Rhea Reads #2

My other thread got too messy with all the category changes and I want to revise my categories again. I want to put some stuff on hold to narrow what I'm have to choose from and open up more categories for lighter stuff.

1. Influences on other stuff I've read TBR. This is the main category I want to catch up on. The game's idea is that for every book I read - I read an influence. Skipping this for anything I expected to be light reading or stuff from my started series so the TBR doesn't balloon past all hope of catching up, which it seems to have done anyway.

TBR Lists

Queue 1
- Thebiad by Statius (80 CE) ⬅ influence on Latin Poets
- Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae (150 CE) ⬅ influence on Boccaccio
- Confessions by Saint Augustine (350) ⬅ influence on Hrotsvit of Gandersheim
- The Roman de Troie by Benoit de Sainte-Maure (1150) ⬅ influence on Boccaccio
- Songs of the Troubadours ⬅ influence on Petrarch
- (Shorter Poems by Petrarch) (1350) (holdover from prev. cat.)
- (Canzoniere by Petrarch) (1350) (holdover from prev. cat.)
- Jerusalem Delivered by Tasso (1581) ⬅ influence on Maria Edgeworth
- Hudibras by Samuel Butler (1663) ⬅ influence on Maria Edgeworth
- Tristam Shandy by Laurence Stern (1767) ⬅ influence on Lucy Ellmann

Queue 2
- Flowers of Evil by by Charles Baudelaire (1857) ⬅ influence on Joyce Mansour
- Poems by Emily Dickinson (1886) ⬅ influence on Poems for the Millennium authors
- The Souls of Black Folk by WEB du Bois (1903) ⬅ influence on Pauline E Hopkins
- Stories by Franz Kafka (1924) ⬅ influence on Amparo Davila
- Autobiography of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein (1933) ⬅ influence on Percival Everett
- Poems for the Millennium Vol 1-4 edited by Jerome Rothenberg (20th c) ⬅ Vol 4 is an influence on Algerian Literature: A Reader's Guide

Uncued
- The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste (2019) ⬅ influence on Mandy-Suzanne Wong
- Driftglass/Starshards by Samuel R Delany ⬅ influence on Isabel Waidner
- The Quilt and Other Stories by Ismat Chunghtai (1942) ⬅ influence on The Very Inside authors
- The Beautyful Ones are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah (1968) ⬅ influence on Rain of Words authors
- The Mahabharat Vol 1 or a Rig Veda Anthology or Laws of Manu ⬅ influence on Vishnu Sharma
- The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville ⬅ influence on Boccaccio

2. Series I've Started TBR. I have a long term goal of catching up on my started series. End up dropping more series than I finish, but it's going well. I'll stop this once I've finished genre duplicates - for example I'm pretty well caught up on mysteries. Kinsey Millhone and Chief Inspector Gamache fill different genre niches. Even have an opening for a Cozy Mystery or a Romance series if I feel like starting one.

Fantasy
- Amadis of Gaul (2)
----Espladian and Amadis of Greece only
- Eternal Sky Universe by Elizabeth Bear (6)
- Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (5)
----Rereads of The Silmarillion, then Unfinished Tales, The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin only
- Chronicles of the Deryni by Katherine Kurtz (14)

Historical Fiction / General Fiction
- Prarie Trilogy by Willa Cather (2)
- Triptych by Eva Baltasar (2)
- Alberta Trilogy by Cora Sandel (3 w/ reread of #1)
- Plantagenet and Tudor Novels by Philippa Gregory (2)
- Olav Aundunsson by Sigrid Undset (4 w/ reread of #1)
- D'Artagan Romances by Alexandre Dumas (5)
- Scarlet Pimpernel by Emma Orczy (14)

Horror
- African Immortals by Tananarive Due (3)
- Books of Blood by Clive Barker (3)

Comedy
- Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella (8)
- Jeeves by PG Wodehouse (12)

Mysteries
- Kinsey Millhone by Sue Grafton (10)
- Chief Inspector Gamache by Louise Penny (17)

Science Fiction (throwing in most everything by CJ Cherryh in here)
- Space Opera by Catherynne Valente (1)
- Witch World by Andre Norton (28)

- CJ Cherryh Novels
----Rusalka Trilogy ('89-'91)
----Tripoint ('94)
----Finisterre ('95-'96)
----Fortress ('95-'06)
----Lois & Clarke ('96)
----Finity's End ('97)
----Gene Wars ('01-'04)
----Regenesis ('09)
----Alliance Rising ('19)
----Alliance Unbound ('24 ?)
----Foreigner ('94-'23)

- Solar System by Leigh Brackett
----People of the Talisman ('64), The Secret of Sinharat ('64), The Ginger Star ('74), The Hounds of Skaith ('74), The Reavers of Skaith ('75)

These categories go together because I'm planning on alternating them. Going to break my "don't start any new series" resolution for these category but they're cued lists so I won't end up starting too many.

3. Gothic Romances TBR.
- The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt

4. Classic SFF TBR. If these get too rough with the outdated values I'll skip them, no need to make myself unhappy.
Authors active in 1900
- An Uncrowned King by Sydney C Grier
- A Crowned Queen by Sydney C Grier
- The Kings of the East by Sydney C Grier
- Cameos by Marie Corelli
- Additional books by Marie Corelli

Authors active in 1955
- Huon of the Horn by Andre Norton
- Star Rangers by Andre Norton
- Additional books by Andre Norton

Authors active in 1976
- Star Rider by Doris Piserchia
- A City in the North by Marta Randall
- Islands by Marta Randall
- Arslan by MJ Engh

5. Author Catch-Up TBR. I have a tag I added to books by authors I've read and liked, whose stuff wasn't particularly hard to read. Planning on picking by random number.
- Gareth L Powell / Ack-Ack Macaque
- Megan E. O'Keefe / The Devoured Worlds

6. SFF and light fiction that I own TBR
- The Gabriel Hounds, and Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart
- The Gate to Women's Country and The Fresco by Sheri S Tepper
- Fireflood by Vonda N McIntyre
- Lilith by George MacDonald
- The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
- Dark Places by Gilian Flynn
- Jamaica Inn and Hungry Hearts by Daphne Du Maurier
- The New Gothic edited by Bradford Morrow

7. Nonfiction. I almost never finish nonfiction I start, but I am currently reading some.
- The Epic World edited by Pamela Lothspeich
- Stardust: Cinematic Archives at the End of the World by Hannah Goodwin
- From Codex to Hypertext edited by Anouk Lang

8. International. Decided I do want to start with this. This one adds to the Cat 1 influences cue so going to be pretty strict about finishing stuff before I start another.
- Beirut 39 edited by Samuel Shimon

Finished Books

1. Influences: A Rain of Words edited by Irene Assiba d'Almeida, Pharsalia by Lucan, Linguae Vasconum Primitiae by Bernard Etxepare

2. Series I've Started Books of Blood Vol 1-3 by Clive Barker, The Paladin by CJ Cherryh, "O" is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton, Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella, The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien, The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory, The Elusive Pimpernel by Emma Orczy, The Goblin Mirror by CJ Cherryh, Faerie in Shadow by CJ Cherryh, Faerie Moon by CJ Cherryh, The Nemesis from Terra by Leigh Brackett, Mother Nature by Emilia Pardo Bazan, The Starmen of Llyrdis by Leigh Brackett, The Big Jump by Leigh Brackett, The Best of Leigh Brackett, Alpha Centauri or Die! by Leigh Brackett, The Coming of the Terrans by Leigh Brackett.

3. Gothic Romances, 4. Classic SFF, 5. Author Catch-Up, 6. Books I own: Ack-Ack Macaque by Gareth L Powell (5), Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart (6), Darkness at Bromley Hall by Marybeth Morgan (3), Deep in the Sky by Helga Nielsen (4), Hive Monkey by Gareth L. Powell (5), Riparian Rites by Victoria Holt (1/2 star) (6), Lord of the Far Island by Victoria Holt (3), The Conjurers by Marilyn Harris (4),

7. Nonfiction

8. International
The Tree of Gernika by Jose Maria Iparraguirre

-----

BingoDog
-2 A book with an ugly cover: Ack-Ack Macaque. That cover is definitely hideous.
-4 Features twins: Faery in Shadow
-8 Big or little in title: The Big Jump (I'm not tailoring my reading to this, so damn that was lucky)
-9 A book from one of the libraries listed under the "Similar libraries" featured on your LT profile page: The Hobbit
-10 About friendship: Hive Monkey
-11 Three-word title: The Elusive Pimpernel
-12 Paper-based item in plot: Darkness At Bromley Hall. The MC receives several plot-relevant letters.
-13 Read a CAT: Books of Blood Vol 1-3
-14 Short story collection: The Best of Leigh Brackett
-16 Set in a city: "O" is for Outlaw
-17 A book with fewer than 100 copies on LT: Faery Moon
-18 Something written by a person of colour: A Rain of Words
-19 Written by an author 65 or older: Rose Cottage
-20 Featuring water: The Goblin Mirror. Has an important magic lake.
-21 Involves warriors or mercenaries: The Paladin
-23 Written in another cultural tradition: Pharsalia
-24 Something that takes place in multiple countries: Deep in the Sky

Currently Reading / Upper Level Cued

1. Influences
- Thebaid by Statius
- Driftglass/Starshards by Samuel R Delany (on hold)
- Songs of the Troubadours and Trouveres

2. Series I've Started
- Rusalka Trilogy by CJ Cherryh -> Tripoint by CJ Cherryh (not started)
- The Secret of Sinharat by by Leigh Brackett

3. Gothic Romances, 4. Classic SFF, 5. Author Catch-Up, and 6. Light Books I Own
- Macaque Attack (5, not started) -> The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (6, not started) -> The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt (3, not started) -> An Uncrowned King Sydney C Grier (4, not started) -> Steal the Sky by Megan E O'Keefe (5, not started) -> (6) -> Gabrielle by Kathleen Norris (3, not started) -> A Crowned King by Sydney C Grier (4, not started) -> Break the Chains by Megan E O'Keefe (5, not started) -> (6) -> Beauty and the Beast by Kathleen Norris (3, not started) -> The Kings of the East by Sydney C Grier (4, not started) -> Inherit the Flame by Megan E O'Keefe (5, not started)) -> (6)

7. Nonfiction
- The Epic World edited by Pamela Lothspeich (Gilgamesh)
- Stardust: Cinematic Archives at the End of the World by Hannah Goodwin (Film)
- From Codex to Hypertext edited by Anouk Lang (Reading)

8. International Books
- Beirut 39 by Samuel Shimon

Think I'm going to read Ack-Ack Macaque today and On the Civil War if I feel up to it, but obviously it's fine if I don't feel up to it.

I'll listen to "O" is for Outlaw if I want to cross-stitch but I overdid it with the cross-stitching the last few days and my neck/back's bothering me. -_-

On Ack-Ack Macaque: I'm reading the omnibus edition of the trilogy. This is an alt-history SF set around 2059, where France and the UK decided to unify in 1956 and completed the process in 1959. It doesn't seem like the author is going to explore the serious-business ramifications that change might have had - instead it's just ridiculous, which matches the tone of the book. The 2059 technology is steampunk aesthetic, with nuclear-powered airships, but they have cyberpunk-type brain implants.

There's three main POVs. (1) Victoria, a reporter who had extensive brain reconstruction following an injury and whose estranged husband Paul has been murdered, (2) Ack-Ack Macaque, whose early POV scenes are set in WW2, and (3) The Prince of Wales, the heir to the throne who knows Julie the activist, whose mother is the Duchess, and whose father the King has been in a coma since last year.

Started this a bit ago then put it aside, so this summary might be a bit wonky.

Julie, the activist, convinces The Prince of Wales to help her and her friends break into the headquarters of a gaming company owned by the Prince's mother, the Duchess. They're convinced that Ack-Ack Macaque, the star of a popular WW2 MMORPG game, is a secret AI, and want to liberate it. They break into the company and discover that Ack-Ack Macaque is not an AI, he's an IQ-enhanced macaque that's been hooked up to the gaming servers. They rescue Ack-Ack Macaque, but Julie's activist friends were only interested in AI liberation, so the friends ditch them. While at the company, they find some paperwork indicating the Prince has also had some brain modifications.

Ack-Ack Macaque, the Prince, and Julie make a house call on Doctor Nguyen, one of the leaders of the program, only to find that the Doctor's been murdered. They meet K8, who is a company employee and knows Ack-Ack Macaque. She reveals that Prince is actually the AI.

Meanwhile, Victoria wants to solve her husband Paul's murder. The setting has brain implants that capture personality images of the the deceased, so that they can settle their affairs after death, but Paul's was removed. Luckily Victoria's brain modifications mean she's capable of hosting an illegal backup. But Paul doesn't know why he's been murdered.

Victoria's attacked by assassins but survives. During second attempt, she captures the assassin and murderer of her husband, Cassius Berg, and gets him to speak - he is in a secret group called the Undying and implicates the Duchess, implying that she had the previous King attacked. He says she and his group plan to control everything via the Prince, once the Prince becomes King.

Chapters 16-20
Ack-Ack Macaque / K8 want to take down the MMORG from the inside, by defeating the company's replacement macaque. But the Prince wants to confront his mother in person, so first priority is transportation. They visit some friends of his who own a yacht. They try to bluff their way through, but the friends panic when they see Ack-Ack Macaque, so the MC's commander the yacht.

Meanwhile, Paul wants Victoria to find him a replacement body. But first, she visits her her godfather the Commodore. The Commodore knows about the Undying, confirms that the Duchess is the villain, and offers Victoria a job on his airship. She accepts* (no she didn't, apparently, reading comprehension fail)


Chapters 21-25
The Prince etc. board the Commodore's airship because it's politically neutral territory, so all three POV sections are now combined. (This is not a book with complex characters, our POV characters are all decent people, thus, decent people are on the same side of the plot. xd.) Victoria and the Commodore think the Duchess's plan involves uploading a new personality into the Prince, which means the original Prince is their ally not their enemy.

K8 reveals to Ack-Ack Macaque that the gaming companies' real objective is weapons technology, and also that the Mars probe they're currently launching is full of recorded Undying and other people, so that the Undying can build android bodies and take over Mars. He boots into the video game and defeats the other Macaque, Teiko, because Ack-Ack has more experience and a backstory in a fighting ring. But the gaming company shuts down the servers before he has time to fully reveal the Undying's plans to the game's players.

The Prince still wants to talk to his mother face-to-face and rejects Julie's offer to abscond to South America with her. They know the Duchess'll be on her yacht tomorrow, celebrating Independence Day + the Mars launch for the optics. Victoria offers to go with Ack-Ack Macaque and confront the Duchess while she's on TV. (At this point I don't really expect the Duchess to be the villain, the Commodore or the King is more likely, but it does seem in character for this book to have a simple villain.)

Victoria accepts the Commodore's offer of a job after he tells her that she's wanted for the murder of one of the people Cassius Berg killed, Constable Malhotra.

Chapters 26-30
There's been a potential war with China in the background of this, which K8 tells Victoria that the Undying are inflaming, so that they can reupload everyone into android bodies after the nuclear apocalypse.

...But suddenly, a fleet of helicopters appears. It's Captain Summers of the Air Force and he wants the Prince and Victoria. The Commodore refuses to hand them over, so the Captain threatens retaliation, but then Ack-Ack Macaque goes into action. The Captain surrenders, but then the airship gets hit by what the Commodore thinks is a hidden bomb.

There's radiation danger from the nuclear engine, but the Prince and Julie decide to stay on the airship instead of leaving. Julie was injured during the fighting but it isn't serious, and the Prince helps her with first-aid. (It's pretty badly written but there is a romance plot with those two. The Prince really likes Julie's purple hair.) The Commodore interrupts the Prince and Julie's conversation because he's found the bomb-planter, a man named Linton, who wants to talk to the Prince. Linton's taken suicide pills, but he tells them that Doctor Nguyen isn't dead, and wants to see them soon.

Meanwhile, Victoria and Ack-Ack Macaque go ahead with their original plan of confronting the Duchess. They sky-dive into the ocean and board the Duchess's yacht. But they're detected by the yacht's security system.

Chapters 31-35
Victoria and Ack-Ack Macaque end up tied up. A man walks in... it's Doctor Nguyen in a new body. Ack-Ack Macaque breaks the ropes, but the Doctor says a hypnosis-type keyword that defeats Ack-Ack Macaque. He tells Ack-Ack Macaque that the Duchess plans to upload herself into the Prince's body.

In a different scene, the Doctor tells Victoria that they plan to have the Prince order a nuclear attack against Shenzhen. The Doctor reveals that he has a replica Victoria, Victoria #2, who is controlled by hypnosis words. He plans to put POV Victoria into a new body, and starts cutting into her skull, but Victoria #2 says a hypnosis word that makes POV Victoria attack. They kill the Doctor together, but Victoria #2 isn't interested in living and has POV Victoria deactivate her.

Meanwhile, Linton dies. The airship is in trouble, but it's still headed towards the Duchess's yacht as demanded by the Air Force. The Prince asks Julie to marry him. (Julie keeps mentioning her father, but I forget who he is.).

Ack-Ack Macaque finds Victoria and sews up her scalp. Victoria contacts the Commodore, who tells her that the airship is still in route, but the Commodore thinks everyone's life is in jeopardy except the Prince's. Victoria goes to find the Duchess, but instead she finds the King. The King is dead.

Chapters 36-end
Julie calls her father and tells him about engagement, but they fight, then Julie threatens to kill him if she ever sees him again. ... I think I missed something important. :\ Victoria calls the Prince and tells him about his father. The Prince doesn't think he's the real King because he's an AI, but the rest of them tell him how much the world needs him.

Meanwhile, the Duchess announces that the King is dead while Victoria is tries to sneak up to her. Ack-Ack Macaque cause a diversion, ..but the Prince comes on speaker and announces that he's a 'victim of a dark conspiracy', he's prepared to take the throne, and demands an end to the increasing militarization. In the background, the Mars rocket takes off.

Suddenly, the airship arrives and crash-lands on top of the yacht. The major POV characters survive. The Duchess tries to escape but they catch her, she admits to things people have accused her of, says her copy's on its way to Mars, and tries to blow everyone up with a grenade. Ack-Ack Macaque saves them, and the Duchess dies. The Commodore also dies, off-screen. End of all the action.

Victoria inherits the airship and plans to have it repaired. Back-up Paul is still living in Victoria's head, and she agrees to let him stay for the time being. Ack-Ack Macaque declares that he and K8 are staying with Victoria on the airship. Apparently the people have accepted the Prince as King. Onto book 2.


^Cover fits the vibe of the book pretty well.

Onto Hive Monkey, book two of Ack-Ack Macaque by Gareth L Powell.

Actually changed my mind, going to count the Ack-Ack Macaque omnibus as 3 books, which pushes Hive Monkey back in the cue behind a gothic romance (cat. 3), Darkness at Bromley Hall, and a classic SFF (cat. 4), Deep in the Sky.*

Anyway, Darkness at Bromley Hall by Marybeth Morgan (Peter Ronai). This one has a cool retro cover with the mansion with one light on.



Chapters 1-2.
Eleanor, a professional editor, has been hired by her wealthy granduncle and only living relative, Sir Edward, to help him assemble his memoirs. She flies down to his Barbados mansion, but there's no one to meet her at the airport. She takes a taxi to the mansion and manages to get in via back door, and finds Sir Edward. They talk in the library.

Some people drive up to the front door and Sir Edward tells her to "send them away". Turns out the people are David (very handsome), the mansion's manager, and Mrs. Galt, David's mother and the mansion's housekeeper. They've just gotten back from searching for Sir Edward, who they claim has drowned. When Eleanor disagrees, they search the mansion, but no one is to be found.
They're both rude to Eleanor and try to fire her, telling her that a different employee, Rupert, is more qualified, and she was never needed. There's also a Mr. Cadogan, the butler, a Mrs. Bamfield, the head maid (?), and some other staff.

Eleanor refuses to go leave so she's invited to dinner and given a room. While she's freshening up, Mrs. Bamfield very mysteriously tells her that Sir Edward didn't drown. During dinner (vegetable soup, breaded kingfish, roast of beef with Yorkshire pudding, fresh local water, and caramel pudding), Eleanor reveals that she's the grandniece, but David (very handsome) tells her that he's actually the heir via the will and a non-blood connection.

Eleanor learns that Sir Edward went missing while walking on the beach, and that they found his clothes and shoes but no body as of yet. Rupert and David argue, each accusing the other of murdering Sir Edward. David suggests that he and Eleanor manage things together, for the moment, so Eleanor tries to fire Rupert as revenge for David trying to fire her earlier. This obviously upsets Rupert, and David warns Eleanor that Rupert is a dangerous war veteran.

After dinner, Eleanor is introduced to Peter (very handsome), an artist neighbor whose family has a historic feud with Eleanor's that's related to a 'cursed' Byzantine necklace. David accuses Peter of murdering Sir Edward. Peter brings up voodoo, and David makes sure Peter knows Eleanor is a blood relation of Sir Edward. David been dating Margaret, Peter's cousin, for two years, but cancels on an upcoming plan to go dancing with her. Peter (very handsome) invites Eleanor to the dance, but David (very handsome) lies and says Eleanor has plans to go horseback riding with him. Eleanor doesn't correct David, and Peter invites her to go out with him a different time.

Peter goes home, David (very handsome) flirts with Eleanor for a bit, then Eleanor goes to bed. In her room, she finds a white envelope with a skull drawn on it, and an ornate gold necklace with a message telling her to guard it.

Chapter 3
Eleanor has breakfast (toast and jam with tea, with available kippers and eggs and powered coffee). She and David run into Peter and Rupert, before David shows her sugar cane fields, and points out the sugar factory, old windmill, and Peter's house, then introduces Eleanor to Jones, the overseer. (This is 1975 publication, I don't think it's going to get too distressing with the outdated values, but I honestly don't know.) Jones is also ex-military, but Eleanor gets good vibes from him.

On the way back, Eleanor falls off her horse - turns out the saddle was vandalized. Eleanor suspects multiple people, but mostly David, while David says he suspects Rupert. They go back, and Mrs. Galt announces Eleanor's room's been changed. Eleanor goes back to retrieve the necklace, which she hid under the mattress, but it's no longer there. But then Mrs. Bamfield tells Eleanor that everything is in its place in the new room, so Eleanor goes to look under her new mattress... and is interrupted by Mrs. Galt.

They talk about her deceased relatives, including her cousin Ian, who died at Dunkirk, and Mrs. Galt agrees to show Eleanor the shut-off West Wing, later, where Eleanor suspects Sir Edward may be hiding. Suddenly Mrs. Galt goes for the mattress, lifts it up, finds the necklace, then wails about how whoever has it is the heir to the property, which is apparently a superstition not a legal provision. She accuses Eleanor of stealing it. Eleanor refuses to give it up until she's legally forced to.

Chapter 4
For lunch they have breaded flying fish with lime, cold chicken, dressed broiled potatoes, and Julie mangoes. Eleanor is now keeping the necklace in her purse. After dinner, Mrs. Bamfield comes into Eleanor's room and tells her to keep her door locked while she sleeps. Eleanor locks the door, then wakes up from her nap to the sound of Mrs. Galt trying to get in. Eleanor unlocks the door, and Mrs. Galt invites her to tea and warns her about Peter.

Peter (very handsome) is at tea, and invites her to go for a car ride and meet his cousin Margaret, later. After tea, Mrs. Galt gives her a tour of the house, including various bedrooms and the kitchen, where the staff is cooking pepper pot. The West Wing is dusty and seems unoccupied, disappointing Eleanor. Mrs. Galt tells Eleanor some family history while they look at some portraits, repeating her warning about Peter and also Margaret. The feud is 350+ years old. In the library, Eleanor finds a book on the table that wasn't there before: Comprehensive History of the Byzantine Empire, Volume 5, that Mrs. Galt thinks Rupert must have pulled out. Mrs. Galt finishes the tour by warning Eleanor about Mrs. Bamfield, who she calls a witch.

Chapter 5
The next morning, Eleanor finds a small coffin outside her door, which David and Mrs. Galt are horrified say it's voodoo. Mrs. Bamfield denies placing the coffin. (I don't try to guess or solve a mystery, so the author trying to trick me into suspecting each character in turn is annoying. It's also making it hard to summarize. That Eleanor doesn't insist that Sir Edward is alive or try to to talk to Mrs. Bamfield, is annoying.) After breakfast Eleanor walks around outsid and is greeted by the mansion's two mastiffs. She questions an unnamed stableman, who tells her that Rupert, Peter, and David were all by her horse yesterday. On her way back to the house Mr. Cadogan tells her that David and Mrs. Galt have gone to the beach to look for Sir Edward's body.

Eleanor wants to go to town but there aren't any cars available. In the library, The Byzantine Empire book has gone missing so she reads Caribbean Circuit by Sir Harry Luke, which is a real book. For lunch they have dolphin, which Eleanor doesn't like having eaten, and pepper pot. Rupert is absent. David (very handsome) offers to drive Eleanor around, so she chooses that instead of accepting Peter's invitation from yesterday. They visit the local church, St. John's where David explains to her the history of the necklace's name, the Paleologus necklace and repeats that he is the rightful heir and should own the necklace. They both share family histories and Eleanor thinks that David is very attractive (for some inconceivable reason -_-).

Back at the house, they find Peter. He says that he was concerned when Eleanor didn't show up. Eleanor is irritated with Peter (very handsome) and says that she never accepted his invitation. The two men argue and accuse each other of crimes. David (very handsome), makes Peter leave, forbids Eleanor to see him, then says he might be falling for her. Mrs. Bamfield serves tea on the veranda that connects to the library, which Eleanor thinks Sir Edward might have used to hide. David continues to bother her about the necklace but says he'll have Jones drive her to town tomorrow.

During dinner, which is New Zealand beefsteak, Rupert is still missing. After dinner, David continues to flirt with Eleanor, tells her he likes her better than Margaret, and kisses her. She goes to bed and locks the door. Later that night, a cat-sized rat wakes her up. She screams, but since she left the key in the lock, David and Mrs. Galt can't get in. Mrs. Galt suspects voodoo. They break down the door. Turns out it was a mongoose. Mr. Cadogan takes the mongoose away. David says Peter must have planted it.

Chapter 6
They've found Rupert, who is unconscious from a knock to the head and was taken to the hospital. Jones drives Eleanor to town. He teases Eleanor about the mongoose, but also shows sympathy. He drives her to the police station, gives her the keys, tells her to take the driving test and drive herself back.

Eleanor meets with James, Sir Edward's lawyer, who tells her that she is the heir, not David, and that he told this to David in person 15 minutes ago. James also says that Sir Edward has a history of going missing. Then David finds her and tells her that Rupert has woken up and is asking for her. Rupert tells her that the necklace is cursed and Sir Edward needs to get rid of it. David does another round of being angry then saying he might be falling for Eleanor.

Eleanor goes shopping. On her way to lunch with David (rum punch and a ham sandwich), she sees Peter. On the drive back she panics about the necklace, but it's still in her purse. But then she crashes the car and hits her head. Peter drives up and says her hydraulic line was cut., then he takes her to a private doctor who treats her and gives her pills. Peter also says they need to talk to the police, gives her a gun, which she refuses, and invites her to go snorkeling the next day. Eleanor realizes that she left her purse in the crashed car, so they go back for it. It still has the necklace..

Back at the mansion, she yells after Peter as he drives away, declining the snorkeling invitation. Mrs. Galt says that the police were just there because they suspect Eleanor of attacking Rupert. Eleanor goes back to her room, where she has a shrieking-fit. Mrs. Galt slaps her to snap her out of it -_-, and Mrs. Bamfield takes away the cat Eleanor thought was another mongoose.

Chapter 7
Eleanor has bad dreams and wakes up to Mr. Cadogan trying to get into her room. She is suspicious, but leaves the mansion with him when he asks her to. He takes her to the old windmill. Sir Edward is inside and is glad to see her. Sir Edward says that he's hiding because someone's been trying to kill him and that he suspects Peter.

On the way back they meet David, Mrs. Galt, and a drunk Jones. They berate Eleanor for taking a walk so late. David says that Mrs. Galt sees Eleanor like a daughter, which angers Eleanor. She considers telling David about Sir Edward, but decides not to.

Chapter 8
Eleanor decides to leave Barbados, but then Mrs. Bamfield tells her Peter is waiting for her and she changes her mind. They have breakfast (fried eggs with toast and coffee + bacon), go snorkeling, drink rum punch, then eat lunch (breaded fish w/ lime). Peter tells her his family's version of the feud - the sons of each family were in love with an Anne, argued over other things, then dueled. Eleanor's relative won, married Anne, and gave her the necklace, but Anne died soon afterwards. They walk by the beach some more, then have tea (+ cucumber sandwiches). Peter tells her that Jones's wife ran off with an overseer, who Jones tracked down and crippled.

They return, and Eleanor meets Margaret, who Eleanor finds unstylish but charming. They have roast leg of lamb with potatoes and green beans for dinner. Margaret has a doll collection and likes to read Victorian novels, and they make plans to go shopping. Margaret tells Eleanor that David is a liar, and that David's father Eric was unstable and eventually killed himself. Then Peter tells her that the overseer who ran off with Jones's wife was Margaret's fiance.

Later that night, the police (Inspector Holder) knock on Eleanor's door. They suspect her of attacking Rupert and ask her about the old windmill, which is now empty.

Chapter 9
Eleanor visits the windmill, but Sir Edward isn't there. She's attacked by a drunk Jones, but he lets her go. Jones mentions stealing something, but is unclear. The next morning, Eleanor finds a note. It's from Sir Edward, who says he noticed revenue decreasing, and thinks Peter has been harvesting his fields and tried to kill him. He tells Eleanor to hold a dinner party the following Saturday and invite James+, Margaret, Jones, other neighbors Charles+, and John+, especially John's son, and have Peter seated on her left and David on her right. (We are running out of boring male names. -_-). He tells Eleanor that she can trust Mrs. Bamfield and Mr. Cadogan. Sir Edward promises to attend the party.

Eleanor has powdered coffee for breakfast and goes shopping with Margaret. Margaret loves the idea of a dinner party, especially since John's son'll be there. Eleanor helps Margaret buy stylish clothes and make-over. She orders food for the party (sardine, anchovy, cream cheese, deviled egg, and smoke salmon canapes + cocktails and highballs, with a main course of dolphin, crown roast of lamb, potatoes, fresh okra, friend plantains, petit pois, and rice). Peter and David show up for lunch (club sandwiches and coffee). Peter and David both flirt with Eleanor, and ignore Margaret, which Eleanor notices. On the way back, someone pushes Eleanor into traffic, which causes a bicycle crash.

Later that night, Eleanor goes to look at the moon with David, who kisses her and asks her to marry him. She tells him its too soon, and feels a bit frightened. They both see a man smoking a cigarette and watching them.

Chapter 10
The next morning, Eleanor goes to look for Jones, but can't find him. Someone shoots at her, but she makes it in the house unharmed. The police say that Jones has left the island, so the shooter wasn't him, and suggest Eleanor is mistaken about any shooting taking place, and that she's lying about all of the attempts on her life. Later, Margaret argues with Eleanor about David, who Margaret is in love with, and Eleanor tells her about the proposal.

Later, Peter offers Eleanor a gun. She refuses it and says the police'll handle everything. (Lot of misogyny here in how Eleanor just accepts being doubted by the police and everyone, the feeling isn't that she's browbeaten, it's that the author doesn't think Eleanor'd be upset about being treated like a stupid woman since women are stupid and Eleanor knows that she is one. Eleanor gets feisty when she's thinks her appearance is being insulted.). Peter leaves the gun on a table so Eleanor takes it with her.

The next morning, Eleanor hears that Rupert'll be well enough to attend the party, so she goes with Mr. Cadogan to pick him up. Rupert tells her that Anne, the necklace duel lady, died in childbirth. They get back and Mrs. Bamfield tells her that Peter's visited - and both Sir Edward's letter and the gun are gone.

Chapter 11
The party begins. Eleanor wears the necklace. The neighbor's son is named Eric (author ran out of names, ha.). He's moderately handsome and seems smitten with Margaret, who looks much better after her make-over. James tells Eleanor that the Sir Edward's will might have some complications, but that she'd know better than him. Eric, who has been in here for like 5p but is already the best bachelor, makes a joke about them all expecting a ghost. They have custard for dessert.

The lights go out and there is gunfire. David pulls Eleanor into his care and drives away. Peter chases them. David has a gun, so Eleanor assumes David wants Peter to catch up so that David can shoot Peter. They stop, and David pulls Eleanor over to a cliff. David threatens Peter (with Peter's gun), takes the necklace from Eleanor, then threatens Eleanor. David makes a villainous speech, admitting to everything. Peter dives forward. David shoots him, but drops the gun. Eleanor picks up the gun, shoots David, but misses. Peter was shot in the leg. David runs away and Eleanor runs after him, thinking that only she can save Sir Edward from David.

... Suddenly, the police show up, and David is arrested. Turns out Margaret's been stalking David with private detectives the entire time, and the police have info on all his movements. Sir Edward is there, too, and admits to being mistaken about Peter. Peter's taken to the hospital. However, Sir Edward denies giving Eleanor the necklace. End of action.

Chapter 12 (end)
Margaret is engaged to Eric. Peter says that Rupert, who believes in the curse of the necklace, is the one who left it for Eleanor. Eleanor chucks the necklace into the ocean. Peter proposes. Eleanor says maybe. The end.

I still don't feel like reading the Lucan, so choices are an audiobook, Deep in the Sky by Helga Nielsen, The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory, or The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny.

... Think I'm gonna go with Deep in the Sky. It's available online at Hathi Trust, but there doesn't seem to be a download option for this one and their online viewer doesn't have a dark mode. I'll switch to an audiobook or The Taming of the Queen if it starts to make my head hurt.



Chapters 1
Ralph Darwin's in an accident, but he's rescued by a young girl (Delisha) who fetches the dignified Dr. Lathem. Delisha gives him a breathing tube, then they sedate him. He wakes up, confused, in a hospital bed, and the sky outside is strange yet beautiful. The nurse says he's in "Salomnia".

The Doctor visits, but refuses to give information. A male attendant also refuses to give information and is confused about a war Ralph thinks is going on. A man name Gustomere takes Ralph's measurements for new clothes. When Ralph mentions going home, Gustomere seems concerned. Ralph sees "birds" in the sky, but Gustomere corrects him and says that they are small planes, or aeriols.

Chapter 2
Ralph appreciates the new clothes. He questions the Doctor, who reveals that Ralph's been teleported via mysterious ether waves and is now on the planet Canta. Ralph is concerned about earning his keep and wants to get to work immediately. The Doctor says that Ralph needs to apply to the Board of Adaptation, but first he can inspect his crashed plane and stay at the Hotel Landoon. The Doctor leaves for a different country, Seva. On the way to the plane, Ralph and the unnamed chauffeur drive by a gorgeous estate owned by the scientist Peter Delrex.

Chapter 3
Ralph feels embarrassed because he can't tip the hotel porter, but thinks the hotel is very nice. The other guests avoid him. In his hotel room, he hears a radio announcement about his own arrival, which makes him feel uneasy. He remembers an old friend, Elmer, who was confined to a mental institution. Ralph finds his old clothes in the closet.

The Doctor comes for dinner. Ralph is surprised because he thought the Doctor would be in Seva. Ralph shows the Doctor some family photos, and the Doctor diagnoses a relative's fatal illness on sight. The eat dinner, but don't have any alcohol because its manufacturers are financially penalized for any damage caused by intoxicated people, so no one bothers with it any more.

The Doctor says that he owns the hotel and used to live there, then shows Ralph a library and recommends a books on Canta and the Salomnians. Ralph, again, is concerned about money, which the Doctor laughs at. The Doctor leaves, and Ralph picks "Our Last War" by Dalten Carr to read by the fire.

Chapter 4
The book says: In the distant past, Salomnia won a war with Seva, only for Seva to release poison gas into Salomnia. But then a mysterious stranger appeared, there was an earthquake, the gas in Salomnia was dispelled, and Seva was hit by a volcanic eruption. Salomnia stripped Seva of its weapons and built giant, indestructible monuments to the dead, but did not conquer it. To this very day, the dead are cremated and left at the monument.

That night Ralph dreams about a creepy man and Delisha. When he wakes up, Ralph thinks that the Doctor is in love with Delisha, so he decides not to visit her. But then he sees some letters on his desk: invitations to lunch with royalty at the Pink Forest, dinner at Delisha's house, and letters from a Bank and the Board of Invitation.

Ralph goes to the bank, where he gets free money. Next up is the Board of Adaptation, which is in an extremely fancy building. Ralph tries to tip the taxi-driver, who tells him tipping has been abolished because it's seen as bribery.

Chapter 5
The building's lit with concentrated sunlight. Ralph answers a written test, then goes for a walk, admiring the attractive buildings and gardenscapes. He sees a group of unhappy school-children, then sees Delisha. Delisha says that the school-children are from Seva.

He sits in a park and watches the park's nurses care for healthy children, and learns that the nearby storekeepers pay for this service so the mothers can shop. Then he watches some men clean the park with a vacuum-machine and learns that there's also an underground vacuum machine that transports waste.

At the hotel, he leaves a tip after dinner then tips the elevator man, who pauses, but does take the money. Back in his room he sees a telegram letter - the Board of Adaptation has decided he's a suitable pilot. He gets another envelope with the tip money returned. The Doctor calls him, congratulating him, and gives him the answer to a question Ralph got wrong. "Fluidification combined" is a method where a powder and a liquid mix as they enter a motor, preventing explosions. The Doctor offers Ralph a job. Ralph tries to decline, but the Doctor pushes him into it, saying that his current chauffeur Jerold wants to retire, then promises to show Ralph the Cattacilien Industry fields the next day.

Before bed, Ralph reads a newspaper, which is in alphabetical order with large sections for church business and concert advertisements. There's also many puzzles and jokes, a sports section, and a section that declares that no crimes have been committed. He reads an article: "The Children from Seva" and learns that Sevasian children, ages 8-16, must live in Salomnia for 4 months each year, and recently the Sevasians are more and more unhappy about this.

Chapter 6
Ralph gets advice from Gustomere about what suit to wear to lunch at the Pink Forest (a light-blue one). The Doctor picks him up in an luxurious car that can go 300 m/h smoothly, using magnetic shock-absorbers. They pass beautiful clover fields, where the Cattacilien Industry raises cows for meat. There's also the Nuttacilian Industry, which supplies roots and nuts. Ralph asks about small farmers, so the Doctor tells Ralph how clean and humane the industry is, something a small farmer couldn't achieve, and that it'd be illegal. This is also true for poultry and dogs (not raised for food).

The Pink Forest is extremely beautiful and reminds Ralph of a Danish farm. The Salomnian rulers at the lunch are Professor Markay and Dr. Rengler, who are very impressive, friendly, and impressed by Ralph. Peter Delrex the Scientist (Delisha's uncle) is present, and Ralph's shocked to recognize him as the creepy man from his dream. After lunch, Ralph is interviewed by the press. He praises Canta.

Ralph learns that Salomnia has no political parties and people express themselves as individuals, but Dr. Rengler adds that there is still discontent. Peter Delrex speaks for a bit about ether wave theory.

Chapter 7-8
On the way back, Ralph tells the Doctor, who is sees as a rival, that he's attracted to Delisha. The Doctor accepts this honorably, but speeds up the car, saying that the wheels are magnetic. They make it back to the city. Ralph decides that he'll write a memoir.

The next day, Ralph gets driving instructions from Jerold the chauffeur. Everything looks great, and he learns that landowners have to upkeep their houses, otherwise the property gets condemned. Ralph objects, and Jerold adds that typically this only happens to heirs. The roads are very nice, aeriol travel is available, and there's parks by every shopping district. Residential / commercial zoning is enforced. Owned possessions and property are taxed, and there is an inheritance, transfer, and sales tax. Rulers are replaced and budgets are balanced every 5 years. The government sells precious-stones and jewelry.

Ralph eats a nice Nuttacilien lunch at Jerold's house, where he meets Jerold's wife and charming children, who don't know how to play war games. Salomnia has a great vacuum system and windows that can turn for cleaning.

Chapter 9
Delisha picks up Ralph for dinner. She wears a lot of jewelry, reminding Ralph about the possession tax and how Jerome told him Salomnians signal loyalty to the government in this way.

Peter Delrex and Madame Cyrell, Delisha's mother, are both at dinner. Delisha describes the church sermon she heard that morning, and Ralph learns that preachers in Salomnia have to pass vigorous tests of character. Preachers preach about God the Creator and cannot marry, but can resign and then reapply when they like. There is one church, but eight different types of sermons. Delisha plays hymns on the piano for them, which Ralph admires as slightly different.

Delisha presents a gold sheet with a picture of her missing father (? I feel like this must have been mentioned before, but I missed it. In my opinion the point of this book is the 'utopian/dystopian'-type improvement descriptions, not the plot, so not that important.) Ralph says that he looks like his great-grandfather. Then, asked to by Peter Delrex, Delisha reads the radiogram message she received from her father. It's about ether wave travel and says all is well. Ralph thinks the father must have died, but Peter Delrex thinks he probably just teleported somewhere.

Delisha has a garden with transplanted wild flowers. She asks Ralph to go inside to get a maid, so he overhears Peter Delrex threatening a Selinda (Madame Cyrell?), each of them telling the other to think about Delisha. He goes back to Delisha, who remembers that the maids are at church. Madame Cyrell, who Delisha mentioned is ill, says she has to leave for the mountains. They take her to the airport, which Delisha says her father built, along with inventing the breathing tubes she used to save Ralph's life. They visit the beach where she found Ralph, but forgo going up in a tower. Delisha mentions that both she and her mother work, even though they are rich.

Chapter 10
Ralph begins his memoirs. He orders and describes a Nuttacilien fruit sandwich. Then he goes for plane flight instructions with the Doctor. The plane is small, light, nonexplosive, has noncolliding shock absorbers, and silencers. Ralph dislikes flying around the aeriols, but they reach a private route.

They reach the Goma / the jungle, where I'm inferring that all the BIPOC people on Canta live, under the control of Salomnia. -_-. Ralph is warned not to look at any women there or be first to speak to anyone. Ralph and the Doctor freshen up then go to lunch. They're the only white people there. The lunchroom is beautiful with lots of glass, so Ralph says he wants to see it at night, but the Doctor says everyone here superstitiously goes to bed after sundown.

Ralph orders the fish he sees someone else eating, surprising the Doctor, then they have tasty fruit salad w/ coconut sauce. Then they visit a beautiful glass church, where two almost naked women follow Ralph. He runs away, passing some playing children and bamboo houses w/ lightning rods. (Later he learns that the Gomans declined housing changes). He enters an orchard with chemical health indicators attached to the trees, many of which are cross-bred. He eats a peach.

A storm seems to be coming and Ralph is lost, so he stands still and waits to be rescued. He notices that he hasn't seen any birds. Suddenly he hears a radio announcement telling him to stay put, and the Doctor appears, who seems tired. They return to Salomnia.

Chapter 11
Ralph's job isn't bad, he gets paid, and sees Delisha occasionally, when their schedules allow it. It's a few months before they find time to visit Peter Delrex. Peter has servants and a spotless house. Delisha plays the piano while Peter shows Ralph his workroom. They discuss ether waves, mentioning the risk of explosion. Ralph gives Peter permission to do tests on his planes.

Delisha's feeding the birds, which Ralph realizes are uncommon. Peter says it's because of the aeriols. Ralph suggests they use trains instead, which Peter says won't work because they're too slow and have routes. Ralph gets the key to the tower, which Delisha's father was using before he went missing. Peter explains that the people don't like beach vacations because of the germs, but there's purified salt baths available.

Chapters 12-13
Gustomere tells Ralph that his son Gorm is in Grengo Prison, where criminals are used in laboratory experiments and not allowed outside communication. Gorm attempted to kill his wife. Gustomere says that say Ralph can get a message from Gorm about an upcoming prison reform once he flies the Doctor to Prison City. Ralph suggests asking the Doctor, but Gustomere thinks that's a terrible idea. Ralph see Gustomere as his friend, so he agrees to help.

Ralph flies the Doctor to Seva, which reminds him of a European city. Planes are limited in Seva, so the people use cars and boats. They change governments, frequently. While the Doctor is busy in a dinky hospital, Ralph visits a cafe, where he's refused service and glared at because he's a Salomnian. A policeman, worried about Ralph, brings him back to the plane. Ralph tips the policeman, then goes into the hospital to wait for the Doctor.

The desk staff is rude, and a newspaper Ralph picks up is full of anti-Salomnian content. The Ralph and the Doctor find that someone's vandalized the plane. The Doctor uses ether waves to send a message for help. A crowd forms to watch. They quickly get a replacement plane.

Chapters 14-15 (>halfway done with this thing)
Ralph invites Peter to see a demonstration one day when Delisha is away. It's a mysterious light that makes Peter look monstrous when it shines on him, and a miniature airplane that shows ether wave teleportation. Later, back at the hotel, Peter decides to ask Delisha to marry him.

Delisha and Ralph visit Prison City together to see Leonard and Iris, friends of Delisha's. Leonard copied a painting visually instead of by memory, which is illegal. Ralph thinks Leonard should have paid a fine, but Delisha thinks that would be unfair because of income disparity. Ralph brings a bar of chocolate with him in case he gets hungry, but has to leave even that with the guards.

Ralph is surprised about how nice the accommodations at Prison City are, thinking that's its better than ordinary life on earth. Delisha says that in the past, people who committed offenses were banished. No emotional displays are allowed. They meet Leonard and Iris, then have a nice meal together. Leonard makes money by selling designs to the textile factory.

A storm begins and everyone runs inside. This gets Ralph and Delisha's outgoing flight cancelled so they have to spend the night. At lights time Ralph dawdles, so Leonard warns him that they'll be fined if they don't shut out the lights promptly. Unable to sleep, Ralph goes outside, sees some men loading a truck. He follows them on their truck.

Chapters 16-17
The truck goes into Gregno Prison, where Ralph wants to find Gorm. Everyone besides Ralph has ID bracelets. He smells burning and sees a giant bird-cage like structure lightning rods. The people exiting the structure look monstrous. He sees the Doctor and goes up to him.

The Doctor says that Ralph shouldn't be there and brings someone to take Ralph back to Prison City. Coincidentally, it's Gorm. They take a high-speed motorbike. Ralph relays the message from Gustomere. Gorm says that he doesn't feel abused.

At breakfast the next morning Ralph notices that the coin Leonard uses are marked with labor time, and feels bad. Delisha seems worried about something but Ralph doesn't ask.

Chapters 18-20
Back at the hotel, Ralph visits the hospital but doesn't find the Doctor. Later, at dinner, Delisha tells him that she heard from the Doctor that Ralph has a medical ailment that needs to be addressed. Ralph is angry about this and considers taking a different job. He asks Madame Cyrell about marrying Delisha, but she says Peter is the legal guardian and won't consent to an underage marriage (Delisha is 20) unless it's to the Doctor.

The next day, Ralph revisits the hospital as requested to by the Doctor. Ralph was teleported to begin with because he disobeyed a superior officer's orders - but Ralph voices that as a test pilot he needed to test his own theories. The Doctor criticizes this behavior and is irritated. They drive through Geranium City, which is sparkling as if made by fairies, then visit Shengla, which is Asian themed. He meets two women there: Larrisa and Marietta.

Larissa questions Ralph about womens' rights on Earth. Ralph says that marriage is better on Salomnia because of the low divorce rate, but Larissa adds that the children of divorcees become wards of the state, which women don't want. Larissa asks if men on Earth are kind or cruel, but the Doctor comes in so Ralph doesn't answer. The Doctor hires Marietta for some unpleasant job at the hospital, the idea of which upsets the two women very much. The Doctor orders a typists to take down Marietta's story, which is unusual. Ralph explores outside, where he sees a beautiful garden full of girls. (Assuming this place was a brothel of some sort?)

Chapters 21-23
Next they visit the Doctor's great-grandparents (Prince and Princess Ornard) at Silver Maples, which is beautifully silver. The servants are very obsequious, which Ralph admires. The great-grandparents ask the Doctor about Delisha and the Princess said she dreamed of Delisha is a wedding dress.

Ralph decides to do some occupational training to become an air-flight expert. The Doctor decided to transfer to Goma so he's pleased about Ralph's decision. The Doctor tells Ralph that his engagement to Larrisa will be announced soon, and to please not say he knows her. Later, the Doctor asks Ralph to stand in as Larrisa's relative during the wedding.

Ralph tries to buy flowers, but Marietta beat him too it. Marietta asks Ralph how Larrisa is. Neither have seen her. Ralph wants to eat breakfast with Marietta before she goes back to work (missing the wedding), but Marietta says she's on probation and it isn't allowed. Guests arrive. Larrisa and the Doctor get married, but leave before Ralph can talk to them. Rumors go around about Shengla and church sermons allude to the topic. Ralph learns that horoscopes and astrology are revered in Salomnia.

Chapter 24
Much later, the Doctor is surprised to hear that Marietta decorated the church. The Doctor hasn't spoken to Marietta, but knows that she'll be accepted into a university, soon. He promises to invite everyone to visit him soon. He says that Larrisa is happy but not tell her about Marietta.

Ralph asks Peter about marrying Delisha, but Peter says that Delisha is too young. Peter wasn't at the recent wedding and asks Ralph if he decorated the church. Ralph denies this. Peter shares more discoveries about the ether waves, including that Earth is 'lowest' in height.

Ralph gets a new job as a pilot. Larrisa dies in a car accident during a storm.

Chapter 25-26
Ralph and Delisha visit an amusement park made from "electroastics". Later, they meet Delisha's brother Bjarne. Bjarne, insensitively, tells them to listen to the radio. Madame Cyrell's under house arrest. Peter arrives and Bjarne continues to be insensitive. Delisha complains about the cruelty of Salomnian men. Madame Cyrell's crime is marrying Tarlang, a childhood friend. Delisha's father isn't officially dead, but she supports the marriage. Tarlang was injured and confessed to the marriage before death.

Peter hires a companion for Delisha: Miss Salia. Tarlang does not have a funeral because Salomnians believe in eternal life. Ralph thinks this explains their passivity and rule-adherence. Madame Cyrell agrees to a round of human experimentation. Ralph discusses rule-adherence with Peter, who thinks the elite need to set a good example.

They visit Madame Cyrell, who seems very ill. Ralph decides to ask Professor Markay, who is in love with Madame Cyrell, for help. He sneaks into the villa. Markay says he can't help, and is horrified when Ralph says that on Earth they use animals for testing, not people. Markay seems opposed to ether wave travel because of isolationist leanings. Madame Cyrell dies of illness.

Chapter 27-29 (end)

Ralph goes to the service (arrange by Bjarne) with Delisha. The urn is designed for self-burial because no one visits graves. When there time is up, the attendant asks them to leave. Later, Peter is unhappy that Delisha attended the service and chides Ralph. Delisha slaps Peter. They reconcile at dinner. Later, Peter plans a plane ride for Delisha and Ralph in a new test plane. Ralph fantasizes about taking Delisha to Earth with him. He hides photographs and memoirs in his clothing.

The Doctor attends the launch, along with the media. While starting the plane, Ralph's hand freeze to the controls. Peter pulls Delisha off the aircraft into the Doctor's arms, then re-boards. He tells Ralph that Ralph has been an evil influence on Canta. Ralph thinks Peter is now along for the journey, but Peter forces Ralph to parachute and continues on.

He survives the landing on Earth and is taken inside by a kindly older couple. His parents visit him in the hospital. He still has the photographs but the memoir was stolen. The end.

- Eh I'm like 1/5 of the way through Deep in the Sky already but I'm not feeling it right now. I'm not complaining about it, it's around what I'd expected it to be, but it's not the most engaging thing and the browser viewer glare / blurry font isn't helping. Going to listen to "O" is for Outlaw (Cat. 2) for a bit.

- Think I'm going to DNF Djeha, the North African Trickster (Cat. 1). Less then 1/2 of the page count is the actual folktales. I'm 50p in and haven't even gotten to one, and the editorial commentary just seems off, somehow. I think I can count Poems for the Millennium, Volume Four: The University of California Book of North African Literature as an influence for Algerian Literature: A Reader's Guide instead of Djeha.

- Decided to switch from audio to print for "O" is for Outlaw.

- (Sep 22) Reading A Rain of Words today. I went to a library book sale and bought some more books, so I added another "books I own" category (light / SFF ones only). Chose Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart. Made a short cue list. "O" is for Outlaw, then The Taming of the Queen, then The Cruelest Month, then Rose Cottage. (Sep 26. I ignored this cue entirely. -_-)

-(Sep 23) Finished A Rain of Words, going to read "O" is for Outlaw next.

-(Sep 24) Did not read "O" is for Outlaw, predictably, finished listening to Books of Blood Vol 3 by Clive Barker instead.

-(Sep 25) Started listening to The Paladin by CJ Cherryh. I'm not very engaged with "O" is for Outlaw, if this was the 1st book in a series, not the 15th, I'd DNF it. Kinsey's never really breathed for me as a character - it isn't that she has no character traits, but I don't understand her. Read part of a Benni Harper series a bit ago before deciding I wasn't feeling that one, but since both are ~90's series set in California it's interesting to contrast them. Kinsey is from a white, detective-noirish, urban California full of unpleasant and selfish people. Benni is from a diverse, cozy, small-town California full of colorful but lovable people. Might as well be different planets.

-(Sep 25) Finished The Paladin by CJ Cherryh and "O" is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton. Started Books of Blood Vol 4 by Clive Barker for my replacement audiobook. Think I'm going to read some of the Leigh Brackett stuff for a bit. All Category 2.

-(Sep 26) Finished Deep in the Sky (Cat 4). Reading Rose Cottage (Cat 6) and started listening to Shopaholic Abroad (Cat 2). I did read some of Pharsalia (On the Civil War, Cat 1). Pharsalia isn't actually that difficult to read - the author is more interested in descriptive passages, similes, and gruesome death scenes than confusing you, but it intimidates me.

-(Sep 27) Finished Rose Cottage (Cat 6). By random number, I got Riparian Rites as the next cued in Cat 6. A self-published mystery novel set in Florida that I picked it up in a LFL a while back. Think I'm going to read The Taming of the Queen (Cat 2) next even though I kinda want to start The Goblin Mirror (Cat 2). I might end up returning The Cruelest Month (Cat 2) to the library - haven't been feeling it.

-(Sep 28) Finished listening to Shopaholic Abroad (Cat 2). Going to replace it with Surrender None by Elizabeth Moon (Cat 2). ... changed my mind. I think I'm going to leave that audiobook slot blank for a bit, read The Goblin Mirror and Faery in Shadow, then start Tripoint in audio.

-(Sep 29) Changed my mind again, predictably. Listening to The Hobbit in audiobook. I picked the Andy Serkis audiobook over the Rob Inglis audiobook (Serkis was shorter). I'm almost done with it but I have regrets. Both narrators have grumbly, low voices, which makes them hard to hear over background noise. The Serkis audiobook is overacted and some of the voices are unpleasant and hoarse or screechy on purpose. The Raven and Gollum are particularly bad. And then the audio balance is bad - if you turn down the volume on the yelling or screeching parts, you can't hear the whispering. Even in the general narration, Serkis hisses his s's, so if you've just turned it up to catch some whispering, you get an earful of painful SSSSSSHH.

I've listened to audiobooks where you could hear snatches of someone in the next cubicle that were a more pleasant experience.

-(Sep 29) Finished The Hobbit. I'm a very infrequent re-reader, but I can't really count this for the BingoDog re-read task, it's not really a favorite. Counted it for the "Similar Libraries" task.

Decided that I am going to return The Cruelest Month to the library, I'm not feeling it right now. I think I'll focus on finishing up The Taming of the Queen and read some of Pharsalia if I feel like it today. I have a long cue of heavier stuff to read, but if I don't feel like it, I don't feel like it, there's no rush.

-(Sep 30) Finished The Taming of the Queen. Very torn about what to read next. Think I'm gonna go with Mother Nature. It might be too heavy for me atm but I'll start it.

Nvm, Mother Nature is immediately engrossing. This is the sequel to The House of Ulloa so it's been on my currently-reading series spreadsheet for years, but I don't think I've ever gotten past the translator's introduction.

-(Sep 30) Nah it was engrossing last night but today I'm not feeling it. I think I am going to read The Cruelest Month. ... Changed my mind for like the 5th time and tried listening to Surrender None, but the beginning of that one is coming-of-agey and I don't like the series enough to suffer through coming-of-age. Going to drop it.

-(Oct 2) Started listening to The Elusive Pimpernel. The classism in this one is intense, even for the time period, but as adventure fluff it's entertaining. Finished The Elusive Pimpernel. Reading some of the Leigh Brackett short stories.

Decided that the strict chronological order I was planning for Cat 1 isn't working for me. With some of them I'd really rather read the earlier ones first, even if it takes me a long time, but I think it's fine to pull Confessions, Proensa, and The Souls of Black Folk out of the cue list. Proensa looks the easiest to read so I'll start with that one.

I don't like Proensa at all, I think it'd be okay for someone who is a fan of Paul Blackburn as a poet, but I don't like his voice. This is the second troubador poetry I DNF'd. The translations in the Barbara Smythe volume might be okay, but the editorial content in that one is very badly dated. I'm going to try Songs of the Troubadours. If I don't like that one either I'll just go through this website and call it good.

http://trobar.org/troubadours/coms_de_peiteu/

-(Oct 4) Almost through The Goblin Mirror - it's still good but not one of my favorite by this author. Finished The Goblin Mirror.

Love Mary Stewart!

>12 Tess_W:

Yeah, very good writer. The descriptions in Rose Cottage were lovely. I just got a copy of Touch Not the Cat so that one's also in the cue.

Troubador Poetry Comparison.

Trobador Poets : Selections from the Poems of Eight Trobadors

Jaufre Rudel

III

Whenas the days are long in May
I love the song of birds afar,
And when no more I hear their lay
Then I recall my love afar.
Sorrow so sore my heart doth blight,
Nor nightingale nor may-flower white
Can please me more than winter drear.
....

Songs of the Troubadours and Trouveres

Jaufre Rudel

Lanquand li jorn son lonc en mai

When the days are long in May,
I like the sweet songs of birds from afair,
And when I have departed from there,
I remember a love from afar;
I go sad and bowed with desire
So that neither song nor hawthorn flower
Pleases me more than ice winter.
...

Proensa: An Anthology of Troubador Poetry
Jaufre Rudel

Lanquan li jorn son lonc en mai

  When the days are long in May
      it's good,
    soft birdsong from afar,
  and when the melody leaves me
    I remember my love afar.
I've been bent and thoughtful with desire until
  hawthorne flowers & all that song
mean no more to me than snow in winter.
...

http://trobar.org/troubadours/jaufre_rudel/jaufre_rudel_05.php

Jaufre Rudel

Lanquan li jorn son lonc e may

During May, when the days are long,
I admire the song of the birds from far away
and hen I have gone away from there
I remember a love far away.
I go scowling, with my head down
so much that songs and hawthorn flowers
aren't better, to me, than the frozen Winter.
...

Based on this, I'm happy with my decision to ditch Proensa and Trobador Poets. Songs of the Troubadours and Trouveres is extremely scholarly and might be too difficult for me. If so I'll just read the poems from that website and call it good.

-(Oct 4) Finished The Goblin Mirror. It was alright. Glad the characters got their happy ending.. Think I'm going to go ahead and start Faery in Shadow by the same author. There was a prequel short story to Faery in Shadow in The Collected Short Fiction of CJ Cherryh that I loved, so I'm pretty excited to get to this one.

Planning on reading most everything this author has written by a combination of series-order and pub date. This will dethrone Stephen King as my most read author. -_- After Faery in Shadow ('93) I have Tripoint ('94), which is an Alliance-Union novel. Thought about it for a bit, and I think after that I'm going to read some of the author's shorter series instead of finishing the Alliance-Union ones, but save the longer Foreigner series for last.

That makes my TBR cue Tripoint ('94 / Alliance-Union), Finisterre ('95-95), Fortress/Tristen Sihhë ('95-'06), Finity's End ('97 / Alliance-Union), Gene-Wars ('01-'04), Faery Moon, the rest of Alliance-Union ('09-'24), then Foreigner ('94-'23).

The negative reviews for Faery in Shadow make it extremely intriguing.

-(Oct 4) Did read some of Pharsalia.

Violence/death. Imo it's kinda voyeuristic, but this isn't a personal heroism-type description of war, it's a needless-death description of war. "Panicky", the translator chooses. This poem was popular in the Middle Ages, then fell out of fashion. Gotta look at the poem as a whole, but this might be part of why.

"...And so, hedged on all sides, the young men
were slaughtered by spears thrust in at close range and by those
hurled from afar--and not destroyed by wounds and bloodshed
alone but, in that storm of missiles, by sheer weight of metal.

Thus the great army was crammed into a narrow radius
where, if a panicky man crept into the thick of the troop,
he could scarce turn round unhurt among his fellows' swords,
and the crush increased each time the front line fell back,
packing the circle tighter. Soon, there was no room
for the crowded men to maneuver their weapons; pinned limbs ground
together while ribs, crushed against armored ribs, cracked.

...he saw no rivers
of gore, no twitching limbs, no bodies pitching down
on the ground: pressed by the throng, each cadaver stood upright."

-(Oct 6) Still reading Faery in Shadow. Realized that Faery Moon is a revised version of Faery in Shadow, not its own thing, so that'll be cued after Faery in Shadow. And also deciding that I do want to read the Rusalka Trilogy even though I cannot get the revised versions + the Lois & Clark novel, which has terrible reviews but it's kinda incredible that it exists.

New cue -> Faery in Shadow ('93) / Faery Moon ('09), Tripoint ('94 / Alliance-Union), Rusalka ('89-'91), Finisterre ('95-'95), Lois & Clark ('96), Fortress/Tristen Sihhë ('95-'06), Finity's End ('97 / Alliance-Union), Gene-Wars ('01-'04), the rest of Alliance-Union ('09-'24), then Foreigner ('94-'23).

-(Oct 8) Finished Faery in Shadow, going to continue to Faery Moon (cat 2). Yes I do want to read almost the same thing again, immediately. :\ Decided that Cherryh is my favorite author, with reservations, considering I'm only up to the 1990's. That book was incredible.

-(Oct 9) Read some more Brackett short stories (cat 2). "The Dancing Girl of Ganymede", "The Citadel of Lost Ages", "The Truants", and "The Woman from Altair". Not really a fan of any of them but "The Woman from Altair" had a better voice. Started The Nemesis from Terra as an audiobook, but I think it's too dull for that.

Nemesis from Terra is better as an ebook, think the narrator was giving it an unpleasant tone that I can avoid if I read it myself.

-(Oct 9) I did read some more of Pharsalia yesterday, think I'll try to finish it up today and read more of The Nemesis from Terra.

-(Oct 10) I did read some of Pharsalia yesterday but did not read any of The Nemesis from Terra. I think I'm gonna skip ahead to some physical books in Cat 3-6, I don't have anything light atm that isn't an ebook and I might be too stressed about some personal problems over the next few days to read anything complicated.

-(Oct 11) I finished Pharsalia woo. Gonna exempt myself from reading the glossary, it's like 40p long. -_-

-(Oct 11) Started Thebaid and Riparian Rites. Riparian Rites is extremely badly written but it's only 200p and it's kinda amusing in its dreadfulness, gonna see if I can finish it. Imo it is useful to read something truly terrible once in a while for the contrast.

Huh the mystery plot in this cut out and it's now a very lengthy description of a middle-aged to elderly white couple's vacation in Florida. Like day by day slice-of-life. Where do we get groceries. Where do we rent a bike. It's actually pretty anthropologically interesting - like I don't think it's on purpose but it's really capturing the couple's condescension towards and obsession with service workers and their training. Suspect a traditional publisher would have gotten rid of that.

Before the sun went down the new couple swam with the rest of the guests. Peeking out of the top of Randy's bikini were two words and a question mark at the end of them. At first Mandy didn't have sunglasses and couldn't read the worlds. She went inside and got her sunglasses and discretely read the words "Got Milk?"

Jay somehow either sensed or saw Mandy read the words. He kept looking at her as she floated around the pool. Finally when she was near the steps, she noticed the others silently reading the words. Interesting none of them mentioned it. They all politely skirted the issue. Sort of like a living room with a huge pink elephant sitting in the corner and everyone just avoiding it.

And then the MC judges Randy's character and judges Jay's weight. Spot on anthropology. -_- Then they gossip about the tattoo not once but multiple times, and the MC brings up someone she knew with dyed hair. Damn lol. Reminds me of my grandmother.

Then they all go out to dinner together, Jay harasses the waitress, they just watch it without comment, until the restaurant owner kicks out just Jay instead of their entire party, apologizes to them, and gives them free dessert. Enabler culture. They all actually accept the dessert as their due lol instead of feeling ashamed of themselves.

Many men shake hands incorrectly with a woman. They extend their hand, a woman is supposed to extend her hand. She is supposed to initiate the gesture. It always seems like some clown wants to shake your hand just as you start to eat a sandwich. I almost want to say something to discourage them but don't want to be rude. Once when you sent me to look at some used cars, the salesman was really pushy. He had his hand extended for a prolonged period of time but I just ignored it. Finally he put it down but I know he was baffled and couldn't figure out why I hadn't taken his hand.

Example of the obsession with workers and proper training / behavior. These kinds of asides are frequent.

-(Oct 12) Eh finished Riparian Rites (Cat 6). Wasn't gonna give it 1/2 stars but it got even nastier by the end. As a DNF encourager, this one will not count for any end of the year book counts or books games.

-(Oct 14) Finished Hive Monkey by Gareth L Powell (Cat 5). Imo the plot to that one was less developed but it was more psychologically interesting, esp. the science-fiction author character. Almost done with Faery Moon (Cat 2), the revision of Faery in Shadow. Imo there aren't any major changes but what it's intended to be pops out a bit more obviously and it reads more smoothly. I would recommend it over the original.

-(Oct 14) Started Thomas the Rhymer but it wasn't a good choice atm, it's similar to Faery Moon in a way that clashes. Going to start Lord of the Far Island. Continuing with Songs of the Troubadours and Trouveres, which is really great. Glad to have finally landed on it.

This concept allows us to consider the text no longer as a single, immutable object, but as a living, moving work comprising all the manuscript versions preserved. It clearly brings into question our very definition of literature and asks whether the term "literature" is in fact applicable to medieval texts. After all, these texts acquired that status only once they had been given written form, and it is too easy to forget that the works they re-present were created, often long before, for oral delivery and aural reception. The edition of a medieval poem consequently becomes "a working hypothesis, necessitated by a cultural difference that prevents us from perceiving the text as it was perceived in its own time".

Very true and obvious but a lot of editions of classic stuff are resistant to this, that the collaborative editors bother to state this is a green flag. Unfortunately troubadour poetry seems to be infested by 'auteur'-type actors like Pound or Blackburn.

And then it cuts into talking about music theory, Gregorian modes and modality and melodic mouvance. Incomprehensible from my side but gonna let it go.

-(Oct 17) 2/3rds into Lord of the Far Island and started Rusalka. Think my current cue is going to be Lord of the Far Island -> Nemesis of Terra by Leigh Brackett -> Thomas the Rhymer -> Star Rider -> Macaque Attack with Rusalka or Category 1/8 if I feel like it.

As the other reviews say, the Lord in Lord of the Far Island is really ick. First half had much better romance, or it would have been if the FMC was into the guy, so it's clear Holt can write a MMC who isn't ick, they just think the ick is hot.

Finished Lord of the Far Island. Moving on to Nemesis from Terra.

I'm done with touch-stones. LT has a bug where when you edit a post, which I do frequently, it drops then recalculates them. Then with obscure books it's like it goes out of its way to link to a different book with a different title. For example linking to Sky in the Deep when your book is called Deep in the Sky. I'm tired of correcting them. I've said I was done with touch-stones before because of this but it seemed like they fixed it, think I'm really done now.

-(Oct 17) Going to read some of Nemesis from Terra. The novels in this series don't seem to be much longer than the novellas. This one, oddly, is extremely similar to Dune. Desert planet with indigenous people + a prophecy about a chosen one who'll possibly bring ruin + the planet has a valuable commodity.

-(Oct 18) Finished Nemesis from Terra. Not one of the more enjoyable ones. Also read "The Last Days of Shandakor" (I know it's a 50's s) and "The Shadows".

From "The Shadows"

"You still don't get it, do you? You still think you can run and hide, and put up little defences, and win out somehow in the end because you're men and man always wins out. You haven't learned yet, have you?"

"Learned what?" asked Hubbard, in a low, queer voice.

Barrier studied the shadows. "Why should I tell you, though? It took me half a lifetime and a lot of worlds to learn the truth. Why shouldn't I keep it to myself, and let you die happy?"

...

"We aren't welcome in the universe. I don't know why. Maybe it's because we aren't content to be the animals we are, but must always be pretending that we're something else, prying about and upsetting things, grasping after stars, making trouble and screaming because it hurts. I don't know. I only know that we're hated. Everywhere I've been, wherever there was a man, they'd been gotten rid of somehow."

I thought their 'little defences' idea was going to work because it'd have been a throwback to the early Brackett stories where a spacer colonist saves the day with basic science. Instead it fails, and we get that above response to early Brackett. The story actually ends on a optimistic note, Barrier isn't correct..

-(Oct 18) Started The Starmen (or Llyrdis) by Brackett but again it's boring. Read some more of Mother Nature, unfortunately the Spanish politics loses me and the philosophical sections are not interesting at all. It's alright when it gets back to the plot.

Not really drawn today towards anything I'm currently reading but unwilling to DNF, so going to play a random number game.

1. 10p of Mother Nature
2. 10p of Thebaid
3. 10% of The Starmen
4. 5p of Songs of the Troubadours
5. 2 authors from Beirut39

Got 5, Beirut39, now on p69/324. Got 4, Songs of the Troubadours, now on p35/400. Got 5, Beirut39, now on p80/324. Got 2, Thebaid, now on p70/546. Got 2 again, Thebiad, now on p80/546. Got 1, Mother Nature, now on p130/264, think I'm going to just continue with Mother Nature.

-(Oct 20) Finished Mother Nature. Think I'm going to start My Antonia. Did not start My Antonia seem to be fated to say I'm going to start that one then not. Continued with The Starmen of Llydris. I have a convergence of SFF that is kinda similar - the Leigh Brackett ones (Cat 2), Driftglass/Starshards (Cat 1), which is gonna make the Brackett seem like junk, Star Rider (Cat 4), and Witchworld (Cat 2), which typing this is helping me sort out. Think I'm gonna hold off on Star Rider and replace it with The Conjurers by Marilyn Harris, this'll free up the Cat 3-5 queue.

GR reviewers on The Conjurers:
"The Conjurers was a lot like being on hold waiting for a customer service representative and that person never picks up the phone."
"Seriously, I can't summarize the premise of this because who the hell knows what was going on?"

This is extremely intriguing.

-(Oct 21) Finished The Starmen of Llydris and The Big Sleep. Think I'm going to finish up the Brackett stuff, then read Driftglass/Starshards, then move onto Witchworld. I have a handful of Brackett short stories left, then I think the rest are Stark novels. Finished The Best of Leigh Brackett.

Going to start El Dorado by Emma Orczy in audiobook form.

-(Ot 23) Started Thomas the Rhymer but I'm going to DNF it. I'm kinda confused about why reviewers are praising the writing, imo the writing isn't bad in a way that detracts, but it's not good and definitely not worth mentioning. Same opinion on Guy Gavriel Kay, another fantasy author where it confuses me why people praise the writing.

I redid my categories, again. -_-

Decided I want to focus on reading mostly books by women.

Category 1: Classics by Women

---Subcategory A: 18th c UK authors
Cued: The Rambles of Mr Frankly, Published by his Sister and Olivia, or, The Deserted Bride by Elizabeth Bonhote

---Subcategory B: Corvey Women Writers on the Web (https://extra.shu.ac.uk/corvey/cw3/indexohp.htm)
Cued: Disobedience and Plain Sense by Eugenia de Acton

---Subcategory C: Classic Gothic Fiction
Cued: The Fashionable Friend by Elizabeth Bonhote, The Two Mentors by Clara Reeve

---Subcategory D: A Library of Medieval Women (https://www.librarything.com/nseries/76497/Library-of-Medieval-Women)
Cued: Hildegard of Bingen on Natural Philosophy and Medicine and Women Saints' Lives in Old English Prose

---Subcategory E: The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe (https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/series/OVIEME.html)
Cued: Florentine Drama for Convent and Festival by Antonia Pulci and Autobiography of an Aspiring Saint by Cecilia Ferrazzi

---Subcategory F: Books from a classics TBR list
Cued: Lady Murasaki's Diary, and Sarashina Diary

Finished: Hortensia, or, The Distressed Wife by Elizabeth Bonhote (A)

Category 2: New Books

---Subcategory A: Less Common Library of Congress Call Numbers
Cued: The House of Edrisis by Ghazaleh Alizadeh and If Only by Vigdis Hjorth

---Subcategory B: Translation Database (https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/translation/home/index.html)
Cued: The Creak on the Stairs by Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir + the rest of the series

---Subcategory C: Graywolf Press (https://www.graywolfpress.org/)
Cued: The Hormone by Tilsa Otta and Anima by Kapka Kassabova

Finished: Ghostroots by 'Pemi Aguda (A)

Category 3: Moderate Reading

---Subcategory A: Authors I've Read Before and Liked
Cued: Arabian Jazz and Origin by Diana Abu-Jaber

---Subcategory B: Books I Own
Cued: Hotel Silence by Adur Ava Olafsdottir and The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

---Subcategory C: International Reading TBR #1
Cued: Frontier by Can Xue and Republic of Dreams by Nelida Pinon

---Subcategory D: International Reading TBR #2
Cued: An Algerian Childhood: A Collection of Autobiographical Narratives by Leila Sebbar and Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalade by Assia Djebar

---Subcategory E: Books that Got Put on Hold, Etc.
Cued: Poems by Emily Dickinson and The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein

Category 4: Light Reading

---Subcategory A: Classic SFF
Cued: An Uncrowned King by Sydney C Grier + the rest of the series

---Subcategory B: Authors I've Read Before and Liked
Cued: Chosen by random #

---Subcategory C: Modern Gothic
Cued: The Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt and Gabrielle by Kathleen Norris

---Subcategory D: Books I Own
Cued: Chosen by random #

Finished: The Conjurers by Marilyn Harris (A), My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (B)

Category 5: Series I've started

---Science Fiction
Cued: Space Opera by Catherynne Valente, Solar System by Leigh Brackett, Alliance-Union by CJ Cherryh, Others by CJ Cherryh, Witch World by Andre Norton, Federated Sentient Planets by Anne McCaffrey

---Historical / General Fiction / Contemporary
Cued: Plantagenet and Tudor by Philippa Gregory, Prairie Trilogy by Willa Cather, Tripych by Eva Baltasar, Alberta Trilogy by Cora Sandel, Olav Audunsson by Sigrid Undset, Scarlet Pimpernel by Emma Orczy

---Horror / Paranormal Romance
Cued: African Immortals by Tananarive Due, Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward, Hunter Legends by Sherrilyn Kenyon

---Fantasy
Cued: Eternal Sky Universe by Elizabeth Bear, Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey, Others by CJ Cherryh, Deryni Novels by Katherine Kurtz

Finished: Lover Unleashed by JR Ward, Sword of Darkness by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Knight of Darkness by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Category 6: Influences and NF

---Subcategory A: Influences on all books read in Categories 1-3
Cued: The History of Lady Julia Mandeville by Frances Moore and its sequel (via Hortensia), Bellefluer by Joyce Carol Oates and its sequels (via Arabian Jazz), Collected Stories by Lorrie Moore (via Ghostroots)

---Subcategory B: NF related to all books read in Categories 1 (or 2-3 if I feel like it)
Cued: Romantic Fiction and Literary Excess in the Minerva Press Era by Hannah Doherty Hudson (via Hortensia)

---Subcategory C: Citations from 'Reading Bestsellers' by Danielle Fuller
Cued: Race after Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code by Ruha Benjamin

---Subcategory D: Citations from 'Critical Theory Today' by Lois Tyson
Cued: Colonialism/Postcolonialism by Ania Loomba

Currently Reading

Category 1: Classics by Women: On hold until I've read its Category 6 books + 1 book in Category 3
Category 2: New Books: On hold until I've read its Category 6 book + 1 book in Category 3
Category 3: Moderate Reading: Arabian Jazz by Diana Abu-Jaber
Category 4: Light Reading: Nothing atm.
Category 5: Series I've Started: El Dorado by Emma Orczy

Category 6A: Influences: Collected Stories by Lorrie Moore (Ghostroots)
Category 6B: NF related to Category 1: Romantic Fiction and Literary Excess in the Minerva Press Era by Hannah Doherty Hudson
Category 6C: Citations from 'Reading Bestellers': Race after Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code by Ruha Benjamin
Category 6D: Citations from 'Critical Theory Today': Colonialism/Postcolonialism by Ania Loomba

Current Reading Goals
Read Romantic Fiction and Literary Excess in the Minerva Press Era (Cat 6B: Related NF)
Read up to p100 Race after Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code by Ruha Benjamin (Cat 6C: NF about Reading)
Read up to p112 Colonialism/Postcolonialism (Cat 6D: NF about Critical Theory)
Read 2 articles in Nigerian Women in Cultural, Political and Public Spaces, decide if I want to read the entire thing (Cat 6B: Related NF)
Decide if I want to read a NF related to Arabian Jazz (Cat 6B: Related NF)

Read Arabian Jazz (Cat 3A: Moderate Reading, Favorite Authors)
Read up to p200 Collected Stories by Lorrie Moore (Cat 6A: Influences)
Read The People of the Talisman (Cat 5: Started Series)
Read The History of Lady Julia Mandeville (Cat 6A: Influences)
Read The Pride of the Peacock (Cat 4C: Modern Gothic)