For some strange reason.... that sounds awfully familiar..... [lol]

The Best...

One of the things I like doing at the start of each year is to post my Best of the previous years reading. As with everything on the Blog these are my personal opinions (how could they be otherwise?) regarding books - both fiction and non-fiction - that I've enjoyed. Until now there was no easy way to access previous Best of lists, so I've created a new label cunningly entitled: Only The Best. This now contains the Best of lists from the last 15 years. If you're so inclined I hope that you find something to enjoy in there! 

Just Finished Reading: Lemons Never Lie by Richard Stark (FP: 1971) [221pp] 

He knew it was a mistake as soon as he pulled the arm on the slot machine. Confirmation came swiftly when the three lemons came up and paid out in a clashing of nickels. It was bad luck. That afternoon, only part way through the ‘presentation’ he had decided to leave early. Alan Myers’ plan to knock over a brewery was too elaborate and far too violent for his tastes, plus Meyers was an idiot. But when he left his friend and sometimes partner Dan left with him and Meyers didn’t like that – not one bit. With no flights out of Las Vegas till the next day Dan decided to throw some dice in a craps time to pass a few hours. Unlike Alan Grofield, Dan was having all the luck and walked away with a few thousand. Unknown to either of them Myers was watching them and decided that the money was rightfully his... Weeks later Alan was getting ready for the summer crowd when Dan unexpectedly showed up. Even more surprising was what Dan had in the trunk of his car – Meyers, trussed up like a pig getting ready for a roasting. Unfortunately for both Dan and Alan they removed the gag and let Meyers talk. He told a tale of easy money waiting to be taken... and they believed him. The bad luck wasn’t over yet. 

The Hard Case Crime series has been VERY hit and miss so far. Whilst the majority have been generally OK there have been a few stinkers that still resonate in my memory. One or two have been very good, but they’re very much the exception. This one was at the higher end of the reasonable pile, so I was more than happy with that. The writing is solid and I was pleased the way the story unfolded. I wasn’t ever sure which way things were going to go, but I was more than willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt seeing how he handled things. Whilst none of the characters were particularly outstanding, they were all well drawn, down to earth and believable. Their actions matched their motivations, and nothing felt ‘off’. Being the nature of such books there was a smattering of violence (not too explicit) and ‘mild threat’ (as they say just before a movie) but nothing that would disturb too much. The plot moves along at a fair clip and is well constructed. Alan Grofield is a smart cookie and professional part-time criminal (with the emphasis on professional) and it shows in the way he operates. It's all very believable. Entertaining if not exactly great literature. Reasonable. 

Yes..... THAT'S the reason I buy SO many books.... Yes.... [lol]

Just Finished Reading: Twilight Cities – Lost Capitals of the Mediterranean by Katherine Pangonis (FP: 2023) [254pp] 

Whenever we think of ancient Mediterranean cities our minds quickly go to the Big 3 – Rome, Athens and Alexandria. But what of the others? Those cities that rivalled the Big 3 or simply pre-dated them. What of them? What are THEIR histories and where are they now – apart from largely forgotten. This is their tale. 

Starting in Tyre (Lebanon), home port of the Phoenician traders of early antiquity the author moves to their most famous settlement – Carthage (Tunisia), now a rather underappreciated part of the capital Tunis. From there we move to the much fought over strategic port of Syracuse (Sicily), site of encounters between the Carthaginians and Romans during the three Punic Wars that made Rome the Mediterranean super-power of the period. On then to Ravenna (Italy) which had a very varied history including, for a short period, being the capital of the western Roman Empire itself. Finally, we visit Antioch (Turkey) so recently [at time of the book’s publication] virtually destroyed in a massive earthquake. 

Whilst certainly being aware of the history of Carthage and most especially the series of wars between it and Rome I was initially unaware of the other places beyond their names and rough locations. Needless to say, I learnt a LOT here. Although the history of the region is dominated by Rome, Greece and Egypt – often for very good reasons – there was much more going on here. The other cities and other empires were not just bit-players in the well-known stories of the Big 3, but players in and of themselves. Missing them out not only leaves the other, more well-known, players without either foundation or motivation for their actions but diminishes the rich cultural environment of the ancient world of which they were part. This informative book revives that importance and left me with a greater appreciation of the interplay of these cities in the history of the region itself. One thing I particularly liked was how the author put each city into its historical context, often bringing things up to the present as she visited each site and talked to the locals about their own histories. This certainly whet my interest to dig deeper into the non-Big 3 cities/states/empires. So, more to come. Recommended to anyone interested in the ancient world and looking beyond the Roman Empire.

Oh, and a shout-out to a quite lovely cover - which is why I spotted it to begin with! 

It was one of the few things I didn't like about my last job - the *constant* interruptions @ lunch as I munched on my sandwich or tucked into a DIY salad (from our excellent on-site salad bar) with book in hand at my desk. I purposedly put my book in plain sight to indicate that I wasn't @ work. No noticeable effect. I did think seriously, more than once, of taking my lunch break elsewhere - but it was just too convenient staying at my desk....  

Happy Birthday: Lucrezia Borgia (18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was an Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the illegitimate daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She was a former governor of Spoleto.

Her family arranged several marriages for her that advanced their own political position, including to Giovanni Sforza, Lord of Pesaro and Gradara, Count of Cotignola; Alfonso of Aragon, Duke of Bisceglie and Prince of Salerno; and Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. Alfonso of Aragon was an illegitimate son of the King of Naples, and tradition has it that Lucrezia's brother Cesare may have had him murdered after his political value waned.

Notorious tales about her family have cast Lucrezia as a femme fatale, a controversial role in which she has been portrayed in many artworks, novels, and films.

Lucrezia was described as having heavy blonde hair that fell past her knees, a beautiful complexion, hazel eyes that changed colour, a full, high bosom, and a natural grace that made her appear to "walk on air". In another description, the author wrote that "her mouth is rather large, the teeth brilliantly white, her neck is slender and fair, and the bust is admirably proportioned." These physical attributes were highly appreciated in Italy due to the similarity of her description with that of the Roman goddess of arts and war, Minerva.

Since her death, several rumours surrounding Lucrezia have persisted, primarily concerning the nature of the extravagant parties thrown by the Borgia family. One example is the legendary Banquet of Chestnuts. Many of these allegations concern accusations of Lucrezia's involvement in incest, poisoning, and murder. For example, it was rumoured that Lucrezia was in possession of a hollow ring that she used to poison drinks. However, no historical basis for these accusations exists, beyond the attacks of her enemies.

[I've been interested in Lucrezia since watching the 1981 BBC series The Borgias where she was played by Anne-Louise Lambert. With some luck I'll be reading about her and her notorious family later in the year.]