Secrets of the Monarch

                           Allison DuBois's latest book, Secrets of the Monarch: What the Dead Can Teach Us About Living a Better Life, is an inspirational, easy to read encouragement to "love and live life large."  In each chapter, DuBois's message is clear: those who we have loved, and who still love us, guide, care, and watch over us.  Sharing your good times, your happy, funny, and sad stories with others, raises their spirits and encourages them to want much of the same kind of happiness in their own life.  So spread the word: live life large, make no apologies for who you are, and love one another.  If you do that, you'll never regret your life.

Pompeii

                                              Pompeii by Robert Harris

In the year A.D. 79, young engineer Marcus Attilius Primus is appointed by the emperor to the postion of aquarious of the massive Aqua Augusta Aqueduct that provides water to the Roman towns around the Bay of Naples.  The aqueduct has ceased to flow beyond Pompeii and his predecessor has mysteriouly disappeared.  Making the repairs and solving the mystery leads to intrigue, adventure, a bit of romance, and an erupting Mount Vesuvius.  Harris is an excellent storyteller who weaves an engaging fictional plot with rich historic detail, engineering knowhow, and geologic facts.  Life in the ancient world is vividly displayed and the characters keenly developed.  Pompeii is a must read for those who enjoy historical fiction or who just want a good story.