Thirty ninth book of the year, week 42

[derien]

I finished reading "HMS Surprise" today. I'm not sure what day I started it, but it seemed to go all too fast. I'm utterly, utterly in love with these books, and I can't put them down once I get started on one. I think O'Brian's strength was that he knew how to keep the reader involved with different types of action, overlapping - the sea battles, the spy intrigue stuff, the romantic subplots (Jack needs enough money to get married, Stephen's paramour keeps jerking him around for no obvious reason) - as soon as one source of stress lets up a little a different sort comes along right away. It's a good thing that I don't have #4 in the series as yet. I do have #5, and as soon as I get #4 I'll probably be completely absorbed for two books worth. Do not get the whole series before starting to read these books or you may read them all in a week!

39) HMS Surprise, Patrick O'Brian, Third in the Aubryad.

ETA: I may put spoilers in a reply to myself, tomorrow.