More from my TBR shelf...

Title & Author:  Beneath the Dark Ice by Greig Beck

Why I bought it:  I was throwing books into my Amazon cart last year and this was one of them. It's set in a series of caves under the ice in Antarctica--two settings I love--and I thought it looked like fun. So I bought it.

The plot in brief: When a plane crashes over Antarctica, it reveals a vast underground system of caves. The first team sent in to explore them disappears without a trace. Capt. Alex Hunter leads the second team, along with five other trained commandos, several scientists, and a fierce and fiesty petrobiologist named Aimee Weir. Alex has some very special skills that make him perfect for this kind of expedition, and he's going to need every single one of them. Because that plane that crashed? It awakened something living in the waters deep within the caves. Something ancient, and murderous, and hungry. And it's not the only thing hiding in the dark.

My thoughts:  This action-packed thriller requires a willing suspension of disbelief in order to fully enjoy it because aspects of it are a little far-fetched, but it's also a fast-paced, well-written and entertaining thrill ride. And it held my interest in these crazy coronavirus days. Plus, I really liked the main characters. (Super soldiers are kind of awesome.)  And those ancient creatures lurking in the black depths of those caves beneath the Antarctic ice? Pretty creepy and terrifying. Beck has written several other Alex Hunter novels, and I wouldn't mind reading another one, or two. Maybe the next time I'm filling  my cart with books, I'll throw another one in. Because this was a fun read. Not literary, or deep, but definitely fun.

My rating:  4/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

The Winter Over

"Wintering over means when the final flight leaves today, it'll be the last plane the crew will see until mid-November, two hundred and seventy days from now. For most of that time, the South Pole is in complete darkness, outside temperatures can drop to as low as one hundred degrees below zero, and the base is, in effect, completely cut off from the rest of the planet."

Why I wanted to read this one:
The Antarctica setting! I've always been fascinated by extreme environments --those exotic and strange places that I will NEVER actually ever go see for myself-- and this book takes place in one of the most extreme spots on the planet. Matthew Iden really gives you a feel for the dark and the cold and the danger of winter in Antarctica. I loved every description and interesting detail. Especially the ice tunnels! That, along with his cast of slightly crazy characters, from the Polies to the Fingies, who are wintering over at the Shackleton South Pole Research Station make this a fascinating read.

What else I loved about this book:
The mystery and the menace! The death of a colleague two days before the last flight out puts mechanical engineer, Cass Jennings, on edge. Was her death an accident? Or something else? Then, when other things start to go wrong at the station, Cass begins to suspect there might be something more sinister going on. But is she right? Or is she just being paranoid? Because winter in Antarctica can play games with your mind. I loved the build up of tension and suspense in this novel. And the way it kept me guessing to the end. For me, this was a 4-star read.

Happy Reading!

Similar reads:

The Day is Dark by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Frozen Solid by James M. Tabor

Subterranean by James Rollins

My Last Continent by Midge Raymond

The Coolest Race on Earth

"...the emergence of exotic marathons, from Antarctica to the Sahara desert, reflects a restless energy and a desire on the part of many runners to keep pushing boundaries further and further. But it's also simply an interesting way to see interesting places."

The Coolest Race on Earth: Mud, Madmen, Glaciers, and Grannies at the Antarctica Marathon by John Hanc tells the story of this crazy marathon, the guy who started it, and the people who come to race it. Hanc also gives you a bit of marathon history and Antarctica exploration trivia. I've never wanted to run a marathon myself, but I admire those who commit to, and complete, such an arduous task. And the runners who travel to the farthest end of the earth to run 26.2 miles? Well, they are their own interesting breed. This book was an entertaining read that almost made me want to go to Antarctica, too. Here's a snippet from the author about why he chose to run the "Last Marathon":

It was time to get out of this funk and into a new frame of mind. A trip to Antarctica is a great remedy for this, provided you're not planning to spend the dark winter there, which, as numerous studies and several gory murders on remote scientific stations have proven, can drive you insane. Many compare the whiteness of the place to the blank page on a new chapter in one's life. 

Happy Reading!

Another great read:

     Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer by Lynne Cox