Me, meme, mine...

Like chain letters and herpes, internet memes are the gift that keeps on giving. Now thanks to my distinguished Barbarian colleague, mrgumby2u, I've tagged with this meme:

- Find the nearest book
- Name the book
- The author
- Turn to page 123
- Go to the fifth sentence on the page
- Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
- Tag three more folks.

Well, here goes.

The nearest book* is Catilina's Riddle, by Steven Saylor (in hardcover).

"Political alliances are not always founded on hard logic, Gordianus. Sometimes they grow out of shared distress." He looked at me steadily, as if to to emphasize his words

.

A bit of background explanation is probably necessary. For many years I have been a big fan of the Marcus Didius Falco Series, by Lindsey Davis, about sleuthing set in Vespasian's Rome.

I rarely read mystery novels as I'm more inclinded towards historical fiction and sci-fi. But since I've read all 16 of Lindsey Davis' gum-shoe (tar-sandal?) novels published so far, I wanted to keep reading in the same genre and came across the Roma Sub Rosa Series. The investigations of Gordianus the Finder takes place during the last years of the Roman Republic, beginning with Sulla through the rise of Caesar.

If you love Roman history and/or mystery novels, I heartily recommend both of these series.

Now for 3 hapless bloggers on whom I bestow this gift of memus indestructibilis:

- Chuck Dupree
- Jackson West
- The Token Reader (who should back for the holidays)


*Which I just finished and it's now awaiting its return to the library.