Books read

My reading is progressing slowly this year, but I have finished Rebels of Ireland and Cocaine Blues.

I enjoyed Rebels of Ireland as much as its prequel, Princes of Ireland. Just as when I read the first book, I was struck by how much more complex the religious-political situation was in Ireland. Catholics versus Protestants doesn't begin to cover it. The chapter on the Irish Potato Famine was horrific to read, and left me wishing for some good old-fashioned Old Testament justice.

Other interesting facts that were new to me:

• A lot of Catholic Irish nobility fled to various European countries, many becoming mercenaries in the conflicts of the 18th and 19th centuries.
• There was a lot of effort put into enlisting France's aid for Irish independence. In December 1796, a French fleet sailed to Ireland, but thick fog and stormy seas prevented the troops from landing.
• In the late 1600s, it was not uncommon for Catholic Irish families to raise one of their sons as a Protestant, hoping he could protect the Catholic family members during times of political crisis.
• In 1800, Ireland's Parliament voted itself out of existence.

Cocaine Blues is a quick read, a mildly entertaining mystery. It takes place in Australia during the 1920s, and is the first book in a series about Phryne Fisher. I enjoyed it, and might pick up another if I were looking for a light book, but I don't think I'll seek out the sequels.