The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

What an amazing book.  I was a little intimidated at first because it was quite a thick book.  I have always enjoyed listening to his books, but had never sat down and read one.  Boy am I glad I did.  It takes place in the 12th century and deals with monastaries, castles, cathedrals, kings and earls.  The layer upon layer in which he built this story kept me going.  The violence and the love, the hate and the passion.  Truthfully, I was quite bummed when I finished because I had become so involved.  The great thing is that there is a sequel!!!  You know what I will be looking for.

Saturday by Ian McEwan

I really was not sure if I was going to continue reading this book.  It was not easy to get into and it was mostly description and introspection on the main character.  Henry, a neurosurgeon, we follow for about 24 hours.  In my opinion he thinks to much and is kind of stuck on himself.  You learn about what he does, his family and some of his history.  McEwan is an award winning author and the book was constructed well, but it really wasn't for me.

Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama

I am fascinated by this type of historical fiction. The culture and traditions of the Chinese are really amazing to me. This is about a girl who was sent to work in the silk factory and her journey. Her family had not been doing well and her father took her to a fortune teller and it led her into this work. She had to move to a large city, live with girls and women she did not know and learn a trade that was totally foreign to her. She made friends and worked her way up in the industry and learned much about herself and the world around her. Tsukiyama did a wonderful job laying the story out and I really did not want to stop reading. I was drawn into the era and could not imagine anything like it, still can't. I don't know what it is about these types of books, but I just love them. I love learning about a different time that is so far removed from me and this was done beautifully.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

I really did not want to put this one down. Thank you Nancy!!! The book takes place in England and is a sort of coming of age story of Maisie Dobbs. Her mother dies and her father has her go work for a family he knows. This family sees talent in her other than being a house maid of sorts. The way that Winspear lays everything out just makes you want to keep reading. Maisie ends up helping in the war effort and afterwards starts her own business, but how she gets there makes you keep on going. The depth of character and how you are drawn in, wanting more, was wonderful. Winspear had me right to the end and I really can't wait to read more. This is the first book in a series.

Time on Ice by Deborah Shiparo and Rolf Bjelke

Subtitle: A Winter's Voyage to Antarctica -- I am very glad that people take trips and do adventures like these because I really don't think that I ever would. This was a trip they really had planned out and knew they wanted to spend the whole winter in Antarctica. Their boat would freeze into the ice and they would be stuck there. Much planning was done. They built themselves up physically because they were going to be doing a lot of skiing and exploring during their time down there. The boat was outfitted to endure the winter and the rough weather to get there. The food provisioning was amazing. They were going to be out of touch, with no resources around for a long time. They did a wonderful job telling their story, the trials and tribulations and their opinions on where things are today environmentally and such. They are very big into leaving things in their natural state and in telling how things really are not like that in Antarctica. It was an amazing adventure and I am very glad they shared it with us.

The Rapids by Carla Neggers

I really like her style of writing. This book was more mystery, secret service stuff and you always wondered what was going to pop up next. Neggers pulls you in and makes you feel like part of the story. Her character description is excellent and you feel like you know the characters. It was an enjoyable and fun read.

Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides

It was one of those books I picked up in a book exchange and when I started it I was not quite sure what to expect. The story is about an hermaphrodite, not something you would usually read about. This book takes you back to Greece and to the present day. The layering of family history, tragedy and success is well laid out. Eugenides wrote seamlessly and had a very good style about him. I really got involved and wanted to keep going to see what would happen. The ending did work really well for me. I felt led on and then left hanging. For a very different subject matter though, it was pulled off very well.