Where Is Your Bookmark: A Peek Into The Berlin Letters & More Friday Fun

I 

A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the amazing Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

East Berlin Germany
Sunday, August 13, 1961

The jangling telephone broke into her dreams.  

As Haris climbed from bed with a groan, Monica felt the cool air touch her skin. Today would be another hot day, but it wasn't hot yet. It wasn't fully light yet. It was too dark for calls or climbing from the bed. Too dark for anything but sleep. [opening of prologue of The Berlin Letters]

and 

Arlington, Virginia
Friday, November 3, 1989

While seemingly complex, codes, ciphers, cryptograms, or whatever you choose to call them, are deceptively simple. Once you crack them. [opening of Chapter One of The Berlin Letters]

The prologue opens with a phone ringing in the early hours of the morning, too early, which is rarely good. Unfortunately for Monica and Haris, there day is about to get a lot worse. And then in the first chapter, we jump to the future, to a scene that sets a different tone but is no less intriguing. What sort of code are we about to break, I wonder? 

A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Our wonderful host Freda of Freda's Voice is on a break, and Anne of My Head is Full of Books  has stepped in to host! 

My heart races. I pop up and hold my hand out to him. "I don't have the letters with me, but I'll bring them into work tomorrow. I--" The lie comes easily to my lips. "I don't feel so well."

He stands and takes my hand. He holds it a moment longer, as if he's offering me condolences or some sort of gift. I resist pulling away. "Take the rest of the day. We'll talk first thing tomorrow. Back at our offices."

"Yes, sir, Thank you." With that he escorts me back to the lobby. I stay calm and I keep my steps measured.

Until I'm out of his sight. [excerpt from 49% of The Berlin Letters] 

Sounds like a tense situation, doesn't it? I am just past this moment in the novel and am anxious to find out what Luisa plans to do next. 

The Berlin Letters is a compelling read so far, and I was disappointed that I had to work through my lunch breaks the last few days and was unable to pick it up and read more. I wasn't alive when the Berlin Wall went up, but I was for its fall. It is one of those moments that is cemented in my memory. I am enjoying the dual timelines and look forward to seeing how the author brings everything together. 

The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay

Near the end of the Cold War, a CIA code breaker discovers a symbol she recognizes from her childhood, which launches her across the world to the heart of Berlin just before the wall comes tumbling down.

November 1989 —After finding a secret cache of letters with intelligence buried in the text, CIA cryptographer Luisa Voekler learns that not only is her father alive but he is languishing in an East German Stasi jail. After piecing together the letters with a series of articles her grandfather saved, Luisa seeks out journalists Bran Bishop and Daniel Rudd. They send her to the CIA, to Andrew Cademan—her boss.

Luisa confronts Cademan and learns that nothing is a coincidence, but he will not help her free her father. So she takes matters into her own hands, empties her bank account, and flies to West Berlin. As the adrenaline wears off and she recognizes she has no idea how to proceed, Luisa is both relieved and surprised when a friend shows up with contacts and a rudimentary plan to sneak her across the wall.

Alternating storylines between Luisa and her father, The Berlin Letters shows the tumultuous early days of the wall, bringing Berlin, the epicenter of the Cold War, to life while also sharing one family’s journey through secrets, lies, and division to love, freedom, and reconciliation. [Goodreads Summary]

Does this sound like something you would enjoy? If you have read it, what did you think?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Have you kept any hobbies you started during the pandemic? 

I remember hearing about people who were able to take up new hobbies and projects during the early part of the pandemic, during the lockdown, but that was not me. I still had to work every day, including putting in lots of overtime because my office was so short staffed (not pandemic related). Schools in the state were mostly virtual at that time, and so Mouse's schooling was all online. She was in elementary school, and so I often had to juggle parenting and working at the same time on the days I was able to work from home, which was sometimes very challenging given the demands of my job. Her daycare was connected to the school and was closed--so that wasn't an option. Daycares in general were pretty scarce around that time. On the days I went into the office, my husband, who was working from home, had to do the juggling. We were lucky Mouse wasn't younger--I really felt for my coworkers and friends who had very young children and were trying to make it all work. Mouse was at least old enough to be somewhat independent. 

For fun, one of my coworkers put little masks on various figurines at her desk in the office.

 She was kind enough to add them to mine too! 

(back when I still had my own desk) 

I may not have picked up any new hobbies, but my blogging picked up a bit the first couple of years of the pandemic and I never stopped reading. Mouse still had her extracurricular activities--just virtually. She even performed virtually in a musical and ballet put on by her former dance studio! Her Girl Scout troop got very creative in the activities they did, dropping supplies for various art and science projects on the front porch, and they would have meetings via Zoom. Mouse took virtual piano lessons, attended theater and art classes online. And even attended a virtual spy camp! Mouse is really the one who got the opportunity to try out things she might not have otherwise, not me and my husband. My husband and I tried to make being cooped up fun for her. We took part in drive by birthdays and Mouse and her friends would occasionally leave little presents for each other at each others doors, and wave and chat a little from a safe distance outside. There was the occasional outdoor playdate later in the lockdown with people in our "bubble," who we knew hadn't been around anyone others and weren't sick. Our weekends and evenings didn't change much. We were still able to visit the park and take walks around the neighborhood. Mouse got to go trick-or-treating one Halloween inside our house, visiting each room where she found a stuffed animal passing out candy. While I missed my alone time which became nonexistent, one of the best benefits of that time was being able to spend more time with my husband and daughter. We were already close, but that time brought us even closer.

The rare can of Lysol was treated like royalty in our house. 

At the time it was next to impossible to find in the stores. 

My family and I have maintained certain safety precautions we began at the start of the pandemic, including wearing masks in certain high risk situations. My agency still has a pandemic protocol in place for all employees, although it isn't as strict now as it once was. I am lucky that my employer still allows many of us in my office to continue working a hybrid schedule, part of the time from home and the other part in the physical office. Staff rotate in and out of the office, so there are still not a lot of us in the office at one time (these days not because of the pandemic--it's more a space issue now). I had my own desk pre-pandemic and now I desk share with several other supervisors. While I have to go into the office more often now than I did during the lockdown, I am grateful it is still an option. My husband started working from home full-time at the start of the pandemic, which he loves (no long commute!). Mouse and I try not to feel too jealous.

Did you start any new hobbies during the pandemic that you continue today?

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

July is the month for reading by the pool or on the beach. What's your favorite summer beach book, and why is it suitable for a sunny day? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

For me, a beach book is a state of mind and not the book itself. Whatever I am in the mood to read is the perfect "beach read". But can we change the location, please? I rarely have access to a pool and am not really the kind of person who likes to sit on the beach under the hot sun. I love the ocean, don't get me wrong, but in more of a romantic evening walk along the water's edge or checking out the niche shops along the boardwalk kind of way. I would much prefer being in the mountains, surrounded by trees, and, even better, by a lake.  

What about you? Are you a beach person or perhaps you like the mountains like me? Do you have a favorite "beach" read? 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading!

---

© 2024 Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.