Top Ten Tuesday: Get a Job!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books With Occupations in the Title (Submitted by Hopewell’s Public Library of Life)

The Postmistress by Alison Stuart - A young woman moves to a small country town in Victoria in the 1870s and starts working as the postmistress. (My review)

The Map Maker's Promise by Catherine Law - This is a WWII novel which follows a woman whose top secret job is to update the maps with new information following bombing runs. (My review)

The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy - I'm pretty sure I could find a lot of baker titles, but I am going to limit to just two. This one is one of the earliest WWII novels that is like the novels you would expect to read today. (My review)

The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller - I read this a couple of years ago as part of Cook the Books. (My review)

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin - I really enjoyed this WWII novel which is set in both Portugal and France. (My review)

The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley - It was only when I read this book that I found out that The King's Messenger is a very specific role, and it still exists. (My review)

The Jam Maker by Mary-Lou Stephens - I have really enjoyed all of Mary-Lou Stephens historical fiction foodie novels set in Tasmania (My review)

The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner - This is another WWII novel where a dancer becomes caught up in resistance activities. (My review)

The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain - What happens when the president leaves his hat in a Paris restaurant. Quite a lot actually. (My review)

The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai - The food detective help bring the memories of past meals back to life. (My review)

Blog Tour: The Girl from the War Room by Catherine Law

Cassie Marsh is a woman who is good at keeping secrets. There are the secrets that she needs to keep due to her work in the War Room during WWII, there are the family secrets which have devastated her, and then there is her own secret that is kept locked tight in her heart.

We first meet Cassie and her family in the summer of 1936. Cassie, her parents and her brother Gerard have headed to Greenaways, the family country house. There, she will spend the summer with her aunt and uncle and her cousins, Marianne and Oliver, playing tennis, reading, walking nearby Dartmoor and just generally having a lovely time. Except this year, one of Oliver’s friends, Luke, is there which kind of disrupts the balance.

When Cassie overhears her mother and aunt talking about a big secret, she is perturbed, but it is only later when she discovers another shocking family secret that her equilibrium is truly rocked.

What we as readers know is that it isn’t going to be long before that idyllic country house life is going to be disturbed even more with the onset of the war. Cassie finds herself working as a typist in the War Rooms, deep under the ground in very heart of London. Unable to face the thought of living in her family’s London home, she is lodging with Luke, although there are lot of times when she finds herself catching any sleep she can in the dormitories in the underground bunker

As the war progresses, we see Cassie move from her initial role, to working in the map room, helping the powers that be keep track of the German bombing raids. However, with her knowledge of German, eventually she moves away from London to a coastal area where she is listening into the enemy’s communications and translating them.

From the title, you would expect that this book would be focused on Cassie’s work. While it is definitely an important part of the novel, really the focus is on the family dramas, the devastating impact of secrets when they are revealed and the way that war and tragedy can affect a family.

This is my second book by Catherine Law, and once again I enjoyed her work. Unlike the previous book this one is not a dual timeline as such. It does cover a few years but there is no modern storyline taking up page space. 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted here. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4/5

The Girl from the War Room

Through the trees in St James's Park she spotted the white facades of the Whitehall offices, and her stomach contracted. But it wasn’t nerves. Fortitude, yes, and a kind of hell-bent willingness. An understanding of the importance of her work; to do something, however small, to help. A privilege.

1941: A world away from idyllic childhood summers spent in Devon, Cassie Marsh steps through the sandbagged entrance to the War Room, determined to do her part for the war effort.

The air crackling with tension, the urgency of whispered conversations, the weight of secrets – nothing in her quiet upbringing has prepared her for this. Here, women like her are expected to work tirelessly, remain composed, even as their homes – and lives – are devastated by the Blitz.

But Cassie’s heart is already divided between love and duty. She dreams of rich summers at Greenaways from a lifetime ago, before her world was torn apart. She dreams of one person… the one she cannot – but must – forget.

And as her family begs her to return to safety, to the soothing, reassuring walls of the country house, Cassie must decide where her heart really lies. In times of war, can you ever afford to question your loyalty?

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/WarRoom

About the Author 

Catherine Law is the author of several historical novels set in the first half of the 20th century, in and around the First and Second World Wars. Her stories are inspired by the tales our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers tell us, and the secrets they keep. She lives ten minutes from the sea in Margate, Kent.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @catherinelawbooks

Instagram: @catherinelawauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/CatherineLawNews

Bookbub profile: @lawcatherine

This week....

I'm reading

After last week's post where I lamented the challenges I am facing in keeping up with library and blog post due dates in my reading, this week I would like to add one more layer of complexity into the mix. Normally my book club is read upon a theme, but this month we decided that we would follow the more traditional approach of all reading the same book. The book club meeting is on Saturday and no, I haven't even started reading the book yet. I don't think I will get it read in time but we will see. I would like to finish it this month as it will count for Women in Translation month.

I did finish a few books this week. I finished reading The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies. I liked this one and will review it at some point in the near future as a Weekend Cooking post. 

I also finished reading The Florence Sisters by Tessa Harris. This was my first book by this author and I will keep an eye out for me. I plan to review this in a couple of weeks.

I did read The Girl from the War Room by Catherine Law, which I am on a blog tour for this week. I also am due to review The Friendship List by Beth Miller this week. I have started it but still need to finish it.

I also started The Whisky Widow by Karen Brooks which is a library book that is due back and I can't extend. I have read a bit of this and so far really like it. I am not sure why I haven't read Karen Brooks before as I own several of her books.

I did also go to two author events this week. The first was to hear Anne Freeman and Madeleine Cleary talk about Women of Ill Repute. Madeleine Cleary's debut novel is The Butterfly Women and it is set in a brothel in 1850's Melbourne. Anne Freeman's latest book, Me That You See, is about contemporary online sex workers. The conversation was wide ranging and covered topics like what has and hasn't changed for those who make their living in this way. It was really interesting. I reviewed The Butterfly Women here.

The second event was a launch for a book called In the Long Run by Emma Mugglestone which is a romance novel where the characters are members of a running club, which apparently is a great place to meet people these days. It would never have worked for me because I don't think I could run even if I was being chased by lions! Coincidentally, Anne Freeman was the interviewer at this event so I got to meet her twice in just a few days.

The launch was lots of fun! There was a great vibe, great conversation, a cocktail, cake and so much more!

I'm watching

Last week was the final of Masterchef Australia. Now we have to work out what to watch every night! We have Bake Off one night but not sure what else!

We did watch the first episode The Casketeers: Life and Death Around the World. The Casketeers is a show that we have watched previously and it follows a funeral company as they prepare those who have passed for their final farewell. It is very tender and funny, and now the couple visits various places around the world to learn more about the funerary traditions. The first place that they visited was Tonga. It doesn't sound like it would be particularly amusing, but it is funny and compassionate, and ultimately is uplifting TV

Life

We went and had afternoon tea with some friends at the Ritz Carlton in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. The dining area and reception are on the 80th floor, and the views are exceptional! The afternoon tea itself was good, although I was a bit disappointed in the scones. The hit for me were the savoury items, which is a bit unusual for me. Normally I am all about the sweet treats. I'll post more about this soon.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Books I read in August over the last 11 years
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Blog Tour: Will You Stay Another Day? by Samantha Tonge
The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn
Weekend Cooking: The Deadly Dispute by Amanda Hampson
Spell the Month in Books: August


I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

This week....

I'm reading

Well, I guess it was to be expected. I started my new job last week and my reading time took a complete nosedive! Things weren't helped by the fact that I chopped and changed what I was reading so I currently have several books on the go. At the moment I am struggling a little bit to juggle review due dates with library due dates with the books I have left on my 20 Books of Winter list, and with the books I want to read for Aussie August and Women in Translation month. And, of course, then there are the books that I just want to read for the sheer fun of it!

I started reading The Three Juliets by Minnie Darke, which is one of the books I nominated for my 20 Books of Winter list but I had to put it aside to read 100 Years of Betty by Debra Oswald as I realised it was due back at the library and could not be extended.

Another book from my 20 Books of Winter list that I started was The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies. This will also be a post for Weekend Cooking at some in the future, assuming I can get back to it. 

I did read Will You Stay Another Day by Samantha Tonge which I will review this week as part of a blog tour.

I started The Girl from the War Room by Catherine Law which is one of two books due to be reviewed next week for blog tours.

Then I started The Florence Sisters by Tessa Harris, thinking that book would be the next book due back at the library but then two more books came up as non-renewable. I therefore started reading The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida. Fortunately this was the perfect book to read in one sitting on a Sunday afternoon! I really loved it!

I may be putting too much pressure on myself!

I did go to an author event this week! I took a drive up the highway to a town called Ballarat which is just under an hour away. Whilst that sounds like a bit of a drive, it is actually easier to get to than some of the bookstores on the other side of town. This time, I went to hear Chloe Adams and Alli Sinclair talk about their new books. I went to see Chloe Adams last week but this is the first time I had heard Alli Sinclair talk. I have been a fan since I read her book The Codebreakers. Her new book is called A Woman's Voice and it sounds so good! I have a couple of author events this week which I am really looking forward to!

I'm watching


Portugal and Spain are places that are on our bucket list so when I saw that Michael Portillo had a show on Portugal we binge watched all three episodes. The first three shows focussed on Porto, Braga and The Algarve. When there are new episodes we will watch more.

We also started watching Michael Palin in Nigeria. My son is half Nigerian and my husband lived there for a couple of years (before me obviously) and so I was keen to see something about Lagos which is where my ex was from.

I also watched the Netflix movie My Oxford Year, which is based on the book by Julia Whelan, better known as audiobook narrator extraordinaire. I liked the movie, although I was a bit surprised by the melodramatic turn in the story. 

I finally watched the second Fisherman's Friends movie which is called Fisherman's Friends: One and All. I have had it on my list for a few years at least! I really enjoyed this movie, and especially the sea shanty soundtrack.



Life


So far, the new job is great! The people are nice, there are going to be plenty of challenges and opportunities, and I feel like a can make a difference. There is a lot of information overload at this point though! It is a bit of a change after being off work for nearly 10 months, especially on those days when I have to get on the train relatively early! I am sure I will get back into the routine soon enough.

Posts from the last week


20 Books of Winter - July 
Top Ten Tuesday: Sports Romances
Blog Tour: A Place in the Sun by Jo Thomas
Blog Tour: One Snowy Day by Shari Low
Blog Tour: Waves of Change in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen
Afternoon Tea Diaries: The Tea Rooms
The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: July statistics

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

This week....I mean month..

I'm reading

Well....I was intending to keep on doing these weekly posts while I was on holidays, but it turns out I was too busy having a great time, so I have missed the last three weeks, but I am back now.

I don't normally read much while I am on holidays but this time I managed to read quite a lot, mainly because we weren't doing all that much driving. We used a lot of public transport, and we were on a coach for the best part of a week.

Since the last time I posted I finished reading The Mapmaker's Promise by Catherine Law which I really enjoyed and which I reviewed here.

I then read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. No, I can't believe I have never read it before either! This is the current selection for Cook the Books so I will be sharing my review once I have figured out what I am going to cook to go with the post.

Next up was Look What You Made Me Do by Amy Andrews which I reviewed here.

I then read The Start of the Story by Jane Lovering. The book itself is set on the moors, I was reading it while we were driving through Scotland and it felt like a really timely read. 

From the moors, my reading then took me to France where I read A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet. My review for this and the previous book will be up shortly.

Still in France, I then decided to read something just for fun and so I chose The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain.

In the last post I talked about a collection of short stories that I had read a couple of while on the first plane trip of our holiday. I read another one of those on the last plane trip. This time it was Amelia's Shadow by Marie Benedict.

Finally, I started Written in the Stars by Helen Rolfe, which I finished today. 

Last night I started reading The Before Life of Eliza Valentine by Laura Pearson. So far I love this book! As in really love it. Hopefully it will continue to be amazing.


I'm watching

After watching quite a lot on our first flight I didn't watch much at all on the next four flight. On the last flight we couldn't watch anything anyway given that the entertainment system wasn't working. The same thing happened when we had an overnight flight from Singapore last year too.

The one movie I did watch was Bernadette, which is called The President's Wife for it's English release. It's the story of Bernadette Chirac, wife of the French President, Jacques Chirac from 1995-2007. It was a movie that I wanted to see as part of the French Film Festival but couldn't fit it in so I was very happy to find it available to watch.

Here's the trailer:

Life


Life's pretty good when you are on holidays!!

Posts since last time 


Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Have Read on Holidays
Blog Tour: The Secret Keeper by Renita D'Silva
Weekend Cooking: What We Ate on Holiday - South Africa
Weekend Cooking:What We Ate on Holiday - London
Blog Tour: The Map Maker's Promise by Catherine Law
Weekend Cooking: What We Ate on Holiday - Scotland
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - September links
Blog Tour: Look What You Made Me Do by Amy Andrews
Weekend Cooking: What We Ate on Holiday - Scotland/Hong Kong

Six Degrees of Separation: After Story to The Stolen Hours




I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I have read while on holidays

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Planes, Trains & Automobiles/Books Featuring Travel (books whose plots involve travel or feature modes of transportation on the cover/title) (submitted by Cathy @ What Cathy Read Next)

Oooops. I did holiday vibes post last week. Probably should have looked ahead a bit before choosing that topic. So what am I going to do instead? How about books I have read on holidays, including on planes! 

I am currently on holidays in South Africa, so here is a pic of the book I was finishing off today sitting outside at our lodge, looking out at the pool and the bush.

The Map Maker's Promise by Catherine Law - This is the book I was reading in the picture above.

Champagne Widows by Rebecca Rosenberg  - I read this on the plane home from Queensland

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr  - I read this on the way to Tassie a couple of years ago.

Escape to Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen - I read on the way to Broome

The Language of Love by Annabel Abbs - I read this during an Easter road trip down the Great Ocean Road

Homecoming by Yaa Gyasi - I read this while I was on holiday in South Africa last time

Just One Wish by Rachael Johns - I read this book on my way to my wedding in Vanuatu

The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary - According to my blog I read this on a plane to somewhere

Barriers to Entry by Ariel Lawhon - I read a few short stories on my flight this week, and this was one of them.

Come Fly With Me by Helen Rolfe - I couldn't not include this book which is about a helicopter pilot in an emergency response team

Do you read much while you are on holidays

This week

I'm reading

We have a great life in Australia. One of the less positive things is that it takes a long time to get anywhere, but of course you can find some silver linings if you look hard enough. For example, this week we had around 20 hours of travel time which means I got a few stories read and watched a couple of things.

While we were on the plane, I finished reading The Secret Keeper by Renita D'Silva and then I read a few short stories. I will post my review for The Secret Keeper next week.

I was introduced to a historical fiction short story collection which is being published as a collection called Blaze by The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog. It is spotlighting interesting stories about women. So far I have read Barriers to Entry by Ariel Lawhon and The Forgotten Chapter by Pam Jenoff. I have had Lawhon on my radar for a long time but never actually read her. I will definitely read more. And I have read Pam Jenoff but it has been many, many years. I have some more long flights in my future so I will probably read more.

The other short story I read was by a new to me Scottish author, Stuart MacBride. The story was called The Tasting Menu. I don't read a lot of crime these days, so this was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I picked it up as part of the Amazon First Reads. If I had to pick a word to describe it, it would probably be gruesome.

Finally I started read The Map Maker's Secret by Catherine Law, which is another book predominantly set in Scotland. So far I am enjoying it a lot.


I'm watching

Before we left home, we were still watching a lot of Olympics, and that has continue since we arrived, except now we have to cheer for Australia, South Africa and the Netherlands.

On the plane there were a number of things on offer that I would like to watch. First up I watched a French/Japanese movie called Umami which stars Gerard areu. It is about a French chef who nearly dies and decides on a whim to go to Japan in search of the mysterious qualities of umami. It wasn't bad.

The next movie I watched was called Just One Small Favour. This is a Spanish comedy where a dysfunctional family is called to their summer home when the maid dies, and suddenly lots of secrets are being revealed. It was a bit of fun.

The final thing I watched was a cooking series called Simple Spices by British chef Nadiya Hussain. I have enjoyed a few of her books and series, and this was really good as well. I am not sure this is on in Australia so it was a bit of a find, and there are definitely 

Life

Can you tell I didn't get much sleep on the flight? We are here for my parents-in-laws 60th wedding anniversary, but on Friday we did a walking tour of Soweto which was very interesting, and now we are at a game lodge where we have been on a game drive so far and this morning a massage. The place we are staying is really 1beautiful, with this lovely pool. I am not sure it is quite hot enough to get in the pool but we will see

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Holiday Countdown!

Blog Tour: An Island Promise by Kate Frost 

Weekend Cooking: Greek-ish by Georgina Hayden

Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - July statistics

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date