Degrees of Affection

"To be kept waiting is unfortunate, but to be kept waiting with nothing interesting to read is a tragedy of Greek proportions"

Agatha Swanburne

This book was...interesting. That I ended up loving it is in some ways amazing as everything conspired against this book. It was the only book I left when we traveled for Christmas, then it never seemed to be where I last put it, and every time I wanted to post about it...no computer. I was beginning to wonder if there was a curse on this book!

But, when I finally could sit down to read it...I liked it. It certainly surprised me as the ending of the last book meant the series could go several different ways. Sending us to London to discover the beginnings of the overarching plot was a good choice, as we got to see the Incorrigibles outside of the odd setting of Ashton place. Penny and the children meet old and new friends and we finally get to meet her headmistress, Miss Mortimer.

At the middle, I had to set it down the book because I wasn't sure where it was going and I wasn't sure I was going to like it when I figured it out. I should have trusted the author though, as almost immediately after I picked it back up, I read it straight through and loved it.

Despite figuring out Lord Fredrick's secret in the first book (it was rather obvious), I was really surprised at the direction this series is going but now that we know a bit, I can't wait to see what the next book has in store for us. I also love that the British Museum plays a role in this book.

Once again, the book was full of interesting descriptions and words that I really wish were in the dictionary. Like optoomuchistic, for when you allow your optimism to run wild, or this description:

This is why sailors, who quite understandably worry more than most people do about getting lost at sea, prefer to navigate by the stars. But the stars themselves are far from fixed; they wheel through space at such unimaginable velocities that to serious ponder the subject puts one at risk for dizzy spells and a nasty headache. The brave sailors manage nevertheless.