So, I haven’t read this one yet.   Well, I’m a handful of chapters in and I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner.  I’m pretty in to it.  It’s one of those books that Jessica recommends to me and I’m all “That sounds AWFUL!”  But she absolutely guarantees that as awful as this one sounds, it’s one of the best we’ll read all year.  And this girl never steers me wrong.   So, we read.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

Oh. My. God. This has been my favorite read of 2013 (so far). Look, the description don’t sound amazing: it’s a retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War. It’s got some Illiad mixed in there. Yeah, the Illiad, which you may have skimmed or read the Cliff’s Notes for in high school. Sounds like a snooze, right?

Wrong! This is the most transporting book I’ve picked up in a long time. Ancient Greece and Troy feel so real you can almost smell the ripe figs and the salty sea air. Patroclus, who was Achilles’ lifelong companion, narrates and you just fall in love with him in the first ten pages. Greek mythology is woven so beautifully and realistically into the story that I actually took new interest in these ancient stories that always seemed dusty and over-the-top to me. I’m going to be all mysterious now…I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because you deserve to get lost in it without expectations. You guys, read this book. You will be bowled over. This is more than just a great read, it’s a story that will live in your heart and your imagination for the rest of your life.

And I don’t just say hokey stuff like that every day.

Happy Reading,
Jessica