Very regularly, I'm asked 'what are you reading'? This is perfectly normal question, since I do work in the book business. Often, I read things before I put them out on the shelves or even catalog them because, well, they just look good. This is the case with Mistress of Rome. About six months ago, Logan and I began watching the Starz series Spartacus (both season one and the prequel). It focuses on the Gladiator Spartacus, his Lanista, the Roman slaves, etc. and Is REALLY good. I also need to mention that there is A LOT of nudity and swearing, but both are story driven and not just there to bolster ratings. Since we're waiting for season two of Blood & Sand, I haven't had a lot of 'Rome' in my life lately.
Enter Mistress of Rome. This is book one in a series by Kate Quinn (a self proclaimed Roman/Latin geek) and this goes a long way as she really worked hard to ensure that she was as historically accurate as possible. I found it to be very well written (and minus all the extreme language found in the t.v. series we've been watching...), the characters well developed, and it really satisfied my need for drama, blood and gore. There were parts that I became all misty-eyed and I read most of this book in one sitting (I finished up at 2:25 am...), and while it made for a long day the next day, this book was completely worth it. And of course, I am looking forward to book two in this series entitled Daughters of Rome.
Have a GREAT WEEKEND! Sunny and 78 is the prediction for tomorrow, so I'll be out and about!
