Saturday, February 14, 2015

The Reading Radar 2/14/2015

Curious about and spotted it via GR Giveaways: A Habit of Resistance by Fernando A. Torres.

A Habit of ResistanceA Habit of Resistance, is the story of a quirky group of nuns who progress from having a small gun club to joining the French Resistance during WWII. René who is from a small town, in provincial France, flees to Paris, only to find that it has been overrun by the Nazis. He returns to his hometown of Brassac to discover that the fiancé he abandoned on the night of their wedding, has joined the local convent. René finds himself mayor of the town he abandoned, when the former officeholder flees to avoid working with the Vichy government. His return causes his fiancé, Noele, to re-examine her decision to become a nun; while he must decide with whom he will collaborate. The offbeat nuns must wrestle with how far to expand the margins of their vows, in hopes of saving their town and themselves. A Habit of Resistance is a work of personal denial and redemption.

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Found out about this one via the author's newsletter and though I rarely stray into contemporary fiction anymore, I like this author enough to give it a go: Mercy Killing by Kathryn Johnson. Plus it sorta makes me think of The Americans, the KGB TV show I like so much.

Mercy Killing (Affairs of State, #1)FOR LOVE, JUSTICE . . . AND TO SAVE HER MOTHER'S LIFE,
MERCY O'BRIEN WILL DO ANYTHING! EVEN IF IT MEANS SACRIFICING HERSELF.

Artist and Washington, D.C. socialite Mercy O'Brien Davis married for love and gave up a promising job as a Smithsonian curator to support her husband's diplomatic career. But while accompanying him to Mexico City, she learns her famous photo-journalist mother has disappeared without a trace in Ukraine. Desperate to find her, Mercy runs afoul of the U. S. State Department and stumbles into a maze of lies, crime, and international intrigue. When she appeals to her husband for help in locating her mother, he is strangely reluctant.

With her marriage already on shaky ground in the aftermath of her husband's infidelity, and the U.S. government ignoring her entreaties on her mother's behalf, Mercy accepts help from a mysterious American agent who enlists her to spy on sexy cattle baron Sebastian Hidalgo, suspected of heading a Mexican crime cartel. Hidalgo is determined to keep her from discovering his darkest secrets, even as he lusts for her. Manipulated by the men in her life, and their hidden agendas, Mercy wonders if there's anyone she can trust, and what price she will have to pay for her mother's safe return.

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And movie/TV series I'd love to get my hands on: Anzac Girls.


Arriving in Egypt to serve in World War I, a group of idealistic young Australian and New Zealand nurses are full of romantic notions. All too soon, however, they are faced with convoys of the dead and wounded from the doomed Gallipoli campaign. Realizing that war is not quite the "splendid adventure" they thought it would be, they rise to meet the challenge, finding love, heartbreak, and lasting friendship along the way.

Based on the book by Peter Rees and drawing on the real nurses' letters, original journals, and historical records, this acclaimed Australian miniseries follows five unsung heroines through the traumatic war years. A "beautifully shot, multilayered drama" (The Sunday Telegraph, Australia), it "brings these little-known stories vividly to life" (The Daily Telegraph, Australia). Georgia Flood, Caroline Craig, Anna McGahan, Antonia Prebble, and Laura Brent head an ensemble cast of more than 1,200 actors and extras in this breathtaking and stirring production.

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A Flying AffairSpotted on NG and of course I must have it: A Flying Affair by Carla Stewart.

Award-winning author Carla Stewart returns to the 1920s in this vivid historical novel about a female pilot navigating love and life.

Daredevil Mittie Humphreys developed her taste for adventure on horseback, on her family's prosperous Kentucky horse farm. But her love of horses is surpassed by her passion for the thrill of the skies, especially since the dashing pilot, Ames, first took her up in his plane.

When handsome British aviator Bobby York offers her flying lessons, he is equally surprised—and beguiled—by Mittie's grit, determination, and talent. Soon, Mittie is competing in cross-country air races, barnstorming, and wing-walking. But when Calista "Peach" Gilson, a charming Southern belle, becomes her rival in both aviation and in love, Mittie must learn to navigate her heart as well as the skies.

1 comment:

  1. All of thisHF sounds awesome! I entered the giveaway for Habit of Resistance on goodreads.

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