***Book Club***

[Miss Violet Smith]

A re-read of Susannah Clarke's "Piranesi" and am very pleased, calm and full of thoughts. Clarke herself described her next book as a joyful mystery; I think it applies to "Piranesi", too.

Imaginative, fantastical, experimental; not a book for everyone, but the plot, prose and execution undeniably first-rate.

“Horror novels have this idea that there’s a kind of secret at the center of the world. And that secret is horrific.” This, Clarke observes, “isn’t much of a secret, really.” Anyone can look around at the world and see that. “So this would be more about the fact that, at the center of things, there’s a secret or mystery, and it is joyful.”

Susanna Clarke’s First Novel in 16 Years Is a Wonder

The new book from the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell takes place in one house, but in it, she finds infinite space.

slate.com

 

[joe_papp]

I'm reading "River of Darkness -- Francisco Orellana's Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon" by Buddy Levy.

Very compelling!

 

[joe_papp]

I'm reading "River of Darkness -- Francisco Orellana's Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon" by Buddy Levy.

Very compelling!

Finished "River of Darkness," and am now reading another of Levy's books:

Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs

Good stuff. Never really appreciated how barbaric the Aztecs were and how noble it was of the Spanish to risk their lives to end the evil practice of human sacrifice.

 

[Andre]

I'm just finishing "Hannibal: Enemy of Rome" by Ben Kane. I'll get into "Sophie's World" in a couple of days.

 

[Potomac]

Finished "River of Darkness," and am now reading another of Levy's books:

Conquistador: Hernan Cortes, King Montezuma, and the Last Stand of the Aztecs

Good stuff. Never really appreciated how barbaric the Aztecs were and how noble it was of the Spanish to risk their lives to end the evil practice of human sacrifice.

I'm currently reading a historical novel called Aztec by Gary Jennings. It's very visceral. Being a novel, most parts are invented, but it does send prompt me to look up stuff on wikipedia.

 

[Unchained]

I'm currently reading a historical novel called Aztec by Gary Jennings. It's very visceral. Being a novel, most parts are invented, but it does send prompt me to look up stuff on wikipedia.

It's weird about knowing where and who to pick battles with!! Aztecs could have easily gotten more territory both North and South but never saw the use. Absolute brutality and battle tested brilliance. I have always been fascinated by the meeting of conquistadors and natives. For American history, many parallels w Mexico.