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More Books for When You Just Can't Stop Thinking About Ancient Rome

In preparation for my trip to Italy, I read a whole bunch of Ancient Rome themed books designed to educate and entertain me ahead of my holiday. Of course, after two weeks taking in the sights (and eating my bodyweight in pizza and pasta) you can understand that I was done with the theme for a while.

'A while' turned out to be... three months. 

The bite of winter has sent me scurrying back to books featuring sunshine and olives. No wonder all these men are constantly thinking about Ancient Rome when faced with the bitter reality of Londinium as of Jan/Feb 2024. 

So here is my second list of books to read when you can't stop thinking about Ancient Rome...

The Books

Falco: Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis 

The Falco series looks set to be my new obsession. It's set in Rome, about eight years before Vesuvius erupted. Falco is an informer (a private investigator) and the series delightfully inverts every 'hardboiled PI' trope imaginable. Falco may live in a scummy area, have served in the military, and has an eye for the ladies... but he's also gregarious and empathetic, has a close relationship with his huge and matriarchal family, and is transforming into the ultimate wife-guy. If I said he could be played by David Tennant circa 2005 you can picture him perfectly. 

This book is a very close sequel to the first, to the point I would consider it more of a two-parter. Falco spends a great deal of time in Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Capri, and Amalfi - all places I visited on my trip! 

Falco: Venus in Copper by Lindsey Davis 

Naturally I moved on to the third Falco book ASAP. This is a more traditional mystery, as Falco returns to private work after his government missions. This time he faces off against a femme fatale, as he is employed to prevent a wealthy freed slave from marrying a professional black widow. Meanwhile he tries to move to a newer, nicer apartment and deals with an enormous fish. 

A great deal of this book is spent raging against the landlord class, and I was here for it. 

Honey & Pepper by A.J Demas

This queer romance isn't strictly set in Ancient Rome but in a slightly hand-wavey Ancient Rome-ish place with Ancient Rome-ish traditions. Everyone is wearing togas and eating garum, is what I'm saying. 

Two former slaves, a clerk and a cook, have an instant attraction to one another, but have to untangle themselves from their pasts both literally (due to a criminal scheme cooked up by one of their former owners) and emotionally. 

This manages to keep the sweet romance on track without ignoring the bigger issues at play. It packs a surprising punch for a mere two-hundred pages. 

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