Wednesday, December 18, 2024

DDR: London Rules by Mick Herron


This time around, I'm going to pace myself. It's 30 pages per day. Not 200 like yesterday. 

So. 327 pages. That's 11 days. You hear me, Brother K? ELEVEN DAYS.


Day 1 (DDRD 2,606) December 18, 2024

Read to page 30.

Talking about how, despite being warned against it, undercover agents developed emotional attachments to the activists (or worse) they infiltrated, the narrator observes, "You couldn't betray someone efficiently if you didn't love them first." (17)

That stings. And I'm thinking of past relationships that align with this perverse concept: the first girlfriend who convinced me to join the army, then broke it off with me while I was in basic training. The older woman who took a phone call in bed after we'd fucked and made a date for that night. The wife who...well, enough. Betrayals of one sort of another are the way all of my romantic relationships have ended. And maybe the way all romantic relationships end? Okay...now I'm sad. Thanks, Mick.

It's nice to be reading an actual book again after two Kindle reading experiences. I am grateful to my Kindle...and to Internet Archive...for supplying me with Dead Lions and Real Tigers when free copies were unavailable elsewhere, but the inconveniences of IA (the book being taken back if you stopped reading for a bit, then having to fund your place again...and if you (I) hadn't noted the last page you'd read, to finding your (my) spot again proves mire than a but difficult) were frustrating. So yes, A book book. And I've got the rest of the series heading my way (courtesy of the LFPL, thank you very much) even as we speak.

But...um...I finished Today's Thirty... and I must say, "Please, Sir, I want some more."

Addendum: It's not my fault. After a CT scan, a quick stop at Joe's apartment, and a longish bit of shopping at Walmart, I decided I needed to see the 9;50 am showing of Queer. Which meant I had an hour to kill. And of course I'd brought London Rules with me, anticipating a wait for the CT business. But my appointment was for 7, I arrived (per instructions) at 6:30, and I left before 7 o'clock even rang its bells. So...I read a few more pages. 20. So far. But hey, look at this pretty word I found:

crèche

noun

ˈkresh  ˈkrāsh 

Synonyms of crèche

1: a representation of the Nativity (see nativity sense 1) scene

2: day nursery

3: a foundling hospital

4: a group of young animals (such as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cr%C3%A8che

Right? Okay, still have 10 minutes before movie time. Gonna read a few more pages. 🤫 

ADDENDUM THE SECOND: Great movie. Disturbing movie. Daniel Craig was so impressive. If you only kniw him from Bond, watching Queer will give you enough whiplash to break you in too. 

And then I took my car in for an oil change, and that took some time, so I ended up readingto page 111.

😬 😬 ps.

ADDENDUM THE THIRD: 127. My final offer.




Day 2 (DDRD 2,607) December 19, 2024

Read to page...um...OK. 227. But hey, I had a long wait in the car so.... Well. Looks like tomorrow will do it, then doesn't it? Fortunately the next book (Joe Country) is already waiting for me at the library. 

237. I meant page 237.

Okay. Mañana.





Day 3 (DDRD 2,608) December 20, 2024

Read to page 327. The End. 

"You know why bad things happen to good people?"Lamb asked. "It's because of all the dickheads." (291)

Well, there's that one solved.

Hey, look what was waiting for me at the library:


And until September 2, 2025, when Clown Town comes out, that's it for the Slough House series. Sigh.

At any rate...on to Joe Country tomorrow. Unless.... No. ToMORrow.

P.S. This was the first Slough House novel that was new to me...since I'd already seen the shows based on the others. So I'm all set for Slow Horses Season Five. It should be quite a thrill ride.

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