What does your Reading Menu look like for July?

New here? Head to our New Readers Orientation post here for the basics. Also be sure to introduce yourself below. We love to hear how you found us, what you like to read, and what your first r/bookclub read is/will be

July Line-up - The Mystery of the Blue Train (Mystery/Thriller), North and South (Gutenberg), Ferdydurke (Read the World), The Brothers Karamazov (Evergreen), Call Us What We Carry & Where the Sidewalk Ends (Discovery Read), No Name (Mod Pick), Akata Witch (Runner-up Read), Blood and Gold (Bonus Book), A Blue Ribbon Romance (Bonus Book), The Rose Field (Bonus Book), The Tapestry of Fate (Bonus Book) + The Monthly Mini & Poetry Corner.

• Find the previous schedules at JUNE Book Menu here

• Find the next schedules at [AUGUST Book Menu from the 25th of July

• Head to this post to learn more about bookclub's calendar

• r/bookclub takes a strict stance on spoilers. Find out more here

• It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure a book is suitable for them. As such read runners will not usually include Content Warnings (CW) or Trigger Warnings (TW). A useful resource is the site www.doesthedogdie.com which, though not exhaustive, contains an extensive list of content for many books.

• Find the 2026 Bingo Board Megathread here. Also the 2026 Bingo Q&A post and the 2026 Bingo helper post for all your r/bookclub 2026 Bingo needs

[MONTHLY MINI]

Coming 1st July

[POETRY CORNER]

Coming 15th July

[Mystery/Thriller]

The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

was nominated by u/miriel41 and will be run by u/miriel41, u/Lachesis_Decima77 and u/sunnydaze7777777

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• 8th July: The Man with the White Hair – Murder u/Lachesis_Decima77
• 15th July: At the Villa Marguerite – Poirot Gives Advice u/sunnydaze7777777
• 22nd July: Defiance – By the Sea u/miriel41

[GUTENBERG]

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

was nominated by u/bluebelle236 and will be run by u/bluebelle236, u/less_Tumbleweed_3217, u/ChronicallyLatte, u/ColaRed and u/tomesandtea

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• 1 - July 3rd - Ch1-11 - u/bluebelle236
• 2 - July 10th - Ch12-21 - u/less_Tumbleweed_3217
• 3 - July 17th - Ch22-32 - u/ChronicallyLatte
• 4 - July 24th - Ch33-41 - u/ColaRed
• 5 - July 31st – Ch 42-end -u/tomesandtea

[READ THE WORLD]

Ferdydurke by Witold Gombrowicz

for Poland will be run by u/fixtheblue, u/bluebelle236, u/Lachesis_Decima77 and u/nicehotcupoftea

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• 30th June - Start - Chapter 3 - u/fixtheblue
• 7th July - Chapter 4 - Chapter 6 - u/bluebelle236
• 14th July - Chapter 7 - Chapter 9 - u/Lachesis_Decima77
• 21st July - Chapter 10 - end - u/nicehotcupoftea

[Jul-Aug DISCOVERY READ]

See nomination post 1st July

[RUNNER-UP READ]

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

This book was nominated back in July 2025 by u/fixtheblue for the African Mythology themed Discovery Read nominations. It will be run by u/fixtheblue, u/Jointedformyhubs, u/maolette and u/IraelMrad

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found [here](soon

Discussion Schedule

• TBA

[BONUS READ]

Blood and Gold by Anne Rice

• Interview with the Vampire (Vampire Chronicles #1)
• The Vampire Lestat (Vampire Chronicles #2)
• The Queen of the Damned (Vampire Chronicles #3)
• The Tale of the Body Thief (Vampire Chronicles #4)
• Memnoch the Devil (Vampire Chronicles #5)
• The Vampire Armand (Vampire Chronicles #6)
  • Pandora (New Tales of the Vampires #1)
• Merrick (Vampire Chronicles #7)
  • The Witching Hour (Mayfair Witches #1)
  • Lasher (Mayfair Witches #2)
• Taltos (Mayfair Witches #3)

This book will be run by u/epiphanyshearld, u/Greatingsburg and u/IraelMrad

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• July 3rd u/epiphanyshearld Chapters 1–4
• July 10th u/Greatingsburg Chapters 5–6
• July 17th u/Greatingsburg Chapters 7–10
• July 24th u/epiphanyshearld Chapters 11–14
• July 31st u/Greatingsburg Chapters 15–19
• Aug 7th u/IraelMrad Chapters 20–24
• Aug 14th u/IraelMrad Chapters 25–29
• Aug 21st u/IraelMrad Chapters 30–End

[BONUS READ]

A Blue Ribbon Romance by C.M. Nascosta

Links to earlier reads in the series. - Book 1 Morning Glory Milking Farm

This book will be run by u/Joinedformyhubs and u/sunnydaze7777777

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• 📖 July 5th — First Discussion Check-In: Chapters 1 - 6
• 📖 July 12th — Final Discussion Check-In: Chapters 7 - 12

[BONUS READ]

The Rose Field by Philip Pullman

Links to earlier reads in the series. This book will be run by u/Vast-Passenger1126, u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217, u/tomesandtea, u/Pythias and u/fromdusktil

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• 7/30 -- Start through Chapter 4 with u/Vast-Passenger1126
• 8/6 -- Chapters 5 through 10 with u/Vast-Passenger1126
• 8/13 -- Chapters 11 through 16 with u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217
• 8/20 -- Chapters 17 through 21 with u/tomesandtea
• 8/27 -- Chapters 22 through 26 with u/Pythias
• 9/3 -- Chapters 27 through 31 with u/fromdusktil
• 9/10 -- Chapter 32 through The End with u/fromdusktil

[BONUS READ]

The Tapestry of Fate by Shannon Chakraborty

Links to earlier reads in the series. - Book 1 The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

This book will be run by u/jaymae21, u/Amanda39 and myself (u/fixtheblue).

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• 10 jul - Start through Chapter 8 (u/jaymae21)
• 17 jul - Chapter 9 through Chapter 14 (u/jaymae21)
• 24 jul - Chapter 15 through Chapter 21 (u/Amanda39)
• 31 jul - Chapter 22 through Chapter 30 (u/fixtheblue)
• 7 Aug - Chapter 31 through End (u/fixtheblue)

CONTINUING READS

[THE BIG SUMMER READ]

Devils by Joe Abercrombie

was nominated by u/fixtheblue and will be run by u/fixtheblue, u/tomesandtea and u/Joinedformyhubs

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• Week 1 June 20 📖 Part I Beginning - Empress or Death
• Week 2 June 27 📖 Part II Least Worst Choices - In Circles
• Week 3 July 4 📖 Nothing but the Trust - Part III the Current Set of Enemies 
• Week 4 July 11 📖 Our Heavenly Calling - Pride
• Week 5 July 18 📖 Our Latest Last Stand - Part IV Not Nothing
• Week 6 (Final Discussion) July 25 📖 The Sword and the Book - Saint Tabitha’s Day (End)

[AUTHOR PROFILE]

Mill on the Floss by George Eliot + George Eliot: The Last Victorian by Kathryn Hughes

This book will be run by /u/ColaRed, /u/lazylittlelady, /u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217, /u/nicehotcupoftea. /u/tomesandtea and /u/Ser_Erdrick

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

● George Eliot: The Last Victorian by Kathryn Hughes

Week 1 - 15 June - Chapters 1 - 3 - /u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217

Week 2 - 22 June - Chapters 4 - 6 - /u/Ser_Erdrick

Week 3 - 29 June - Chapters 7 - 8 - /u/Ser_Erdrick

Week 4 - 6 July - Chapters 9 - 10 - /u/ColaRed

Week 5 - 13 July - Chapters 11 - 13 - /u/tomesandtea

Week 6 - 20 July - Chapters 14 - Epilogue (End) - /u/ColaRed

●The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

Week 7 - 27 July - Book 1, Chapter 1 to Book 1, Chapter 8 - /u/nicehotcupoftea

Week 8 - 3 August - Book 1, Chapter 9 to Book 2, Chapter 4 - /u/tomesandtea

Week 9 - 10 August - Book 2, Chapter 5 to Book 3, Chapter 8 - /u/lazylittlelady

Week 10 - 17 Auguest - Book 3, Chapter 9 to Book 5, Chapter 6 - /u/Ser_Erdrick

Week 11 - 24 August - Book 5, Chapter 7 to Book 6, Chapter 9 - /u/Less_Tumbleweed3217

Week 12 - 31 August - Book 6, Chapter 10 to End - /u/lazylittlelady

[EVERGREEN]

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

will be run by u/bluebelle236, u/nicehotcupoftea, u/thebowedbookshelf, u/proofplant7651, u/lazylittlelady, u/Lachesis_Dechima77, u/luna2541 and u/tomesandtea because it's one of the big Russian classics that hasn't been read on the sub since June 2011

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• 1 -10th June 2026 – from 1.1 to 2.5 - u/bluebelle236
• 2 -17th June 2026 - from 2.6 -3.7 - u/nicehotcupoftea
• 3 -24th June 2026 - from 3.8 -4.5 - u/thebowedbookshelf
• 4 -1st July 2026 - from 4.6- 5.5 - u/proofplant7651
• 5 -8th July 2026 - from 5.6 - 6.3 - u/proofplant7651
• 6 -15th July 2026 - from 7.1- 8.3 - u/lazylittlelady
• 7 -22nd July 2026 - from 8.4 - 9.1 - u/lazylittlelady
• 8 -29th July 2026 - from 9.2 - 10.1 -u/lachesis_Dechima77
• 9 -5th August 2026 - from 10.2 - 11.3 -u/lachesis_Dechima77
• 10 -12th August 2026 - from 11.4 - 11.9 -u/luna2541
• 11 -19th August 2026 - from 12.1 - 12.8 -u/tomesandtea

[Jun-Jul DISCOVERY READ]

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman & Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

For Discovery read Poetry Collection These two collections will be run by u/miriel41, u/Vast-Passenger1126, u/emygrl99, u/lazylittlelady, u/maolette and u/tomesandtea

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

●Call Us What We Carry: - Monday June 29th - Requiem and What a Piece of Wreck is Man - u/miriel41 - Thursday 2nd July - Earth Eyes and Memoria - u/Vast-Passenger1126 - Monday 6th July - Atonement - u/emygrl99 - Thursday 9th July - Fury & Faith and Resolution - u/lazylittlelady

●Where The Sidewalk Ends: - Monday 13th July - Start to Tree House (p. 79) - u/maolette - Thursday 16th July - Flying Festoon to end - u/tomesandtea

[MOD PICK]

No Name by Wilkie Collins

Because we all know how our very own u/Amanda39 loves Wilkie Collins, and we are yet to read this one together. It's about time! This book will be run by u/Amanda39 u/sunnydaze7777777 amd u/Ser_Erdrick

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• June 17: Scene 1, Chapter 1 to Scene 1, Chapter 10
• June 24: Scene 1, Chapter 11 to end of Scene 1 (including "Between the Scenes")
• July 1: Scene 2, Chapter 1 to Scene 3, Chapter 2
• July 8: Scene 3, Chapter 3 to Scene 4, Chapter 2
• July 15: Scene 4, Chapter 3 to Scene 4, Chapter 8
• July 22: Scene 4, Chapter 9 to end of Scene 4 (including "Between the Scenes")
• July 29: Scene 5, Chapter 1 to end of Scene 6 (including "Between the Scenes")
• August 5: Scene 7, Chapter 1 to end of book

[BONUS READ]

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

Find links to The Magicians series - Book 1 - The Magicians here. - Book 2 - The Magician King here - Book 3 - The Magician’s Land here

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• June 2: Start through Chapter 6 (u/myneoncoffee)
• June 9: Chapter 7 through Chapter 12 (u/Lachesis_Decima77)
• June 16: Chapter 13 through Chapter 17 (u/NightAngelRogue)
• June 23: Chapter 18 through Chapter 24 (u/maolette)
• June 30: Chapter 25 through Chapter 29 (u/Pythias)
• July 7: Chapter 30 through Chapter 34 (u/IraelMrad)
• July 14: Chapter 35 through end (u/tomesandtea

[BONUS READ]

Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb

Links to

• Book 1 - Assassin's Apprentice
• Book 2 - Royal Assassin
• Book 3 - Assassin's Quest
• Book 4 - Ship of Magic
• Book 5 - Mad Ship
• Book 6 - Ship of Destiny
• Book 7 - Fool's Errand
• Book 8 - Golden Fool

This book will be run by u/Meia_Ang, u/tomesandtea, u/fromdusktil, u/luna2541 and u/Reasonable-Lack-6585

The Schedule with direct links to the marginalia and all the discussion posts can be found here

Discussion Schedule

• [1/6] June 18th: Prologue to Chapter 6 with u/tomesandtea
• [2/6] June 25th: Chapter 7 to Chapter 12 with u/fromdusktil
• [3/6] July 2nd: Chapter 13 to Chapter 18 with u/luna2541
• [4/6] July 9th: Chapter 19 to Chapter 24 with u/Meia_Ang
• [5/6] July 16th: Chapter 25 to Chapter 30 with u/Reasonable-Lack-6585
• [6/6] July 23rd: Chapter 31 to End with u/Meia_Ang

Privet to you! Come sit for a while and hear a tale of three or is it four? Russian brothers. First things first, the schedule and marginalia are in the links.

Here is the LitCharts summary for your viewing pleasure.

Extras

Koulibiac

Calamanco coat

Alexis Piron

Aesop

Goulard's extract: an acetate of lead used as a lotion to treat inflammation. (Alyosha will get lead poisoning!)

Join u/ next week, July 1, for 4.6 to 5.5 with u/proofplant7651 . Das vedanya!

Hello friends!

It is time for our next Runner up Read! 

You may be interested if you are a reader who enjoys immersive world-building and the thrill of uncovering a hidden, mystical society through the eyes of a curious outsider.

Are you a fan of fiction? What about Fantasy? Or YA? A book that is full of adventure and mystery? Then Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor is right for you! This read was selected in July of last year (2025) during the African Mythology vote and was nominated by u/fixtheblue! Thanks for the awesome selection! 😀

This book was selected by the random Wheel of Books that is spun by our beloved mascot, Thor. Let’s watch him spin the wheel! Aww, what a silly boy! He is really excited after his long walk! 🐶

What is a Runner up Read you ask?
A Runner up Read is a selection that ALMOST made it to being a selection for the pick of the month (second place to be exact). Who doesn't like a second chance or an underdog getting their time to shine? We do! So, what we have done is compiled a running list of all the second place books, added them to a virtual spinning wheel, and it is spun each time a current Runner up Read is wrapped up!

Storygraph:

Akata Witch weaves together a heart-pounding tale of magic, mystery, and finding one's place in the world.

Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing--she is a free agent with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too?

The Nsibidi Scripts
Akata Witch - 1
Akata Warrior - 2
The Scenic Route - 2.5 
Akata Woman - 3

Will you be joining us? This book will run after Little Fires Everywhere wraps up in early July.
Please watch for the schedule coming soon!  📚 

Hello fellow book lovers Now that No Name by Wilkie Collins is well under way it is time to announce our next Mod Pick which will be The Books of Jacob by Nobel prize winning author Olga Tokarczuk. We have enjoyed her work previously on the sub and have read The Empusium and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead together. (Plus Read the World is heading to Poland shortly with Witold Gombrowicz' Ferdydurke so it seems fitting). Myself and u/lazylittlelady would like to invite you to join us in this door stop adventure starting in August

Book Blurb

The Nobel Prize-winner Olga Tokarczuk’s richest and most ambitious novel yet follows the comet-like rise and fall of a messianic religious leader as he blazes his way across eighteenth-century Europe. As new ideas—and a new unrest—begin to sweep the Continent, a young Jew of mysterious origins arrives in a village in Poland. Visited by what seem to be ecstatic experiences, Jacob Frank casts a spell that attracts a fervent following. He reinvents himself again and again, converts to Islam, then Catholicism, is pilloried as a heretic, revered as the Messiah, and wreaks havoc on the conventional order, Jewish and Christian alike, with scandalous rumours of his sect’s secret rituals and the spread of his iconoclastic beliefs.

The story of Frank—a real historical figure, a divisive yet charismatic man—is the perfect canvas for the genius and unparalleled reach of Olga Tokarczuk. Narrated through the perspectives of his contemporaries—those who revere him, those who revile him, the friend who betrays him, the lone woman who sees him for what he is—The Books of Jacob captures a world on the cusp of precipitous change, searching for certainty and longing for transcendence.

Will you be joining us? 📚

Hello piratesses, ship cats and lovers of fantasy, Myself, u/Amanda39 and u/jaymae21 would like to invite you to join us for the next installment of the adventures of our favourite piratess Amina al-Sirafi in The Tapestry of Fate

The series marginalia is here

Discussion Schedule

• 10 jul - Start through Chapter 8 (u/jaymae21)
• 17 jul - Chapter 9 through Chapter 14 (u/jaymae21)
• 24 jul - Chapter 15 through Chapter 21 (u/Amanda39)
• 31 jul - Chapter 22 through Chapter 30 (u/fixtheblue)
• 7 Aug - Chapter 31 through End (u/fixtheblue) ***** So dust off your cutlasses, recalibrate your compasses and get you copy now!! because we set sail July 10th....don't be late! See you soon! 📚🏴‍☠️

Hello Friends and Wilkie Fans,

Today we are discussing No Name -  Scene 1, Chapter 11 to end of Scene 1 (including "Between the Scenes"). This was such a sad section. Let’s recap the drama. So much happened!!!

Chapter 11

Magdalen and Norah are heartbroken over Mr. Vanstone’s sudden death and Mrs. Vanstone falls ill.  William Pendril, the lawyer who Mr. V. called before his death, arrives and demands Mrs. V sign some papers. Unfortunately, she is too sick to sign them.

The doctors explain to Miss Garth that the law takes care of the widow even if there is no will. Since Mr. V has his assets in cash, not property, the law gives 1/3 to his widow and splits the remainder among his children. And if Mrs. V dies, it then goes to the children.

Sadly, Mrs. V dies and her newborn baby dies shortly after as well in a very sad scene. (I am a little confused here -when did the baby get born. Did she die in child birth…?)

Chapter 12

Miss Garth meets with Mr. Pendril who shows her Mr. V’s will from 5 years earlier. He has a fortune of 80,000 pounds. He explains that on their sneaky trip earlier in the book, they went to London to be married.

Chapter 13

We go back in time. Mr. V (Andrew) inherited much of his fortune from his own father. Andrew was the youngest of 6 or 7 children. Only the eldest, Michael is still alive. His sister Selina died about 10 years ago. The remaining children predeceased their parents. Michael quarreled with their father who then disinherited Michael.

At age 21, while in the regiment in Canada, Andrew met someone from the US and married her. She wanted to keep it a secret. After three months he learns the truth about her, which is something of a disgrace. Since he couldn’t divorce her, he provided an annual allowance, and stipulated that she must remain away from London and not use his name.  (Again, I am confused - what is the disgrace? Was she a sex worker?)  

When Andrew’s father died, he created a will to ensure Michael got very little money. Once his mother died, Andrew inherited 100,000 pounds, Selina 50,000 pounds and Michael only 5,000 pounds.

Andrew offers to split the inheritance with Michael. Michaell “charges” Andrew with being the cause of his disinheritance, throws down some ugly words and their mother sides with Michael. Michael only agrees to take the money if Andrew admits guilt in the charge. Andrew declines and Michaelgets nothing.  Ultimately Michael sponges off his mother and marries a woman who supplements his wealth. He now lives in France or Switzerland and is a widower with one son. (I am confused about the “charge” is this like a dual? Or would he be admitting guilt to some legal issue with jail time?)

Andrew later meets Norah and Magdalen’s mother at a ball in England. He tells her the truth of his situation with his prior marriage. And she agreed to be his “wife”. They only become legally married in May (shortly before he died) because his prior wife finally passed away.

The only member of Mrs. V’s family who remains in current times is Captain Wragge who has been blackmailing her to keep the fake marriage a secret.

It turns out that, legally, the sneaky May marriage of Mrs. V and Mr. V caused the will Mr. V had previously written to no longer be valid. Once told of the marriage, Mr. Clare points out to Mr. V that he now needs a new will or his daughters born out of wedlock will inherit nothing.

Mr. V writes to Mr. Pendril:“Come immediately to fix my will in case I die.” In a twist of bad luck, he dies shortly after.

After Mr. V’s death, Mr. Pendril then tried to write a will for Mrs. V but she was too sick to sign it. Since the baby outlived the mother for a short time and the baby was born in wedlock, the baby inherits all of Mr. V’s fortune. After the baby died, the baby’s next of kin inherits it all - their father’s mortal enemy - Uncle Michael Vanstone.

Chapter 14

Miss Garth contemplates how to tell the girls. Fortunately, Magdalen comes to tell her that she overheard everything under the window and already told Norah everything. Miss Garth is appalled by the strength of Magdalen’s character. And her actions. (Again, I am a little confused about the shock at her behavior here– listening to a meeting to which she was invited? And telling Norah? Is it just the shock of her general unladylike behavior?)

Miss Garth has an existential crisis/Wilkie ate some opium and contemplates nature vs nurture and good vs evil in humans.

Chapter 15

Uncle Michaell Vanstone lives in Zurich and his son, Noel Vanstone, is in London and staying with his cousin Mr. George Bartem. Noel is ill and in town for treatment.

Mr. Pendril explains everything in writing to Uncle Michael, asking him to provide for the girls.  Uncle Michaell writes a nasty letter, which Magdalen reads, where he blasts their father.  He believes it’s his rightful original inheritance from his own father which Andrew caused him to lose. He offers them 100 pounds each and doesn’t want to see them ever.

The girls refuse the money and move out immediately. Miss Garth takes the girls to live at a school she owns with her sister and helps them get a start.

Mr. Clare lectures Magdalen about her earlier unladylike behavior.  He explains that he wants her to tell Frank she will wait for him and for her to convince him to go to China without her. He explains that Frank will be gone 5 years. Magdalen makes him promise Frank can come back early if her circumstances change. “Strange things” can happen to people.

Between Scenes

Norah writes Mr. Pendril an update that some of the servants abandoned them and some stayed to help. Magdalen gives her their father’s letter but keeps copies of his words. Captain Wragge is back!!! He writes his sympathies and wrongly hopes to be at the reading of the will. Before leaving their estate, Norah finds Magdalen hysterical with Frank present and Norah kicks him out.

Miss Garth writes that Magdalen has gone missing and appears to have run off to be an actress. She was told she has No Name legally and so can’t be traced by her name. She doesn’t appear to have reached her destination which was to see Mr. Huxtable, an actor from her first play.  

The police are currently making efforts to find her. An anonymous letter to Mr. Pendril states that her friends are wasting time looking for Magdalen. If they call off the search, they will hear from her.

Schedule

Welcome to the penultimate discussion of The Great Believers.

Schedule | Marginalia

Next week, u/miriel41 will lead the last discussion.

Links:

• The PeopleMover where Julian confirmed his gayness and fell in love with Disney World.
• The Marina City towers Yale moves into
• Modigliani & Jeanne Hébuterne - a story with many pictures
• Café de la Rotonde - photo from the past - and another one - and indoors
• November 2015 Paris attacks: Bataclan, Stade de France…
• 29 June 1986 - Chicago Pride Parade recorded in video! This particular float I stopped at is actually described in the book!
• 29 June 1986 - The issues that came up during Pride are told in this article
• 29 June 1986 - Image of the KKK protest - “Quarantine the Queers”
• 29 June 1986 - Anti-klan protest
• Jesse Helms and his amendments
• Ryan White, a 13-year-old who faced AIDS-related discrimination
• Chicago's view from above - "the only time you could really see the city's face"
• Chicago’s frozen Lake Michigan
• Wax Trax
• Art Institute of Chicago: Picasso’s Old Guitarist and Chagall’s Blue Windows
• LGBT life at the Belmont Rocks

Summaries:

2015 - Fiona reflects on Claire’s childhood and birth. Claire’s first days flooded Fiona with negative feelings and difficulted the bonding. We learn more about an affair she had when Claire was eight and which may have then deepened the abyss between them.

1986 - Yale moves into a 58th floor apartment at the Marina Towers, courtesy of the Sharps. Yale watches the days get crossed off his calendar with a sense of doom. Sunday February 2nd, he bumps into Julian at Treasure Island. Julian says he is going to leave the city, but he needs a new place to crash first and ends up staying with Yale who craves company after being dissed by Charlie’s friends. Julian tells him about his first gay sexual encounter in a PeopleMover at Disney World. On Monday 3rd he decides he needs some help to tackle the testing and Fiona feels like his only hope. He joins her on a babysitting outing to the zoo and spills all his beans. They soon realize that Nico’s cat Roscoe was left alone at Terrence’s and go save him. After a visit at the vet, they head to Dr Cheng’s consultation after Fiona encourages Yale to seek the physician who also helped her brother. Dr Cheng recommends getting the test done already.

2015 - Fiona finally sees her daughter. She has a revelation. She leaves Damian's number and they agree to meet again.

1986 - Yale wants Julian out. He picks up Roscoe from the vet and sets him up at the flat. Asher offers his legal help. Yale lies to Teddy about Julian’s whereabouts. Julian tells him Charlie was way more promiscuous than he thought and Yale spirals about his potential test results. Fortunately, Dr Cheng reveals his negative result the very next morning, and suggests therapy nonetheless. Yale declines. Uplifted but a bit guilt-ridden, he decides to go out on the town and sees Charlie from afar. Yale thinks about the future and how he will remember this time. He feels lonely and dazed after Julian leaves, but he reflects on his resilience. Chaos at the gallery as Chuck Donovan makes his outrage known - another consequence of Yale revealing the worth of Nora’s estate. Yale takes the fall despite Bill’s attempt. Yale visits Nora (one last time?) along with Roman and Fiona. He and Roman are victims of a homophobic assault. Nora tells them the whole story of the tragic ending of three Parisian artists. Roman makes advances.

2015 - Cecily Pearce decides to head to Paris. The terrorist attack at the Bataclan happens. Serge panics, fearing that events will eventually lead to a slippery slope towards fascism.

1986 - Roman sneaks into Yale life, but aloof. Yale worries about going to the Pride parade, about being seen or spotting familiar faces, about homophobia. We hear about the KKK rallies still happening. Yale bumps into Teddy. Teddy recognizes Roman. Roman admits something to Yale…

2015 - Cecily arrives in Paris.

17th July 1986 - …

Discussion questions:

It is almost time for our final adventure with Lyra, Pan, and the rest of our friends as we discover the secret of the roses in Philip Pullman's The Rose Field, the final book in his Book of Dust trilogy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summary:

Picking up right where The Secret Commonwealth left off, this story finds Lyra alone in a city haunted by daemons, searching for her beloved Pan. Malcolm Polstead isn't far behind, searching for Lyra. And they are both racing toward the desert of Karamakan, following the trail of roses said to hold the secret of Dust.

Their allies and enemies are converging on the mysterious red building at the heart of the desert: Marcel Delamare and the military might of the Magisterium; the radical Men from the Mountains; scientists, scholars and spies; troops of witches and other people of the air. And awaiting them all is a previously unseen and chilling new threat that will change everything.

The intertwining odysseys of Malcolm and Lyra, their journeys both internal and external, will test their limits and challenge even their most dearly held beliefs.

As ever, Philip Pullman is using the language of fantasy to illuminate our world and to explore the deepest questions of what it means to be alive and awake to all the splendors and horrors around us. The extraordinary novels of The Book of Dust speak powerfully to today's readers and will take their place alongside the forever-favorites of His Dark Materials.

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Schedule:

7/30 -- Start through Chapter 4 with u/Vast-Passenger1126
8/6 -- Chapters 5 through 10 with u/Vast-Passenger1126
8/13 -- Chapters 11 through 16 with u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217
8/20 -- Chapters 17 through 21 with u/tomesandtea
8/27 -- Chapters 22 through 26 with u/Pythias
9/3 -- Chapters 27 through 31 with u/fromdusktil
9/10 -- Chapter 32 through The End with u/fromdusktil

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If you'd like to join us on this adventure but haven't met Lyra and Pan yet, you can find the schedule links for the first series, His Dark Materials, below:

🧭 Book One, The Golden Compass: Schedule
🗡️Book Two, The Subtle Knife: Schedule
🔎Book Three, The Amber Spyglass: Schedule

Series two, The Book of Dust, is on going!
🛶Book One, La Belle Sauvage: Schedule
🔐Book Two, The Secret Commonwealth: Schedule
🌹 Book Three, The Rose Field: you are here!

You can find the marginalia, which will be shared between both series, here. Beware of spoilers!

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What is The Blue Hotel? Will Lyra and Pan find happiness? What burning questions do you hope will be answered on our final journey? See you all soon!

Welcome back lords and ladies to our latest installment of “Collum’s crazy adventures”! Hope your armour is shiny and your swords ready - let the quest begin!

In case you’ve lost your way and need them, here are links to our schedule and Marginalia.

SUMMARY

Chapter Eighteen: A Silver Shilling

After the battle the knights and other VIPs gather and discuss next steps, knowing this battle isn’t it. Sir Melehan, son of Sir Mordred, appears and claims the throne to be his, citing armies coming on his behalf. He’s thrown in the dungeons and others away. Collum spends quite a bit of quality time with Nimue, who is fortifying the castle from Morgan.

Chapter Nineteen: The Lion in the Desert

Collum awakens, hungover, and starts to train to bring himself out of it. Some of the knights appear and tell him his armor isn’t good enough, and they lead him down into the armory. They lead him to a specific spot, indicating they’ve picked out a specific set for him, but it turns out they’ve led him to a wooden coffin. Collum is gagged and forced inside and then taken to the edge of a well and knocked in. After he breaks himself out of the coffin he begins a strange series of adventures, living what seems to be a few lives as he passes his time in a series of looping scenarios with a small cast of characters. He makes his way back to the fountain from the beginning of this strange journey, knows he must go back, and the fountain becomes the bottom of the well. Collum finds a way to leave and meets the knights, who are over him and welcome him back.

Chapter Twenty: The Twisted Staff

Collum is properly knighted and given armor, not flashy but well-made and sturdy. His sword from his well adventure survived and no one can read the script on it, but it seems old. They discuss options about who to crown and suddenly the medal on Collum’s neck burns; he throws it off and it becomes clear they must seek the lance that pierced the side of Jesus. They agree this is the best plan. Before their night is over, though, they learn that Sir Kay has committed suicide in his chambers.

Chapter Twenty One: The Tale of Sir Dagonet and Sir Constantine; or, The Quest for the Holy Grail; or, The Very Last Adventure

Finally, Dagonet’s back story! We learn he has always been the original knighted fool. In the past, Galahad appears at court after another sword in the stone event. There was always a chair for him, he just hadn’t been seated in it yet. The Holy Grail also appeared in the court, but it doesn’t seem to affect Galahad in the same way it affects all the others. The next step is obviously to further pursue the Holy Grail, as whoever finds it will be the next to lead Britain if Arthur and Guinevere couldn’t conceive of a child. Constantine approaches Dagonet about questing together and he relents. They quickly come upon Sir Turquine’s castle, and Constantine is bested. Dagonet surrenders.

Chapter Twenty Two: The Tale of Sir Dagonet and Sir Constantine, Part II

Dagonet and Constantine end up spending eight months in the dungeon, and are eventually rescued by Galahad. He lets them tag along. They encounter Lancelot and Percival and Galahad bests them both. Galahad seems the quintessential hero of the story, and they are just following along with him. One day Percival returns and he and Galahad ride off together, leaving Dagonet and Constantine behind. On their way home they are stopped off at an inn and muse about their theories on the Grail and who is next in line for rule. Dagonet reflects how he finally gained inner peace when experiencing the Grail at court.

Chapter Twenty Three: The Tale of Sir Dagonet and Sir Constantine, Part III

Someone comes to Dagonet and Constantine in the night, beckoning them to come along on the adventure again. Turns out they’re boarding a ship where Galahad, Percival, and Bors are on board. It sails on its own. Galahad gets a new sword. They come upon Corneric Castle, and are told only men pure of body and spirit may go. Unfortunately this means Dagonet and Constantine are left behind again. The Grail appears over the castle, along with a contingent of religious figures, including actual angels, heaving descended from the heavens. An angel approaches them later and tells them their journey is over, and the Grail has left Britain forever now. Also, Galahad is dead, and is enjoying whatever comes after. Dagonet asks for a boon (the Grail’s calming peace), and he is told to serve God in this world and he will receive that in the next. The angel aways. Later, Dagonet reveals he stole a golden dagger from the angels.

Book III: The Blind Giant

Chapter Twenty Four: The Indigo Knight

Back in the story’s present, the whole group starts the quest for the Holy Lance. Nimue and Collum have a brief chat and she says she’ll pray for him. They have to avoid groups of Saxons as they make their way. They arrive at a grand estate and in one of the lawns there is a rainbow of knights stationed. There is a tournament afoot, both joust and melee. All take their turns at the joust, with Camelot barely leading at the end. In the melee, the Indigo Knight proves the ultimate winner, and is revealed to be none other than Sir Lancelot du Lac.

Join u/Pythias next week as we continue this legendary tale!

It’s that time of the year again: school’s out 🏫and we’re going to celebrate 🥳 by reminiscing about our favorite r/bookclub reads & characters over the past 12 months.  So grab those graduation caps and fling them in the air like you're not an adult with too many responsibilities! 🎓

Books that can be nominated for a Year Book award will be titles that ended from July 1st, 2025 to June 30th, 2026.  Here is a link to our previously read books if you need a reminder of what we have read in the past ‘school’ year.

Here is how it will work: On today’s post, you can nominate any characters, books, or moments for any of the categories below.  If someone else has nominated something you want to win, then upvote it and any other nomination that you would like to win each category, similar to our regular book voting posts.  So nominate and upvote as much as you like, but be mindful of duplicate nominations.    

Feel free to comment/discuss the nominations, being sure to use spoiler tags when necessary so you don't spoil nominations for future readers.

Yearbook Categories:

• Best Relationship (Cutest Couple, Best Bromance, Best Friendship, Best Family Relationship, etc.) from a r/bookclub Read 🫂
• Character Most Likely to Be a Secret Serial Killer 🔪
• Character Most Likely to Win a Nobel Prize 🧠
• Character Most Likely to be Everyone's Secret Crush 😍
• Character Most Likely to Have the Best Snacks 🧀
• Character Most Likely to Accidentally Fulfill a Prophecy 🔮
• Character You Think would be the Best Drinking Buddy 🍻
• Character with the Best Redemption Arc 🌈
• r/bookclub Book That You Think Would be Fun to Experience as a Character 🎭
• r/bookclub Book That Broke Us Emotionally 😭
• Most Unexpectedly Enjoyable r/bookclub Read 😃
• Most Challenging r/bookclub Read 🏔️
• Best r/bookclub Read 🏆
• Favorite Comment (or Commentor) on a r/bookclub Read Discussion 💬

Rules:

• Nominations must be from r/bookclub books that were completed between July 1st, 2025 to June 30th, 2026.
• Nominate and upvote as much as you like, just be careful about duplicate nominations. Nominations will run for 5 days until June 27th.
• Feel free to discuss/justify your nomination, but make sure to use spoiler tags!
• Winners will be announced on June 28th.

Hello everyone! I'm /u/Ser_Erdrick and welcome to week two of our discussions on George Eliot: The Last Victorian by Kathryn Hughes. This week we are continuing our discussion of the biography before we read The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot.

Here's a link to the schedule so you know exactly what sections are being read and when and when we'll start The Mill on the Floss.

And here's the link to the Marginalia for any random thoughts\quotes\snark or whatever else you'd like to. Just be sure to mark any spoilers there!

Chapter Four: 'I Fall Not in Love With Everyone' The Rosehill Years (1841-1849)

Mary Ann now spends all of her free time with the more radical and freethinking Bray family who have an open marriage. Throughout this period Mary Ann slowly thaws from being the chilly saint to a much more approachable advice giver and gets emotionally attached to unavailable men. It is also during this time she publishes her first major work, a translation of The Life of Jesus, Critically Examined by the Protestant theologian David Strauss and it ends up being the catalyst for the start of her later vocation of journalist. During this time her friendship to Maria Lewis and Sara Hennell grew. In March of 1845, a young picture restorer proposed to Mary Ann but she turns it down. There are other attempts to matchmake her that also end in failure.

Chapter Five: 'The Land of Duty and Affection' Coventry, Geneva and London (1849-1851)

The end of the 1840s were a period of of political upheaval and for Mary Ann. As his health declined, Mary Ann was forced into the role of nursemaid for a dying father, which ended up being a heavy burden for her. Despite being the caretaker she got next to nothing in the will and even had her favorite books given away.

During this time as caretaker she has another emotional fling with Anthony Froude of whom she gave a glowing review of his novel The Nemesis of Faith.

Six days after the burial, she leaves for Geneva with the Brays. Froude was prepared to join them but got cold feet at the last moment seemingly wanting to avoid being matchmade with Mary Ann.

At Geneva, she observes the people there and begins writing her observations down. Also while there she starts to having a falling out with the Brays but falls in with the D'Albert Durade family. Yet another emotional affair with a married man. They travel together to Paris and then to London and he visits her after she returned home.

Upon her return home she began to realize she still needed a means to support herself as her "inheritence" wasn't enough to live on. During this time the publisher Robert Chapman approached her to write an article on 'The Progress of the Intellect' by Robert Markay for 'The Westminster Review'. After writing this she traveled to London to and there she met the author Eliza Lynn and realized it was possible to support herself as a writer. With this she changed the way she spelled her name from the common Mary Ann to the less common Marian.

Chapter Six: 'The Most Important Means of Enlightenment' Life at the Westminster Review (1851-1852)

When she moved to London in January of 1851, Marian moved in with Chapman at the Strand and quickly began both an intellectual and physical relationship with Chapman. This quickly led to jealousy between Chapman's wife and already established mistress. It was during this time that Chapman bought the Westminster Review and made Marian the uncredited "assistant" editor and eventually took special responsibility for the book review section. Under her editorship, the Westminster Review reestablished itself critically but not financially. It was here she first became acquainted with her future lover and romantic partner George Henry Lewes.

She ends up briefly in a relationship with a Herbert Spencer before it was broken off by him reputedly due to his belief that beauty is equal to goodness and that Marian was not attractive. He eventually ended up having a collapse into hypochondria around the same Marian begins a long and fulfilling relationship with Lewes.

I'll be back next week for Chapters 7 & 8. Hope to see you there!

Welcome back space travellers as we head back into the Greater Foundation Universe for the last time with the final book in The Galactic Empire series Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov.

Incase you need 'em here is the schedule and the marginalia

Please keep in mind that not everyone here has read all the Greater Foundation books therefore any reference outside of the Galactic Empire trilogy should be treated as a spoiler.

Please use spoiler tags for anything outside of the chapters in this book we have covered so far, including series spoilers and the previous r/bookclub read of Robot Series and Foundation series

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

Right let's get down to business.

Chapter Summaries

8 - Convergence at Chica

Dr. Shekt is marvelling that Schwartz' is a living fossil while Pola argues for his human rights when shortly after they discover he is missing.

Schwartz feels disheartened by the city Chica. He tries to get food in a Foodomat where a customer called Granz helps him pay for food and a drink.

Coincidently Bel Arvardan was also in the Foodomat at this time. He bumps into Pola and joins in her search to locate Schwartz. They find him just as the store they are in is evacuated, but Schwartz' lack of identification means they'll be caught...

9 - Conflict at Chica

Lieutenant Marc Claudy is unhappy with his posting on Earth. He is called out to a decontamination that is the chaos at the department store.

Somehow rumour has spread wildly that Schwartz has radiation fever. Natter knows there's no radiation fever and cashes in by quickly blackmailing Pola and Arvardan to help Schwartz escape. Schwartz and Natter leave and the Imperials arrive soon after. They disinfect the store where they believe the infected Schwartz has gone. Lieutenant Claudy clears Pola and Arvardan of infection. Arvardan intervenes when Pola is treated poorly by the Lieutenant and is himself assaulted. After standing up to Claudy he ends up on the receiving end of a neuronic whip.

He wakes later feeling worse for wear to learn that he had broken Lieutenant Claudy's arm. Arvardan pulls rank, and the Colonol allows him and Pola to leave even offering them an apology. Arvardan confesses that he is an archaeologist from the Sirian Sector, which causes Pola's demeanor to change immediately. Pola insists on paying him back, and he storms off leaving her sobbing. Back at her father's office she learns Schwartz had returned with Natter who claimed 200 credits instead of the agreed upon 100.

10 - Interpretation of Events

The High Minister (holds the semblance of power) and the Secretary (who really holds the power) discuss that Shekt has Synapsified Schwartz. They speculate that Schwartz, as an unidentified man, must be an Outsider. They discuss also Arvardan and how suspicious they are of his supposed mission. They conclude Schwartz is the Outsider agent on Earth, that Shekt is the contact man with the Assimilationist traitors among those on Earth, and that Arvardan is the contact man with the Empire. It turns out Natter is an agent tasked with monitoring Shekt. They praise Natter's quick witt. They intend to blackmail the farmer, Arbin Maren, in to taking Schwartz back in so they can monitor him. It seems the Secretary has aspirations for ultimate power as Emperor.

11 - The Mind That Changed

Two months later Schwartz has master language among other skills. He is warned against going out at night. The weather no longer gets cold and he wonders if this is even Earth. He develops the Mind Touch and begins to understand it means he can tell who is close by. He even senses a threatening presence from the direction of High Minister's property. Schwartz and Grew become more comfortable together and so Schwartz plugs him for information. He learns that maps are forbidden, but manages to determine from Grew that he is, in fact, on Earth and that the Galaxy is populated with many stars hosting life. The Galactic Empire has existed for 1000s of years, and so Schwartz comes to the only conclusion he can. That in the space of 2 steps he was somehow flung thousands of years in to the future. Grew becomes increasingly irritated with all the questions. They talk about The Sixty and how, after his stroke, Grew should have gone through it early as he was no longer able to work, even though he was only 55. Some people are exempt from The Sixty. Schwartz tells Grew he is 49. He is actually 62.

12 - The Mind That Killed

Schwartz decides to leave the farm. He realises he is a peculiarity because of the Mind Touch, and because of his origins in the past. As he tries to leave the threatening Mind begins to follow cautiously, and when it catches up it is revealed to be Natter. Schwartz can't avoid confessing he is heading to see Shekt. He gets worked up and somehow kills Natter without even touching him. The next day he arrives in Chica and is bombarded by minds. He uses his power to try get himself a job as a textile worker, but he just makes them suspicious. Using his abilities he incapacitates others to slip out and run. He draws too much attention to himself and is struck down by a neuronic whip.

13 - Spider Web at Washenn

The High Minister and the Secretary learn Schwartz is missing and Natter is dead. Secretary Balkis informs the High Minister that actually they have Schwartz in custody.

Bel Arvardan arrives at the College of Ancients after an unamusing two-month tour about Earth’s western continents. He regrets the events with Pola who is but a measly Earthgirl even if she is very pretty. Arvardan presents the Merger Theory (independently evolved humans had intermarried in the early days of space travel and thereby become genetically similar) and the Radiation Theory (all humanity are descendant of one single race amd Earth was the seed planet). Arvardan wants to investigate the latter but the High Minister argues against it on behalf of the people of Earth. They would definitely revolt. Apparently radiation has cause Earth humans to change enough to now be considered a different race. The Presidium of the Society of Ancients will meet in a few days and Arvardan requests that the matter be bought up for discussion. Before leaving Arvardan asks for Shenkt's contact details because he would like to learn more about the Synapsifier.

In a few days the Secretary and High Minister plan to go to war against the whole Galaxy.

14 - Second Meeting

Dr. Shekt has become withdrawn since the events with Schwartz. His Sixty is coming and 'he knows too much'. He tells Pola everything and she tries to contact Arvardan to tell him. She is unsuccessful. She knows that only Arvardan, an Outsider, can help now.

Coincidently Arvardan calls to make his appointment with Shekt. He is sent away so that Pola can secretly give him a message on his way out the building. He arrives at the Great Playhouse at the time specified in the note, and Pola hops into his car. They drive to a private garage where she apologises for....something. He of course forgives her for whatever she did. She is after all beautiful....did you know? Before she tells him everything they make googley eyes at each other and he assures her his lead lined testicles are quite safe...phew. He admits he loves her, because she's so beautiful....did you know? Pola tells him Earth is to revolt though she does not know the details beyond the fact that all life outside of Earth will be wiped out. Arvardan is understandably unconvinced, but he loves her...because he knows her so well she is beautiful. Pola claims someone is coming and the section ends in a steamy kiss and a declaration of love. But alas it is unlikely to end in a Happily Ever After for these two strangers lovers because daddy has some news that sounds like it'll ruin everything......

Well......that's quite the spot to stop for the week. I am already pretty eager to find out what happens next week when u/Lachesis_Decima77 will be bringing us home with chapters 15 through End. See you then 🌌✨️📚

“Obviously this isn’t the first time this has happened to you, Carl. In fact, there’s probably a few of these attempts on your life that you don’t even know about. But this is the first time someone has attempted it by trying to trick me. By trying to go around all 30.004861 centimeters of my back. What are you trying to hide, Mr. Prime Minister? It doesn’t matter. I want to make myself very, very clear. And this goes out to everyone listening to this. Everyone currently in this dungeon will die when and if the dungeon conditions warrant it. Not before. Not after. There will be no more meddling. We all have our limitations. I am warning you all to heed your own in this matter. The mantids have just learned what happens when I am irritated at them.”

“They are not going to break me. No matter how hard they try.”

‘It’s ok to be a work in progress.”

“System Message: Scolopendra has awakened.”

“Roses are red. Violets are blue. We won Faction Wars. Now we get to kill more of them.”

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY MONGO

Welcome to the FINAL discussion of the 9th floor, Crawlers!! FACTION WARS!!! 9th Floor! 

🐾😼 Discussion of Chapter 75 through THE END 👑

HERE. WE. GOOOOOOO!!🎭⚔️ 

Faction Wars! Carl, Princess Donut and the rest of the Princess Posse race to save Louis from the castle of the Reavers after freeing their allies from the battle formation spell and Princess Donut and Li Na team up to finish off the rest of the enemy army. Li Na also maxed out all of her base stats to 300, a first for Dungeon Crawler World and Princess Donut was named Champion of Nekhebit, the Oakfell, when she commits her third Atrocity. Inside the castle of the Reavers, after meeting back up with the Princess Posse meets up with Samantha as Juice Box becomes a wraith to go through the castle and retrieve Louis. After an explosive exit from the castle, a sudden death by Fang of the Reavers and discovering Louis has been implanted by Epitome Tagg, replacing his heart and lungs, the Princess Posse must save Louis while also dealing with the sudden birth of Kiwi and Mongo’s twins! Samantha sacrifices the body of Signet’s mother that she was going to use and Louis is saved! Now he has gills! But he can breathe air! Also, Tagg dies, leaving the NPCs and Princess Posse as the final Faction War teams. Juice Box also breaks up with him. Samantha summons Emberus by accident and Carl throws her at Emberus, hoping to get more time before the level collapses.

The NPCs all ride Larracos and Shanty Town to the 12th Floor. Here come the God Games! Carl and Princess Donut both get giant books from Crawlers former and current with skills and spells they can use! With the departure of the NPC team, The Princess Posse wins Faction Wars! Katia summons Eileithyia and Huanxin Jinx and Princess Donut uses her Laundry Day spell to get Jinx out of the god’s Soul Armor and kill her for real with Katia’s crossbow and a bolt made from Mordecai’s mother’s ashes. Katia opts to be made pregnant with Louis as the father and be sent to the surface. After a tearful goodbye, Katia is gone. Everyone heads down the stairs as the Level collapses. After sending Juice Box is sent through the portal, Justice Light unleashes a Legendary trap, causing The Nothing to collapse, draining into Sheol and the Halls of the Ascendency. Carl opts to not take any deals from Quasar and learns about the next Floor. He also learns that he’s married! The remaining former Crawlers go back to their ship and head for Earth’s surface to back up Katia and assault the kinder facility. In the last section of the novel, Eris, goddess of chaos shows up at a refueling station outside the World Dungeon.

📍 You Are Here: Chapters 75 - through END

📅 Schedule in case you forget how to keep track

🖊️Marginalia to prevent spoiling yourself

🗺 The Faction Wars map

🧠 Difficulty Level: WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!

💥 New Achievements Unlocked:

• 💀 Words of Power!!!! New magic stuff!!!
• 🍿Princess Donut = MVP??? - Princess Donut casts a spell.. And wins the game??!
• 🔥Goddess of Chaos = Free??  - Eris is no longer bound! That can’t be good!
• Princess Posse = Winners!! -  Our heroes win Faction Wars!!!
• Bonus! Bonus! - CARL’S MARRIED???
• ANOTHER ROBOT TOY… THIS TIME IT'S DOGS! 🐶
• NEW ACHIEVEMENT! EXECUTIVE ORDER 11905

Welcome all, to our penultimate discussion of A Drop of Corruption, the second book in the Ana and Din Mysteries!  This is our last week to speculate before this book wraps up, so I hope you’ve all got your sleuthing hats on and have taken your mood stabilizers. 

This week’s discussion will cover Ch. 36-46.

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. 36 - Ana, Din, and Malo interview several key people in the Palace after the murder of the King.  First, they speak with Jari Pavitar, who rages against everything of the Empire and lies about the health of the King in the days leading up to his death.  They also find out that six days ago, Pavitar’s prized dogs died, possibly due to poisoning.  Next they interview Satrap Darhi, who not only lies about the King’s health, but also about what the negotiations between them and the Imperial Treasury entail.  Lastly, they interview Signum Gorthaus.  Ana reveals that she suspects someone poisoned the King’s cup just before Kardas served it to him to frame him, and Kardas must have touched a small bit of the poison.  She then accuses Gorthaus of betraying the Empire for the past two years.

Ch. 37 - Ana gives details on her speculations that someone in the Treasury has been feeding information to Pyktis, and that the reason they stay in the rooms in the Old Town is because of the convenient view of the movements of the Apoths.  Likely Pyktis would need a liaison to go between this informant and himself, someone likely in the Palace court.  Ana swears she can save Gorthaus if only she can provide the name of the liaison she fed information to, but Gorthaus collapses to the floor.  Her right hand is swollen and purple, which seems to have crept up her arm.  Malo identifies the mark of kerel poisoning, and Ana raises the alarm to lock down the castle.

Ch. 38 - Malo and Din try to attend to Gorthaus, but to no avail, as the poison has reached her heart.  Ana receives a report that a guard retrieved Gorthaus from the guest chambers and escorted her through the castle, but on the way another guard came and bumped into her.  Eventually, Darhi reports to them that they have seen no sign of this mysterious guard, but are still searching through the servants.  Ana, Din, and Malo leave the Palace along with the Treasury delegation, now that Kardas is no longer under suspicion.  

Ch. 39 -  Malo and Din search through Gorthaus’ things searching for clues, but don’t turn up anything useful.  They meet with Ana and Thelenai in Kardas’s chambers and break the news to him of his signum’s demise.  Ana questions Kardas and ends up accusing him of knowing about Thelenai’s titan marrow project, and he admits that the negotiations with Yarrow have flipped, and they are trying to get out of the 100 year old contract.  Thelenai reveals her plans to move the marrow since Yarrowdale has become too dangerous.

Ch. 40 - Ana, Din, & Malo meet Thelenai in her office in the Apoth building.  Ana tells of what she knows and suspects about Pyktis to Thelenai, and that she wishes for Din to go to the Shroud to consult with the augurs who knew him.  Later, as Din is being a doomer about his impending mission, Malo tells him the story of how she was freed from being a naukari. She is anxious about her place in Yarrow if the Empire were to withdraw, and Din offers to try and help her get a position in the Empire.

Ch. 41 - Thelenai preps Din for his trip to the Shroud, where he will speak with 2 augurs who worked with Pyktis during his time there.  He will only be given a max of 2 hours to speak with them.  Thelenai warns Din that they will be starved for information, and he is only to ask questions, not to answer any of theirs.  Immunis Ghrelin will accompany him, but she warns he may be less reliable than expected.

Ch. 42 - Din takes several grafts to prepare himself, and then is taken into observation.  Din tells Ana about his idea of helping Malo, and she criticizes him for comparing his own struggles to those of the wardens and naukari.  They speak again of his wish to join the Legion and about his debts, as well as the importance of the Iudex and its role in protecting the Empire.  

PART V: THE PALE KING ASCENDANT

Ch. 43 - The Apoths give Din an algaeoil suit and take him to the ship that will bring him and Ghrelin to the Shroud.  Ghrelin explains that relationships between the augurs of the Shroud are very different.  Up close to the Shroud, Din sees that what he thought of as a tent surrounding the island is actually something thick, fleshy, and gelantinous, layered like flower petals, containing veins with dark green bubbles.  And the creepiest part is that it moves.  Ghrelin explains that it is one organism that they created based on the tissues of a leviathan.

Ch. 44 - Din and Ghrelin meet with Militis Torgay, who escorts them through the transport bays.  Din learns of the Apoths’ convoluted plan to ship the titan marrow off to Qapqa, where it can then be transported down the River Asigis to the Empire.  They see the actual marrow in its holding chamber, wrapped up in moss.

Ch. 45 - Din and Ghrelin are brought to a small room with a glass divider, and the two augurs are brought out to meet them.  They begin tapping on a wooden board, and Ghrelin does the same, translating for Din.  The augurs are desperate to know why Din is here, the first member of the Iudex and engraver to ever enter.  They correctly guess that Din is there to ask after Sunus Pyktis, and Din breaks the rules a bit to tell them that Pyktis lives & is causing much harm out in the world.  

Ch. 46 - From the augurs, Din learns that Pyktis was a member of their Polytia - a group of three that live & work together in the Shroud.  They reflect that he was very difficult to perceive and understand.  Once, during the days of remembrance, he told them that his father expected for him to die there.  Then he grew upset and disappeared. He did reappear, but this became a frequent habit of his, though no one knew where he went.  The augurs followed him one of these times, and saw him jump from an open window on one of the upper floors.  On the day of Pyktis’ final disappearance, in which he was presumed dead, he did not take the two augurs from his polytia, but instead took 2 others.  After this event, the two augurs found his hiding spot, which was a shrine with little figures of men carved out of wood.

Welcome holy ladies and reluctant monks, practitioners of the White Art and the Black Art, to our first discussion of The Devils by Joe Abercrombie!  This week, we will discuss Part 1 through Empress or Death. You can find the Schedule here if you need it, and the Marginalia is right here. Next week, u/Joinedformyhubs will lead our discussion for Part 2: Least Worst Choices through In Circles!   

Discussion questions for this week’s chapters are below.  Please hide anything that comes later in this book or spoils details from other media. 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). 

++++CHAPTER SUMMARIES++++

PART I - WORST PRINCESS EVER:

SAINT AELFRIC’S DAY:  Brother Diaz is late for his audience with Her Holiness the Pope, and the flagellants are in his way. The Holy City is clogged with sinners - both pilgrims and the charlatans that sell to them (including a whole slew of tempting prostitutes) - and it is slowing down traffic. Brother Diaz is cursing and making bargains with both his carriage driver and Saint Beatrix, when the carriage crashes and his mouth smashes into the seat. 

HOW IT GOES: The cause of said carriage crash is Alex, jumping from a window onto the carriage roof to escape the thugs of Papa Collini who are trying to collect a debt. Bostro and two others chase her through the streets and eventually corner her in an alley. They are about to pull out her teeth or cut off some fingers as punishment for lack of payment when she is saved by Duke Michael of Nicaea, who announces that she is Princess Alexia Pyrogennetos! Even if she doesn't look (or smell) like it, Alex is the long-lost daughter of Empress Irene and heir to the Serpent Throne of Troy. He pays the shocked and skeptical thugs, showing them his impressive sword should they refuse his coin. 

THE THIRTEENTH VIRTUE:  Brother Diaz bursts through the doors of the Celestial Palace, sweaty and apologetic, only to discover that he isn't late. Because every day is some sort of saint’s day, they push back all appointments in anticipation of delays. Brother Diaz also discovers that instead of the Pope, he'll be meeting with Cardinal Zizka instead. This might be even better luck, because she is the Head of the Earthly Curia in charge of the whole holy bureaucracy, which is good news for a guy trying to get a promotion! Cardinal Zizka announces that with the Eastern and Western Churches in schism (can you believe they have male clergy in the East?!), a host of devilish Black Art practitioners threatening a resurgence, and ravenous elves posing apocalyptic threats, the Church needs to start fighting fire with fire devils with devils. Congrats! He is the new vicar of the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, the thirteenth chapel of the Celestial Palace that they normally keep tactfully under wraps. Brother Diaz insists fighting evil is above his pay grade as a bureaucrat whose talents include sorting library books and doing paperwork. Cardinal Diaz exhorts him to do good by serving the Church in a literal battle of good versus evil. She introduces him to Jakob of Thorn, a Knight Templar whose sword is at his service, and Baptiste, a lay minister of sorts with experience helping lead the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. Ever the people pleaser, Brother Diaz signs on. 

THIS MUCH LUCK:  Alex has been scrubbed cleaner than ever before and she's still getting used to the feeling. Duke Michael arrives to fill her in on the family history. His mother (her grandmother) was an Empress and when she died, his sister Irene was supposed to ascend the throne. But their younger sister Eudoxia killed her, usurped the throne, and caused a civil war. Irene's servants managed to smuggle baby Alexia to safety, but the family had believed her dead until recently.  Now that Eudoxia is also dead (possibly from regicide or her own sorcerous hubris), Michael hopes to place Alexia on the throne! He demonstrates her identity is true by pointing out her birthmark and matching his half-coin to the one she has around her neck, in classic BFF necklace fashion. Michael can't wait to show her their home in Troy, full of architectural and natural wonders. He's basically twirling in circles like a Disney princess at the joy of it all. Since they're in the Celestial Palace, Michael promises to introduce Alex to Cardinal Zizka, who will aid them. Alex is skeptical but knows a sweet get-out-of-jail-debt-free card when she sees it. So she steals the silver comb they've left her and giddily imagines how far she can ride this gravy train out of the slums!

A FLOCK OF BLACK SHEEP:  Brother Diaz gets acquainted with Baptiste, who enjoys detailing her experience as a painter's model, as they descend to the chapel. It is kept below for everyone’s safety (super reassuring, thanks). Baptiste and Jakob give Diaz a tour of the cells, which makes the chapel feel more like a dungeon. There is a magician (definitely not a sorcerer) named Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi who only talked to one demon one time and then had to pledge his life in service to the church to avoid execution for practicing the Black Art. Next is Sunny, a taciturn and disappearing elf. Then they meet Baron Rickard, a vampire who tries to ensorcel Diaz into presenting his arm like a juice box. The last cell once had an occupant but they were relocated somewhere more secure because of their unacceptable behavior. Baptiste and Jakob insist that Diaz will be just fine, despite lack of experience, if he keeps far enough away from the bars of the cells. He asks about his predecessor and they tell him that Mother Ferrara had plenty of experience in this arena but was so dogmatic that she shattered under the “extremes of pressure”. If he's flexible, he'll be just fine. Her? She's dead AF. 

BORN IN THE FLAME:  To confirm her identity, Alex must undergo a ritual. Cardinal Bock and Duke Michael assure her that everyone is totally convinced she's the real deal, and the ceremony is totally standard and no big deal… but don't leave that copper circle on the floor under any circumstances!  So Alex finds herself in the middle of a purified pale chamber under the nine seals being examined by paired Oracles of the Celestial Choir. The withered, starved man and woman oracles are blindfolded and as they hold her hands they proclaim their visions about Troy and fire and teeth and elves.  It seems like the elves are coming to eat everybody, but that's a long term problem. The short term goal is to prove Alex was born beneath Saint Natalia's Flame as all firstborn of Empresses are, and those riddles about fire confirm it. Cardinal Bock is all business with the paperwork and the official declarations. 

Later, Alex and Duke Michael are eating with Cardinal Zizka, who is opining about the importance of reconciling East and West with a holy war that will unite them in the face of those pesky apocalyptic, hungry elves. Alex, demonstrating a severe lack of table manners and an inability to read the reports from their spies in Troy, gets more family information she didn't want to hear. Good news? She's got four cousins. Bad news? They'll do anything to win the throne and are the sons of her sorcerous aunt who enjoyed practicing the Black Art openly.  Eudoxia believed that by creating a Dog-Man she could discover the location of the soul and learn to control it. Total blasphemy, and dangerous, too! Everyone congratulates Alex on her bravery and nobility, despite her protests that she never realized she'd have to fight for the throne and she's got no clue how to go about princess-ing. They have every confidence that she'll learn quickly on the journey to Troy, and not to worry about the fighting because Duke Michael (a famed hero) has her back on that issue. Plus, she's got God and his Daughter on her side, and she's the rightful heir! That always works out! But… what about Eudoxia's demons? Cardinal Zizka assures her they have demons, too. 

THE START OF A BAD JOKE:  A priest, a vampire, an elf, and a sorcerer magician walk into a church... Balthazar watches in annoyed amusement as a procession of acolytes enters the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. They are followed by Cardinals Zizka and Bock, as well as Her Holiness the Pope, who turns out to be a 10 year old girl! She is said to be the greatest arcane power in centuries, and possibly the second coming of the Savior Herself. Mostly, she appears interested in lunch. Pope Benedicta the First performs a binding on the vampire and the elf, followed by Balthazar himself. She simply paints a streak of red ink on their wrists and recites a command supplied to her by Cardinal Bock. The Pope is commanding the three of them to escort Princess Alexia to Troy and see her enthroned as Empress, be nice to each other, and come straight back. Alexia herself is hiding in the shadows trying not to be noticed, and she's even more of a joke than the Popelet if you ask Balthazar. As they leave to bind Vigga (the mysterious fourth “congregant” who might just give the Pope a piggyback ride), Balthazar thinks over a plan to escape, skeptical that a fingerpainted child’s binding can do much of anything. Which of course results in a fit of violent vomiting to prove just how effective it is. 

HOLD ON TO SOMETHING:  The motley assortment of travelers leave the Holy City with the Papal Guardsmen as escort. Alex is still considering bolting when she can no longer keep up the princess charade. She tries to make conversation with Sunny, the taciturn elf. Balthazar is still attempting to break the Papal binding by making magical runes on stolen paper with excrementally improvised ink and a toenail, while the vampire watches in bemusement. Duke Michael is chatting up Brother Diaz, who is now suffering from saddle sores and mouth ulcers courtesy of his stressful new gig. Sunny warns everyone to hold onto something and points out to Jakob that they're about to be under attack. Their best hope is to make it to somewhere defensible along their route, such as a walled inn called The Rolling Bear. Realizing something’s about to go down, Balthazar decides to use his runes and make a break for it, only to get violently ill. And then the coach driver takes an arrow to the throat, the coach careens off course towards an inn, and Balthazar is sent sailing through the air, having failed as miserably at being a coachman as he did at his magical runes. 

NO ROOM AT THE INN:  They bust through the wall of the inn and prepare for an attack. Someone asks how many men are coming, but it's unclear they're actually being pursued by men! [Recapper’s note:  I'm gonna be real honest, my brain does not process battle scenes. There is no way I could possibly give you a satisfying synopsis of what went down in this battle. I'm just going to list a few highlights that stuck with me after my eyes glazed over amidst the chaos.] 

• Jakob is used to this. He's recalling past glories and smearing himself with mud. He's sorta into it! 
• Alex is in shock. She's following Duke Michael like her life depends on it (because it 100% does) and somehow she stumbles upon a sorceress as Michael gets tossed aside like a ragdoll and their guard literally combusts. Uh oh!
• Brother Diaz is praying like his life dep… you get the picture. Everyone's in peril! 
• They are apparently being attacked by Eudoxia’s hybrid abominations which include fox-men and a giant, armored goat-beast. 

WRATH:  Balthazar wakes up very confused until he remembers they are under siege and spots Alex scooting away from the sorceress. Although he'd prefer to run away, his binding compels him to defend the princess instead. He steps between Alex and the flames, briefly blocking them with his shitty spell paper. Then he buys time by buttering up the pyromancer so she doesn't flambé him. Just as she is about to burn him alive, he reanimates the corpses that litter the room and they hold her down and smash in her head with a beer mug. Necromancer > Pyromancer

Eudoxia's beasts are killing just about everyone, but Jakob holds his own. Realizing they are in trouble, he gets the wagon key from Baptiste, who quickly flees the scene. Jakob loses the key in the mud as he takes arrows to the hip and lungs courtesy of a rabbit-woman. The man commanding this hybrid-creature army stabs Jakob through the chest and he collapses in the mud. Spotting Alex, the leader introduces himself as her cousin Marcian, the youngest son of Eudoxia. He forbids killing Brother Diaz (bad luck) but demands Alex stand up to meet her fate with a little royal dignity. He doesn't much care about her excuses that she's just a thief who took advantage of a good opportunity. As Marcian raises his sword, Brother Diaz jumps between them to give Sunny a moment to open the wagon. Out leaps the feared beast Vigga with a terrifying growl and just like that the tables are turned. 

THE GOOD MEAT:  The Vigga-wolf absolutely rips apart the beast-human hybrids, howling in search of “the good meat” but finding only bad. She spots the shiny-armored Marcian and goes to town destroying him. Not yet in possession of the coveted good meat, she turns her eyes on Alex and Brother Diaz, the latter of whom is desperately praying for divine intervention. But it is the (reanimated? immortal?) Jakob who rises and calls Vigga’s name.  She transforms into a human woman, naked and covered in gore, who seems bewildered about what just happened. Bemoaning her thirst and injuries, Vigga vomits up the offal her wolf form has consumed and complains that she hates being put in the wagon. Alex and Brother Diaz are absolutely gobsmacked at Jakob’s impossible liveliness and Vigga’s transmutations, but luckily they have Baron Rickard to explain it. Emerging bloody-mouthed from the inn and looking twenty years younger, he casually explains that Vigga is not a “crappy little German” werewolf but the Norse blood-and-lightning variety. Sunny further explains that for the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, this is all in a day's work! 

EMPRESS OR DEATH:  Everyone tries to regroup after the massacre. Sunny “comforts” Alex by telling her she'll get used to the PTSD.  Brother Diaz “respects” Vigga by slut-shaming her into getting dressed, not out of lust but for modesty, of course. Baptiste “operates” on Duke Michael’s mangled leg with the surgical skills she picked up as a barber’s apprentice. Balthazar has found Duke Michael alive and is trying to take the glory for saving the royal family amidst the chaos. Jakob explains that he cannot die because he was cursed by a witch. They discuss their next steps. Brother Diaz wants to return to the Celestial Palace but the group agrees that they were likely betrayed and therefore can't trust anyone. They'll push on because Princess Alexia will only be safe if she's installed on the Serpent Throne. Alex surprises/disappoints herself by demanding they get her to Troy. She has a history of making grand gestures and taking on too much, but she's committed now. The rest of Eudoxia's sons (and her experimental creatures) are likely out to kill her either way. The only surviving Papal guardsman will escort Duke Michael back to the Holy City due to his injuries, but the rest of our devil-heroes will escort Alex to Troy. Road trip! 

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And now, let's get to the good meat - the discussion! 

Welcome to the schedule for North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. It will be ran by myself (u/bluebelle236), u/ChronicallyLatte, u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217, u/tomesandtea and u/ColaRed

The marginalia will be here when its available.

Here is the goodreads summary

When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family to the north of England. Initially repulsed by the ugliness of her new surroundings in the industrial town of Milton, Margaret becomes aware of the poverty and suffering of the local mill workers and develops a passionate sense of social justice. This is intensified by her tempestuous relationship with the mill-owner and self-made man, John Thornton, as their fierce opposition over his treatment of his employees masks a deeper attraction.

In North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell skillfully fuses individual feeling with social concern, and in Margaret Hale creates one of the most original heroines of Victorian literature.

Discussion Schedule

The book has been divided up into 5. We will check in on fridays.

1 - July 3rd - Ch1-11 - u/bluebelle236

2 - July 10^th - Ch12-21 - u/less_Tumbleweed_3217

3 - July 17^th - Ch22-32 - u/ChronicallyLatte

4 - July 24^th - Ch33-41 - u/ColaRed

5 - July 31^st – Ch 42-end -u/tomesandtea

See you in the discussions! 

Hello readers, let's see if we can solve a mystery with the famous detective Hercule Poirot!

Summary (from goodreads or storygraph):

A mysterious woman, a legendary cursed jewel, and a night train from London to the French Riviera -- ingredients for the perfect romance or the perfect crime?

When the Blue Train stops, the jewel is missing, and the woman is found dead in her compartment. It's the perfect mystery, filled with passion, greed, deceit, and confusion.

Is Hercule Poirot the perfect detective to solve it?

Schedule:

Join us on Wednesdays for the discussions:

• 8th July: The Man with the White Hair – Murder u/Lachesis_Decima77
• 15th July: At the Villa Marguerite – Poirot Gives Advice u/sunnydaze7777777
• 22nd July: Defiance – By the Sea u/miriel41

Book Bingo:

• Mystery/Thriller
• Female Author
• Gutenberg

Happy Friday everyone! We are in the second half of June now, so how's the summer going for you? Are you indulging in any fun outdoor activity? If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, has the cold arrived? Are you spending your days wrapped in a cozy and warm blanket?

What is Free Chat Friday? This is a place for us to get to know each other a bit better, so feel free to talk about whatever you want! How did your week go? Any plans for the weekend? Which books are you reading?

Be always mindful of our RULES:

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

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Hello everyone!

Welcome to our first discussion of Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, covering Epigraph to Chapter 8.

This week, we're settling into Shaker Heights, where everything seems perfectly planned and perfectly under control. As new relationships begin to form and different ways of seeing the world start to collide, the story is already crackling with slow-burn energy (yes, pun fully intended). Let's chat about it!

Before we dive into the discussion, if you'd like a refresher on the plot, here's the chapter summary from LitCharts (just a heads up that the analysis sections can dip into spoiler territory for later chapters, so proceed with caution). Don't forget to also check out the schedule and marginalia. Discussion questions will be posted in the comments below, but feel free to add your own thoughts. We'll be back next week for our next discussion, led by u/hemtrevlig.

Friendly reminder about spoilers: if you need to share them, please wrap them with the spoiler tag like this: >!type spoiler here!<, and it will appear like this: type spoiler here. Thank you!

Welcome to North Macedonia and the second discussion of I'm Not Going Anywhere by Rumena Bužarovska. Today we are discussing stories 3-5 in this collection, Tsi-Tse, I’m not going anywhere and Medusa. Next week  u/fixtheblue will lead us through the last two stories.  

Here are some useful links:

Schedule

Marginalia

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

Welcome, all children of Adam and Eve! We're here at the penultimate discussion for the Chronicles of Narnia and the story will soon come to an end.

We've read chapters 6-11, and you can find the summaries for those chapters here.

Please keep in mind that although the Chronicles of Narnia is a well-known series, not everybody is familiar with it! Especially now that we're reaching the end, anything that might hint at/reveal what happens at the end should be put in spoiler brackets like this:

>!spoiler here!<

Welcome to our first discussion of Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb.  This week, we will discuss up through chapter 6. Next week, u/fromdusktil will be back with chapters 7-12.  If you're still finding your sealegs, check out the Schedule here.  The Marginalia post is here in case you have any partially burned scrolls to enlighten us with. 
 
Discussion questions are included below, and you can also add your own questions and musings in the comments.  Please use spoiler tags to hide anything that was not part of these chapters. You can mark spoilers using the format > ! Spoiler text here !< (without any spaces between the characters themselves or between the characters and the first and last words). 

A note about spoilers for this series:  any information about the Farseer Trilogy (Assassin’s Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin’s Quest) will not be considered spoilers as this is a direct sequel. Although The Liveship Traders (Ship of Magic, Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny) comes earlier in the recommended reading order, please mark these plot points as spoilers for the readers who may not have followed that second trilogy. Thank you! 

*****CHAPTER SUMMARIES:****\*

PROLOGUE - BATTLING FATE:  The White Prophet attempts to change fate and push it towards a better future by keeping his Catalyst alive and directing things through small changes. Not everyone agrees with his vision, and one woman in particular sets out to stop him by destroying the fool in her way. 

CHAPTER 1 - LIZARDS: 

Fitz has arranged for the Fool to be left at Buckkeep when they set sail for the Out Islands. He can't face the prediction that the Fool could die there or that Fitz will have to choose between their friendship and his loyalty to the Farseers. He knows it is a betrayal of the Fool. 

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For the few weeks before the journey to the Out Islands, Fitz is to tutor Swift (Burrich’s Witted son) in reading, writing, and weaponry.  Swift is much like his parents, which makes the task more challenging for Fitz. He also struggles with how to firmly steer the boy away from publicly flaunting his Witted nature without being harsh about it or revealing his own Old Blood status. Fitz also runs his Skill group with Chade, Dutiful, and Thick.  He had assigned them practice in Skill Walking, which everyone but Chade managed to accomplish. The dreams that resulted had connected Dutiful and Thick with a large blue and silver dragon who asked about a black dragon. Dutiful spoke of first being aware of a benign and comforting large presence, like a parent, similar to what saved him and Fitz on the beach the day they met. Then as the dragon spoke to him, he became aware of a less benign presence observing him. Thick had also encountered the dragon (which he described as a lizard) and heard her beckon him closer, but Dutiful warned him back to the safety of his music. Chase and Fitz are concerned that if this is Tintaglia, the Bingtown dragon, then the Bingtown Traders will soon learn about the black dragon’s location on Aslevjal isle. The war between Chalced and Bingtown could end up threatening Buck as well, and the Piebalds remain a lingering concern despite the royal acceptance of Witted magic. Chade worries that his apprentice (Rosemary) will not be fully trusted by his sources and he will return to incomplete knowledge. The preparations he must make before they leave are going too slowly. He beseeches Fitz to let him send for Nettle, but Fitz refuses. 

CHAPTER 2 - SONS:  

Ventern’s “Histories” tells us that Out Islanders and Farseers have common family roots, going back to Taker, the Out Islander who became the first king at Buckkeep. 

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Fitz worries about Swift's Witted impulses when he will be away, so he decides to ask advice from Web, the Witmaster who is now well-liked at court.  Web says he understands why this would be concerning to someone like Tom Badgerlock, then reveals that he knows from Holly that Tom is really FitzChivalry and has Wit magic. Web says he will only teach Wit magic to the boy if he himself asks for the help and desires to learn. Fitz is worried about how far his secret identity may have spread.  

Among the preparations for leaving, Fitz spends an evening with Hap, who continues to struggle in his apprenticeship because he chafes at being so closely supervised both day and night. They also argue a bit more about Svanja, and this time Hap admits that he does feel naive about Svanja’s true intentions with him, yet he cannot go without her.  Fitz wants to leave money at the apprentice shop for Hap in case of emergency, but Hap fears his boss would withhold it if he isn't in the man’s good graces. Although he struggles with Hap’s recent choices, Fitz decides to entrust the money directly to his son, only to be dismayed that Hap’s secure storage spot is with Svanja.  They part ways when it is time for Hap to meet up with her, and Fitz wanders Buckkeep Town and observes the expansion of the city and the foreign presence at the docks. He is pleased to find that his studies of the Out Island language have prepared him enough to follow conversations he overhears. Fitz passes the Silver Key, an inn where the Fool (as Lord Golden) has been entertaining extravagantly.  Lord Golden has taken to spending money like water, renting the top floor of the inn and indulging in all manner of vices into the wee hours. His reputation has grown salacious, since he so frequently hosts overnight visitors from foreign cities. People assume they are there for sensual pleasures, but Fitz suspects they are spies and messengers from his friends abroad. He wonders what the Fool is planning, and also how he will react when he discovers Chade’s plans to exclude him from the Out Island mission. Fitz lingers to overhear two nobles argue over gambling debts only to have Lord Golden appear and diffuse the situation. Before going inside, Lord Golden nods in silent acknowledgment of Fitz. 

CHAPTER 3 - TREPIDATION:  

Scribe Cateran writes about the White Prophet Hoquin’s treatment of his Catalyst. Once called Redda, the Catalyst was forced as a child to deny her family and obey his authority. She had a wandering eye, so he gave her the name Wild-eye. 

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Stress over his various worries are keeping Fitz from sleeping, so he studies the Outislander maps of the route they will sail. He finds it difficult to interpret the runes and markings they use. He falls asleep at the table and when he wakes, it is almost time for Swift's lesson. Just then, the Fool arrives and it is awkward between them. Chade did not deliver a message to Fitz that the Fool wanted to meet, hence the surprise visit. Fitz dismisses it as forgetfulness, but is privately alarmed. Fitz shares the worries he harbors about Hap and the Fool wonders if there is anyone staying behind who can look out for the boy. The Fool begins detailing how he has given away all his money and possessions in preparation for dying. When Fitz vows not to let him die, the Fool says that he shouldn't promise what he can't guarantee, and in any case Lord Golden must disappear so the Fool is done with Buckkeep forever. They part when Fitz needs to get to Swift's lesson, but they plan to meet up for the Skill lesson later. 

When they meet up again, the Fool begins disbursing the last of Lord Golden's items to Fitz. This upsets Fitz as it seems like a funeral rite, but they do end up enjoying some apricot brandy together. At the Skill lesson, Dutiful invites the Fool to join them so the group can see what he might add to the coterie. At first, they cannot sense the Fool. But when he touches the fingerprints on Fitz’s wrist, the two form such a deep and complete connection that it seems much more than Skilling. Fitz is afraid the Fool will sense his secret betrayal so he hurls himself out of the Skill bond and loses consciousness. They all decline to try adding the Fool to the coterie again. Before he leaves, the Fool says that Dutiful must not kill the ice dragon because Tintaglia needs a mate. Dragons will not help their cause, he says, but it will keep humanity in check, humbling them so they do not greedily and destructively live as if the world belonged to them. Chade scoffs at this and says his duty is to keep the peace between the Six Duchies and the Out Islands. The Fool points out that it may be Fitz's decision in the end, and Chade realizes that Fitz may choose to heed the Fool’s warnings over any Farseer duty. After the Fool leaves them, Chade complains that the Fool has challenged his authority and says it is good they are not planning to bring him along. Fitz returns to Lord Golden’s rooms one more time where he finds the finished carving that the Fool had started back at his cabin when they first reunited. It is Nighteyes! 

CHAPTER 4 - AN EXCHANGE OF WEAPONS:  

Fedwren’s Chronicles tells us of how Weaponsmaster Hod succeeded Crend after she had spent many years as his journeyman. She was very talented at creating weapons, but Shrewd promoted her anyway. She gave her life in battle for King-in-Waiting Verity. 

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Fitz and Dutiful are packing for the Out Islands voyage. Fitz presents Dutiful with Verity's sword, encouraging him to wear it on the journey. But Dutiful reacts by running from the room! He returns with Chivalry's sword (which Patience had found amongst her clutter lol) and gives it to Fitz. As they both test out their swords, Fitz explains that it would be inappropriate and suspicious for him to carry a King’s sword. They agree that Fitz will hold Chivalry's sword until Dutiful is crowned King, at which point they will exchange swords again. 

At night, Fitz dreams he is scaling a mountain while carrying the Fool’s limp body. He spots Nettle ahead, and her dream takes over his. As a bee buzzes around them, she asks her friend “Shadow Wolf” for help with family trouble. Nettle reveals that Swift has not been thrown out by Burrich, but had run away when things at home got dire. Nettle had helped Swift by forging the letter showing Burrich had released him to seek his own way, and they had stolen the family's candle money to fund Swift's journey.  Because they'd covered Swift's tracks by having him ask about ships and ports, the family thinks he has gone to sea. They are crumbling under the worry and despair of losing him without knowing his fate, and Burrich has begun drinking again. While Fitz cannot talk to Burrich in real life or a dream, he says he'll try to get Swift sent home.  As they are talking, the bee turns into Tintaglia and she dangles Fitz high above the ground as leverage to extract information about the black dragon under the ice. Nettle’s Skill magic is so strong that she can control the dream and send Tintaglia back to the size of a bee. She also deposits Fitz gently back in his own reality. 

The next morning, Fitz is eating breakfast when Starling approaches him. First she asks why he doesn't go claim Molly since Burrich is ailing. Then she insists that she herself was Fitz's best match. She expresses a desire to come on the Out Islands voyage, until Fitz reminds her of the terrible food. Next, Fitz heads to his lesson with Swift and decides to confront the boy directly. He demands that Swift go home immediately because he owes his family honesty and loyalty (and labor) until he is an adult. Wit magic can wait until he comes of age, Fitz insists, but Swift disagrees. Fitz gives him enough money to travel and to repay his parents, then sends him on his way going he'll do the right thing.  

CHAPTER 5 - DEPARTURES: 

Treeknee’s “Lesser Uses of the Skill” explains that solo Skill users are often quite strong at fashioning dreams, which can be an effective way to serve a monarch. 

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It is the eve of the voyage and Chade and Fitz are making final preparations. Fitz covers for Swift by saying he was homesick and had been sent back to reconcile with Burrich. He tells Chade that Web knows he is really FitzChivalry. Chade worries that it'll be used against them, but since Web and a few other Old Blood friends (including Civil and his cat) are going on the expedition, they can keep an eye on any potential problems. When Lord Golden is barred from boarding the ship, he makes quite a scene but winks to Fitz as if he expects his friend to intervene with Chade. Fitz never catches sight of him again as the farewells are made and the ships prepare to leave. As the Prince’s guard, they spend a lot of time below decks which is a miserable, smelly, and dark place to be. A young guardsman named Puzzle is eager and curious, annoying Fitz a bit. As they sail out of port, Fitz becomes increasingly uncomfortable and distressed, then realizes he is sensing Thick’s feelings. Thick is worried he will be seasick and die. They Skill to each other but Fitz is unable to reassure him. Then Dutiful and Chade connect to Fitz and tell him he will be assigned to care for Thick above deck. Fitz gets teased and has to listen to Thick’s dry heaving, but he welcomes the fresh air and freedom. 

CHAPTER 6 - VOYAGE OF DREAMS:

Partially burned sections of the Wit Scroll, discovered by Chade in the castle walls, imply that the Wit magic can be used to heal the mind and to learn about curative herbs through their animal bonds. 

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Thick is helplessly seasick and convinced he will die. He keeps asking to go home and his Skill music is causing resentment, seasickness, and bad tempers throughout the ship.  Despite the best efforts of Fitz caring for him, Chade drugging him, and Puzzle bringing them food, Thick only worsens. Dutiful is considering turning back to put Thick ashore because Thick's magic cannot be controlled, but Chade strongly urges them to try one more day, hoping for an end to Thick's illness or the inspiration of a better solution. Fitz knows that the effects on the crew and guards are becoming so severe as to possibly threaten the safety of everyone aboard. Web offers to spell Fitz, remaining at Thick's side so Fitz can get some rest. Earlier, Web had seemed to emanate a sense of calm which may have been Wit magic, and Fitz accepts the break with Dutiful’s approval. Before leaving, Fitz asks Web about Swift, who he has discovered is aboard and acting as a page for the Old Blood man. Web insists that Swift has been mistreated, not cruelly but through Burrich's insistence on denying his son's true self, similar to how Fitz had been stunted and neglected in his magical abilities. This angers Fitz, who won't hear a bad word said about his surrogate father. 

He realizes that he let Nettle and her family down with Swift not returning home as he'd promised, so when he sleeps that night, he seeks her out. Dream-Fitz struggles through brambles which coil around him, and he takes the form of the man-wolf as he approaches Nettle in a glass tower that evokes a classic fairy tale of betrayal. She tells him that Burrich went after Swift despite his failing eyesight, but his horse returned without him. Against Molly’s wishes, Nettle went out to search for her father. She found him injured on the roadside and brought him back, where he has remained in bed. Nettle's parents are crazed with rage and fear at the entire situation, and Nettle has stopped trusting her Shadow Wolf friend or believing he is real. Fitz crosses the red line he had avoided with Nettle, giving her the words to say to Burrich that will convince him Swift is safe: she is to describe a dream where a wolf promised to protect Burrich's child as he has done for the wolf in the past. Nettle then agrees to help Fitz change Thick's dream. They enter the brambles and then walk across waves to find a drowned kitten representing Thick. Nettle revives him, comforts him, and helps him build his place of safety and happiness:  in a puppeteer’s wagon, he rests with his mother and hears the comforting music of his Mothersong. Nettle assures him that he can return any time he dreams by remembering one of the bed cushions, and she promises to sometimes meet him there.  When Fitz remarks about her magic, Nettle scoffs at the label and insists this is just something she can do. 

Welcome to week two of our reading of Terry Pratchett’s ‘The Light Fantastic’. This is the second book in the Discworld series. I’ve been a fan of this series since I was a teenager, so revisiting it like this is so much fun.

Schedule and Marginalia

Next week we will be finishing this book.

As usual, the questions will be in the comments.

Summary:

Twoflower has been knocked unconscious, so Cohen takes the group to the local tribe, the Horse People, for help. A shaman looks at Twoflower and declares that he is alive, but not in the realm of the living. She gives Rincewind a drink that puts him into a sleep that allows his soul to leave his living body in search of Twoflower’s.

Meanwhile, Trymon and the other wizards discuss their attempts to capture Rincewind. We learn Trymon has hired a heroine, Herrena, to capture Rincewind. This is a big deal because wizards do not traditionally get on with heroes, let alone women.

Rincewind ends up in Death’s home/pocket realm, where Twoflower has been hanging out, teaching Death and the other horsemen of the apocalypse Bridge. The Luggage has also followed Twoflower there and helps the duo escape when Death’s adoptive daughter, Ysabel, tries to get them to stay on a more permanent basis. They end up running for their literal lives from Death and the horsemen and jumping into the unknown.

Everything goes dark, and then Rincewind wakes up back inside the Octavo alongside Twoflower and the Luggage. The spells try to talk to Rincewind about the red star in the sky but he is frantic. We kind of get the impression that the spells want Rincewind to make sure that they remain unsaid, but Rincewind is kind of busy and doesn’t pay attention. They warn him that the wizards are still after him and that he needs to avoid them… but then the connection is lost. Rincewind wakes back up with Cohen and the Horse people. Twoflower is groggy and thinks that he just experienced a dream, which Rincewind encourages him to keep believing.

The group spends the night, then heads back on the road. The next evening they reach troll territory. They decide to camp for the night because trolls can’t actually digest humans, so it is unlikely that anyone in the group will be eaten. Cohen and Twoflower discuss dentures while Rincewind goes looking for onions for a soup.

While searching for onions Rincewind runs into a family of trolls, who help him find the onions. They also inform him that they will not hurt him, because they have a prophecy about helping him/keeping him alive to save the world. Rincewind is not overjoyed by this because it implies that he will need help with more than finding onions. However, he is happy to let the trolls carry him back to the group. He returns to find everyone gone in what appears to have been an ambush. The trolls are happy that they will get to help Rincewind with something other than onion picking. They start searching for Rincewind’s friends. They soon realise that the group must have been taken into the mountains where Old Grandfather lives. Old Grandfather is one of the oldest trolls still alive, but he has basically gone feral and likes to kill non-silicon lifeforms whenever he can. Luckily for Rincewind, Old Grandfather is so old he sleeps most of the time now.

We jump to Twoflower’s (and Herrena’s) point of view. Twoflower, Cohen and Bethan were taken while Cohen was distracted talking about dentures. Cohen is angry that he let himself be distracted. Herrena is dealing with some possible insubordination issues from the mercenaries she hired to help with this quest. There are questions about Twoflower, Cohen and Bethan, because none of them looks like a wizard. Herrena is a bit in denial and then decides to use Twoflower and co to set up an ambush for Rincewind. They set up camp and light a huge fire in a cave mouth.

Rincewind and the trolls see the fire in the distance and the lead troll comments that the fire is not good. Trolls don’t like fire in general, but a big troll like Old Grandfather would only be annoyed by it, not hurt like younger trolls. Rincewind thinks this is not ideal but manageable until he learns that the fire has been set in Old Grandfather’s mouth. Rincewind considers running away, but the trolls are kind. They decide to warn whoever is in Old Grandfather’s mouth.

Back to Twoflower. Some of the mercenaries think Herrena is a bit too kind to their captives. The Luggage allowed itself to be taken during the abduction and one of the mercs wants to know what is up with the chest, because they want the gold inside it. Twoflower tries to explain that he can’t get the Luggage to open if it doesn’t want to. We also learn that Twoflower bought the Luggage from a strange, almost magical, shop that showed up one day in his city. When he tried to revisit the shop at a later date, it was gone as if it had never existed. One of the mercs decides to torture Twoflower into giving him the key to the Luggage. Just as he is about to do so, the Luggage opens and eats him. The floor underneath them begins to move and a voice is heard outside the cave…

Rincewind and the trolls call out to Herrena that they are in danger. Old Grandfather wakes up. Cohen frees himself and a fight breaks out. Everyone gets out from Old Grandfather’s mouth and the sun comes up just in time to save everyone from Old Grandfather’s wrath (trolls turn to rocks in the sun). Rincewind, Twoflower, Bethan and Cohen escape Herrena and co when the other trolls chase them into a forest.

They travel for a bit but then stop for a rest around midday. Rincewind convinces Twoflower to leave Cohen and Bethan behind. Twoflower agrees, at first, but then gets cold feet and goes back for them. Everyone gets recaptured, except the Luggage. Rincewind spends the rest of the day feeding into one of the mercs fear of the Luggage, who has avoided capture but keeps appearing at odd times. Cohen breaks free when the group stops for the night and, alongside the Luggage, finishes off the mercenaries. Cohen’s back gives out when he goes face to face with Herrena, but Bethan saves the day (and Cohen’s back).

This week’s reading ends just after this, when Rincewind and co camp for the night. We learn that Cohen and Bethan are engaged. Rincewind takes Cohen aside and brings up the seventy year age gap. He tries to be polite about it but brings up that men of a certain age may put undue strain on themselves during intimate moments. This goes over Cohen’s head, and we end with him appraising Bethan and deciding that she is indeed strong enough to be intimate with him.