18, nineteen, 20, ventuno

In no particular order, and it should be noted that my house is a mess, my kid is watching tv and she didn't get to bed last night until after 10. (courtesy of mummy and daddy wanting to eat in a nice restaurant. I seriously have the best behaved child ever).

Cocktails for Three by Madeleine Wickham (Sophie Kinsella's other name), this is a quick read. I read most of it while C. had her nap. Overall I found it engaging, though I would have liked slightly more background on the characters. I did identify with one characters struggle between work and motherhood. I think the blurb on the front "Deliciously funny ... witty and wicked" is misplaced as I found this much more emotional than most of her Sophie Kinsella books and she did not "go for the laugh" but tried to be true to her characters which are much more developed than the Shopaholic. Recommended.

Object of Virtue by Nicholas B.A. Nicholson. I totally scored at the 4 books for $10 table. I liked this book. Granted I love books about art but for a debut, I found this book quite engaging, the characters people I would like to have a drink with and the plot compelling.

A Venetian Affair by Andrea Di Robilant. I'll admit it, I bought this book for two reasons: the cover and Venice. This is a non-ficition account of an actual affair of one of the ancestors of the author. He uses letters of the lovers and other contemporary sources to flesh out the circumstances and society. This is not a quick read but a very interesting account of a structured and rigid society long past. For my own visual reference I used the Venice found in the movie Dangerous Beauty - which is nothing like the title suggests.

Augustus by John Williams. Ten years ago I could have written a thesis analyzing this book. Unfortunately my Augustan scholarship is not current and I content myself with Rome on DVD and novels for enjoyment. I found the authors imagined conversations and motivations very intriguing. I loved the glimpse into Augustus' personal relationships, which is an area where greater fictional liberty can be taken. All in all, I read this book for pleasure and it did not disappoint.