(no subject)

Died on this day in 1198 aged 53 Marie of France(my toy,wikipedia). Daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine by her first husband Louis VII of France (her second was King Henry II). She married her father's new wife's brother (!!!!!)


Born on this day in 1279 to King Edward I of England and Eleanor of Castile, Mary of Woodstock (my toy,wikipedia). Daughter of Edward I. Mary became a Nun, she was granted an income by her parents but appears to have managed to run up substantial gambling debts in-spite of a)having a large income and b)being a nun.

Reading Wednesday

Finished:
Walton, Jo The Just City. Borrowed from fivemack (thank you fivemack) because it isn't e-published in the UK (yet? at all?). 1-of-3 (rest unpublished, wah). Absolutely brilliant. When I really want to *be reading* a book I read it so fast, when I'm reading something I want *to have read* it's a bit slower...

A brief summary is that Athene decides to instantiate Plato's Republic; the book is basically a discussion of the merits and otherwise of the Republic. I have to confess to not having managed to read the Republic (I started it in translation many years ago, but found it very hard going; I don't read Greek at all) so I have to assume that Walton truthfully reports its contents. Plato (it seems) was keen to suppose that humans could be brought up to ignore all the more messy bits of humanity, like romantic and familial bonding, in some ways I wish Plato was right (it's all *messy* and *unequal* and rubbish), that it is unrealistic would seem to be the main de-merit explored in the novel; teaching men and women equally and banging on about Equal Significance and Value the main merit. Walton's writing is as ever engaging and hard to put down.

Current
Hurley, Kameron Rapture. Couldn't resist the NEW SHINY in favour of the rest of the to-read. Anyway it is 3-of-3 and reading it before I forget what happened in the other two seemed like one of those good plans. The further adventures of Nyxnissa, more people to kill, more plots and intrigue, more places to explore...

Next
Er, dunno. Probably Dance Til Dawn.