Jim's (drneutron's) 2023 Reading, Chapter 3

I'm Jim, 60, husband of 37 years, father of a son gainfully employed creating our robot overlords, who reads pretty much anything. We're in central Maryland with roots in Louisiana. I like to read (obviously), cook, trail bike riding/kayaking with mrsdrneutron, and want to learn to fly fish. Of course, LT is a big time sink, but mrsdrneutron seems to have come to terms with my LT addiction...

1. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
2. The Black Hand: The Epic War Between a Brilliant Detective and the Deadliest Secret Society in American History by Stephan Talty
3. Sugar Street by Jonathan Dee
4. Desperate Remedies: Psychiatry’s Turbulent Quest to Cure Mental Illness by Andrew Scull
5. Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
6. Babel, Or, The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R. F. Kuang
7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
8. The Greatest Invention: A History of the World in Nine Mysterious Scripts by Silvia Ferrara

9. Captain Carter: Woman out of Time by Jamie McKelvie
10. Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational by Michael Shermer
11. The Sinner by Petra Hammesfahr
12. The Red Sea Scrolls: How Ancient Papyri Reveal the Secrets of the Pyramids by Mark Lehner
13. The January 6 Report by The January 6 Select Committee
14. Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart
15. A Brief History of Singapore and Malaysia: Multiculturalism and Prosperity: The Shared History of Two Southeast Asian Tigers (Brief History of Asia Series) by Christopher Hale
16. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
17. The World Itself: Consciousness and the Everything of Physics by Ulf Danielsson
18. Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage by Jeff Guinn
19. The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
20. Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan
21. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
22. Code Name Blue Wren: The True Story of America's Most Dangerous Female Spy--And the Sister She Betrayed by Jim Popkin
23. The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and their Creators by Martin Edwards
24. Uncommon Measure: A Journey Through Music, Performance, and the Science of Time by Natalie Hodges
25. Three Miles Down by Harry Turtledove

Total Books: 26

Author Gender
Male: 17 (68%)
Non-male: 8 (32%)

Author Status
Living: 23 (92%)
Dead: 2 (8%)

Publication Medium
Hardback: 8 (31%)
Trade: 5 (19%)
Mass Market: 1 (4%)
eBook: 12 (46%)

Category
Fiction: 14 (54%)
Nonfiction: 12 (46%)

Source
Library: 19 (73%)
Mine: 7 (27%)

ARC: 1
Re-Read: 2
Series: 3
Group Read: 0

Update Time!



26. Episode Thirteen by Craig Dilouie

Paranormal investigators from a reality TV show slipping in the ratings come across real paranormal phenomena in a haunted house. It tries to be The Blair Witch Project in book form - told in diary entries, TV shoot transcripts, emails - but as you can imagine, it would take quite a lot of talent to pull this off. And Dilouie isn't quite there. This sort of epistolatory storytelling can work very effectively (Dracula as a case in point!), but it's hard to believe people would take time out of a TV shoot with scary paranormal things going on to make diary entries.

Not bad, but don't expect too much.



27. The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy

If you like McCarthy, you'll like it. If not, you won't. I do.



28. The Last Invitation by Darby Kane

It's one of those woman-finds-out-secret-club-of-women-is-killing-bad-men books. Been done before, better, but kept me going to the end. Expect a slow burn with this one.

And open for business!

Happy new thread, Jim!

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Jim!

Happy New Thread, Jim! Happy reading!

Hi Jim, mate, Happy New Thread.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread!!

Happy new thread Jim!

Happy new one, Doc Roc.

Happy New thread

Thanks, everybody!

Happy New Thread, Jim!

Thanks, Arlie!

Happy new one, Jim. Also, happy to report you didn't cause my too-high-MtTBR two topple ;>

It's a beautiful day in LT's neighborhood, Jim. You, me, and others breaking ground for new new threads. I just know yours will be good.

Happy New Thread, Jim. Trying to catch on LT after our NOLA adventure. I will have to get to The Passenger at some point.

>20 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks! Gad to help with the TBR problem… 😀

>21 weird_O: 😀 Yeah, it’s been a steady flow of new threads.

>22 msf59: Pretty sure you’ll like it. I also have Stella Maris at home - gonna start it next, I think.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/349961

Happy new thread, Jim.

Thanks, Beth

Happy new thread, Jim.

Thanks, Thomas!

Happy new thread and

>29 Berly: 😀 And a pseudo-Friday for me since the missus and I are headed to Indiana in the morning to see The Kid for his birthday this weekend.

Even better!! Have fun!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350101

Thanks, Silver!

Happy new one, Jim!

>30 drneutron: Indiana! My old stomping grounds.

>30 drneutron:, >34 Crazymamie: Indiana! The home of my ancestors and most of my current relations :)

Happy new thread Jim!

>30 drneutron:, >35 RebaRelishesReading: And where I'll be going this summer (actually, in May). My sister moved up there last year, we're going to visit her (Fort Wayne).

We’re in South Bend - he’s done with grad school at Notre Dame, but has a job where he works from home for a start-up. He and the Daughter-in-Law-in-Waiting haven’t decided where they’re going to settle yet, so have a really nice apartment in SB for the time being.

>30 drneutron: Have a great trip!

Happy Saturday, Jim. Enjoy your time in the Midwest. At least you got here when the weather has been nice.

Back from our trip, Update Time!



29. A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske

Fair bit of fantasy, supposedly in the mold of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Not really, except for surface similarities. Despite a dragging middle section, the story was fine, the plotting was fine, the sex was fine. Yeah, I know these aren’t the most enthusiastic comments, but I’ll still pick up the second in the trilogy if it shows up on Overdrive.



30. We are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor

Re-listen as we were driving to/from Indiana. As good as ever, need to finish the reread in anticipation of the 4th book!



31. The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner

More interesting than the Marske, but still not top notch. Characters seemed flat and overly reactionary, and the Victorian setting just didn’t seem authentic. I hear her first was better, so will look for that one.

Oh man, and I've heard good things about both the Marske and the Penner. I'm sorry they weren't better for you.

Well, I would call them bad, just kinda average. Your mileage may vary. 😀

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350311

Thanks, Silver! Not with The Son this weekend, so I'll jump in.

Welcome home. Enjoy Bobiverse #4 when you get to it!

When are you going to read Bobiverse #4. I have a copy of that book and should get it read before I forget what was going on in the Bobiverse.

>46 Berly: Oh, I will! Mrsdrn got it on Audible, has been listening. She told me it was really good.

>47 benitastrnad: Sometime soon, though I'm debating continuing the reread first.

>48 drneutron: Hi Jim. Popped by in a moment of calm to see how the Indiana trip went and what you have been reading. Didn't get a sense of the trip but sure seems that a number of LT-ers hail from them parts.
Ducked the BBs this round ;)

The trip was great! We were able to surprise the son with a bowling party planned by the daughter-in-law-in-waiting, so got to meet a bunch of their friends. Plus, a nice day trip to a little town in Michigan on Lake Michigan.

Plus, I borrowed Curvature in Mathematics and Physics from him.😀

Update Time!



32. Three Assassins by Kotaro Isaka

Story of a former teacher caught up in Japan's criminal underworld and the three assassins maneuvering behind the scenes. I got interested in Isaka after watching Bullet Train, the sequel to Three Assassins, and was pleased to find a bit of a bizarre story well told with a terrific wrap-up. A bit of a Kafka vibe, with Suzuki tossed about by the events around him out of his control, a bit of Murakami's oddness.

Won't take me long to get to Bullet Train!



33. Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present by Frank M. Snowden

Snowden's Yale Open Course turned into a book where he looks at historical epidemics and how societies responded, public health-wise, economically, politically, socially. Good book that really digs into the various epidemics, with well-supported conclusions.

"Present" in the title is pre-COVID. So one interesting, but unplanned by the author, was in looking at the response to the pandemic in light of the history present here.

The Snowden book sounds interesting. I recently read The Ghost Map and found it fascinating, especially the ending chapter where the author talked about potential future epidemics/pandemics...

>41 drneutron: Thanks again for recommending We are Legion back then - I love the series - and my public library even had the fourth volume available for loan.
I already enjoy it.

>51 drneutron: I loved Bullet train and Three Assassins I already reserved it should be available soon.

Have a wonderful time.

>50 drneutron: Sounds like a fun trip! And you scored a book. :) Perfect.

>53 SirThomas: Another We Are Legion fan here!!

>52 katiekrug: Yeah, that one was good too. Read it pre-COVID, so maybe a reread is due in light of recent events.

Snowden's book is more academic study and less narrative nonfiction. Still very interesting to read, but he's more interested in drawing conclusions than telling a story. It's definitely worth a look.

>53 SirThomas: I think it was Richard who found them first? But as soon as I read the first, I was sold. 😀 I'm glad so many others have enjoyed them.

My copy of Three Assassins had a preview of the first chapter or two of Bullet Train. I was surprised to see that they are at least mildly connected - or at least the events of Three Assassins was mentioned.

>54 Berly: 😀 I checked his bookshelves and was pretty surprised at how many books of mine were on his shelves. So if he doesn't get it back, I'm not too concerned...

>41 drneutron: I really have to get back to the Bob-iverse! I have even obtained my own copies of the books, since I read the library’s copies my first time through. Very good reading.

Karen O

There is clearly a fan base for the Bobiverse books. I purchased all three of them during the COVID lockdown and quickly read them. When I was done I donated them to the UA Libraries. They were housed in the library in which I worked and I was amazed how often they were checked out. Most of the time they were going to Inter-Library Loan, which told me that there are fans out there who want to read them. I plan on making V. 4 my Memorial Day book.

>51 drneutron:
BB's for both books. Are you saying that Bullet Train is a TV show? Podcast? etc., etc.

Turns out I had both of them already in the gigantic TBR list. The Isaka books. I added the Snowden book to that every growing TBR list.

>56 klobrien2: Yep, yep!

>57 benitastrnad: Mrsdrneut is just about finished with book 4 on Audible. I need to reread or re-listen to number 2 and 3, then will jump into 4.

>58 benitastrnad: Bullet Train is on Netflix, at least, that's where I watched it. Might be on Amazon Prime Video as well.

>50 drneutron: Wow I'm so jealous! I've been waiting for the Curvature in Mathematics and Physics film to come out!! ;)

>60 hredwards: 😂 Yeah, I'm weird.

>61 drneutron: No you're not. Now if I didn't know what you did for a living that would be different.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350466

Thanks, Silver!

Hi Jim and happy new thread.

From your last thread:

I’m bleeding out from the Book Bullet wounds for The Red Sea Scrolls. I just went over to Amazon and bought a lovely new hardcover edition with the last of last month’s credit. It arrives tomorrow and may jump-start my non-fiction reading slump. Darn. This one hits all my buttons.

Yay for a meet up pic! I love your flamingo shirt and Nina looks wonderful.

Jim, you have homework – submit a paper so Janet and I and Karen can have a meet up next year in Bozeman.

I was going to add The Life of Crime to my wish list, but see that I already have it there from Mark in January.

>38 drneutron: I did not realize that The Son graduated, has a new job, and a fiancée. Very nice.

>65 karenmarie: I’ll definitely keep an eye out for a paper to submit! I’d love to do another meetup in Bozeman.

Glad you survived the BBs. 😀

Hi, Jim. I hope all is well. I am back from my various trips and I am looking forward to settling in at home for awhile. I have us reading The Three Musketeers this month. Are you still up for it? I plan on starting it in a week or so.

Sure! I have a hard copy from way back in my teen years, and I think it's also always available on Overdrive.

Hi Jim, writing to ask a favour, if you could talke a peep, only if it persists...
my thread has double numbered 2 people's post (#96 was okay) but 97 appears twice (and 98 is missing).
I posted afterwards and refreshed the browser. Still there so maybe I am bothering you about LT software glitches and not a 75-er group glitch (?)

Cheers on May Day!

>69 SandyAMcPherson: Left you a message on your thread - I don't see what you saw, so maybe it's fixed?

I loved the first two Bob books but just couldn’t finish the third. Perhaps it was my mood at the time, but it seemed to drag, and, about halfway through, I stopped listening and never went back to it. Maybe I’ll try again.

I also didn’t finish the Penner book and agree with your assessment.

Sorry the Bobs didn't work there at the end. Not everything works for every reader. But yeah, the Penner...

Hi there, Jim! Hope your day is treating you well. And, since I don’t think I’ve said it before, thank you! for administering the “75” group!

Karen O

Hi Jim! I've never read The Three Musketeers. If I didn't have quite so many library books checked out, I'd join you and Mark for sure. As it is, it sure is tempting ...

>73 klobrien2: My pleasure! Thanks for joining in.

>74 streamsong: Yeah, I'm gonna juggle a few things to make room. I've read it, but a very long time ago and it may have been an abridged children's version.

I've read it a couple times, and the sequels (which are good, but not as good). It's been a long time since I last read it...but I have no particular urge to pick it up again (I have too many books I _haven't_ read yet to get to!).

Update Time!



34. The Thing in the Snow by Sean Adams

Not at all what I expected - from the cover blurb, thought it would be a horror/monster kind of thing. Instead, it's a strong satire on corporate culture, the meaninglessness of modern life, the isolation we're more and more experiencing. And the second in a row with a pretty strong Kafka heritage. Given Adams' previous, The Heap, I shouldn't have been surprised. Having said that, this was a pretty good satirical and cynical work, one well worth spending some time with.



35. Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy

Parallel to The Passenger, and frankly, not one that'll make much sense without the previous. As with that one, if you like McCarthy, you'll like it. If not, probably not.



36. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

So I was pretty much guaranteed to like this one - naval exploration in the sail age, shipwrecks in desolate parts of the world, shipwrecked sailors descending into a Lord of the Flies situation - and indeed, Grann delivers.

One of my favorite narrative nonfiction authors tells the story of an ill-fated British expedition to traverse Cape Horn and surprise a Spanish treasure galleon off the coast of Chile. As might be expected, lots of things went wrong, and the Wager, a man-of-war in the fleet wrecks off what is now Isla Wager, Wager Island, with most of the crew left after scurvy and typhoid killed off more than half the crew. After nearly starving to death, and nearly killing each other, several parties arrived back in England with very different stories about what happened and who was to blame, including charge of murder against the captain and mutiny against several parts of the crew. A story hushed up by the British Navy at the time, but told in tell-all books at the time, it's a fascinating look at leadership failings, colonialism, and the horror of British naval service.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350624

Thanks, Silver!

Happy Sunday, Jim. Good news on The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder but not at all surprising. I think I will make it my next audio. FYI- I am starting Three Musketeers today.

BTW- I was able to see the Space X missile launch, while I was birding in Texas. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. My first time seeing any type of missile launch. Pretty impressive.

Cool! We interrupted a design review to watch it on livestream. Launches are definitely impressive, and Starship especially so because it’s so big.

Happy new thread, Jim! I have The passanger and it’s companion on my shelf. I like McCarthy and I think I will like these too. Hope to get to them this summer.

Excellent! They were really good, at least for me.

Well, I'm caught up here now and it sent me to Libby to add a couple of things too! (Three Assassins and The Wager)

Glad to hear The Three Musketeers grabbed you right away, Jim. I am enjoying it too. Currently at the 120 page mark. I am also liking "The Wager". Not far in yet.

Hi Jim!

>77 drneutron: I took a BB on The Wager on Mark's thread already, so a double endorsement.

>84 ursula: Great! Hope you like them.

>85 msf59: 😀

>86 karenmarie: Hiyah, Karen! Yep, it’s a good one.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350767

Update Time!



37. One Second After by William R. Forstchen

A friend recommended this post-apocalyptic as it's apparently "making the rounds at the Pentagon" as a look at what could happen after a nuclear burst above the atmosphere creates an EMP burst that knocks out electronics across the country. EMP is a thing, and this could really happen. And it would be really bad. But so could any number of things.

So how did Forstchen do? All in all... not bad. It's really reminiscent of Alas, Babylon, the grandaddy of this sort of thing, and so came across as nothing particularly new. But it was an involving story and pretty accurate, I think, in how people would react and how folks would respond. If this sort of thing is your jam, go for it.



38. All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas by Camilla Bruce

Loved, loved this imagining of the Benders, a serial-killing, mysterious family (?) who lived in Kansas in the late 19th Century. In essence, they popped up in eastern Kansas, opened a stop for travelers along one of the major trails across that territory, a bunch of travelers went missing, the Benders disappeared as the locals started getting suspicious. And that's pretty much all we know about them.

Camilla Bruce's novel takes that bare bones and fleshes it out into something horrific, imagining who these people might have been and why they might have done these things. Her characters are dead on, and the writing really pulled me into the story. Will be reading more of hers!

39. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Classic swashbuckling adventure story that held up well after all the years since I first read it. Thanks to Mark who suggested reading it again.



40. Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism--and What Comes Next by Bradley Onishi

Bradley Onishi converted to evangelical christianity as a young teen, diving deep into the culture before deeper study of religion at places like Oxford brought him out. And so, after January 6th's events at the US Capitol, he asked himself " Would I have been there?"

The answer is a fascinating and terrifying history of the rise of the radical Right and racist Christian nationalism from the John Birch Society to today. And the most scary thing? He concludes that it's not a question of whether something like J6 will happen again, but a question of when.

>90 drneutron: You got me with that one! No, not The Three Musketeers, which is already one of my all-time favorite books, and which I will re-read at some point. But it looks like I really need to read Preparing for War. I have been so disturbed by what's happening with the church in recent years--this looks like it addresses the issue.

HAppy ( almost) mid week!

I have to say that I have yet to read the Three Musketeers. I always mean to because I hear from a lot of great folks that it is a must read. I shall move this up on my list.

>91 atozgrl: It was definitely an interesting one, and the author seems to have an interesting story. I've also been disturbed by what's been happening in the evangelical churches over the last couple of decades. This one won't make you feel any better.

>92 figsfromthistle: Great! it was boatloads of fun.

>89 drneutron: Have to look for this! Sounds good! I read about them a while back.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/350931

>94 hredwards: Hope you like it!

>95 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>70 drneutron: yup. I thought I answered here, but maybe only on my thread...

>85 msf59: I've been chatting to Susan on her thread tonight about finding a decent (non-bowdlerized) verson. It is now my aim to find a 2018 edition translated by Lawrence Ellsworth.

>97 SandyAMcPherson: No worries - I assumed things were working again.

>98 SandyAMcPherson: Yeah, I hear it's good. I'll watch your thread to see what you think if you find it.

>99 drneutron: I'll make a note on the LT 'Notepad' to remind me to let you know. Might be awhile 'cause I'm not paying the fancy price for a hardcover! I've asked a friend at the Univ Education library to see if they can source it. My PL hasn't any plans to order it.

Here's the Memorial Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351075 edit to change the name

Holiday weekend, so I should get some reading done!

>102 drneutron: I forgot it was Memorial Day Weekend!

Done!

>104 drneutron: Thanks!

Update Time!



41. Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

Lehane's one of my favorite authors for his gritty depictions of Boston, and this one's no different: racial tension between Irish and black neighborhoods as the courts try to implement desegregation in schools, what appears to be a racially motivated murder, the Irish mob, a vengeful mother. Held me in my seat until the end!



42. Karma of the Sun by Brandon Ying Kit Boey

Post apocalyptic sf/fantasy informed by Tibetan Buddhist stories. Nicely done, definitely not a Western European approach to fantasy, so the pacing is different, the plot is different, than the run-of-the-mill sf/f.



43. The Word: On the Translation of the Bible by John Barton

Barton is a well-known lecturer and researcher into (Jewish/Christian) Bible textual analysis and translation at Oxford University. Here he treats the problems associated with trying to translate the Bible into other languages, though really, most of the issues he discusses are applicable to trying to translate any work. Quite interesting, includes a more formal analysis of translation models than I had realized, made me want to know more about the subject. He briefly addresses the problem of *which* Bible, given the nondefinitive source material, and also the problem of theological bias that probably doesn't creep into many other translation efforts. All in all, a nice intro to the problem and how modern translators approach their work.

Hi, Jim!

I'm glad to hear that the Lehane is good, since I recommended we order it for the library.

Love Lehane - gotta get me that one; and the Boey sounds intriguing.

On the last entry, I quite enjoyed Whose Bible Is It? - a little about translation and a little about bias - really good.

>107 scaifea: Oh yeah, I suspect it'll be popular.

>108 blackdogbooks: Yeah, I think the Lehane will be right up your alley. The Pelikan goes on the TBR... 😀

>107 scaifea: Oh, three appealing ones. The Barton especially is calling me right now.

Cool! Hope you enjoy them.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351187

Happy Birthday, Jim! I hope you are celebrating with a nice pour of bourbon and a tasty brew. Good news about Small Mercies. I am a Lehane fan.

Thanks! Mrsdrneutron took me out to one of our fave restaurants - had a Black Manhattan with some fish and chips!

Happy Birthday!

Sounds like you had a great one!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Jim!!!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Jim!

Happy Birthday!

Thanks, everybody!

Hi Jim, and Happy Birthday, one day late!

>89 drneutron: I’ve just borrowed One Second After from Kindle Unlimited. I may actually even read it – I love this kind of book.

>90 drneutron: The evangelical far right scares the crap out of me. I’m mostly burying my head in the sand, but have sent an email to Karen your recommendation for Preparing for War.

>106 drneutron: Two books for my wish list. Karen and I are reading The Making of Biblical Womanhood, which includes deliberate and accidental mistranslations of the Bible into English. Interesting about which Bible, too – I currently have 51 Bibles on my shelves, some family, some just New Testament, many different translations.

>114 drneutron: Nice that Mrsdrneutron took you to a fave restaurant.

>123 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen!

One Second After was a decent read - it's a pretty realistic picture of the result of a big EMP attack. Haven't read the sequels yet, but probably will at some point.

I'll have to look up The Making of Biblical Womanhood - sounds like something I'd get into.

Happy Late Birthday!!

>125 hredwards: Thanks!

Sorry I missed your birthday, Jim. I was up to my ears in birthday/graduation hubbub on Saturday. My two oldest granddaughters, twins, turned 22 on Saturday, and that was the day their younger sister graduated from high school. Lots of family making merry. Your dinner out with just your wife sounds grand.

No worries - I saw the pics on your thread. Looks like a very merry time!

Happy belated birthday, Jim!

Thanks, Nora!

Happy belated, Jim! Sounds like it was a good one.

Happy belated birthday, Jim.

>131 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! It was a good one. Honestly, these days, I'd rather spend time with loved ones than get presents. SO it was just right.

>132 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!

Happy belated birthday!!

Thanks, Greg!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351336

Happy belated birthday wishes and wishing you a great year ahead.

Thanks, Kristel!

Mrsdrneutron has been away visiting her sister since Tuesday, which means... I got some reading done!

Update Time!



44. Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka

Saw the movie on Netflix, which started me on this Isaka adventure, and now here's the end! Honestly, one of the rare time I enjoyed the movie better, but the book is still a good follow-on to Three Assassins. Isaka has a style and wit that I love, very different from US authors, more Murakami. Give it a try, but start with the first.



45. The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce

Loved her latest, s went looking on Overdrive for more, The Witch in the Well came up. This one's an oddly laid out, but decent, epistolatory novel that bounced back and forth between two unlikeable characters in conflict. Plus a witch in a well! Nicely done, but not my fave of the year.

46. Tales of Sley House 2022 by Trevor Williamson, ed.

A collection of new or relatively unknown authors of sometimes pretty good horror fiction. The shtick introducing the sections of the collection was pretty eye-rolling, but most of the stories themselves were well done. Recommended for those who enjoy a horrific turn!



47. A Wizard of Earthsea By Ursula K. Le Guin

A re-read, of course, but its been a very long time. I was looking for something short and engaging for a few hours on Saturday afternoon, and this one popped up on my Overdrive wishlist. I'd forgotten how good she was at world-building - easily in a class with the best. Now to finish the series...

>140 drneutron: That's the problem with wanting a quick read and going to an old favorite...it so often turns into a series reread. What a terrible problem to have...

>141 jjmcgaffey: I know, right? 😀

>140 drneutron: Really pretty much the best. Well Gene Wolfe is way up there. And Tolkien, but I think Le Guin and Wolfe were better writers, but for world building those 3.

>143 quondame: I'd agree with that. Le Guin is definitely better than Tolkien, though I'm a fan of both. Well, really, all three.

>141 jjmcgaffey: >142 drneutron: A terrible fate. ;-)

>145 ArlieS: 😀

Just gonna leave it at choose your hiking buddies carefully...

>147 drneutron: Hmmmm....

>147 drneutron: lol

>147 drneutron:, lol, very good observation

>147 drneutron: - lol!

>147 drneutron: That's too funny, Jim!

>147 drneutron: I love it!

Happy Wednesday, Jim. I hope those books are treating you good.

>148 laytonwoman3rd:, >149 RebaRelishesReading:, >150 Kristelh:, >151 jessibud2:, >152 lauralkeet:, >153 msf59:

Saw it on Facebook ebook, couldn't resist.

>153 msf59:
Yup, reading some good ones these days. I'm wondering if I should pick up some McCarthy next, though.

>147 drneutron: Ha! This reminds me of a recent tweet from the National Park Service (which has an A+ social media manager):

>155 rosalita: Bwa-ha-ha!! I love this!

>147 drneutron: >155 rosalita: Oh yeah. Adventures in the great outdoors.

>155 rosalita:, love it

>147 drneutron: That's hilarious! >155 rosalita: is also good too! Thanks for giving me a good laugh today.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351550

Thanks, Silver!

Finished the Pride Treasure Hunt in about an hour - this one seemed easier than some of previous treasure hunts. Anyway, still fun!

>139 drneutron: Bullet train sounds like a good one. I quite enjoy Murakami so perhaps Isaka is right up my alley.

>147 drneutron: HA!

>162 drneutron: Did not know that there is a treasure hunt going on. I got all of them in the last hunt but yet to receive my badge........

Yeah, it takes Tim a bit to get round to posting them.:

Happy Sunday, Jim. Happy Father's Day. I am mulling over reading The Passenger, in honor of McCarthy's passing.

Happy Dad's Day, Doc Roc.

>165 msf59: I am just finishing off No Country for Old Men in memory of Cormac McCarthy.

Agree that leGuin's Wizard of Earthsea are wonder full world building and glorious fun..

Anybody see the sy-fi channel dramatization? any good?

>165 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I’m going to do a reread of The Road soon in honor too. If you read The Passenger, read Stella Maris soon after to get the full effect. They definitely go together.

>166 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! See above - I probably won’t stop with The Road. I love No Country for Old Men!

>167 magicians_nephew: oh, I’d forgotten that! I wonder if my library has it on DVD.

>167 magicians_nephew:, >168 drneutron: The SciFi Channel adaptation "Earthsea" is kind of bad but in a very fun way. It does adapt the first 3 books, though, not just A Wizard of Earthsea so watch out for spoilers if you haven't read that far :-)

Sounds worth checking out. Reread for me, so spoilers aren't a problem. 😀

>77 drneutron: - This week (and every other week for the past month and half or so) I have been cleaning at a house where the husband is reading The Wager. I've been sorely tempted to sneak a peek at it to see if it is something I want to read. And now, with your recommendation, I don't have to risk being caught doing some illicit snooping. It looks like a good one! Thanks, Jim!

>171 Fourpawz2: My pleasure! It's a good one.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351696

Update time!



48. The Chapel of Retribution by Glenn Burwell

The first-time-author effect makes what is an interesting idea a rather middle of the road mystery. The issues of housing affordability, development, and what makes liveable communities are real ones, and the author brings a career’s worth of experience in the field to the work. But characters I couldn’t connect with and dialog that came across as writing rather than speaking made it less enjoyable. Still, there’s room for growth and I hope he keeps going!



49. The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

Loved it! Characters, plotting, mystery, reveal, all my jam. I hear differing opinions on it, but for me it worked.



50. Ascension by Nicholas Binge

A mysterious mountain appears in the middle of the Pacific, and a group of scientists are sent to investigate. Some Lovecraftian references, a good does of horror tropes, and whiz-bang playing with time and space!

New author for me, and apparently all of the US. Binge is Scottish, this one’s advertised as his first book in the US, and man, do I hope there’s more.

>174 drneutron: glad to see you enjoyed The Twyford Code. I thought it was really well done.

>175 bell7: Yep!

>174 drneutron: Ascension looks interesting, Jim. I must admit to not having heard of it.

>177 PaulCranswick: was definitely a new one for me. Looks like there’s an earlier novel on LT, I’m looking for it.

Update Time!



52. Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier

Classic tale of ship wrecking, smuggling, murder, and more! Gothic-y and engrossing. One of my faves.



53. Consumption and Other Vices by Tyler Dempsey

Tagged it “what did I just read?" Dempsey’s trip through psychedelics and murder is, well, trippy. And nonlinear. And bizarre. I enjoyed the diversion, but it never quite reached its promise.

Here's the Fourth of July readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/351865#n8176378

We watched Rebecca on TV the other night. I read a lot of DuMaurier many, many, many years ago and enjoyed revisiting her. Should probably reread some of them too.

>179 drneutron: I don't think I ever read that one. Of course, if I pick it up, I may find myself remembering...

>140 drneutron: If you can find a copy, Studio Ghibli released a great anime film called "Tales of Earthsea"...in 2006, I think. It's a great movie based on the first four books in the series.

>180 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>181 RebaRelishesReading:, >182 laytonwoman3rd: Hadn’t thought about Jamaica Inn in years, but saw this new addition on the library’s new book shelf and couldn’t resist. We’ll worth reading, Linda!

>183 ocgreg34: ooo, gonna try to find it!

ETA: It’s on HBO Max, I think, which we have!

Hi, Jim! Hope you’re having a great summer so far!

>174 drneutron: I’ve taken BBs on two of these. One is on hold at the library; the other is in my hot little hands (virtually speaking). Thanks!

>185 Storeetllr: awesome!

Hi Jim. I've never read a Daphne du Maurier book, but I love Gothic books. Glad you enjoyed it.

I just read a sort of "biography" of Du Maurier. Manderley Forever by Tatiana de Rosnay. It was originally written in French and then translated into English and I found the style of it very difficult and different to read. It gave the basics and the facts of Du Maurier's life but it certainly wasn't a standard academic biography. However, it did renew my enthusiasm for rereading, and reading for the first time, some of her books. I have a copy of Frenchman's Creek on the shelf and hope to get that read this summer.

>179 drneutron: Even without ever quite reaching its promise, psychedelics and murder sent me to Libby where my library unfortunately didn't have it. <sad face>

>187 The_Hibernator: Yep! If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend Rebecca.

>188 benitastrnad: interesting. Apparently, Du Maurier was injured in a horse-riding accident and stayed for a few days at the real Jamaica Inn. The stories she heard there of smugglers and shipwreckers inspired the book. I checked Maps and the inn is still there, though it looks like it could be pretty touristy.

So I’m interested in learning more about her life.

>189 ursula: It was a ER book, so may be hard to find. I’ll see if I can find the author’s website info.

>190 drneutron: I can imagine at the time that Jamaica Inn was very isolated, but these days it's off the main A30 road into Cornwall and not isolated at all. So, yes, very touristy.

>184 drneutron: HBOMax has a Studio Ghibli hub. That's where I watched it. 8-)

Margaret Forster wrote a bioigraphy of DuMaurier that I read some years ago. It was pretty good.

Just saying "hi" as I make my rounds of catching up.

>191 SandDune: when I read something like this I often search locations out on Maps, and was happy to see a lot of the locations described in the book. I saw that the inn is right on what looked like a major route, but couldn’t tell much than that. Their website certainly played up the Du Maurer connection. 😀

>192 ocgreg34: Cool! I’m planning to watch one evening when the Son and Daughter-in-Law are visiting friends - they’ve come from Indiana foe the week.

>193 Fourpawz2: Do you remember which one?

>194 thornton37814: Hi!

>195 drneutron: - It was Daphne duMaurier: The Secret Life of the Renowned Storyteller which sounds a bit tabloid-esque, but I remember it as being good.

I have been binge watching Star Trek Discovery and am on season 4. In this season they are dealing with a rogue planet eating system of some kind. The longer I watched I kept thinking that I have heard this story before. I finally figured it out - it is the plot of book 3 in the Bobiverse series!

>197 benitastrnad: That's actually a spin on the classic series episode The Doomsday Machine, from the second season.

And similar to one of the Bobiverse plots!

Happy New Thread , Jim! You got an amazing amount of reading done with your wife away.I've never read The Jamaica Inn, if you can believe it. I'll put in on my wishlist.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/352063

Thanks, Silver!