The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark: The 15th century is drawing to a close, and Luciano finds his life as a thief on the streets of Venice abruptly ended by the chef to the Doge, who takes him in as his apprentice. Meantime, the city is all astir about a mysterious book, said to contain untold secrets, spells, and other dangerous information. As he struggles to determine just how much his master knows about this book, Luciano sneaks food to his streetrat friends, witnesses the political machinations of assorted factions, and attempts to court a nun. It’s actually a fairly decent piece of historical fiction, but I have a soft spot for both Venice and that particular time period, so I may be biased.

Also posted on BookCrossing.