She’d misread all the clues, just as she had on the street when she’d thought it was early morning. The guns hadn’t started till the eleventh, after all, and of course the raids had sounded like they were overhead. Kensington had been bombed on Saturday. But if it’s Saturday, she thought, I’ve already missed four days. And the crucial first few days of the Blitz when the contemps were adjusting to it. That’s why they were all so calm, so settled in. They’d already adjusted.

I'll be happily contradicted in this, but my guess is that no one adjusts to bombing in four days. 

I once again listened to the book while making dinner, and again I found that the writing grates on me. I'll be setting this one aside.

‘The Crusades? That’s even more dangerous than the Blitz, isn’t it?’

‘Far more dangerous, particularly when one knows where and when all the Blitz’s bombs will be falling, which I will. And it’s less dangerous than— Sorry, I’ve been doing all the talking. I want to hear about your assignment.’

‘There’s nothing much to tell. It’s mostly washing up and dealing with children and irate farmers. I’d hoped I might meet the actor Michael Caine – he was evacuated when he was six – but I haven’t, and— I just thought of something. You might meet Agatha Christie. She was in London during the Blitz.’

‘Agatha Christie?’

‘The twentieth-century mystery novelist. She wrote these marvellous books about murders involving spinsters and clergymen and retired colonels. I used them for my prep – they’re full of details about servants and manor houses. And during the war she worked in a hospital, and you’re going to be an ambulance driver. She—’

‘I’m not going to be an ambulance driver. I’m going to be something far more dangerous – a shopgirl in an Oxford Street department store.’

‘That’s more dangerous than driving an ambulance?’

‘Definitely. Oxford Street was bombed five times, and more than half its department stores were at least partly damaged.’

‘You’re not going to work in one of those, are you?’

‘No, of course not. Mr Dunworthy won’t even allow me to work in Peter Robinson, though it wasn’t hit till the end of the Blitz. I can understand why he wouldn’t let me …’

Yeah, um, I'll switch to another book for now. There is something about the writing in this that just annoys me.

However, I'll keep going with this next week. It sounds like an audiobook that may work for me during the working week.

‘You’re going to Singapore.’

‘Yes, but I’m coming back before the Japanese arrive. Oh, that reminds me, someone phoned for you earlier.’

‘Who was it?’

‘I don’t know. Shakira took the message. She was here teaching me to foxtrot.’

‘Foxtrot?’ Michael said. ‘I thought you had to learn about foxhunting.’

‘I need to learn both. So I can go to the club dances. The British community in Singapore held weekly dances.’

He put his arms in the self-defence positions he’d had them in when Michael came in and began stepping stiffly around the room, counting, ‘Left and-two and-three-and-four and—’

I just started this one because a) I've had the audiobook for a while and b) THE COVER!!!. 

I thought it might be a good one to check out while making dinner.

So far this reads like a lesser version of Just One Damned Thing After Another (by Jodi Taylor), but since Blackout was published first, I guess the reference should be reversed...while maintaining that Blackout is a lesser version. 

It's reads like it was written for YA audience. 

Has anyone read this? Have I accidentally picked up another YA novel?

I don't think I'll get far with this. I'm not keen on the writing, the precious tone, the cliches, or the author letting me know how much research into historical events she's done.

I'll give the book until my dinner is ready but will probably switch to something more attuned to my tastes after that. 

Hopefully my Mojo is properly back and I can work through my stack of library books that are still here.  Seven books with the first to be started today.  I can't find or seem to add the 7th book which is Shelter by Dave Hutchinson but I'm ot sure it matters as I am the worlds slowest reader and even on a good month I'd struggle with more than 4 or 5 books anyway.  Looking forward to these!

* Edit, thank you BrokenTune for adding Shelter by Dave Hutchinson!*

by Connie Weis

I love brownies and all sorts of variations on them, so this book had an obvious appeal right away.

The book starts out with the most amazingly tempting photographs of brownies, including a blondie variety, with peanut butter cups in them. Then as you would expect from most cookery books, there is an introduction by the author to explain why she created the book, followed by practical information about equipment and technique.

Tips for perfection are included as well as freezing and shipping advice. Emphasis on the detail in quality ingredients can make all the difference. I never knew that iodized salt would give a tinny flavor!

The bulk of the book, however, is filled with scrumptious recipes for every kind of brownie you can imagine. I counted thirteen recipes just in the Blondie section! The whole book is filled with full page color pictures of the treats you can make and is a visual delight that will make you anticipate the yummy brownies that you are about to make.

The recipes range from a deep, rich chocolate brownies to brownies with nuts or cookies in them, caramel stuffed, toffee, mint and marshmallow variations. The peanut butter varieties are definitely on my list of recipes to try! On the posh end of the spectrum is the Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake Brownie. The name says it all.

It finishes off with metric conversions and a few more tempting color photographs, then an extensive index. The book is well presented and has everything the aspiring baker needs to know to make an impressive array of brownies. I'll certainly be trying my hand at some!