I was randomly scrolling through YouTube and came across a video about Pompeii, something I've been morbidly curious about for a while. I love history stories and learning about how they lived, how they solved the same issues we have today. And thus began my current hyper focus.

I saw Mary Beard first on the British Museum Pompeii live and was impressed by her personality and sense of humor, so I had to read this book. I am glad I watched a Pompeii walkthrough and other videos first, though, so I had a better sense of the city while reading.