Recent Reads

52. Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy #1)
I tend to love stories set in my fave trifecta: Sparta, Athens, and Troy. When I was in Troy a couple of years ago, I stood on the hallowed ground once tread by Hektor, Achilles, and Helen (don't throw your lemons at my mythology people!), and got goosebumps. So, how on earth is it that I've never heard of this author before now? This is the first book in the Troy Trilogy, and I devoured the almost 500 pages in one day. Nothing much else got done that day, and I've made my peace with that. 

Helikaon, Argurios, and Andromache are some of the wonderfully developed characters that people this story filled with the "ageless drama of brave deeds and fierce battles, of honor and treachery, of love won and lost".

Most of us know the basics of the Trojan Wars, and what I loved about this book is that it starts before the famous battle, and breathes new life into a well worn story. We get the lay of the land, its peoples, and the politics that clearly foreshadow the wars to come. This is not beautiful literary writing, but I was transported to the Great Green, could feel the wind and waves on my face, could hear the clash of swords, and smell the spilled blood. 

I loved every moment of this book, and plan to read the next two in the series pronto. Rating: 5 stars.

53. The Unforgettable Photograph: How to Take Great Pictures of the People and Things You Love
This is a different kind of photography book. It is not bogged down with technical information, and pages and pages of boring text. It is full of photographs. The kind you would love to have in your albums. This book is about inspiring you to take better photos, ones with emotion, ones that mean something to you. Each photo comes with a tip or two about something to try. A fun and inspiring read. Rating: 4 stars.

54. Men Explain Things to Me
"Violence doesn't have a race, a class, a religion, or a nationality, but it does have a gender."

This is a good collection of essays from a feminist and activist, and I really appreciated many of the the thought provoking topics she explored. However as with any collection, I loved some and found others not as good. Still, I would recommend this essay collection, as even in the ones I liked least, there are some wonderful nuggets to mull over. Rating: 5 stars.