The Missing Matisse: A Memoir
1.0
Rate It
Book
Nazi planes were bombing Paris the day a lifelong, more personal war began for Pierre. It was the...
Ali A (82 KP) rated The Bletchley Riddle in Books
Oct 14, 2024
While the Novis siblings work hard on their tasks, messages and codes begin to arrive under their doorstep. It doesn’t help that while they try to figure out if the messages are truly for them (and possibly from their mother), that there is an inspector lurking outside the gates of the park, watching Jakob and Lizzie’s every move. They must figure out a way to put their bickering aside and work together to decipher the clues if they want to uncover the answers to the puzzle.
As usual, I will pick up anything Ruta Sepetys touches and learn about a part of history I hadn’t known about before I read the book. This book is no exception as we take a deeper dive into the codebreakers Bletchley Park during WWII. I knew there were codebreakers during WWII, but what I didn’t realize is that they consisted of mathematicians, chess champions, and librarians (which, as a librarian, this absolutely makes sense why they were needed!).
Though this book is aimed at middle grade, I will say it felt like it would be more for upper middle grade / younger high school age. Lizzie is fourteen and Jakob is nineteen so their voices were a little older, but nothing major or graphic happened that would make the novel need to be young adult.
Even as an adult, when it came to the description of the codes’ breakthroughs or the ins and outs of the Enigma machines, I would get lost, but overall I just assumed the characters knew what they were talking about and trusted them.
Overall, I loved the twists and turns that kept the pages moving for me. I know I had a hard time as an adult solving the clues, so young readers who like spies and code cracking, are sure to love this too.
*Thank you Viking Books for Young Readers and BookishFirst for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
When the Skies Rained Freedom
10.0
Rate It
Book
Captivating, gripping and relentlessly authentic...inspired by eyewitness accounts. To this day,...
Historical Fiction World War II Germany
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Sarah's Key in Books
Jan 15, 2018
There are so many twists and turns. The past is firmly and solidly entwined with the present. I love that this book was able to teach me more about occupied France during WWII. Most books focus on Poland or Germany. I like that this book captivated without being too familiar.
Swansong 1945: A Collective Diary from Hitler's Last Birthday to Ve Day
Walter Kempowski and Shaun Whiteside
Book
Swansong 1945 chronicles four significant days in the last three weeks of WWII: 20 April, Hitler's...
The Deep (1977)
6.7
Rate It
Movie Watch
This lavish, suspense-filled film was made from Peter (Jaws) Benchley's best-selling novel. Gail...
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Five Quarters Of The Orange in Books
Oct 5, 2020
Pied Piper
Book
In September 1939 the British Government launched Operation Pied Piper. To protect them from the...
Historical Fiction WWII
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated A Distant Melody (Wings of Glory, #1) in Books
Feb 25, 2019
I did not want to put this book done for anything! I wanted to turn page after page until I got the very last one to find out what happened to Allie, Baxter and the lovable Walt Novak! Although, I must say, I was not fond of Baxter. He wasn't charming at all! But Allie and Walt and their friends, they all captured my heart, and helped to over look the not so charming Baxter! I really loved the WWII era that Sundin used to create this story. I love WWII movies, so I knew this book wouldn't disappoint. I loved how Sundin was very detailed with the descriptions in this book.
Along with the wonderful characters that I mentioned above, Sarah Sundin also adds a wonderful, strong message of being honest. She shows that honesty is the most important factor in a friendship, or a romance for that matter! Between that message and God, this was a beautifully written, 5 star historical novel that will be permenantly on my shelf as the start of a great series collection! It has something for everyone, so grab a copy today, sit back and get ready for an adverturous flight back in time--you'll be glad you did! I can't wait for Wings of Glory #2--A Memory Between Us, due out September 2010!