Books on the Table 2025 – Minimum Viable Python

I posted ‘best of 2024’ reads from last year, and so, here are the books on the table now:

On the table

Buried Secrets, a Jesse Stone (Robert Parker) novel by Christopher Farnsworth. Jesse is the chief of police in Paradise & there is a death in town. It seems a citizen has died on a bed filled with about two million in small bills. But then … (not giving anything away, and I would never!)
- Really enjoyable banter dialog between Molly the assistant chief.
You Dreamed of Empires, a novel by Alvaro Enrique. Cortes arrives in Tenochtitlan in 1519, but, so far, things look like they may go a different way in the novel … The author’s note to the translator, about word spelling and how to pronounce the ‘X’, is a game changer. (NY Times story about the author w/ no spoilers). A bit abstruse but may end up rewarding
The Heat and the Fury: on the frontlines of climate violence by Peter Schwartzstein
Third Millenium Thinking – well, it is the 3rd Mil., right?
The Gyrth Chalice Mystery – Marjorie Allingham. Another Albert Campion extravaganza. Gyrth himself, down and out, reports to Campion’s place where Albert explains to him the plot to steal the mug … err, chalice. We shall find out if the chalice is ever in use as such. (a good read so far.)

somewhere near the table (I think)

Furta Sacra: by Patrick J. Geary I picked up the 1990 revision because I always thought Geary’s ‘Before France and Germany’, about the was terrific. Great sentences, great thought. What I had forgotten (perhaps) was that I had to look up terms (mostly Latin and – I think – Greek) all the time.

The funny thing about this one – the theft of religous relics – is that it’s not really about historical events ‘per se’ (‘per se’ being a Latin term which means ‘intrinsically’ ), but that it calls up Baudolino, one of the slowest-reading novels I’ve read, which was about the sack of Istanbul (the Fourth Crusade) and the ideas of Baudolino et al (‘et al’ being a latin abbreviation for ‘and others’) that what they really needed was a relic of Prester John, possibly a finger, which they could get somewhere in the lands to the East of Jerusalem. In the most essential ‘Handlist of Relic Thefts’ appendix which accompanies ‘Furta Sacra’, we find this: >>“John the Baptist. The archdeacon of Archbishop Rufus of Turin attempts to steal the finger of John the Baptist from Maurienne and is struck dead. Early ninth century?”<<. Never mind, different John.

No sooner had I thought “wow, we sure don’t have this relic stuff anymore,” than almost at once I was reading a story about the skull of St. Thomas Aquinas traveling through the US East after a year in Europe (700th anniversary). If, as was once believed, a mirror held up to a relic could capture some of its holiness and, thus, become somewhat holy itself, consider the effect of a photograph of the skull!

The verge : Reformation, Renaissance, and forty years that shook the world (2021) By Wyman, Patrick. Told thru 9 people
- Columbus
- Isabel of Spain
- Fugger!
- Aldo Manutius
- Charles V
- four others!

The myth of nations : the medieval origins of Europe (2002) by Patrick J. Geary
The wisdom of plagues : lessons from 25 years of covering pandemics (2024): by Donald G. McNeil, Jr

Recently enjoyed

‘Boy’ by Roald Dahl – autobiographical, up to the point where he ships off to Africa. A classic.
Crusader: By Horse to Jerusalem: by Tim Severin (2001).

Severin and one companion ride horseback from Chateau Bouillon (in Belgium) to Jerusalem, following the route of the First Crusade. They start with two horses: Carty, an Ardennes Heavy Horse, and Mystery, a hard-working pack horse of all trades. One interesting aspect: at least as far as Bulgaria, they are always able to find someone to shoe the horse. They even find a saddle that works. The support infrastructure for this type of horse persists, even from 1096 to the present.

Arrived late January

Explorers of the Mississippi (1967) By Severin, Timothy. Severin’s very first outing.

Soldiers and kings : survival and hope in the world of human smuggling (2024) By De León, Jason, 1977-

Meanwhile:

Books on the table of 2024

--- title: "Books on the Table 2025" image: IMG_7976.png about: template: trestles --- I posted '[best of 2024](BestOf2024.html "My best reads of 2024")' reads from last year, and so, here are the books on the table now: ## On the table - Buried Secrets, a Jesse Stone (Robert Parker) novel by Christopher Farnsworth. Jesse is the chief of police in Paradise & there is a death in town. It seems a citizen has died on a bed filled with about two million in small bills. But then ... (not giving anything away, and I would never!) - Really enjoyable banter dialog between Molly the assistant chief. - You Dreamed of Empires, a novel by Alvaro Enrique. Cortes arrives in Tenochtitlan in 1519, but, so far, things look like they may go a different way in the novel ... The author's note to the translator, about word spelling and how to pronounce the 'X', is a game changer. ([NY Times story about the author w/ no spoilers](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDUpMFDokKs/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==)). A bit abstruse but may end up rewarding - The Heat and the Fury: on the frontlines of climate violence by Peter Schwartzstein - Third Millenium Thinking -- well, it *is* the 3rd Mil., right? - The Gyrth Chalice Mystery -- Marjorie Allingham. Another Albert Campion extravaganza. Gyrth himself, down and out, reports to Campion's place where Albert explains to him the plot to steal the mug ... err, chalice. We shall find out if the chalice is ever in use as such. (a good read so far.) ## somewhere near the table (I think) - Furta Sacra: by Patrick J. Geary I picked up the 1990 revision because I always thought Geary's 'Before France and Germany', about the was terrific. Great sentences, great thought. What I had forgotten (perhaps) was that I had to look up terms (mostly Latin and -- I think -- Greek) all the time. The funny thing about this one -- the theft of religous relics -- is that it's not really about historical events 'per se' ('per se' being a Latin term which means 'intrinsically' ), but that it calls up Baudolino, one of the slowest-reading novels I've read, which was about the sack of Istanbul (the Fourth Crusade) and the ideas of Baudolino et al ('et al' being a latin abbreviation for 'and others') that what they *really* needed was a relic of Prester John, possibly a finger, which they could get somewhere in the lands to the East of Jerusalem. In the most essential 'Handlist of Relic Thefts' appendix which accompanies 'Furta Sacra', we find this: \>\>"John the Baptist. The archdeacon of Archbishop Rufus of Turin attempts to steal the finger of John the Baptist from Maurienne and is struck dead. Early ninth century?"\<\<. Never mind, different John. No sooner had I thought "wow, we sure don't have this relic stuff anymore," than almost at once I was reading a [story about the skull of St. Thomas Aquinas](https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/11/22/st-thomas-aquinas-skull-washington-dc-249349) traveling through the US East after a year in Europe (700th anniversary). If, as was once believed, a mirror held up to a relic could capture some of its holiness and, thus, become somewhat holy itself, consider the effect of a [photograph of the skull!](https://www.americamagazine.org/sites/default/files/main_image/2024/11/22/20241121T1533-AQUINAS-RELICS-TOUR-PREVIEW-1785414.JPG.JPG) - The verge : Reformation, Renaissance, and forty years that shook the world (2021) By Wyman, Patrick. Told thru 9 people - Columbus - Isabel of Spain - Fugger! - Aldo Manutius - Charles V - four others!  - The myth of nations : the medieval origins of Europe (2002) by Patrick J. Geary - The wisdom of plagues : lessons from 25 years of covering pandemics (2024): by Donald G. McNeil, Jr ## Recently enjoyed - 'Boy' by Roald Dahl -- autobiographical, up to the point where he ships off to Africa. A classic. - Crusader: By Horse to Jerusalem: by Tim Severin (2001). Severin and one companion ride horseback from Chateau Bouillon (in Belgium) to Jerusalem, following the route of the First Crusade. They start with two horses: Carty, an Ardennes Heavy Horse, and Mystery, a hard-working pack horse of all trades. One interesting aspect: at least as far as Bulgaria, they are always able to find someone to shoe the horse. They even find a saddle that works. The support infrastructure for this type of horse persists, even from 1096 to the present. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ### Arrived late January Explorers of the Mississippi (1967) By Severin, Timothy. Severin's very first outing. Soldiers and kings : survival and hope in the world of human smuggling (2024) By De León, Jason, 1977- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Meanwhile: [Books on the table of 2024](books.html "Books on the Table 2024")