For Christmas the big red gave me a book about Caesar Augustus. Actually that's misleading...she gave me the book but I chose the book at the bookstore and she chose a cookbook. We had shopped for the book that we wanted and just exchanged books to pay for them. That way we both got exactly what we wanted for Christmas.

So anyway... the big red gave me this book. I can't wait to read it because the Colleen McCullough Rome series ends before Augustus really gets terrible involved in the whole thing. I am rereading the Rome series because of the recent visit to Rome itself.

As I was fondling my new book which I am keeping at my bedside I eyed the wall of bookshelves overloaded with books that Joseph gave me for Christmas a few years ago. It began to dawn on me that I might not have time to reread all of those books. I have way too many books. WAY too many. But I have read each and every one of them. Several are annual reads, like Gone with the Wind for instance. Or the Harry Potter series.

Rome though has dominated my reading pattern for the bulk of this last year. Different books, different authors, but always Ancient Roman history. Geez, my history teacher from jr high would be proud. I love learning about Rome, love walking in Rome, and when I hear about the same characters in different books I get a happy little thrill inside. Historical fiction is my favorite but it depends also on the quality of writing.

Enough idle chatter. Back to the book.