The Roman Summer

When I was a young woman with some time on my hands, I devoted every summer to one exceptionally long book.  One year it was War and Peace, another V.  This year, I've decided to (finally) read The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  One could say I'm a glutton for punishment, but I've been planning to read it for years now and, having acquired it for a breathtakingly low price, I've decided to add the Decline to my pantheon of summer behemoths.

So far, it's a little like reading the Old Testament except instead of an endless litany of "begats," The Roman Empire boasts several chapters of Emperors who enter and exit quickly.  I've now embarked on the actual decline.

As an antidote to the lengthy history, I'm also currently reading Hotel Honolulu by Paul Theroux.  Again, another incredibly cheap acquisition.  I've been an on-again-off-again fan of Theroux since I read The Mosquito Coast.  This book doesn't compete as yet.  We'll see.