Retired scientist, I read a lot, fiction and non-fiction, on a wide range of subjects, though science, politics, philosophy, law, science fiction and historical detective stories are favourites.
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The true 'Cinderella' tale of how the daughter of a Thames waterman married the son …
Real life Cinderella story showing a case of unexpected social mobility in the Georgian era. I discovered interesting things about many local Oxfordshire places.
A Christmas present, filled with mysteries written, and hence set, in an earlier era, the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Interesting to reflect on how many of these stories could not happen now for various reasons, but they give a window into their times - which range from the 1890s to the 1950s
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Margery Allingham
In past times the Postman would deliver cards on Christmas morning!
Give me a ring by Anthony Gilbert
Doing a favour for a stranger leads to Christmas eve peril.
Father Christmas comes to Orbins by Julian Symons
A jewel thief thinks he has the perfect disguise.
The Turn Again Bell by Barry Perowne
Does a drunk driver's loss of control have fatal consequences for his daughter's future father-in-law?
A Surprise for Christmas by Cyril Hare
Memories and reminders of the past unearthed at Christmas
Dick Whittington's Cat by Victor Canning.
A jewel thief picks the wrong person to blame for a robbery
The Christmas Eve Ghost by Ernest Dudley
A murderer gives themselves away and a ghost is not what it might seem.
The true 'Cinderella' tale of how the daughter of a Thames waterman married the son …
The author gave a talk, telling the story, and I bought the book, looking forward to reading it.
Justice seems to be one of the big unsolved (possibly unsolvable) problems and here is another perspective.
John
boosted
The story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of …
Poignant, sad, and deeply insightful
I had been assigned a watered-down adaptation of this in Junior High, so I went into this with some knowledge of what the general arc would be. What I didn't expect is that I would be reading until the sun came up, bawling my eyes out, absolutely shaken.
From the very first page, I liked Charlie Gordon. He comes across as innocent and sweet, with good intentions and a very one-dimensional frame of reference to the world. There's a few moments where people ask Charlie things that made me chuckle, like his initial confusion at the Rorschach test, but his attitude is strangely endearing.
The prose in this book is phenomenal. The gradual narrative shift from crude writing to eloquent philosophical insight is kind of an amazing writing trick, and the development of Charlie's awareness is hypnotic to watch.
In a way, I was kind …
Poignant, sad, and deeply insightful
I had been assigned a watered-down adaptation of this in Junior High, so I went into this with some knowledge of what the general arc would be. What I didn't expect is that I would be reading until the sun came up, bawling my eyes out, absolutely shaken.
From the very first page, I liked Charlie Gordon. He comes across as innocent and sweet, with good intentions and a very one-dimensional frame of reference to the world. There's a few moments where people ask Charlie things that made me chuckle, like his initial confusion at the Rorschach test, but his attitude is strangely endearing.
The prose in this book is phenomenal. The gradual narrative shift from crude writing to eloquent philosophical insight is kind of an amazing writing trick, and the development of Charlie's awareness is hypnotic to watch.
In a way, I was kind of reminded of the story of Faust, where a man tries to use his seemingly unlimited knowledge to get out of an inevitable outcome. I'd argue that Charlie is a far more sympathetic character, but watching his mind develop and deteriorate, along with his strained efforts to work against time, made for one hell of a roller coaster.
Beautiful, beautiful story. I haven't cried like that in a while.
In the long hot Roman summer of AD74, Marcus Didius Falco, private informer and spare …
Another enjoyable Falco tale, in which the Roman worlds of banking and publishing have similarities with those of today.
In the long hot Roman summer of AD74, Marcus Didius Falco, private informer and spare …
Engrossed in the world of ancient Rome and interested to see where this one will take me
Amazing amount of religious diversity in ancient Rome, not just the Jovian dynasty from traditional Roman mythology.
Lumbered with working alongside reptilian Chief Spy Anacrites, Falco has hit upon the perfect plan. He'll offer his services to …
