A little update on this. It’s really tough going so far. The author deconstructs everyone from the first Pilgrim through every historical figure of the time and beyond, and every notion of how people thought and acted at that time. It really lays bare the myths of our forefathers and our cherished traditions. But man, it is a freaking slog. Very pedantic, very detailed, heavily footnoted, and frankly: crushingly boring. I really don’t think I’m going to make it through the entire book without skipping large portions.
I finished the philosophy/theology book I was reading, Living in Truth, Beauty, and Goodness: Values and Virtues by Jeffrey Wattles. Can’t say it blew me away.
Still working my way through The Trouble With Testosterone by Robert M. Sapolsky, a pop-science essay collection. Sapolsky wants to be funny but usually misses the mark. So far, still meh.
Also resuming The Jews in America: Four Centuries of an Uneasy Encounter by Arthur Hertzberg. I’m up to the late 1800s.
Yes, it was the unabridged audiobook, and I finished it a few days ago. Pretty good. Almost a companion piece to the movie but very different. I liked the book’s international scope, the oral-history format, and that there was plenty of chilling imagery but also some good dark humor along the way. There was even a character who scoffed at the Zombie Survival Guide, the author’s other book! Thanks for your recommendation.
Perhaps the Cub would enjoy Star Trek’s semi-homage: The Conscience of the King (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom
Finished Broken Souls by Stephen Blackmoore, the 2nd book about his necromancer, Eric Carter. THe book has a much, much, much, much more satisfying ending than the first one. THings are a mess and our hero’s literally been through hell but it isn’t the ‘sad sack’ everybody hates me ending of the first book.
Read Rich and Pretty, by Rumaan Alam. It was … vapid. Do not recommend.
I picked up a YA mystery called Last Seen Leaving, and it was surprisingly well done. Mostly a typical “teen girl goes missing” thriller (those parts were completely unrealistic, but okay in a mindless way), but it had this really sweet other plot about the boyfriend, who is trying to investigate her disappearance and also deal with his own secrets.
I finished Heartless the fourth Parasol Protectorate book today. I was a bit eye rolling towards the end, but the story was a great ride.
I finished King Leopold’s Ghost, and was amazed , as I usually am, to learn how little I know about history. A terrific book about an appalling person.
I read the third Henrie O mystery by Carolyn Hart, Death in Lovers’ Lane. I think this is the best of the series so far. I had marked it as a book I read sometime before 2006, but I didn’t remember any of it.
Just finished The Big Nap, by Ayelet Waldman (she’s married to Michael Chabon, for anyone who finds that interesting). The second book in a series about a former defense attorney turned stay at home mom. Juliet is so incredibly snarky, funny, and real about being a mother. The mysteries are pretty good, too.
I’m now reading A Torch Against the Night, by Sabaa Tahir. It’s the sequel to An Ember in the Ashes, a YA dystopian fantasy in a rather ridiculous Roman-esque world. I found the first book surprisingly thoughtful but this one hasn’t started well.
I tried An Untimely Frost, by Penny Richards, but couldn’t get past the first dozen or so pages. Historical mystery.
Oh, and I read Beauty, by Robin McKinley. It’s a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Limp and forgettable for me, though I see that others really like it. McKinley is a good writer, but this plot is just a mush.
I remember loving the book as a 20 something. Maybe I should reread it and see what the 50 something me thinks. 
I read her Rose Daughter earlier this year (which is also a BatB retelling) and saw that many people thought Beauty was better. I though Rose Daughter was superior, though still not great.
Neither holds a candle to her exceptional Spindle’s End for me.
New Thread!!!
Continuing my Falklands War recent reading habit, I just finished Rick Jolly’s The Red and Green Life Machine (the colors refer to the berets of the Royal Marines and the Army). Jolly was the top Marine surgeon at the biggest field hospital of the war. He has some interesting things to say about modern battlefield medicine, working hard and saving lives despite chaotic conditions, air attacks, two unexploded bombs crashing through the roof and occasional supply problems. He and his staff cared for British and Argentine casualties as even-handedly as possible, and years later, he was the only British officer of the war to receive an Argentine medal.
Falklands notwithstanding, Elendil’s Heir, I finished a book today that you would like: Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick. It delves into the martial career and later treason of Benedict Arnold and casts some interesting light on George Washington as well. Apologies if you’ve already gobbled up this one - I didn’t check September’s thread.
I read “marital career”, to be fair it’s been a busy weekend and I’m tired. That’s my story!
Yes, thanks - the Mount Vernon magazine had a brief interview with Philbrick recently. Haven’t read the book yet. What interesting light is cast on Washington?