My Reading Blog

Shelfari summary: "D-Day is approaching. They don't know where or when, but the Germans know it'll be soon, and for Felicity “Flick” Clariet, the stakes have never been higher. A senior agent in the ranks of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) responsible for sabotage, Flick has survived to become one of Britain's most effective operatives in Northern France. She knows that the Germans' ability to thwart the Allied attack depends upon their lines of communications, and in the days before the invasion no target is of greater strategic importance than the largest telephone exchange in Europe. But when Flick and her Resistance-leader husband try a direct, head-on assault that goes horribly wrong, her world turns upside down. Her group destroyed, her husband missing, her superiors unsure of her, her own confidence badly shaken, she has one last chance at the target, but the challenge, once daunting, is now near-impossible. The new plan requires an al...

This medical mystery takes place in Sweden at a medical research facility.  A deadly virus has been taken by one of the lab assistants.  He along with a rabbit is found dead - no one else has been exposed.  But this is only the beginning of the story. Another theft is planned by the disgruntled son of the owner/scientist of the research facility.  In some instances, it was a comedy of errors by the thieves and yet it had a very serious undertone.  Even though the security at the facility was exceptional,  the virus was taken. This book makes you really think about what could happen if the deadly viruses that are being tested got into the hands of terrorists or someone crazy.  How easy it would be for someone to blend in with a crowd and release the virus into the air.  The testing needs to be done and an antibody found, but who is in charge of security, how good is it.  What happens if some disgruntled employee decides to sell the virus to ...

This book has been on my shelf for several years and I decided it was time to tackle this "huge" epic  novel.  It takes place in the 1100's (which is not an era that I have read about), but in reading it, the author appears to take liberty with adding things from the 20th century.  It was very detailed and reminded me of Michener's writing.  The characters he created and their relationships kept the story moving.  It was interesting to learn how the churches of that era were created.  The architectural drawings were on stone.  The vision that Tom Builder and his stepson, Jack, had was unbelievable.  Follet made these buildings come to life.  The book also detailed life in a monastery and the "politics" that went on during that era. A good read, even though it seemed to take me forever.  Follet has several other "epic" novels which I will read - some day! Read - February/March, 2011