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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated The Incidental Spy in Books

Apr 9, 2019

In the mid 1930's, Lena comes to Chicago in the United States to escape what was happening to Jews in Germany at the time. Quickly she learns English and get a job at the local University in the Physics Department. This is where she meets her husband, Karl. After his tragic death, Lena has to find a way to support herself and her young son. When she meets Hans and agrees to work with him she feels she has no other choice in order to survive and protect her family.

I wasn't sure where this book was going to take me, but I'm glad I was along for the ride. What would you do if you were faced with a situation where either choice seemed like the wrong answer? If I was faced with the same predicament, I can't say that I wouldn't have chosen the same as Lena. If you say no, you could lose your family, if you say yes, you can lose a whole lot more. Lena is brave and stoic in her efforts to keep her and her son alive. She finds help in unlikely sources and is able to keep herself and her son safe in the process.

Libby Fischer Hellmann writes a great story that keeps the reader hooked from the start. I can't wait to read more by this author.

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ClareR (5950 KP) rated Skyward in Books

Dec 20, 2018

Skyward

Brandon Sanderson | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.6

(5 Ratings)

Book Rating

YA Sci-Fi with dog-fighting spaceships!!

A young girl, Spensa (call sign: Spin), wants to escape her life and follow in her father’s footsteps into the Defiance Defense Force. Except her father died in terrible circumstances - he was killed by his own people in a battle against their enemies, the Krell. He has been labelled a coward, the stigma of which has stuck with the whole family. Spensa doesn’t believe it, and wants to restore his reputation. Those in charge of admission to the flight school believe she carries the same ‘defect’ as her father, and set out to make it extremely difficult for her to attend. She isn’t allowed to stay at the school to sleep or eat, and so she finds a cave nearby, where she sleeps, eats and discovers an old spaceship. She goes about repairing the ship, and finds that it has an AI called M-Bot. Something which those on Detritus have no access to.
The beginning of the book was a bit ‘teenage-angsty’, but it did develop into a really good book, with dog fights galore (think Top Gun with space ships!). And M-Bot really made it for me. After THAT ending, I’m definitely looking forward to the next book!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!