Rome

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A few weeks ago I highlighted this book as part of the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour on it. I was reading it then and really enjoying it!

Well, I finished it and I just wanted to post again and say how much I enjoyed it! I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

If you know me, you know that my favorite historical fiction (outside of WWII) is when I read and learn from a novel. I will admit to knowing not much about Caligula’s Rome (though I did write a report on “Every Day Life in Ancient Rome” in seventh grade – 1979). What a treat this novel was! The details, the historical setting, the characters. Ms. Christie’s writing gives you a story almost within a story — while we focus on the main character of Marcus and his trials and tribulations, the novel is part of the bigger setting of the golden days of Rome.

Just in case you weren’t paying attention the first time I posted, here’s the overview:

Marcus Carinna hears a voice whisper, “Your turn,” as he rides past his family tomb. An unseen presence also startles the Germanic priestess Aurima, whom he is bringing to Rome. But hardheaded Romans scoff at ghosts, and Marcus can’t believe it’s a warning from his brother, who killed himself three years earlier.

37 AD: To great acclaim, 25-year-old Caligula Caesar has become Rome’s new master. No one is more pleased than Senator Titus Carinna, who helped him succeed to the throne. It’s a shame the Senator’s older son–Caligula’s closest friend–committed suicide after being charged with treason. But that still leaves Marcus, his second son.

Headstrong and hot-tempered, Marcus would rather prove his courage by leading legions against Rome’s enemies than take his brother’s place. Yet when his father orders him to befriend Caligula, he has no choice.

Caught in a web of deceit, conspiracy, and betrayal, he will uncover a secret that threatens his family, the woman he desires, even his life… and may bring chaos to the young Roman Empire.

“The first installment in a page-turning saga that revisits the heroes and villains of the grandest city of the ancient world…. Comes alive with the long gone characters who were its lifeblood” -Kirkus Reviews

‘‘Combines current political concerns, the wide lens of the serious historical novel, and emotional maturity and realism with an utterly splendid grasp of what it must have been like to live in Rome under Caligula’s reign.” -Sarah Smith, Agatha Award winner and New York Times Notable author

About the Author

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After earning a Phi Beta Kappa creative award in college for an early draft about a nobly born charioteer, Sherry Christie spent many years of research and revision developing ROMA AMOR into the story about fathers and sons that it wanted to be. It’s a joy to immerse myself in the lives of first-century Romans–and a distinct change from my day job as a . In addition to writing, Sherry is a professional copywriter. She lives on the coast of Maine with a native-born Viking and two cats.

For more information, please visit Sherry Christie’s website. You can also connect with her on Twitter, and Goodreads.

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Thank you for my review copy!

On a whim I put in to receive “The Vatican Diaries” by John Thavis from Net Galley. Little did I know that Pope Benedict XVI was about to resign his position as Pontiff! As a lifelong Catholic, I thought I would find the insider’s look at the vatican interesting. What a fascinating read this was!

Just published last week, “The Vatican Diaries” (which is subtitled “A Behind the Scenes Look at the Power, Personalities, and Politics at the Heart of the Catholic Church) chronicles a variety of events and issues spanning the last thirty years. Author John Thavis was a key reporter for the Catholic News Service and spent many years inside the Vatican. His stories range from how the bells are rung when a new Pope is chosen to the sex scandal and how it was handled to some interesting characters and their personalities. Throughout his stories, which are deemed fact not fiction, the inner workings of the Vatican are revealed – the personalities and conflicts, the gossip and infighting, the lack of organization and cohesion. At times over the years the Vatican has made statements — or I should say has been quoted — and I’ve thought, “Wait – what??” This book showed some of these circumstances and how/why they came about.

I found this book fascinating. In light of Pope Benedict’s departure it is even more timely. As a Catholic I found interesting, but I think non-Catholics would find it interesting, too. Politics, power, religion, and relationships – truth can be stranger than fiction!