Not only reading during the rainy days but also podcasts. Actually, regardless of weather I listen to podcasts while falling asleep. So would J, except for him falling asleep is almost instant. One of my favourites is The Ancients. Partly as a counterbalance to the daily news, which we do follow. As I see it, the Athenians and Spartans did very bad things to each other, but it was a long time ago and nothing can be done about it now, so no point in worrying.
Also, living half our life in the Middle East cum Western Asia - well, Eurasia is one continent so draw the lines where you will - has led to a fascination with the history of the region. A history which is continuously being rewritten by archaeology as events which we thought we knew for certain are disproved and knowledge is expanded exponentially. It would be possible for an elderly professor to teach a course in Victorian poetry using lectures notes from fifty years earlier. The same is definitely not true of ancient history.
Following The Ancients, I’ve acquired some favouriteq periods and historians. Which leads to possible book purchases. Hence have just bought Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, whose book, Persians, surveys the Persian Empire, roughly 550 to 330 BCE and from this distance considerably less distressing than its successor state, modern Iran.
And I’d happily read anything written by Llewellyn-Jones. Which leads me to his forthcoming book, Babylon. It’s not out yet. Publication date in UK May of this year. (Canada apparently July). No problem, until we come to the availability date.
Normally use the Kobo site based in the Republic of Cyprus. First ordered from Cyprus in pre VPN days and it proved very easy to have them change any deposits to euros and virtually impossible to change my home address to Canada, so….
Kobo is quoting me €13.99. Order now and keep the quoted price. BUT, they give the ebook available date as December 30, *2045*. OK, will not yet have hit my hundredth birthday, but perilously close. Must be a mistake. Check Chapters - but then they’re linked to Kobo. Kobo Canada shows ebook availability as July of this year. Price $31.99 CAD (€19.78).* Same date and price for Amazon in Canada. Probably worth an extra five euros and change not to have to wait twenty years, but am assuming glitch that will be corrected long before I’ve finished reading those currently in the digital pile. In the meantime does keep basic math skills sharpened.
*Actually, converting the currency isn’t quite the whole story as euro and sterling prices include tax while tax will be added to quoted Canadian prices. On expensive items the difference can be noticeable.
Posts
