oo, Elderflower sounds really good, doesn't it? Let us know how you like it, it would be a lovely experience to read something learned and straightforward after Possession. I think Possession possessed US! hhahahaa
I've come in to say, however, how much I love the conversation here, the trips to Greece, fabulous. Our Latin Courses Consultant Dale Grote, who is a professor of classics at the University of North Carolina (Charlotte) also does a fabulous two weeks in Greece, very reasonable, which included, when I went, Crete by one of their giant ferries, and you miss absolutely nothing you've heard about and want to see including Meteora, Sounion, Mycenae, Knossos, the newest fabulous museums, my gosh those crowns of gold leaf, etc., etc., etc. When I went we also got to hear a famous elderly Greek singer of old protest songs who has now died, that type of thing and a trip way up in the mountains to nowhere to this little village where they know him and we had THE most authentic food you ever ate.
He goes all the time so he really knows his way around and what to see, and of course you've got your own Classicist right there with you, priceless.
I have heard in later years he does include Istanbul, but when you travel on an archaeological study tour it's quite different from a regular packaged tour and (if you have not seen the movie My Life in Ruins, hahaha you may want to check it out). (He said it will set back tourism in Greece for 100 years but I liked it. hahahaa) He's good.
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I came in to say that the long drought of my wanting a book to read is over for me, thank goodness, with Joanne Harris's Gentlemen and Players.
While attending a conference of Classicists at Wake Forest University this past weekend in Winston Salem NC naturally I hit the Barnes and Noble, looking for Bookmarks Magazine and the Mambo Kings first book to take on my trip, and there it was: a book by the author of Chocolat and Five Quarters of the Orange. We have talked about her books here but I never read Gentlemen and Players.
The cover attracted me as it appears to be an old college campus and actually the cover looks like one of the buildings where we were. Turns out it's about a Classicist at the college, too, and that was too great a coincidence to turn down, but it immediately throws you into a strange and compelling situation. I'm only 1/3 of the way thru and should not talk about it but even tho I can't put it down, I'm going to. I'm going to take it with me on Friday to Europe, it's another Shadow of the Wind, you put it down and you think about it the entire time you're not reading it.
That is the kind of reading experience I have long missed, and am very grateful to her for getting me back in reading just for pleasure. I have missed that experience.
I have the distinct feeling it's Ripley esque, there's something not quite right here, so it may not be for everybody but I love the way she writes. I am seriously thinking of taking one of her others with me too, has anybody read either Chocolat or Five Quarters of the Orange and if so which would you recommend? (or any of hers?)
It is SO good to be reading again!
