The Other Alcott: A Novel
Book
Elise Hooper's debut novel conjures the fascinating, untold story of May Alcott-Louisa's youngest...
What Lot's Wife Saw
Ioanna Bourazopoulou and Yiannis Panas
Book
It's been twenty-five years since the Overflow flooded Southern Europe, drowning Rome, Vienna and...
Galley Slave: The Autobiography of a Protestant Condemned to the French Galleys: v. 1: Seafarers' Voices
Book
This remarkable memoir tells of the miseries of Jean Marteilhe of Bergerac, 'a Protestant condemned...
ClareR (5726 KP) rated Shield of the Rising Sun (Path of Nemesis #3) in Books
Sep 8, 2020
The story is told by three characters: Albinus, his son Faustus, and Faustus’ uncle, Calvus. The battle scenes, mainly from Albinus’ point of view, were gory (I like this - I know, probably a bit odd!) and the politics with all the infighting and back-stabbing was fascinating. How did anyone ever feel safe at this time? I’ll answer that: if they were clever, they NEVER felt safe!
This story shows the true reach of the Roman Empire - there are scenes in Britain, Germany and Egypt, as well as in Rome. It frankly amazed me how quickly Roman soldiers seemed to be able to travel - and mostly (if not solely) on foot!
The main characters were all three very likeable men, who had me rooting for them throughout - even though it was pretty obvious what would happen to one of them from the start )I’m giving nothing away here!).
I enjoy reading a lot of historical fiction, and it’s not often that I read books set in the Roman period. I don’t know why, there’s no reason I can think of, and this makes me realise that I really should read more! If, like me, you’re a fan of historical fiction, then you’ll enjoy the rich descriptions and history packed story within the pages of this book.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for serialising this book, and to Adam Lofthouse for joining in and commenting in the margins!
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated If You Could Go Anywhere in Books
Sep 12, 2019
The people she meets in Italy welcome her with open arms, ready to accept her into their large extended family. They're a nice bunch of people who want to hear all about her life in the desert and living in a "cave". They show her how to make Italian cuisine and she shares her own recipes with them.
Then there's Alessandro. He's related but not by blood and there's a connection between the two of them. Both want to travel; both lost parents at an early age. But Alessandro had a rough start to life and doesn't want any sort of commitment with anyone or anything.
I loved some of the secondary characters like Stefano and Cristina. They were fun; there arguments over the music that played and their nights out/nights.
I like that this is set in Rome, a city I have visited myself so I understand some of Angie's joy at seeing some of the famous sites. And a little time in Venice, too. Another city I've had the fortune of visiting.
And lastly, cover love! How cute is this cover? I love it!
Money Changes Everything: How Finance Made Civilization Possible
Book
In the aftermath of recent financial crises, it's easy to see finance as a wrecking ball: something...
Politics economics finance
In the Company of the Courtesan
Book
My lady, Fiammetta Bianchini, was plucking her eyebrows and biting color into her lips when the...
The Skin
Book
“It is a shameful thing to win a war.” The reliably unorthodox Curzio Malaparte’s own service...
Cooking Craze - A Kitchen Game
Games and Entertainment
App
Join the Cooking Craze! Prep, cook, and serve tasty food to earn achievements while you expand your...