_Storm from the Shadows_, David Weber

I got the Baen e-book edition (not via the Amazon kindle store). So all you people thinking there's nothing to buy for your kindle except through the Amazon kindle store? Well, here's a counter example. Cheap, too!

Initial observation, which I've probably made about previous entries in the Honorverse: geez, these people all have some kind of physical disorder that makes them twitch because they're forever giving themselves little shakes as they change topics in the course of discussions.

It's hard to say, anymore, which entry in the storyline this is: do you count this as an Honor Harrington novel? As in the Honorverse but not in the main line? This ties together threads from the Saganami series (training academy and snotty cruises), the covert ops stories, and of course the main line of the Honor Harrington Becomes Teh Goddess series. Obviously, with the Peeps actually having rehabilitated so thoroughly under Theisman and Pritchart, a New Enemy is Required. And it can't be any piddling little nothing, because Teh Goddess would just step on them like a bug and That Would Be That. For that matter, one of the snotties would probably get an early acting promotion in a Soul Burnishing Duel of Missiles and Wits. No, the New Enemy has to be Big. And Sneaky. And Unexpected. And etc. So, basically, a centuries old conspiracy concealed behind Everything Evil (slavery, genetic manipulation, corruption, extortion, graft, blah, blah, bleeping, blah) and thoroughly infiltrating the Monster That Is the Solarian League. Introducing the ..... Mesan Alignment.

Hmmmm.

Okay.

And then, after what feels like many, many, many hundreds of pages (dunno, it's an electronic book)? Big ole cliffhangar. (ETA: <-- unintentional typo left in as humor) Will Manticore Be Destroyed? Will the fledgling MANS attack be detected In Time? Will the Solarian War Drag On for a Dozen Novels? Or Two? Or Two Dozen? I'm sorry to say, I actually am still interested. And very happy these are available inexpensively in electronic form, because the hardcover copies were taking up way too much space.

Thanks Baen! And Thank You David Weber. It's an embarrassing addiction, but an entertaining one.

Bicycling in the Rain, redux

It's one thing if it's threatening to rain when you leave, and then you leave, and then it starts sprinkling and later raining.

It's wholly another thing when it's sprinkling when you leave, and starts pouring before you properly get started.

I tried to talk T. out of it -- even had the papa will take you to the pool bribe ready to go. No dice. When we started getting really soaked, and we'd been out for about 45 minutes, I called R. and asked him to get ready to pick us up. I did, however, self-rescue us.

Very, very wet. Still kinda fun, tho. Altho T. is now reliably turning around and going back up the hill on Lothrop. Which I _hate_. I've started walking the bike up it, because my knees hate me otherwise.