After weeks of reading weighty subject matter, I have moved on to my comfort reads of mostly mystery and sci-fi. There was a time when I read mystery books almost exclusively, but now I'm mature and try to read Things that Matter. The Grove of the Caesars (Flavia Albia #8) by Lindsey Davis is part of a series I have enjoyed for years. If you like mystery series, Lindsey is really good at what she does. She has two series taking place in Rome in the 1st century. The first is about Didius Falco--former military turned detective, and the second series features his adopted daughter, Flavia Albia. She is intelligent, sarcastic, and cynical--my kind of woman--and the mysteries are intriguing. I'm currently reading the next book in the series.
My departure from the "fun" stuff is Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. This is my book club book for April. It is based on a painting by Vermeer and was also made into a movie with Scarlet Johansson. I haven't seen the movie yet. My art person, Noelle, informed me that not much is known about Vermeer. He only produced thirty-four paintings, mostly of women. The painting is compared to DaVinci's Mona Lisa. It makes sense. It is hard to tell what the woman is feeling or thinking, but she is arresting.
The book was more fiction than history. The tension comes from several love triangles and the oppression of women and servants.
I continued the sci-fi series Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. I read the first one earlier this year. search This week, I read Artificial Condition (#2), Rogue Protocol (#3), and Exit Strategy (#4). They were short, more like novellas with about 150 pages each. It is a coming-of-age story. It displays a favorite idea of mine (and others how_stories_change_brain) that story changes you. He is sarcastic, cynical, and lethal, but with a kind heart that he tries to hide and a fondness for soap operas: stories. He is an evolving protagonist and engaging. I have the next one in the series ready to read.
On a final note, Happy Birthday, Dear Beloved Husband, who is the evolving, good-hearted love interest in the book of my life.❤️🤓
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