Where am I going to?
For the past few days I've had the refrain of "Another suitcase, another town" from Evita in my head, which is odd. Evita isn't a favorite of mine but when I was visiting my parents, my father bought the movie soundtrack because it was cheap at the booksale. He's always been interested in Eva Peron which was why he bought it, also it was a quarter. Then when we were driving north for my nieces' communion party he played it and we all decided we didn't like it. Some of the songs are good but Madonna added so much other stuff to them or possibly they already had that but too many saxophones. So that's the refrain in my head and I'd like it to not be there as it just hits all my feelings of gah, waiting and worrying, which has been making me feel not in a great place.
On Saturday some of this nervousness had a nice physical manifestation when there was surprise roadwork on a road I drive a lot and I badly damaged my right side mirror. This is now another thing that I have to get done. As my birthday gets closer, I feel like all I really want to do for it is just be taken care of for a little bit. If I can arrange the massage that will be part of it and there are plans in the works, I'm just feeling tired. Since feeling sore and unhappy seems to be going around my group of friends of late, I'd also like the world to be nicer for my friends for my birthday too.
In terms of various good things, all the books I've been reading lately have been wonderful. The library booksale in Delaware brought me so many lovely reads that I'm going to do a quick rundown of my utter favorites.
The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer: The main character of this book is just out of the army where he was known as Crazy Jack because nothing ever goes simply for him. The story starts as he's riding to visit a friend and then stops at a toll in the middle of the night because the gatekeeper's missing and ends up comforting and protecting his worried son. There's brilliant use of thieves' cant, a romance between two quite well-suited people, a highwayman that wants to be a farmer, a mystery including something hidden in a cave and an old man who will have things his way. If you've never read Heyer, this is a great way to start as it has all the best elements of her books; believable romance, wonderful feel for the Regency era, humor and beautiful language.
Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Ancient Athens by Peter Davidson: Books like this are why I'm a classicist as the introduction lays out brilliantly how historians try to figure out what ancient life was like and how some areas get looked at closer than others. Then the rest of the book is an intelligent and fun discussion of Athenians thoughts on food, sex and money. I highly recommend it for the knowledge in it and the playful sense of writing.
The Course of Honor by Lindsey Davis: I adore Davis' Falco series set in Vespasian's Rome, its one of my favorite historical mysteries and if there's a new one, I always read it. This book is Davis' take on Vespasian's career told through the eyes of Caenis, the slave and then freedwoman who he loved throughout his entire life. We follow everything through Caenis' eyes. She is a slave in the palace and then later for Antonia, so has a unique perspective on the Claudians. The romance between Vespasian and Caenis is subtly presented as their lives are complicated in terms of class, money and politics. Davis handles it all deftly as well as weaving through it a knowledge of yes, we all know how this ends but lets play in the details. Reading this made me want to go and reread and rewatch I, Claudius, which examines the same general area in time.
At the moment I'm in the midst of The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer which feels like the most Austen of the books of hers I read. The Nonesuch, which is the name for Sir Waldo who is the pinnacle of a gentleman comes to Yorkshire when he inherits an estate and most of the book is about his interactions with the ladies and gentlemen of the area. Its a charming and a wonderful read but normally Heyer reads like Heyer to me, this one feels far more like Austen and makes me want to go and try and finish my Becoming Jane fix it story.
Writing about books has improved my mood and I'm going to get things done and then have a wonderful birthday weekend/week as my family goes that celebrations should keep going.
This entry is also posted at http://ceitfianna.dreamwidth.org/340005.html. Please comment wherever you'd like.
On Saturday some of this nervousness had a nice physical manifestation when there was surprise roadwork on a road I drive a lot and I badly damaged my right side mirror. This is now another thing that I have to get done. As my birthday gets closer, I feel like all I really want to do for it is just be taken care of for a little bit. If I can arrange the massage that will be part of it and there are plans in the works, I'm just feeling tired. Since feeling sore and unhappy seems to be going around my group of friends of late, I'd also like the world to be nicer for my friends for my birthday too.
In terms of various good things, all the books I've been reading lately have been wonderful. The library booksale in Delaware brought me so many lovely reads that I'm going to do a quick rundown of my utter favorites.
The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer: The main character of this book is just out of the army where he was known as Crazy Jack because nothing ever goes simply for him. The story starts as he's riding to visit a friend and then stops at a toll in the middle of the night because the gatekeeper's missing and ends up comforting and protecting his worried son. There's brilliant use of thieves' cant, a romance between two quite well-suited people, a highwayman that wants to be a farmer, a mystery including something hidden in a cave and an old man who will have things his way. If you've never read Heyer, this is a great way to start as it has all the best elements of her books; believable romance, wonderful feel for the Regency era, humor and beautiful language.
Courtesans and Fishcakes: The Consuming Passions of Ancient Athens by Peter Davidson: Books like this are why I'm a classicist as the introduction lays out brilliantly how historians try to figure out what ancient life was like and how some areas get looked at closer than others. Then the rest of the book is an intelligent and fun discussion of Athenians thoughts on food, sex and money. I highly recommend it for the knowledge in it and the playful sense of writing.
The Course of Honor by Lindsey Davis: I adore Davis' Falco series set in Vespasian's Rome, its one of my favorite historical mysteries and if there's a new one, I always read it. This book is Davis' take on Vespasian's career told through the eyes of Caenis, the slave and then freedwoman who he loved throughout his entire life. We follow everything through Caenis' eyes. She is a slave in the palace and then later for Antonia, so has a unique perspective on the Claudians. The romance between Vespasian and Caenis is subtly presented as their lives are complicated in terms of class, money and politics. Davis handles it all deftly as well as weaving through it a knowledge of yes, we all know how this ends but lets play in the details. Reading this made me want to go and reread and rewatch I, Claudius, which examines the same general area in time.
At the moment I'm in the midst of The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer which feels like the most Austen of the books of hers I read. The Nonesuch, which is the name for Sir Waldo who is the pinnacle of a gentleman comes to Yorkshire when he inherits an estate and most of the book is about his interactions with the ladies and gentlemen of the area. Its a charming and a wonderful read but normally Heyer reads like Heyer to me, this one feels far more like Austen and makes me want to go and try and finish my Becoming Jane fix it story.
Writing about books has improved my mood and I'm going to get things done and then have a wonderful birthday weekend/week as my family goes that celebrations should keep going.
This entry is also posted at http://ceitfianna.dreamwidth.org/340005.html. Please comment wherever you'd like.