book the second: To Say Nothing of the Dog

...So maybe I should get back to this, since I've got the project going.

My second break book was To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. It came highly recommended, and more than lived up to that recommendation.

The time travel facilities at Oxford University have been overrun by Lady Schrapnell's efforts to rebuild Coventry Cathedral, largely because one of her ancestors had a life-changing experience there. But then one of the researchers brings something back with her that she shouldn't have been able to - and a wild chase ensues to set things right again. Most of the book takes place in the Victorian era (when the ancestor in question had the life-changing experience).

The poor POV character is overworked and under-prepared when he gets tapped to deal with 1888; the beauty of that is the reader learns the ins and outs of Victorian society along with him. It's hilarious and touching in turns, and very much worth not spoiling the ending. If you like wacky time-travel hijinks or historical fiction, give this a try.