In the Thick of the Fight - The Testimony of Paul Reynaud

I've been working on this book for quite a while now. It was a physical book, so I couldn't read it on the treadmill. Add in that it was 656 pages long, and maybe it's a bit more understandable why it took me so long. I specifically wanted to read this book mainly because I discovered that Reynaud was one of the prisoners at Castle Itter when it was liberated. In case you aren't aware, it's a great story where the Germans and Americans team up to protect the political prisoners being held in the Castle while the SS attacks.

Anyway, this book is basically Reynaud getting very detailed about what happened to his country leading up to and during WWII. He had a position high in the government, and he tried to warn everyone that France was not ready for Hitler. He made speeches and tried to get others to realize that the country needed an armored division, but others were more inclined to lean toward a defensive position for France. After the war started, Reynaud wanted to honor the country's obligations to the Allies while others were pushing for an armistice. He ends up getting pushed out of office and eventually imprisoned. For what? Not even he is given a real answer. 

I didn't know anything about Reynaud before picking up this book, but I learned a great deal about his feelings on the events leading up to and during the second world war. Reynaud backs up everything he says with evidence from other people, whether they were supporters of his ideals or the opposition. He even read Hitler's book to get an idea of what the man was planning for France. He was just unfortunate in that no one would listen to him. Something he said that really stuck with me was, "And the evil gained ground because disease is more contagious than good health."

I may have taken a long time to get through this book, but I don't want to give the impression that I didn't find it interesting. I really did. It was just of a size of the book that was difficult to maneuver when I was in a relaxing mood. I also wouldn't recommend this for everyone. If you're interested in the inner workings of the French governement leading up to the second world war and what happened during the Battle of France, I think you'd really enjoy this book. I just want to point out that with the depth of detail that Reynaud includes, it may be too much for someone who just wants an overview of what was happening at the time. For me, it gets a Good Book! review.

A Distance Too Grand (American Wonders Collection #1) - Regina Scott

So, if you've been following along lately, you might be thinking that this looks a bit like the books I used to read. And you'd be right. Here's what happened. I had a fiction book all set up on my Kindle in pdf form, but when I opened it, there was an error. I hopped off the treadmill and sent the book to my Kindle again. Got back on the treadmill and had the same thing happen. At that point, I was already walking, and I had no idea how to fix the issue. This book had (barely) been started, so I decided maybe it was time for me to actually finish it.

This is the first book in the series. The other two are called Nothing Short of Wondrous and A View Most Glorious.

Meg has taken her father's place as photographer on a scouting mission for the Army trying to find a way across the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately for her, the man in charge is the same one she rejected five years ago. Ben isn't just looking for a way across the canyon, he's also trying to find out what happened to his father.

I had a soft spot for Ben. Meg was a something of a sweetie most of the time, but she treated Ben pretty badly. She didn't explain to him why she rejected him, so he feels that he did something wrong. Even now, as he's seeing how well they work together, she doesn't just tell him what holds her back. It's an irritating thing to witness. How many women wouldn't be married today if they'd let the prospect of a disapproving mother-in-law stop them?

It's been a while since I've read a book like this, but I would place this in the okay section. Nothing super exciting happened to the main characters (minus one thing, but more dire things were happening to the rest of the team), and the "mystery" didn't feel like it had any urgency to it. Add in the weird way the villain was handled, and it was just okay to me.

Prince or Chauffeur? A Story of Newport - Lawrence Perry

Technically, this should be a review for a memoir. BUT, I'm working my way through a hardback that's over 600 pages, and it's also a bit dry. Since it's a large book, I'm not really able to read it while I'm on the treadmill, so I had a fiction book on my Kindle for when I'm walking. Depending on how things shape up, I might get through another fiction book before I finish my current memoir. I'm about halfway done with it at present. And now, back to the review...

I picked this book at random and had no idea what it was about. Jack is in the Navy and is working on a design for a torpedo. He learns that a vital part has been stolen and suspects that he will find the part if he takes a position with a prominent family. Another plus is that a certain young woman he's just met also lives there.

This book was pretty good. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it also didn't get too sappy. It didn't stick around for longer than necessary, and I enjoyed it for what it was. I would probably label this as a "diet" book, and if you need something light to read, it's not a bad choice. Good Book!

The Green Archer (1940 Serial)

So, this was an experiment to see how they could turn a novel, The Green Archer by Edgar Wallace, into a 15-part serial. I ended up watching it in four installments, a little over an hour each time.

I started watching this with a pad of paper and pencil, waiting to see what was different between the book and the serial. By the time I was halfway through the first episode, my page was full, and I'd given up. The characters were completely different (some of the names were reused but that's it), and the relationships between characters that actually were in the book were different. Beyond that, the plot changed drastically from the book to the point where I had the Green Archer (the good one - yes, now there are two!) figured out by the end of the first episode. One of my favorite things about the book was that it kept me guessing on the Green Archer's identity.

Shout out to actor James Craven. He was the villain in this one, and he was instantly familiar. He was also the villain in Captain Midnight, and he was basically the exact same character. It was kind of amusing.

Overall, once I figured out it was about as different as it could be, I put aside the "differences chart" and just enjoyed the ride. The chaotic action sequences and strange plot choices came together in a pretty entertaining way. It wasn't one of my favorite serials, but it also wasn't the worst I've seen thus far either. I understand it must've been hard to turn a novel into a serial, but with the amount of changes I saw, the writers were using the term "based on" VERY loosely.

The Dorrington Deed-Box - Arthur Morrison

I went into this completely blind. I have such a long list of things I can read, I'm almost to the point where I close my eyes and point at a page to pick what I'm reading next. I am trying to favor new authors, though.

I'm going to be a bit cryptic with this one, because it is so unique. It's a collection of short stories, and they are mysteries. And that's about all I'm going to tell you about the stories themselves.

I really enjoyed this book. I've never read anything like this before, and I loved it. It was so clever! It's really hard for me not to say more, but I hate spoiling things when I enjoy the story. This was originally published in 1897, but don't let that fool you. If you love mysteries, I highly recommend you give this a chance. It's different from anything I've read in the genre, and easily earns a Good Book! review.

Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a WWII Special Agent - Pearl Witherington Cornioley

I love learning about the SOE, so this was an easy pick for me. Side note - reading this book brought home to me how much I love my Kindle Paperwhite. For some reason, I couldn't get this book to download to my Paperwhite after trying multiple ways, so I read it on my old Kindle Fire. Man, the glare bugged me to no end! I'm spoiled, I know.

Pearl was a member of the Special Operations Executive during WWII. Their secret mission was to send civilians behind enemy lines where they would do what they could to "annoy" the Germans. I use the term annoy loosely. They did amazing things like sabotage factories, railways, and report troop and supply locations to the Allies. Pearl was more on the organization side of things, so she doesn't have amazing stories of adventure and danger in here, but this book was written with a purpose in mind. She wanted to inspire young people.

I like the way this was written. The editor starts the chapter with a bit of background, and then gets out of the way. At that point, Pearl takes over and tells her part of the story with only occasional interjections for clarification. Additional notes can be found at the end. One thing I'd like to recommend is that you make sure to read past the conclusion. The interview with both Pearl and Henri is hidden in the back of the book, and it was just as enjoyable to read as the rest of the book. Not sure why it was hidden away in the back.

Overall, this is a good book. It's short, so it doesn't outstay its welcome. Pearl was a character to be sure, and she was definitely an asset to the Allies. Good Book!