Recent reading (travel edition)

[luzula]

Now on the train between Copenhagen and Hamburg, will be in Paris tonight. I don't know how I spent my whole life not knowing that Köln = Cologne? Number of people wearing masks so far: one (me). No, wait, now some more pople are putting them on, but ffs, they don't work if they're not over your nose. Or under your chin. At least I have the good sort of mask. (ETA: Now we are in Germany and almost everyone has a mask.) Also, I am annoyed that it's impossible to use dictation on the train; I'll have to save my hands up, sigh.

Spent last night catching up with a fannish friend in Copenhagen, who since I met him last has written a Ph D thesis on fanvids, wow.

Lieutenant Hornblower by C S Forester (1952)
Read on sanguinity's recommendation. I tried a Hornblower book once before, the first one written chronologically, but that one didn't stick, I think because I was unfavorably comparing it to O'Brian. This one is better written and is a fun Age of Sail adventure. The first part where they're stuck with an abusive captain is appropriately claustrophobic. And yes, I can see the Bush/Hornblower! : ) I don't know that I'm going to be actively fannish about this, though, or at least that's my prognosis. Though sanguinity, I'll certainly read your fic when you finish it! And if you have any other fic recommendations, I'll take them.

Spear by Nicola Griffith (2022)
This feels a bit thin compared to the richly layered Hild, but it is a novella, after all. I was enjoying it from the start, but it didn't really take off for me until the main character met Nimue. I liked the remixing of Arthurian canon, and the background Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot.

Comments

[luzula]

Ugh ugh, I had a very stressful changeover in Hamburg where a train was quite late and I had to decide between taking that one and only having 5-10 min changeover in Cologne and potentially not getting to Paris at all that day if I missed it, or not taking that one and gambling that there would be tickets on another, later connection from Hamburg. I did the latter, but had to pay 125 euros extra since that connection had no interrail slots left. I'll get to Paris at 11 pm. /o\

I would recommend the Aubrey-Maturin books over the Hornblower books--I just love Patrick O'Brian's writing style, and I think you'd like it as well. I don't actually read Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin as lovers, but as platonic friends (though I don't mind reading the slash when it's well written), but either way they're lovely books.

[regshoe]

Oh nooo, that must have been very stressful! At least you've got a connection to Paris—and I hope the Paris-London leg of the journey tomorrow goes smoothly. :)

Hmm, that sounds good (and I like the sound of a main character who's a natural philosopher :D )–perhaps I'll sample both series! I see that the Hornblower books are old enough to be on Faded Page whereas the Aubrey-Maturin ones are not–but I can get them from the library, so I'll put the first one on the list for when I next go there.