382 ratings | 133 reviews | avg rating:4.83

Circa24’s Year In Books

Circa24’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Circa24’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Circa24’s Followers (20)

Circa24’s Bookshelves

to-read (71)
currently-reading (2)
read (389)
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Circa24’s Friends (7)

Joseph Young

128 books | 245 friends

Ava Cairns

10,067 books | 1,459 friends

Nat

762 books | 80 friends

Jonathan

19,502 books | 263 friends

Zarzo Escribano

84 books | 2,579 friends

Sophia

41 books | 142 friends

Max Tower

0 books | 921 friends

2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

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Circa24 Circa24 has read 14 of 20 books.

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Circa24

Goodreads Author

Website

https://wordpress.com/page/circa-24.com/162

Genre

Science Fiction, Gay and Lesbian, Fiction

Member Since

August 2023

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/circa24

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Circa24 is a professor of Biology. She received a Doctorate in Zoology from The University of Toronto. For many years, she has taught classes on environmental biology and animal behavior. She has spoken at international conferences on the biological roots of cruelty, discrimination, and greed. She uses the pen name Circa24 to distinguish her creative writing from her technical and non-fiction works. Author’s comment: “Hey, if a pseudonym is good enough for Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Mary Ann Evans, and Samuel Clements, then it’s good enough for me.”.

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I loved your sequel, , but I see that some people have trouble with the degradation endured by Tissi. Can you comment on why you made it so intense?

Circa24 In the beginning, I had intended to take an entirely different path, but Tissi dragged me into her world. That's why I warn people up front that the b…moreIn the beginning, I had intended to take an entirely different path, but Tissi dragged me into her world. That's why I warn people up front that the book will be unsettling.

Too often, enslavement is portrayed as little more than a form of forced labor. However, the greater horror is in its dehumanization, and that was the aspect I wanted to drive home. Every dehumanizing torture and every degradation in the book has precedence in one or more systems of enslavement. I chose the bakery setting because it was one of the most feared fates an enslaved person could endure in the Roman era. Like a sentence to the mines, it hailed a short life and tortuous death. Even the Romans acknowledged this, and it formed a core theme in the picaresque story by Apuleius, The Golden Ass where, in the 9th book, Lucius is sold into labor to drive a baker's mill-wheel.

Torture and degradation of the enslaved have been an accepted form of amusement through the ages and, as in American lynchings, have served as a bonding ritual to unite the empowered community against the subjugated one. I tried to leave out the torture reserved for Deilos, that was reportedly employed by several of the guards at Auschwitz-Birkenau and by the DINA at Villa Grimaldii under Pinochet (hence the names Birki and Rimm). More recently, one American army sergeant was convicted for a similar act of torture (Dishneau 2006, cited in: https://muse.jhu.edu/article/402871/s...). I tried to leave that bit out, but ultimately, I could not ignore the abjections of these victims. (When I substituted a less vial passage, the story didn't read right. However, I tried to temper it with his Harrie "name," Dielos, a double nod, first to the cult of Dionysus and Leto, the twin gods of love whose cult was centered at Delos. Second to Daedalus, the son of Icarus who flew too close to the sun and was a metaphor for truth (Remember: Deilos was a political prisoner, and they are often singled out for more horrific abuses.)

I also wanted to make the terror of the resistance palpable and the acceptance by most of society shocking. Each person who fights the system could be charged with an energy crime and become subject to the same filth and humiliation. Rather than a clear-cut good-guy bad-guy dichotomy, I have some characters awaken slowly to the horrors and others who experience sudden revelations. Like most of us, who don't give two thoughts about the people who make our cheap consumer goods, most people in Silent Consent and Endured just accept the conditions of the Nameless without thinking about their roles, Perhaps our world would be a little better if we asked how and who supports our quality of life, and include future generations in those computations.
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I loved the "morning person" scene at the hotel in An Encounter With Cows , but how was it that Jackie's student had a key to her room?

Circa24 Remember, he wasn't just Jackie's student; he was close to her and her second in command on the dig. Their friendship dates back years to when she fir…moreRemember, he wasn't just Jackie's student; he was close to her and her second in command on the dig. Their friendship dates back years to when she first worked on his father's ranch. Jackie and Kayla even housed him on occasion. Given these facts, Jackie could easily have given him a spare key to retrieve materials.(less)

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Circa24’s books

Average rating: 4.25 · 44 ratings · 14 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Thomas Hardy Was an Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories From the Plague Years 4.40 avg rating — 15 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Silent Consent really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 12 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Endured by The Gods (Silent Consent, #2) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 8 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Silent Consent it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Encounter With Cows 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Endured by the Gods: Silent Consent Book 2 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Thomas Hardy Was an Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories From the Plague Years 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Circa24 is Currently Reading

Circa24 Circa24 is currently reading

The Hidden Nazi: The Untold Story of America's Deal with the Devil

by Dean Reuter

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Circa24 Circa24 is currently reading

Eye of the Needle

by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author)

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May 30, 2026 03:47PM

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Circa24 Circa24 is currently reading The Hidden Nazi: The Untold Story of America's Deal with the Devil by Dean Reuter	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11 hours, 24 min ago · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hidden Nazi by Dean Reuter. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hidden Nazi by Dean Reuter <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Circa24 Circa24 is 90% done with Eye of the Needle Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett (Goodreads Author) progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11 hours, 28 min ago · like · see status
Circa24 Circa24 rated a book it was amazing James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal by Andy Weir (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
James Moriarty makes an in-person appearance in just one of the Holmes stories, plays an "off-screen" role in another, and is alluded to in just five others. Yet, this nemesis of Holmes has captured the imagination of readers in the twentieth and twe ...more
Jun 22, 2026 03:46PM · like · see review
Circa24 Circa24 rated a book it was amazing James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal by Andy Weir (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
James Moriarty makes an in-person appearance in just one of the Holmes stories, plays an "off-screen" role in another, and is alluded to in just five others. Yet, this nemesis of Holmes has captured the imagination of readers in the twentieth and twe ...more
Jun 22, 2026 03:35PM · like · see review
Circa24 Circa24 wants to read The Face of Another by Kōbō Abe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 17, 2026 08:57AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Face of Another by Kōbō Abe. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Face of Another by Kōbō Abe <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Circa24 Circa24 wants to read The Box Man by Kōbō Abe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Circa24 Circa24 rated a book it was amazing The Sum of All Fears (Jack Ryan, #6) by Tom Clancy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
What if a nuclear weapon, obtained by less than legitimate means, were to get misplaced during an attempted use? What if it gets found years later by someone else who wants to use it? That's the starting premise of this meticulously woven story. A n ...more
Jun 17, 2026 08:45AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Circa24 Circa24 rated a book it was amazing Poisons: From Hemlock to Botox and the Killer Bean of Calabar by Peter Macinnis (2006-05-05) by Peter Macinnis (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Poisons: From Hemlock to Botox and the Killer Bean of Calabar explores toxic substances in history and culture. You’ll find some murder mysteries and famous poisonings, like the execution of Socrates, but they are not the focus of the book. Instead, ...more
Jun 17, 2026 08:42AM · like · see review
Circa24 Circa24 rated a book it was amazing Conan Doyle for the Defense: The True Story of a Sensational British Murder, a Quest for Justice, and the World's Most Famous Detective Writer by Margalit Fox (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Although I love Mr.Doyle's writing and I knew a bit about him, I was completely unaware of this chapter in his life. Mr.Doyle used his fame to help free a man wrongly convicted of murder. In 1908, the Glasgow police arrested Oscar Slater, a German-Jew ...more
Jun 12, 2026 02:22PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Conan Doyle for the Defense by Margalit Fox. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Conan Doyle for the Defense by Margalit Fox <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Circa24 (?)

“I told you, Cow, Tarquin doesn’t demote. She destroys.”
― Circa24, Silent Consent

tags: cruelty, dystopian, dystopian-fiction, harries, lgbt, political-prisoners

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“She gazed over her oxygen mask at the small, smiling Christmas tree that sat on the table behind her. Tonight, the whirling sound of the disk in the drive was a song that was sweeter than any lullaby.”
― Circa24, Thomas Hardy was an Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories From the Plague Years.

tags: aids, aids-epidemic, circa24, grief, hiv, hospice, lgbt, protests, short-story-collection

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“When we entered the apartment, none of us had to ask about the food basket. From the look on Dad's face, we had received a ham. We always prayed for a turkey. It put him in a better mood.”
― Circa24, Thomas Hardy was an Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories From the Plague Years.

tags: alcoholism, christmas, emotional-abuse, food-baskets, poverty, short-story-collection

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Circa24’s Quotes

“At a gut level, she knew this illness was one more ploy by her mother—one more ploy to keep Karen under her mother's thumb”
― Circa24

tags: anger, circ24, death-and-dying, grief, lesbian, lgbt, mother-daughter-relationships

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tags: aids, aids-epidemic, circa24, grief, hiv, hospice, lgbt, protests, short-story-collection

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“I stopped and stared at the washing machine, and I felt revulsion at knowing that his things had been in there ahead of mine.”
― Circa24, Thomas Hardy Was an Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories From the Plague Years

tags: child-abuse, denial-of-child-abuse, lgbt, revulsion, witnessing

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“When you reach our age, everyone wants to keep you alive with granola. Consider this breakfast an act of liberation. I got greasy egg sandwiches, bacon, and hash browns.”
― Circa24, Thomas Hardy was an Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories From the Plague Years.

tags: abandonment, birthdays, circa24, elderly, lesbian, lgbt, old-age, ontario, short-story-collection

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