Kitchen Front

The Kitchen Front is a fairly new World War II era story that takes place 2 years after Britain entered the war. It was published in 2021. The plot follows four women from Fenley Village who are competing for a spot hosting a wartime cookery program called The Kitchen Front. The contestants must create an appetizer, entree and dessert. Points are given by the judge and the lady with the most points wins the competition. This book was based on an actual BBC program of the same name. With German U-boats frequently disrupting the UK's supply of food, Britain's housewives had to use ration coupons in order to obtain goods. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, this BBC show ran a cooking contest. The grand prize was a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host.

For young widow Audrey, winning the competition could be a chance to pay off her husband’s debts and keep a roof over her children’s heads. However, her estranged sister Gwendoline is equally set on success even if her own kitchen maid, Nell, is competing against her. Then there is Zelda, a trained London-trained chef desperate to succeed in a male-dominated profession. These four women found that in order to finish the competition they will have to bend the rules. Lady Gwendoline has borrowed a french trained chef from another manor house to cook her entries. Both Nell and Zelda obtained the meat for their main courses from friends but Zelda's came from a black market source. Audrey "borrowed" some herbs from someone else's garden.

I thought the author made a wise decision to write a WWII historical novel that focused on food rationing. The book is not your typical WWII novel. We don't read anything about the progress of the war or the soldiers fighting it. It's all about the families left behind. I loved the small town English setting of this novel. I also enjoyed reading the detailed descriptions of the food and the recipes that were given. It's amazing how clever cooks were able to make food that was delicious given all the food rationing they had to deal with. Recipes are given at the end of each chapter. 

Initially I disliked both Zelda and Gwendoline, particularly Gwendoline. As the story developed, their pasts were defined and I began to admire them for what they overcame in life. Audrey Landon is the most sympathetic character in the story. She is trying to raise her kids in a dilapidated house. She is only able to get by financially with a small pie making business. Her sister Gwendoline is an upper class lady with a condescending attitude and no joy. She thought that marrying well would bring her happiness but it didn't. Her husband was abusive, both mentally and physically. Zelda is a pregnant single woman who wants to be a head chef in a ritzy London restaurant. Nell Brown is a shy kitchen maid with amazing cooking skills and a wonderfully patient and kind teacher, Mrs. Quince. Both she and Quince work for Gwendoline's husband at Fenley Hall where they all live.

The Kitchen Front is an inspiring story that captured my heart. It has put author Jennifer Ryan on my radar and I plan to read her other books. 5 out of 5 stars.

Darling

I selected this book for the Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge. It's a psychological thriller that takes place in Britain just after the Brexit vote. Teenager Lola's father Thomas Waite has taken up with a black woman named Darling White and proposed marriage to her only three months after their initial meeting. Both Thomas and Darling are single parents. Lola and Darling dislike each other big time. Although happy in her new relationship, Darling is burdened by her five year old son Stevie's illness. He has Duchenne Muscular Distrophy, a severe muscle weakness disease, which will cut his life short. Thomas is confused by Darling's behavior. She frequently receives phone calls that she refuses to answer and appears to have a shadowy past. Lola cannot stand her Caribbean cooking and will do anything to destroy the marriage in order to get Darling out of her life.

The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Lola and Darling. I was somewhat confused on and off throughout the story because of the excessive use slang terminology that the author used. Lola's chapters in particular were unreadable. For example, in the beginning of the story there were six consecutive pages that I did not understand at all. Perhaps my British friends will understand all the slang. The book is mainly about Lola and Darling's characters. Once Thomas married Darling he was pretty much out of the picture. This seemed odd. 

This book was advertised as a psychological thriller. A thriller it isn't, although the prologue was exciting. The prologue kept me reading because I wanted to know who was killed and by whom. However, the book was a big miss for me and I am rating it 2 out of 5 stars.

Book of the Month: March

Animal Pound is my favorite book for this month. It is a 4 part comic series where the dogs, cats and rabbits of an animal pound remove the employees and take over. Led by a cat called Fifi and dog Titan the doors to all of the cages are unlocked and all of the cats, dogs and rabbits roam freely throughout the building and grounds. After enjoying free reign for several weeks they realize that they will need to find a new source of food in order to survive on their own. Enter politics. A campaign to elect representatives begins. There are 2 additional releases coming soon and I cannot wait to finish reading this adorable story.

You Only Call When You're in Trouble

You Only Call When You're in Trouble is author Stephen McCauley's seventh book.  It follows the lives of the Kemp family and their friends and acquaintances. Tom Kemp is a sixtysomething architect about to be replaced by a younger employee. He specializes in tiny houses. Sister Dorothy has never had stable employment but managed to raise daughter Cecily. Cecily is a 34 college professor who is being investigated for improper behavior with a student. Tom has always supported Cecily and Dorothy to the detriment of his romantic relationships. After decades of lying about the identity of Cecily's father, Dorothy decides

to invite both of them to the opening of her new business where she has promised herself that she will tell Cecily the truth.

I thought the first half of the book was entertaining but got bogged down in all the details of this weekend business opening. There were several other characters who didn't provide much insight into the story.  When these other characters failed to offer a reason for the action, or lack of action, I became a little bored. While in the beginning I thought this book was going to be a 5 star read, it fizzled into a 3 star story. The novel was the first of McCauley's that I have read and I am sad that it will probably be my last. It had such promise.

3 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #28

The Can't Wait Wednesday meme is hosted by the Wishful Endings blog. While I am having a difficult time this month concentrating on books, I am still interested in adding books to my TBR list. Go figure. This morning I discovered that Susan Witting Albert will be publishing the 29th China Bayles cozy mystery novel on June 4, 2024. This is something to celebrate. When she did not publish a book for the series last year, I was afraid that the series was over. I am thrilled to hear about this new novel, Forget Me Never.

In this installment of the series, Pecan Springs resident Olivia Andrews has a blog and podcast, “Forget Me Not: A Crime Victim’s Storyboard,” that is dedicated to telling the stories of victims of crime. She has a stunning story to tell about a decades-old murder mystery involving a prominent citizen of Pecan Springs, someone who isn’t the man everybody thinks he is. Olivia is killed by a hit-and-run driver while she’s out jogging early one morning. Was it an accident—or something else? Her sister and China Bayles want to know.

Who is the prominent citizen Olivia was about to expose? How did he manage to get away with murder twenty years ago? Did he kill Olivia to keep her from revealing his secret? What is local lawyer Charlie Lipman trying to hide? Then there’s another murder. With a cousin's scrapbook that was compiled to honor the memory of one of the victims, China wants to determine whose face was scissored out of the photos. The answer to that question may solve the murder investigations.

I love that a scrapbook is part of the story and cannot wait to read more about it.

Murder in the Tea Leaves

Laura Childs newest book was published earlier this month and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Murder in the Tea Leaves is the 27th installment of her Indigo Teashop Mystery Series and I have been anxiously awaiting its publication. I have read every book in the series and most were fantastic.

In this particular story, main character Theodosia Browning is reading tea leaves on the set of the movie, Dark Fortunes, which is being filmed in her native city of Charleston. Her teashop, the Indigo Teashop, provided the snacks on the set. The next thing she knows the film director has been electrocuted while sitting on a chair that was rigged with electronics. One of the suspects is Theo's friend Delaine Dish who was dating the director but had a noisy break-up of their relationship in a ritzy restaurant the previous night. As usual, Theodosia begins her own investigation of the murder despite being told by Detective Tidwell to stay out of it. Between hosting a Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea, and a Poetry Tea, Theodosia tries to find clues that will identify the killer. In this novel she did not do the usual interviews of her suspects but she does explore the haunted Brittlebank Manor where the murder took place. Her tea sommelier Drayton Connelly talks Theo through her many theories to help her come to some conclusions about the murder. Soon thereafter, a member of the Charleston Film Board is also murdered.

When I first began reading I had a sense of deja vu. The story sounded familiar and I remember a comment that Theo made in an earlier novel "I was reading a book by Susan Witting Albert." The statement returned! Eventually, I discovered that another one of my favorite cozy mystery series, the Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle, had a murder take place on a film set also. Yet another similarity with this series is that the main characters of both series are dating police officers. Coyle had these aspects of her series in place many books ago.  

It is unusual for Theo not to go out of her way to interview suspects. In fact, it has never before happened in the series. She also did not drive around town inspecting several buildings that might provide her with some clues. Toward the end of the story Theo and Drayton broke into Brittlebank Manor to find evidence concerning the how and why of the murders.

The novel had a slow pace, presumably because there wasn't much action. Detective Tidwell did not play a prominent role and I missed his gruffy personality.  Theo's personality meshed well with Tidwell which always added excitement. Hopefully, he will return in the next installment of the series.

3 out of 5 stars.

The Way of the House Husband Volume 11

The Way of the House Husband is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kousuke Oono. Published in the online manga magazine Bunch Comics since 2018, Volume 11 was published on January 1, 2021. The series has been filmed for  Netflix but I haven't seen it. The Way of the House Husband follows Tatsu, an infamous and feared yakuza boss nicknamed "the Immortal Dragon" who retires from crime to become a househusband so that he can support wife Miku. The episodic series depicts a variety of comedic scenarios, typically wherein Tatsu's banal domestic work as a househusband is juxtaposed against his intimidating personality and appearance, and his frequent run-ins with former yakuza associates and rivals.

Tatsu found that it was not easy to walk away from the gangster life. What should have been mundane household tasks are anything but. In this installment of the series Tatsu must help Masa move his operation to a new pad, and fast, after the cocky kid lands himself in trouble with the wrong enforcer, his landlady! There’s just one catch  the kid lacks the funds to make any big moves. Luckily for Masa, the Immortal Dragon has some househusband tricks up his sleeve to transform even the cheapest, shadiest apartment into a comfortable place! The funniest thing Tatsu does in this volume is to buy a professional grade laundry dehumidifier that will dry his clothes indoors. The reader also gets a drawing showing the humidifier drying his clothing. Four pages were devoted to this subplot which should give you a sense of the flow of the book.

I don't usually read manga because the romantic stories I usually see are rather sappy. The Way of the Househusband is different but it still retains the Japanese sense of humor as one would expect from a Japanese author. However, I don't share that type of humor. It seems to me that I have been forcing myself to read these volumes because a comic fan should be a manga fan, right? Well it hasn't worked out for me. While I have enjoyed the premise of the series and loved reading about many of Tatsu's adventures, I think it's time to cease reading the series. Volume 12 will be coming out soon but I will skip it.

3 put of 5 stars.

Animal Pound 1 and 2

Animal Pound is a hilarious 4 part comic book series where the caged animals stage a take over of the pound. Led by a cat called Fifi and dog Titan the doors to all of the cages are unlocked and all of the cats, dogs and rabbits roam freely throughout the building and grounds. Author Tom King and illustrator Peter Gross give us an updated version of Animal Farm for 21st century America, where a two-party system gives way to fear and facism. Volume 1 was released on December 20, 2023. 

Animal Pound #1 opens with an old dog named Lucky talking to a kitten named Fifi. Her explains that he is going to be euthanized the next day but before he goes Lucky explains how unfair the world is for animals. He hopes that some day the animals will rebel against the humans who control them and become free. Several years go by and Fifi is still in the pound. A new dog named Titan is scheduled to be put down the next day. The two of them decide that they must enact the escape plan that they have been working on. Fifi rallies the rest of the cats and Titan rallies all of the dogs. When the next day comes they enact their plan. While Titan distracts the humans working at the pound, Fifi opens the cages. The dogs are able to expel the guards. Volume 2 shows the animals trying to come up with a government that works for all of them.

Animal Pound has no violence or foul language and is suitable for young children. The story is a fast and fascinating read and I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to reading the next volume when it is released on April 17, 2023.

Can't Wait Wednesday #27

The Can't Wait Wednesday meme is hosted by the Wishful Endings blog. While my reading time has plummeted this month because of collage work and planning a trip to Japan, that doesn't mean I won't keep picking up books.  am currently interested in Tom King's Animal Pound comic series. 

When animals grow tired of being caged, killed, and sold off, an uprising puts them in control of the pound. The animals quickly find themselves as comrades, united against everything that walks on two legs. However, with this newfound power comes the challenge of determining how best to lay the groundwork for their new democracy as they write their first constitution.

I know that I am going to love this lighthearted story. The first three releases have already been published but they will be followed up with another three. Also, I can't wait for them all to be published in one book which happens alot with comic book series.

The Atlas Maneuver

The Atlas Maneuver is the 18th Cotton Malone spy thriller from Steve Berry. The story is action packed on 2 fronts. The pace is super fast and it felt like I was reading faster than normal in order to keep up with the pace. In this installment of the series Cotton unravels a mystery from World War II that involves the legendary lost treasure, Yamishita’s Gold, worth billions.

The publisher's summary:

1945. In the waning months of World War II, Japan hid vast quantities of gold and other stolen valuables in boobytrapped underground caches all across the Philippines. By 1947, some of that loot was recovered, not by treasure hunters, but by the United States government, which told no one about the find. Instead, those assets were stamped classified, shipped to Europe, and secretly assimilated into something called the Black Eagle Trust.

Present day. Retired Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is in Switzerland doing a favor for a friend. But what was supposed to be a simple operation turns violent and Cotton is thrust into a war between the world’s oldest bank and the CIA, a battle that directly involves the Black Eagle Trust. He quickly discovers that everything hinges on a woman from his past, who suddenly reappears harboring a host of explosive secrets centering around bitcoin. The cryptocurrency is being quietly weaponized, readied for an assault on the world’s financial systems, a calculated move that will have devastating consequences. Cotton has no choice. He has to act. But at what cost?

From the stolid banking halls of Luxembourg, to the secret vaults of Switzerland, and finally up into the treacherous mountains of southern Morocco, Cotton Malone is stymied at every turn. Each move he makes seems wrong, and nothing works, until he finally comes face-to-face with the Atlas Maneuver.

Berry has utilized several conspiracy theories surrounding bitcoin and made them into the background for the story. Around the halfway point I was so curious about bitcoin that I stopped reading and went over to Wikipedia to determine what parts of the story were true to life. I was astonished to learn that every fact Berry gave us concerning the creation of the bitcoin, including the name of its creator as well as the rules on buying and selling, were accurate. 

Also, there are several figures from real life. We have General Yamashita and his cohort Prince Chichibu as well as the legendary creator of bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoyo. Characters from earlier books in the series have returned in The Atlas Maneuver including Derrick Koger (CIA European station chief) and Casseiopia Vitt (Malone’s lover). In addition, there are several other characters who don't even know who they are really working for. This was confusing for me because I couldn't identify whose side they were on until the end. Instead of adding suspense it created confusion. Also, it amazes me how realistically Berry brings Malone back into the spy world from retirement year after year. Perhaps Cotton Malone should never have retired but it doesn't really matter because his return to work is always seamless.

All of these characters are on the trail of a huge cache of bitcoin that, in the absence of any legal records of ownership, will belong to anyone who can track it down and grab it. As for what the Atlas Maneuver is, I will keep to myself in order to avoid spoiling the fun for future readers.

The Atlas Maneuver is an enjoyable read and I am thrilled to have received a copy from Net Galley. I am rating 4 out of 5 stars.

Book Cover of the Month: February

My favorite book cover for this month was done by illustrator Leuyan Pham. She illustrated both the cover and inside pages for Gene Luen Yang's Lunar New Year Love Story. It is also my best book for this month. Pham was born in Vietnam. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles from 1991 to 1993, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1996 from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. After graduation, she worked as a layout artist from 1996 to 1999 at Dreamworks Animation. She then quit to illustrate children's books full-time.

What I love most about this book cover is the color. The reds and purples mix well together and produce an eye catching piece of art. This color pallette is continued throughout the inside The reader knows they are getting a happy story because of the color palette.

Book of the Month: February

Lunar New Year Love Story is my best book for this month. It is a graphic novel written by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by Leuyen Pham. As the title suggests, the story is about a couple who cannot get together as a couple during their senior year of high school. They are part of a dance troupe who perform as lions and dragons at lunar new year festivals and other Chinese events. While the two kids can dance together beautifully the girl, Val, doesn't know who she wants as a boyfriend. This book is clean reading, no sex or foul language, perfect for young adults.

Stacking the Shelves #32

As I mentioned last Saturday, it's hard to think about reading another book when you're in the middle of 750+ page biography. Jon Meacham's Lincoln biography And There Was Light was a bear to get through. I am exhausted from reading it and probably won't be able to read anything else until next month. 

However, the show must go on as they say. I obtained copy of Luana Ehrlich's Three Weeks in Washington from Kindle Unlimited for the Clock Reading Challenge. The book is part of her Titus Ray Thriller Series which I have been enjoying this year. 

In Three Weeks CIA intelligence operative, Titus Ray, arrives in Washington, D.C. on the day a terrorist enters the Washington Navy Yard and murders five people. He is convinced the incident is connected to a Hezbollah plot to use chemical weapons on an American city. As usual, Titus will jeopardize his own career in order to interrogate the killer and learn the truth.

The story sounds interesting and I am looking forward to reading the book.