Review: The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina

The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina by Caroline Lawrence

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Five stars because the author was brave enough to make "shocking" character decisions [considering that this is a children's (or does it qualify as YA?) book]. And I learned more Greek myths. And the origin of the Tarantella (interesting and relevant to the book's theme!). On to The Enemies of Jupiter!



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Review: The Dolphins of Laurentum

The Dolphins of Laurentum by Caroline Lawrence

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Four words: Greek myths, dolphins, forgiveness.

I say the book was amazing because it made me cry. All the while I was thinking of L. B. Smedes' quote: "To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you."

I'm glad that I didn't have to go far into the series before giving one of its books a five-star rating. This book proves that The Roman Mysteries is not just any children's series.



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Review: The Golden Dice - A Tale of Ancient Rome

The Golden Dice - A Tale of Ancient Rome by Elisabeth Storrs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



There was a comment I read somewhere in Goodreads comparing The Wedding Shroud's Caecilia with Bella Swan of Twilight. I couldn't disagree more. And disagree violently, I will. From what I've read on Ancient Rome (and I've read lots), proper Roman women were supposed to be virtual wallflowers—simple, hardworking and most of all, subservient to their men. Having brought up in this stringent world, it was expected of Caecilia to be confused and conflicted when she was thrust into the colorful, "loose" world of the Rasenna. Imagine the horror she felt, the depression, as she was confronted with the reality that she was supposed to go against every fiber of who she thought she was. And Caecilia was forced to change her values because she was not married to just any Etruscan, she was married to a noble. Caecilia is an unforgettable heroine, and one of my all-time favorites.

Ms. Storrs deftly continues her beautiful, indelible story in The Golden Dice. She is a great storyteller, with a knack for choosing the right words that never fail to strike the right note in the Ancient Rome lover's heart. I love stories set in the late Roman republic, but now I feel exhilarated to explore a new Ancient Roman world. I can't wait to read the next installment in this (trilogy? series? please, please say series).

I couldn't thank the heavens enough for self-publishing. Ms. Storrs, please don't stop writing.



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Review: The Persian Boy

The Persian Boy by Mary Renault

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I suppose that the author succeeded in telling the Persian boy's story with her exquisite words and vivid storytelling. However, the book was a bit too flowery for my taste—I found my eyes glazing over a couple of times while reading through the chapters. Maybe that's the point, because the book is all about the beautiful Bagoas and his ardent (no other word for it) relationship with the mighty Alexander, and isn't love flowery, anyway? I liked it, and I liked the way it was told, because I believe it wouldn't have been effectively told any other way. But I wouldn't choose it over Robert Graves' I, Claudius.



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The Year That Was

I had planned to write about 2012 (the Year of the Bookworm) at the start of this year. It wasn't really meant to be a highbrow enterprise, as everything can be summed up in a few sentences, BUT. I surprise myself. Laziness is a killer. 

So here are the few sentences: 

Sifting through my "read" virtual bookshelf on Goodreads, I can only make one conclusion. I took my obsession with Ancient Rome to nerd-shattering heights. I finished two historical fiction series (Roma Sub Rosa and SPQR) and many non-fiction, Roman-related books. There were OTHER books, of course. But I was so lucky that I enjoyed them all (well, ALMOST all. Yes, Matched, I am talking about you. I still can't believe you got 4 stars on Goodreads). 

To paraphrase Anne Lamott, I am going to resurrect this blog book by book now. Note to self: you need not impress anyone, least of all yourself, so write goddammit.  

Review: The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire

The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire by Anthony Everitt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I am a nerd. And my love (bordering on obsession?) for Ancient Rome has even made me more of a nerd. Not many people my age (or any age for that matter) possess this kind of dedication to the memory of one of the greatest empires the world has ever known (this is a fact and not pure gushing on my part).

It is because of this love (not just for Ancient Rome, but for history in general) that I recommend The Rise of Rome to other enthusiasts of Ancient Roman history and culture. The way Anthony Everitt wrote this book — so lucid and so compelling at the same time. If only all history textbooks were like this!

Taking the "variable nature of literary sources" on Ancient Roman history, the author interestingly (and effectively) divided the book into three parts: "Legend, the age of the kings, where most of the events never took place, at least not in the manner described; Story, the conquest of Italy and constitutional conflict, where fact and fiction cohabit; and History, the Republic as a Mediterranean power, where the literary sources make a serious attempt at objectivity and accuracy." Just the way I would tell Rome's story, if given the chance haha (the book opened with the story of the Trojan War, one of my favorite childhood tales) :D

When people ask me why I love Ancient Rome so much, I just tell them that a historical power such as Rome cannot just exist so posterity can forget about it. Luckily for me, Mr. Everitt has given me two new answers to share :)

1) "The remote past is worth the trouble of exhuming because the Romans remain relevant to us. They still inspire us, still have an effect on how we view social, political, and moral values. We live in a world they made."
2) "The idea of Rome is imprinted on our genes. It has generated proverbs, maxims, and phrases that we use in our everyday lives with scarcely a thought for their old significance: all roads lead to Rome, the grandeur that was Rome, when in Rome do as the Romans do, Rome wasn’t built in a day, Rome the eternal city."

Roma Victor! :D






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Review: I Am Half Sick Of Shadows

I Am Half Sick Of Shadows by Alan Bradley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Flavia de Luce is a positively delightful character. I found myself engrossed in this latest A. Bradley book for a whole day. It's like watching a very entertaining niece go about a very entertaining adventure. There were some (few) parts I could not relate to (and made me skip to the more action-filled parts), but I blame it on my lack of knowledge about British post-war culture.

I applaud I Am Half-Sick of Shadows for making the protagonist(s) even more endearing to the readers. Good work, Mr. Bradley.



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