What we’re about
This is a book club for people who love sci-fi, fantasy, young adult, historical fiction, and possibly other kinds of books. It's also a place for nerding out. If you love Doctor Who, Star Trek, superheroes, video games, board games, or other fun things like that, join us! I'm starting this group to find some people to meet monthly to talk about books, but would love it if we also build a community for enjoying all kinds of nerdy past times.
We mostly meet online. Just come, talk about the book, and have fun. We don't prepare speaking topics or anything like that, just sit around and chat. It's okay if you didn't finish the book as long as you're cool with spoilers. Hang out, have fun, don't be a jerk.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- Senlin Ascends - Book ClubLink visible for attendees
April brings us back to fantasy. This time we're reading book 1 of The Books of Babel series, a finished 4 book set that also has a set of short stories published. The author, Josiah Bancroft, actually lives in Philadelphia, according to the about page on his website. He calls Main Point Books his local book store, which is located in Wayne (along the Main Line past Villanova), and offers signed copies of his books. Worth keeping an eye out for local appearances!
Senlin Ascends was originally self-published. It received broader recognition during the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) of 2016, in addition to favorable reviews by a popular reviewer on Goodreads along with author Mark Lawrence. After that, Orbit Books republished the first book along with the second in 2018.
The author notes that his Tower of Babel is not the biblical one, referring to it as "alternative universe" rather than alternative history.
Where to find the book (as of 02/21/2025):
(If there are other local sources I should add, let me know)Hard Copies:
Delaware County Libraries - 1 of 2 copies available
Free Library of Philadelphia - 1 of 3 copies available
Montgomery County Libraries - 3 of 4 copies availableeBooks:
DCL - 0 of 0 copies
FLP - 0 of 1 copies (4 holds)
MCL - 0 of 1 copies (11 holds)
KindleUnlimitedAudiobooks:
DCL - 0 of 0 copies
FLP - 0 of 2 copies (4 holds)
MCL - 0 of 0 copiesAlso available to purchase from all major booksellers in all formats.
Summary:
The Tower of Babel is the greatest marvel in the world. Immense as a mountain, the ancient Tower holds unnumbered ringdoms, warring and peaceful, stacked one on the other like the layers of a cake. It is a world of geniuses and tyrants, of airships and steam engines, of unusual animals and mysterious machines.Soon after arriving for his honeymoon at the Tower, the mild-mannered headmaster of a small village school, Thomas Senlin, gets separated from his wife, Marya, in the overwhelming swarm of tourists, residents, and miscreants.
Senlin is determined to find Marya, but to do so he'll have to navigate madhouses, ballrooms, and burlesque theaters. He must survive betrayal, assassins, and the long guns of a flying fortress. But if he hopes to find his wife, he will have to do more than just endure.
This quiet man of letters must become a man of action.
The first book in the stunning and strange debut fantasy series that's receiving major praise from some of fantasy's biggest authors such as Mark Lawrence and Django Wexler.
Published February 18, 2013
448 pages, 14h 15m
