I have recently become friendly with the Hist-Fic Chick, who recommended several historical fiction novels I might enjoy. I looked for ones I could get on audiobook, either through the library or through audible.com. It helps my road-rage to have a good story going on during traffic; some days, I spend nearly 5 hours in the car.

The first book I read after getting her recommendations and hunting through the online stacks was Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran (the third book in her Egyptian women trilogy). It followed the early life of Cleopatra VII and Marc Antony’s daughter, Cleopatra Selene, in the third person. After the fall of Egypt to Rome, Cleopatra Selene and her twin brother Alexander Helios are taken to Rome by Octavian (later renamed, Caesar Augustus) and raised by his sister. As a former student of classical languages back in college, I am fascinated by learning about life in the ancient societies of Greece and Rome. This book had a wonderful story, but also was filled with the richness of what life was like in Roman society at that time, and the bent of Selene’s perspective, comparing cultures, added so much and gave the cultural details a background that never made it seem like a textbook. I was hooked.

Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel, by Michelle Moran

Then I read Nefertiti, the first book in Michelle Moran’s trilogy. I was so disappointed! It was a good enough read, but the story was told in the first person from the perspective of Nefertiti’s younger sister, Mutnedjemet. Although the story followed Nefertiti’s reign with a critical but loving eye, the everyday cultural details were sparse. It was like eating tortilla chips and salsa in place of dinner. It was missing meat. However, I did enjoy reading it, and if you’re looking for an insider perspective on how Nefertiti’s reign was doomed to failure, it is certainly a worthwhile read. I’m just not a politics person. I’m more focused on learning about culture and life in that time and place.

Nefertiti: A Novel, by Michelle Moran

I might read The Heretic Queen, the middle book in Moran’s Egypt trilogy, but I might not. Maybe in a month or two.

The Heretic Queen: A Novel, by Michelle Moran

I did finally find a print version of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell, one of the Hist-Fic Chick’s all-time favorites, so I may read that one day soon.

The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, by Robin Maxwell

Right now, while I’m trying to decide what world to enter next, I’m reading one of those fun potato-chip murder mysteries (the kind you enjoy at the time and can demolish like a bag of potato chips, but aren’t dying to pick up again).  I’ve been taking a break from sci-fi after reading a particularly spectacular book, so I’ll be going back to historical fiction soon.