Some Sunny Day by Helen Carey, a Lavender Road novel

It’s 1940, and the women of Lavender Road are trying to cope with bombing, rationing, and other stressful situations as the war continues in the second installment of this appealing six book series but even at the most dangerous times their resilience shines through. Katy Parsons, whose father runs a busy pub, is tired of being treated as an invalid because of her asthma. Now that she is 18, she is applying to be a nurse. 

Northern Spy by Flynn Berry

One day, Tessa, a producer for a weekly political radio program at the Belfast office of the BBC, looks casually at a nearby television monitor and freezes when she sees her sister Marian:

She is standing with two men outside a petrol station, by a row of fuel pumps. Her ambulance must have been sent out to a call, though for some reason she isn’t wearing her uniform.

“The police are appealing for witnesses after an armed robbery in Templepatrick,” says the closed caption. A ringing starts in my ears. Only Marian’s face is in view of the security camera, the two men are turned away . . . .

Marian has something in her hands. She is leaning down and pulling it toward her. It takes me a moment to understand what I’m watching, as her hair and then her face seem to disappear. When she straightens, she’s wearing a black ski mask.

The Lost Princess by L. Frank Baum - Ozathon24

The eleventh Oz book begins dramatically – Ozma, the lovely and beloved girl ruler, has disappeared! Dorothy sounds the alarm because she knows Ozma would never intentionally cause worry, so she must have been stolen. The Magic Picture, Glinda’s Great Book of Records, and the Wizard’s black bag of magic tools are also missing, preventing anyone from using magic to find Ozma.

The Dead Sea Cipher by Elizabeth Peters, for the #1970Club

In this romantic suspense novel, a young woman on a trip to the Holy Land finds herself in danger and does not know who she can trust or even who her pursuers really are. Dinah Van der Lyn is an aspiring opera singer who is about to get her big break – filling in for a pregnant soprano at a small opera company in Germany. Well, she knows it is more of a little break, so maybe that’s why she is in no hurry to get there. 

A Bargain for Frances by Russell Hoban, for the #1970Club

Frances the Badger is best known for refusing to go to sleep (Bedtime for Frances), being unadventurous about food (Bread and Jam for Frances), disgruntled about her new sibling (A Baby Sister for Frances), exploring friendship (Best Friends for Frances) and upset that it is not her birthday (A Birthday for Frances) but in this book she deals with something familiar to at least some of us – a sneaky friend.

Alhambra by Madeleine Polland, historical fiction for the #1970Club

In this juvenile historical novel by highly-regarded Irish author Madeleine Polland, a young boy who has lost everything clings to his Spanish heritage. Alhambra is my second book for the 1970 Club, hosted by Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings and Stuck in a Book. 

Abigail by Magda Szabó, for the #1970Club

This is an unusual school story set in Hungary during the Second World War, with an ominous political background. It particularly interested me, not only because of my love of school stories but also because I am a quarter Hungarian and have read very little fiction from that country. I chose it for the 1970 Club, which is hosted this week by Simon at Stuck in a Book and Karen at Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings, featuring books published in that year.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

Amy Wheeler is a bodyguard protecting bestselling author Rosie D’Antonio on a remote island in South Carolina. It doesn’t seem like a strenuous assignment for one of Maximum Impact Solutions’ best employees but that’s until her boss, Jeff Nolan, tells her three of their clients have been murdered – when Amy was conveniently nearby.  He's acting as if she's responsible! 

The #1970Club – some books I have enjoyed as recommendations for next week

On Monday, October 14th, Karen and Simon will launch the #1970Club, a week-long celebration of books first published in 1970. It is very entertaining to see what everyone comes up with and when I started to consider what to read, I saw that I had already reviewed some of the best books published that year. Some of these might appeal to anyone still looking for the right book to read this weekend!

My September 2024 Reading

A few books stood out this month, including Radio Girls, about the early days at the BBC, and The Trap, the newest book about Emma Makepeace. I also enjoyed The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher, which follows what seems like a recent trend in senior citizen sleuths but features an appealing heroine who is both vulnerable and resilient. I couldn’t decide if I liked or disliked The Second Lady by Irving Wallace but I couldn’t stop reading! There were also some disappointments.

Lois Lowry

I was pleased to be invited to an event at the Boston Public Library (BPL) last week featuring two-time Newbery Award winner Lois Lowry. All we children’s book fans must have RSVPd at once because first I was on the waiting list, then the evening before I received an email saying there was a seat for me. The event was actually to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the BPL's Writer-in-Residence Program.

Six Degrees of Separation - from Long Island to Patriot Hearts

It’s time for #6degrees, inspired by Kate at Books Are My Favourite and Best. We all start at the same place as other readers, add six books, and see where it ends up. This month’s starting point is Colm Tóibín’s Long Island (2024), which I recently enjoyed (my review).  My book group read Brooklyn, the earlier book about Eilis, and I think we saw the movie together as well.