HPL Reads discussion

Our Informationist has moved on to a new job, and our new Informationist doesn't start for a few days, so I'm subbing in for now.

What adventures do you have planned for August's reading topic? I recently discovered a love of history and of travel memoirs, so this month I'm reading Running with the Kenyans: Discovering the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth by Adharanand Finn - on audio. It's the story of a man who goes to Kenyan training camps to discover the secrets of barefoot running, but "Amid the daily challenges of training and of raising a family abroad, Finn would learn invaluable lessons about running—and about life."

What is everyone else reading? Does anyone need a recommendation?

It's your new Informationist here! My name is Rachael and I can't wait to meet all of you.
My all time favorite adventure book is Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. This was one of the few books where I watched the movie first (Muppet Treasure Island, a classic), but then read the book and loved both even more. Any more favorites out there? Or anything new that we should put on our to-be-read list?

For August I read A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz. It traces the founding of America from the vikings through the landing on Plymoth rock in 1620, and doesn't shy away from the dark truths. It also debunks a lot of what we learned in history class as truth, revealing what actually happened as told by journals, reports, and other primary historical sources. I learned so much from this book, and while saddned by our history of conquest and death, I was also amazed by the fortitude of these early adventurers. I highly recommend it.

I recently finished the audio version of The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron. It alternates between the story of Girl, a Neanderthal living at the end of their era, and Dr. Gale, a pregnant archaeologist racing her biological clock to unearth the story of some curious remains found in France. I told myself if it was too corny after a few pages, I would skip it and move on, but I was surprised to be swept up in Girl's day to day life and concerned with her well being. I was excited to see if Dr. Gale would stick it to the man by remaining on site and getting credit for her discovery before the birth of her baby halted her progress. It was a fun adventure going back in time and exploring a modern dig site. By the end of the novel, I was certainly more interested in Girl than Dr. Gale. I feel like the Neanderthal characters were more well developed despite their literally not having any words to say, maybe because there were fewer of them? At some times I wanted to shake Dr. Gale for the choices she made, though I'm sure there are plenty of women out there who would celebrate her decisions. The blurb says the book asks readers to reconsider what it means to be human, but ultimately, I think it gets the reader to reconsider what it means to be woman and mother - human or otherwise.

The Last Neanderthal sounds excellent. I love it when a book surpasses my expectations!