Reading Roundup

This has been an eventful reading week - well, as eventful as reading can be...

-I finished Eat, Pray, Love over the weekend and was greatly impressed. It's rare to find a motivational book on self-discovery that starts so despondantly, especially one that leaves the reader with a profound sense of hope. This is how Ms. Gilbert left her readers and I'm grateful to her for sharing these very personal experiences with all of us. I would recommend this one to anyone who is searching for happiness through spiritual means. And through the sights, sounds, and tastes of Italy - which can also be spiritual!

-Also finished (finally!) was Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter. I must say this, Greene always surprises me in the end and this one did not disappoint in that regard. It was interesting but this one falls into a solid third after A Burnt-Out Case and The End of the Affair. Next on the Greene list (according to Dr. M) is Brighton Rock. It's has been ordered but will have to wait until after Italy.

-In honor of Italy, I've started Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor. Saylor writes the Roma Sub Rosa mystery series of Ancient Rome, which I love, and this is the first book I've read of his without those familiar characters. It's a bit strange to be without them. It's also strange to encounter - for the umpteenth time - the history of Rome, this time told with a few fictional characters thrown in for narration purposes. It's troublesome to my psyche that this history is now a bit boring to me, after studying it for so long...it's like I'm watching the movie of my favorite book and I'm not quite into it.... However, I'm still reading. Saylor has a gift for historical fiction and his knowledge is truly gigantic - his work is always fascinating to read. But I miss Gordianus and his sub rosa adventures...sigh.

I have one book picked out to take to Rome and it's highly relevant for the trip. I'll share it with you later. For now, that's what is on bookshelf.