Friday Book Blogging

Of the seven books returned this week, my favorite was Simon Winchester's Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883. Another non-fiction recommendation is unusual for me, but the summertime schlock I find myself drawn to at the library is, so far, not worthy of special notice. There's a bit of technical stuff and Winchester does go off on a tangent or two, but the story of the fifth most powerful volcanic explosion in (our knowledge of) recorded history is fascinating. The awesome cataclysmic power of our planet is brought to a human level if only in the anecdotes and observances of the men who were good enough to record their thoughts.