Time Travel discussion

Just One Damned Thing After Another

"History is just one damned thing after another."

Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary's, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'. Maintaining the appearance of harmless eccentrics is not always within their power - especially given their propensity for causing loud explosions when things get too quiet.

Meet the disaster-magnets of St Mary's Institute of Historical Research as they ricochet around History. Their aim is to observe and document - to try and find the answers to many of History's unanswered questions...and not to die in the process. But one wrong move and History will fight back - to the death. And, as they soon discover - it's not just History they're fighting.

Follow the catastrophe curve from 11th-century London to World War I, and from the Cretaceous Period to the destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. For wherever Historians go, chaos is sure to follow in their wake....

Reading & Discussion Timeline:

January and February 2018

Where to find:

282 pages
$3.99 Kindle version
$10.78 paperback
Free ePub download on book’s GR page

I wasn't going to bother with this one, but Amazon currently have it for 99p for the Kindle so I will give it a go.

I need to pick this up from the library.

Enjoy! I thought this was amusing and historical wrapped up into one.

I've been wanting to read this for a while now.

Got it! I did not know you could set up a free EPbub on Goodreads.

I had this one on my Kindle and never got a chance to read it. So I guess now is as good a time as any.

What do you know?! I am finally on pace with the group with one. Just finished this. :)

Glad we are getting into this! Looking forward to the discussion.

So far my most enjoyable aspect of this book is the mood. I love that Jodi Taylor sets us up with such a likeable protagonist and lets us into her quirky asides. It's been a while since I've read a book that so clearly indicated that it was going to be fun above all else.

They title itself gives the impression it will be a fun book to read. Still waiting for library book to arrive.

I'll be starting it tomorrow. Glad that initial feedback is that it's fun with a likeable lead, as I haven't really enjoyed the book I am about to finish.

Liked this book and glad that it’s a multi-book series.

I just finished chapter 1 and I can tell it will be an enjoyable read.

I just made a quick 180 and chucked another group's read in favor of this one. I need something with a little bit of humor.

I just started and so far I am enjoying the humor. I like Max.

I am loving this book so far.

(view spoiler)[Page 52, "Well, I was going to tough it out. Of course,
if I was wrong, then I was going to look pretty silly in twelve days' time..." I'm thinking, "You idiot! Go look for help or more supplies or SOMETHING. Don't just sit there like a moron and wait to die while you use up all of your supplies."

Then I get to page 54, "Oh God, I was home!" and I'm thinking,
"Wow, it's been a while since a book tricked me like this.
I can't believe it really was a test." (hide spoiler)]

I’m up to ch 9.

There are elements that remind me of The Company series and others that remind me of Connie Willis' Oxford Time Travel stories. It is definitely a quick, engrossing read.

I enjoyed this so much I got the whole series!

Jennifer wrote: "I enjoyed this so much I got the whole series!"

Awesome!

Samantha wrote: "There are elements that remind me of The Company series and others that remind me of Connie Willis' Oxford Time Travel stories. It is definitely a quick, engrossing read."

Thank you! I am reminded more of Connie Willis's series, especially Doomsday Book. Don't both touch on (view spoiler)[killer flu epidemics (hide spoiler)] in modern times?

Jennifer wrote: "I enjoyed this so much I got the whole series!"

That's great! I've read .5 through 2.5, plus 4.5 so far. Some of the short ones were (are?) free on Audible.

I finished!

Exam month, so I haven't read a word between studying and doing writing stuff. Sorry, guys

Mike wrote: "Exam month, so I haven't read a word between studying and doing writing stuff. Sorry, guys"

That’s ok. The club read is active until February 28th and the threads are always open to add to the discussion even when the club read date has passed.

Good luck with your exams!

Tingletangle wrote: "I finished too, and enjoyed. The mix of fun, some clever ideas in relatin to time travel paradox, some surprises, the likeable protagonist, and some great thoughts about the Arts being neglected as..."

I liked Max. I liked the humor. It was a fun book to read and had a good pace.

I have added the next book to my to read list.

Here is a reading question to ponder:

If you were a historian, would you be able to just observe and document or would you feel compelled to help if people’s lives were in danger?

I feel like a right grouch here, but this is a DNF for me. I just felt the author was trying way too hard to make every other thought or sentence Max spoke be funny. I was trying to treat the book as a very light-hearted bit of fluff and not take it too seriously but then there are a couple of incidents thrown in that feel out of place considering the tone of the rest of the book and besides, there are way, way too many other issues I have with it for me to continue - the whole 'world' portrayed makes no sense; from the very basic, such as why on earth would there only be a handful of 'Historians' and are the two most qualified people on earth to make a historic trip likely to celebrate like nursery age kids. I won't list all my issues and bits that made me cringe as they will mainly be spoilers, but most of the existing 1 star reviews pretty much sum this up for me.

I have no problem suspending my belief to read about time-travel, and i'm not even fussed that the method of time-travel is vague, but the totally unbeleivable and inconsistent way that the characters behave is too much for me (bar-fights..?). A little wonder or sense or awe when finding out TT exists may also have been a bit more believable. Coupled with a lead character who just wasn't that likeable to me and seemed to much of a smart-ar*e..., i'm clearly not getting out of this what others are.

I was going to stop reading at the 'we hit a tree' bit (yeah, that bit) but persisted for a few more chapters before deciding this was only getting worse and that I didn't actually care how it ended.

Sorry all.

Nancy wrote: "Here is a reading question to ponder:

If you were a historian, would you be able to just observe and document or would you feel compelled to help if people’s lives were in danger?"

It's an interesting question. I often think the same thing about news/war photographers. Don't they sometimes want to throw down the camera and actually help?

Sue wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Here is a reading question to ponder:

If you were a historian, would you be able to just observe and document or would you feel compelled to help if people’s lives were in danger?"

..."

As I read this, that was one of the questions I asked myself, and I think it would be very hard to remain neutral. That said, look at all the animal documentaries where the animals are injured or die - my husband and I were watching one where a baby lion got hurt, and we kept saying "if I were there, I'd step in and rescue that cub!" LOL I would make a terrible historian!

If you are far away from the “action” and still able to observe then it would probably be easier to not step in. Being in the thick of everything going on, makes it more difficult to just observe.

I would definitely need to get involved in the events. I’ve always been most interested in cultural history so the idea of not being able to interact and internalize the people would just defeat the purpose for me.

There are things about this book that were unbelievable for me, but it was so fun I didn’t care. It was like watching a summer blockbuster that has lots of flaws, but you ignore them because you’re enjoying it anyway. I can’t wait to read the next book.

Samantha wrote: "There are things about this book that were unbelievable for me, but it was so fun I didn’t care. It was like watching a summer blockbuster that has lots of flaws, but you ignore them because you’re enjoying it anyway...."

Samantha that sums up just how I felt about this book, and actually the ones that follow as I've read several now. It's an interesting observation because sometimes I do give up on a book if the plot doesn't hang together properly. With this one I could see all its flaws, but I just didn't mind them.

It's such a fun series - I have read all of them, and I really enjoyed them. I even got my bookaholic mom into the series!

I don’t think I could live day in and day out at the same place as I worked and be around the same people all the time.

I just finished it and found it very enjoyable but not exactly earth-shattering. As to Nancy's question, I believe it would be anybody's first instinct to help someone whose life is in danger. I think what the historians would need to do is drill into their heads the fact that, no matter what they do, the people they are tempted to rescue will still die.

I loved it

The last mission: (view spoiler)[I was pleased when they decided to go to the Library at Alexandria to rescue some of the scrolls before they burned. Since I'm a book lover, I've always been fascinated about what might have been lost, and I'm sure most other bibliophiles feel the same way. Of course we will never know but if we had the ability to go back and save some or all of it, is there anyone who thinks we shouldn't? (hide spoiler)]

Year before last, I read a bad novel (titled THE CIRCLE) and decided to see if I could learn a lesson about writing from it since I wasn't getting anything else out of it. The characters were terrible--unrealistic, unsympathetic, unmotivated. So I started thinking about it, and I realized it doesn't really matter if the supporting characters don't work--so long as the main character does. If the main character Mae was just believable or likable or interesting. Or if I could relate to her somehow, the book might succeed. But, no. Mae is a zero.
On the other hand, Max from JUST ONE DAMNED THING AFTER ANOTHER hits all four qualities for me. She's believable, likable, and interesting, and I can relate to her. so although I agree with most of Dean's observations about this book, I feel differently than he does about this narrator.
Dean thinks Max tries too hard to ingratiate herself with the reader, and I have to agree with him. But I've known people like that in real life, so that quality didn't put me off. I thought the author captured Max's voice perfectly, and although she doesn't always succeed in her attempts at humor, she made me laugh several times (some later in the book, after Dean gave up). I think a first person narrator needs to ingratiate herself with the reader, so her persistence didn't bother me. She failed with Dean, but she succeeded with me.
Dean also felt there were wild swings in mood in the novel, and I would have to agree he's right. (view spoiler)[ The trip to a World War I hospital is probably the first example he has in mind. The mood of this section doesn't mesh with what comes before it, but it does help prepare the reader for grim scenes yet to come. Maybe the novel would have worked better if it was light-hearted throughout, but a lot of the suspense and plot movement later in the novel depend on the possibility of dire consequences. If you lighten it up, the plot would not become so gripping. Narrative movement would depend on the humor, which as Dean points out, is not strong enough to carry the book by itself. People in real life have mood swings, and you can hardly expect Max to be upbeat once she gets to a World War I hospital. So I didn't let the inconsistency in mood bother me. But it's definitely there. (hide spoiler)]
It's odd that I can agree with someone so closely but feel so differently about a character. Dean didn't like Max. I did. Maybe that's due to differences in taste or temperament or experiences with people. I found her straightforwardness and earthiness charming, but I can see how it could be off-putting. I'm not sure I would like this character if I met her in real life. I wonder if Dean and I picture this character differently or hear a different voice when we read.
(view spoiler)[ Like Dean, I was jarred when I got to the "hit the tree" scene. But I liked it because I dreaded signs of this book developing into a stereotypical romance. This scene knocks the stereotypical romance right off the tracks. I was glad to see it gone, even though the "girl loses boy, girl gets boy" plot resurfaces twice later on. At least the book spared me a lot of flirtation and will she/won't she and how-do-they-really-feel and where-is-this-headed. (hide spoiler)]
Another thing that worked for me is how the book develops the atmosphere of a real-life workplace where people interact as a team. These other characters are not as well developed as Max, but they're good enough for a supporting cast. I found St. Mary's an effective setting for this story.
I also liked the way the book grips the reader after the characters enter the Cretaceous Era. Tension that tight is not easy to come by. Of course, it won't work if you don't like the main character.
Beyond the characters, Dean had other criticisms of the book that I would have to agree with. He just missed some of its other strengths. It's a four star book for me. I think the book suffers from the Five Cardinal Sins of a Bad Time Travel Story. It's a good story--just not a good time travel story. I could go on, but I'll quit here unless someone wants me to elaborate. I always seem to have more to say than anyone else, and if people don't want to hear it, there's really no reason for me to babble on.

I thought you gave a good critique of the story. I liked the main character, and thought she developed nicely. Her relationship with Leon is certainly a love story, thus romance, but it doesn't take over the story, which is more about St Mary's. We don't really find out what the whole thing is about - the series is quite long, and it gets more complicated. (But I thought this was a cracking introduction to the series.) It's always hard to introduce a series - the first book has to make you connect with the main characters and the plot has to leave you wanting to read more.

I doubt if I'm going to read the series, but I enjoyed this first book.

Ned, I enjoyed reading your thoughts (good babbling!) ,and agree with much you have to say. I have a confession to make; I ended up finishing the book. After putting it down for a day or two I decided I was so close to the end that I may as well finish it (despite New Year resolutions not to waste time with books i'm not enjoying..). Still, it was a short book, so it only took another day or so. It didn't get any better for me, but i'm glad I finished all the same.

I can see why people enjoyed it, and feel my score is rather harsh, but it was how I felt at the time. For the first few chapters I thought it was going to be an okay, light-hearted read, and for me probably 3 stars. But then things started grating...

Sometimes it's hard to put your finger on exactly why a character doesn't work for you, but as Ned says, it's true that so much is tied up in finding the main character likable or relatable. The book i'm reading now smashes it on that account. I 'get' the main character, and despite being a fast-paced thriller, there is a lot of (mostly subtle) humour in it which feels more natural and is more up my street, as it doesn't feel forced.

I agree that as a time-travel book, there are just too many holes, even within the world created on the pages, and I think that probably frustrated me a lot more than most others too.

I liked this overall but I didn't love it. I was fine with Max as a character, but I would have been perfectly happy for her not foreshadow things quite so often. I also felt the last section was a bit rushed, but then again with so many more books in the series I suppose it makes sense. So yes a decent read and will probably read the next one to see how things develop, but I'm not in any great hurry.

I am getting through this one slowly-I think chapter 6, so I am avoiding reading this thread too much to avoid spoilers.

This is a fun read, but does not have many twists and turns (or paradoxes), in it like I crave in my time travel stories. maybe that is to come still?

I've only read the first chapter so far and it's ok. I'm not uninterested, but I'm not won over by what I've read so far. I'll try to find time to really get into it this weekend.

And Ned, why didn't you like THE CIRCLE? I really enjoyed that novel! I thought the premise was a frightening possible reality for our future. That company seemed sort of like Amazon, and now Amazon is kind of taking over just like the Circle did. Although admittedly Amazon is my favorite store and I can't really be impartial about them. :)

I know some people were turned off by the humor but I enjoyed it. I don’t always though. There were parts in the book that were more serious and Max would be serious at the appropriate times. Sometimes it is nice to read a book that has humor or is less serious. I like to mix it up soI don’t get burned out on one particular type of book.

Nancy wrote: "I know some people were turned off by the humor but I enjoyed it. I don’t always though. There were parts in the book that were more serious and Max would be serious at the appropriate times. Somet..."

I agree. You need a good mix.

I am really having trouble with the sex scenes in the book, just not believable/ realistic. Then later in the book, there is a reference to , "if this was one of those books" , after already making it One of those books with the previous bad scenario.
she is madly in love with Chief? on what basis, I think the author left out a little character development here, and the book really did not need this side story.
(having said that I am really enjoying the book-about 3/4 done now)