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The Elsewhere Line | Passenger: Priya
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π STOP #1 β π‘ Chicago
Summer 1893

The White City is glowing.
As evening falls over the World's Columbian Exposition, thousands of electric lights illuminate the grand white buildings, fountains, and lagoons surrounding you. Searchlights sweep across the fairgrounds while illuminated fountains change color against the night.
But we're not here just to admire the view.
Towering over the Midway is the world's first Ferris WheelβGeorge Ferris's enormous answer to the Eiffel Tower, carrying passengers high above the fairgrounds.
Before the train leaves, we're taking a ride.
π Choose ONE:
π‘ 1. Read a book with WHITE or CITY in the text.
π‘ 2. Read a book with a circle or wheel on the cover.
π‘ 3. Read a book with a page count ending in 1, 8, 9 or 3.
π‘ 4. Read a book where the author's last name begins with a letter in CHICAGO.
π‘ 5. Read a book where a character tries something they've never done before.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: See how electricity turned the White City into something visitors described as almost magical.
π https://worldsfairchicago1893.com/202...
Summer 1893

The White City is glowing.
As evening falls over the World's Columbian Exposition, thousands of electric lights illuminate the grand white buildings, fountains, and lagoons surrounding you. Searchlights sweep across the fairgrounds while illuminated fountains change color against the night.
But we're not here just to admire the view.
Towering over the Midway is the world's first Ferris WheelβGeorge Ferris's enormous answer to the Eiffel Tower, carrying passengers high above the fairgrounds.
Before the train leaves, we're taking a ride.
π Choose ONE:
π‘ 1. Read a book with WHITE or CITY in the text.
π‘ 2. Read a book with a circle or wheel on the cover.
π‘ 3. Read a book with a page count ending in 1, 8, 9 or 3.
π‘ 4. Read a book where the author's last name begins with a letter in CHICAGO.
π‘ 5. Read a book where a character tries something they've never done before.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: See how electricity turned the White City into something visitors described as almost magical.
π https://worldsfairchicago1893.com/202...
Book/Author - A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha ChristieDate Read - 17/9
Pages - 224
Stop - Chicago
Task - Read a book where the author's last name begins with a letter in CHICAGO.
How it fits - Author last name begins with C.
Your commemorative coin from Chicago

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #2 β π± Atlantis
Before the Fall

Atlantis has one small problem.
It never existed.
Plato described a wealthy island kingdom built around concentric rings of land and water. Generations of Atlanteans bridged the rings, cut a canal to the sea, and opened passages wide enough for ships to travel from one ring to the next.
Thousands of years later, people are still looking for it.
Apparently, they should have tried the train.
Before the train leaves, we're taking a boat through the rings of Atlantis.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book with a one-word title.
π 2. Read a book with something gold, silver, or bronze on the cover.
π 3. Read a book where the author's first name starts with a letter in PLATO.
π 4. Read a book where something believed to be lost is found or rediscovered.
π 5. Read a book with a title/subtitle/series that contains all the letters in ATLANTIS.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious what Plato actually said about Atlantis?
π The Cliff Notes: A reader-friendly look at the story, the city Plato described, and the theories that followed.
https://www.worldhistory.org/atlantis/
π The Original: Read Critias, where Plato takes us inside Atlantis itself.
https://classics.mit.edu/Plato/critia...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #2 β π± Atlantis
Before the Fall

Atlantis has one small problem.
It never existed.
Plato described a wealthy island kingdom built around concentric rings of land and water. Generations of Atlanteans bridged the rings, cut a canal to the sea, and opened passages wide enough for ships to travel from one ring to the next.
Thousands of years later, people are still looking for it.
Apparently, they should have tried the train.
Before the train leaves, we're taking a boat through the rings of Atlantis.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book with a one-word title.
π 2. Read a book with something gold, silver, or bronze on the cover.
π 3. Read a book where the author's first name starts with a letter in PLATO.
π 4. Read a book where something believed to be lost is found or rediscovered.
π 5. Read a book with a title/subtitle/series that contains all the letters in ATLANTIS.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious what Plato actually said about Atlantis?
π The Cliff Notes: A reader-friendly look at the story, the city Plato described, and the theories that followed.
https://www.worldhistory.org/atlantis/
π The Original: Read Critias, where Plato takes us inside Atlantis itself.
https://classics.mit.edu/Plato/critia...
π Stop 2 - π± AtlantisTask - Read a book with a one-word title.
Book/Author - Soundtrack: A Novel by Jason Reynolds
Date Read - 28/9
Pages - 320
How it fits - One word title.
Your commemorative coin from Atlantis

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #3 β π¦ Lisbon
June 3, 1515

Lisbon has a new celebrity.
A rhinoceros from India arrived just two weeks agoβthe first living rhino seen in Europe for centuries. Crowds have come to see the animal that most Europeans know only from ancient descriptions.
Today, King Manuel I puts an ancient question to the test: are rhinoceroses and elephants natural-born enemies?
The experiment doesn't last long. The rhino advances. The elephant takes one look at the situation and makes its exit.
Before the train leaves, we're going to see the animal everyone in Lisbon is talking about.
π Choose ONE:
β 1. Read a book set in Europe.
β 2. Read a book with an animal on the cover.
β 3. Read a book with 15 in the page count. (Example: 415, 157)
β 4. Read a book where the MC's first or last name begins with a letter in GENDA.
β 5. Read a book where a character encounters something they've never seen before.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Never heard this story? Here's the bite-size versionβand how a man who never saw Genda created the image that shaped Europe's idea of one for centuries.
π https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-le...
π¦ One more thing: See that tower under construction? Genda would leave his mark there, tooβand it's still there more than 500 years later.
π https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/b...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #3 β π¦ Lisbon
June 3, 1515

Lisbon has a new celebrity.
A rhinoceros from India arrived just two weeks agoβthe first living rhino seen in Europe for centuries. Crowds have come to see the animal that most Europeans know only from ancient descriptions.
Today, King Manuel I puts an ancient question to the test: are rhinoceroses and elephants natural-born enemies?
The experiment doesn't last long. The rhino advances. The elephant takes one look at the situation and makes its exit.
Before the train leaves, we're going to see the animal everyone in Lisbon is talking about.
π Choose ONE:
β 1. Read a book set in Europe.
β 2. Read a book with an animal on the cover.
β 3. Read a book with 15 in the page count. (Example: 415, 157)
β 4. Read a book where the MC's first or last name begins with a letter in GENDA.
β 5. Read a book where a character encounters something they've never seen before.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Never heard this story? Here's the bite-size versionβand how a man who never saw Genda created the image that shaped Europe's idea of one for centuries.
π https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-le...
π¦ One more thing: See that tower under construction? Genda would leave his mark there, tooβand it's still there more than 500 years later.
π https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/b...
STOP #3 β π¦ LisbonTask - Read a book where the MC's first or last name begins with a letter in GENDA
Book/Author - You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
Date Read - 29/9
Pages - 368
How it fits - One of the MC's is named Eddie.
Your commemorative coin from Lisbon

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #4 β π Baghdad
9th Century

Baghdad is having a book boom.
In the Suq al-Warraqinβthe Stationers' Marketβmore than a hundred shops line the streets, where paper and books are sold and copyists turn out manuscripts for a city hungry for the written word.
This isn't a quiet place to browse. Stationers copy texts, make and sell books, track down works for customers, and trade ideas along the way.
One famous reader, al-Jahiz, was even said to rent bookshops overnight so he could keep reading after everyone else went home.
Frankly, we respect the commitment.
Before the train leaves, we're going book shopping.
π Choose ONE:
ποΈ 1. Read a book with PAPER or BOOK in the text.
ποΈ 2. Read a book featuring a character who loves to read.
ποΈ 3. Read a book with a predominantly CREAM/BEIGE cover. (More than 50%.)
ποΈ 4. Read a book where a character buys, sells, makes, or copies something.
ποΈ 5. Read a book with an author whose first OR last name contains 3 or more letters from BAGHDAD.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Baghdad's book boom had a secret ingredient: paper. So how did a Chinese invention help fill the city's streets with booksellersβand change the written world?
π https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #4 β π Baghdad
9th Century

Baghdad is having a book boom.
In the Suq al-Warraqinβthe Stationers' Marketβmore than a hundred shops line the streets, where paper and books are sold and copyists turn out manuscripts for a city hungry for the written word.
This isn't a quiet place to browse. Stationers copy texts, make and sell books, track down works for customers, and trade ideas along the way.
One famous reader, al-Jahiz, was even said to rent bookshops overnight so he could keep reading after everyone else went home.
Frankly, we respect the commitment.
Before the train leaves, we're going book shopping.
π Choose ONE:
ποΈ 1. Read a book with PAPER or BOOK in the text.
ποΈ 2. Read a book featuring a character who loves to read.
ποΈ 3. Read a book with a predominantly CREAM/BEIGE cover. (More than 50%.)
ποΈ 4. Read a book where a character buys, sells, makes, or copies something.
ποΈ 5. Read a book with an author whose first OR last name contains 3 or more letters from BAGHDAD.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Baghdad's book boom had a secret ingredient: paper. So how did a Chinese invention help fill the city's streets with booksellersβand change the written world?
π https://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue...
πSTOP #4 β π Baghdad9th Century
Task - Read a book with PAPER or BOOK in the text.
Book/Author - The Extra by Annie Neugebauer
Date Read - 4/10
Pages - 132
How it fits - Diego takes the paper from Bianca and says, βBe back in a jiff.β @93%
Your commemorative coin from Baghdad

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #5 β π¨ Teotihuacan
c. 450 CE

You recognize the pyramids.
Almost nothing else looks familiar.
The bare stone ruins you know are nowhere to be seen. Teotihuacan is alive, its buildings covered in white plaster and vivid red, with painted murals stretching across homes, temples, and public spaces.
Beyond the monumental center, thousands of people live in sprawling apartment compounds arranged around open courtyards, many with their own elaborate painted walls. This isn't an archaeological site. It's one of the great cities of the ancient world.
Before the train leaves, we're walking the Avenue of the Dead while Teotihuacan still has its colors.
π Choose ONE:
πͺΆ 1. Read a book set in an urban city.
πͺΆ 2. Read a book with more than 450 pages.
πͺΆ 3. Read a book featuring a home or apartment.
πͺΆ 4. Read a book with 3 or more colors on the cover.
πͺΆ 5. Read a book where a place looks very different from how a character remembers or expects it.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: The Teotihuacan we see today has lost most of its color. See what surviving pigments and murals reveal about the painted city.
π https://visitateotihuacan.inah.gob.mx...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #5 β π¨ Teotihuacan
c. 450 CE

You recognize the pyramids.
Almost nothing else looks familiar.
The bare stone ruins you know are nowhere to be seen. Teotihuacan is alive, its buildings covered in white plaster and vivid red, with painted murals stretching across homes, temples, and public spaces.
Beyond the monumental center, thousands of people live in sprawling apartment compounds arranged around open courtyards, many with their own elaborate painted walls. This isn't an archaeological site. It's one of the great cities of the ancient world.
Before the train leaves, we're walking the Avenue of the Dead while Teotihuacan still has its colors.
π Choose ONE:
πͺΆ 1. Read a book set in an urban city.
πͺΆ 2. Read a book with more than 450 pages.
πͺΆ 3. Read a book featuring a home or apartment.
πͺΆ 4. Read a book with 3 or more colors on the cover.
πͺΆ 5. Read a book where a place looks very different from how a character remembers or expects it.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: The Teotihuacan we see today has lost most of its color. See what surviving pigments and murals reveal about the painted city.
π https://visitateotihuacan.inah.gob.mx...
π STOP #5 β π¨ Teotihuacanc. 450 CE
Task - Read a book with 3 or more colors on the cover
Book/Author - We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin
Date Read - 9/10
Pages - 320
How it fits - 3+ colours on the cover
Your commemorative coin from Teotihuacan

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #6 β π Edo
c. 1830

Clear your schedule. We're going to the theater.
At the Nakamura-za, kabuki isn't a quiet evening out. Performances can last most of the day, with audiences eating, drinking, talking, and settling into box seats while vendors move through the theater with food and tea.
And don't get too comfortable watching the stage. The hanamichi runs straight through the audience, giving actors another entranceβand putting the performance only a few feet away.
Wooden clappers cut through the chatter, elaborate costumes sweep across the stage, and the crowd cheers, calls out, and reacts right along with the performance. This is popular entertainment, not polite theaterβand the audience is part of the show.
Before the train leaves, we're spending the day at the Nakamura-zaβand we're getting seats beside the hanamichi.
π Choose ONE:
ποΈ 1. Read a book with THEATER in the text.
ποΈ 2. Read a book with food or a drink on the cover.
ποΈ 3. Read a book where a character attends a performance or show.
ποΈ 4. Read a book with a publication date containing at least 2 of the digits in 1-8-3-0.
ποΈ 5. Read a book where NEITHER the author's first NOR last name begins with a letter in NAKAMURA-ZA.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Want to see what an Edo kabuki theater actually looked like? Take a closer look inside the Nakamura-za through a period printβright down to the box seats, food vendors, and hanamichi running through the crowd.
π https://kunisada-and-kabuki.fitzmuseu...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #6 β π Edo
c. 1830

Clear your schedule. We're going to the theater.
At the Nakamura-za, kabuki isn't a quiet evening out. Performances can last most of the day, with audiences eating, drinking, talking, and settling into box seats while vendors move through the theater with food and tea.
And don't get too comfortable watching the stage. The hanamichi runs straight through the audience, giving actors another entranceβand putting the performance only a few feet away.
Wooden clappers cut through the chatter, elaborate costumes sweep across the stage, and the crowd cheers, calls out, and reacts right along with the performance. This is popular entertainment, not polite theaterβand the audience is part of the show.
Before the train leaves, we're spending the day at the Nakamura-zaβand we're getting seats beside the hanamichi.
π Choose ONE:
ποΈ 1. Read a book with THEATER in the text.
ποΈ 2. Read a book with food or a drink on the cover.
ποΈ 3. Read a book where a character attends a performance or show.
ποΈ 4. Read a book with a publication date containing at least 2 of the digits in 1-8-3-0.
ποΈ 5. Read a book where NEITHER the author's first NOR last name begins with a letter in NAKAMURA-ZA.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Want to see what an Edo kabuki theater actually looked like? Take a closer look inside the Nakamura-za through a period printβright down to the box seats, food vendors, and hanamichi running through the crowd.
π https://kunisada-and-kabuki.fitzmuseu...
π STOP #6 β π Edoc. 1830
Task - Read a book where NEITHER the author's first NOR last name begins with a letter in NAKAMURA-ZA.
Book/Author - Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne
Date Read - 16/10
Pages - 288
How it fits - Author initials are J and T.
Your commemorative coin from Edo

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #7 β π« Wonderland
Tea Time

We've arrived just in time for tea.
Unfortunately, it's always time for tea here.
The Hatter has quarreled with Time himself, and the clock hasn't moved past six ever since. With no time to wash the dishes, the Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse simply move to another place at the table when the cups are used up.
There is plenty of room. You will nevertheless be told there isn't.
Expect tea and bread and butter, unsolicited personal remarks, stories that make increasingly less sense, and at least one riddle whose answer nobody actually knows.
Before the train leaves, we're staying for tea. Croquet afterward, assuming no one loses their head.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book with a page count ending in 6.
π 2. Read a book with a title or series beginning with M.
π 3. Read a book with a cup, teapot, or other drinkware on the cover.
π 4. Read a book featuring a character who is late or loses track of time.
π 5. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are both in WONDERLAND.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: The Hatter's famous riddle wasn't supposed to have an answer. Readers kept asking anywayβso Carroll eventually gave them one, complete with a wordplay trick that later editions accidentally erased.
π https://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/r...
π© See the original Wonderland: Before generations of adaptations had their turn, John Tenniel illustrated Carroll's Wonderland.
π https://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/r...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #7 β π« Wonderland
Tea Time

We've arrived just in time for tea.
Unfortunately, it's always time for tea here.
The Hatter has quarreled with Time himself, and the clock hasn't moved past six ever since. With no time to wash the dishes, the Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse simply move to another place at the table when the cups are used up.
There is plenty of room. You will nevertheless be told there isn't.
Expect tea and bread and butter, unsolicited personal remarks, stories that make increasingly less sense, and at least one riddle whose answer nobody actually knows.
Before the train leaves, we're staying for tea. Croquet afterward, assuming no one loses their head.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book with a page count ending in 6.
π 2. Read a book with a title or series beginning with M.
π 3. Read a book with a cup, teapot, or other drinkware on the cover.
π 4. Read a book featuring a character who is late or loses track of time.
π 5. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are both in WONDERLAND.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: The Hatter's famous riddle wasn't supposed to have an answer. Readers kept asking anywayβso Carroll eventually gave them one, complete with a wordplay trick that later editions accidentally erased.
π https://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/r...
π© See the original Wonderland: Before generations of adaptations had their turn, John Tenniel illustrated Carroll's Wonderland.
π https://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/r...
π STOP #7 β π« WonderlandTea
Task - Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are both in WONDERLAND.
Book/Author - Before We Were Yours by
Lisa Wingate
Date Read - 19/10
Pages - 344
How it fits - Author initials are L And W
Your commemorative coin from Wonderland

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #8 β π½ New York City
Sunday, October 27, 1929

Wall Street should be quiet on a Sunday. Today, it isn't.
After a brutal week on the market, bankers and brokers are back at work catching up, while curious sightseers wander the financial district. Some are even picking up stray pieces of ticker tape from the street as souvenirs.
Thereβs a sense that the worst may have passed.
We know better.
Before the train leaves, join the Sunday sightseers outside the Exchangeβand pocket a piece of ticker tape of your own.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book published in October.
π 2. Read a book with 29 in the page count. (Example: 290, 529)
π 3. Read a book with NEW, YORK, WALL, or STREET in the title.
π 4. Read a book where a character takes a risk or makes a gamble.
π 5. Read a book with paper, a newspaper, receipt, ticket, or other loose paper item on the cover.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Read what The New York Times reported from Wall Street the very next morning.
π https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytim...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #8 β π½ New York City
Sunday, October 27, 1929

Wall Street should be quiet on a Sunday. Today, it isn't.
After a brutal week on the market, bankers and brokers are back at work catching up, while curious sightseers wander the financial district. Some are even picking up stray pieces of ticker tape from the street as souvenirs.
Thereβs a sense that the worst may have passed.
We know better.
Before the train leaves, join the Sunday sightseers outside the Exchangeβand pocket a piece of ticker tape of your own.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book published in October.
π 2. Read a book with 29 in the page count. (Example: 290, 529)
π 3. Read a book with NEW, YORK, WALL, or STREET in the title.
π 4. Read a book where a character takes a risk or makes a gamble.
π 5. Read a book with paper, a newspaper, receipt, ticket, or other loose paper item on the cover.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: Read what The New York Times reported from Wall Street the very next morning.
π https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytim...
π STOP #8 β π½ New York CitySunday, October 27, 1929
Task - Read a book published in October.
Book/Author - Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
Date Read - 20/10
Pages - 242
How it fits - Published in October
Your commemorative coin from New York City

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #9 β π Venice
Carnival Season, c. 1765

Tonight, Venice is wearing a mask.
During Carnival, anonymity has rules of its own. Behind a white bauta or a dark moretta, names and faces become easier to hideβand that makes the city feel just a little less predictable.
By evening, masked crowds move between theaters, cafΓ©s, gaming rooms, and private gatherings. At the Ridotto, nearly everyone at the tables is disguised, while the men running the games remain conspicuously bare-faced.
For a few hours, where you goβand who you choose to be while you're thereβis entirely up to you.
Before the train leaves, choose a mask and disappear into Carnival for the evening.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book with a mask on the cover.
π 2. Read a book with CARNIVAL in the text.
π 3. Read a book with NIGHT, EVENING, or MIDNIGHT in the title.
π 4. Read a book where a character hides or disguises their identity.
π 5. Read a book with an MC whose first name starts with a letter in MORETTA.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: The moretta had no straps or ties. The small black velvet mask was held in place by gripping a button between the teethβwhich meant its wearer couldn't speak while wearing it.
π https://www.camacana.com/en-UK/morett...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #9 β π Venice
Carnival Season, c. 1765

Tonight, Venice is wearing a mask.
During Carnival, anonymity has rules of its own. Behind a white bauta or a dark moretta, names and faces become easier to hideβand that makes the city feel just a little less predictable.
By evening, masked crowds move between theaters, cafΓ©s, gaming rooms, and private gatherings. At the Ridotto, nearly everyone at the tables is disguised, while the men running the games remain conspicuously bare-faced.
For a few hours, where you goβand who you choose to be while you're thereβis entirely up to you.
Before the train leaves, choose a mask and disappear into Carnival for the evening.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book with a mask on the cover.
π 2. Read a book with CARNIVAL in the text.
π 3. Read a book with NIGHT, EVENING, or MIDNIGHT in the title.
π 4. Read a book where a character hides or disguises their identity.
π 5. Read a book with an MC whose first name starts with a letter in MORETTA.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: The moretta had no straps or ties. The small black velvet mask was held in place by gripping a button between the teethβwhich meant its wearer couldn't speak while wearing it.
π https://www.camacana.com/en-UK/morett...
π STOP #9 β π VeniceCarnival Season, c. 1765
Task - Read a book with an MC whose first name starts with a letter in MORETTA
Book/Author - Corpse at Captain's Seat by Josh Lanyon
Date Read - 21/10
Pages - 304
How it fits - MC's name is Ellery.
Your commemorative coin from Venice

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #10 β π΄ Mars
2084

Welcome to the future.
Or at least, the future as 1990 imagined it.
The Elsewhere Line doesn't limit itself to places found on maps. This particular Mars comes courtesy of Total Recall, where a colony has taken root beneath glass, steel, and concrete.
Outside, the red Martian landscape stretches beyond the colony's enormous windows. Inside, there's air to breathe and an entire city going about its business.
And 2084 looks suspiciously like the future once promised by 1990βchunky technology, industrial architecture, and fashions that never quite left the century that imagined them.
Before the train leaves, we're exploring Mars. Just remember which side of the glass has oxygen.
π Choose ONE:
πͺ 1. Read a book published or set in the 1990s.
πͺ 2. Read a book with a planet, moon, or stars on the cover.
πͺ 3. Read a book that contains all the letters in MARS in the title.
πͺ 4. Read a book featuring a dual identity or an undercover operative.
πͺ 5. Read a book with significant scenes set underground or inside a dome.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: In 1990, photorealistic CGI couldn't simply build Mars. See how Total Recall used enormous sets, miniatures, matte work, and practical effects to create 2084.
π https://www.fxguide.com/fxfeatured/re...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #10 β π΄ Mars
2084

Welcome to the future.
Or at least, the future as 1990 imagined it.
The Elsewhere Line doesn't limit itself to places found on maps. This particular Mars comes courtesy of Total Recall, where a colony has taken root beneath glass, steel, and concrete.
Outside, the red Martian landscape stretches beyond the colony's enormous windows. Inside, there's air to breathe and an entire city going about its business.
And 2084 looks suspiciously like the future once promised by 1990βchunky technology, industrial architecture, and fashions that never quite left the century that imagined them.
Before the train leaves, we're exploring Mars. Just remember which side of the glass has oxygen.
π Choose ONE:
πͺ 1. Read a book published or set in the 1990s.
πͺ 2. Read a book with a planet, moon, or stars on the cover.
πͺ 3. Read a book that contains all the letters in MARS in the title.
πͺ 4. Read a book featuring a dual identity or an undercover operative.
πͺ 5. Read a book with significant scenes set underground or inside a dome.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: In 1990, photorealistic CGI couldn't simply build Mars. See how Total Recall used enormous sets, miniatures, matte work, and practical effects to create 2084.
π https://www.fxguide.com/fxfeatured/re...
π STOP #10 β π΄ Mars2084
Task - Read a book with significant scenes set underground or inside a dome.
Book/Author - The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison
Date Read - 25/10
Pages - 296
How it fits - The book is set in a man made garden that's enclosed by glass and hidden away.
Your commemorative coin from Mars

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #11 β π―οΈ Petrograd
1916

The building at 64 Gorokhovaya Street doesn't look particularly remarkable.
The men watching everyone who goes inside are another matter.
The secret police keep a close eye on this address, recording visitors as they come and go. And there are plenty of them. Petitioners, admirers, officials, society women, clergy, and assorted visitors all find their way to the apartment upstairs.
Today, we're among them.
Grigori Rasputin has become one of the most talked-about men in Russiaβand one of the hardest to separate from the stories told about him. Fraud, mystic, healer, manipulator, holy manβeveryone seems to have an opinion.
Fortunately, The Elsewhere Line has given us something better than another opinion.
We've been invited upstairs for tea.
The apartment itself is surprisingly ordinary with heavy oak furniture, a samovar, plates of biscuits and sweets, visitors coming and going while Rasputin pours tea and takes calls.
Before the train leaves, we're sitting across the table from Grigori Rasputin. You can decide what you make of him.
π Choose ONE:
ποΈ 1. Read a book with a door or doorway on the cover.
ποΈ 2. Read a book featuring a character with a controversial reputation.
ποΈ 3. Read a book where someone is being watched, followed, or surveilled.
ποΈ 4. Read a book with a page count containing at least 2 of the digits in 1-9-1-6.
ποΈ 5. Read a book where NEITHER the author's first NOR last name begins with a letter in RASPUTIN.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: We weren't the only ones interested in who came through Rasputin's door. The Petrograd secret police kept detailed surveillance logs of the visitors to 64 Gorokhovaya Street.
π https://www.alexanderpalace.org/palac...
πͺ© Meanwhile, in 1978: History eventually gave Rasputin a disco song. Obviously, you should hear it.
π https://youtu.be/MkG1J5SZ_kw

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #11 β π―οΈ Petrograd
1916

The building at 64 Gorokhovaya Street doesn't look particularly remarkable.
The men watching everyone who goes inside are another matter.
The secret police keep a close eye on this address, recording visitors as they come and go. And there are plenty of them. Petitioners, admirers, officials, society women, clergy, and assorted visitors all find their way to the apartment upstairs.
Today, we're among them.
Grigori Rasputin has become one of the most talked-about men in Russiaβand one of the hardest to separate from the stories told about him. Fraud, mystic, healer, manipulator, holy manβeveryone seems to have an opinion.
Fortunately, The Elsewhere Line has given us something better than another opinion.
We've been invited upstairs for tea.
The apartment itself is surprisingly ordinary with heavy oak furniture, a samovar, plates of biscuits and sweets, visitors coming and going while Rasputin pours tea and takes calls.
Before the train leaves, we're sitting across the table from Grigori Rasputin. You can decide what you make of him.
π Choose ONE:
ποΈ 1. Read a book with a door or doorway on the cover.
ποΈ 2. Read a book featuring a character with a controversial reputation.
ποΈ 3. Read a book where someone is being watched, followed, or surveilled.
ποΈ 4. Read a book with a page count containing at least 2 of the digits in 1-9-1-6.
ποΈ 5. Read a book where NEITHER the author's first NOR last name begins with a letter in RASPUTIN.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: We weren't the only ones interested in who came through Rasputin's door. The Petrograd secret police kept detailed surveillance logs of the visitors to 64 Gorokhovaya Street.
π https://www.alexanderpalace.org/palac...
πͺ© Meanwhile, in 1978: History eventually gave Rasputin a disco song. Obviously, you should hear it.
π https://youtu.be/MkG1J5SZ_kw
π STOP #11 β π―οΈ Petrograd1916
Task - Read a book where someone is being watched, followed, or surveilled.
Book/Author - The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Date Read - 28/10
Pages - 384
How it fits - Several of the characters are being watched.
Your commemorative coin from Petrograd

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #12 β π¦ Hell Creek
66 Million Years Ago

π’ Attention, passengers. Please make your way to the Observation Car.
For once, we're not getting off the train.
Outside the windows is a world no human being has ever seen.
What will someday become the western interior of North America is warm, green, and crossed by rivers and floodplains. Triceratops and Edmontosaurus move through the landscapeβand somewhere out there, Tyrannosaurus rex is doing the same.
The Line will be moving slowly through this one.
Find a window seat. We're taking the scenic route through the last world of the dinosaurs.
π Choose ONE:
𦴠1. Read a book with three E's in the title.
𦴠2. Read a book with OBSERVING in the text.
𦴠3. Read a book with two 6's in the publication date.
𦴠4. Read a book with a dinosaur or large animal on the cover.
𦴠5. Read a book with a predominantly GREEN cover. (More than 50%.)
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: No one was around to take pictures of Hell Creek 66 million years agoβso how do we know what we're looking at? See how fossils and other clues help scientists reconstruct the world of the last dinosaurs.
π https://naturalhistory.si.edu/educati...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #12 β π¦ Hell Creek
66 Million Years Ago

π’ Attention, passengers. Please make your way to the Observation Car.
For once, we're not getting off the train.
Outside the windows is a world no human being has ever seen.
What will someday become the western interior of North America is warm, green, and crossed by rivers and floodplains. Triceratops and Edmontosaurus move through the landscapeβand somewhere out there, Tyrannosaurus rex is doing the same.
The Line will be moving slowly through this one.
Find a window seat. We're taking the scenic route through the last world of the dinosaurs.
π Choose ONE:
𦴠1. Read a book with three E's in the title.
𦴠2. Read a book with OBSERVING in the text.
𦴠3. Read a book with two 6's in the publication date.
𦴠4. Read a book with a dinosaur or large animal on the cover.
𦴠5. Read a book with a predominantly GREEN cover. (More than 50%.)
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: No one was around to take pictures of Hell Creek 66 million years agoβso how do we know what we're looking at? See how fossils and other clues help scientists reconstruct the world of the last dinosaurs.
π https://naturalhistory.si.edu/educati...
π STOP #12 β π¦ Hell Creek66 Million Years Ago
Task -
𦴠5. Read a book with a predominantly GREEN cover.
Book/Author - Adam, Mine. by K. Ancrum
Date Read - 3/11
Pages - 360
How it fits - Green cover Adam, Mine.
Your commemorative coin from Hell Creek

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #13 β πΊ Tahiti
c. 1770s

We've arrived in Tahiti just in time to watch another journey begin.
Along the shore, a large double-hulled voyaging canoe is preparing to leave for RaΚ»iΔtea. Built for open water, vessels like this carried people and provisions between islands across a world connected by the sea.
We're going with them.
Tahiti is still visible when we set out in daylight. As the voyage continues, familiar landmarks fall away until there's nothing around us but open Pacific.
That doesn't mean we're lost.
The navigator reads a map that isn't drawn on paperβusing the sun and stars, winds, ocean swells, and generations of knowledge about where the islands lie.
By night, the view has changed completely. The canoe moves beneath a sky full of stars, with no land in sight.
We're joining the voyage to RaΚ»iΔteaβand trusting the navigator to get us there. The Elsewhere Line will meet us when we arrive.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book set on an island.
π 2. Read a book with a boat or canoe on the cover.
π 3. Read a book with NAVIGATION or VOYAGE in the text.
π 4. Read a book with a title that contains all the letters in TAHITI.
π 5. Read a book where someone relies on another person's expertise to reach a destination.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: In 1769, RaΚ»iΔtean navigator Tupaia helped map a Pacific world spanning thousands of miles and more than 100 islands. Take a closer look at the remarkable knowledge behind Tupaia's chart.
π https://www.captaincooksociety.com/co...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #13 β πΊ Tahiti
c. 1770s

We've arrived in Tahiti just in time to watch another journey begin.
Along the shore, a large double-hulled voyaging canoe is preparing to leave for RaΚ»iΔtea. Built for open water, vessels like this carried people and provisions between islands across a world connected by the sea.
We're going with them.
Tahiti is still visible when we set out in daylight. As the voyage continues, familiar landmarks fall away until there's nothing around us but open Pacific.
That doesn't mean we're lost.
The navigator reads a map that isn't drawn on paperβusing the sun and stars, winds, ocean swells, and generations of knowledge about where the islands lie.
By night, the view has changed completely. The canoe moves beneath a sky full of stars, with no land in sight.
We're joining the voyage to RaΚ»iΔteaβand trusting the navigator to get us there. The Elsewhere Line will meet us when we arrive.
π Choose ONE:
π 1. Read a book set on an island.
π 2. Read a book with a boat or canoe on the cover.
π 3. Read a book with NAVIGATION or VOYAGE in the text.
π 4. Read a book with a title that contains all the letters in TAHITI.
π 5. Read a book where someone relies on another person's expertise to reach a destination.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: In 1769, RaΚ»iΔtean navigator Tupaia helped map a Pacific world spanning thousands of miles and more than 100 islands. Take a closer look at the remarkable knowledge behind Tupaia's chart.
π https://www.captaincooksociety.com/co...
π STOP #13 β πΊ Tahitic. 1770s
Task - Read a book with a title that contains all the letters in TAHITI.
Book/Author - Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
Pages - 432
How it fits - Title contains all the letters in TAHITI - ImmorTAl In deaTH
Priya wrote: "π STOP #13 β πΊ Tahiti
c. 1770s
Task - Read a book with a title that contains all the letters in TAHITI.
Book/Author - Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
I just finished this book!
Pages - 432
How..."
c. 1770s
Task - Read a book with a title that contains all the letters in TAHITI.
Book/Author - Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
I just finished this book!
Pages - 432
How..."
Your commemorative coin from Tahiti

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #14 β ποΈ East Berlin
November 9, 1989

Something strange is happening tonight.
Word is spreading through East Berlin that the border is open. Or maybe it's going to open. No one seems entirely sure.
So people do the obvious thing.
They go to see for themselves.
At Bornholmer StraΓe, dozens become hundreds, then thousands. The border guards are still at their posts, the barriers are still down, and no one has given them clear instructions about what they're supposed to do with the crowd gathering in front of them.
Then, late that night, the barrier opens.
People surge across the bridge into West Berlinβcheering, shouting, dancing, falling into each other's arms. A border that had been impassable to most East Germans for 28 years suddenly isn't.
The Wall is still standing.
It just isn't doing its job anymore.
We're crossing with them.
π Choose ONE:
π§± 1. Read a book with WALL in the text.
π§± 2. Read a book where strangers celebrate together.
π§± 3. Read a book with a wall, fence, or barrier on the cover.
π§± 4. Read a book where a character goes somewhere they aren't allowed to go.
π§± 5. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are both in EAST BERLIN.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: So how did this happen so suddenly? The new travel rules weren't supposed to send thousands of people to the Wall that nightβuntil one answer at a live press conference changed everything.
π https://www.orte-der-einheit.de/en/pr...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #14 β ποΈ East Berlin
November 9, 1989

Something strange is happening tonight.
Word is spreading through East Berlin that the border is open. Or maybe it's going to open. No one seems entirely sure.
So people do the obvious thing.
They go to see for themselves.
At Bornholmer StraΓe, dozens become hundreds, then thousands. The border guards are still at their posts, the barriers are still down, and no one has given them clear instructions about what they're supposed to do with the crowd gathering in front of them.
Then, late that night, the barrier opens.
People surge across the bridge into West Berlinβcheering, shouting, dancing, falling into each other's arms. A border that had been impassable to most East Germans for 28 years suddenly isn't.
The Wall is still standing.
It just isn't doing its job anymore.
We're crossing with them.
π Choose ONE:
π§± 1. Read a book with WALL in the text.
π§± 2. Read a book where strangers celebrate together.
π§± 3. Read a book with a wall, fence, or barrier on the cover.
π§± 4. Read a book where a character goes somewhere they aren't allowed to go.
π§± 5. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are both in EAST BERLIN.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: So how did this happen so suddenly? The new travel rules weren't supposed to send thousands of people to the Wall that nightβuntil one answer at a live press conference changed everything.
π https://www.orte-der-einheit.de/en/pr...
π STOP #14 β ποΈ East BerlinNovember 9, 1989
Task - Read a book with WALL in the text.
Book/Author - Poirot's Early Cases: 18 Hercule Poirot Mysteries by Agatha Christie
Date Read - 6/11
Pages - 242
How it fits - 'Mrs Todd's cheque for a guinea was never cashed. Instead Poirot had it framed and hung on the wall of our sitting-room.' @12%
Your commemorative coin from East Berlin

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #15 β βοΈ London
February 3, 1814

Something unusual has happened to the Thames.
It has become a street.
Between Blackfriars Bridge and London Bridge, thousands of people are walking across the frozen river along a stretch they've nicknamed the City Road. And London being London, simply walking on it wasn't enough.
They've built a fair.
Flags fly above rows of booths on the ice. There's food and drink, swings, skittles, bookstalls, music and dancingβand with St. Paul's rising beyond the frozen river, it's hard to remember that none of this is supposed to be here.
Even the printers have moved in.
Several presses are operating directly on the Thames, turning out cards, ballads, and keepsakes for visitors. For a few coins, they'll print your name and the date onto a souvenir proving exactly where you spent the afternoon.
We should probably get one.
After all, no one here knows it yet, but this will be London's last great Frost Fair.
Before the train leaves, we're taking a walk down the City Roadβand bringing home something printed on the Thames.
π Choose ONE:
πͺ 1. Read a book set during winter.
πͺ 2. Read a book where a character buys or keeps a souvenir.
πͺ 3. Read a book with PRINT, PRINTED, or PRINTER in the text.
πͺ 4. Read a book where characters attend a fair, festival, or carnival.
πͺ 5. Read a book with a title that does NOT start with a letter in THAMES. (Articles count)
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: The Thames froze often enough for Londoners to build entire fairs on itβuntil it didn't. Find out why the river could freeze this solid, and what changed after the last Frost Fair in 1814.
π https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/colle...
π¨οΈ One more thing: A keepsake printed on the frozen Thames on February 3, 1814βthe exact day of our Stopβstill survives today.
π https://specialcollections-blog.lib.c...

β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π STOP #15 β βοΈ London
February 3, 1814

Something unusual has happened to the Thames.
It has become a street.
Between Blackfriars Bridge and London Bridge, thousands of people are walking across the frozen river along a stretch they've nicknamed the City Road. And London being London, simply walking on it wasn't enough.
They've built a fair.
Flags fly above rows of booths on the ice. There's food and drink, swings, skittles, bookstalls, music and dancingβand with St. Paul's rising beyond the frozen river, it's hard to remember that none of this is supposed to be here.
Even the printers have moved in.
Several presses are operating directly on the Thames, turning out cards, ballads, and keepsakes for visitors. For a few coins, they'll print your name and the date onto a souvenir proving exactly where you spent the afternoon.
We should probably get one.
After all, no one here knows it yet, but this will be London's last great Frost Fair.
Before the train leaves, we're taking a walk down the City Roadβand bringing home something printed on the Thames.
π Choose ONE:
πͺ 1. Read a book set during winter.
πͺ 2. Read a book where a character buys or keeps a souvenir.
πͺ 3. Read a book with PRINT, PRINTED, or PRINTER in the text.
πͺ 4. Read a book where characters attend a fair, festival, or carnival.
πͺ 5. Read a book with a title that does NOT start with a letter in THAMES. (Articles count)
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Down the Rabbit Hole: The Thames froze often enough for Londoners to build entire fairs on itβuntil it didn't. Find out why the river could freeze this solid, and what changed after the last Frost Fair in 1814.
π https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/colle...
π¨οΈ One more thing: A keepsake printed on the frozen Thames on February 3, 1814βthe exact day of our Stopβstill survives today.
π https://specialcollections-blog.lib.c...
Books mentioned in this topic
Poirot's Early Cases: 18 Hercule Poirot Mysteries (other topics)Immortal in Death (other topics)
Immortal in Death (other topics)
Adam, Mine. (other topics)
The Library at Mount Char (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Agatha Christie (other topics)J.D. Robb (other topics)
J.D. Robb (other topics)
K. Ancrum (other topics)
Scott Hawkins (other topics)
More...



π The Elsewhere Line
Individual β’ Open-Ended
π Start Date: Sept 15, 2026
There are trains that follow maps and timetables.
This isn't one of them.
The Elsewhere Line travels to places ordinary railways can't reachβacross borders, through history, and occasionally somewhere that shouldn't exist at all.
Across 25 Stops, you'll step into a new place, time, or reality. You might witness a moment in history, explore somewhere lost to time, join in whatever is happening, or simply stay awhile before choosing one of several reading tasks to continue your journey.
And if curiosity gets the better of you, there may be an optional rabbit hole or two waiting along the way.
Where the Line goes next is never quite predictable.
π For the badge hunters: Every Stop earns its own commemorative coin (badge).
You may Stay Aboard (SKIP) twice during your journey. The Stop still counts as visited, you'll receive its commemorative coin, and the Line will carry you onward.
Here's your ticket.
All aboard.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
π Challenge Rules
β’ Standard Challenge Rules apply for basic book qualifications.
β’ Cover tasks: Post the cover for the edition you read. The required item must be clearly visible on that cover.
β’ In-the-text tasks: Include the page, chapter, or location and the passage where the required word appears. (Context does not matter.)
β’ In-the-text tasks: No variations, except plurals and only when the original spelling remains unchanged. (Example: STAR β STARS counts; SHELF β SHELVES does not.)
β’ Letters-in-a-title tasks: When a task asks for all the letters in a word, the letters may appear in any order, but all lettersβincluding repeatsβmust be present.
β’ Title tasks: The book's title and subtitle count unless otherwise stated.
β’ Series names: Do not count unless the individual task specifically allows the series name.
β¦ βββββββββ β βββββββββ β¦
ποΈ Stay Aboard
Two Stay Aboard passes have been tucked in with your ticket.
If a Stop isn't calling to you, use one and remain aboard. Find a comfortable seat, enjoy the amenities, and let the Line carry you onward.
π Completing a Stop
When you've finished your book, post your completion directly in this thread:
Book/Author:
Date Read:
Stop:
Task:
How it fits:
Then check in at the ποΈ Ticket Booth with a direct link to your completion post.
Questions along the way? Visit the ποΈ Concierge Desk (Q&A) .