Jim's (drneutron's) Awesome Reading: Book 2

I'm Jim, 62, husband of 39 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 ride/kayak with mrsdrneutron, and want to learn to fly fish and sail. There's probably bourbon somewhere in there too. Of course, LT is a big time sink, but mrsdrneutron seems to have come to terms with my LT addiction...

1. Beneath London by James P. Blaylock
2. The Princess Bride: S Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman
3. The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans
4. And He Shall Appear by Kate van der Borgh
5. The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa
6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Total Books: 6

Author Gender
Male: 4 (67%)
Female: 2 (33%)
Nonbinary: 0 (0%)

Author Status
Living: 5 (83%)
Dead: 1 (17%)

Publication Medium
Hardback: 1 (17%)
Trade: 3 (50%)
Mass Market: 0 (0%)
eBook: 2 (33%)

Category
Fiction: 5 (83%)
Nonfiction: 1 (17%)

Source
Library: 3 (50%)
Mine: 3 (50%)

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

And an update to catch us up!



4. And He Shall Appear by Kate van der Borgh

A Cambridge student falls under the spell of a fellow student that may or may not be able to actually do magic, especially to punish people who offend him. Nice dark academia (moderately) scary story that was fun and a good break from my heavier reading.



5. The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa

Both a love letter to books and a dive into the dystopia of modern politics, Bothayna Al-Essa has managed to create a marvelous and heartbreaking story of a reader to remind us of how much we need imagination. This one’s a must-read!



6. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Wow. I never imagined how much this one would be un-put-down-able. Dumas is a master of plotting. Thanks to Mark for getting us going on this one!

Happy new one, Jim!

Mamie put the Al-Essa novel on my list but I'm glad it's got your endorsement too.

Happy New Thread.

BB for the Al-Essa.

>1 drneutron: you know there are worse addictions we could have, right? ;)

Happy new thread, Jim!

Happy new thread, Jim!

The Book Censor's Library is already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy new thread, Jim!

>5 katiekrug: You definitely need to read it!

>6 mahsdad: 😀 Well, at least it's cheap!

>7 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

>8 alcottacre: Great! You need to read it too. Best ER book I've gotten in a while.

>9 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks, Dejah!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread!

>12 figsfromthistle:, >13 elorin: Thanks, Anita and Robyn!

Happy new thread Jim.

Monte Cristo did a number on me a few years back. I absolutely loved it from the main characters to the side characters, and their stories, it is compelling literature.

Happy new thread. Off to a great start.

Happy thread #2, Jim!

Happy New Thread, Jim. I loved the Book Censor's Library as well. You are right; it is a must read.

>4 drneutron: Count of Monte Cristo must be the ultimate classic revenge story. I just watched the 8-episode-long new adaptation by Bille August. I'm curious about how much they altered as I can't really remember some of the specifics. But it was nice to watch one that has a good time to tell the story.

You’re off to,a great start this year, Jim, with two threads already.

I absolutely love The Count of Monte Cristo. It has something for everyone. In general I have difficulty with French literature, but that was a true winner for me.

>15 ArlieS: Thanks, Arlie!

>16 brodiew2: Yep!

>17 Kristelh:, >18 Carmenere: Thanks, Kristel and Lynda!

>19 BLBera: I was surprised - frankly, the ER selections are usually decent enough, but not great. This one was a treat.

>20 ctpress: yeah, I’ve been wondering about adaptations. I’ll look for that one!

>21 Matke: Thanks, Matke! I’ve not had that much exposure to French literature in general, sommaybe I need to pick up more. 😀

Happy new thread, Jim!

>4 drneutron: I have been meaning to read TCOMC for a very long time. Maybe this will spur me.

Do you ready fantasy? Steven Brust? He did a fantasy parody of TCOFM called The Baron of Magister Valley set in his Dragaera universe. It’s also a romp. Brust loves Dumas and did an entire series based on The Three Musketeers. Which you may very well know …

Happy new one, Jim! So glad you loved The Book Censor's Library as much as I did.

>24 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene!

>25 scvlad: The series I know, but hadn't heard of Baron. Definitely one to check out!

>26 Crazymamie: 😀 It was a good one!

Happy New Thread!

Thanks Silver!

Happy New Thread Jim, mate.

Thanks, John!

Happy new thread

Thanks, Rhonda!

Merry second-thread holiday! Which book are you buying to celebrate the sacred holiday?

>34 richardderus: Picked up a copy of House of Leaves the other day - maybe now I can spend enough time to understand it. 😀

Happy new one, DocRoc.

Thanks, Paul!

Happy New Thread!!

Thanks, Harold!

I didn't say Happy New Thread? I did, I know I did. I guess I forgot to hit the *post* button (see what happens when you get old?). So, Happy New Thread!

Thanks, Shelley! I'm with you on the getting old...

Happy new one, Jim. Interesting looking reading reported up top...but I'm going to try hard to resist and make a little progress on Mt. TBR instead.

>42 RebaRelishesReading: Completely understandable! 😀

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/368071

Happy New Thread, Jim. I am so glad you had such a good time with Monte Cristo. I think everyone had a fine time with it. Have a great weekend.

>44 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>45 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I think the Count was a hit all the way around. I'd join you in the Wilkie Collins, but I read it a few years back and I have a couple of chunksters I'd like to get through next month. I'm keeping an eye on your list, though!

Hi Jim! I heard most federal employees got an email asking them if they wanted to opt in to a resignation package. Did they do that to you?

I'm not a federal employee, that goodness. I work for a research division of Johns Hopkins University that builds and operates missions on NASA and other government contracts. So it's still a bit murky how some of the executive orders impact us, but at least I'm safe from that. I also have the benefit of being pretty near retirement, and can go any time I need to. 😀

I do have a lot of friends that are federal and the feelings about the offer are pretty mixed.

>47 The_Hibernator: >48 drneutron:

FWIW, I've *also* heard that the method of compensating those employees offered in that letter is probably illegal. Federal employees can't be put on paid suspension for 8 months. And who knows whether these rules can or will be changed in time to apply here. Depending how the offer is arranged, there may be a good chance of finding one's resignation accepted, but the 8 months of salary not paid.

You're undoubtedly fiscally smart enough to notice that sort of thing, or to check what isn't said in whatever letter you get, and avoid being caught by this. But I still couldn't resist mentioning it.

Edit to add: our posts crossed. Never mind.

Glad you aren't a federal employee.

Update Time!



7. The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

A group of college friends are reunited some years later at an Alfred Hitchcock themed hotel created by one of them. There's, of course, some creepy things, some payback time, and a body. But whose? And why? And how does it link back to their final days in college when everything fell apart?

Light, but engaging mystery/creepy thing. I enjoyed it!



8. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

Third in the Earths series - and a reread from years ago. Now I can move on to Tehanu and the later books!



9. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

I never finished the trilogy, but when I started the third recently, I realized I had forgotten too much. So I went back to the first, am starting the second, and *then* maybe, I can enjoy the third! 😀

I loved this and the second the first time I read them, and it definitely held up on reading it again.

>50 drneutron:
I have the first 2 of the Foundryside books, so maybe I should try and get them read sometime soon.

Happy new thread Jim! And gong xi fa cai.

>51 benitastrnad: Yes, you should!

>52 humouress: happy new year!

Happy new thread!
The Hitchcock Hotel sounds interesting! Onto the list it goes!

Thanks!

I enjoyed it, hope you do too.

Happy New Thread, Jim.
I also have very fond memories of The Count of Monte Cristo...

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/368250

Thanks, Silver!

Update Time!



10. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

I'm usually a Hendrix fan, big time, but this one just didn't work for me. I don't know why - mostly I just didn't connect with the story, I suppose. It's just that at times I found myself wishing he would get to the point.

Ah well, every reader has a miss once in a while!



11. City on Fire by Don Winslow

This one, on the other hand, was fabulous! Winslow's take on a war between Irish and Italian mob families in Providence, Rhode Island, really worked for me. Reminded me of the best of Dennis Lehane.

And what's in the works? I'm taking a new approach this year - I've got multiple books going instead of my habit of one paper, one ebook at a time. So what's in progress?

The Third Reich in Power - second in Richard J. Evans' historical analysis of the Nazis in, in this case, 1932 - 1939. It's a hefty one, and weighty too, so I'm taking it in chunks.

An Academy for Liars - Dark academia by Alexis Henderson. Harry Potter for adults, so far!

The Horse, the Wheel, and Language by David W. Anthony - reread of his work on understanding the origins of proto-Indo-European from a combination of historical linguistics and archaeology.

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett. This one's my going-to-bed read - a chapter before lights out to relax to get me ready for finally finishing the trilogy.

That's a most impressive list, Jim!! I hope Shorefall doesn't fail you :)

<61 I'm enjoying my reread - and it's a great way to get the day out of my head before going to sleep. 😀

>62 drneutron: Getting a clear head before sleep is important and often difficult, especially for working folks. Glad this is working for you.

>63 RebaRelishesReading: 😀

Hi Jim. Thanks for the great review regarding The Book Censor's Library . It is now on my TBR list.

I always read at least 10 minutes in bed before I go to sleep. It helps me to set aside all that busyiness and relax.

>65 Whisper1: Great! I hope you like it.

>66 benitastrnad: I’m more like 30 minutes, but yeah, it’s a nice way to let go.

I've got The Horse, the Wheel, and Language, but I haven't started it yet. Definitely this year, though.

I hope you've enjoyed the weekend, Jim!

Been a good one so far!

Oh fearless leader , Jim, I have misremembered my new thread as thread 1 when I should have been thread number 2. Please fix it for me when you have the chance. Thanks , Jim.

And Happy New Thread!

Done!

>60 drneutron: Interesting list. I used to read one book at a time but this year I have different books depending on where I am reading ( lunch break, before bed and so on) It has been working well for me so far.

I have not heard about An Academy for liars It will be interesting to read what you think about it.

Happy rest of the week.

>72 figsfromthistle: I'm enjoying it so far. Definitely not YA. 😀

Hello, Jim! You got me with City on Fire - "Reminded me of the best of Dennis Lehane." was all you needed to say.

>74 Crazymamie: Heh. I wondered if somebody would run with that.

>72 figsfromthistle:
I also read by location. I have a book in the car, one by my computer, one next the couch, and one on the nightstand. I don't seem to have any trouble tracking the different books. Eventually one will grab me and that will be my main book until another flashy jewel comes along. But, I generally finish any of the books that I start - just finish them at different speeds.

Here's the Valentine's Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/368424

Update Time!



12. An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

One-liner: Harry Potter for adults - sort of.

Lennon Carter is a mess - and just when she's at rock bottom, she gets a mysterious invitation to examine for a college no one's ever heard of to study Persuasion - magic - the art of convincing people, and reality itself, to bend to your will.

This one's dark, dark academia. The characters are unlikeable, the story leans pretty far towards outright horror. But surprisingly, I liked it - the pacing's a little slow, but I enjoyed the unfolding of the plot and where it landed. I'll recommend this one with some cautions: it gets gruesome at times, and you won't find many heroes here.



13. How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive: A Novel by Craig Dilouie

A hack slasher-movie director in the 80s finds a cursed camera that kills that he want to use to make a masterpiece of horror. A wanna-be actress wants to be the Final Girl and become a star. The camera just wants to take as many souls as it can...

This one's clearly a love letter to 80s slasher movies - your Friday the 13ths, Halloweens, etc. And Dilouie pulled some strong Grady Hendrix strings here. Yeah, it's horror, so there are some grisly (and really unlikely) deaths, but the touches of humor, the inside baseball approach to making a movie, the superb characters really make this one a solid recommendation.

>78 drneutron: I might've been book-bulleted by those...I'll see which one ambushes me with a sale first.

>78 drneutron:
Your description of An Academy of Liars as dark, dark academia is the way I described Leigh Bardugo's books Ninth House and Hell Bent. There is some grizzly stuff in there. I felt the same about Libba Bray's second series The Diviners - they were really horror novels, even if they were set in a school.

>79 richardderus: It's nice to be on the sending side of the BBing for once!😀

>80 benitastrnad: Yep, Ninth House is very much in line with it. Haven't read Hell Bent, but I guess I should!

Hi, Jim. You got me with City on Fire. I have not read Winslow in a few years. We are going to do a shared read of The City and Its Uncertain Walls in May, if you would like to join us. It is currently 7 bucks on Kindle. I grabbed a copy. Just sayin'...

>93 Whisper1: Yeah, I've been wanting to read it, so will definitely join you.

>84 drneutron: YAH!!

>78 drneutron: I already have the Craig DiLouie on deck for (probably) March, so it's good to see an endorsement. Looking forward to it!

>86 swynn: I really enjoyed that one, hope you do too!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/368676

Thanks, Silver!

Happy Friday, Jim! You got me with How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive - onto The List it goes.

>90 Crazymamie: Great! I really enjoyed it.

Do you see the Google Doodle today? It is a lunar cycle game. I played it but never figured out what the objective was. But it was fun to see them feature the Moon.

>50 drneutron: Hi Jim, I've added The Hitchcock Hotel to my tbr list. Thanks for the great review!

>92 benitastrnad: Shoot, no I didn’t. I’ll look to see if it’s still around somewhere.

>93 Whisper1: my pleasure!

>94 drneutron: https://doodles.google/search/ has all the old ones. I played the lunar game - won, though always because it found a connection I hadn't noticed...

>95 jjmcgaffey:
I won too, and got to the third level before I didn't win, but most of the time I never saw all of the connections either.

That was really fun! Thanks for pointing me to it. I didn't see them all either!

I heard that Google is going to quit doing as many of them. They were using the Google Doodles to fill some DEI spaces. Now that isn't anything they have to pay attention to, so they won't be spending as much money on them. Sad if it is true.

>98 benitastrnad: definitely sad, if true.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/368860

Thanks, Silver!

Update Time!



14. The Third Reich in Power by Richard J. Evans

Second in the historical analysis of the Third Reich by Richard Evans. Just trying to figure out what the hell is going on in our country…



15. Arming the Warship: Naval Weapons Technology and Gunnery from the Spanish Armada to the Cold War by Iver P. cooper

16. Wool by Hugh Howey

Meh.



17. Hexed Omnibus by Michael Alan Nelson

This one was a fun bit of graphic novel. Ok, so the omnibus was 400 pages so not a “bit” of graphic novel. But it’s got magic and thieves, and, well, fun! Loved the artwork.

>103 drneutron: Wool Yep!

>103 drneutron: 😀

Hi Jim. Belated happy new thread.

Lots of good books... so far I've been dodging them.

Thanks for all you do for our group.

Oh, and I'm glad you are not employed by the federal government although I realize that it's still stressful for you with friends who are.

>106 karenmarie: Thanks for stopping by, Karen! We're definitely feeling some impacts, but not nearly as much as those in the government. NASA's likely to be significantly cut and it'll likely mean that programs will be stretched out. So we're also looking at staffing levels and considering what we should do - likely reduce by attrition, but there is rumor of a buy-out for those of retirement age. Of which I am. 😀

>102 drneutron: Your book bullet has landed. Thank you.

>107 drneutron: Sorry this mess may be affecting you. I won't say more for fear of slipping into a rant.

>108 ArlieS: My pleasure!

>109 RebaRelishesReading: No worries - we rant enough for all of us. 😀

Hi Jim, mate, i am currently reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer and OMG, i am up to the Sudeten takeover in Czechoslovakia and it is if Trump is doing the same as me and using it as a manual for what he is doing, it is so scary.

>103 drneutron: We agree about Howey. Remember Ruth, who died in the teens? She luuuved Howey and kept giving me his books. The only one I could be mildly enthusiastic about was Beacon 23, which surprised me by failing on TV. His stuff is *perfect* for TVIMO!

>111 johnsimpson: Same reason I started the Evans trilogy - find out what's in his playbook. I'll probably reread Shirer sometime this year too. It is definitely scary.

>112 richardderus: Yeah, that's the sense I got too. And now one of the streamers is showing a version on Wool.

>113 drneutron: Silo (based on Wool) is a pretty good show, I think. They cleaned up the world-building and removed the nonsensical knitting metaphor

>102 drneutron: Son of a Gun.

All I know about naval ordinance i learned from reading C. S. Forester's Hornblower books, Beat to Quarters,

Might give this one a try. Thanks, Jim.

>114 norabelle414: Sounds like I should give it a try.

>115 magicians_nephew: 😀 my pleasure!

I really enjoyed the first two seasons of "Silo." Great characters with stunning cinematography. I have been wondering about picking up the books, but maybe I don't need to...

>117 BLBera: 😀 Maybe you don’t…

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/369071

>119 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

Wool was a tough read for me. Not sure why.

>121 The_Hibernator: Interesting that Wool generated a mixed bag of reactions. Still want to give the show a try, I suppose.

Update Time!



18. From Doon with Death by Ruth Rendell

First of the Inspector Wexford mysteries. Good book, good mystery, fun afterword. I didn't realize that Rendell despised Agatha Christie's work and wrote intentionally to be the antiChristie. Now to hunt down the following one.

Thanks to my Secret Santa last year who sent this one!



19. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World by David W. Anthony

Got into a conversation with a coworker recently about some interesting aspects of the English language, which reminded me of this book. It's a reread from a. few years back, and may be getting a little long in the tooth (my copy is from 2010), but still great discussion of how historical linguistics and archaeology can support each other.

20. Real Tigers by Mick Herron

Third Slough House story in which the Slow Horses get caught up in more than one political maneuver as politicians and Service leaders jockey for power. Once again, it's surprising how Herron makes such a great story from these mostly unlikeable characters. Well done!



21. This Girl's a Killer by Emma C. Wells

Wells is trying for Dexter-lite, stumbles some at the beginning, then recovers nicely in the second half to bring home a pretty pleasing story. Glad I pushed through the first third or so to finish it.

>123 drneutron: Jared Diamond likes to talk about how the lack of a draft animal, i.e. the horse, affected pre-Columbian civilization in the New World.

and language?

Looks like an interesting book

>125 magicians_nephew: The horse was definitely key for the development the mobile people who spread out into Asia and Europe to form the difference proto-Indo-European language groups. It was an interesting one, but he does get pretty far into the details of the different cultures through the ~4000-2000 BCE time period in that region. Hope you get a chance to try it!

Hi there, Doc! Hopelessly behind with a rough start to 2025, but hoping to keep up now. : ) Speaking of keeping up, you do realize that the top of your thread says you have only read 6 books? LOL. Happy Thursday!

>127 Berly: Glad you stopped by! Yeah, that's my summary from the previous thread to start off the new thread. I'm up to 22 now.

Here's the Saint Patrick's Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/369213

Thanks, Silver!

The Horse, The Wheel, and Language sounds like one I would like.

>131 BLBera: I hope it is one you like!

Update Time!



22. Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

Finished my reread of the second in the trilogy to get ready to dive into the third. For those who haven't read these, it's cyberpunk in fantasy clothes. So, very original but also pretty familiar. Which suits me to a tee.



23. Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz

10th in the Orphan X series, and a good one it is. Evan's dealing with what appears to be a betrayal by a friend, and in the process taking up the case of a family killed by a group of white supremicists. Honestly, Evan was a little scary in this one!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/369373

Did you see my cool photos of the Blood Moon? And hurray for the astronauts returning home!!! Happy Friday. : )

>134 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>135 Berly: I did! They were definitely cool!

And yeah, I'm glad the astronauts made it home safely.

>123 drneutron: Thank you for another BB, Jim.
From Doon with Death was an enjoyable read.
Have a wonderful weekend.

>137 SirThomas: Glad you liked it!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/369579

>139 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

I was away last week, helping my dad recover from a fall. He's fine, but I did get some airplane reading in. Soooo, it's Update Time!



24. The Black Orb by Ewhan Kim

Ewhan Kim's existential look at the apocalypse where an everyman is running from mysterious black orbs that absorb people. It's a decent sf end-of-the-world story in its own right, but more than anything else, it felt like something from Kafka. There's no attempt at morality or hope, just a raw look at humanity as with the best of the existentialists.



25. The White Mirror by Elsa Hart

Followup to Jade Dragon Mountain, and another good mystery starring an imperial Chinese librarian and scholar in 18th century Asia. In this one, Li Du is stuck with a caravan in a backwater valley on the Tibet/China border while investigating the murder of a Buddhist monk. These are really good!



26. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Not my favorite by Waters - there was lots of potential, but this Gothic, haunted house story set just after WWII didn't work for me with its glacial pacing. The characters were really well done and the concept could have been stellar. It just needed to move along to keep the spookiness up. Ah, well, can't win 'em all!

>141 drneutron: Hmm. Number 25. is not quite my usual but I could give it a go. I'll go and hunt down Jade Dragon Mountain then ...

>142 humouress: Sounds good! I'd love to hear what you think of it.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/369744

Thanks, Silver!

>141 drneutron:
I have had the Elsa Hart books on my wishlist for ages and just haven't started reading them. I need to move them up on the list.

I agree with you regarding Little Stranger. I have read one book by her - Night Watch and it moved so slowly that I almost didn't finish it. It certainly didn't motivate me to take this one off the shelf.

I have relatives in town this weekend. My cousin and his daughter are in town being feted by the folks at the Czech Embassy. She is the Kansas Czech Queen and the Embassy invited her, and the other US Czech Queens to a reception and jazz concert at the Embassy. That event was tonight. I am not sure where the Czech Embassy is located but I hoped it would be somewhere around DuPont Circle. I told them to go to Kramer's and have coffee there and buy a book in memory of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. The two of them are staying in town until Sunday. For both it is their first trip to Washington D.C. I think they are scheduled to go to the Capital tomorrow morning (Friday) and meet with one of the dumbell senators from Kansas - mostly a picture taking hand shaking kind of thing. After that they are free to take on the town. I recommended that they take time for a meal of small plates at the bar in Zaytinya. I also told them to not be afraid to walk around the Mall at night. I told them that was my favorite time to play tourist because it wasn't crowded and they would probably have all those monuments to themselves.

>146 benitastrnad: I hope you get to them, I’m enjoying them!

>147 benitastrnad: Looks like the Czech embassy is further out Connecticut Ave past Adams Morgan and the zoo. But it’s only a couple of stops on the Red Line from DuPont Circle, so definitely close. I hope your family enjoys the trip!

Thank you for your review for The Keep last year, Jim.
I enjoyed the reading a lot.

>149 SirThomas: Great! Now for you to dive into the Repairman Jack series. 😀

>150 drneutron: I've been there before and I liked it, thank you for the tip!
But I should return soon...

Update Time!



27. Blind Descent by James M. Tabor

Many years ago, I got into caving - crawling into the Earth to explore. Now, my caving was limited to known and mapped caves, but man, it was fun. So I’ve got a fondness for stories of underground exploration.

Tabor recounts the race between two teams - one American, the other Ukrainian, to find the deepest supercave. These explorations are way beyond what I did - multi-year expeditions exploring unknown territory - and significantly more dangerous. Good story, interesting characters, plenty of challenges!



28. M, King’s Bodyguard by Niall Leonard

Leonard’s fictional account of the real William Melville, head of Scotland Yard’s Special Branch at the start of the 20th century, as he tracks an anarchist out to kill Kaiser Wilhelm at the funeral of Britain’s Queen Victoria. Not a mystery, but a pretty good thriller/cop story, Leonard really makes the time come alive. Looking forward to see if there will be more!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/369905

>152 drneutron: I've been caving a few times and it is so cool!! There are lots of cool sites here in OR. : ) Glad you enjoyed the book, and, no, I didn't go that deep either. ; )

>152 drneutron: >154 Berly: Y'all are weird. Though I do see the attraction of things like stalagmites and stalactites.

>153 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>154 Berly: Cool! A fellow spelunker! I’d love to go again, but my caving group has dispersed over the years. There’s a local Grotto, but they tend to be a pretty closed group and tough to break into.

Sounds like a visit to Oregon is in order!

>155 humouress: You wouldn’t be the first to come to that conclusion! 😀

>157 Berly: Ooh! A caving adventure could definitely be arranged in Oregon!! : )

Check out some of these...

https://www.oregonlive.com/travel/2017/05/10_caves_in_oregon_where_you_c.html

>123 drneutron: Agree. Fascinating book. The last half got a little bit too into the weeds of archeology for me, but the first part was excellent.

I came to it by way of the History of English Podcast which is quite excellent. Even though it's a history of English the creator goes right back to proto-indoeuropean and uses this book as a source for much of his discussion.

I understand that there have been new discoveries since this was published and that there is still quite a bit of debate as to where PIE was originally spoken.

>158 scvlad: That’s where I heard about too. Definitely a good podcast - one I’ve recommended several times.

Here's the Easter readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/370178

>155 humouress: ^^^what she said

Take pictures and post 'em or I don't need to see the inside of the Earth until I'm dead.

>160 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>161 richardderus: 😂 Will freely own up to being weird.

New thread up!

>159 drneutron: It is right? I mean, I've been listening to it for like 6 years now. I keep expecting it to get less interesting as we approach the present but it doesn't.