I joined a book club.
It’s sponsored by the Canopy, a cancer survivorship center at Memorial Hermann in The Woodlands. You don’t have to be a patient there, just a cancer survivor or friend of a survivor. They have a LOT of activities, from cooking classes to Spanish classes, to Yoga. I could make a full time job of attending everything they offer.
I joined the book club because I set a goal to read more books, and this can help hold me accountable. I also wanted to connect with other survivors, some of whom I already know, and some new ladies as well. We meet monthly, and rotate who picks the book. I’ve only been able to attend two meetings so far, because of our travel schedule. I am hoping to get to more meetings this year.
The first time I attended was in November, and we read Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus. I didn’t write a review on that one, but it was a very good book, currently being made into a drama television series on Apple TV. My main critiques for that book were the slower beginning, and the ending seemed to tie everything up a little too quickly. But it did have an interesting premise, and I loved the name she chose for her very smart dog. “Six-thirty”, because he followed her home and she looked at the time on her watch when she decided to keep him. Clever writing.
Our book for January was The Rose Code, by Kate Quinn. A very long novel, at over 600 pages, I was unable to finish before our meeting. (We were out of town during most of December, and then arrived on Friday before our Wednesday meeting.) I got about half-way through and vowed to finish before starting the book for February. The further I got into the book, the harder it was to put it down. I had rated it 8.5 at the meeting, but after finishing it and attending the meeting, I give it a 9.
The Rose Code is based on Bletchley Park in the UK, where codebreakers worked during the second world war. Men went off to war to fight, and since women were not permitted to fight, they often worked behind the scenes. Codebreaking was one of those jobs. It is said that this work shortened the war by at least two years.
Three heroines are the primary codebreakers followed throughout the book. They are three very different women, who come together in an unusual and unique way, sharing a common purpose. It reminds me that friends will often come from the most unlikely places, and friends may enter our picture for a specific purpose and season in life.
Maybe you’ve seen the movie The Imitation Game, with Benjamin Cumberbatch. This book refers to his character, who was a real person, in addition to some other real people like Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth. The book kept going back and forth between the week before their royal wedding, and the days of breaking code, which helped to explain some of the “current” events.
I won’t give it away, but I will say I enjoyed reading it. I liked the references to historical facts, codes, and processes that helped with the war efforts. I also enjoyed reading the author’s notes, as she describes in detail which characters are based on real people and how she came up with the idea for the plot twist. She did her research! Now I want to visit Bletchley Park, which was restored and turned into a museum by Kate Middleton (her grandmother worked there). Fascinating history, and great book to honor the codebreakers.
February’s book…Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers. Appropriate for the month of love, don’t you think?
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!