Saturday

[nightdog_barks]

Hazy sun, cool. A big cold front is supposed to come smashing through tomorrow afternoon, bringing with it the (tiny) possibility of snow flurries.

Finished reading Karen Russell's Swamplandia! and really liked it. I would recommend it wholeheartedly, but with a serious, serious warning that there is an intense, disturbing scene at one point that may be upsetting to readers. It's something that I would absolutely warn for if it was fanfic ... which this obviously isn't, but still.

Anyway. Have been reading Nigel Cliff's The Last Crusade: The Epic Voyages of Vasco da Gama, which is terrific but needs more maps. *g*

Comments

[lully62]

Yay!!! Finally I can comment on a book you're reading! This book is truly epic, and never occurred to me it needed more maps *g*
It could be because I saw so many times the descriptions of Vasco da Gama voyages in my History classes that I didn't miss them.
Anyway, it's such an impressive journey, and explains so many things about past and present that none of those classes never had explained properly. I do hope you enjoy it till the end.

What else? It's been unbearably hot those last three days over here - around 40º - but they are talking about some rain on Sunday and Monday which should bring a respite, but I'm skeptic... I only expect a respite around June...

[nightdog_barks]

*g* I've always been something of a cartography nerd, so I can follow about 99% of the narrative without a map, but when they mention places like the Gulf of Aden I have to think a while before I can picture it in my head. It is such a great read! I really loved the bit about the Portuguese spy/merchant (I'd have to go look up his name) who ended up in Ethiopia, where he was re-found thirty-three years later, old and happy and surrounded by his kids and grandkids. :D

It was warm here this morning, but now the cold front's come through and it's clouded up.

[lully62]

Heh, I also can't remember his name, but it's such a Portuguese thing to do... to find a place and hang their hats and start to mix up with the natives - I know, because I'm a Portuguese descendent and they still do it!

The book it's surprising and enlightening on so many levels. I loved the bit about the Hindu gods that they took as Christian images. But also makes the image of Vasco da Gama a little less untainted than it was before, but not less heroic, I think. It's one of the best books I read last year. :-)