King of the Vagabonds

King of the Vagabonds: The Baroque Cycle #2 by Neal Stephenson  282 pp.

The second book in this series introduces two new characters: Jack Shaftoe aka Half-Cocked Jack aka King of the Vagabonds and Eliza, prisoner of a harem. Jack meets Eliza after stealing a Turkish Vizier's horse to chase an ostrich to steal its feathers to make some cash. He frees Eliza from her captors and they flee the siege of Vienna. Together they travel around Europe. Eliza is the shrewd one and Jack is the muscle. Much is discussed about the business practices of the French and Dutch during the era as Jack and Eliza attempt to make money through various "investments." However Jack is also suffering the effects of last stage syphilis and his mind wanders into fantastical episodes that may or may not be real. Throughout the story they encounter many figures known to history including Winston and John Churchill (ancestors of the 20th century Prime Minister), William of Orange, William and Mary, and many others. Evidently the next book ties together the characters of this book with Daniel Waterhouse and others from the first installment. There is a lot more action in this part than in the first book but the audiobook takes a lot of concentration to keep from getting confused.

In the city of bikes

In the city of bikes: the story of the Amsterdam cyclist by Pete Jordan 438 pgs.

Pete Jordan, our erstwhile dishwasher relocated to Amsterdam.  As a guy who lives a bit of an impulsive life style, he admits, he decided to go to school there and eventually move there based on a photograph he found in a book that showed cyclists in Amsterdam.  Hey, why not choose where you live based on a photo from the 1950's? 

Once there, Pete is so entranced by the plethora of bikes, he decides he needs to stay.  His new wife, Amy Joy is going to meet him in seven weeks and before even seeing the place, she is enthusiastic about staying.  A decade later and things seem to be going well.

But this book isn't really a memoir...in fact, there isn't a whole lot of information about Pete and his family.  Instead, this is the history of cycling in Amsterdam.  Meticulously research and written with wit and humor, if you are interested in cycling, Amsterdam or just engaging books, I can recommend this one.

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 313 pages

Many, many light years ago I read a weeper called Love Story. They made a movie out of it. The tag line was "love means never having to say you're sorry". Ali McGraw died beautifully; Ryan O'Neal was golden, tearful and heroic. Since then I have read many books in which a lover dies and seen many movies with death as a theme. Oh, how I cried when I read this new young adult novel by the Printz Medal (best book for young adults given by The American Library Association). What is sadder than a 20something dying tragically? How about having the death occur to a teenager and how about having all the teens in the story of horrible health issues? There is Isaac who has lost sight in one eye and is told that his condition has worsened and he will lose the other eye. There is Hazel, who has been given a tumor-shrinking miracle, but knows that death is inevitable and has to drag around oxygen since her lungs are severely damaged and golden boy Augustus, basketball varsity hot shot who loses his leg to cancer. They meet in church at a group session for youth with severe health issues. Despite her resolve to not make any attachments with people outside of her parents, Hazel falls in love with Augustus. Unlike the characters in Love Story, these are the most articulate, intelligent teens I have come across. (The title comes from a discussion they had about Shakespeare).
To say that Hazel is passionate about a book of fiction by an obscure author is not the point. It is about the only work of fiction she talks about. She gives the book to Augustus and he is equally wowed. Both try to communicate with the author to find out what happens to the characters since a sequel was never published.
This results in their trip to visit him in Amsterdam. (Hey, Augustus uses his dying kid wish to get him, Hazel and her mom to Amsterdam). I know, you think you can guess the rest of the plot. You are so wrong. Just be sure to have the Kleenex ready when you read.