Lavinia

If you've done any background reading on the Aeneid (and, at this point in the summer, I surely hope you have!), you probably know who Lavinia is - King Latinus' daughter, promised in marriage to Aeneas. Phenomenal author Ursula K. LeGuin, who has been writing for years, and has accumulated awards such as the National Book Award, multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards, and others, has just published (2008) her latest novel Lavinia. It tells the story of the Aeneid with Lavinia as narrator.

Buy this book! It's exceptionally well-written (if you know LeGuin's work, this shouldn't surprise you), and it takes a well-known work of literature in a refreshingly new narrative direction. Plus, it's simply a rollicking good read.