The Floating Book by Michelle Lovric

Set in Venice in the mid 1400s this is a sort of historical fiction about two Germans who brought the first printing press to the city and (much to the chagrin of the Catholic church) published a book of sensual poetry written by an ancient Roman writer named Catullus. There is also a kind of love triangle between a local prostitute named Sosia and several young men in the Venetian publishing biz. Sosia and several other characters also dabble in witchcraft. Lovric's writing style is kind of juvenile and repetitive. It's clear she's more of an academic than a novelist. But, I read this book just days before I arrived in Venice so it was nice to read about some of the local history via a mildly entertaining story. Also, it had a climactic ending. Overall, though, I think she wasted too much time retelling the same thing from different perspectives. Favorite Quote: "Perfect beauty, like pure water, is tasteless."