Read advance reader review of The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

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The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

The Book of Speculation

by Erika Swyler

  • Critics' Consensus (0):
  • Readers' Rating (79):
  • Published:
  • Jun 2015, 352 pages
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About this book

Reviews


Page 1 of 6
There are currently 36 member reviews
for The Book of Speculation
Order Reviews by:
  • Susan B. (Hahira, GA)
    The Book of Speculation
    It is always exciting to find an author that can transport you so thoroughly to another place and time and it's even more exciting when it is a debut novel. The title alone was intriguing and I really had no idea what to expect. For an author to find their voice and make a character interesting is hard enough but Ms.Swyler manages to convincingly find the voice of multiple characters in different times, ages, nationalities and sex. She has made all characters, no matter how prominent in the story, so complete and three dimensional that you can believe them to be real.

    As she allows you to peel back the layers, she taunts you to find the secrets that bind her tale together.

    I cannot wait to suggest this book as a book club selection as I feel it will be great choice for discussion.

    Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read a book I might easily have dismissed as "just another circus/carney story."
  • Mary B. (St Paul, MN)
    Book of Speculation
    I enjoyed this book very much. Ms Swyler did a wonderful job of moving the story between past and present times. The world of the traveling carnival in the 1700s was very vivid and interesting. The characters in both time periods were colorful and engaging. The book at the center of the story is as much a character as the people portrayed.
  • Deborah M. (Chambersburg, PA)
    Didn't Expect to Like It--SURPRISE!
    Having just finished The Night Circus, which wasn't exactly my cup of tea, my first thought once I got into the first few chapters of The Book of Speculation was: "Oh, crap, another book about circus people with paranormal abilities!" Fortunately, it was a lot more and a lot better than that. The book's chapters alternate between the present day, in which the protagonist, research librarian Simon Watson, is about to be permanently laid off due to budget cuts and his house about to fall into the sea, and the late 1790s, when Peabody's Portable Magic and Miracles, a menagerie of contortionists, clairvoyants, a miniature horse, a counting pig, a wild boy, and a mermaid, travelled the eastern US states.

    The story begins when Simon is sent a strange book full of odd names and sketches, by Martin Churchwarry, an antiquarian bookseller. Neither seems to know exactly what it is, but Churchwarry has noted the name "Verona Bonn" in it and tracked down Simon as one of her descendants. Indeed, this was the grandmother he never knew, a woman who at one time worked as a circus mermaid and who--oddly--drowned at a young age. Simon recalls how his mother, also an excellent swimmer, had taught he and his sister how to hold their breath underwater for up to ten minutes. But she, too, drowned young, assumedly a suicide--on the same date as her mother.

    If there's an upside to getting laid off, it's that Simon has plenty of time to conduct research into his family's past and track down more information about Peabody's and the mysterious book, which seems to be a carnival record book of sorts. And if there's an upside to being an about-to-be-unemployed research librarian, it's that you have plenty of contacts and resources, as well as time. Even after his last official day of work, Simon still has that access through his longtime friend (and maybe sometime girlfriend) Alice McAvoy, who still works in the small Grainger Library.

    On top of all this, Simon has two other major worries: the historic childhood home in which he still resides is crumbling, and his sister Enola, a highly strung drifter who works as a carnival tarot card reader, is coming for a visit. Not to mention that the ominous date on which his mother and grandmother both drowned is fast approaching.

    So--I don't want to give any more than this--all of which you will learn in the first few chapters. There are a lot of mysteries to be sorted out, and along the way, you'll meet a number of wonderfully drawn, intriguing characters, including: Enola's boyfriend Doyle, The Electric Boy; Hermelius Peabody, carnival manager; Amos, the mute, who transforms from Wild Boy into several new incarnations; Madame Ryzkhova, the tarot reader; Benno, the contortionist; and the beautiful Evangeline, mysterious mermaid extraordinaire. Not to mention about a million horseshoe crabs.

    Beautifully written and highly engaging.
  • Gary R. (Bolingbrook, IL)
    if you breathe up you'll drown
    one of the great pleasures of BookBrowse is being introduced to debut authors like Erica Swyler, just a pleasure to read. The story of librarian Simon and his sister Enola who he hasn't seen in some time,though she calls from the road from time to time. The mystery and the fun starts when an ancient book arrives on Simon's doorstep and a message on his answering machine announces the arrival of his sister. Really enjoyed the switch to the late 1700's traveling circus and back to the present. I'm not going to give to much away you'll just have to read the book,hard to believe this is her first novel. I'll be waiting for her next!
  • Julie G. (West Hartford, CT)
    The Book of Speculation
    Wonderful and magical story which switches back and forth in time. The main character is an out of work librarian who receives a mysterious old book in the mail. As he (and we) become engrossed in the book, the connections between the past (in the old book) and the present become eerily real.
  • Lee M. (Creve Coeur, MO)
    Up and Down and Around
    What a delightful surprise. Remember all the old time carnivals, the booths, the rides, the fat ladies, and the fortune tellers? Oh what fun it all was. This book is all that and more. Did you believe everything you saw and were told. Simon, our hero, does not. We'll sort of, does not. And that's where the fun begins. Ms. Swyler has cleverly juxtaposed a modern carnival family with a written history of a carnival family beginning in 1780. Could one or the other be cursed? Does Simon believe in curses? Do you? Read on and enjoy the RIDE!
  • Molly K. (San Jose, CA)
    Spectacular Speculation
    I was excited on the first page, and when the author described language as beginning to knit, I was hooked.

    Erika Swyler is a brilliant knitter of words. I enjoyed her writing style as much as I enjoyed the story she created. It's full of mystery, suspense, fantasy, and sorrow. Sometimes dark, sometimes mundane, there is always a surprise.

    Although the story is very much plot driven, the characters are not ignored. I left this book, believing I had met some new friends. I look forward to the author's future work.

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Debugging Information
ColdFusion Server Developer 2021,0,13,330286
Template /arc/arc_reviews/detail/index.cfm
Time Stamp 31-May-26 11:17 PM
Locale en
User Agent Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
Remote IP 127.0.0.1
Host Name 127.0.0.1


Execution Time

Total Time Avg Time Count Template
1780269427172 ms 1.78026942717E+012 ms 1 /root/website/app_server.cfm
395 ms 395 ms 1 /root/website/arc/arc_reviews/detail/index.cfm
122 ms 122 ms 1 /root/website/app_layout.cfm
93 ms 93 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_discussion_by_id.cfm
88 ms 88 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/dsp_right_column.cfm
54 ms 54 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_briefs_reader_rating.cfm
53 ms 53 ms 1 /root/website/app_globals.cfm
48 ms 24 ms 2 /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm
46 ms 46 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_arcs_for_ad.cfm
46 ms 46 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_border_first_impressions.cfm
31 ms 31 ms 1 /root/website/adzones/AdZone6.cfm
23 ms 23 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_books_by_briefs_category.cfm
20 ms 20 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/dsp_footer.cfm
19 ms 19 ms 1 /root/website/adzones/showcase_track.cfm
17 ms 17 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_active_obc.cfm
13 ms 13 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_reviews_by_arc_id.cfm
10 ms 10 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_arc_by_id.cfm
10 ms 10 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/dsp_header.cfm
9 ms 9 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_competition.cfm
7 ms 7 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_preview_by_id.cfm
7 ms 7 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_book_giveaway.cfm
6 ms 6 ms 1 /root/website/actions/adstatus.cfm
5 ms 2 ms 3 /root/website/actions/act_spider_tracker.cfm
5 ms 5 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_author_bookcount.cfm
4 ms 4 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_wordplay.cfm
4 ms 4 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_obc_number.cfm
3 ms 3 ms 1 /root/website/arc/arc_reviews/detail/dsp_briefshell.cfm
3 ms 3 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_preview_awards_by_id.cfm
2 ms 2 ms 1 /root/website/act_check_login.cfm
2 ms 2 ms 1 /root/website/arc/arc_reviews/detail/dsp_reviews.cfm
2 ms 2 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_member_info.cfm
1 ms 1 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_ezine.cfm
1 ms 1 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_free_newsletters.cfm
1 ms 1 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_header_newsletter.cfm
1 ms 1 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_top_brief_block.cfm
1 ms 1 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/dsp_bottom_block.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/Application.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/act_libraryIPLogin.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/actions/udfs.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/arc/arc_reviews/detail/dsp_views.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/banners/ad_594.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/formurl2attributes.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/js/fbjavascriptsdk.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_previous_arcs_for_ad.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/act_book_view_tracking.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_border_booktalk.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_wordplay.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/email_modal.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/google_tags.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/head.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/header_announcement.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/main_menu.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/main_search.cfm
1 ms  STARTUP, PARSING, COMPILING, LOADING, & SHUTDOWN
396 ms  TOTAL EXECUTION TIME
red = over 250 ms average execution time


SQL Queries

spidercheck (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=4ms, Records=1) in /root/website/actions/act_spider_tracker.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT	a.bot_number
        FROM	bots a
        WHERE	charindex(a.bot_name, ?) > 0
		OR a.bot_ip = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(cf_sql_varchar) = Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
Parameter #2(cf_sql_varchar) = 127.0.0.1

get_member_info (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=1ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_member_info.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select 	a.*, 
    		b.member_account_type_name, b.member_account_type_charge, b.member_account_type_charge_frequency,  b.member_account_type_months, 
            c.member_chargetype_name, c.member_chargetype_number, a.member_classification_number, a.member_book_format
	
    from members a, member_account_types b, member_chargetype c
	
    where a.member_account_type_number = b.member_account_type_number
	and a.payment_method_id = c.member_chargetype_number
	and a.member_number = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 0

adactive (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=5ms, Records=2) in /root/website/actions/adstatus.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT	viewby, section
    FROM	adsystem 
    WHERE	active  = 1 
    AND		start_date <= GETDATE()
    AND 	(viewby = ? OR viewby = 'all')
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = non

get_current_ezine (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=1ms, Records=1, Cached Query) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_ezine.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select		top 1 ezine_number, ezine_dt, ezine_image, ezine_brief_description, ezine_introduction
from		ezines
where		ezine_active_flag = 1
and 		ezine_type_number = 4
and			ezine_dt < getdate()
order by 	ezine_dt DESC
get_current_wordplay (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=2ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_wordplay.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT		a.wordplay_number, a.wordplay_dt, a.wordplay_name, a.wordplay_intro_text, b.wordplay_puzzle_number, b.wordplay_puzzle_question
    FROM		wordplays a 
	INNER JOIN	wordplay_puzzle_mapping c on c.wordplay_number = a.wordplay_number
	INNER JOIN	wordplay_puzzles b on b.wordplay_puzzle_number = c.wordplay_puzzle_number
	WHERE		a.wordplay_number = (	select top 1 a.wordplay_number
                                from wordplays a, wordplay_puzzles b, wordplay_puzzle_mapping c
                                where a.wordplay_number = c.wordplay_number
                                and b.wordplay_puzzle_number = c.wordplay_puzzle_number
                                and a.wordplay_dt < getdate()
                                and a.wordplay_expiration_dt > dateadd(day, -1, getdate())
                                order by a.wordplay_dt asc
                                )
get_ComNo (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=3ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_competition.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 	TOP 1 	x.competition_number, x.bb_briefs_flag
	from			competitions x
	
		WHERE	x.competition_dt <= getdate()
		AND		x.competition_expiration_dt > dateadd(d,-1,getdate())
get_current_competition (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=3ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_competition.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 	x.competition_number, x.book_number, x.competition_teaser_title, x.competition_teaser_description, x.competition_intro_text, x.competition_expiration_dt, x.bb_briefs_flag, x.competition_full_info_flag, x.competition_type, x.competition_optin,x.competition_optin_text, 
				a.book_title as "title",
				(b.author_first_name + ' ' +  b.author_middle_initial + ' ' + b.author_last_name) as "author",
	            f.edition_publish_dt AS "hardcover_publish_dt", f.edition_jacket_image as "hardcover_jacket_image",
				g.edition_publish_dt AS "paperback_publish_dt", g.edition_jacket_image as "paperback_jacket_image"
	
		FROM 		competitions x
		INNER JOIN	books a on a.book_number = x.book_number
		INNER JOIN	book_author_mapping c on c.book_number = x.book_number
		INNER JOIN	authors b on c.author_number = b.author_number
		LEFT JOIN	editions f on a.book_number = f.book_number and f.edition_paperback_flag = 0
		LEFT JOIN	editions g on a.book_number = g.book_number and g.edition_paperback_flag = 1

		WHERE		x.competition_number = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 0

get_previous_arcs_for_ad (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=0ms, Records=0, Cached Query) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_previous_arcs_for_ad.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 	a.arc_number,a.arc_client_url,a.arc_active_dt, a.arc_off_ad_dt,
		b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_publisher, 
		b.ezine_preview_publish_dt, b.ezine_preview_jacket_desc, b.ezine_preview_number_of_pages, b.ezine_preview_bb_comments, b.ezine_preview_isbn13,
		c.ezine_preview_category_name AS "ezine_preview_category",
		(select count(*) from arc_allocator d where d.arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) as "reviews",
		(select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,0))) AS numeric(12,0)))+
				(CASE WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 25 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 50 THEN 0.5
				 WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 50 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 75 THEN -0.5
				 ELSE 0
				 END)
 			from arc_allocator	where arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS arcrating,
 			(select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,1))) AS numeric(12,1)))from arc_allocator where arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS "decrating"

FROM arcs a
INNER JOIN ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
INNER JOIN ezine_preview_categories c ON b.ezine_preview_category_number = c.ezine_preview_category_number

WHERE arc_closed_flag = 1
AND arc_obc_flag = 0
AND getdate() >= arc_on_ad_dt
AND getdate() < arc_off_ad_dt

ORDER BY a.arc_on_ad_dt DESC
get_future_obc (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=3ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_active_obc.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 		a.arc_forumidfk, a.discourse_flag, a.arc_promo_text, arc_on_ad_dt,
				b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_jacket_desc, b.ezine_preview_publisher, ezine_preview_publish_dt, ezine_preview_number_of_pages, ezine_preview_isbn, ezine_preview_short_summary,
	            b.ezine_preview_bb_author_link, ezine_preview_bb_link
	
	FROM 		arcs a
	INNER JOIN 	ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
	
	WHERE 		arc_obc_flag = 1

	AND 		getdate() < arc_on_ad_dt
	
		ORDER BY  	NEWID()
get_active_obc (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=4ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_active_obc.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 		a.arc_forumidfk, a.discourse_flag, a.arc_promo_text,
				b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_jacket_desc, b.ezine_preview_publisher, ezine_preview_publish_dt, ezine_preview_number_of_pages,  ezine_preview_isbn, ezine_preview_short_summary,
	            b.ezine_preview_bb_author_link, ezine_preview_bb_link,
	            c.book_reading_guide
	
	FROM 		arcs a
	INNER JOIN 	ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
	LEFT JOIN  	books c on c.book_number = b.ezine_preview_bb_link
	
	WHERE 		a.arc_obc_flag = 1
	AND			a.arc_active_flag = 0
	AND 		arc_closed_flag = 1
	AND 		getdate() >= arc_on_ad_dt
	AND 		getdate() < arc_off_ad_dt
	ORDER BY  	NEWID()
get_recent_obc (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=8ms, Records=4) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_active_obc.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 		a.arc_forumidfk, a.discourse_flag, a.arc_promo_text,
				b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_jacket_desc, b.ezine_preview_publisher, ezine_preview_publish_dt, ezine_preview_number_of_pages,  ezine_preview_isbn, ezine_preview_short_summary,
	            b.ezine_preview_bb_author_link, ezine_preview_bb_link,
	            c.book_reading_guide
	
	FROM 		arcs a
	INNER JOIN 	ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
	LEFT JOIN  	books c on c.book_number = b.ezine_preview_bb_link
	
	WHERE a.arc_number IN (select top 4 arc_number
							from		arcs
							WHERE 		arc_obc_flag = 1
							AND			arc_active_flag = 0
							AND 		arc_closed_flag = 1
							AND 		getdate() > arc_off_ad_dt
							ORDER BY	arc_on_ad_dt DESC)
	ORDER BY  	NEWID()
get_arc_by_id (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=9ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_arc_by_id.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT		a.arc_client_url,
			a.bc_active_flag,
			a.arc_forumidfk,
			b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_publisher, b.ezine_preview_publish_dt, b.ezine_preview_number_of_pages, b.ezine_preview_isbn, b.ezine_preview_isbn13, b.ezine_preview_bb_link, b.ezine_preview_bb_author_link, b.ezine_preview_firsts_flag, b.ezine_preview_rating, b.ezine_preview_reading_level,
			c.ezine_preview_category_name,
			(select count(arc_allocator_review_rating) from arc_allocator	where arc_number = ? and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS arccount,
            
            (select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,0))) AS numeric(12,0)))+
				(CASE WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 25 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 50 THEN 0.5
				 WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) >= 50 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 75 THEN -0.5
				 ELSE 0
				 END)
 			from arc_allocator	where arc_number = ? and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS arcrating
     
FROM		arcs a
INNER JOIN	ezine_previews b on b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
INNER JOIN	ezine_preview_categories c on c.ezine_preview_category_number = b.ezine_preview_category_number

WHERE		a.arc_number = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 538
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 538
Parameter #3(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 538

get_reviews_by_arc_id (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=12ms, Records=36) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_reviews_by_arc_id.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT		arc_number, arc_allocator_number, arc_allocator_review_dt, arc_allocator_reviewer_name, arc_allocator_review_title, arc_allocator_review, arc_allocator_review_rating,
			member_cc_city, member_cc_state

FROM		arc_allocator a
inner join	members m on m.member_number = a.member_number

WHERE		arc_number = ?
AND			arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1


	ORDER BY arc_allocator_review_rating DESC, arc_allocator_review_dt DESC
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 538

get_briefs_reader_rating (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=54ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_briefs_reader_rating.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT	(CAST(AVG(CAST(rating AS numeric(12,0))) AS numeric(12,0)))+
				(CASE WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 25 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 50 THEN 0.5
				 WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) >= 50 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 75 THEN -0.5
			ELSE 0
			END) AS "avrating",
            count(rating) as "ratcount"
            
	FROM (
		SELECT reader_review_rating AS rating
		FROM reader_reviews
		WHERE ezine_preview_number = ?
		
		AND reader_review_rating > 0
		
		UNION ALL
		
		SELECT reading_list_book_rating AS rating
		FROM reading_lists
		WHERE book_number LIKE 'p%'
		AND TRY_CAST(SUBSTRING(book_number, 2, LEN(book_number)) AS INT) = ?
		AND reading_list_book_rating > 0
		AND TRY_CAST(SUBSTRING(book_number, 2, LEN(book_number)) AS INT) IS NOT NULL
	) combined_ratings
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 10445
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 10445

get_preview_by_id (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=6ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_preview_by_id.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select 			a.ezine_preview_number,
				a.ezine_number, 
				a.ezine_preview_category_number, 
				a.ezine_preview_title, 
				a.ezine_preview_subtitle, 
				a.ezine_preview_author, 
				a.ezine_preview_publisher,
				a.ezine_preview_publish_dt,
				a.ezine_preview_number_of_pages, 
				a.ezine_preview_jacket_image,
				a.ezine_preview_reviews,
				a.ezine_preview_short_summary,
				a.ezine_preview_jacket_desc,
				a.ezine_preview_reading_guide,
				a.ezine_preview_bb_comments, 
				a.ezine_preview_isbn,
				a.ezine_preview_isbn13,
				a.ezine_preview_rating,
				a.ezine_preview_bb_link,
                a.ezine_preview_bb_author_link,
                a.ezine_preview_firsts_flag,
                a.ezine_preview_reading_level,
                a.ezine_preview_paperback_flag,
				b.*,
                c.ezine_dt, c.ezine_description
,(select publisher_holding_company from publishers where ezine_preview_publisher like publisher_imprint AND publisher_holding_company LIKE 'Harper%') AS "publisher_holding_company"		
 				
from ezine_previews a 
inner join ezine_preview_categories b ON b.ezine_preview_category_number = a.ezine_preview_category_number
left join ezines c ON c.ezine_number = a.ezine_number

where ezine_preview_number = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 10445

get_preview_awards_by_id (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=2ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_preview_awards_by_id.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select a.book_award_number, a.book_award_name, a.book_award_image, c.book_award_dt
    from book_awards a 
    inner join book_awards_category b on b.book_award_number = a.book_award_number
    inner join book_awards_mapping c on c.book_awards_category_number = b.book_awards_category_number
    where ezine_preview_number =  ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 10445

get_arc_idfk (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=3ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_discussion_by_id.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 		a.arc_forumidfk,a.discourse_flag
    FROM 		arcs a
    INNER JOIN 	ezine_previews e on e.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
    
	
        WHERE 		e.ezine_preview_number = ? 
    AND DATALENGTH(a.arc_forumidfk) > 0 AND arc_obc_flag=1
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(cf_sql_integer) = 10445

get_arc_idfk_legacy (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=3ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_discussion_by_id.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 		a.arc_forumidfk,a.discourse_flag
    FROM 		arcs a
    INNER JOIN 	ezine_previews e on e.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
    
	
        WHERE 		e.ezine_preview_number = ? 
    AND DATALENGTH(a.arc_forumidfk) > 0 AND arc_obc_flag=1 AND a.discourse_flag = 0
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(cf_sql_integer) = 10445

obc_discussions (Datasource=booktalk_new, Time=56ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_discussion_by_id.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 		t.name,
                m.title, m.body,
                u.username, t.id,
				(SELECT COUNT(*) from booktalk_messages where threadidfk = t.id) AS	"responses"
                
    FROM 		booktalk_forums f
    INNER JOIN	booktalk_threads t on t.forumidfk = f.id
    INNER JOIN	booktalk_messages m on m.posted = t.lastpostcreated
    INNER JOIN	booktalk_users u on u.id = m.useridfk
    
    WHERE 	f.id = ?
    AND 	f.active = 1
	AND		t.active = 1
    
    ORDER BY t.name, t.messages DESC
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(cf_sql_varchar) =

searchResults (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=29ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_discussion_by_id.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT book_number, post_id, topic_id, blurb, username, topic_title
					FROM DiscourseSearchResults
					
        WHERE 		book_number = ? 
                    AND topic_id IS NOT NULL
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(cf_sql_varchar) = p10445

ya_check (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=10ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_books_by_briefs_category.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select ezine_preview_reading_level 
from ezine_previews 
where ezine_preview_number = ?
and ezine_preview_reading_level = 2
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 10445

get_books_by_brief (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=11ms, Records=20) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_books_by_briefs_category.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select 			top 20
				a.ezine_preview_reading_level,
				b.category_name,
				c.category_number, 
				d.book_number, d.book_title,
				f.author_number, f.author_first_name, author_middle_initial, author_last_name
				
from 			ezine_previews a 
inner join		categories b on b.ezine_preview_category_number = a.ezine_preview_category_number
inner join		category_book_mapping c on c.category_number = b.category_number
inner join		books d on d.book_number = c.book_number
inner join		book_author_mapping e on e.book_number = d.book_number
inner join		authors f on f.author_number = e.author_number

where			a.ezine_preview_number = ? 

order by 		d.book_number DESC
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 10445

get_author_bookcount (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=4ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_author_bookcount.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select		b.book_title as "title", 1 as "bb_flag", b.book_number as "number"
        from		book_author_mapping a
		inner join	books b on b.book_number = a.book_number
        where		a.author_number = ?
union
    	select		c.ezine_preview_title as "title", 0 as "bb_flag", c.ezine_preview_number as "number"
        from		ezine_previews c
        where		c.ezine_preview_bb_author_link = ?
        and			c.ezine_preview_bb_link = 0
		and 1=0
order by title DESC
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 0
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 0

get_obc_number (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=4ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_obc_number.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select a.arc_forumidfk
    from arcs a
    
    	where a.ezine_preview_number = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(cf_sql_numeric) = 10445.0

get_arcs_for_ad (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=29ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_arcs_for_ad.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 	top 10 a.arc_number,arc_promo_text,
		b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_publish_dt, 
		(select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,0))) AS numeric(12,0)))+
				(CASE WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 25 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 50 THEN 0.5
				 WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 50 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 75 THEN -0.5
				 ELSE 0
				 END)
 			from arc_allocator	where arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS arcrating

FROM arcs a
INNER JOIN ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number

WHERE arc_closed_flag = 1
AND arc_obc_flag = 0
AND getdate() >= arc_on_ad_dt
AND (select count(*) from arc_allocator d where d.arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) > 1
and getdate() <= dateadd(day,1,a.arc_off_ad_dt)

ORDER BY NEWID()
get_arcs_for_ad (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=10ms, Records=3) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_arcs_for_ad.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 	top 3 a.arc_number,arc_promo_text,
			b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_publish_dt, 
			(select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,0))) AS numeric(12,0)))+
					(CASE WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 25 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 50 THEN 0.5
					 WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 50 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 75 THEN -0.5
					 ELSE 0
					 END)
				from arc_allocator	where arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS arcrating

	FROM arcs a
	INNER JOIN ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number

	WHERE arc_closed_flag = 1
	AND arc_obc_flag = 0
	AND getdate() >= arc_on_ad_dt
	AND (select count(*) from arc_allocator d where d.arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) > 1

	ORDER BY a.arc_off_ad_dt DESC
get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=14ms, Records=0) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT		a.adid,	adweight
	FROM		adsystem a
	INNER JOIN 	ad_category_mapping b ON b.adid = a.adid
	WHERE		a.section = ?
	AND			a.active  = 1
	AND 		a.start_date <= GETDATE()
	
	AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
            

	AND     (b.category_number IN (	SELECT	category_number
									FROM	category_book_mapping
									WHERE	book_number = ?)
      		OR 	b.category_number = ?)
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = adzone6
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0
Parameter #3(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0

get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=7ms, Records=1) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT	a.adid,	adweight
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.section = ? 
        AND 	a.active  = 1 
        AND		a.start_date <= GETDATE()	
        
        AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
        AND (select count(*) from ad_category_mapping where datalength(category_number) >= 1 and adid = a.adid) = 0
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = adzone6

get_type (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=5ms, Records=1) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT	a.start_date, a.adid, a.end_date, a.camp_views, a.image_name, a.alt_text, a.views, a.code, a.adsize
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.adid = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 1112

get_quotes (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=7ms, Records=1) in /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_book_giveaway.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
select top 1 ezine_number, ezine_quote, ezine_quote_title
	    from ezines
	    where len(ezine_quote_title) > 1
	    order by newid()
get_free_newsletters (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=0ms, Records=4, Cached Query) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_free_newsletters.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT 	*
    FROM 	free_newsletters
get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=6ms, Records=0) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT		a.adid,	adweight
	FROM		adsystem a
	INNER JOIN 	ad_category_mapping b ON b.adid = a.adid
	WHERE		a.section = ?
	AND			a.active  = 1
	AND 		a.start_date <= GETDATE()
		 	AND a.adid NOT IN (?) 
	AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
            

	AND     (b.category_number IN (	SELECT	category_number
									FROM	category_book_mapping
									WHERE	book_number = ?)
      		OR 	b.category_number = ?)
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = showcase_track
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 1112
Parameter #3(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0
Parameter #4(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0

get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=4ms, Records=1) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT	a.adid,	adweight
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.section = ? 
        AND 	a.active  = 1 
        AND		a.start_date <= GETDATE()	
        		AND a.adid NOT IN (?) 
        AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
        AND (select count(*) from ad_category_mapping where datalength(category_number) >= 1 and adid = a.adid) = 0
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = showcase_track
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 1112

get_type (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=4ms, Records=1) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 23:17:07.007
SELECT	a.start_date, a.adid, a.end_date, a.camp_views, a.image_name, a.alt_text, a.views, a.code, a.adsize
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.adid = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 594


Scope Variables

CGI Variables:
AUTH_PASSWORD=
AUTH_TYPE=
AUTH_USER=
CERT_COOKIE=
CERT_FLAGS=
CERT_ISSUER=
CERT_KEYSIZE=
CERT_SECRETKEYSIZE=
CERT_SERIALNUMBER=
CERT_SERVER_ISSUER=
CERT_SERVER_SUBJECT=
CERT_SUBJECT=
CF_TEMPLATE_PATH=/root/website/arc/arc_reviews/detail/index.cfm
CONTENT_LENGTH=
CONTENT_TYPE=
CONTEXT_PATH=
GATEWAY_INTERFACE=
HTTPS=
HTTPS_KEYSIZE=
HTTPS_SECRETKEYSIZE=
HTTPS_SERVER_ISSUER=
HTTPS_SERVER_SUBJECT=
HTTP_ACCEPT=*/*
HTTP_ACCEPT_ENCODING=gzip, br, zstd, deflate
HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE=
HTTP_CONNECTION=upgrade
HTTP_COOKIE=FREEACCESSCOUNT=1; CFGLOBALS=urltoken%3DCFID%23%3D4076553%26CFTOKEN%23%3Dadf61e7d890bb32b%2D0343EE69%2DFF98%2DC906%2D43BC72EADDA241C9%23lastvisit%3D%7Bts%20%272026%2D05%2D31%2023%3A17%3A06%27%7D%23hitcount%3D11%23timecreated%3D%7Bts%20%272026%2D05%2D31%2023%3A17%3A02%27%7D%23cftoken%3Dadf61e7d890bb32b%2D0343EE69%2DFF98%2DC906%2D43BC72EADDA241C9%23cfid%3D4076553%23; CFTOKEN=adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9; CFID=4076553; CFCLIENT_BOOKBROWSE=order%3Dp%23member%5Fnumber%3D0%23member%5Factive%5Fflag%3D0%23member%5Flogged%5Fin%5Fflag%3D0%23library%5Fuser%5Fflag%3D0%23view%3Dbooks%23
HTTP_HOST=dev.bookbrowse.com
HTTP_REFERER=
HTTP_URL=
HTTP_USER_AGENT=Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
LOCAL_ADDR=127.0.0.1
PATH_INFO=/arc_number/538/the-book-of-speculation
PATH_TRANSLATED=/root/website/arc/arc_reviews/detail/index.cfm
QUERY_STRING=
REMOTE_ADDR=127.0.0.1
REMOTE_HOST=127.0.0.1
REMOTE_USER=
REQUEST_METHOD=GET
SCRIPT_NAME=/arc/arc_reviews/detail/index.cfm
SERVER_NAME=dev.bookbrowse.com
SERVER_PORT=8500
SERVER_PORT_SECURE=0
SERVER_PROTOCOL=HTTP/1.1
SERVER_SOFTWARE=
WEB_SERVER_API=
Client Variables:
cfid=4076553
cftoken=adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9
hitcount=12
lastvisit={ts '2026-05-31 23:17:07'}
library_user_flag=0
member_active_flag=0
member_logged_in_flag=0
member_number=0
order=p
timecreated={ts '2026-05-31 23:17:02'}
urltoken=CFID=4076553&CFTOKEN=adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9
view=books
Cookie Variables:
CFCLIENT_BOOKBROWSE=order=p#member_number=0#member_active_flag=0#member_logged_in_flag=0#library_user_flag=0#view=books#
CFGLOBALS=urltoken=CFID#=4076553&CFTOKEN#=adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9#lastvisit={ts '2026-05-31 23:17:06'}#hitcount=11#timecreated={ts '2026-05-31 23:17:02'}#cftoken=adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9#cfid=4076553#
CFID=4076553
CFTOKEN=adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9
FREEACCESSCOUNT=1
Session Variables:
cfid=4076553
cftoken=adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9
sessionid=BOOKBROWSE_4076553_adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9
urltoken=CFID=4076553&CFTOKEN=adf61e7d890bb32b-0343EE69-FF98-C906-43BC72EADDA241C9
URL Parameters:
arc_number=538
the-book-of-speculation=
Debug Rendering Time: 9 ms