The Runaway (A Peter Ash Novel Book 7)
Peter Ash, a perfect tonic for the times? With the the invasion of the Ukraine, the ongoing violence on TV, the lead-in on the novel was upsetting for my delicate sensibilities, but halfway through? Couldn’t put it down.
That it is a series,and worth starting at the first, as it introduces a different element — legitimate PTSD — from the soldier’s perspective.
Previous Peter Ash
The Runaway (A Peter Ash Novel Book 7)\
“But make you ready your stiff bats and clubs,
Rome and her rats are at the point of battle,
The one side must have bale.”
Menenius Agrippa in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus I.i.117-9
#Shakespeare
If you’re a Millennial? Having trouble with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the end of the world scenarios, playing out? World War III?
Ask a “Gen X,” as they dealt with this, albeit in a slightly different form.
Gen-X worried? Ask a Boomer.
Boomers lived through nuclear apocalypse drills in schools, like, “Huddle under your desk in a fetal position, and kiss your ass good-bye.” Russian nukes at the doorstep, in Florida, 90 miles across the water to Cuba?
Greatest Generation saw war, no lie, and there was no fancy “PTSD” diagnosis, it was shell-shock and basically bad behavior, for no known reason.
I recall watching the shelling of Kuwait? Gulf War 1? Scud missiles landing in Israel?
Shakespeare professor looked at me, the “First casualty in war? The truth.”
Vietnam “conflict,” the first war that was televised? Remember, it was the leftists against that war. Now it’s the Far Right supporting the dictatorship.
I don’t get it. But?
Need help learning how to survive? Ask a previous generation. They lived through this crap before.
On Feb 25, 2022, at 3:03 PM, @bexar.org wrote:
Good afternoon,
Jury Duty for March 1st 2022 has been suspended and you do not need to report. You do not need to reschedule as it is cancelled.
Thank you
Jury Staff
“Stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave.”
#shakespeare
#horoscope
Some years ago, think it was a flight westward, I remember plugging in headphones and watching Duck Soup. More as an amusement for myself, and a reminder of why this was a considered, “a classic.” Which, in my mind, it is.
As the world was marching towards a Second World War, with fascists gaining power in the west? Duck Soup was mere comedy, with a light and satirical message. Almost prescient?
Dr. Strangelove is a more obvious choice. It takes the absurdist, “end of the world scenario and pushes it over the top.
Also almost prescient?
A single book led me to a series, and this is the rest. Broke the train halfway through, can’t live on a steady diet of just one genre for too long. Noted, however, the books were good, enjoyable. Pleasurable reading. Just a side note, the series reads a little different for me, as a typical novel like these, from other authors? I can devour a book in a day whereas this series? Takes two-three days, at least, to finish one. In part, it’s the references, allusions, and asides, but in part, it’s the delightful cadence of the text, the texture of the story itself.
Arrayed, as it were, in some semblance of order.
The Last Place: A Tess Monaghan Novel
“Local drivers were not so much aggressive as absentminded, seemingly indifferent to reaching a destination. The average Baltimore driver gave the impression of a sleepwalker who had regained consciousness behind the wheel, baffled and disoriented.” Page 256.
As they say…
By a Spider’s Thread: A Tess Monaghan Novel
“A legacy, she had always assumed, from its Catholic founders. Marry in haste, live in purgatory.” Page 23.
Wise words, I’d echo.
“How else to explain the small bookshelf that held nothing but Robert B. Parker novels?” Page 33.
This one strung me along, longer, and more mysterious, with echo of voice I’ve heard before, and not sure what it was.
“At some point rituals cannot be deconstructed. The acceptance of ritual is part of faith.” Page 198.
Got to steal that. A line from a character in a piece of fiction that rings more true than most of my holy books. A special nod for a Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys allusion.
No Good Deeds: A Tess Monaghan Novel (Tess Monaghan Novel, 9)
No good deed ever goes unpunished.
Another Thing to Fall: A Tess Monaghan Novel
Measure for Measure quote. Hat tip, Brave Combo mention.
“These relatively normal mouths were as shocking as a Shane McGowan convention.” Page 115.
Another nice punk nod. “Alt” when it meant “alternative.”
The Girl in the Green Raincoat: A Tess Monaghan Novel
“Cherchez la femme,” I believe, is the correct expression. Turns out it was short read, and more compact form, a novella, by the author’s afterward’s admission. Still every bit as delightful as the previous novels, loaded with twists galore.
Hush Hush: A Tess Monaghan Novel
“Being a mother was like being trapped in the first fifteen minutes of a horror film.” Page 111.
Sounds right, in and out of context.
Nice twist. Really have enjoyed these so far.
Support your local public library.
I started on the list of books by Laura Lippman when Mercury was retrograde, as a filler, but as I got engaged with the texts themselves? I kept going.
The Portable Mercury Retrograde
Portable Mercury Retrograde: astrofish.net’s Mercury in Retrograde
I got quizzed, starting on Tuesday last, at the rock shop in Austin, about Pluto Return. In the online echo-chamber, one article suggested it was the Pluto Return, and that fed the flames, now frenzied, conflated about war.
Pluto got up to 26°48.3’ Capricorn on April 26, 2021. Within range, easily enough. Close enough for me to call it, but then I’m not feeding a frenzied news machine that require constant fodder, often obscuring fact with filler.
Pluto hits 27° Capricorn 2/3/22 to 3/9/22 —
Pluto retrogrades back to 27° Capricorn 6/22/22 to 8/3/22 —
Pluto hits 27° Capricorn 12/10/22 to 1/10/23 —
Pluto retrogrades back to 27° Capricorn 9/19/23 to 10/31/23 —
In one astrology chart of the US, this marks a Pluto Return. Odd. Not what I would use, but then I wasn’t consulted, and the big deal?
As a (many planets) Sagittarius myself, I was fried, three times over (and over, and over) by Pluto, mid-90’s through the Double-Aughts.
Been there. Done that. Felt the wrath and healing balm. While there is much astrological fluff floating freely on the inter-webs? Most of it peddles fear.
It’s not a good time, but it’s not a bad time. I won the lottery, being born in North America in the last millennia.
While other sources fan flames about 27° of Capricorn? I noted, previously, about 28° of Capricorn, sneaking under the radar, apparently.
Should be a hashtag for this:
#I told you so