This week’s reads

Originally published at Books of promise. You can comment here or there.

Monday: Memorial Day, and a certain amount of lounging
Reread of Jacqueline Winspear’s Among the Mad, set in post-Great-War England. I am fascinated about how she manages to convey the brokenness of the era in so many ways without being hopeless about it.

Tuesday: Nothing finished

Wednesday:
Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard Book which is charming and deep and sweet and painful all at once, and thus most excellent.

Thursday: Nothing finished.

Friday: Stayed up far too late reading Dave Cullen’s Columbine which was released on the 10th anniversary of the Columbine shootings. I expect I’ll be writing a bit more about this one at some point soon.

In brief, though: A fascinating review of the events of the Columbine shootings (both the events leading up to April 20th, 1999, and the aftermath and investigation) by one of the journalists who was on the scene and actively reporting throughout. Thoughtful, compassionate, and yet not ducking the fact that it’s not a simple cut and dry ’cause that can be prevented’. (He does some excellent myth-debunking, too.)

Saturday:
Read the first of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries (Silver Pig) by Lindsay Davis - I have plans to read a bunch of mysteries set in Rome or at least that era to help me decide which (if any) to add to our collection at work. (We teach Latin, and it occured to me a few fiction additions would be nice.)

Decent mystery, characters I’m willing to spend some more time getting to know, and lots of nice historical detaily bits.

East Coast trip

We have something resembling actual dates now.

July 2nd: Fly out (to Boston, probably, but I'm checking flight prices to Hartford, too.)
July 3rd: My likely choice for whale watching. (And again, if anyone is inclined to join me, cool)
July 4th: (If anyone out there is having suitable festivities, I'd be free, otherwise Mom and I may brave the Esplanade.)
July 5th: Still contemplating that blacksmithing workshop (the trick is getting myself appropriate clothes for it between now and then. I had a sudden "Erm, do I *own* any natural fiber pants at the moment?" moment, which is more about the pants than the natural fibers.)
July 6th: Head down to New Haven
July 6th-9th: New Haven (with a day in New York City with my brother and my nieces, probably on the 8th.)
July 10th: Fly home from Boston (or Hartford, if we go that route)

Have not yet booked tickets, but it at least resembles a plan.

My time in Boston is fairly wide open: I would like to see whichever Feldings are so inclined and available, I also need to see my oldest friend.