Winter Reading

Hullo all,

Aside from making a baby, Lydia and I have been doing a lot of reading lately - (nearly) all of it assigned, however. For Winter Break, I've been planning a v. short reading list to enjoy during my time off. It follows:

1. Gerusalemme Liberata by Torquato Tasso, trans. Anthony Esolen - a much-neglected epic poem on the First Crusade, translated by a fellow who has also done Dante's Commedia and Lucrecius' De Rerum Natura.

2. Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin - This was a gift from Lydia to me of one of her fave novels about an Italian in the First World War. I've read a bit of it so far, and the style is pleasantly intriguing. It's neither realism nor magic realism, but something in between. The narration moves from satire to lyricism often and adeptly.

3. Elements of Faith by Christos Yannaras - Some Orthodox theology to round out the list. This is a so-far interesting and slightly dense introduction to the church by a philosophy professor at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (for Greek readers, of whose number I do not count myself a part).

Any hopes/suggestions for winter reading from the rest of N Locust?

BTW, we will be in Searcy for a day and a half or so right after graduation if anyone will be near. We will necessarily be with family most of the time, but perhaps we can meet up for some Bobby's or Mexican food (oh, the plethora of dining options in that town!).