I don't follow too many groups on social media, such as Facebook. One reason is that I don't want to be forced to answer questions and give other information that might prevent my acceptance. Another reason is that I can't check the group out first to see if I really want to join it. The group's settings are set to private, therefore preventing me from finding out more about them. Then there are the post suggestions that already flood my feed. How the analytics determine some of these suggestions are beyond belief. I scroll pass most of them, since they are definitely not what I like, most of the time. I usually just lurk about on some of the public groups that share some of my interests, maybe a few times a week or so. Just last week, I was checking out a fan group for the author Jim Butcher. He is primarily known for his modern fantasy series, "The Dresden Files" about a modern day wizard working out of Chicago. He has written other series, but this one is probably his most popular. The group frequently goes onto tangents, barely tied to the novels. One fan shared a prompt, possibly originally from somewhere else, that asked about the last book someone read, or were currently reading. Specifically, where one would be if they were teleported to the place where the book took place, with the implied second question about what would be happening to the reader. Well, most of the group responded by saying they were in Dresden's Chicago, mostly from reading or re-reading Butcher's latest novel. A few were in older books in the series, while others mentioned some of Butcher's other works. Not surprisingly, many referred to other works of fantasy, science-fiction, and horror. I could recognize a few, but there were some that even puzzled me. I don't read every genre book out there, or even have a passing knowledge of them all, but I thought I knew more of them than that. Some were reading other things. One post mentioned a historical novel set in Virginia, or maybe West Virginia, during or near the Civil War. It could have been history. One was riding the Bible. Exodus I think. Others were reading non-fiction, making for some awkward moments. One was reading a cookbook, so they were in a kitchen or dining room setting. Unfortunately for another, they were reading a truck repair manual, placing themselves within the motor. Ouch. Someone was reading one of those bathroom humor books, placing them in a bathroom. Perhaps literally. I for one would never bring reading material into a bathroom, but I digress. One final person was reading a book on witchcraft, apparently as a how-to text or such. No locations mentioned, so they were just reading a book where they normally read. I have been fortunate lately, to be able to have a bunch of new books come out that I wanted to read, as well as finding a few other titles that I missed out over the last few months. This means I would have had a wide selection to chose from if I would have answered the prompt. First, there was Fool Me Twice by Jeffrey Deaver, the latest in his master-thief Riley Wolfe series. I would have been transported to locations as widespread as St. Petersburg, Vatican City, and a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean that was the lair of a multinational arms dealer. Let's skip the last one. Next, I read The Fowl Twins: Deny All Charges by Eoin Colfer. Yes it is for children, but I like the author and this follow-up series to the original Artemis Fowl. This books takes place around the Fowl family compound and a convention center in Dublin, Ireland. The final scene takes place on a yacht anchored in the north Atlantic, where the titular twins are having a meeting with two fairy officers, and the twin in the summer leisure suit has the upper hand. However, the epilogue takes place in a bathtub filled with electric eels. Don't worry. They are a therapeutic treatment for the recently cloned and consciousness transferred villain centenarian. Okay, next. The book that I had actually finished reading before I saw the prompt was The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman. It is the latest in her "Invisible Library" series, where Librarians use a magical Language to retrieve books and artworks from thousands of alternate history world to protect them from the chaotic Fae and regimental dragons. Most of the book takes place in a sort of Victorian Era London where the supernatural is somewhat rampant, with the final battle taking place on a more technological Barcelona. The final scenes were in the actual inter dimensional library, where the books are kept. Each one with slight differences from what is considered to be the base normal one. Each window in the incredibly large building has views onto different landscapes and even times of day. However, time doesn't really pass while inside. One of the group's posters may have been reading this book, or another in the series. This is the best selection of my current books to be stuck in, so far. Soon after I saw the post, I starting reading The Ghost Dance Judgement by R. S. Belcher, the latest in his weird-Western "Golgotha" series. The Kentucky author recently changed publishers, which might be why I missed knowing about this book when it came out earlier last year. The book is set in 1872 Golgotha, Nevada, with a frame set in modern times. The desert town is facing two separate disasters- an Indian attack featuring ghost warriors and a small group of cultist trying to raise an otherworldly beast that is trapped nearby, neither of which would make the destination one I would like to be at. I still have one last book catch up on, a series of short stories set the world of Ben Aaronovitch's "Rivers of London" magical police detective novels. At least this book shouldn't take too long to read. Now, where would you be if you were in the last book you read?
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