Divine Comedy, Sweet Tooth, and House of Cards

Dante's Daunting Narrative

So, I'm SICK AND TIRED of hearing references to the Divine Comedy in almost every book, blog, or post I read and not being one of the "cool kids" who read it in high school or college and understand the references. Well, it sure is a big book. And prosy-poetic. Kind of boring hearing all of the different levels and  the suffering people he meets. Hard to keep track....

Cool part: reading words written HUNDREDS of years ago that have formed a huge foundation for so much western culture is pretty mindblowing. :) Gives me chills just thinking about it. A time capsule in the form of a book.

I plan to put in some more effort and see if it doesn't get happier the closer he gets to Heaven. :)

The Older Man + The Younger Woman

So...I usually like to wait until I finish something to give a complete review, but this book is too great to wait.

It's called Sweet Tooth.

The heroine is an exceptionally bright English girl who gets selected to serve in the British Secret Service during the Cold War. But I'm not there yet....I'm still at the lush little part where she keeps sneaking off into the English countryside to a small cottage for illicit trysts with her professor-lover. They eat...they read...they walk...they..........

At one point, the girl describes climbing into his aging sports car in front the towns people as akin to climbing into bed in public: so erotic and forbidden yet so sensuous. I can't deny it. There's something irresistible about mature men. Must be the confidence and worldliness that a woman doesn't have to possess when she's lucky enough to be in the presence of one.

Since we are tip-toeing into fantasy land, why not bring up Zoey and Frank's "arrangement" in Netflix's series "House of Cards"? Young White House reporter (Kate Mara) forms an alliance with a savvy, conniving House Whip (Spacey) as they navigate the seamy world of US politics. Super detailed....showing a nasty web of two-timing officials and the intricate 'favor' system that plays out behind the scenes. But I don't want to talk about politics!;) I run on off beauty and passion.....

So the reason I bring this series up is in Episode 6, Netflix indulged the viewership with a sensitive and intimate look at Frank and Zoey's "non-professional" relationship. It's Father's Day. And Frank shows up at Zoey's crummy flat for a private encounter....and somehow the age difference is amplified in a freakishly sexy way without any of the creepiness. I don't want to spoil the steaminess for you, so just go check it!;) I mean....if you're into tasteful eroticism. ;)

Hot or horrid? Let me know what you think!