Weekend Book Friends #19

Posted May 28, 2021 by elzaread in Weekend Book Friends / 30 Comments

Greetings Humans! It’s Friday and my Mommy is at home! Yea for me! But she doesn’t look all that happy about it. One of my Mommy’s Teachers in the special needs section at school, tested positive for Covid and seeing that no-one at school is eligible for a vaccine yet, school is closed until Monday. I really don’t get why she’s upset about it. She can read, she can blog, she can cuddle with me. What’s the problem?

But I understand that humans have very complex emotions and I’ll just sit here with a sweet and sympathetic look on my face. Yes, you do deserve a brand new book, Mommy. Yes, the wine and chocolates are also well deserved.
This is her brand new book and she can’t wait to start reading it later today:

 

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

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 codebreaking 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–and their true enemy–closer… 

 

Let’s pay a visit to a couple of our beloved Weekend Book Friends and share our weekend reads. We will also pay a visit to our new friends for Friendly Fill-Ins. We love making new friends!

Book Beginnings

For our first stop today, we will pay a visit to Gilion over at Rose City Readerto share our Book Beginnings.  Every Friday you can link up and share the first sentence of your current read (or the one you plan to devour over the weekend), as well as your initial thoughts and impressions. Hashtags are the one thing I do know on social media, so simply #bookbeginnings so we can find each other.

We are literally cracking the spine of this one as we type here, so we know as  much as you do:
The enigma arrived in the afternoon post, sealed, smudged and devastating. 
Osla Kendall stood, twenty-six years old, dark haired, dimpled and scowling, in the middle of a tiny Knightsbridge flat that looked as if it had been bombed by Junkers, wearing nothing but a French lace slip and a foul mood as she looked at the piles of silk and satin exploding over every surface.
I’m having difficulty getting my Mommy to remain sitting and finishing her post. She just wants to go read now

The Friday 56

Next we will pay a visit to Freda over at Freda’s voicewho hosts the Friday 56. Don’t show up empty handed though!

  • Grab a book (Yes, any book. But it might get you to your other Friday activities a bit quicker if you just grab the book you are currently reading)
  • Turn to page 56 or 56% on your e-reader
  • Find a sentence or two (your other Friday activities might determine this)
  • Post it!
  • Remember to post your link on Freda’s Voice and to visit the other guys in the linky.
  • And  last but not least, don’t forget to list the title of the book and the author as well.
We’ll just start with the first paragraph on 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 fiancés liked to know, if the woman they loved were being threatened by lunatics. But Osla knew she was not going to tell a soul. A few years at Bletchley Park turned any woman into a real clam.
 
Good grief, it’s difficult to keep her down!

Book Blogger Hop

 

The Book Blogger’s hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. Every week, there will be a prompt featuring a book related question. It’s hosted byRamblings of a coffee addicted writer and I guess he hops around like a bunny due to all the caffeine. Hence his name.

Today’s question: Who is your favorite character of all the books you’ve ever read?
 
I’m going to step back today and let my Mommy decide on this one. If it were up to me, it would have been Dick Wittington’s cat. But you know that already. I believe my Mommy’s favorite character will be the short, egg-shaped head, patent leather shoes wearer, Belgium detective – Hercule Poirot.

Agatha Christie is my Mommy’s go-to author. If all else fails, read a Christie. And yes, she loves both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, but Poirot just a little bit more.

 

Friendly Fill-Ins

We had so much fun joining in the Friendly Fill-Ins last weekend, that we’ve decided to do it again. Okay, I did. So many fellow felines to visit! Friendly Fill-Ins is hosted by 15 and Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs. They come up with a couple of sentences, and then you have to fill in the blanks. I think it’s a great way to get to know each other better as well. This week’s questions:

1. I wish _________ were as _________ as _________.

 
2. My plans this weekend include _________ and _________.
 
3. It’s hard to believe that _________.
 
4. I need _________ in order to _________.

Some questions I will answer, and some my Mommy will, you can figure out who gave which answer. It might not be as easy as you think!

1. I wish dogs were as clever as cats.
2. My plans this weekend include grooming and reading my new book.
3. It’s hard to believe that people can’t wear their poker faces as well as cats. 
4. I need books in order to remain sane
What is your plans for the weekend?  And what is your current read?
Hope you will all have a wonderful weekend and that you have a nice book and a lovely cat to curl up with.
Lots of Love,
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30 responses to “Weekend Book Friends #19

  1. Thank you for sharing this bookish fun! And thank you for joining in on the Friendly Fill-Ins! Cats and books are two of my favorite things, so I find your fill-ins perfect.

    • I'm so glad I stumbled on the Friendly Fill-Ins. It's a lot of fun for sure. Yes, books and cats are my favourite things too!

  2. Ooooh, you're starting Rose Code! I can't wait to see what you think of it.

    I am sorry to hear that school is closed until Monday. While it all sounds good, it is disruptive and unnerving for all involved.

    • That is very true Helen. It's highly disruptive and terribly unnerving to some of us.

      I am enjoying The Rose Code so much, didn't get very far over the weekend. Got a bit distracted with other things. But at least I now have a great book to come home to every night.

  3. Oooh that sounds like such an intense read but also like it will give a great insight into that period in England! And I can't believe I didn't think about Poirot, I adore that little man! Maybe this weekend is a good time for a Poirot rewatch… Thanks for dropping by my post and I hope you have a lovely weekend! Juli @ A Universe in Words

    • Every now and then I say I'm done with WWII books, and then I just pick up the next one. I love history and you always learn something new about our fascinating history.

      Poirot is an easy choice for me. Agatha Christie is my go-to drug, so it was a quick pick!

  4. Sometimes my favorite character is the cat, too. And I’m not even a feline ❤️ I think Hercule Poirot is an excellent choice! I’ll have to add him to my crazy long list of favorites. Oh, to narrow it down. I am in awe!

    • Hi there Cheryl! The Rose Code is sooo good. Not very far yet, but so far, so very, very good.

      You can't go wrong with a Christie. Do give her a try!

  5. Thank you for participating in the fill-ins, great answers. I am with you on #1- cats are the smartest. Sorry your mom isn't eligible for the vaccine yet. I am surprised. In my state, it is available to all 16 and over. Have a nice weekend! XO

    • Hi there! Welcome to Africa! Less than 1% of South Africans have received the vaccine so far. Mostly health care workers and over 60's can start registering. Our mere teachers here at the bottom of the food chain will probably not see a vaccine for months.

      At least I have books and cats. Not that bad to be at home.

  6. The Rose Code sounds good and I agree that Dick Whittington's cat would have been a great answer! Happy reading ?

    • Hi there Louise! Dick Whittington's cat is Elza's go to character. If you search his name in our search bar, you'll see how many times she's used him already. ? Do you have any idea how many bloggers have never heard of Dick Whittington's cat? Shocking! ??

  7. The Rose Code sounds fantastic. I'm always in the mood for WWII fiction. Thanks for sharing! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂

    • Hi Ashley! I've just started with it and it is really good! Think I'm going to enjoy my escape into it.
      I'm always keen for WWII reads.

  8. I'm sorry your coworker has COVID. I hope your teacher friend recovers quickly. I've been eyeing The Rose Code which I have on my TBR too. I hope you enjoy it! I enjoyed the excerpts you shared!

    Hercule Poirot is such a great character. I can see why he's a favorite of yours. 🙂

    That number four of your fill-ins has been especially true for me this week!

    Have a great weekend!

    • My friend is doing okay, we just hope and pray that it will stay like that.

      Poirot is the ultimate go-to. But I wonder what he would say about it! He might not be all that impressed.
      Books are my escape, sometimes I need it more than others. Greatest invention ever!

  9. Poirot is my No. 1 Feel-Good Motivator too. Hope you can pick up some of his books/ BBC drama episodes to cheer yourself up. Stay strong, it is a tough period but you'll get through it. ~Lex

    • Aah Lex, I appreciate your message. It's been a bit rough, but yes – we'll get through it.

      I rewatch Poirot with David Suchet quite often. I need to watch a few Miss Marples again!

      Hope you will have a super awesome weekend.

  10. I'm sorry that you must be off work, Mareli, but I hope that your teacher friend recovers quickly and that no one else gets sick. I'm glad you have a compelling new book to occupy yourself.

    • Hi Debbie, I also hope that she will recover soon. She says she's not as sick as she thought she'd be and that brings some peace of mind.
      I love my new book! So interesting!
      Thanks for all the love, we appreciate it. ♥️