Jim's (drneutron's) Awesome Reading: Book 3

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

7. The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel
8. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
9. Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
10. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
11. City on Fire by Don Winslow
12. An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
13. How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive by Craig Dilouie
14. The Third Reich in Power by Richard J. Evans
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
17. Hexed Omnibus by Michael Alan Nelson
18. From Doon with Death by Ruth Rendell
19. The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World by David W. Anthony
20. Real Tigers by Mick Herron
21. This Girl's a Killer by Emma C. Wells
22. Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett
23. Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz
24. The Black Orb by Ewhan Kim
25. The White Mirror by Elsa Hart
26. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
27. Blind Descent by James M. Tabor
28. M, King's Bodyguard by Niall Leonard

Reerved 4

Total Books: 28

Author Gender
Male: 19 (68%)
Female: 9 (32%)
Nonbinary: 0 (0%)

Author Status
Living: 25 (89%)
Dead: 3 (11%)

Publication Medium
Hardback: 6 (21%)
Trade: 10 (36%)
Mass Market: 0 (0%)
eBook: 12 (43%)

Category
Fiction: 23 (82%)
Nonfiction: 5 (18%)

Source
Library: 18 (64%)
Mine: 10 (36%)

ARC: 2
Re-Read: 5
Series: 12
Group Read: 1

And an Update!



29. The Mesopotamian Riddle: An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World's Oldest Writing by Joshua Hammer

I love languages, especially ancient one. I'm fascinated by the processes used to reconstruct and decode ancient writings. So Hammer's book is my jam. Hit all the notes - old white guys fighting over who was first, Akkadian cuniform, colonials pillaging archaeological sites, a touch of snark about the whole thing. Hammer wrote The Badass Librarians of Timbuktu, another good one, and doesn't disappoint here.



30. The Third Reich at War by Richard J. Evans

Third in Evans' historical analysis of the Third Reich, how it happened, what they did. These are massive, pretty dense books, but interesting in scope and depth. And it's still spooky how like today the Third Reich was.

31. My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen

A ghost story and a Gothic, van Veen is really good at creeping me out. Her characters are the star here - really well done. Some grotesque parts, and some descriptions of abuse, so fore-warned.



32. Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

A Victorian Gothic version of American Psycho, and just as disturbing. This one's out and out horror, but really good horror if you dig that kind of thing.

And open for visitors!

Well, since I completely lost track of your last thread, maybe I can keep up with this one! Happy new one, Jim!

Happy New Thread!

>9 alcottacre: 😀 No worries - Thanks!

>10 mahsdad: Thanks, Jeff!

Happy new thread Jim!

Hi, there! Nice new digs.

>7 drneutron: I'm so glad you liked the van Veen, Jim...it was deeply creepy in the right ways indeed.

New thread orisons.

Happy new thread, Jim!

Happy new thread, Jim!

Happy new one!

>3 drneutron: Hi Jim, You read some great books! I've added M. King's Bodyguard to my of books to read this year.

All good wishes, and thanks for all you do for this group!

Happy new thread! you're speeding along this year.

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, DocRoc.

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread Jim!

>7 drneutron: No, I don't dig but thanks anyway *shudder*. (And you seemed so nice when we met 😉)

Happy Friday, Jim. Happy New Thread. There are Rivers in the Sky would be a perfect fictional companion piece to The Mesopotamian Riddle. Just sayin'...And I will add this one to the obese TBR.

>12 quondame:, >13 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks for stopping by, Susan and Linda!

>14 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! Yeah, it was a good one - going to see if I can find more of hers.

>15 jessibud2:, >16 bell7:, >17 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Shelley, Mary, and Anita!

>18 Whisper1: I hope you enjoy it, Linda. I found it fun.

>19 Kristelh:, >20 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Kristel and Silver!

>21 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Got those US visit plans made yet? 😀

>22 SirThomas: Thanks, Thomas!

>23 humouress: Hey, I'm nice, but I like a chill every now and then. 😀

>24 msf59: I winged you, you winged me. Seems fair. 😀

Happy New Thread!! That Hammer book sounds interesting!!
Have you read any Sam Kean?

>27 hredwards: Thanks, Harold! I've read his The Icepick Surgeon, but none of the others. Good stuff, I should pick up more.

Happy new one, Jim.

>29 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!

"Horror", like "Thriller" is just a genre that does not speak to me. Those books do sound interesting though.

Happy new one Jim! Impressive reading happening here.

>31 magicians_nephew: Hey, Jim! They were good, but I get that maybe not for everyone.

>32 RebaRelishesReading: Hiyah, Reba!

Happy new thread, Jim! I always enjoy seeing your eclectic mix of reads.

>34 katiekrug: Is that a synonym for weird? 😂

Happy new thread, Jim!

>6 drneutron: The Mesopotamian Riddle looks interesting. I'll have to check it out.

>7 drneutron: On the other hand, I'll pass on these. Horror is not my thing.

Happy new thread, Jim

>6 drneutron: Got me with a 3-for-1 book bullet for Richard Evans' series

Thank you.

>36 atozgrl: Sounds like a plan. 😀

>37 ArlieS: great! I think you’ll appreciate them. Definitely well documented. 😀

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/370384

Thanks, Silver!

>7 drneutron: Glad to see you liked Victorian Psycho!

>41 LibraryLover23: Definitely! I'll be interested to see the movie version too.

It's been a month... not one I've enjoyed thanks to the chaos in our political system. But I've gotten some reading in since the last update, so

Update Time!



33. The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks

Well, this was an odd sf/alien encounter/specutative fiction thing. A mysterious tower appears in the sky above rural England. A group of people are mysteriously transported to the base of the tower and it's clear they're meant to go up into the unknown for an unknown purpose.

Decently written sf, but I'm honestly not sure the point Hanks was trying to make. Hanks isn't the best at characters, but the ending was definitely a make-you-think kind of thing.



34. Red Sonja: Consumed by Gail Simone

Simone has authored a series of comic books using Robert E. Howard's character Red Sonja, moving her to the Hyborean Age and connecting her with the Conan universe. And now she's written her first Sonja novel!

Consumed is a pretty good modernization of the old 1930s fantasy, with more defined characters and deeper plots. This one's sword-and-sorcery for adults instead of 14-year-old boys.



35. Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human by Grant Morrison

Morrison has written some of the best comic books and graphic novels around. Now he relates a history of the industry to his own life story, talking a lot about superheroes and what they've meant to us through the ages of comic book history.

Frankly, I felt this one was way more self-indulgent than it should have been - I appreciate the effort to share his life and what comic books/superheroes have meant, but the introspection got pretty tedious at times.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/370545

>7 drneutron: We read My Darling Dreadful Thing at queer book club last year. It was definitely an interesting take on ghosts. Mixed reception in the group. Wasn't a keeper for me.

>43 drneutron: Sounds like Red Sonja: Consumed was the best of your recent reads. Sounds moderately interesting. I did enjoy the cult classic movie more than the Conan movies.

>43 drneutron: Gail always complained about the clothing ( or lack of it) that Red Sonja had to wear in the comic book. I'd like to read her book and see what she's up to.

Grant Morrison does like to talk about himself.

>43 drneutron: My book-Kevlar absorbed all the energy from those book-bullets. Nope. #ShortStoryMonth progresseth apace, one good one tomorrow, one really fine one Sunday. I have SO.Many.Books. to review it's shocking. Isn't that the best problem you can imagine having?

Weekend orisons.

Happy newish thread!

Hope all is well. I thought of you last month as I ate my lunch at Point of Rocks and took a short walk as a break on my road trip. What a wonderful resource!

>44 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>45 justchris: I don't think it would be a keeper for me either (was a library book...). I'm not surprised it got a mixed reception given the unusual nature of the ghosts.

Yeah, I think Red Sonja was the best of the recent bunch.

>46 magicians_nephew: Yeah, the comics are problematic for me because of that. The book was more realistic in how characters were portrayed, Sonja especially.

Grant Morrison does like to talk about himself. 😂

>47 richardderus: Yes. That's a wonderful problem to have!

>48 witchyrichy: Thanks! All is mostly well. The continuing chaos that is our federal government is making for a lot of drama among our scientists and engineers, but we'll deal with it. On the up side, I can walk away and retire anytime I like. 😀

Well, after your lunch and walk, head downriver on the road to the Rocky Point Creamery for ice cream! Point of Rocks is one of our favorite spots.

>50 drneutron:
Retirement is just want the Giant Orange Gasbag wants. Don't give it to him. Unless you have to. :-)

Happy belated new thread!

>51 benitastrnad: 😀 If I do it, won’t be because of him!

>52 Carmenere: Thanks!

^I will be dipping into this one today and going full bore on it tomorrow. I know you showed interest in reading along with us. Are you still in?

>54 msf59: I need to get a copy from the library, but yeah, I can join you even if I lag behind you a few days.

Hi Jim, mate, a belated Happy New Thread dear friend.

>56 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>55 drneutron: That is great, Jim.

>55 drneutron: Is that a new one?

>59 The_Hibernator: Yep, new Murakami.

Update Time!



36. The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen

Twisty plot, well-crafted characters, and a deft hand at prose made this one a favorite of the recent batch for me. Quite well done! Plus, who better to blurb a horror book set in a hotel than Stephen King? 😀



37. The Murder of Mr. Ma by S. J. Rozan

This one was a delight - a martial arts action movie and Holmesian mystery all in one. The mystery needed to be a bit meatier, but I really enjoyed the tone. And immediately put the sequel on reserve.



38. The Maya: A Very Short Introduction by Matthew Restall

Just what the cover says - a short intro to who the Maya were (spoiler: there wasn't a single Maya people), how they lived, and what happened after the Spanish colonizations (spoiler: they're still there). It was a bit dense at times, but that's to be expected when you're reading a short introduction. Otherwise, a nice opportunity to learn about a people I'm not all that familiar with.

>61 drneutron: "The Last Room on the Left" sounds good. Thanks for the recommendation!

>63 drneutron: My pleasure!

>53 drneutron: I just hung up the federal spurs myself, Doc. Much relief - I highly recommend it.

>64 blackdogbooks: Hey, Mac! Yeah, I'm not hanging around any longer than I have to. 😀

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/370684

Thanks, Silver!

With the firing of the Librarian of Congress the rest of the federal employees could be next.

>68 benitastrnad: Saw that and was saddened, but not surprised.

>61 drneutron: Adding Mr. Ma to my list - it sounds right up my street!

>50 drneutron: Late reply to this, but I'm in a similar (or at least related) situation. Lots of chaos at work, and I recently confirmed with my $ folks (I never thought I'd have those) that it would more than likely be all right if I retired a little early. Very excited.

Hope it all goes well for you!

>70 scaifea: Yeah, I think you’ll like it. Just picked up the second from the library.

>71 tungsten_peerts: and for you too!

>61 drneutron: Caught a BB for # 36.

Happy start to the week :)

>73 figsfromthistle: Great!

I really liked The Bad-ass Librarians of Timbuktu when I read it so you got me with The Mesopotamian Riddle. Thanks for the recommendation, Jim!

>75 Familyhistorian: My pleasure!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/370870

Thanks, Silver!

Here's the Memorial Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371148

Thanks, Silver!

Hiya, Jim. Have you seen Murderbot yet on Apple TV? It’s a pretty darn good adaptation of the books.

>81 jnwelch: I haven't - we don't subscribe to Apple TV, but there are 2 or 3 things beside Murderbot that are of interest. So we'll probably add it soon.

>82 drneutron:. Once all the episodes are out, you could use the free trial for it.

Update Time!



39. Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn

Sequel to Killers of a Certain Age, and a good one it is! Now that i’m *ahem* of a certain age, I really had fun with this group of retired assassins for a mysterious agency. Loved the characters, loved the plot. Read the first if you haven’t!



40. Joe Golem: Occult Detective Omnibus by Mike Mignola

Mignola, of Hellboy fame and so many others, creates a fascinating world after an earthquake floods New York City and unleashing occult phenomena. It’s noir and Lovecraftian, and bunches of fun!

>84 drneutron: I enjoyed Killers of a Certain Age - with quibbles, being me, so I might have a look at this one!

>84 drneutron: Kills Well with Others sounds like something I would like. I should find a copy of it. And in return for the recommendation, I recently finished Bullet Train by Kōtarō Isaka; this is the novel that the Brad Pitt movie was based upon. A really fun read.

>85 quondame: This one was just good as the first!

>86 ocgreg34: Already read and loved it!

>84 drneutron: Ooh, thanks for the reminder about Kills Well with Others, Jim. I really liked Killers of a Certain Age and have been waiting for the sequel to come available.

>88 Familyhistorian: My pleasure! I'm hoping there'll be more.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371287

Thanks, Silver!

The Maya book sounds like a good introduction. I will have to check out Killers of a Certain Age.

>50 drneutron: You are lucky to have the option of retiring. My best friend's niece, who worked on the Webb telescope is wondering if she will still have a job.

>92 BLBera: Yep, I have a large number of colleagues in the same boat. Friday's release of the President's Budget Request just accelerated the worries. It's clear the direction is to shift NASA to de-emphasize science and increase the attention on human exploration. I feel for earlier career folks who've had the ground shift under their feet.

>93 drneutron: Muskolini's grift continues....

>93 drneutron: It's great that you're able to retire, Jim. The end of my career was similarly due to the ground shifting under my feet. It wasn't nearly as dramatic as what's happening in the federal government right now, but it sure wasn't the company I signed on with a million years earlier. Leaving was bittersweet because I knew I'd miss some of my colleagues, but I have no regrets. I wish you the best as you contemplate your future.

Glad you are enjoying Uncertain Walls, Jim. Safe travels to Seattle. Have a great time.

>95 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. It’ll be interesting to see what the next few years brings.

>96 msf59: Thanks, Mark! We always have a good time with him and the daughter-in-law-in-waiting. 😀

Retirement is wonderful, Jim. Enjoy!!

>50 drneutron: I forgot about the creamery! I did drive by one time just to see what was further down the road. I am usually in a hurry to get back on the road but an ice cream cone is always welcome on a road trip!

Being able to get out when you want is a good feeling. Plus, with your background, I suspect you could find a fun side gig. I like keeping connected to ed tech so teach a few courses each year.

>98 RebaRelishesReading: I’m definitely planning too!

>99 witchyrichy: I’m working on a couple of on-line classes as a retirement gig. Once I get the lectures videoed, it’s just office hours and grading each week. One is the Physics of Space Systems, the other is a general system engineering class.

Update Time!



41. The Afterlife Project by Tim Weed

42. Embers of the Hands by Eleanor Barraclough

Subtitled Hidden Histories of the Viking Age, Barraclough’s book tries to bring to life ordinary Vikings and how they lived. Since written sources for this are mostly non-existent, she does this mostly through examining artifacts and theorizing about the people behind them. This mostly works, but at times also leads to Barraclough slipping into sentiment and unsupported speculation. Still, it’s a decent book, one that lends a new perspective on the people and times.

43. The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami

I’ve struggled a bit with Murakami - I usually come away feeling like I didn’t quite get it when I read one of his books, though admittedly, my exposure is pretty narrow. This one worked for me. I loved the dreaminess of the story and the prose, and the ambiguity between "real" and "unreal" was just right. So now, I suppose I need to be a more open-minded, and dare I say it? Try a few more.

Happy Birthday, Jim. I hope you are celebrating with a couple of brews. I'm so glad you liked Uncertain Walls and will try another of his.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Happy birthday, Jim!

Happy Birthday, Jim!

>104 msf59: So it looks like I read Hard-boiled Wonderland in 2010, and Kafka and Wind-up Bird in 2017. Kafka got 4.5 stars, but I don’t’ remember much - so it’s time for a reread!

>105 quondame:, >106 Kristelh:, >107 banjo123:, >108 karenmarie: Thanks, Susan, Kristel, Rhonda, and Karen!

Happy birthday, Jim!

Happy happy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Happy Birthday! 🎂

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371431

>110 katiekrug:, >111 bell7:, >112 ronincats:, >113 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Katie, Mary, Roni, and Silver!

>114 SilverWolf28: And thanks for setting these up!

Happy Belated Birthday, Jim! I hope you had a good day.

Happy Birthday, Jim!

Happy birthday Jim!

Happy belated birthday, Jim! And the same to MrsDrNeutron too (I remember she's in the same month but I don't remember if it's before or after yours)

>115 drneutron: At our age, I think it's kinder simply not to notice birthdays. As the dragon hoard of years grows Musk-like in its dimensions, best just to scurry by without goggling at the immensity of the stupid thing.

Sorry to be late but still hope you had a good birthday

>103 drneutron: I'm just shy of 50% with Uncertain Walls. Sometimes with Murakami, I have the same feeling that I just don't get it. But for some reason, its that oddness that I let wash over me that I like with his stuff. I have Norwegian Wood on the shelf that I need to get to soonish (along with several 10s of other books that are languishing on the shelf). :)

>116 vancouverdeb:, >117 SirThomas:, >118 humouress:, >119 norabelle414: Thanks, Deborah, Thomas, Nina, and Nora!

>120 richardderus: 😀 Not big on birthdays, but we’re in Seattle this week visiting the son and daughter-in-law-in-waiting and they’re making it special.

>121 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

>122 mahsdad: And the son gave me a copy of The City for my birthday! This is one I’m glad to have a copy of.

I think I missed something. Did you retire? I thought you were thinking about retiring. It could be that I am confused, because I am so busy in retirement that I don't hardly have time to sleep.

>124 benitastrnad: Haven’t yet - the plan is 2027. But the space biz is in turmoil right now, so I’ve been making sure I can retire if worse comes to worst.

Sounds like you're having a great time in Seattle, Jim. Nice sunny weather too probably because I know that's the weather we're having. I'm in the hold queue for Embers of the Hands so it's good to see that you found it of value.

>126 Familyhistorian: Yep, the weather’s been great for our visit. I’ll look for your thoughts on Embers!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371538

Thanks, Silver!

Thanks to some airplane reading while visiting the son in Seattle, it’s…

Update Time!



44. Wiseguys and the White House: Gangsters, Presidents, and the Deals They Made by Eric Dezenhall

Dezenhall grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, so has always been interested in organized crime and the Mafia. This time around, he gives a pop history of US Presidents and their intersection with said gangsters. Best part of the book? His description of our current as a wanna-be made guy who just isn’t. 😀



45. Where I End by Sophie White

Boy, was this a weird and disturbing piece of horror. I got real American Psycho vibes even with the remote Irish island setting, what with the first-person viewpoint. Good, but probably not for everyone.



46. The Railway Conspiracy by S. J. Rozan

Follow-up to the previous The Murder of Mr Ma, it’s just as Robert-Downey-jr Sherlockian as the first. I loved the mashup of murder mystery, odd detective, and martial arts movie. Written by folks who make movies, so the cinematic plotting was no surprise. Quite the fun time while sitting on a plane for 5 hours!

Happy Belated Birthday!! You and my Daughter are Birthday Twins. She just turned 25 on the 5th.

>131 hredwards: Cool! Wish her a happy post-birthday for me.

>130 drneutron: Wiseguys and the White House looks like a good one, Jim.

>133 Familyhistorian: I enjoyed it!

>130 drneutron: Remembering the TV show "Boardwalk Empires" and their take on Harding - not only having his own White House Bootlegger but also needing to stash his Mistress (one of several) in New Jersey during the height of the election campaign.

>135 magicians_nephew: This one started with FDR and the run up to the US entering WWII, but yeah, there's definitely connections during Prohibition days.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371693

Thanks, Silver!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371899

Thanks, Silver!

Update Time!



47. A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue by Dean Jobb

Interesting story of a classic gentleman jewel thief in 20s and 30s New York. Arthur Barry specialized in second-story break-ins, making off with jewelry under the noses of the rich, and it's pretty amazing some of the things he got away with. For a while. 😀

Good narrative nonfiction by a new author to me.



48. Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett

Finished up the Founders trilogy. I'm always amazed at Bennett's world-building. Here he manages to pull off a cyberpunk story in a fantasy novel - you have to read it to see it, no way I can explain how that works in a few words. Really good stuff, it's a shame I wanted so long to get to it!



49. Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce

Wow, what a ride this one was! Part Midsommar, part Shirley Jackson, Pearce is pretty good at creepy, scary, then a bit over the top horror. New to me author, will be reading more.

That Jewell Heist book looks very interesting!!

Your birthday/Xmas/father's day hauls just got easier for the fam:

...with cool interior art, etc, now from Saga Press here:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/We-Are-Legion-(We-Are-Bob)/Dennis-E-Taylo...

You're welcome, I'm sure. Dunno bout you but I'mma be a bit poorer from here on out....

>141 drneutron: Wow, three great covers! (not that I'm judging...)

>142 hredwards: I think you'd like it, Harold!

>143 richardderus: Ooooooo... That looks awesome!

>144 norabelle414: Judge away 😀 I hadn't noticed it was three, but I do like them all.

Happy July reading DR. Love that book in >147 drneutron:. I haven’t read any BOB books recently.

>146 Kristelh: Thanks, Kristel! I need to revisit too, and that edition looks like a good excuse. 😀

>143 richardderus:
That entire series is just so much fun. I still have to read book 4.

>148 benitastrnad: ...and now you can get a spiffy new edition to celebrate!

>148 benitastrnad:, >149 richardderus: Was is Richard that told me he thinks I'm really Bob? 😂

>150 drneutron: ...I've seen no evidence conclusive enough to convince me you're unquestionably not.

Hey, Jim! Delurking to say hi and that you got me with Locklands and Something in the Walls. Have a great rest of the week, and a safe and fun 4th of July weekend.

>151 richardderus: 😀 I'll never tell...

>152 Storeetllr: Great! I hope yours is good too!

Here's Fourth of July readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/372020

>154 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>141 drneutron: The Gentleman and a Thief book looks enticing but familiar so I checked and already have it in my collection but now it is closer to being read!

>156 Familyhistorian: Great!

>141 drneutron: The Jobb and the Pearce look interesting!

>158 scaifea: I liked them both! Hope you do too

Nice collection of classic horror, Doc!

>160 blackdogbooks: Thanks!

and

50. and 51.

Where Monsters Lie and Where Monsters Lie Volume 2: CULL-DE-SAC by Kyle Stark

Two-part graphic novel that are a "meta-horror story that's Cabin in the Woods meets Tucker and Dale vs. Evil."

Where do slashers go between sprees? Turns out it's in a gated community out in the middle of nowhere, where they can relax and recharge - until a hero(?) finds them and vows to end them.

Not as much fun as Tucker and Dale, but pretty good graphic novels. Though if blood and gore isn't your thing, you might want to pass... 😀



52. Strange Conjurings: The Intrepid Gnome's Anthology of Weird and Eldritch Tales edited by The Intrepid Gnome

Nicely collected set of the best and foundational writers of eldritch horror and weird tales from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some are well known - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Pickman’s Model - and some very new to me. Every single one is a hit. Now to find volume 2!



53. Crimson Shore by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Number 15 - yes, 15 - in the Pendergast series, and much the same as the rest. You've got Agent Pendergast who's as inscrutable as ever, Constance Green, scary witch colony lore in coastal Massachusetts, and a town with secrets. If you read 'em, you'll probably read this one. If you haven't, be sure to start with the first in the series.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/372192

Thanks, Silver!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/372482

Thanks, Silver!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/372642

Update Time!



54. Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser

A history of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest alongside the history of metal smelting and the environmental damage that caused. And also a personal history of Fraser growing up there during this time. And badly designed bridges that might as well be serial killers for all the fatal accidents they caused.

This was an odd one, tying these disparate things together into this story. But we know now that heavy metal exposure is linked to violent behavior, especially in males, and Fraser hammers home this case. And her personal experiences did intersect on occasion with Ted Bundy and one or two others, even if peripherally. Not sure I would have picked this one had I known about her approach, but it certainly gave lots to think about.



55. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

Loved, loved the comedic, somewhat sarcastic approach to this urban fantasy. His use of the lost memory device worked really well to dive us into the story without obvious "As you know, Bob...". Now to find the sequel!

56. The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke by Andrew Lawler

A perfectly fine narrative nonfiction, first about the English attempts to colonize the Atlantic coast, then about the search for what happened to the Roanoke colonists. Well written, well researched, but of course, ultimately a little unfulfilling as there's no answer, and almost certainly won't ever be an answer. Good book if you're interested in the subject.



57. Holy Men of the Electromagnetic Age: A Forgotten History of the Occult by Raphael Cormack

Not quite what I hoped for, but still an interesting story of two fakirs from the early 20th century that made a splash in Europe at the height of the Spiritualism craze. Both were not who they said they were, both were fakers as well as fakirs, both were controversial in their day.

I'd hoped for more connection with the times. Based on the title, I hoped there would be some thought to how the changes in our scientific understanding - the rise of electromagnetic technology, the very beginnings of quantum mechanics and relativity - would be linked to thinking about how the spiritual world might be real, and how that allowed people like this to take advantage of others. But this was more straight biography. Interesting, but not what I expected.

>168 drneutron: I thought The Rook was a lot of fun. Hope you enjoy the sequel just as much!

>170 bell7: I'm sure I will!

>169 drneutron: Ooh, the Lost Colony. Somehow I had missed The Secret Token when it came out. Of course there's a huge amount of interest in this subject in North Carolina. There are some intriguing archaeological finds at a place dubbed Site X that seem to be from the right time period to be somehow related to the Roanoke colonists. I don't think anyone knows yet what that might mean, but it's interesting. So maybe there's some hope that we might eventually learn more about what happened?

I had more information while I was working, but I'm not able to re-locate the article(s) I had seen at the time. I had submitted a suggestion in hopes that someone might be able to write an article about it for the NCpedia, but it doesn't look like anything has come of that, at least not yet. I did find a 10-year old article at https://www.wunc.org/arts-culture/2015-08-12/what-is-site-x-and-what-does-it-tel....

If you are interested, there is another more recent article at https://www.firstcolonyfoundation.org/news/new-clues-for-lost-colonists/. The First Colony Foundation has several short news articles about the archaeological research they have been supporting.

>172 atozgrl: Thanks for the links! Site X figures a lot in the second half of the book - definitely some interesting finds there. I’d love to hear your thoughts on Lawler’s book if you get to it.

>173 drneutron: I'm glad to hear that Lawler mentioned Site X. I hadn't seen much mention of it outside of a few places, mostly NC based, so it's good to know that word is getting out. I see that my library has a copy, so I'll have to check it out. I'm not sure how soon I can get to it though.

>174 atozgrl: Great!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/372777

>176 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

Hey Doc, I'm seeing a lot of reports about large swaths of NASA deciding to leave. How are you doing? I went through that with my federal agency as I retired, inordinate numbers abandoning the federal workforce. It is anxiety producing.

>178 blackdogbooks: Yep, NASA’s losing lots of experienced talent. Goddard Space Flight Center is in pretty bad shape. I work for John’s Hopkins, so am shielded from it a bit, but NASA’s stalled and not moving forward with planned competitions.

The Senate markup of the President’s budget restores most of NASA’s funding, so we’ll see where things land.

I knew you were in an adjunct agency but the cloud just grows. Hope things work out on the budget.

>169 drneutron: So many Spiritualist fakers (sic) tried to tie their scams into modern scientific jargon and language going back as far as Conan Doyle. Fake bringing the dead back to comfort loved ones strikes me as one of the cruelest hoaxes ever devised by the mind of man

You might have a look at A Magician Among the Spirits if you can get your mitts on a copy. Houdini's angry expose and full of interesting cases.

Largely ghost written (no pun intended) thank goodness. Definitely of its time and also in a way timeless.

>181 magicians_nephew: Now we have the chatbot version, aka uploading someone's personality into the cloud. Except that's being "sold" as a means of immortality as well as a "comfort" to one's survivors.

I don't *think* anyone's actually doing/selling this yet, just happily warbling about what a good thing it will be. But I could be wrong.

>181 magicians_nephew: definitely gonna try to find it!

>182 ArlieS: I haven’t seen it sold yet, but I’m sure someone’s trying. My faith in humanity runs deep - if someone can take advantage, someone will.

>183 drneutron: *sigh* You and me both.

>179 drneutron:
A story on NPR said that the Orange Asshat has restored NASA funding to the manned space flights but cut most of the funding for the scientific explorations. This would be money for projects like the Hubble Telescope, the Webb Telescope, and unmanned exploration flights to some of the planets. That disturbs me greatly, because we need that information and have learned so much from the scientific flights in past years.

I see it as a another way to exterminate academe.

found it. Here is the quote from the NPR story.
The group of nearly 300 current and former employees at NASA published what they called the Voyager Declaration. It is a scathing letter rebuking cuts to the agency's budget proposed by the Trump administration. It says the proposed cuts, quote, "threaten to waste public resources, compromise human safety, weaken national security and undermine the core NASA mission." The cuts were proposed by the Trump administration in May and, if enacted, would slash nearly a quarter of NASA's budget in the next fiscal year. Many of them target fundamental science research, funding fields like planetary science, astrophysics and heliophysics. Now, the budget has not passed yet. However, certain parts of NASA are already preparing to shut down. Joining us now is Pamela Melroy. She was deputy administrator of NASA during the Biden administration. Welcome to the program.

Here is the link to the story
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/27/nx-s1-5479237/concerns-about-nasas-proposed-budge...

>186 benitastrnad: Yep, the president's budget absolutely pivoted to exploration over the science mission directorate that funds robotic science missions. Lots of advocacy going on, though - and this is part of the effort. The Senate's budget pretty much puts everything back, the House budget has a modest reduction.

Honestly, there are things at NASA that need to be cut. Webb's a huge scientific success, but cost several times more than intended. Hubble was the same. JPL missions regularly go over budget. But the draconian cuts in the PBR isn't warranted and has resulted in a huge loss of mature, talented people to do the work.

So we'll see how the vote shakes out, and whether there'll even be a budget that gets passed. And then whether OMB will release the money to do the work or hold back and challenge Congress.

It is a shame that science has to take a back seat. Personally, I think that learning more about our universe won't hurt us while we wait until we have the technology to make intelligent space flight something that we can do. I read enough sci/fi to know that there is lots of techno stuff out there that has much potential to allow interplanetary travel, but I am not sure we should do that now. I like the idea of "out there" astrophysics and the more concrete discoveries in astronomy that have been made. It is a weird wonderful universe and I think we should know more about it. I don't like the rich tourists taking a 10-minute space ride and I don't like the idea of (rich) people/celebrities taking a 2 -3 year trip to Mars just for kicks.

I just want to know what the composition of all that water on Europa, Enceladus, and Ganymede really is. I can't wait to see the results of the current trip to Titan.

>186 benitastrnad: Gotta find the money for pay for golf trips to Scotland somewhere -- right?

>189 RebaRelishesReading: *sigh*

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/372924

Thanks, Silver!

>182 ArlieS: That is a bit creepy!

Have a great weekend, Jim.

>168 drneutron: & >169 drneutron:

Jim, you go from reading book #55 to #56 and then back to #55 again, I'm guessing that it is a typo unless you've discovered some alternative universe or plane that you must simply tell us about?!

>194 PaulCranswick: Ooh - do tell!

>194 PaulCranswick:, >195 humouress: As much as I’d like to turn back time, it was a typo… Thanks for catching it!

Update Time!



58. Lady Mechanika Volume 8 by Joe Benitez

One of my favorite graphic novel series - steampunk, weird, and beautiful. This one's number 8 in the series, so start at the beginning!



59. Out of the Way Things by Kendall McNutt

>197 drneutron: 59. And yet, 4 stars.

60. The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

A Gothic-esque story set in post-revolution Russia should have been right up my alley. But issues with pacing really made this one a tough read - I lost interest about halfway through and only kept going because I'm stubborn.



61. Against the Ice: The Classic Arctic Survival Story by Ejnar Mikkelsen

A classic Arctic exploration story now also a Netflix movie. All the usual hardships and suffering as two men track across Greenland looking for a previous group of explorers who never came back from an expedition to map the coast. Written originally in the 1950s, it's a product of its time, but also a pretty good story if you like this sort of thing. Which I do.



62. The Country Under Heaven by Frederic S. Durbin

This one's set to be a classic of the weird Western genre - a gunfighter crisscrossing the West in the period after the American Civil War dealing with PTSD and the boundaries between our world and others. It's Lovecraftian, it's Zane Grey. It's well-written and well-imagined. And one of my favorites of the year so far.

>198 humouress: Yeah, surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. For a story like this, I usually want something with some serious risk to the characters, some tension that keeps me reading. This one was quieter, more gentle, but I liked the main character and so enjoyed the ride.

Here's the next readathon https://www.librarything.com/topic/373094

>200 drneutron: Whereas I like the milder stories - I'll keep an eye out for this (not in my libraries, at least not yet).

>201 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>202 jjmcgaffey: Great! Hope you like it.

I was beginning to wonder whatever happened to the entire subgenre of Steampunk. Was it just a short flash-in-the-pan, but your review of the Lady Mechanika series renews my faith that they are still out there. It is genre I enjoy reading from-time-to-time.

>204 benitastrnad: Yeah, it was pretty popular for a while, but I think romantasy has taken the lead. But there's still some good stuff occasionally coming out.

>199 drneutron: The Country Under Heaven looks to be a bit diff from what I tag as Weird West, but if you say it's good, I should see if it's to my taste.

>206 quondame: Great! Hope you like it!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/373266

>208 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

Here's the Labor Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/373396

Thanks, Silver!

Come join me in my new thread!