The Ultimate Reading Quest

I’ve decided to attempt the ultimate reading quest. For Christmas this year was given a copy of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. Flipping through this book I realized I hadn’t read most of the books listed. A few of them I read back in school, but that was long enough ago (and I no doubt rushed through them to get the assignment over with) that I really didn’t feel like I could check them off the list. So I’ve decided I’m going to try to read all 1001 books. So far, I’ve manage to read 3 of them; a slow start but it is a start none-the-less. The three I’ve managed to read are:

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

I’m currently in the middle of another book on the list and will post updates on my journey to complete this daunting, but exciting task.

The Birth of Venus: A Sexy Book

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

THE PLOT:

The story takes place in Florence, Italy during the Renaissance and the reign of the Medici family. Alessandra, the only daughter of a wealthy family, is every bit a child of the Renaissance who finds her life disrupted when her father employs a struggling artist to paint the chapel ceiling in their home. Alessandra is instantly drawn to this young man, but her family is determined to keep them apart. Alessandra is horrified when she learns she is going to be married to a man who is much older. As Alessandra is forced to leave her painter and her family, the city around her is in turmoil. A fundamentalist monk is working to gain control of the city and suppress the Renaissance movement. As the situation in the city continues to grow worse, Alessandra discovers that her marriage was built upon a secret, and she finds her thoughts continually returning to the painter. Just as the chaos around the city erupts, so does her personal life.

THE SCOOP:

This book is amazing to read. I will admit that I am a bit of an Italian Renaissance junkie so stories set in that time period already have a point in their favor. But there is more to this story than just the time period it was set in. The sexual tension between Alessandra and her painter is intense. I found myself reading as fast as I could just to try to find out whether or not they ever got to be together because I could almost feel their longing myself. The book is beautifully written and the descriptions will have your imagination running rampant with vivid images. This is a must read for everyone. I told one of my friends to read it and she dubbed it a “sexy book.” And what a sexy book it is!!!

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Hello world!

Welcome to Book Remix. I love to read and I love to give my opinion so I figured why not do both.  Here you will find short summaries and “The Scoop” on the books I read.  I promise to give my unbiased opinion and hold nothing back.  Let me help you pick your next book.