Entries tagged with megan whalen turner

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October 2020: Walker, Turner, Charles, Datt Sharma, Bujold, Hibbert, Ripper

The Queen of the Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner and half of The King of Attolia before reading Return of the Thief. Pheris, a disregarded son of the house of Erondites, is the narrator. Pheris has also lived his life via deception and misdirection, mostly so is uniquely qualified to tell of the final showdown with the Medes and the now united countries of Sounis, Eddis, and Attolia. Twists and turns as usual in a MWT book. I really need to reread it. Well, finish rereading KoA, Conspiracy of Kings, and Thick of Thieves first. There were some details added that felt like ret-conning and that I wasn't happy about, but the book was still very good.

The Love Study by Kris Ripper. A funny, contemporary romance. Declan left his last partner at the altar (they're friends now) and has a group of good friends but is beginning to feel that there's something lacking in his life. He ends up agreeing to be set up with several dates with people who watch Sidney, a YouTuber who focuses on advice. I can't imagine it's much of a spoiler that he's smitten with Sidney although it takes a bit to realize it.

Division Bells by Iona Datt Sharma. Recced by several bloggers who I follow. Another contemporary, this one set in London in a group of civil servants trying to get legislature through Parliament. Ari is the head of the group and is saddled with a special advisor/subject matter expert due to aristocratic fiat named Julian/Jules. Ari is less than thrilled and tosses Julian into the deep end by assigning him to write supporting documentation. Julian actually does a good job and helps them with the legislature. A very interesting look at behind-the-scenes Parliamentary business and a cute love story too.

Finders, Keepers by N.R. Walker. Set in Australia, contemporary. Griffin finds a lost, muddy dog in a park and texts the owner, Dane. Dane's stuck at a work conference out-of-town so Griffin watches the dog and takes in on adventures. Very cute and set me on a multi-book streak with this author (in and among some other books).

Red Dirt Heart, 2, 3, 4, Imago, and Red Dirt Christmas by N.R. Walker. Set in Queensland on a large cattle station. Charlie Sutton has taken over Sutton Station after his estranged father died. He's got a good crew, and the cook + foreman couple are like his real ma and pa. He's been slowly upgrading the property and agrees to take on an agronomy student. The last one didn't work out too well--a paler than pale Englishman who got burnt to a crisp in the Australian summer. This one may do better. Travis was raised on a cattle ranch in Texas so is used to *some* heat. He has some great ideas to further improve the station. There's a bit of every problem imaginable in these books. Employer/employee, pregnancy (ha, not mpreg), stick-in-the-mud neighboring farmers, communication/lack of issues, poisonous critters, immigration, longlost and surprise family members, etc. A lot of fun, lot of interesting characters. Red Dirt Heart Imago sets up/crosses over with another series read later.

Guarding Temptation by Talia Hibbert. Set in England. Nina is a radical and ends up threatened after an article is published. She ends up staying with her brother's friend, James, who's actually had the hots for her for a while--but she's a commitment-phobe and she's his friend's sister and he's watched her grow up, and, and...you get the picture. Sexy times end up happening. I don't know, the steamy bits weren't quite what I liked or something so this is probably it for me by this author.

Masquerade in Lodi by Lois McMaster Bujold. Yay, another Penric and Desdemona story! This steps backwards in time to just after Penric realized he was not cut out to be a fulltime healer and started working on old manuscripts, translations, and other work instead. A demon is loose and Pen and Des need to find it. They get aid from a young woman, an orphan, who's also a saint. She's thrilled to be set free in the town (from her island-based orphanage) on the eve of a festival. I didn't find the mystery very compelling/difficult but it was fun still.

Imago and Imagines by N.R. Walker. Lawson comes to Tasmania to help another lepidopterist find a new species of butterfly. The professor saw it once, but has never seen another one. A local Parks/Wildlife office, Jack, ends up helping Lawson on his search.

Blind Faith, Through These Eyes, and Blindside by N.R. Walker. Carter, a new veterinarian in town, finds out that the retiring vet still has a handful of people that warrant house calls. One, Isaac, is neglecting his new guide dog out of grief for his previous one. Carter decides to continue the house calls and somehow get Isaac to realize he can love this dog too. It doesn't hurt that Isaac's amazing handsome too...These are set in Boston, and there are some words and phrasing that I don't think fit. "give it a go," "to hospital" and things like that. I mean maybe Boston has more English/Australianisms in the local dialect, but I don't think so. They weren't terrible, just every once in a while something would catch my eye.

The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh by K.J. Charles. This one's been staring at me for ages since I read the rest of the Society of Gentleman series. It's short about how Gabriel ends up a member.

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September 2020 books: Lee and Miller, Burgis, Ottoman, Turner, Hall, Wells, Thomas

Trader’s Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller – latest entry in the Liaden Universe series, #23. Shan yos'Galan is hunting for new and profitable routes to stabilize Korval's fortunes. His daughter, Padi, is trying her best to become master pilot and master trader as soon as she can. Meanwhile, her psychic abilities are growing stronger...

A set of Sherry Thomas books – Claiming the Duchess, Beguiling the Beauty, Tempting the Bride, and Ravishing the Heiress – Late 19th century historical romances. I liked them enough to read the set about the related characters, but didn’t like them enough to keep the author on my check-out-her-other-works list.

reread – Edge of Worlds and Harbors of the Sun by Martha Wells – finishing up the Raksura series.

Frostgilded by Stephanie Burgis – a short story in the Harwood Spellbook series – a treat for her Patreon and which will be released to the public soonish, if I remember correctly.

Documenting Light by EE Ottoman – Wyatt is struggling with a sick mother, underemployment, and stronger and stronger feelings about their gender and how its expressed. Wyatt finds an early 20th century photo of two men and wants to know more about it. Wyatt asks a local historian, Grayson, to do some research on it. Grayson is trans and has lost most of his family because of it. Can they help each other? A lovely romance story. Part of its premise (that I may be misunderstanding) is that historians and others shouldn't assume that historical documents and photos are necessarily het/cis just because.

best of month – The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner – I’m rereading the series to be ready for the latest, and last book in the series, Return of the Thief, which is being released in October. YAY! It’s also a giant, compared to the others–480 pages.

There will be Phlogiston by Alexis Hall – alternative universe, roughly late 19th century about two aristocrats and a rich-but-from-the-gutter industrialist (kinda) who find love. I didn't feel this was as strong as many of Hall's other books. I doubt I'll ever reread this one.

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May 2019 books: Roanhorse, Duane, Davis, Turner, Lee and Miller

So I did read Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse first. It took a bit because I wasn't sure if I was up to the high level of violence. When I started, I fell right in. Maggie gets called in to help investigate a cult leader, 'White Locust." That goes bad...of course, and she ends up mentor to a girl who clan powers (speed, tracking). There's a kidnapping as well. The setting is still great. We get to see a bit of what it looks like outside the wall / off the rez--it's not good. Where's the next book??

Diane Duane has released the second novella in the Tale of the Five, The Landlady, during her run-up to finishing/releasing The Door into Starlight. This one focuses on Segnbora and her new duties as head of her family. Meanwhile there's several kids and at least two locations for the large, polyamorous household.

I then read another novella (I think) by Lindsey Davis called Vesuvius by Night. I'm actually sorry that I read this. I didn't feel it was up to her usual standard, and, as you might imagine, it's not a happy ending. The main character is related to Falco.

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner was next. In this book, Sophos, the heir to Sounis, is kidnapped during a civil war. He has to decide whether to stay where he ends up, somewhat happy, or try to take the kingdom from the rebels.

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller put out a second novella/novelette, "Shout of Honor". It's a side story with characters whose story they thought could be told in the novels, but there just wasn't quite room. It involves an Xtrang ambassador and a mercenary captain. Quite good!

I'm currently reading Thick as Thieves.

Current Mood: happy
Current Music: panic! at the disco, taylor swift

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April 2019 books: Kirstein, Hodgell, Ottoman, Leckie, Lee and Miller, Whalen Turner

So two odd months later...

I read books 3 and 4 of Rosemary Kirstein's Steerswoman series: The Lost Steersman and The Language of Power. It continues to enthrall, and I *really* want book 5. Rowan continues to hunt for answers which is leading her to a greater understanding of her world and the 'wizards'.

I read an advanced review copy of By Demons Possessed by P.C. Hodgell. I am amazed at how these books just flow together. It will be very interesting when the series finishes to go and read the entire saga of Jamethiel.

Based on a recommendation, I picked up E.E. Ottoman's The Craft of Love about a silversmith who meets and falls in love with a seamstress. Both own their own businesses. Historical fiction.

I next read The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. It was very interesting although I didn't glom onto any of the characters like I have in her other books. It's patterned after Hamlet and a Norse saga. The characters aren't straight out of the play, but you can figure out the analogues. There's also a big rock. A sentient rock which can do magic in a limited fashion, maybe.

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller put out a chapbook, Fortune's Favors. It's mostly a novella about a "Luck" who finds his way to a Low Port establishment (orphanage) that we've seen before. In addition, there's a short story about Daav, Aelliana, and Kamele. Yeeeee!!!!

I then ripped through The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, and The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. Twisty and turny with marvelous characters. I'm both dreading and looking forward to the publication of the last book in the series in August 2020--The Return of the Thief. I'm now debating between A Conspiracy of Kings and Thick as Thieves OR A Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse. Hmmm.

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Crossposts: https://melita66.livejournal.com/32037.html

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A year and a half of books - May 2018

I knew it had been a long time since I posted, but really! The move to dreamwidth derailed me, and I never seem to have the energy to put together even my lackadaisical post on what I've been reading.

I'm not going to bother to really write up stuff now, but just list what I can remember. If anyone wants more information (hollow laughter), feel free to comment and I'll try to remember what I thought of the book. Without further ado, and in roughly latest to oldest order. Peters is interwoven, Wells has been read and read in this time frame...

Martha Wells, Murderbot: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol (ARC)
Martha Wells, Raksura books (Stories of the Raksura volumes 1 and 2, The Cloud Roads, The Serpent Sea, and The Siren Depths, The Edge of Worlds, The Harbors of the Sun, and Fall of Ile Rien (The Wizard Hunters, Ships of Air, Gate of Gods) novels
(of the less than novel length, I adore "The Tale of Indigo and Cloud")
Lois McMaster Bujold, "Penric's Fox", "Mira's Last Dance", "The Prisoner of Limnos", "The Flowers of Vashnoi"
Elizabeth Peters (reread): Crocodile on the Sandbank, The Ape Who Guards the Balance, Children of the Storm, The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog, The Hippopotamus Pool, Lord of the Silent, He Shall Thunder in the Sky, The Falcon at the Portal, Lion in the Valley, The Mummy Case, Curse of the Pharaohs
(Now reading The Ape Who and finally hit the scene where the romance became public--so wonderful! I have a soft spot for Ramses)
Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess, The Painted Queen (posthumously finished, meh)
Cecelia Grant, "A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong" (fine, but not enough to make me read her other books)
Melissa Scott, Point of Sighs, Fairs Point
Jessica Day George, The Rose Legacy
Underwater Ballroom Society anthology

Ysabeau Wilce, "The Queen of Life"
Stephanie Burgis, "Spellswept"

Aliette de Bodard, "The Tea-Master and the Detective" (enjoyed it, but so far not enough to read others)

Daniel Keys Moran, "Sideways", "Platformer", "Play Date", The Long Run, Emerald Eyes, The A.I. War (part 1), The Last Dancer, "Leftbehind", "Old Man"
C.S. Pacat, "Pet", The Captive Prince, Kings Rising, "The Summer Palace", Prince's Gambit (still not sure why I found these so compelling--two princes of neighboring kingdoms are fighting for their crowns. One ends up the slave of the other, many shenanigans and it turns out to be a love story in a roughly greek vs persian world)
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, "Degrees of Separation", Local Custom, Mouse and Dragon, "Heirs to Trouble", Neogenesis, "Cultivar", Scouts Progress, "Due Diligence"
C.J. Cherryh, Emergence, Convergence
Diane Duane, "Lior and the Sea"
Faye Kellerman, Bone Box - I really liked the first few books in the this series. Main characters have since relocated from southern California to upstate NY. Practically anyone who was of note in the series showed up in this book--how conveeenient. I'm not going to try to catch up but will likely reread the early ones at some point)
D.M. Quincy, Murder in Mayfair: An Atlas Catesby Mystery. Eh.
Helen S. Wright, A Matter of Oaths (originally published in 1990, finally released on ebook)
Melissa McShane, Pretender to the Crown, Guardian of the Crown, Abounding Might, Wondering Sight
David Pagel, The Forever Girl - love story of a G.I. who falls in love with a Japanese woman (post WWII)
Charles De Lint, The Wind in His Heart
Ann Leckie, Provenance
F.M. Busby, Renalle Kerguelen (story of Rissa's clone daughter, compelling because I like this series, but ultimately eh, only for completists)
Stephanie Burgis, Snowspelled, "Shadow Duet", "Forbidden Magic", "Flying Magic", "House of Secrets", The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart
P.C. Hodgell, The Gates of Tagmeth
SJ Rozan, "Prosperity Restaurant", "Heartbreak", "Body English" (short stories in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series)
Nevil Shute, The Far Country (problematic handling of natives, but I found the love story very compelling and the information that various countries took in refugees from WWII very interesting and surprising)
Megan Whalen Turner, Thick as Thieves (Pretty sure I reread the rest of the series during this period--probably at least twice)
Jo Graham, The Marshal's Lover
Jo Graham and Melissa Scott, Lost Things, Steel Blues, Silver Bullet, Wind Raker, Oath Bound

I may be mislabeled some novellas as novels and vice versa. List also omits a bunch of stuff started but not finished.

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More June 2016 books: McKinley, Wagner, Whalen Turner

I went on a spending spree both series of Mage (The Hero Discovered and The Hero Defined) by Matt Wagner as ebooks. Not so fun reading them on a phone, but I managed. Matt Wagner does a Arthur Pendragon reincarnated series, although we're not sure about that immediately. It was a lovely, atmospheric series when it was released. In parts, it's wordy, but Wagner does well with facial expressions, body position so that words aren't always needed. His Grendel series (particularly Hunter Rose, the first part) is more accomplished, but I never liked it as much as this one. Highly recommended.

I reread about half of The Blue Sword now that it's out as an ebook. The Wagners beckoned so I haven't finished it.

Led on by blog posts (she made a statement that there'll be 2 more books in the series, and that book 5 is close to finished!!!!) and reviews, I decided to re-read Megan Whalen Turner's Thief/Attolia series. I ripped through The Thief, Queen of Attolia, and King of Attolia. I've currently just started Conspiracy of Kings but expect that I'll finish it by the end of the week. They're set in an alternative Mediterranean setting, possibly 1500/1600s time frame (there are some guns and watches). Eugenides is the Thief of Eddis, a tiny mountain country that controls a strategic pass between the countries of Attolia and Sounis. All the countries have fought with each other, but they also face an external enemy, the Mede, a rich and powerful country that has its eyes on expansion. The twists and turns in these book are amazing and wonderful. The author creates really cool characters and the books are extremely tightly plotted. All the clues are there...also highly recommended. Seriously!

Current Mood: sick
Current Music: All about that bass

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2015 late June and July Books: Wrede, Stevermer, Bujold (!), Whalen Turner (!)

After a big purchase of books on "Buy from Tor" day, plus illness, busyness at work, I haven't been in the book to read a new author.

Instead I reread Patricia Wrede's Frontier Magic series which is comprised of:

Thirteenth Child

Across the Great Barrier

The Far West

Set in the 1800s, it's an alternative Earth complete with magic and a lot of magical plants and creatures. Franklin, Jefferson, and ...someone else set up a magical barrier along the Mississippi, and connecting into the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence to hold back the majority of the magical creatures and enable homesteading. A few hardy souls are starting to homestead on the far side of barrier and investigate what's in the west. Eff is the thirteenth child of a college professor father, and the twin of a double-seventh son. She's supposed to be quite unlucky based on classical magic theory, and having problems with relatives who believe it. Her parents decide to relocate to the frontier and a new college where it won't be obvious that she's a thirteenth child. Eff ends up assisting professors in caring and studying the fauna and flora, including traveling beyond the great barrier. Very fun stories, but reading them back-to-back, I found myself getting a little bored in the third book--too repetitive. I'd still love to catch up with Eff.

I then felt like reading Caroline Stevermer's A Scholar of Magics but thought I should read A College of Magics. The latter focuses on Faris Nallaneen, the heir to a Ruritanian country in eastern Europe. Sent off to Greenlaw (in France) to acquire polish, she ends up learning magic too, and becomes quite powerful in her own self. Her best friend, Jane, is a major character in the second book, when she is sent off to Glasscastle (in Britain) to convince a scholar there to take up a similar position to Faris's. While there, she ends up working with Samuel Lambert, an American sharpshooter, who is helping with some research. Both books are just lovely, with interesting twists and turns.

I also read Lois McMaster Bujold's new novella, "Penric's Demon", set in the Chalion universe, I think earlier than Curse of Chalion. Light fluff, but an engaging character.

I also read a short story by Megan Whalen Turner set in her Queen's Thief series. The story is about Eugenides as a child, hell-bent on becoming the Thief like his grandfather.

In other fun news, Martha Wells announced that she's sold a duology, set in the Raksura universe. Yay!!! Happy Dance!!!!

Current Mood: chipper

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2011 Late May books

I managed to read two new novels and a collection while on vacation. I also reread one book: Megan Whalen Turner's The King of Attolia. The first book was Uncertain Allies by Mark del Franco. It's one of the Connor Grey series. Grey used to be a high-powered operative for the Guild. He's a mage in a world where the Faerie realms ended up in our world a hundred years ago or so. There are two faerie kingdoms in a cold war (Celtic and Teutonic), plus unaligned creatures. Grey lost most of his power several years ago in a battle with a fey terrorist. He still works with the police and some Guild investigators and ekes out a living.

He's getting pulled back into the politics, as he has some power, and dirt on several people. Fall-out from the last book is dealt with in this one. His girlfriend, who ended up in a magical coma, is still in it and several things are tried to wake her up.

I haven't tired of this series yet. It's nice to have a male protagonist, and he's not powering up a level in each book, like some series. There's also some movement forward in the overall plotlines.

I then read book two in a new Stargate: Atlantis series. I never got into SG1, but started watching SGA in season 2, and then backed up and watched the first season. I started watching SGA because I read an SGA novel by Martha Wells, who's one of my favorite authors. I liked the book enough that I decided I wanted to find out more about the characters. Another of my favorite authors, Melissa Scott (who hasn't been writing in the field much recently), has joined with Jo Graham and Amy Griswold to write a six book miniseries continuing the SGA story. The first book, Homecoming was by Jo Graham and Melissa Scott and I was 'eh' about it. Book two, by Jo Graham and Amy Griswold is called The Lost and I really enjoyed it. Rodney is lost and most of the book is trying to find out where he is and mount a rescue mission. As you might expect in book 2 of 6, there are complications. I'm fully into the story now and am looking forward to book 3.

Among several ebooks that I'd purchased recently was a collection by Diane Duane, Uptown Local and Other Interventions. At least two are in her Wizards series. "Uptown Local" is a Nita and Kit story. "Theobroma" is about another wizard and what's missing in a chocolatier's shop. "Hopper Painting" was written for a Janis Ian story. "The Fix" is set in ancient Rome about a slave assigned to the Coliseum and dreams of being a trainer for the gladiators. "The Rizzoli Bag" and "Out of the Frying Pan" are connected stories about gifts from a Sibyl. "Bears" is a story about Berne (several stories have Switzerland connections as Duane points out). There are 11 stories total. All have been published before.

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Mid-March Books: Bujold, Lane, Turner, and Jacobs

Like when I'm traveling, I end up re-reading books when I'm ill. The 'flu is finally well over, except for some asthmatic coughing, although it's only this week that I stopped crashing mid-evening.

I did continue on and read The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold. I think this might be the second or third time I've read it which is very unusual for a book by LMB. Coincidentally, Jo Walton has been posting about this series on Tor.com. Here's the review of The Hallowed Hunt.

I have some of the same reservations about it that she does. I find most LMB books to be compulsively readable. I toyed with stopping about halfway after I'd checked the ending, but just kept picking it up again. I should like Ingrey, but just feel eh. He has a wolf spirit bound to him, which occurred when he was a young boy. This should have condemned him to death, but he got a pass from the church because it wasn't by choice, and he was able to bind the wolf spirit, mostly. He has a fearsome reputation, but we mainly hear about it through stories, not by action. I kept thinking to myself, 'Show, don't tell!'

We meet Ingrey as he's on his way to a prince's hunting lodge. The prince (a younger one) has been getting more and more wild. His sister visited on the way to the capital and left him one of her ladies-in-waiting, Ijada. It turns out the prince was binding animal spirits and planned for her to be part of it. Instead she killed him, and the leopard spirit ended up bound to her. Ingrey is sent to find out what happened, clean up the mess, and bring the prince's body and Ijada back to the capital.

Ijada, while a spirited and probably interesting young woman, did not feel that well developed as she spends almost all the book under house arrest. As you might guess, she and Ingrey fall in love, and he spends a lot of time trying to figure out how to get her pardoned--both for the murder-in-self-defense and for now having an animal spirit.

A few of the supporting characters were more interesting--the polar bear, for instance. Just kidding. I think. There's a saint, Hallana, who's much more interesting than the main characters. Anyway, it's still a good book because it's Bujold, but it's not a favorite.

I then managed to read a new book, Death Cloud by Andrew Lane. I'd been seeing ads for it on Tor.com and thought it looked intriguing. It's the first book in a YA series: Sherlock Holmes The Legend Begins which details how Holmes became the great detective. The summer vacation is beginning and Holmes is waiting for his brother, Mycroft, who's recently started a job in London. Their father is posted overseas and their mother has been ill. Upon arrival, Mycroft informs Sherlock that he'll be staying with other relatives and a tutor has been engaged for him.

The relatives are only friendly in a distant way and the housekeeper is actively antagonistic. Mycroft warned Sherlock about her, but the issue isn't revealed in this book. While waiting for the tutor to show up, Sherlock becomes friends with a boy who travels the canals. The boy has seen a mysterious happening in town. After a death, he sees a yellow cloud leave the building and ooze up over the roof. The man died with pustules on his face, so there are fears of the plague. A 2nd man dies similarly and everyone gets very worried.

Meanwhile the tutor shows up, ichibod crane, oh sorry, I mean, Amyus Crowe. He's an American who was/is a bounty hunter. He can masquerade as a brit if he needs to and can fit into all levels of society, etc. Of course, he has a beautiful daughter who's a bit wild (American, don'cha know) and who's mother (fortuitously) died on the voyage to Britain. She's free to do what she wants! Yeah, picture me rolling my eyes. I did feel like I could practically see the author's hand moving the tokens around. The writing style itself is fine, and I finished the book which says a lot, really. I haven't decided yet whether to read more in this series, but I don't think I'll be buying them in hardcover.

The arrival of the nominating ballot for the World Fantasy Awards triggered a desire to re-read Megan Whalen Turner's A Conspiracy of Kings. The latest book in her Queen's Thief series, it's mainly told by Sophos who we met in The Thief. There were hints in The Thief that Sophos might make a good husband for Helen, queen of Eddis. Sophos is currently heir to Sounis, whose current king (Sophos's uncle) is particularly combative. In King of Attolia (book 3), we learned that Sophos had disappeared. This book tells what happened. Because most of it is set up a Sophos-tells-a-story, I remember that I had felt some distance from the story when I read it the first time. It also suffered in comparison to the other books in the series who are told through Eugenides's eyes. Gen is just a more active protagonist, so this book felt like it had less energy.

This time around, since I didn't immediately read The King of Attolia (or any of the others) directly before, I like it quite a bit more. Sometimes people discuss "if you could meet/eat a meal with anybody, who would you choose?" While there are a few people in history that I would like to do that, I don't think I would find it a comfortable meal, and that's true with many fictional characters that I like as well. Anyway, I think I would prefer to share a meal with Sophos, and possibly Helen (Eddis), than Eugenides or Irene (Attolia)! This is not good book to read first, if you haven't read the others. I would suggest The Thief or possibly The Queen of Attolia.

I still wasn't quite in the mood to pick a new fiction book, so I started A.J. Jacobs, The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. I think I've bought this book before and skimmed part of it. Jacobs decides to read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica. He details how it affects him and his family and friends, plus throws out snippets on various topics. Honestly, he's a bit of a twit, so I barely care whether he finishes or not. And a goodly portion of the amazing facts, I already know. I'm in the C's; we'll see how much farther I get.