Stuff I’ve Read Lately

The Broom of the System
David Foster Wallace
I read this for my book group, so I’m not going say much about it before we meet to talk about it, because the first rule of book group is “don’t talk about the book before book group.” But as far as David Foster Wallace goes, I wasn’t all that impressed.

The Sticklepath Strangler (Medieval West Country Mystery)
by Michael Jecks
I picked up this paperback mystery based on the cover, which was really kind of fun and looked somewhat like the Bayeux Tapestry. I learned my lesson about not judging a book by the cover, because the book itself wasn’t great. It’s a murder mystery set in a medieval village, and while the idea of that is interesting, the plot dragged on too long and the murders were pretty gruesomely described, which I think might have contributed to some of my nightmares after surgery. Not the best book to read in the hospital.

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
by Paul Jordan
I remember reading about the Seven Wonders when I was a kid, so I ordered this book recently to learn more about them. I didn’t realize that it was the Greeks that determined which architectural feats were classified as “the seven wonders” and that their choices were based on their limited knowledge; other great architectural and artistic achievements (like the great wall of china) would probably have made the cut had the Greeks known about them. The book covers each “wonder” and what we know about it today, including recent archeological excavations of some of the sites.

Misfortune
by Wesley Stace
A pleasant historical fiction novel about a boy who is rescued as a baby from a trash heap by a rich lord, and who is raised as the lord’s next heir — as a girl. An odd, charming novel that was a nice light read.

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