorn and buffalo blunt-horn lobsters inspire admiration; the African spear lobster; the Arabian whip lobster; and the rough Spanish lobster demand respect. Nowhere in the world, however, is the sea floor as densely populated with lobsters as in the Gulf of Maine.

The Secret Life of Lobsters is about the marine scientists and lobstermen of the Cranberry Islands of Maine as much as it is about the crustacean. The author worked on a lobster boat for several years and his enthusiasm about the subject is apparent. I’d like to meet some of the people written about in these pages.
I took a few marine biology classes in school and so with that background, I did find the book interesting. I'm not sure the lay person with only a little curiosity could withstand chapter after chapter of experiments and minutiae. I found the pace lagging at times. I did learn a lot and I’m glad that I read it. No doubt, I will remember eggers and notchers, claw holding and face peeing for a long time to come.
If I was going to recommend a Corson book to you though, I would suggest The Zen of Fish, which is about sushi. That was a five-star read for me.

>44 VictoriaPL: - I read this about 7 years ago and gave it 4 stars so I must have liked the minutiae well enough.

>45 dudes22: Hi Betty. oh, maybe I was too harsh then. The second or third chapter on the superlobster larvae or the minimum/maximum size limit changes just took me out and I was like — this again??
I'm glad you enjoyed it too!

>46 VictoriaPL: - At the beginning of my sojourn here on LT, I was afraid of rating things too low - after all - I've never written a book so who am I too judge?
So maybe I I gave it more than I should have. Hard to know with non-fiction.

>44 VictoriaPL: Now I want to make a trip to New England to find a decent lobster roll. I loved the one at the Choate Pub in Ipswich back in 2008, I believe. If that is the same as Choate Bridge Pub, it doesn't appear on their menu now. One of the things that made it stand out was that the roll was toasted. I suspect the bread was homemade.

>47 dudes22: true.
>48 thornton37814: Bucket list item for me, Lori!

>48 thornton37814: The best lobster roll I've ever tasted was in Boston at Row 34.

RidgewayGirl and I made the short trip to Greenville's sister city, Spartanburg, to visit Hub City books. While Kay did such a masterful browse of the shelves, I was trying appear uninterested in the bookstore cat so that she would come say hello (which she did). I picked up one writing book in honor of NaNoWriMo, which is fast approaching!



How to Write A Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America edited by Lee Child

>51 VictoriaPL: You and Kay have way too much fun! I really need to come up with some diversions for our upcoming fall break. Since it is the middle of "leaf season," there really aren't many safe things to do around here during the midst of a pandemic. Since it is also Columbus Day weekend, it's not a good weekend to be traveling--even if there were affordable lodging within "long weekend" driving distance. I'm trying to come up with a few options to get me out of the house for a few hours each day but still get to spend time with the cats.

>52 thornton37814: Are you in Morristown, Lori? We always enjoyed Panther Creek State Park when we lived there. Maybe pack a small picnic, blanket and book and just be outside for a few hours under a tree?

>52 thornton37814: Lori, I'm so grateful that Victoria is just a short drive away.

>54 RidgewayGirl: I am also very grateful that we live close and that we took a chance on being IRL friends. 😊

>54 RidgewayGirl: >55 VictoriaPL: Awwww!

>14 VictoriaPL: Adding this to The List. Sounds like so much fun!

>57 Crazymamie: good to see you here. Hope you enjoy it!

The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa translated by Nick Caistor

Amazon: Berlin, 1939. Before everything changed, Hannah Rosenthal lived a charmed life. But now the streets of Berlin are draped in ominous flags; her family’s fine possessions are hauled away; and they are no longer welcome in the places they once considered home. A glimmer of hope appears in the shape of the St. Louis, a transatlantic ocean liner promising Jews safe passage to Cuba. At first, the liner feels like a luxury, but as they travel, the circumstances of war change, and the ship that was to be their salvation seems likely to become their doom.
New York, 2014. On her twelfth birthday, Anna Rosen receives a mysterious package from an unknown relative in Cuba, her great-aunt Hannah. Its contents inspire Anna and her mother to travel to Havana to learn the truth about their family’s mysterious and tragic past.

I am not fond of dual-timeline books but it they are everywhere in the WWII genre and so I do read one here and there. I was curious to read this one as it was partially based in Cuba and I did not know anything about the WWII experience there. Long story short, I didn't like any of it. Not Hannah's story, not Anna's story and it was only slightly better once they met. I never felt connected to either woman and I didn't like or even empathize with them. I didn't like the writing style either but perhaps that was due to it being a translated work. Still, I learned about the (real life) St. Louis, which reminded me of Munich Signature which had a refugee ship that was turned away from New York. I vastly preferred that book to this one.

>59 VictoriaPL: I don't understand why so many people are "over-using" the dual timeline. I don't like them either.

>59 VictoriaPL: & >60 thornton37814: Dual time lines appear to be the "in" thing right now. I find them very hit or miss.

>61 DeltaQueen50: Mostly miss IMHO!

>62 thornton37814: agreed.

I need to review my LTER book! Be back soonish.

>60 thornton37814: I feel much the same. Sometimes I have to read a paragraph or two before I know what timeline I'm in!

Dune by Frank Herbert

I've read Dune many times but it's been a few years. I was surprised by how much I remembered and how much I had forgotten. I guess classics can be like that. It' s a comfort read for me and I've realized that I need to re-visit old “friends” more. Tonight is a re-watch of the 1984 Lynch version. Tomorrow we see the new 2021 film. (No, we don't speak of the SyFy Channel's 2000 miniseries, we pretend it never happened). 😊

>65 VictoriaPL: Ugh. I'm going to have to watch the new movie, aren't I? Dirk was disappointed to see that it's on HBOMax because he wanted to go see it with you and David.

>66 RidgewayGirl: Will popcorn help? We will be happy to wait for Dirk, just say when!

>65 VictoriaPL: Have never read Dune, although it's a classic. Will put it on my WL.

I read Dune for the first time last year and was surprised by how much I loved it. It's one of my husband's favorite books, and he had been trying to get all of us to read it for years. The son and I finally succumbed and were delighted to find it so good.

>68 Tess_W: oh, you must read Dune!

>69 Crazymamie: there is that moment during every re-read where I think to myself “it is really good!”

The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water
By Erin Bartels
LT Early Reviewers program

Kendra Brennan's first novel did well, it's even in the process of being translated, but a letter signed by A Very Disappointed Reader has planted doubt in her mind. Unable to focus on her second novel, Kendra returns to her grandfather's cabin on Hidden Lake, the place she spent childhood summers and first discovered her love of storytelling. Memories of the lake are not all pleasant though and things hinted at in the letter cause Kendra to believe the writer is a bit of unfinished business from her past. Can Kendra make peace and move forward?

There is something very satisfying about a small, intimate story which allows you to really focus on the character relationships. Kendra's growing-up years had many troubled spots, which her young mind did not fully understand. Her return as an adult lets her review her relationships with fresh perspective. I really enjoyed the way Kendra examined the people who were such a part of her formative years and really tried to understand things from their point of view. I liked Kendra's search to reconnect with her craft when her world is being upended and also sorted out, all at the same time. I loved the character of Andreas, the translator.
Will read more by Bertels.

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley

Amazon: Matt Beaulieu has loved Elle McClure since he was two years old. Now married and expecting a child, Elle suffers a fatal accident. To keep the baby alive, Matt goes against his wife’s wishes and keeps her on life support. But Matt’s mother thinks that Elle should be euthanized, and she’s ready to fight for what she believes is the right thing.
A stunning, compassionate examination of one of the most intricate ethical issues of our time, The Promise of Stardust, will stay with you, long after the last page has been read.

I was going to say that I don't really read fiction with moral/ethical plots to them but i have the entire Jodi Picoult backlist, so who am I kidding? This book made me cry and I don't cry for books. Movies, yes. I sob like a fool over soppy celluloid but not books. Sibley did a great job of making Elle, who was essentially dead at the beginning, live, breathe and interact with everyone throughout the tale. You feel as though you know her. I liked all the various interactions between the families. Family drama is so hard and this book really makes you feel the angst. I can't believe this is a debut novel. I hope she produces another work soon, 'cause I intend to read it!

>72 VictoriaPL: - Well - I wasn't thinking I'd take a BB for this even though I too have read all (or almost all) of Jodi Picoult's books. But I think I will. Love a good debut novel.

>73 dudes22: me too! Let me know what you think of it!

>74 VictoriaPL: - Might be at least next year before I get to it.

>75 dudes22: completely relate

The Last Wish The bestselling novel which inspired The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

“Evil is evil, Stregobor” said the Witcher seriously as he got up. “Lesser, greater, meddling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I’m to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all. Time for me to go.”

These are the stories that inspired the episodes from season one of the Netflix series The Witcher. There are some which were not included in the series but all in all, it’s pretty recognizable as the source material. I loved that he includes many “fairy tale” favorites in here but reworked “Witcher style”. There's Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and others. Even though Geralt claims evil is evil we see him time and time again prove that evil isn't necessarily evil, there must be discernment and he has the education and experience to do that. He looks behind appearances for truth. I really enjoyed my time with these stories and will likely read the next book at some point.

I likely won't be here much this month as I am doing NaNoWriMo with RidgewayGirl. Last year was a bust for both of us but we continue to press on!

>78 VictoriaPL: Wishing you both the best!

>78 VictoriaPL: Good luck with it! I failed miserably the one time I tried a Camp NaNo (where my goal was something really measly like 6K!), so have never even attempted the full NaNo.

>79 thornton37814: thanks Lori!
>80 Jackie_K: thanks Jackie! I have “won” NaNo three times but that's been several years ago. Maybe some year you'll give it a go with Kay and me!

>78 VictoriaPL: Good luck with that!

>83 VictoriaPL: Thanks! We're trying. We had a successful write-in on Wednesday and another today. Which, of course, is more about hanging out, eating, discussing what we're reading and our cats and then, MAYBE, some writing. LOL

>83 VictoriaPL: I hope you and Kay enjoy your NaNo month!

>84 DeltaQueen50: thanks Judy!

>83 VictoriaPL: The cat discussions are always important. I attended a one hour genealogy discussion yesterday afternoon, but I was cross-stitching the entire time I was listening to it.

The Choices We Make by Karma Brown

Amazon: Best friends Hannah and Kate have been inseparable almost all of their lives. While they're close as sisters, Hannah can't help but feel envious of the little family Kate and her husband, David, have created—complete with two perfect little girls. She and Ben have been trying for years to have a baby, so when they receive the news that she will likely never get pregnant, Hannah's heartbreak is overwhelming. They begin to tentatively explore the other options, and Kate offers to be Hannah's surrogate. But as these two families embark on an incredible journey toward parenthood, a devastating tragedy puts everything at risk of falling apart.

This novel was recommended to me after finishing A Promise of Stardust and though they are similar, they are very different too. Once again, the story navigates the tricky waters of when a mother's medical needs differ from the baby that she is carrying. Whereas Stardust was a man grieving his wife and trying to save his child, Choices is a surrogacy - so the husband is doing the best for his wife, while his best friends are fighting for their baby's care. It wrecks havoc on the relationship. There are so many feelings. Grief for the mother, despair at the tension in the friendship and fear of losing the child. Both books were interesting and thought provoking but I liked Stardust better.

RidgewayGirl and I had a write-in today for our NaNoWriMo projects.We're right at the 20k mark.
Then we went downtown to our local independent bookstore, M. Judson, for Cocktails and Conversation with Wiley Cash. He's on tour for his latest book When Ghosts Come Home. He is such a funny guy and I enjoyed watching him charm the room, make endless jests at Nicholas Sparks and genuinely answer questions about his craft and what it means to be a Southern writer. What a fun night.

Sounds like a perfect day and night for a couple of book-lovers!

>88 VictoriaPL: - That sounds like so much fun!

>89 DeltaQueen50:, >90 dudes22: if you ever get the opportunity to meet Wiley, I highly recommend it. If there's cocktails, all the better.

>88 VictoriaPL: That was fun! I was glad to finally meet the author of The Notebook!

>92 RidgewayGirl: LOL. He sure got some mileage out of that one.

I'm still alive! LOL.
I'm at 47K words with tonight and tomorrow to make it to 50K words for NaNoWriMo. Even with work, I think I will make it. NaNo has taken quite a bit of my free time so I haven't read much this month. But I have finished a book!



Dune: The Lady of Caladan by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson
Caladan Triology book 2, Dune Chronology book 11.

I picked this up off the "new books" shelf at one of our local library branches. I probably should have read book 1 of the trilogy first but hey, I was fresh off the movie and got all excited, LOL.
This story takes place one year before the events of Dune to give you an idea. Jessica is not on Caladan, having been summoned back to the Bene Gesserit home world. She and Leto have had a falling out. Leto is at court trying to win the Emperor's favor for House Atreides. And 14 year old Paul is standing in for his father, playing Duke for two months with the help of Gurney, Duncan, Thufir and Yueh.
I really enjoyed this one. The original Dune is so immersive with it's world (universe) building. This made it feel even so much bigger. I really enjoyed fleshing out these planets even more. I still think that Paul (and Feyd) are written too old for their actual ages. But perhaps with so much passage of time, humanity has evolved further than we are now. I did not like how it just ended. I know there's a book three but at least try to break it in a good spot. I felt like my nose was cut off, the ending was so abrupt.

Congrats!

>94 VictoriaPL: Woohoo, congrats on NaNoWriMo!

>95 thornton37814:, >96 christina_reads: not there yet! I have 1600 words to do before Midnight. If only I didn’t have this thing call a J-O-B. 😊

Only 1600? You've got this!

Ok, now I’ve officially crossed the finish line! 50,093 words. Whoop Whoop!

>99 VictoriaPL: Congrats!

Wow! That's a great accomplishment.

That's great. I'm not sure I'd even bother to try.

>100 thornton37814:, >101 clue:, >102 dudes22: thanks!

Congratulations on completing your goal for NaNoWriMonth!

>104 DeltaQueen50: thank you! Now I can focus on my 2022 challenge! 😊

Congrats on winning!!! :)

>106 christina_reads: thanks!

>99 VictoriaPL: Congratulations! Now you deserve some R & R (Rest and Read).

>99 VictoriaPL: Brilliant, well done!

>108 VivienneR:, >109 Jackie_K: thanks!
I am jumping back in with my LTER book. I have to get that one reviewed, LOL

Awesome work on NaNo!

>99 VictoriaPL: What an achievement! Congrats!

>99 VictoriaPL: well done, that is impressive.

>99 VictoriaPL: Good on you for finishing!

Having a visit before the year ends. I've been really bad about visiting LT threads this year.
>59 VictoriaPL: Oh dear, I was hoping that The German Girl would be a good one. I've got it on my tbr pile, will give it a whorl and see how I like it. The Cuba story turns up in my husband's family history a couple of times.

>5 VictoriaPL: I have The Plum Tree ready to read early next year.

>14 VictoriaPL: I added Monkeewrench to my 'to read' list.

Hi Victoria! It's almost Christmas, and yet this is my first visit to your threads. I expected several book bullets and was not disappointed: 7 interesting books have made their way to my BB list! I wish you happy reading and a cozy Christmas time. :)

>112 MissWatson:, >113 Helenliz:, >114 pamelad: Thanks so much!

>115 avatiakh: >116 Chrischi_HH: Oh Yay! Book bullets! That makes me so happy.

Thank you all for visiting!
I apologize for being gone from the 2021CC for awhile. I have literally been traveling last weekend AND the weekend before, celebrating my birthday with family and friends. I have gotten a little bit of reading done and I've also bought a few books so I'll post those now.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin
LT Early Reviewer Program

Even though she was never considered one of the best, Lucie loved dancing with the Opera Ballet. Competition in Paris was fierce, especially as the better positions were given to the native French dancers. But even before the Nazis came, Lucie could see the handwriting on the wall. Taking custody of Green Leaf bookstore from her Jewish friends was one of the scariest and also most exciting things she had ever done. Well, that is, before she was asked to be a letter drop for the Resistance. Now Lucie knows what exciting and scary really are.
Paul Aubrey had always taken pride in the production of fine automobiles at his family's factory. Now that manufacturing has been overtaken by the German military, and the death of his wife has made him a single father, Paul feels like he has little control over anything anymore. He wants to help his workers slow down the fleet of trucks coming off the line but he can't be caught, or who will raise his daughter, Josie?
Pushed together by the whirlwind of war, two Americans try their best to live their lives, stay true to their faith, and undermine the Germans as well as they can. The question is, can they risk making room in their lives for each other?

This book was sent to me by the LT Early Reviewer program and it's right up my alley. Yes, I read both Christian Fiction and WWII Historical Fiction and this book is well-balanced between those two genres. I liked these two characters, both separately and together. If the book had been about either one of them by themselves, I would still have enjoyed the story. That the book was about both was just icing on the cake. I would read more by this author.

The Arctic Fury by Greer MacAllister
Virginia Reeve is a woman with a hidden past known to very few people. Lady Jane Franklin believes she's the kind of woman necessary to succeed in finding what has become of her husband and his expedition in the North. Four previous hunting parties have failed, four parties of men, that is. So Virginia takes her own expedition of women off into the ice and snow, their lives in her hands. Will they succeed? Will they come back alive?

This book was told in alternating chapters between the past and the present. Usually that annoys me but it did not here. I really, really enjoyed it. I read nearly 200 pages in the first session and I haven't done that in quite a long time. I have a fondness for expedition tales: Admiral Byrd, Apsley Cherry-Garrard, to name few. Was this like those? No, those were true and this is fiction but this book gave me that same feeling. I love reading "cold" books in winter, especially as our winters here are so mild. I will definitely read more by this author.

I've been blessed to have met up with Lori thornton37814 and Kay RidgewayGirl in the past few weeks, those were lovely dinners. Books friends truly are kindred spirits. I appreciate all of you here in the Category Challenge and I wish you the very best during the holidays! I'm excited about spending the year ahead with you!

On Saturday I had such a wonderful time browsing the Mt Yonah Book Exchange in Georgia. It's mostly used inventory, very little new stock. They had a lovely bookstore cat named Daisy. She was very hands-on, LOL.
The owner was just the most charming lady named Ellen. We talked for such a long time, swapping author stories and favorite author names. She really wanted to know what I liked to read and wanted to find books for me. Even though she didn't have many that were on my radar, she suggested others that I might like and then she left me alone to browse. I will definitely visit her again.

A very random haul:

Girls Like Us by Cristina Alger
Between the Tides by Patti Callahan Henry
Love in a Time of War by Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes
All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson
Tarnished Blue by William Heffernan
Sir Stalwart by Dave Duncan

Awww bookstore cat! Adorable :)

Happy birthday and glad you had safe travels. Excellent meet-ups! That sounds like a very good book shop find. And who can resist a bookstore cat?

>123 Helenliz: thanks!

>BB for me, that sounds really good. My library has it so I put in my list of next year's books!

>125 clue: Maybe the three of us can read it together and compare?

Sure, that's fine with me.

Interesting book haul, Victoria. I have heard nothing but praise for The Arctic Fury, sounds like a book that I need to look into.

Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History by Bill O'Reilly

Amazon: Killing the SS is the epic saga of the espionage and daring waged by self-styled "Nazi hunters." This determined and disparate group included a French husband and wife team, an American lawyer who served in the army on D-Day, a German prosecutor who had signed an oath to the Nazi Party, Israeli Mossad agents, and a death camp survivor. Over decades, these men and women scoured the world, tracking down the SS fugitives and bringing them to justice, which often meant death.
Written in the fast-paced style of the Killing series, Killing the SS will educate and stun the reader.

I have not read much about Nazi-hunting but I ran across a series on The History Channel called Hunting Hitler that got me interested in the people who do it. I have one or two more books of this nature on my TBR and wanted to knock one out this year.
It was very educational. It made me angry that instead of bringing forth these individuals for the world, many nations (including Israel!) secreted them away for their own purposes. An interesting read.

>129 VictoriaPL: - Someone in my husband's walking group just read this and liked it a lot and I guess they've been talking about it and my husband is planning to read soon.

>130 dudes22: i love the conversations held while walking. :)

Paris in Disguise in Richard Wake
Alex Kovacs book 5

Amazon: Paris is cold and hungry. The Germans are in the fourth year of their occupation, and while a Resistance movement flourishes, it is small and perilous beyond belief. The lives of Resistance radio operators can be measured in weeks, not months — such is the mortal danger. But are they being caught by Nazi efficiency or by betrayal?Alex Kovacs is a part of one of those Resistance cells, a jack-of-all-covert-trades, sometimes a courier of information, other times a guide for new agents, always a committed member of the Resistance movement whose eyes are nonetheless open to its flaws. When several of his fellow agents are caught in rapid succession by the Germans, concern grows that there is a traitor within the cell. And when an outlandish plan to unmask the traitor is proposed, Alex agrees to take on a new identity and a grand lifestyle in order to infiltrate the highest levels of the Gestapo’s murderous operation.

I always seem to start a series in the middle! Found this used and brought it home. Had no idea it was part of a series but really enjoyed it. Might read more in the series but I do have SO MUCH other WWII books to read. :)

And that concludes my 2021 reading!
I've really enjoyed the camaraderie here in the Category Challenge, as always.
My 2022 thread is here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/337180#n7693109

Finishing out the year with a WWII book is perfectly in character! See you next year!