The vast majority of my reading is science fiction, maybe 75-80%. The rest of my reading is history-related, whether historical fiction or straight history of some sort. Some books of these types I have read recently include:

• Conclave, a history of papal elections since the origins of the Catholic Church 2000 years ago. This book is as much about the history of Italy and Europe as it is about the popes
• A Sundial in a Grave: 1610, a historical novel set in England and France during the Renaissance era
• Pompeii, a novel set before and during the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius

For the past decade, I have been very interested in Asian history, and have read numerous books about Chinese history, including three famous Chinese epic novels, Journey to the West, Outlaws of the Marsh, and Story of the Stone. Last winter I started expanding my readings about Asia with Nehru’s The Discovery of India. That was a fascinating book, and it whet my appetite to learn more about the history and culture of the second most-populous country in Asia, as well as the world. I mentioned in this blog that I hope someday to read English translations of two great Indian epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata.

One thing I have learned the past twenty years is that I have some really wonderful students, and when Preeti learned about my interest in those books, she warned me not to buy them yet. This past summer she went with her family to India, and she returned with gorgeous hard-cover copies of both books, which she gave me today. I am so impressed with her thoughtfulness, although not the least bit surprised since that is the type of person she is. Thanks, Preeti, I can’t wait until summer to start reading one of them!