The Lipstick Bureau

 

The Lipstick Bureau A Novel Inspired by a Real-Life Female Spy by Michelle Gable. Graydon House: 2022. 464 pages.  Selected List of Sources ****

Niki Novotna, a Czech native, with multiple degrees and speaking many languages, is married to an American from a prominent family. Inspired by the true story of Barbara Lauwers, Gable has written a gripping novel about the OSS Moral Operations in Rome during WWII. Not your typical WWII novel, we have a behind the scenes view of a small propaganda operation that provides big results in affecting the morale of the German soldiers and citizens in Italy. Using prisoners of war to infiltrate and distribute flyers, handouts, etc. Niki who plays a pivotal role in designing operations with the nicknames of Sauerkraut, Cornflakes, and Monte Rosa, fears that she may have crossed the line in paying prostitutes to keep the select POWs happy and will be charged with violating the rules of the Geneva Convention. With her career in jeopardy, her marriage in name only, her parents and brother unaccounted for, Niki is facing some harsh realities as the war is ending. 

I read this book in one weekend and didn't want to put it down. Gable presents the realities of war alongside the personalities and desires of the main characters. Survival is the name of the game and it's not always predictable or pretty. Historical fiction fans will enjoy a glimpse into how propaganda works and the OSS. An excellent Book Club selection for the many moral and ethical discussion points. This is the first book I have read by Gable and it won't be the last. 

I received an ARC from the publisher for a review. 

From Amazon- "MICHELLE GABLE is the New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment, I'll See You in Paris, The Book of Summer, and The Summer I Met Jack. She attended the College of William & Mary and spent twenty years working in finance before becoming a full-time writer. She grew up in San Diego and lives in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California. Find her on Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest, @mgablewriter."

Follow me on IG at flamazing_books.

#historicalfiction #WWIIfiction #propagandafiction

One Word 2023 - Reflect

 Reflect

I made this wall-hanging for my "Word" last year and I haven’t quilted it yet. I wasn't entirely successful in remembering to "pause" last year. I decided to choose "Reflect" for this year's Word. I will be 72 and have lived 2 years past my Mother and Grandmother's ages. I want to make the most of my time, so reflect seems to be apropos for the coming year. I am clearing some of my obligations and commitments from 2022 in order to be open to new experiences and opportunities. However, I will Reflect before saying "yes' and decide if what I am about to do serves who and what I want to do.

Past Words:

2022- Pause

2021 - Grateful

2020 - Joy  

2019 - Opportunity

2018- Clarity

2017 - Balance  

2016 -  Promise

2015 - Abundance

2014 - Believe

2013 - Simplify 

Information about "One Word"

http://myoneword.org

https://oneword365.com/find-your-tribe/?searchword=pause

Follow me on Instagram at kathy_nester

#oneword2023  #reflect

2023 UFO Challenge

Brandywine Valley Quilters 2023 UFO Challenge

For the last few years, my Quilt Guild has had a UFO Challenge. I wasn't going to join again this year because I don't seem to get anything finished. On the other hand, if I can I get 2 or 3 finished, it's worth it. Some of my UFOs are on this list for the 4th year.  I am determined that they will be completed this year. Maybe my word of the year should be "finish."

UNFINISHED OBJECTS  

1. Maze wall hanging

2. Flamingo Birthday Quilt - quilt and bind

3. Mystery Quilt Challenge - piece monthly

4. 2022 Monthly Color Quilt

5.Snow-a-long Quilt - piece and quilt

6. Hen Quilt Party - piece and quilt

7. Gnome quilt - piece and quilt

8. 2021 Monthly Color Challenge - quilt and bind

9. Maze Table Runner - quilt

10. Clark diamond - quilt

11.Word of the year - quilt and bind

12. Temperature Quilt - finish piecing 

Check back for progress reports or follow me on Instagram @ kathy.nester

#BVQ2023UFOChallenge #unfinishedquilts 

2022 Monthly Color Challenge - December

December - Garlic - Cream

 

The 2022 Monthly Color Challenge is designed by Patterns by Jena and the block can be found here. Cream is not the best fabric with my chosen background, however, it is okay with the other blocks. 

Garlic

Proven Health Benefits

December block requires accurate cutting and a SCANT 1/4 inch seam in order to be 12.5 inches unfinished.

Guest Bloggers

Patternsby Jen 

Lovingy Lisa

SunflowerStitcheries

True Blue Quilts

I still have a few previous months to complete before the end of the year. 

Follow me on IG at kathy.nester

#2022monthlycolorchallenge #December 

You are my Sunshine

 

You are my Sunshine: A story of love, promises, and a really long bike ride by Sean Dietrich. MI: Zondervan Books. 2022. 224 pages.  Notes ****

Described as "A laugh-out-loud true story of love, a grand adventure, and a promise kept." The book lives up to the description and so much more. It was only a few years after their marriage that Sean and his math-minded wife Jamie are faced with a medical scare that threatens their future together. Jamie is determined to live a grand adventure and to test life to its limits by proposing a bike ride of the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Towpath Trail. Sean is not at all athletic or outdoorsy, but he will promise anything to make Jamie happy in the belief that the bike ride will never happen. Jamie does all the planning, purchasing of needed gear, bikes, tent, grass fed beef sticks, supplies, etc., and Sean finds himself on a trike (he's afraid of bikes) on a trail that includes poison ivy and SNAKES! 

This quick read is an adventure filled story of marriage, friendship, and perseverance. Dietrich has a humorous way of capturing everyday events and presenting them in their absurdity to the reader. I laughed out loud at the exchange between Jamie and Sean, "would you eat me? If we were starving!" The kindness of the people they meet along the journey inspires all of us to overcome the fears that holds many of us back from our great adventure. What is holding you back?

I received a copy of this book as a Little Free Library giveaway promotion. 

Sean Dietrich is a columnist, podcaster, stand-up storyteller, and novelist known for his commentary on life in the American South. His work has appeared in Southern Living, Good Grit, South magazine, and other publications, and he has authored fourteen books. Follow Sean's daily writing at seandietrich.com or at @seanofthesouth on Instagram.

Follow me on Instagram at flaming_books

#bookstagram #grandadventure #overcomingfearandanxiety @zondervanbooks #GreatAlleghenyPassage #C&OCanalTowpath 

The Girls Who Disappeared

 

The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas. New York: Harper, 2023. ****

Four girls enjoy a night out and drive home on the Devil's Corridor ending in disaster! Only one girl is found at the crash site pinned by the steering column and unable to get out of the car. Rescued and unable to remember what happened to her friends leaves Olivia Rutherford open to the suspicious scrutiny of her neighbors and the townspeople. A long and arduous recovery does not restore her memory of that horrific night. It's now twenty years later and journalist Jenna Halliday has arrived in Willshire to interview those close to the missing girls to create a podcast in the hope of turning up new evidence or clues as to what happened on that night. Jenna didn't expect the locals to be willing to talk, however, she didn't anticipate hostility and threats. Are they protective of Olivia or does everyone have something to hide? 

I received an e-copy for a review.

This fast-paced psychological thriller will keep you guessing until the very end. No spoilers here. Douglas' plot is ingenious and original. We know that no one can disappear into thin air, however, there are no credible sightings to explain what happened. It has now been twenty years without a clue. A suspenseful read that will keep you reading,  many discussion points for Book Clubs. 

Claire Douglas has worked as a journalist for fifteen years, writing features for women's magazines and national newspapers. She wanted to be a novelist since the age of seven, a dream that came true with the publication of her first novel, The Sisters, which won the Marie Claire's Debut Novel Award. She lives in Bath, England, with her husband and two children.

#psychologicalthriller #bookstagram 

Mini Series Sew Along 2022 Season 3

 

Alison Glass and Guicy Guice have collaborated and are hosting a Mini Series Sew Along for 2022.

https://alisonglass.com/mini-series-sew-along/

I joined from the very first, however, I am just now making my blocks. Somehow, I couldn't wrap my head around the process of paper piecing such small pieces. I kept trying and trashing. It didn’t help that I purchased a new machine at the same time. 

A few suggestions:

• Print the patten in color
• Do not print double-sided (a no-brainer, I know)

Finally, three friends got together to sew and it just clicked. I didn't pay too much attention to color placement and even though the pieces are small, you do use pretty big pieces of fabric to make it work. 

Meet Trixie and the Triangle Cabin Block.

On of the suggested tools is this seam roller. I found it very helpful in pressing the strips.

Usually when I get to this stage I start to panic that I did something wrong, keep going!

Ta dah!

Trixie has let me know that she does not like Decobob thread.

Block 3 - Bloom - this block was more challenging than the other two!

Block 4 - Rainbow - the last block in Series 3 

All 4 in Series 3 are completed, so much fun! 

#miniseriessal2022 #trianglelogcabin #alisonglass #guicyguice #MiniSeriesSAL #diamondsidestep #rainbow #bloom