This or That Reading Challenge discussion

This: Read a book with a topic set in an ancient civilization.
That: Read a contemporary novel.

For this month's challenge I chose This: Read a book with a topic set in an ancient civilization, for which I read Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin which takes place just after the Trojan War around 12th century BC. It was very clever - the story follows Lavinia who was a minor character in Virgil's epic poem the Aeneid. As both Virgil and Homer's stories frequently have male-centric viewpoints, this allowed the author to explore a number of areas not typically touched on in those ancient works, including the roles of women and slaves at the time. It still maintained one of the key themes that often arise: the role of fate in our lives. Overall enjoyed the portrayal and story-telling. 4 stars