Another September has come and gone – and with it, four more books.

Book 1: Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre

This is one wild tale – and it’s a true story:

Still a year away from D-Day, the masterminds at Britain’s MI5 were determined to dream up a scheme to convince Hitler that the Allies had changed their plans regarding Italy.

The team – including future Bondsman Ian Fleming – came up with a plan that was so detailed and twisted that they knew it just might work …

This book is so well researched and so well told, you might even want to skip the Operation Mincemeat movie. Or the Broadway musical. Then again, you might find yourself obsessed with gobbling up each and every morsel of Mincemeat you can find.

Book 2: Leadership Lessons with The Beatles by Shantha Mohan

While pondering a congratulatory gift for son James, who began a new job last week, I came across this book:

It popped up in the bio of a woman I happily follow on BlueSky, the only social media I frequent these days. Shantha posts lovely photos of flowers from her walks … along with lyrics from Beatles songs. When I saw that she wrote a business guide with a Beatles theme for each chapter, I ordered it for the youngest of my three Beatles-loving sons. (Thanks, James, for letting me read your gift before you headed north.)

This book makes me sad, though, because it would have been perfect for a fellow Fab Four fan who died unexpectedly in 2010 at only 48 years old. He was a one-in-a-million boss who would surely have set up a Book Study over the winter months to improve our management skills and introduce the younger crowd to the best music ever written.

Book 3: Yesterday, Today & Forever by Maria von Trapp

This is a lovely look at how Maria helped her children to fully understand Bible stories.

She presents the story of Mary and Joseph’s desperate escape from the dangers following Christ’s birth using practical terms. She then compares the Holy Family fleeing from King Herod to the von Trapp family’s escape from the Nazis. Next, she challenges the reader to apply the struggle to current times.

Thanks to my cousin Suzie, who sent me this thoughtful book following a visit to the von Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont.

Book 4: Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

This is the first book I’ve read by Thomas “Far from the Madding Crowd” Hardy. Dad must have been quite a fan, as I’ve got about a dozen Hardy volumes keeping each other company in our library.

This story is simple. Boy meets girl. Farmer meets girl. Vicar meets the same girl. The girl is also the town’s new teacher and church organist. I’m not sure you could call a Victorian novel like this a nail-biter, but I did catch myself cursing her aloud when it appeared the “girl” made the wrong choice. I’ll be reading more Hardy in future months …

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