Books read in February
Mar. 8th, 2024 05:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
valoiseFebruary was a weird month. Traveling to Los Angeles for Gallifrey One and to rural Arkansas for a family funeral shaped the mental energy and time I had for books but I managed to read seven, with no sf and one fantasy. That's an odd pattern for me.
The Great Danbury State Fair by Andrea Zimmerman
I moved to Connecticut a couple of years ago and since I'm working as a volunteer archivist at the Danbury Museum, I thought I'd better start reading up on the history of the area.
James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories
A cozy audiobook, filled mostly with stories I'd already read or seen in the series.
The Manner of Making Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate by Sylvestre Dufour (1671, translated to English in 1685)
In an ongoing research project (looking for the earliest cookie recipes using chocolate) I stumbled onto this classic. Pulling from a wide range of sources, Dufour concentrates on these plants as medicinal beverages from the four humours POV. But he also includes snippets from travel reports of Europeans visiting Asia and Mexico.
The Defector by Chris Hadfield
I really liked Hadfield's previous book, The Apollo Murders, which drew on his experience in international space mission. This time he focuses on international espionage in the world of test pilots and cutting edge aviation, drawing on another aspect of his professional life. Really liked this.
Vet in Harness by James Herriot
Another great collection of stories focusing on the year just prior to the UK being plunged into WWII.
Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie
While generally enjoyable, I've decided that Christie is at her best in longer fiction.
Montrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
A delightful poke at the ridiculousness of war in general, and more specifically at the stupidity of men in support of war.
The Great Danbury State Fair by Andrea Zimmerman
I moved to Connecticut a couple of years ago and since I'm working as a volunteer archivist at the Danbury Museum, I thought I'd better start reading up on the history of the area.
James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories
A cozy audiobook, filled mostly with stories I'd already read or seen in the series.
The Manner of Making Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate by Sylvestre Dufour (1671, translated to English in 1685)
In an ongoing research project (looking for the earliest cookie recipes using chocolate) I stumbled onto this classic. Pulling from a wide range of sources, Dufour concentrates on these plants as medicinal beverages from the four humours POV. But he also includes snippets from travel reports of Europeans visiting Asia and Mexico.
The Defector by Chris Hadfield
I really liked Hadfield's previous book, The Apollo Murders, which drew on his experience in international space mission. This time he focuses on international espionage in the world of test pilots and cutting edge aviation, drawing on another aspect of his professional life. Really liked this.
Vet in Harness by James Herriot
Another great collection of stories focusing on the year just prior to the UK being plunged into WWII.
Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie
While generally enjoyable, I've decided that Christie is at her best in longer fiction.
Montrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
A delightful poke at the ridiculousness of war in general, and more specifically at the stupidity of men in support of war.
