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.