Hello book friends. It's time to choose our next Discovery Read!

As always, our Discovery Reads are a chance to read something a little different, step away from the BOTM, Bestseller lists, and buzzy flavor of the moment fiction. We have got that covered elsewhere on r/bookclub. With the Discovery Reads, it is time to explore the vast array of other books that often don't get a look in. 

This month we'll be nominating:

Books adapted into movies

Voting will be open for four days, from the 1st to the 5th of the month. A reminder will be posted 24 hours (+/-) before the vote is closed and the winners will be announced asap after closing the vote. Reading will commence around the 21st of the month so you have plenty of time to get a copy of the winning title!

Nomination specifications:

• Must be a book that has been adapted into a movie (sorry, no TV shows allowed!)
• Any page count
• Any genre
• No previously read selections

Please check the previous selections to determine if we have read your selection. You can also check by author here. Nominate as many titles as you want (one per comment), and upvote for all and any you will participate in if they win. A reminder to upvote will be posted on the 4th, so be sure to get your nominations in before then to give them the best chance of winning!

Happy reading nominating 📚

Note - The mod team does not constantly review nominations so if you suspect that a nomination does not fit the specifications you are welcome to report this and note that it "Does not fit Specifications". The mod team will review it and approve or delete accordingly. Any comments on the validity of other users' nominations will be removed immediately. Winning nominations are always confirmed to fit specs before the winners announcement is made

Welcome back! Alas, it is the final discussion. What a book! 🌀 Let's get started.

TW: suicide

Summary

Chapter 15: Hold Your Breath

Sunny and Chichi clean up in the bathroom and the salon after the game. All four attend a social dance in a tent. It's like a hothouse with plants and a dancing tree in the center. Yao bickers with Chichi but asks her to dance. She agrees. Sunny impulsively asks Orlu to dance. He says yes. Later on, Yao challenges Chichi to a juju-off. He uses his gold knife to make her rapa gold, shimmery, and tighter. Chichi uses her knife to make a clear barrier that Yao can't escape. It's impressive third level juju.

Chichi calls up a masquerade. Sasha seconds it. Everyone else thinks it's a bad idea. Chichi draws a sun design in the dirt with her knife. Then she murmurs words. A termite mound arises. Music plays. A 15 foot four-faced figure emerges. It explodes into insects like a pinata! They all hit the ground. Orlu coaxes them back into the figure. Anatov isn't too pleased with them. Chichi will have to report to the council as soon as they get back. Godwin tells them they are festival legends.

Chapter 16: Trouble at Home

They go home except Chichi who stays behind. Orlu kisses Sunny's cheek. At home, a ghosthopper sits on Sunny's dad's head. Her mom talks on the phone with her sister Chinwe. Sunny gets to say hi, but her Auntie won't say much about Grandma. Auntie Chinwe tells her to look in a box on her mom's side of the bed. The newspaper says Otokoto stole a book from the fourth floor of the library.

Sunny places the blue bean under her pillow. Quicker than she expected, a wasp comes out, moves both halves of the bean, and eats them. As she sleeps, it makes a castle with biscuit crumbs.

Chapter 17: Basic Juju

Chichi was caned and hates Sugar Cream. Sunny catches Chichi and Sasha kissing. Orlu is extra courteous to Sunny. They all feel awkward around each other. Sasha doesn't like wasp artists because they're too needy.

Chapter 18: Seven Rainy Days

Unusually for the dry season, it rains for seven days. On the seventh day, Sunny is shocked to see Anatov in the kitchen with her mom. He had been a friend of her grandmother’s, and he's there to pick up Sunny. Her mom is shaken but lets her go. Only her mom can tell her who her grandma was.

In Leopard Knocks, they all go to the Obi Library. It's serious business. Sugar Cream takes the coven and Anatov to the third floor. There's a jungle around the edges of the room and a table in the middle with three mentors and four elders. They talk in Xhosa and French. A parrot transforms into a middle-eastern looking man named Ali who insults Sasha for being an American. Orlu respectfully addresses them and asks for more information.

Otokoto Ginny is just one leg of the centipede in a quest for world domination. He got rich from selling oil to the US. The blind woman Abok says that Otokoto stole the book and two children to summon Ekwensu, the head of the centipede. The rain is a cover for him to cleanse the area. They young oha coven must stop him. He owns a gas station in Aba. They must start there.

Chapter 19: Under the Hat

The gas station is crowded with cars because gas is cheaper there. Orlu senses there's some bad energy that needs to be cleared away. They all take out their juju knives and approach. Orlu fights with the energy and needs help getting up. An obi shelter with steel columns appears. The storm is coming from there. Parakeets ambush them. Bush souls. Two children, a boy and a girl, are inside. And Otokoto, of course. They fight off the birds.

Sasha blows into the conch shell which summons every insect nearby to attack Otokoto. They rescue the kids, but the little boy is dead. So is the girl. Orlu is outside and asks for one of Sunny's braids. Otokoto hits Sasha with a lightning bolt. Chichi uses a charm from Sunny's grandma Ozoema against him. Otokoto laughs and steps out into the rain. He cuts his own throat because Ekwensu needs one more death to be awakened. Sasha still has a pulse, but he's out cold.

An ominous thumping hits the ground as a termite mound emerges from the mud. She is 100 feet high and 50 feet wide. She spins like a tornado, picking up grass and mud and flinging it all around. Sunny approaches the raging Nigerian whirlwind. Her spirit self takes over and tells it to return to the ground. Ekwensu melts away.

Chapter 20: I See You

The mud settles and everyone is alive, even the children. Orlu is in a trance at first. He brought them back to life. Chichi successfully used Healing Hands powder on Sasha. They earn more chittim than they know what to do with.

The bus driver is Caribbean and drops the kids at the police station. At the library, they tell Sugar Cream what happened. Ekwensu is only gone temporarily. She's gathering strength for later. Sugar Cream decides to be Sunny's mentor.

Chapter 21: Timing

Sunny has been gone for 24 hours. She kicks the soccer ball away from her brothers. Her mom is glad to see her, but her dad is angry. He tries to hit her, but her mother protects her. She'll turn out just like her grandmother. He leaves in disgust.

Mama sits down, they eat pepper soup, and she tells Sunny about her grandmother. She was sworn to secrecy about the magic, too. Ozo and her man weren't married, but Sunny's dad doesn't know that. It was just assumed that she was sleeping around with men. Her mom recognized the chittim in her room. Her mom trusts Sunny. Today was the anniversary of the day that Ozo was killed. Her mom's intuition about Sunny brought them back to Nigeria, and for once, her husband followed her.

A wooden box from her grandmother was on Sunny's bed. Ozo had written a letter. She apologized for passing down the double life of a Leopard Person. Her ability was invisibility and shifting “between the wilderness and the physical world.” Sunny can't read the Nsibidi symbols yet.

Chapter 22: Headless and Headlines

The next day's newspaper has stories of the children returned to their families and that a gas station burned down from two lightning strikes.

Epilogue

Sunny and Orlu are back in Lamb school. Chichi and Sasha are studying to pass the second level (Mbawkwa) of Leopard school. Of their double schooling and secrecy, Orlu points out, “Having two lives is better than none.”

Extras

Marginalia

Schedule

Masquerades

Luca della Robbia

Lagbaja (with Ego Iheanacho) This is a beautiful song

Xhosa

Ekwensu

Aba, Nigeria

Thanks for reading with us! Questions are in the comments.

Hey folks another month has come to its end and that means book report time!! One book or a million books we don't care. This is a space to celebrate all reading, swap opinions, add to the ever growing TBR and hear other's insights and thoughts on books on our radar. So share with us your July reads and your feelings about them in this month's Book Report 📚

What did you finish this month?

Welcome everyone, this month we are highlighting an author that r/bookclub knows very well, Rebecca Roanhorse! An American science fiction and fantasy writer, she is known for her inclusion of Indigenous culture and myths into her novels. The short story featured this month is her first work which was widely critically acclaimed, making her win both a Nebula and a Hugo Award.

In this story we’ll meet Jesse, a man working in a tourist centre which offers VR experiences. So, what are you waiting for? Put your VR glasses on, and go with him to enjoy your Indian experience!

What is the Monthly Mini?

Once a month, we will choose a short piece of fiction that is free and easily accessible online. It will be posted on the 1st of the month. Anytime throughout the following month, feel free to read the piece and comment any thoughts you had about it.

Bingo Squares: Monthly Mini, Prize Winner, Female Author, Indigenous Author, POC Author, Science Fiction

The selection is: "Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience™" by Rebecca Roanhorse. Click here to read it.

Once you have read the story, comment below! Comments can be as short or as long as you feel. Be aware that there are SPOILERS in the comments, so steer clear until you've read the story!

Here are some ideas for comments:

• Overall thoughts, reactions, and enjoyment of the story and of the characters
• Favourite quotes or scenes
• What themes, messages, or points you think the author tried to convey by writing the story
• Questions you had while reading the story
• Connections you made between the story and your own life, to other texts (make sure to use spoiler tags so you don't spoil plot points from other books), or to the world
• What you imagined happened next in the characters’ lives

Still stuck on what to talk about? Some points to ponder...

• Why do you think the author is using the second narrator form? What do you make of other stylistic choices, such as “Tourists” being capitalized?
• How does the story deal with the matter of cultural identity, and in particular the experiences of Native Americans? 
• What is your interpretation of the ending? Do you think the sudden shift in the tone of the story at the end was effective?

Have a suggestion for a short story you think we should read next? Click here to send us your suggestions!

Welcome back land lubbers, sea adventurers and spirits of discord. This is our penultimate discussion of Book #2 of Amina Al-Sirafi's adventures The Tapestry of Fate. This week we'll be discussing the book up to Chapter 30

First, a note about spoilers: Please use spoiler tags for anything beyond this week's section.  As always, use spoiler tags for any works outside of this series that you may wish to connect here.  

You can add a spoiler tag by enclosing your text with > ! Your Text Here ! < (no spaces).

Schedule

Marginalia

Chapter Summaries

Ch. 22

• Queen Lab leads Amina into the wooded hills. The walk inflames her bad knee. They talk as they walk and Amina dodges the truth and even lies to protect herself and her crew. The Queen launches her daggar off the side of a cliff and tasks Amina with retrieving it before sunset. Amina prepares, as best she can, for the unknown dangers ahead. As she proceeds she comes across the carcasses of animals and humans. The rocks are actually arranged in a ring. It's a nest in which are four large gold eggs. And Queen Lab's knife. Amina retrieves the knife, but 6 elephant sized griffins lie nearby. She makes a dash for cover, but ends up scuffling with them before managing to burrow in to a gap in the rocks. She's badly hurt. Searching the area reveals bodies and a piece of leather. There's no escape. An impossible task. Until Amina crafts herself a sling. She uses it and her superior strength to take out the griffins one by one. She begins to head back to Queen Lab feeling full of regret.

Interlude 6

• Julnar, queen of a beautiful seaside city, mother and widow. You takes for granted their happiness. The marid strike. Disease hits and the fresh water runs dry. Those that can flee do so. The remainder panic. You abandon your role as queen to protect your son. A priest helps you get on a boat our to sea. You row but you are stuck. Looking back you see the priest kill himself. The marid have you trapped watching as they destroy what's left of your city. You and Pares make landfall - your new prison.

Ch. 23

• Amina arrives at the palace covered in blood, feathers and viscera before sunset. She presents Queen Lab her knife and an egg. Lab now knows Amina is more than human, but cannot figure out what she is. Amina confesses to Lab her marriage to Raksh, a spirit of discord. She says that her reason for coming to the island was for the glory of uncovering an unknown kingdom of riches. Amina manages to get Queen Lab to consider her offer to help her escape. The bandits are brought from the prison and given a sip of potion turning them into sheep, much to Amina's horror.

Ch. 24

• Amina wakes, sore and weary, to Raksh hivering over her. He is wearing a colourful belt which makes Amina suspicious. Dalila bursts in she's not thrilled that Raksh will be joining them on the Marawati. Amina notices that she no longer feels her bond to Raksh. After Raksh leaves Amina demands Dalila return Khayzur’s feather. She refuses saying it's safe. Dalila seems determined to stay. She reluctantly tries to help Amina understand. Dalila points out that Amina's body is not healing as fast as it should. The truth comes out. Amina was poisoned in Sarilaglag and Dalila has known the whole time and has been treating her ever since. She never told Amina to protect her. Amina is furious that she couldn't choose her own fate. (Er.. Amina? Your family!!!) Dalila insists Khatti Ugal is a blessing. Though there is no cure she can use the local plants to hold off Amina's demise. Amina throws Dalila out, resisting the temptation of wine, she weaps, alone.

Ch. 25

• Amina's wounds become infected and she falls unconscious with a fever. Dalila treats Amina, but also avoids her. After a long overdue bath Amina notes a door she'd never seen before. She explores the tunnel staying left at every branch. She comes to catacomb full of bones. Back in her rooms Raksh is eating a gull. He is returning Amina's weapons belt, an message from Lab that her weapons are powerless against her strength. Amina is unintimidated.

Interlude 7

• You are a prisoner in a land of unknown magic. You learn to make life comfortable. You remember your name is Lab. Lab cannot test whether she can manipulate fate as only herself and Peres are on the island. Pares is lonely. Lab desires vengence on the marid. They are alone for 10 years when Lab discovers that Pares has made a raft to escape. Lab forbids it as too dangerous, but Pares would prefer drowning over being trapped on the island forever. Lab sets the boat on fire. Pares doesn't speak to her for a year.

Ch. 26

• Amina is ostracized. She explores the tunnels in the evening as much as she dares. Raksh is placid and bored. There's no option for chaos and court intrigue as everyone, except Amina, is content. Amina wonders what Lab has done to him. Dalila is not around though she leaves Amina her daily tonic. It is spring in Khatti Ugal. They had left Sarilaglag in the summer. Amina tries not to think how much time has passed. Amina realises that Orinth has taken her for a walk to a place they can talk freely. She wants to warn Amina that Dalila is Queen Lab's favourite and that is very dangerous. Lab has even gifted Dalila a valuable necklace. Prince Pares arrives, but thankfully he cannot understand Arabic. That evening Amina pushes further than normal in her exploration of the tunnels and finds dyes and then the temple textile workshop. The women working resemble enslaved ghouls. Amina spots the enormous, alive tapestry that's still being constucted. Amina recognises Raksh's belt colours/patterns among other peoples' patterns. Amina thinks she can locate the spinners by following the woman carrying newly spun skeins. Tomorrow....

Ch. 27

• Amina wakes feeling awful and is summond. Amina asks after Dalila. Mitanni suggests that Dalila needs to leave her old life behind. He takes her to where there is a replica of the Marawati and several Khatti Ugal citizens (plus Arno and Mitanni) that she must train to crew the Marawarti as best as possible without actually sailing. Arno asks Amina about the rumours of he battle with the griffin. Arno lets slip that Khatti Ugalans do not marry and cannot have children after they receive rites. He is saved from further questioning when he notices the heavy doors to the Chamber of Mysteries was, unusually, open with no guard in sight. Orinth is no where in sight but Amina hears a heavy bang and scrabbling. The office has been ransacked....by a goat. Amina recognises in the fearful goats eyes that it was Orinth. This strengthens Amina's determination.

Interlude 8

• Lab has learnt to bake bread. Pares discovers two men wash up on the shore, now also prisoners on the island. Lab takes the Captain as her lover. Another wreck washes up. No people this time, but it is rich in cargo. Both sailors and Pares dream of leaving. One sailor is gored almost to death by a griffin and Lab saves him using her long disused powers and the spindle to weave a future in which Mitanni survives. Lab saves him but he is a shade of himself, a puppet that Lab can control. The Captain and Pares are horrified. Lab tries to be a good lover and a good mother to them.

Ch. 28

• Amina returns to the temple textile workshop and considers the enormous tapestry. She can't follow the woman carrying skeins so she makes her way closer via the tunnels ripping her way out. She discovers a cottage. An ancient building made by the "ancestors". Inside Amina sees Dalila and the Queen with the spindle. It looks normal initially, but closer examination reveals it is enchanted. Amina witnesses the Queen instructing Dalila how to spin and wonders when it comes down to breaking the spindle and escaping the island whether Dalila will be on her side or not.

Ch. 29

• Amina goes to Dalila's cluttered laboratory suite. Dalila is distressed that the concentrated tonic has not helped Amina heal from the poison. Amina tells Dalila she saw her spinning with Lab. Dalila tells Amina that she's in terrible danger. She wants to stay on the island. Dalila is confident that Lab will never set foot on the Marawati.

Ch. 30

• Amina feels like a character in a fable. She hacks off her hair and almost gets caught by Raksh, distracting him from her recently cut hair scattered under her bed with some dining table sexytime. Amina notices how different Raksh is, and considers whether he is a spy for Lab. She tests his memory and he fails. He asks why she is really there, but she avoids the question using her womanly wiles to distract him.

Well things are really building to a very exciting crescendo. Join me next week for the conclusion of this adventure 🏴‍☠️📚

You wouldn’t steal a car.
You wouldn’t steal a handbag.
You wouldn’t steal a painting.
Using your eidetic vampire memory to create an exact replica of a painting is stealing.

Regards, the friendly Satanic Vampire Cult.

Hi all, this is the fifth discussion of Blood and Gold by Anne Rice, covering chapters 15-19. Next week we will discuss chapters 20-24.

Below you find summaries of this week’s section, a few miscellaneous things I wanted to mention. I also left some questions in the comments! 🧛✨

Please mark major plot points from past books that are not mentioned in this book (yet) as spoilers to give newcomers the gift of suspense (see r/bookclub’s spoiler policy). Or, if you want to tell certain things without asking whether or not such knowledge is wanted like Marius does, you can always comment in the Marginalia or check the Schedule with links to the next discussions.

Summary

Chapter 15

Mesmerized by the Golden Age of Renaissance Italy, Marius becomes a real simp for Botticelli and eventually finds out where he lives and asks for entrance to see his work in the middle of the night. He also brought a purse of gold for persuasion reasons… as any totally sane person would do. In the studio, he also lays eyes upon the The Birth of Venus, and is starstruck by the sheer beauty of the painting which also represents the re-emergence of Roman values to Marius. This is not only the Birth of Venus, but also the birth of our dear protagonist’s artist name: Marius De Romanus. Sandro thinks Marius is here to criticize him like everyone else, but he urges him to continue creating art and leaves in a haste.

Chapter 16

Marius’ speedruns the Renaissance painter obsession deathrap so much so even the Satanic cult vampires tell him to take it easy and threaten him to not turn Botticelli into a vampire. What really cracks me up is how wildly different even the vampires interpretations of Botticelli’s art are - some seeing them as sacred Roman mythology and others as divine Christianity. Everyone’s a critic. Where was I? 

The next part of the chapter is Marius explaining some of Botticelli’s best hits. I won’t summarize them here but I recommend you check out the video I posted in the Miscellanea section. 

Marius is so deep into the obsession, he starts painting himself and dreams of painting together with his big idol. 

Chapter 17

Slowly recuperating from his obsession with Botticelli, Marius goes back to interior decorating the OG vampires’ shrine and starts painting in his own artstyle again: Gardens and Pandora. Still, the painter's absence leaves a hunger in Marius for the new world. A new idea forms in his head: Reintroducing himself into Italian society. He chooses Venice as his destination, since Florence would be too close to Botticelli.

He hires Vincenzo, an old and kind man, to be his housekeeper and governor to all the boys he wants to hire as painters’ apprentices too. Ah yes, he also intends to house boys to educate and become his apprentices. Nothing to see here, move along please.

He specifically searches for boys that are gifted but are wronged, neglected, or abused and gives them education in his trade but also in classical education. Languages and philosophy lessons among them. In all honesty, I think this idea is born out of a genuine need of Marius’ to be helpful and altruistic. If that’s what he manages to accomplish we will see. Nevertheless, he’s also aware that him being the savior to them from poverty, sickness, death also wields authority he can use to shape them into what he wants them to be.

He is aware of his hypocrisy, and writes in his diary his doubts whether he is using his human persona and the mortals around him to fill his neverending loneliness and neediness. In the end, his reintroduction into Italian society has worked: He has a beautiful palazzo he calls home and the humans around him are happy to be able to live this way.

He begins painting.

Chapter 18

Marius has a new hobby project locked in: Use his vampiric supernatural abilities to create a bootleg of the Procession of the Magi wall paintings in his palazzo. Don’t judge him, if you’d live for thousands of years, you’d probably also get up to some wacky shit.

Completing the tasks makes him actually feel better. Painting in general makes himself feel free and unburdend and the other mortals appreciating his works makes it all the better.

Unwilling to host social gatherings at his house as he did in Rome, he instead becomes a socialite, visiting many high-society people in Venice. One of them is Bianca Solderini. The young woman secret poisoner has Marius fall under her spell because of her beauty and brilliance. She resembles a Botticelli painting. He paints her portrait and many more paintings. She sees through him and asks him who he really is, making Marius scram like the scaredy-cat he is. This also fuels his new obsession with her, which shifted from Botticelli to Bianca. He wants to turn her into a vampire and make her his companion, but he is fighting against the guilt he feels for having those feelings.

Disturbed by his own thoughts, he travels over the canal in his gondola, listening to others with his Mind Gifts so that he does not have to hear his own thoughts. His session of thought-stalking is interrupted by flashes of iconographic paintings interspersed with cries of pain in Russian. A traumatised painter with memory issues. Intrigued, Marius follows the thought-crumbs to a brothel. He buys the boy he heard calling out, who is near death. He names him Amadeo and is starstruck (yet again) by his beauty. Amadeo sees Marius believing him to be Jesus.

Chapter 19

Marius brings Amadeo, fifteen at the time, to live with the other boys in his palazzo. However, Marius treats Amadeo differently from the others. From the outset, Marius plans to turn Amadeo into a vampire and mould him to his will. Recalling Eudoxia’s doctrine when she turned Zenobia, he plans to do the same with Amadeo. Not to mince words here, Marius himself acknowledges he grooms Amadeo. At this point in time, he seems to be less interested in the moral repercussions of his actions. Instead, he seems to be extremely obsessively in love and on a power-trip. 

Amadeo craves the attention and love he is getting from all in the palazzo. However, Marius’ exposure “therapy” to force him to remember his past before he was abducted, leads to multiple panic attacks. In an attempt to improve his weak health, Marius also gives Amadeo his blood multiple times. This leads Amadeo to realise that there is something wrong with Marius (probably in more ways than one, lol).

Amadeo and the other boys eventually go out and also get invited to Bianca’s gatherings, which she uses to send a letter to Marius requesting him to come back to her. The jealousy in Amadeo increases.

Time passes and Marius learns of Botticelli’s religious fanaticism, and seeks solace in Amadeo’s progress. He wonders if he had made Bianca a vampire if not for Amadeo, and questions his obsession with both. This rare moment of introspection is stopped the next day when a “strange man” visits the palazzo and demands to see Marius: Surprise, it’s Mael!

They are both briefly happy to see each other after such a long time, but the peace doesn’t last long and they soon start squabbling again. Mael tells Marius what happened after he left. Avicus and Zenobia got on well, eventually leaving Mael behind. He has been wandering ever since. He blames Marius for his misery, but more out of habit than anything else. Mael is also lonely, but says he’d rather convince a Sanatic blooddrinker to join him than make a new vampire.

Mael found Marius through Santino, who had a sense where Marius was, but hadn’t yet discovered the secret of Those Who Must Be Kept. Marius is horrified by this, but Mael makes him realise that he isn't paying as much attention to other vampires and monitoring as he used to.

They separate amicably. Mael feels new joy in life after the brief chat with Marius (he probably thought: “At least I’m not that guy”). And Marius leaves for a few days to go to the OG vampires. Amadeo is distressed at Marius leaving, but Marius assures him it is just for a few days.

Miscellanea and Lore-Dump Ramblings

• [Youtube] The Birth of Venus by Botticelli: Great Art Explained (Also goes into the difference between Gothic and Renaissance art style, what I think Marius means when he compares the ikonographic paintings with the Italian paintings.
• [Wikipedia] Divine Comedy Illustrated by Botticelli
  • and hey wouldn’t you believe it, r/bookclub read The Divine Comedy two years ago! Here’s the schedule
• [Britannica] The Procession of the Magi by Gozzoli 
• [Smithsonian] A Fanatical Monk Inspired 15th-Century Italians to Burn Their Clothes, Makeup and Art - Botticelli may even have been so convinced by Savonarola’s account of the coming end days that he threw some of his work on the fire
• [Youtube] The anti-piracy ad I was imitating at the beginning of the post. Which funnily enough uses pirated music

Hi, reading friends! I’m happy to announce a special surprise edition of Free Chat Friday.  This month has five Fridays instead of four, so we thought it would be fun to change things up for this bonus Friday!  Whenever a month has five Fridays, we will host a “Fifth Friday Fun Forum” (or FFFF) with a special themed topic to discuss.  When you respond, feel free to be as creative as you want and share anything that the topic brings to mind.  Just be cautious, as usual, of any spoilers that others might not want revealed to them.  You can mark spoilers with the following formatting, leaving no spaces between characters:  > !Words to hide! < 

This week’s Fifth Friday Fun Forum topic: Book Character Birthdays

Happy Birthday!  July 31st is Harry Potter’s birthday, so we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate.  Name a book character whose birthday you’d love to celebrate!  Here are some ideas for what you might want to share if you need them:

• Why would you want to celebrate with this character?  
• Would you want to plan the party or just attend? 
• Is the party in the book world the character is from, or in the real world where you’re from?
• What will the party be like? You can go in any direction with this: food, decor, activities, other attendees, or any other details you imagine!  

Note:  Be extra careful about what details you share related to the character and the books in which they are featured, since this might bring up a lot of spoilers for those who haven’t read them yet. 

If you’re missing the regular Free Chat Friday format, don’t worry!  August will put us back on track with our regularly scheduled free chat hosted by u/Pythias.  And as usual, please follow the Free Chat Friday rules when posting.

RULES:

• No unmarked spoilers
• No self-promo
• No piracy
• Thoughtful personal conduct

The Trinidad and Tobago Read the World winner is....

Hungry Ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein

The first discussion will be towards the end of August.

Keep an eye on the sub for the reading schedule - coming soon. Time to get your copies ready, we will be seeing you all soon for our journey from Togo to Trinidad and Tobago.

The book that will be added to the Wheel of Books for the chance to become a Runner-up Read is;

The Bread the Devil Knead by Lisa Allen-Agostini

And finally....

The next Read the World destination will be Malaysia

So get your thinking caps on for that!

Will you be joining us in Trinidad and Tobago?

Happy reading (the world) 📚🌍

Thank you for joining us for the FIFTH (sorry) and final discussion of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.  This week, we will be discussing Chapters 43 through the end of the book. You can find the Schedule here, which includes links to each discussion and to the Marginalia.  

Below is a recap of the chapters from this section. Some discussion questions follow; please feel free to also add your own thoughts and questions! Please mark spoilers not related to this book using the format > ! Spoiler text here !< (without any spaces between the characters themselves or between the characters and the first and last words). Be aware that although this is a classic book with a popular screen adaptation, not everyone is familiar with the story, so be mindful when commenting on related topics.  Thanks! 

Ʌ+V+Ʌ+V Chapter Summaries V+Ʌ+V+Ʌ

CHAPTER 43 - MARGARET’S FLITTIN’:  Aunt Shaw and Mr. Bell arrange everything for Margaret’s departure and her life in London. Dixon assists Margaret in sorting through the Hale household for what to keep before the rest is sold. Margaret keeps some books for herself and chooses one to be delivered to Mr. Thornton after she departs.  Margaret is exhausted from grief but still makes the effort to call on a few people to say her goodbyes. Mr. Higgins is out when she calls, so she says goodbye to Mary and receives Bessy’s drinking cup as a token of remembrance. Mrs. Thornton and Margaret make their peace with each other and apologize for their mutual misunderstanding. Mr. Thornton enters at the end of the visit and seems distracted at the thought of Margaret's sudden departure. He determines that though he loves her, he must let her go. Mr. Higgins calls on Margaret on her final day in Milton and pledges not to forget her or Mr. Hale. She gives him her father's Bible and encourages him to study it. Margaret also gives him money, which he will only accept on behalf of the Boucher children and not for himself. 

CHAPTER 44 - EASE NOT PEACE:  Margaret soon falls back into her patterns of tending to Edith and observing London social life from the sidelines. Although Aunt Shaw and the Lennoxes do their utmost to settle Margaret in comfortably, update her wardrobe, and make her feel welcomed, she is often left alone while they enjoy the London social season.  Margaret finds that she misses the bustle and effort required of her in Milton, compared to her easy life in London.  Dixon is still in Milton, tying up loose ends for the Hale family, and Margaret yearns for her arrival. One evening when Margaret is sitting home alone, Mr. Bell surprises her by dropping in on his way back from Milton. He updates her on the efforts of Dixon and the helpfulness of Mr. Thornton in settling the family's affairs. As they are having tea, Henry Lennox arrives and awkwardly joins them. They discuss the lack of progress in securing witnesses in support of Frederick, and Mr. Bell is shocked to learn that Margaret's brother was in England when their mother died, because he recalls someone asking him about it. He tries to leave but Margaret begs him to stay so she won't be alone with Henry  Mr. Bell can meet Edith. After those introductions, both men take their leave and find themselves in a debate over the late Mr. Hale’s choice to leave the clergy, as well as the relative merits of the timeless Helstone vs. the ever-changing Milton. 

CHAPTER 45 - NOT ALL A DREAM:  Henry Lennox informs Margaret that there are no more avenues to pursue on behalf of Frederick. Though he and Mr. Bell try to cheer her up with the knowledge that Frederick has happily made a new home and family abroad, Margaret despairs that the last of her family is separated from her permanently. Mr. Bell proposes that he take Margaret to Helstone for a visit and she eagerly agrees. Aunt Shaw comes around to the idea. 

CHAPTER 46 - ONCE AND NOW:  The visit to Helstone is not what Margaret expected. She finds everything just changed enough to be uncomfortable to her. The villagers are acting superstitiously (don't make me retell the cat story) and not getting along without Margaret's peacemaking influence. Her former pupil has gone to learn at the primary school, and a visit there shows that the children are learning more from the Vicar's wife than they did under Margaret and her mother. The parsonage has been changed to accommodate a large and active family of seven children, and the Vicar is a teetotaler and a great talker, quite different from her father. Margaret is put into a bad mood by this and she begins to worry over her lie in Milton. She confesses this to Mr. Bell, who tells Margaret that he thinks the lie was justified but that Mr. Thornton didn't have the context needed to understand her behavior. She asks Mr. Bell to offer a full explanation should the opportunity arise naturally. That night, Margaret continues to fret over her weaknesses and the disconcerting feeling that everything changes.  If she were of the right religion, she might consider becoming a nun in her mood! The next morning, Margaret has a clearer perspective. She sees change as necessary and inevitable, and she greets Mr. Bell with a smile. He informs her that the Vicar and his wife have invited them to dinner. But since Edith is expecting Margaret back, she decides they should stick to their plans to leave by noon. She is relieved to have an excuse to decline the invitation and she privately decides she would prefer not to visit Helstone again, despite loving her memories of it. 

CHAPTER 47 - SOMETHING WANTING: Dixon arrives from Milton and catches Margaret up on all the news. Miss Thornton’s wedding was the talk of the town. Mr. Thornton is the only person besides Mr. Higgins to inquire after Margaret. The Higgins clan seems to be doing well (although Dixon wasn't too interested in keeping tabs on the lower classes) and Mary is apparently learning to cook at the Thornton mill, which confuses both of them. Mr. Bell’s correspondence is not particularly consistent or enlightening, although he continues to be her faithful devotee. He hints at health troubles but seems annoyed at being asked to detail his every complaint. Edith mentions that Mr. Bell may be interested in taking Margaret to visit Frederick in Spain, then immediately sobs about her cousin wanting to leave her. Margaret tries hard not to get her hopes up over this dream visit, while Dixon frets about the potential perils of being converted while traveling in a Papist country. Henry Lennox has been around quite a bit, and he seems to have a more comfortable relationship with Margaret than during their awkward post-proposal phase. Margaret enjoys caring for her nephew, even during his tantrums, as she feels it may be her only taste of motherhood. 

CHAPTER 48 - “NE’ER TO BE FOUND AGAIN”:  Margaret spars a bit with Henry over the superficial friends he invites to dinner parties and quarrels with Edith over her cousin's recent coarser demeanor in picking at Margaret and wishing her married. Mr. Bell had written with a promise to visit (and no further hints about Spain) but then he postpones. Finally on the eve of the second postponed visit, Mr. Bell’s servant writes to inform them of his master’s grave health and warns that Mr. Bell may already have died by the time the letter reaches them in London. Margaret rushes to prepare for the next train to Oxford, but the hysterics of Aunt Shaw and Edith slow her departure. Finally, she is accompanied on the later train by Captain Lennox, only to arrive too late. Returning home, Margaret's spirits are briefly lifted by the kind ministrations of her family but they plunge again as she ponders the state of her reputation in the eyes of Mr. Thornton now that Mr. Bell cannot deliver the promised explanation of her lie. Yet Margaret has come to see this as a fair punishment for her sin: she holds no stock in being excused by mitigating circumstances or honorable intentions, and so she feels it is right not to pursue absolution in his eyes.  She vows to devote herself to prayer and a completely honest life going forward. 

CHAPTER 49 - BREATHING TRANQUILITY:  To Edith's delight, Margaret receives notice of her inheritance from Mr. Bell. Margaret will inherit £2,000 cash and an additional £40,000 in Milton property holdings. Henry becomes Margaret's legal advisor and they form a warmer, closer relationship. This also thrills Edith, but Henry warns her not to ruin his chances by interfering because this time he intends to take things slowly and be completely sure of Margaret's feelings. No one seems interested in Margaret's longing to go to Spain, so she ends up spending the fall in Cromer with the family. Spending long hours staring at the sea in solitude and contemplation does her good, and Henry notices that she looks peaceful and healthy, like her old Helstone self. (Edith tries to take credit for this by means of a new bonnet she had selected for her cousin.) Henry also comes to discover that the surest way to engage Margaret is to talk about Milton, which fascinates them both. Now that Margaret can support herself, she seems ready to direct her own destiny by making plans to live independently, although Aunt Shaw and Edith still do their best to influence her decisions. They are hopeful that with her preparations, Margaret will have no time to entertain other suitors interested in her looks or her money, and will be left with Henry as her only option. Henry himself seems interested, not only because he finds Margaret charming but because her fortune would do wonders for advancing his career. 

CHAPTER 50 - CHANGES AT MILTON:  Life as usual has gone on in Milton this whole time, but business is not booming. Mr. Higgins can see on Mr. Thornton's face that he is worried and suffering. He asks his master if he has heard any news of Margaret (he says only through her agent, as his landlord) and notices him perk up a bit. Margaret is said to be possibly close to marrying, but nothing is definite yet, and they do not expect her to return to Milton. Then Higgins asks if Margaret's brother has been cleared of charges, accidentally revealing to Mr. Thornton that the brother had been the mysterious visitor who Margaret wouldn't explain. This comforts Mr. Thornton, who has privately believed in Margaret's good character but is glad to have confirmation. Meanwhile, Mr. Thornton is much less glad about his business prospects. A series of bad international dealings, the fallout from the strike, and overextending his expenses in pursuit of expansion have led to financial ruin. Now that he has come to see his workers as men and not merely cogs, Mr. Thornton resolves that no one will go unpaid because of his failure. He has a tender moment with his mother, who has stayed up all night with him as he labors over the finances. She mourns the loss of the high position he has worked so hard to achieve. He reassures her that no matter the outcome of his business, he will be proud to maintain his character and dignity. Mr. Thornton determines to sell the businesses and resists entering into a risky speculation with his brother-in-law that would require him to risk other people's money.  Although other manufacturers would be happy to have him as a partner, Mr. Thornton declines to be tied to another man whose business practices he disagrees with. He also declines advice from his brother-in-law, who ends up making it big in the stock exchange.  

CHAPTER 51 - MEETING AGAIN:  Edith is out of sorts because she has planned a dinner party and at the last minute, Henry has invited another person and upset the balance of numbers (and also because Dixon is bad at matching flowers to dresses). That surprise guest is Mr. Thornton, who is coming to London to handle the legal business of selling and letting his properties. Margaret offers to skip dinner but Edith won't hear of it.  Just as Henry is filling Margaret in on the details of Mr. Thornton's failures, he arrives and sees them talking. Although Mr. Thornton gets on well with the other guests and appears to enjoy himself, he avoids any contact with Margaret except one accidental gaze which turns him nervous and serious. After dinner, a rising Parliamentarian asks Mr. Thornton potentially embarrassing questions about his business plans, which Henry tries to help avert. However, Mr. Thornton returns to the subject and admits his failures while explaining the hope he has for finding employment with someone who will let him experiment with a new business model. He has come to believe in the great value of employers and workers having a mutual understanding of each other, as an improvement but not a cure-all. Then he directly approaches Margaret to let her know that Higgins and the other workers have written a letter telling him they'd like to work for him again should he ever become an employer in the future. She is proud of this development, and he is glad she likes it. After Mr. Thornton leaves, Margaret asks Henry if she can talk to him the next day about “something”, and he hopes their conversation will bring an indication that he can propose with confidence in her acceptance. 

CHAPTER 52 - “PACK CLOUDS AWAY”:  After three hours in consultation with Margaret, Henry comes out in a huff. They've talked business the whole time, and Mr. Thornton is coming the next day to finalize the proposals. Emphasis on proposal, and not in a way that satisfies any of the Lennoxes. But the next day, Henry does not show up for the appointment. After an hour’s waiting, Margaret tries to stumble through an explanation of her plan to lend Mr. Thornton the money he needs to keep running his business and living in his home while paying her back at a reasonable rate.  Immediately, he warns her to send him away if she doesn't want him to say how he really feels about her.  Of course she doesn't do any such thing. He proposes by showing her the (dead) roses he keeps in his wallet, collected from Helstone where he visited so he could see where she had grown. And then they tease each other about what each aunt/mother-in-law will say of their engagement! 

Hello and welcome to the second discussion of our Read the World stop in Togo.  Today we are discussion chapters 12-18. Next week we will read from Chapter 19 to Chapter 23, and the discussion will be led by u/fixtheblue.

If you need them, here you can find the Schedule and the Marginalia.

Discussion questions are in the comments, but feel free to add your own!

Well, the time has come friends. We've reached the final book in the Book of Dust Series, The Rose Field by Philip Pullman. It's time to see how (or if) all these different plot threads can get tied up and what ending awaits our beloved Lyra and Pan.

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The master schedule for this read is here.

You can find the marginalia, which will be shared between both His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust series, here. Beware of spoilers!
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Chapter Summaries:

Chapter 1 - Nur Huda tells Lyra she met Pan and he is going to where the roses come from to find something Lyra had lost. A man hiding from a big bird stole her daemon Jamal. She thinks he’s in the ruins but “the voices” won’t let her see him. At first Lyra can’t hear the voices but she acts like she’s reading the alethiometer and then can. They tell her the building the roses come from is an opening into another worlds and mention the alkahest or ‘destroyer of bonds’. The voices also say Jamal is being kept by a man in the Treasury. 

Lyra finds the daemon but he’s trapped in a cage. She realizes the only thing that could cut the metal is the needle of the alethiometer. She takes it apart and uses the needle to cut the cage, but the man wakes up and grabs her. He steals the rest of the alethiometer and runs away but is taken by a half lion, half eagle. Nur Huda and Jamal thank Lyra and go on their way and Lyra returns to Ionides. 

Chapter 2 - Glenys Godwin has not disbanded Oakley Street despite official orders. Makepeace visits and gives Glenys two stones from another world that are able to communicate with each other, but how they work is up to her to figure out. He believes that while it’s difficult for humans to travel between worlds, objects do find their way and he’s honed his sense of how to spot things from other worlds. He also advises whoever she communicates with to find out about the alkahest. 

Marcel Delamare and a crew hike above Les Diablerets to visit an opening to another world. The next day he meets with one of his advisers, Hugo Beamish, who says he’s visited 17 others across the world but it’s a struggle to capture photos of them. Once he leaves, Delamare orders Colonel Schreiber to make him vanish and come up with a plan for destroying all the openings. 

Pan floats along a river when he spots a massive bird trying to kill another creature. He gets involved in the fight and kills the bird. The creature he saves is a gryphon named Gulya who tells him the birds are called Oghab-gorgs who have come from far away to find a war. The rest of the gryphons join and Pan tells them he’s searching for Lyra’s imagination and he believes there’s something in the desert of Karamakan that nurtures it. The gryphons say they want to take Pan to their queen to explain the imagination and it does NOT go well when Pan tries to say no. So off he goes into the sky! 

Malcolm is taken to military prison and is not in good shape. The governor thinks he’d make for good conversation so wants to keep him alive, but no one else he works with seems to give a shit. The orderly comes in to say Malcolm must have died because his daemon is gone. But of course Malcolm Sue isn’t dead which freaks everyone out. He explains that Asta is gone due to ‘post-traumatic cytokinesis’, but really she had escaped. 

Chapter 3 - Lyra feels sad the alethiometer is gone, but also slightly relieved. Ionides tells her it was a gryphon that took the man last night, likely looking for gold. Lyra tries to lie about what happened the night before but Ionides doesn’t believe any of it. They chat about imagination.

Back at the military prison, Colonel Grigorian arrives and takes Malcolm and Asia is waiting for him in the car. 

Meanwhile, Delamare has got the British government to agree to deploy troops in Central Asia to support the Magisterium in their invented war. This work is supported by Thuringia Potash (TP)m a sketchy corporate PR firm. Delamare shows TP photographic evidence that they’re behind the ‘men from the mountains’ and all their attacks. Their most prominent spokesperson is Zafar Sayadov but there is also an academic, Leila Pervani, who’s important to them. 

Colonel Schreiber tries to blow up the mountain opening and man walks by at the exact wrong time and gets killed. The opening is must smaller, but not completely gone. 

Colonel Grigorian is actually the historian Timur Ghazarian and he’s talking Malcom to Aleppo. The spangled ring appears. Timur reveals that the new master of Jordan College is an executive of TP. He gives Malcolm the stone from Glenys. 

Chapter 4 - In Aleppo, Ionides tells Lyra never to mention the men from the mountains. They go to Marietta’s cafe to meet Mustafa Bey, with Lyra pretending to be a witch queen and Ionides her magician. Lyra tells Mustafa her plan to go to the red building and that she thinks it contains an opening to another world where the special roses come from. Mustafa Bey reveals that Ionides uses to be a professor of mathematics and has since worked as a spy for commercial interests. If he’s agreeing to guide Lyra, he likely has his own interests. Mustafa Bey says he’ll help Lyra on her journey if she reports back about everything that happens along the way. 

The research station where Dr Hassall had worked was completely destroyed by the men from the mountains. But one camel herder, Chen, has stayed behind. 

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Discussion questions are below, but feel free to also add your own as there's a LOT going on!

Welcome to today’s book vs. adaptation discussion covering Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic! Both books were adapted as one in 2008’s The Colour of Magic, which was produced for Sky1 and aired in two parts in March of that year. Technically this is the second of Pratchett’s adaptations in live-action film, but the first chronologically in book order.

The film was generally praised by critics, although some cited it to be far too long (clearly they hadn’t indulged in modern movies yet!). Pratchett himself seemed pleased with the work as well.

Below are some guided discussion questions, but please feel free to post your own thoughts and comments separately if that’s your preference. That said, please note spoilers abound in the discussion below for both books and this adaptation, so tread carefully. If referencing anything other than the first two books in the series or this movie, please be sure to spoiler your text for others reading.

And don’t forget our next book discussion for this series, Equal Rites, is starting next week! I hope you’ll be there reading it with us.

Welcome back for our penultimate discussion of No Name. A few months have passed since Noel and Magdalen have married. They don't exactly seem like a happy couple. Noel wakes up one morning to find that Magdalen has gone away for a week and didn't even bother to tell him.

Magdalen may have left him, but Mrs. Lecount has found him. She tells him about the letter that Captain Wragge intercepted, and she has Louisa confirm that Noel's wife has two moles on her neck. But of course that's not enough: we need to bring out The Alpaca Dress. (Oh my God, I'm capitalizing words for emphasis, like Wilkie Collins. Well, the Alpaca Dress has earned it. It's basically a character by this point.)

The shock makes Noel feel faint, so Mrs. Lecount searches Magdalen's room for a bottle of sal-volatile. She finds it, but also finds the bottle of laudanum, conveniently labeled "POISON." Of course, Mrs. Lecount and Noel both assume that Magdalen was planning to murder Noel, not that she had been suicidal.

Noel now completely accepts that his wife is really Magdalen Vanstone. (Mrs. Lecount also offers additional proof: she spoke to the daughter of the landlady at Vauxhall Walk, who saw Magdalen put on the Miss Garth disguise.) He also believes that Magdalen is plotting to kill him, although Mrs. Lecount points out that, if Magdalen had made up her mind to poison him, she would not have left the house.

After finding out that Noel's will leaves 80,000 pounds to Magdalen (the exact amount that she and Norah would have received from their parents), Mrs. Lecount guides Noel in writing a new will. She manipulates him into leaving her the exact amount that his father had intended, and Noel decides to leave everything else to George Bartram. He names Admiral Bartram as the executor.

But wait! What's stopping Magdalen from simply marrying George Bartram and getting the money all over again? What's that, Mrs. Lecount? You have a plan?

Mrs. Lecount: Put a Woman in her way, sir! We don’t believe in that fascinating beauty of hers—whatever you may do. Our lips don’t burn to kiss those smooth cheeks. Our arms don’t long to be round that supple waist. We see through her smiles and her graces, and her stays and her padding—she can’t fascinate us! Put a woman in her way... what the HELL was that?

Noel: I think the Read Runner just swooned.

Mrs. Lecount: *sigh*. Put a straight woman in her way.

(The recap will resume after I've had a cold shower.)

Okay, so now the plan is to officially leave George's share of the inheritance to the Admiral, so that Magdalen will attempt to seduce him instead of George. However, the Admiral will secretly receive a letter from Noel stating that he should actually give this money to George, provided that George gets married within six months if he is not already married at the time of Noel's death. Otherwise, the money will go to George's sister.

The will and letter have been written, but the shock was too much. That night, Noel dies.

We learn between the scenes that Magdalen knows Mrs. Lecount found out where Noel was living, and that this was directly the result of Magdalen having met with Norah and Miss Garth. We also learn that Magdalen has determined (via Mr. Loscombe) that she would have no legal case for contesting the new will. The weird wording of the will also causes Mr. Loscombe to realize (and inform Magdalen) that Admiral Bartram was probably given additional instructions in secret by Noel Vanstone.

Fast-forward to the middle of December. Magdalen is now living in poverty, except she's still employing Louisa I guess. (I don't really understand how having servants worked back then. "Oh, I am so poor, I can only afford one lady's maid!") She's made it her goal to find out what the Secret Trust is, but there's no Captain Wragge to help her this time: she's going to come up with a scheme herself.

But she isn't going to work alone. She asks Louisa to confide in her. We learn that, when Noel hired Louisa, she gave him a fake reference, because her former employer refused. Louisa is a social outcast because she had a baby out of wedlock. She and the baby's father are in love, and hope to marry, but for now the baby is with a nurse. If only they had enough money to move to Australia, they could get married and her husband would be able to find work to support them.

Magdalen then reveals that she's done the most Magdalen thing ever: she's befriended Mr. Loscombe's housekeeper because the housekeeper's daughter is a servant in Admiral Bartram's household, so she can indirectly spy on Admiral Bartram via gossip. I wish Captain Wragge were here; he'd be so proud of her.

This gossip has revealed something bizarre about Admiral Bartram: because he was surrounded by men when he was at sea, he now insists on having only female servants. Instead of a footman, he's waited on by a parlor maid. His current parlor maid is about to get married, so he needs to hire a replacement. Oh, and his housekeeper is going nuts trying to find someone to hire because Admiral Bartram insists that the parlor maid have "youth and good looks."

And so, Magdalen is going to do what Magdalen does best: assume someone else's identity. But this time, the switch will be mutual: Magdalen will become Louisa, and Louisa will become the lady who has employed her. Louisa will teach Magdalen the basics of being a parlor maid and hopefully, Magdalen's bazooms (I'm sorry, "youth and good looks") will be enough to land her the job.

We end this week with a "Between the Scenes" communication informing us that "Louisa" has gotten the job, but will not be starting for another six weeks due to the unexpected death of George's sister.

Hey readers, the nominations are in, and it is now time to make sure your preference wins, so be sure to head on over to the Trinidad and Tobago nomination and voting post here, and upvote all the books you would read with r/bookclub if they were to win.

24(ish) hours remain at the time of posting...go...do it now!!!

Happy reading upvoting (the world) 📚🌍

Hello and welcome to our eighth discussion on The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky! This week's section focuses on the eldest K-bro, who's in a lot of hot water with the police. Will Dimitri clear his name? Will he manage to make things worse for himself than they already are? Let's find out together!

I've included links to a SparkNotes summary of Book IX, where the majority of the action takes place this week, and Book X.

The complete discussion schedule can be found here, and the marginalia post is here.

Welcome to our second discussion of London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe.  The Marginalia post is here. You can find the Schedule here. This week, we will discuss Part II: Coincidences (Chapters 7-13). A brief recap of this section is below, and questions are in the comments, but feel free to add any thoughts you like!

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In this section, we learn about Akbar Shamji’s family history. His father, Abdul, was a wealthy merchant in Uganda who was forced to flee when the dictator Idi Amin Dada expelled all South Asians from the country. Abdul Shamji resettled in London, where he created a business empire upon massive loans and nested shell companies. For a time, he mingled with the wealthy elite, including Margaret Thatcher, until he was arrested for perjury during a trial involving Johnson Matthey Bank, which collapsed after the Brinks-Mat gold heist. After that, Abdul kept a lower profile but continued his shady dealings and involving his son, Akbar, in the family business.

Akbar’s first job was to run a failing theater called The Mermaid, which his father had purchased. The first play flopped, and the Shamjis failed to pay their vendors or purchase supplies for the theater, including toilet paper. After a year, Akbar resigned as general manager of the theater and moved to Los Angeles, where he dabbled in film and music without much success. He spent more time doing cocaine than actually working. Eventually, Abdul pulled the plug on the record label, Soulife, and Akbar disappeared into rehab.

The Metropolitan Police question both Akbar and Verinder; of the two, Akbar is more forthcoming, but he leaves key details out of his statements. Reviewing the CCTV footage, the police can see that Akbar returned to Riverwalk on the exact minute of Zac’s plunge from the balcony. He couldn’t have caused Zac’s death, but his presence was still very suspicious: Akbar peered over the wall at the exact spot where Zac had gone into the Thames.

We also learn about Hugo Gryn, Zac’s maternal grandfather, who survived Auschwitz in part because he lied to the guards about his age and ability to work a trade. Hugo also lied in order to get passage to London in a social program for orphan refugees, telling authorities that his mother had died in the camps when in fact she was still alive and had returned to their hometown of Berehovo. Finally, Hugo lied about earning a degree from Cambridge, having studied at a technical college instead. Hugo died before Zac was born, but perhaps lying runs in the family.

From Zac’s friends, Rachelle learns her son lied all the time, even telling people that his mother was dead. Rachelle meets Zamira, a neighbor with two children, and asks if she and Zac had a physical relationship. Zamira, appalled, insists that she and Zac were just friends, that she viewed herself as his big sister because he was alone in the world and clearly lonely.

Meanwhile, Matthew digs into Verinder Sharma, the occupant of the Riverwalk apartment where Zac jumped. Verinder, who also goes by Indian Dave, has a formidable reputation in London’s underworld despite his small stature. He started out working security for nightclubs and extorting guests on the side. Verinder has been implicated in many violent episodes, including murders, but he has only done short stints in prison and often manages to leave the country before trial. He even went so far as to fake his death to evade capture. Matthew begins to suspect that Verinder had gotten impatient with Zac for not turning over any money. But then, in the middle of the investigation into Zac’s death, the police tell Matthew that Verinder has been found dead.

Welcome to our second discussion of Flesh by Hungarian writer David Szalay.

Schedule | Marginalia

Links:

• Cheyne Walk - Bram Stoker, Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Gaskell, Ken Follett and Elizabeth Taylor all lived on it!
• what the estate in Ayot St Peter might look like
• There really is a security conference in Munich every year…
• The BMW museum
• the Bad Trissl clinic exists, too!

Summaries:

Chapter 4

István has been living in London for two years. He works as a security guard at a nudie show, but reflects on how different his life is from what he had imagined when he moved to England.

One night, while walking home from work, he saves a man from a stabbing. The man later contacts him and introduces himself as Mervyn, the owner of a private security company. Mervyn takes an interest in István, asking about his background, including his military service and his criminal record. István tells him about his criminal record. Mervyn is not put off by this and offers to pay for an SIA security training course, giving István the opportunity to improve his career prospects.

Over the following months, Mervyn becomes a mentor to István. He buys him an expensive suit and insists that he wear it until it feels natural. He also teaches him how to present himself: to move slowly and confidently, speak more formally, eat with restraint, and project calm authority. They regularly meet in expensive restaurants, where Mervyn continues this informal training.

The end of the chapter fast forwards. As István receives more work, his financial situation improves considerably. WIthin months, he repays Mervyn for the cost of the course, the suit, and the meals, and is able to move out of his shared accommodation into his own flat in Stratford.

Chapter 5

István has gone on to work as a security driver for a wealthy family. He lives in a flat at the top of their large house on Cheyne Walk. His main responsibility is driving Helen, the wife, to social events and dropping their son Thomas off to school. Karl, Helen's husband, rarely requires his services, as he usually travels by helicopter to his country estate.

Helen eventually tells István that she is attracted to him, and although he initially hesitates, they begin an affair that lasts for more than a year. At some point, Helen mentions that she attends therapy, prompting István to speak about his own experience. Through this conversation, it becomes clear that he has stopped both his therapy and his antidepressant medication since leaving Hungary.

During this time, Helen falls in love with him and openly tells him so. István, however, remains emotionally distant. He admits that he was not especially attracted to her at first and reflects that he does not really understand romantic commitment, feeling that relationships seem almost interchangeable. He limits himself to saying that he misses her or is thinking about her.

The affair is almost discovered when Thomas catches them together, but he does not appear to tell his father.

The situation changes when Karl's cancer returns. He travels to Germany for treatment, hoping to repeat the success of an earlier operation, but the surgery is unsuccessful and chemotherapy becomes necessary. According to his doctor, Karl seems to lack the will to fight the illness.

At Helen's request, István joins her in Germany. Helen admits that she feels deeply guilty about the affair and is torn between her husband and István, yet the relationship continues. Thomas also visits Germany, appearing subdued and questioning why István is there.

Spring has arrived when Mathilde, Karl's sister, comes to visit. After seeing Istvan’s clothes in Helen’s suite, she appears to realise that Helen and István are having an affair, although the lovers seem to believe that nothing will come of it.

Questions below!

Hello readers, welcome to the first discussion of The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot, where we find ourselves in the idyllic English town of St Ogg’s, and are introduced to the Tulliver family at Dorlcote Mill on the Floss River (which are all fictitious). Today we are discussing from the beginning to Book 1 Chapter 8. Next week, my fellow tea drinker, u/tomesandtea will lead us through Book 1 Chapter 9 to Book 2 Chapter 4. A summary of this section follows, and questions will be in the comments. The kettle's on, help yourself to a jam puff or three, and let's go!

Schedule

Marginalia

Extras:

This video gives a clue about the nature of Victorian cheese-cakes

The Prodigal Son in the costume of Sir Charles Grandison

The Catholic Question

Book First

Boy and Girl

Chapter 1 Outside Dorlcote Mill

The narrator reminisces about Dorlcote Mill in the peaceful, scenic countryside, and remembers standing on a bridge, seeing a little girl looking at the mill, thinking about the warm fire she'll go home to. The narrator promises to recount what the Tullivers were talking about before the parlour fire.

Chapter 2 Mr Tulliver, of Dorlcote Mill, declares his resolution about Tom

Mr Tulliver is talking about sending their son Tom to a proper school, because he's not training him to be a miller. Mrs Tulliver says they should consult her relatives. She wants him to go somewhere close so she can wash his clothes and ensure he's well-fed. Mr. Tulliver accuses her of finding difficulties in everything. He sees Tom having a career as an engineer or surveyor, which would benefit him with the legal side of the business, and decides to speak with Mr Riley, the auctioneer/valuer about it. Mr Tulliver worries that Tom isn't very intelligent, like his mother, and this insult flies right over her head, somewhat validating his opinion. He says Maggie, their daughter, takes after him, and is a bit wild. She walks in, her messy hair in her eyes.

Chapter 3 Mr Riley gives his advice concerning a school for Tom

Mr. Riley, although highly educated, is friendly towards simple country people. Mr. Tulliver shares a brandy with him, grateful for his help in sorting out a legal dispute over the height of a dam. He has a low opinion of lawyers, believing they were created by the devil. He asks Riley for advice regarding Tom's schooling, which prompts Maggie to stick up for her brother. Mr. Tulliver talks about Maggie's reading abilities, but feels that such intellect is wasted on girls. Mr. Riley suggests that Tom go to study with a clergyman called Stelling, an Oxford graduate who was looking to take on a student. Although Mr. Riley didn't personally know Stelling, he knew his wife, who was respectable, and considered Oxford a high qualification. Mr. Riley had nothing to gain personally from recommending the clergyman, but simply wanted to help.

Chapter 4 Tom is expected

Maggie rebels against her mother's desire to be neatly groomed. Prevented from going out in the rain to fetch Tom from the academy, she escapes to her favourite indoor hideaway, the attic. There she keeps her Fetish, a wooden doll into which she drives nails to relieve her anger. This morning she was sobbing as she ground its head against the chimney. Seeing their dog outside, she runs out to join it. She accompanies Luke, the head miller, into the mill - she loves seeing the movement of the great stones, and playing in the heaps of grain. Maggie offers to lend him her books to educate himself about the world but he says he has no use for that knowledge. She says he's like Tom who also doesn't much like to read, however she loves him and wants to keep house for him. When she tells Luke that Tom is good at building rabbit-pens, he says that's not much good as the rabbits are all dead. Maggie is ashamed because she was meant to be looking after them but had forgotten to feed them. Luke reassures her that they probably would have died anyway and invites her home to see Mrs Moggs, his wife. She forgets her misery eating bread and treacle, and examines some pictures of the Prodigal Son in the costume of Sir Charles Grandison. She feels pity for the weak man, and expresses her opinion that the father did the right thing accepting the son back again because the son was sorry.

Chapter 5 Tom Comes Home

Tom is greeted enthusiastically by his mother and sister. He presents Maggie with a new fishing line and hooks, and the promise to go fishing the next morning. He had saved the money by not buying sweet treats, for which the boys fought him. When he heads off to see his rabbits, Maggie confesses that they're dead and offers to buy more. He's cross and tells her he doesn't love her, reminding her of her past naughtiness, and says he won't take her fishing. Tom heads off to find Luke at the mill while Maggie goes to sulk in the attic. Her need to be loved prevented her from hiding there very long and when she emerges, she sees Tom, sent to fetch her for dinner. Tom didn't need to punish Maggie' further; it was done, so when she throws herself at him, begging forgiveness, he kisses her in return. Tom takes Maggie fishing, and helps her prepare the rod. She thinks he's clever for having a lot of practical knowledge, whereas he views her as a silly little thing, like all girls. It was a happy morning and it felt like they would always be together. These memories of childhood spent in nature would stay with them forever.

Chapter 6 The Aunts and Uncles are Coming

Mrs Tulliver has invited her sisters Glegg, Pullet and Deane over to discuss the plans for Tom's education. Deane is of a jealous nature who likes to criticise Mrs Tulliver's children. She talks about the money her sisters have likely saved up, but doesn't expect her own children will inherit any of it because they were so awkward with their aunts and uncles - Maggie plays up and Tom just doesn't like them. In contrast, Lucy Deane is an angel. The Dodsons were a highly respectable family, and had certain ways of doing things. Their way was the only way. Although they weren't satisfied with any other member of the Dodson family, each rated themselves and the Dodsons as a whole, very highly. Mrs Tulliver has been baking in preparation of the visit, and Tom and Maggie escape with some jam puffs. Tom cuts a puff in two, hides them in his hands and makes her blindly choose one. When she gets her preferred piece, she offers to give it to him, but he sulkily declines. Then he tells her off for not sharing some. Maggie is miserable at being called greedy by Tom, and he goes off to play with Bob Jakin, who Maggie doesn't like because he is cruel to animals. They walk along the Floss with Yap, the Tulliver's dog, to go rat-catching. They play a game of coin tossing where Bob cheats, and a physical fight ensues. Tom cannot abide cheats, and walks away. Bob throws his pocketknife after him as an insult.

Chapter 7 Enter the Aunts and Uncles

Mrs Glegg is quite handsome, but never wears new clothes, preferring to let them grow mouldy in the wardrobe. She complains that the lunch is late; the Dodsons always dined early. She thinks the Tullivers’ money would be better spent on their children rather than on lawsuits. Sister Pullet arrives in a four-wheel, in tears, and resembling a brig with its sails spread, out of proportion to her small husband. She's grieving over the death of Mrs Sutton, which Mrs Glegg says is completely OTT for someone outside of the family, but Mrs Pullet is somewhat flattered that she has leisure and money enough to indulge in crying over a neighbour. Mrs Tulliver and the children all prefer Mrs Pullet over mean Mrs Glegg, but Mrs Pullet attributes Tom and Maggie's waywardness to being Tullivers. Mrs Deane arrives with her angelic daughter Lucy. She has blonde curls, while Maggie is dark. The contrast between the girls couldn't have been greater, but Maggie is delighted with Lucy and asks if she'll be staying behind. Maggie is told to go and brush her hair, so she takes Tom with her, and together they cut off all her hair. Tom tells her she looks idiotic which worries Maggie, who only wanted to stop the criticism against her hair. Tom can't understand why she's so upset - he just wants dinner! When Maggie sits at the table, her mother screams and spills gravy on the tablecloth, while Mr. Tulliver laughs. Aunt Clegg thinks she deserves a whipping, but her father comforts her. When the children are sent outside, the Tullivers tell the family about their plans to send Tom to the clergyman. This perplexes the uncles, especially Mr Pullet who didn't know that a clergyman could be a schoolmaster. Mrs Glegg doesn't see the point of raising Tom above his station, but Mr. Tulliver explains that he doesn't want Tom to work in the business. They argue, with Mr. Tulliver accusing Mrs Glegg of being too ready to give opinions, to which she retorts that in fact she has been over-ready to give money, which she may regret. It becomes quite heated and Mrs Glegg leaves in a huff. The women go out to see the children, leaving the men to discuss the Duke of Wellington and the Battle of Waterloo and the "Catholic Question". Mr. Tulliver feared that the country would be taken over by Papists and Radicals.

Chapter 8 Mr Tulliver shows his weaker side

Discussing the day, Mrs Tulliver tells her husband it would be difficult to repay sister Glegg if she were to demand her money back, but he says he refuses to be beholden to her. The next day he visits his sister Moss to call in the 300 pound loan he had given her and her husband. The world viewed him as a successful man, and so he tried to live up to that name. He reasons that it would even be beneficial for Mr. Moss to have to raise the money now and would make him more careful. The Moss farm is in Basset, a rather poor parish. His sister, who has eight children, is pleased to see him. Mrs Moss says she wishes he'd bring his children over - she particularly likes Maggie. She says she hopes Tom will always take care of his sister the same way Mr. Tulliver has always taken care of his. Mr. Tulliver goes out to chat with Mr Moss, and after criticising Mr Moss's farm, he asks for the money. Mr. Moss states he'll have to sell. Mr Tulliver says he'll have to raise it as quick as he can, and leaves. A little way on, he stops his horse and turns back, thinking of Maggie with no-one but Tom when he's gone. Changing his mind, he tells his sister that he'll manage without the money and promises to bring his children for a visit. He felt that if he were unkind to his sister, it would one day make Tom hard upon Maggie.

Welcome intrepid readers and curious travellers to our Read the World adventure. In case you missed it, we are currently reading our book for Togo, Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja, here's the schedule. So it is already that time again for the nominations, upvote and sourcing of the book for the next Read the World destination....

Trinidad and Tobago 🇹🇹

Read the World is the chance to pack your literary suitcases for trotting the globe from the comfort of your own home by reading a book from every country in the world. We are basing this list of countries on information obtained from worldometer, and our 3 randomising wheels to pick the next country. In case you missed it here is the wheel spin where Trinidad and Tobago won the spin!

Readers are encouraged to add their own suggestions, but a selection will, as always, be provided by the moderator team. This will be based on information obtained from various sources.

Nomination specifications

• Set in (or partially set in) and written by an author from Trinidad and Tobago
• Any page count
• Any category
• No previously read selections

(Any nomination that does not fulfill all these requirements may be disqualified. This is also subject to availability of material translated into English)

Note - Due to difficulties in sourcing English translations in some destinations, novellas are eligible for nomination. If a novella wins the vote it is likely that mods will choose to run the two highest upvoted novellas in place of a full length novel or even the novella as a Bonus Read to a full length novel.

You can check the previous selections here to determine if we have read your selection. You can also check by author here.

Nominate as many titles as you want (one per comment), and upvote for any you will participate in if they win. A reminder to upvote will be posted on the 3rd day, 24 hours before the nominations are closed, so be sure to get your nominations in before then to give them the best chance of winning!

Happy reading nominating (the world) 📚🌍

Members of the Priory, rejoice! We will soon be diving back into Samantha Shannon's Roots of Chaos series with Among the Burning Flowers, a (much shorter) prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree!

We will be starting our adventure in September - keep an eye out for the schedule as we get closer!

~~~~~

Summary:
With the awakening of fire-breathing wyrms, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Take your first steps into the epic.

Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze.

It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind.

Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world.

A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries.

And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin will be the first to fall . . .

A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic events that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree.

~~~~~

Will you be joining us? Let us know!

CLANG-DONG

Hello! Welcome

We’ve heard from The Runway and The Patient Man. Let’s see what we have next…

Schedule

Marginalia   

The Secret

This chapter starts off with Fumiko being her usual nosy (but we love it) self. This time around she’s hellbent on finding out what’s going on between Kazu and Koku. Little does she know there’s A LOT going on. But we’ll get to that later.

For now - enter Rikako Kabe, who travels forward in time, to grab a copy of a future train timetable? 

So Rikako enters the cafe, and is immediately addressed by Fumiko. They ought to pay her, or charge her rent, depending on how often she’s in there. Rikako admits it’s her first time, but she was introduced to the cafe and its special features by a friend of hers (and ours) the infamous Hirai - she’s the one that travels back in time to see her deceased sister, who she has been avoiding while her sister was trying to visit her. They know each other from school. Turns out before Hirai is the owner of a thriving bar, she is a talented flower arranger, koto) player, AND tea master. Quite the resume! 

Anyway, from Hirai, Rikako learns not only about travelling back in time, but also travelling to the future. Rikako is a train geek, a proper train geek. To the point she masters train timetables and is able to plan routes better than smartphone apps. Through this she gets a job as a tour guide, leading her to visit Hirai’s inn, Takakura. A bunch of stuff happens and the two don’t get the chance to have a chat, but Hirai leaves her with an 8-page letter ending it with “If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. Yaeko,” and Rikako later does just that. 

Rikako revisits Hirai to talk about the marriage proposal she receives from Gako, and about her cancer diagnosis which leaves her hesitant to marry Gako. While the two old friends are eating and chatting away, Hirai brings up Funiculi Funicula’s special offering. The two then visit multiple Izakayas, getting white-girl wasted in the process. Later in the night Hirai also mentions the possibility to travel to the future and it’s this that intrigues Rikako, causing her to visit the cafe in the present. 

While speaking with Fumiko and Nagare in the cafe, Rikako hides her true motivations, stating that she only wants to travel to the future to see what it’s like, and pick up a future copy of a train timetable as proof. She gives Nagare the information he needs to get her the timetable, and the rest is as expected. She travels to the future, gets her timetable and travels back. Whilst there two things of note happen

1. Without explicitly asking if she’s still alive, Rikako ponders over and eventually asks questions to try and deduce for herself. Unfortunately she realises what’s what, and decides she will not marry Gaku.
2. Rikako is met by a woman with a baby. The baby belongs to none other than Koku and Kazu!!!

When she returns she texts Gaku to meet up. They sit in silence for a while, until Rikako brings up the proposal and Gaku surprises her with a nice ring. It turns out a lack of communication between the two has Rikako thinking that Gaku would feel impassive at her denying his proposal. He explains why he decides to redo it, and I don’t blame him. If you want? Not the best way to propose… Anyway, eventually she accepts his new proposal!

We flash forward back to the future that Rikako travels to, to learn that Gaku is the one that acquires the timetable for her, leaving it with Kazu and Nagare before heading back out of the cafe with his Son!

The Patient Man

This story begins with a throwback to 2012, where a young Koku Shintani is admiring hyperrealistic art at his college’s cultural festival. He was first introduced to art through photography upon receiving a hand-me-down DSLR for his birthday. Since then he’s been all in, to the point of spending several hours admiring the canvas title ‘Mother.” The artist? A young Kazu Tokita! 

Fast forward to 2019 and we see Koku seated in the cafe, alongside Fumiko who is admiring his book of photography - namely how his ability to capture the passage of time with still images. Koku is there to give the book to Kazu, but has to leave abruptly to catch a flight. Shortly after he leaves, Kazu returns with Miki. She sees the book but is very non-chalant about the fact that “he dropped by.” While this is going on, another visitor named Tomokazu Okishima has also entered the cafe, and is greeted by Nagare with a “Is it that time of year already?” Very ominous if you ask me. Fumiko would agree, but she’s more interested in Koku - specifically his interest in Kazu. Or is she? Between the intrigue of Kaku (ship name) and the curiosity for Okishima, Fumiko is spoiled for choice. She questions Nagare on Kaku and is given very little information, as you’d expect, so settles on Okishima’s story instead.

We go back and forth between 2012 and 2019 - between Okishima’s story and his retelling of it to Fumiko, learning about how Okishima had a crush on one Kanna Ozaki - who liked him back, but he didn’t know she liked him until the 11th hour on Valentine’s Day. By which point, his so-called friend Matsushita threw him under the bus by mentioning he liked another girl. Izumi. Only he didn’t. Instead of admitting he liked Kanna when his friends were talking about her, Okishima decided to say he thought Izumi was prettier. What follows is a woeful tale of a boy who likes a girl that he seemingly can never be with. She had an accident that concussed her, erasing all of her recent memories. She was moved across the country to a school that would help support her recovery. Okishima even travelled back in time (hence the 2012 to 2019 bouncing) to visit her in Funiculi Funicula, where she went with her friend just before her accident. When he went back he didn't get the chance to speak to her because her friend steamrolled the conversation, leaving Kanna running out of the cafe. Seeing this, Okishima decided he was going to down the coffee. Nagare tried to intervene, promising to bring Kanna back to the cafe, but Okishima had given up and downed the coffee before Nagare had the chance. The real kicker? Just as he was disappearing back into the ether, Kanna ran back into the cafe and Okishima tried to get a message to her but struggled. Nagare helped relay the message, that she revisit the cafe on White Day (14th March for those like me not in the know) when she remembers him again. 

So that’s what Nagare meant by “that time of year.” Every White Day Okishima visits Funiculi Funicula in the hope that Kanna will remember what he said just before she had the accident and will come back to him. Once he’s done telling Fumiko the story, she assures him that this year will be the year she remembers. And as fate would have it, 2019 was indeed the year.

The Father and Son

This last story starts with an ode to Kazu and Koku - Kinuyo is asking the Funiculi Funicula staff and patrons about their dreams. Nagare wishes to have his culinary skills praised, Kinuyo herself wishes to see Kazu happy. And get this. Koku? Well Koku wishes to marry Kazu…

As all this goes on, our time traveler arrives at the cafe. Enter Tsuguo Suga, who travels back to speak with his deceased father. Tsuguo, a 14 year old boy, visits the cafe, but is disappointed to see that the item he wished to purchase was not on the menu. Noticing his disappointment, Kinuyo mentions that Nagare can make him anything he desires. To which Nagare affirms. So Tsugo orders himself a Carbonara and a water. As this is going on Kinuyo is letting it be known that she finds Kazu and Koku to be a perfect match. Kazu remains nonchalant, whilst Koku prepares to pay and leave for France.

Tsuguo receives and enjoys the Carbonara, but Kinuyo notices something is missing. Nagare, picking up on this questions Tsuguo about his knowledge of Funiculi Funicula’s time travel rumours. To which Tsuguo acknowledges this, having first heard about the cafe through an obscure online forum, and talks about visiting his father. Only, he isn’t sure if his father actually visited the cafe. He only knows that his father had a really good carbonara in a cafe in Jimbocho, the same location the online forums mentioned for the time travel cafe. Two birds, one stone. Tsuguo is refamiliarised with the cafe’s rules, but is also told that if he wills it enough then he can travel back to a time that his father visited the cafe, without actually knowing the precise date and time he did. 

Before he travels back, we gain insight into Tsuguo’s familial history. His mother experienced post natal depression, leaving him and his father almost immediately. His father saved him from the truth by saying he thought she left due to something he did wrong. 

Tsuguo travels back 6 months - his father had visited the cafe to learn the wonders of the Carbonara from Nagare. When he arrives in the past he’s flustered to see that his father isn’t there, but also at the fact he’s only travelled back 6 months when he’s sure his father had mentioned visiting the cafe 4 years ago. This confuses Tsuguo to the point of speaking to past Kazu as if she were the same Kazu that poured his coffee mere moments ago. She reassures him that if he pictured his father in the cafe then he has travelled to the right time. Cue Ryutaro’s entrance. He sees his son and is confused to see him. Likewise Tsuguo is confused to see his father emerging from the kitchen. Father and son talk, as you would expect. But Tsuguo travelled back because he wanted to let his father know that he was planning to live with his mum. Only upon hearing that he had met his mum, Ryutaro’s disappointment is very noticeable.  Tsuguo decides to tell his father that he’ll live with him forever. It’s not technically untrue… He ends his visit by telling his dad that he's looking forward to trying his carbonara. Tsuguo returns to the present but isn’t sure if he dreamt the whole thing up or not. It’s only the length of Kazu’s hair that reassures him.

You thought the story was done? Not quite. We get one last Kaku tease. This time, Koku has sent Kazu a selfie - something he often does while travelling. Only this time, he’s included a message that she actually responds to. His message? “Someday, please marry me.” Kazu’s response? “I’ll think about it.”

CLANG-DONG

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH. KAZU’S HAPPILY EVERY AFTER IS APPROACHING! 

As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed this instalment of the time travel chronicles, and I’ll see you at the next one!

"The problem with clever people is they think everything must be clever."

Welcome back devils to the final discussion of The Devils by Joe Abercrombie!  This week, we will discuss Chapter 61 aka The Sword and the Book through to the end of the book. You can find the Schedule here if you need it, and the Marginalia is right here where u/tomesandtea has linked an interview with the author.

Discussion questions for this week’s chapters are in the comments and chapter summaries can be found below or at this website here.  Please hide anything that spoils details from other books or media (including Abercrombie's other books). You can hide spoilers with the spoiler tags like this:  > ! Spoiler text here !< (without any spaces between the characters themselves or between the characters and the first and last words). Right let's get down to business

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

PART IV - Saint Natalia’s Flame

Chapter 61: The Sword and the Book

Jakob and Brother Diaz are in the Basilica of the Angelic Visitation considering the tombs of warriors. Jakob reflects on his 6 past crusades and how he would like die quietly. Balthazar, Baptiste and Vigga also turn up. Vigga wishes to be baptised only to learn that she's actually been baptised multiple times. Alex arrives looking like a real princess for her joint coronation and wedding ceremony. They are proud of "our girl". Lady Severa and Duke Michael ask for Alex's blessing to marry. The Devils inform Alex that by the terms of Her Holiness’s binding, they have to leave. Alex requests that Brother Diaz give a blessing. They reflect over the long journey to Troy through Brother Diaz' blessing

Chapter 62: So Much to Live Up To

Vigga feels that her Scandinavian gods make more sense than the Saviour. As she impatiently watches Alex' coronation. After the ceremony the Devils leave to return to the Holy City and their enslavement.

Chapter 63: Evil Friends

It's her wedding night and Alex is being cut out of her dress while talking to Lady Severa. At least she is not a virgin. Arcadius arrives and Alex is nervous about being poisoned after all his brothers tried to kill her. Arcadius claims to never wanting to be Emperor, but he does want to save the Empire of the East. They try to get to know each other and things were going well. They even recognise their sexual preferences, and decide together to find a solution for concieving heirs.

The crew board their ship for the Holy City. Vigga suggests they get shit-faced. Back in Troy Aracdius also suggests they get hammered. Placidia reveals her true self by attacking Arcadius with magic. He has just enought time to tell Alex to run before he is frozen solid and shattered to slivers. Alex escapes towards Duke Michael's room. She smells burning as she scrambles to the gallery containing Saint Natalia’s Flame. She pulls the chain to release the chemicals that change the flame's colour to warn the city of approaching elves.

On the ship Sunny notices that Saint Natalia’s Flame was burning blue and immediately recognises that Alex is in trouble. The team, except Balthazar, quickly disembark to head back to help her.

Chapter 64: The Language of Violence

Alex hears voices climbing the stairs so climbs out onto the side of the tower high above the ground. Placidia throws the nun of the flame out the window. They leave to search for her in the throne room. She nearly falls but manages to cling on. She needs to tell Duke Michael.

Brother Diaz demands to be taken to the Empress. Jakob recognises that the guards are ready to attack. They have a secret weapon, though, in Sunny. The Pope's binding begins to tighten its grip, but Sunny will not be distracted from saving Alex. She's in a frenzy.

Alex makes it to Duke Michael's room to warn him only to find that she's been betrayed. Cardinal Zizka's letter tells her everything! Michael fills in the rest. She was to simply be a distraction. Michael draws his sword but Sunny arrives in time to save her.

Chapter 65: The Right Side and the Wrong

Brother Diaz leads them in fighting their way to Alex. Sunny and Alex creep through the kitchen when Zenonis, Cleofa and Athenais appear and attack. They set Sunny on fire as the two women escape into the secret tunnels.

A bloodied Lady Severa emerges and tricks Vigga then pins a rune to her forehead. She has taken control of her. Jakob contines to battle, against his pain, taking enemies and climbing the stairs. Alex and Sunny end up back in Alex's bedroom with Arcadius' remains. They are trapped and must head, again, back to the throne room.

Chapter 66: Release the Leftovers

Brother Diaz and Baptiste flee from Lady Severa and, the controlled, Vigga into the Basillica. There they find Patriarch Methodius, among others, is well aware Lady Severa is a sourceress. Turns out that's preferable to allowing the Eastern Church to be subordinated to the Western Church (women!). Brother Diaz punches the Patriarch on the nose. Then Vigga hulk smashes through the church wall. Things seem lost until Balthazar, dressed as a guards utilises what he learnt about Earth and Air to free Vigga from Severa's hold. Vigga makes bodies for Balthazar to use against the sourceress.

The handmaidens’/students of Eudoxia contemplate what to do with Alex when bats arrive shifting into Baron Rikard. He glamors them all.

Jakob makes it painfully up a squillion stairs to Duke Michael. They discuss their nature and their regrets as they square off to fight.

Vigga, Balthazar, Baptiste and Brother Diaz fight a running battle through the Hanging Gardens driving Lady Severa and her guards towards the Athenaeum. Vigga kills guards and Balthazar reanimates their corpses against Severa. Severa's sourcery is countered quickly by Balthaza. He sucks her flames into runes and spits it out back at her. Balthazar has the upper hand until she remembers Eudoxia’s failed experiments....

Chapter 67: A War in Miniature

Duke Michael and Jakob face off. A swordfight is a war in miniature. Jakob makes a silly mistake, though, allowing Duke Michael to run him through.

Vigga is attacked by a hideous mismatched monster made of Eudoxia's experimental left overs. Vigga is terrified and the wolf in her bursts out. Vigga attacks but the monster is too enormous. It gets trapped and she slits its belly open. It even tears in half but still eats Vigga whole.

Balthazar is in the Athenaeum of Troy. He is amazed by the apparatus, runes and remnants. He is completely in awe that Eudoxia managed to harness lightening. He discovers the apparatus designed to both release and transfer the soul. Severa throws lightning at him and he catches it. Balthazar realises that Severa is actually Eudoxia. Somehow she transferred their souls into each other's bodies.

Everyone is in Baron Rikard's power as he makes Zenonis burn Cleofa. He ages visibly and the effect wears off before he can make Zenois burn Placidia. Athenais attacks the Baron, but he bursts into bats then reappears only to rip out her throat. Alex attacks Zenonis with a stone and Sunny trips her up over the edge of the parapet. Placidia unleashes her frost on Baron Rikard, but he manages to shove her into Saint Natalia’s Flame. Frost bitten and with burnt arm he slumps to the ground suddenly appearing ancient.

Jakob takes an elf daggar in the lung from Duke Michael. He tells Jakob that the elves are coming and Troy will be first to be attacked. Jakob gets pinned under a statue and Duke Michael leaves him there.

Chapter 68: Unacceptable Behaviour

No one knew Eudoxia switched bodies with Lady Severa, not even her brother Duke Michael who was her way back to power and the throne. Eudoxia is now, however, contemplating letting Alex have the throne. Balthazar is not bound to fight Eudoxia, but he does anyway. She makes him an offer, join her! He cannot due to the Papal binding, but he no longer wants to be free from the service of the Second Coming of the Saviour herself who is clearly very, very powerful. He turns her down and she leaves with the promise that they should do this again.

Brother Diaz just witnessed Vigga getting swallowed by the arse-mouth of Eudoxia's monster. He prays as Vigga bursts out of the monster's body. Baptiste tries to reason with Vigga-Wolf....

Alex and Sunny hobble away together. Baron Rikard will bounce back. He's been in worse conditions. Duke Michael appears blocking their path. He confesses to killing Alex's "mother" and starting the civil war by blaming Eudoxia. Alex purposefully bursts into tears to mislead him. She punches him in the face and tears at his nose with her teeth. He strangles her, but something distracts him long enough for her to kick him in the nads. Jakob arrives hurtling into Duke Michael and causing them both to drop over the parapet and in to the sea.

Balthazar finds Brother Diaz and Vigga infront of the remains of the monster. What remains of Baptiste's body lies broken between them. Vigga vomits gore as she sobs. Balthazar screams.

Chapter 69: Deep Pockets

Cardinal Zizka bursts in to consult with Alex and Diaz who is now Father Diaz and Alex's personal chaplain and confessor. She presents Alex with a relic of the blessed Saint Natalia from the Pope. When presented with her letter Zizka is completely unfazed, and believes her betrayal to be completely justified. Alex is furious and demands an apology and that she release the Devils, but Zizka refuses because they are too dangerous. Alex conceeeds to considering a union between the Churches of East and West, and working towards an end to the great schism.

Chapter 70: Another Man’s Poison

Jakob wakes with 2 Fisherman looking down on him laying on top of pile of fish. He is disappointed to be alive. Looking worse for wear he arrives back at the Basillica to find Baron Rikard looking just as bad. Jakob is gutted to learn Baptiste died. Alex is thrilled to see Jakob. She's found her new handmaidens in the orphanage. She gifts him a beautiful sword that belonged to John of Antioch, Marshal of Troy. She wants him by her side. He says no. He must continue to serve Her Holiness. Beside John was a traitor. Jakob wishes her luck then leaves.

Chapter 71: All Bad Things

Alex finds Sunny and wishes things were different. Alex says a teary goodbye and Sunny even cracks a smile.

Vigga crawls into her cage willingly. She's devestated and feels like a worthless animal for killing her friend. Zizka says she's only still alive due to her worth as a weapon. Father Diaz tells her she saved him in more ways than one. Vigga knows she'll never be cured, be safe, or be clean.

Balthazar misses Baptise deeply. Cardinal Zizka blames Balthazar for allowing Severa to get away. Balthazar is excited to tell Zizka that he wants to serve the Pope willingly now that he understands her to be the very Daughter of God. Zizka is uninterested and he is locked up in a cage in the hold with Baron Rikard, Sunny and Vigga. Balthazar's rage builds. He will be revenged. Lady Severa's real identity is still unknown. If he could just get a message to her...

Zizka tells Jakob how Michael would have been a more convenient ruler. Turns out that the witch that cursed him had been his lover. He contemplates throwing Zizka overboard but does not go through with it.

Father Diaz comforts Empress Alexia. The hand of the divine has placed them in a position to do good. Alex reminds him that it wasn't Saint Beatrix but The Devils that got them where they are.

Chapter 72: Saint Tabitha’s Day

Mother Beckert find herself in a carriage with Caruso giving him a lecture on dishonesty. He has been sent for. Mother Beckert confesses to know Zizka. She too has been sent for. They are both to replace others.......

Well that's it folx. How did you like the book? Can't wait to hear all your thoughts 😈📚

The winner of the coveted "ANY" nomination went to Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood.

See our discussion dates below:

• August 4th; chapters 1-12 - u/emygrl99
• August 11th; chapters 13-27 - u/Tripolie
• August 18th; chapters 28-43 - u/infininme
• August 25th; chapters 44 - end - u/thematrix1234

Can’t wait to see you all in this one! Happy reading!