The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling.
I finished that one a couple of weeks ago and I'd definitely recommend it, too. Rowling has such a great eye for little details in her characterizations.
Thus far this year, in addition to
The Casual Vacancy (make that #1), I've also read:
2.
Katherine by Anya Seton. It's an old book, recently reissued that is a fictionalized telling of the love affair between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt. As you'll see from the rest of my list, I wallow in English history.
3.
Isabella and the Strange Death of Edward II by Paul Doherty. A re-examination of the events surrounding the death of Edward II. In the end, Doherty postulates the Edward escaped and some unfortunate doppelganger is buried in Gloucester Cathedral. I'd come to this book after reading Alison Weir's "Isabella" and I've now started "The Greatest Traitor" by Ian Mortimer (about Isabella's lover, Roger Mortimer).
4.
1066, The Year of the Conquest by David Howarth. A fun slice of life kind of book, putting you back in 1066 and explaining how people lived ordinary (and recognizable to modern eyes) lives in the midst of a world-changing year.
5.
The River at the Center of the World by Simon Winchester. I love ALL of Simon Winchester's books and started off the year by rereading this one. He documents his journey up the Yangtze River just before the Three Gorges Dam was built. He touches on history, culture and geography. He's a wonderful storyteller with a keen eye for human nature (including his own lesser moments).
Currently, I have three books going. I'll report back when I'm through them.
Mark me down as having adored Trixie Belden as a kid. I inherited a ton of books from an older cousin. Trixie Belden, The Bobbsey Twins, The Happy Hollisters, and The Boxcar Children are the ones I chiefly remember. I also gorged myself at the library on Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I personally collected all the Encyclopedia Brown books. And then I hit about 12 and someone loaned me Flowers in the Attic and I went on a trashy reading binge that lasted for years.
