What is Philip Matyszak reading?

The current featured contributor at Writers Read: Philip Matyszak, author of Ancient Athens on Five Drachmas a Day, Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day, The Classical Compendium: A Miscellany of Scandalous Gossip, Bawdy Jokes, Peculiar Facts, and Bad Behavior from the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and other works.

His entry begins:

Usually I have several books on the go at once ... my current crop consists of:

The Breath of Hades by Gregg Loomis - I wanted something light and trashy for reading by the lake, and certainly got trashy. This horribly predictable 'thriller' is riddled with factual errors and bizarre right-wing views. There's a hilarious two-page anti-Canadian rant which is totally irrelevant to the plot, but which the writer evidently needed to get off his chest. It's a library book, but I might still do future readers a favour and drop it in the lake when I'm done.

The Man from Pomegranate Street by Caroline Lawrence - Yes, it's a kid's book, but a fun read for adults too. The adventures of Flavia Gemina and friends combine rock-solid research with a good plot and interesting...[read on]

Visit Philip Matyszak's website and blog.

See: The Page XCIX Test: Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day.

Writers Read: Philip Matyszak.

--Marshal Zeringue