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I'd read several mysteries in Sujata Massey's Rei Shimura series and liked them. I picked up her historical novel, The Sleeping Dictionary. It's set in the British Raj up to Partition, so approximately 1920s to 1947. The main character loses her family in her early teens and bounces between various settings, changing her name each time as she remakes herself to fit her surroundings. She ends up as the private secretary of a government employee (British, or maybe Scottish) and also involved with those who are agitating for India's freedom. She's always afraid that someone will find out about her past. It kept me up late a few nights and I learned a lot about the time period. I did feel that it wrapped up a bit too nicely, but...let's call it a historical romance. The title refers to what the British men called their Indian lovers.
Eric Flint's republishing David R. Palmer's books. So far Emergence and Threshold are out. I had fond memories of Emergence so I thought I would read it again. I can still see why I liked it then, but I'm a lot older, more experienced, and we've had #MeToo and various other scandals and enlightenment since then. Reminiscent of mid- to late Heinlein. Hyper-competent main character (and just about every other character too), a lot of male gaze by the pre- or just barely pubescent female main character, etc. I'm unlikely to read it again.
I also read Rebecca Roanhorse's "Welcome to your authentic Indian Experience™". People are employed in VR to give "authentic" spiritual (usually) experiences to tourists. The main character does very well until he meets an odd fellow...
After many years (I'm guessing at least 20), I reread Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers. I found my reactions to it very interesting. The front half was slow-going and my major thought was that, even at the height of my academic abilities, I would never have been able to keep up at Oxford! Anyhow, I think I should have read the earlier Vane books which would have gotten me into her headspace more. I also remembered who the "villain" was quite early (and it seemed obvious) so that took a lot of the zing out of it. I'd like to rewatch the Petherbridge/Walters series again.
Eric Flint's republishing David R. Palmer's books. So far Emergence and Threshold are out. I had fond memories of Emergence so I thought I would read it again. I can still see why I liked it then, but I'm a lot older, more experienced, and we've had #MeToo and various other scandals and enlightenment since then. Reminiscent of mid- to late Heinlein. Hyper-competent main character (and just about every other character too), a lot of male gaze by the pre- or just barely pubescent female main character, etc. I'm unlikely to read it again.
I also read Rebecca Roanhorse's "Welcome to your authentic Indian Experience™". People are employed in VR to give "authentic" spiritual (usually) experiences to tourists. The main character does very well until he meets an odd fellow...
After many years (I'm guessing at least 20), I reread Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers. I found my reactions to it very interesting. The front half was slow-going and my major thought was that, even at the height of my academic abilities, I would never have been able to keep up at Oxford! Anyhow, I think I should have read the earlier Vane books which would have gotten me into her headspace more. I also remembered who the "villain" was quite early (and it seemed obvious) so that took a lot of the zing out of it. I'd like to rewatch the Petherbridge/Walters series again.
