Finished ORIGIN by Dan Brown

Whew!  Another roller coaster ride that ended (at least the thriller part) entirely differently than I expected. It also, as usual, provided food for thought.  As with all of this author's books, it is a thriller that stimulates the mind as well as the adrenalin.  I loved it.

I am now about to start Becoming by Michelle Obama  (or perhaps it is Becoming Michelle Obama.  It is a clever title for that reason.  In my experience, every human being encounters adversity.  Every female human being encounters more adversity.  And if you are a member of a minority in this country and female, well, you have a STORY TO TELL.  I want to read hers.

Finished JO'S BOYS

But before Jo"s Boys, I read another 100 pages of Alexander Hamilton.  In this section, the government becomes a divided camp between Hamiltonians (advocating a strong central government) and Jeffersonians (advocating states rights).  The president has consistently agreed with Hamilton and no major problem has come up because everyone loves and respects Washington.  However, what will happen when Washington is no longer President?



In modern times and at my ages, this reads slow and goody-goody, but I still was glad to learn what happened to the family as the children grew into adulthood.  And that part I enjoyed.

I have now begun reading Origin by Dan Brown.  At the point I am, Robert Langdon is heading into a meeting in which the speaker is sure what he will say will shake up and change the world's religions, but a religious leader is also walking in to create what is hinted to be a violent surprise.

Finished RAGTIME

Although this is a novel, it reads like non-fiction.  At first I had trouble with the mention of historical figures as a part of the story and the non-fiction feel, but I found myself getting into it.  If I were teaching it, I'd use much of it as examples of irony.

I have now gone back to Alexander Hamilton.  As I picked it up, he was having an affair the circumstances of which make one wonder just how smart he was...  This affair's consequences would come back to haunt him.

Finished FREE U'TANSE

Having read this book after Secrets of the U'tanse, which came chronologically first, this felt a lot like de'j'vue.  But I did learn where some of the characters I met before came from and why some of the subjects were being discussed.  In this, one of the owners of a slave home has decided to get rid of all his slaves, one way or the other...Can they be rescued before they are obliterated?  As usual, I enjoyed this book along with all of Henry Melton's books.

I have now started Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow.  This has started differently from any novel I can remember.  It reads like non-fiction.  It is interesting, but I haven't picked up a lot of story yet.

Finished PEOPLE OF THE SONG TRAIL

However, if anyone reading this is a person I normally lend or give books to, this one fell apart in my hands within the first 100 pages.  I finished anyway (tenacious reader) but it is now going in the trash.
This was occupied with early Vikings looking for places in Greenland and Northeast Canada to settle.  Of course there were clashes with the people already here as well as between Vikings.  The adventure is filled with spirit power and is fascinating as usual.

When I read Secrets of the U'tanse, I speculated that I might have missed a book in sequence.  Now suspect that I may have.  The protagonist in this book is the same as in that one and when I started this book it felt like I had already read it.  Perhaps this is the book that introduces Joshua.  I shall see.

Finished GODS AND GODDESSES

Again, this is a beautifully illustrated series.  I especially loved the sections on Hindu deities (which I knew nothing about) and on the Norse gods (which I only knew a little about.)   I was completely surprised at the legend of the demise of the Norse gods.

I am now about to start Fairies and Elves from the same Enchanted World series.

Finished BULLET plus 3

A very old and powerful vampire who rules through fear is threatening to take over all vampires in America and instituted a blood bath.  Anita and allies begin making moves to consolidate American vampires to resist this force.  I continue to enjoy this series.

We started toward Florida on July 1.  I finished Bullet on the 4th when we arrived.  We spent a week without TV or the internet while we waited for our installation appointment with Xfinity.  However there was lots to do.  Quite a few things were here...the mobile as furnished, but the kitchen was only partially ready for cooking, we had no food, and we had certain needs (tables for instance) so there was plenty to do.  There was also plenty of time for reading.




I started Precious and Grace on the 4th after finishing Bullet, (the only Independence Day celebrating we did was hot dogs for supper).  I enjoy this relaxing sweet series.  Now the agency is tasked with helping a Canadian woman find her childhood.  The unexpected place the investigation leads to is, of course, gently and brilliantly navigated by Precious.



Wow.  Goodreads says I read this in February of 2013.  It was evidently the first book I read by this author.  My review was right on.  I read the entire book not remembering any of it.  And it has and unusual plot.  This is what happens when you get old, I fear.  I thoroughly enjoyed it all over again.



I have been reading The Vampire Files by P. N. Elrod, set during the 1930's, among the gangsters of Chicago.  Now this new (to me) series is set during the Revolutionary WI ar on Long Island.  Our gentleman vampire is a Tory.  This book explains, in 1st person, how Jonathan became a vampire which is, at least methodically, the same way Jack Fleming of The Vampire Files did.  That said, I enjoyed the story telling and the characters as much as I do the first series.
On Sunday, TR and I went to a movie (the first one we have gone to since Part 2 of The Deathly Hollows) at the clubhouse here in our mobile home park.  We saw Stan and Ollie. It was beautiful and remarkably done.  Funny and sad, ending with sweet pathos. I came away blown away by Stan Laurel's brilliance as the inventor and writer of all their routines.  Fabulous movie.

On July 14, I started People of the Songtrail, the 22 book in their America's Forgotten Past series.
Set about 1000 a.d., several people including Vikings and early Christians sought to colonize Iceland, Greenland, and Eastern Canada.  Of course, there were people already here and the colonizers were enemies to each other as well.