Ten Facts...

[Whateverist]

5- When I was younger I only read fiction under duress.  Now I'm vacuuming up all the great novels I can get to.

Any favorites?

Lots.  One that jumps out is The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, by British author David Mitchell.  It is about early contact between east and west when each knew only a little about the other.  Less swashbucklingly stupid than Shogun.  From 2010.

One that would really fit Valky's persona here is The Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumbass.  

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Oh okay, Dumas then.

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 If you've ever dreamed of possessing the power to right all wrongs, especially those committed upon yourself, this book is for you.  The Count's super power is the same as Iron Man's, though his technology is weak.  1844, translated from french.

Oh and of course Middlesex by by Jeffrey Eugenides!  Fascinating look into the world of a person born XY but without expressed male characteristics.  Raised a girl this rare bird would have been called a hermaphrodite in another time.  It goes back three generations and is wonderfully written.  2007

Alright, last one, I promise.  My Brilliant Friend and its two sequels written by an italian (we think)  woman (we think) who writes under a nom de plume.  I loved it because it gave me a sense of what it might be like growing up a woman, but that isn't what its about.  It's really about women's relationships with each other.  (I confess, I like women.)  2012 and I think the two sequels came out one after the other in consecutive years.  OMG, it is set to air as a mini series this month!  Ack, and we just got rid of HBO!  S'cues me I got a call to make.