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387 ratings | 138 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 Bookshelves

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Circa24’s Friends (7)

Jonathan

20,903 books | 263 friends

Joseph Young

130 books | 253 friends

Ava Cairns

10,124 books | 1,468 friends

Nat

772 books | 80 friends

Sophia

273 books | 142 friends

Zarzo Escribano

122 books | 2,581 friends

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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

CHALLENGE

Circa24 Circa24 has read 20 books of their goal of 20!

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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: 4.23 · 43 ratings · 14 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	Thomas Hardy Was an Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories From the Plague Years 4.36 avg rating — 14 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

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)

by J.K. Rowling

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Aug 04, 2026 06:22AM

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Circa24 Circa24 is 10% done with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6) by J.K. Rowling 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
Aug 06, 2026 09:03AM · like · see status
Circa24 Circa24 is currently reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6) by J.K. Rowling	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
Aug 04, 2026 06:22AM · like
Circa24 Circa24 and 73 other people liked The Conspiracy is Capitalism (new videos out!)'s review of King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa: "Scratching the surface of colonialism: we should not be so mesmerized by horrendous individuals that we forget to analyze the institutions that brought them to power... The Good: --This book accessibly weaves micro case-study narratives with macro ana" Read more of this review »
Aug 04, 2026 06:14AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Circa24 Circa24 rated a book it was amazing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5, Part 1) by J.K. Rowling	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
This was a re-read for me. The book brings together several storylines and ups the level of tension. Harry's bitterness and sense of alienation feel well beyond the normal teen angst and make the book emotionally more frustrating than the prior books ...more
Aug 04, 2026 05:50AM · 1 like · like · see review
Circa24 Circa24 is now following Orlando Patterson Author of Slavery and Social Death: A Comparative Study
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Circa24 Circa24 made a comment on New Front Porch Furniture and a Scalzi Compound Outdoor Area Overview " Agreed! And the colors are great, too! "
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Circa24 Circa24 rated a book it was amazing Plants Are Like People by Jerry Baker	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
Gardening with a sense of humor and in a presentable manner. I first read this book years ago, and it continues to offer accessible, humorous advice. Rather than portraying plants as passive organisms rooted in place, the author demonstrates that the ...more
Jul 30, 2026 01:25PM · 1 like · like · see review
Circa24 Circa24 is 80% done with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5, Part 1) by J.K. Rowling 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
Jul 30, 2026 12:28PM · 1 like · like · see status
Circa24 Circa24 is currently reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5, Part 1) by J.K. Rowling	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 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4) by J.K. Rowling	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
I love this series and its world of good vs. evil. < i> Goblet of Fire brings back the favorite stock characters, including Harry's Godfather and his Muggle family, but introduces Mad-Eye Moody. We learn more about Prof. Snape's backstory. My only co ...more
Jul 17, 2026 08:57AM · 1 like · like · see review

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Quotes by Circa24 (?)

“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, Thomas Hardy was an Optimist: A Collection of Short Stories From the Plague Years.

tags: anger, cancer, caregivers, circa24, mother-daughter-relationship

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

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

0 likes

“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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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

0 likes

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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“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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