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The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

I'd love to be one of those people who can proudly say that they've read the famous poems the Iliad and Odyssey written by Homer centuries ago - but I'm not. I do though, have enough pop culture reference to know that this is a pretty unusual love story - or is it? This book is a take of the famous siege of Troy, however the famous tale is more of a staging of the epic love between Achilles and his Patroclus. While the original works apparently do not make reference of the relationship between the Greek hero and his friend as being romantic, there are some who interpret it as such. And this is what Madeline Miller has so brilliantly depicted in scenes depicted against the rich antiquity of ancient Greece and famous mythological legends. There is something indulgent about being able to fine comb through a such a legendary tale with all its heroes in such great detail. Where emotions, reactions and the more extended nuances of human experience are generally not covered in poems.
Not your average love story, but an epic read.
*image credit to Goodreads

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Lord John and the Hand of Devils - Diana Gabaldon

As it often happens, when an author becomes famous for a particular character(s) in a series, the rest of their works don't necessarily receive the same publicity as what initially made them famous. Such I think is the case with this trio of short stories written about Lord John - remember him Outlander fans? Dashing Lord John who was mistakenly in love with a certain brawny, coppery haired Scot i.e one of the protagonists hence the significance of Lord John
Interestingly, Diana Gabaldon introduces the books (compilations') history as a foreword and it comes with a warning - don't expect to read about any of her more famous characters although due to Lord Johns unrequited affections, we often get to see the writing alluding to a certain said Scot.
A compilation of three short stories i.e Lord John and the Hellfire Club, Lord John and the Succubus and lastly, Lord John and the Haunted Soldier. Highly suspenseful and not what I had been anticipating honestly, but no doubt exquisitely written nonetheless. There are other Lord John novellas about (apparently a highly adaptable character) which I'm sure are just as good.