If Keith Michell (of "The Six Wives") is the ultimate Henry VIII, then Glenda Jackson is the ULTIMATE Elizabeth I. She has ruined that role for any other actress (in my opinion), even for Helen Mirren. This BBC series also has 6 parts, each with a different premise, starting with Elizabeth's teenage years until her death at 70. Forget Showtime's "The Tudors", THIS is the one you want!

A very interesting comparison and contrast study of the origins of three major world religions. Yet another excellent book from Bruce Feiler.

This book is wildly funny, extremely accessible, and hugely informative. It covers the space exploration program from chimps in space to astronauts in diapers. It's full of interesting people and fascinating science. I can't recommend it highly enough.

The words "epic" and "saga" came to mind as I was finishing the last third, though neither is exactly appropriate. Weighing in at over 800 pages, this is one of the longer books I've read lately. I didn't realize the length until I was nearly halfway done , and as each storyline seemed to end, I kept thinking--"but there are 300 pages to go!", "there are still 200 pages left".
The story is sweeping, folding and tucking itself in around you until reading it seems more a familiar memory than a novel. MacDonald masterfully crafts the main characters, slipping between points-of-view deftly and quietly. The omniscient descriptions that fall before major changes (these small--one or two pages--sections each have an illustration at the header to indicate the difference between the story and The Story) force the reader to stop, to consider and reconsider what's been read and what you think you are about to read.
There's some artistic breakdown when the novel shifts to an adult Madeleine--but that's both to be expected when trying to balance a character as a child and as a damaged adult and it's not enough of a breakdown to distract the seasoned reader. Madeleine's time in therapy might be triggering for some--those scenes hurt me only because they were largely realistic. The latter portion of the novel sees a departure from the multiple viewpoints, but that's partly because the parents reached their climax at the end of trial plus they're aging and dying in the latter half. But it's also because the earlier chapters served to set up Madeleine's future.
There were so many opportunities for this story to end up taking the easy way out--the Froelich boy could have been cleared of the charges, Mr. March and Mr. McCarthy could have had a man-to-man discussion, Simon could have stepped up, the son could have come home, another misplaced soldier of Vietnam. And even though parts of the story strayed into the realm of disbelief (the real murderer(s), for instance, though that shouldn't be too much of a stretch in modern times), it remained the sort of story that you know could be carried wholly in somebody's heart--a friend, a stranger, you.
Recommended for those that aren't afraid of thick books or reading about sexual abuse, murder, or Canadians.

Sixteen year old girls contemplating the meaning of life anchor Swann's debut. Out of context, it seems as though this would be a rather twee sort of story, full of slumber parties, kiss-and-tells, and phrasing so out of date it takes on a humorous quality. Fortunately, that's not the case. Maya and Roe, two outsiders at a boarding school, connect nearly immediately upon meeting. The girls share everything, as 16 year olds should. And, in that way that precocious girls possess, Maya and Roe question each other: "What makes a person a person?" "When does life begin?" The two then set about to collect as much life experience as possible. This leads Maya to New York City and a man twice her age; Roe finds herself falling in love with a teenager that beats her. The story centers around the two girls and other characters are kept at an austere minimum--the teacher is as teachers tend to be, Roe's father is as sixteen year old girls' fathers tend to be, Maya's rich grandmother is what you think rich grandmothers should be. This works for this novel because Maya and Roe are so richly illustrated--there is no need to waste words on describing how pedantic the teacher is, how father-knows-best the widower father is, or how sumptuously outfitted the grandmother is. Swann forces you to think for yourself, hedging the poignancy of the novel by eliminating the superfluous. With little reference to the modern world--no cell phones, no computers, no "Roe listened to her iPod while waiting for Jesse to call"--the story takes on a timeless quality. It's easy to feel as if you've just been plopped down in the middle of a story, the background information there but unseen. Flies on the literary wall, you are able to focus on the pain and uncertainty of being painfully intelligent and 16 without falling to the distractions of other characters. A quick read, this novel will please those that prefer clean-edged yet somehow amorphous writing. Swann has a short, yet impressive literary résumé and is sure to join the ranks of other powerful novelists.

A dark tale that has a parallel happy ending, Edwards' debut is crafted with promise of a great novelist to be. The complexity of the main characters and their intertwining story lines keeps the reader's interest, though at times, the plot veers sharply: Mr. Henry finding the pregnant runaway girl in his family's abandoned house, for instance--that storyline had a lot of promise, but ultimately went nowhere. It had the potential to become symbolic of his deeper issues, a home-away-from-home for his neurosis, but instead petered out just pages before Henry takes one last fateful jog. Norah Henry is tangible as a mother that never recovers from the loss of her twin daughter and all of her actions can be traced back to the night of the birth. The story has great potential though ultimately it is not realized. If you like novels with bizarre family circumstances, secrets, affairs, and dysfunction, this is a mild combination of those ingredients.

Another one of my favorite BBC series, which I can watch over and over and not ever get tired of. Derek Jacobi is amazing, as is the rest of the cast. An extra bonus is that a young Patrick Stewart is in it! With hair.

Borderline-interesting sequel to Wicked, Maguire produces an expected and predictable story that tries to be epic but fails. Peppered with mysterious and perhaps superfluous fantasic elements, the story has some difficulty in adequately becoming its own tale. That said, I enjoyed Wicked enough to carry over to this story and make the whole two novels bearable. Unlike with the first story, where I felt a connection with/to Elphaba, the characters in SoaW are flat, recycled, and shallow. Too much writing is devoted to subplots that either ultimately mean nothing or are not adequately explored.

I really liked this novel--intelligently constructed, defined characters, realistic resolution. I did not, however, enjoy the story. I think there was too much going on--the sex offender, while definitely a part of the story, was more an afterthought. The same could be said for Larry Moon--his existence is so tertiary, you have to wonder if he wasn't created solely to torment Ronnie McGorvey. The true meat of this tale is the love affair between Sarah and Todd, with less emphasis on the happy ending and more on the imperfect perfections in suburban neighborhoods. The sanctimonious soccer moms, the husband with a panty-huffing addiction, the overbearing wife, and play-date lifestyle portrayal each offer a palpable view of the secrets of suburban life. Overall, I really liked this book. My major complaint is that the ending is disjointed, seemingly unrelated save for sharing the same characters as the rest of the story. If those characters present in this final scene are actually making some sort of attempt at personal growth, the fulfillment of that is lost on me, especially given the animosity that ran rampant among these sets of individuals throughout the rest of the story. Some reflections on the title: at first, because I knew there was a sex offender character, I thought this was going to be a differently dark tale, more The Lovely Bones-ish, if you will. Instead, the title seems to refer more to each character's child-like or childish quality. With Sarah, she practices self-greed. With Todd, he doesn't wanna do what he's told (pass the bar exam, get a real job, etc.). Larry Moon thinks he can beat up the bad guy and save the neighborhood, and the play-ground set (those pesky soccer moms) are too busy trying to be better than each other to realize they're poisoning their lives. Perrotta delivers an adequate portrayal of the modern human, tapping into the unsaid and the unknown beliefs and misgivings of us all.

Lillian, 22 and already orphaned and widowed (if a grown woman can indeed be orphaned) has come to America from Russia in order to avoid certain execution back home. Feeling as if she's lost everything, including her three year old daughter, Lillian fights her way up the immigrant ladder, landing a job and a new lifestyle. When a gold-digging cousin finds her way to Lillian's privately funded love nest and tells Lillian that her daughter is indeed not dead, Lillian drops everything and leaves New York City and the one man in town that loved her behind. Bloom draws gritty scene after gritty scene as Lillian crosses the country, bound for Alaska and the Bering Strait--secreted in closets, forced sexual favors, pimps, beatings, hookers, and more. You find yourself rooting for Lillian as she hikes north through Canada, wincing with each step as her feet blister. Gold-digging cousin aside, you hope that Lillian does make it to Russia, that she is reunited with her daughter. But you know that ultimately Lillian will suffer before she's able to heal. A sweeping, majestic novel that will definitely be read again.

I love love love this BBC series! Keith Michell IS Henry VIII, and no one can measure up after you see this one. There are 6 episodes in total, some better than others, but on the whole this is a real treat.

Science fiction author John Scalzi has been writing a blog for over ten years. This book collects a decade's worth of hilarious vitriol, thought-provoking arguments, and a kitchen sink's worth of interesting stuff. Great for either a straight read, or as something to dip into whenever you want to be entertained and provoked.

An interesting story that could have used another 100 or so pages to fully develop, this is ultimately about finding one's self and one's purpose. Split into three definite periods of her life, pre-teen, young adult, and 30-something, Denny's story isn't heartbreakingly unique--she worries about growing boobs, she worries about her relationship with her mother, and she comes to terms with her own upbringing as she prepares for motherhood. Some of the characters are far-fetched (Maureen, the agoraphobe, who suddenly overcomes her years of fear in a matter of hours, if not minutes), but they ultimately lend to the story. Cline holds the story together enough to make for a decent debut and I'm interested to see what her second novel delivers.

It was predictable and boring, despite the hint of espionage. I kept waiting for some sort of substance to build up, but reading this book was more like listening to a drunk full-of-himself uncle go on and on about his time with The Company and how the broads used to just be crazy for him. If nothing else, this would be a good beach read. Except, I've already read it now.

A seedy, realistic portrayal of what goes on inside, outside, and in-between the big top, this is more than a circus novel. Gruen deftly switches between present and past as Jacob's history is revealed and precious pages aren't wasted on revealing that which we already know (he does, indeed, get the girl). The meat of the story spans only 3.5 months, though at times it seems much shorter; and still, at other times, it feels like a decades-long epic. Very touching ending. I want to read more of Gruen's work and I wouldn't be surprised to see WfE made into a movie.

A quirky story that's balanced between three mismatched friends, thrown closer together the day the girls go out to lunch and unknowingly witness the death of a shared boyfriend. It had potential to go directly downhill, but instead, Paddock manages the three lives of these girls without faltering. Paddock succeeds in creating a palpable non-linear story that is neither overbearing nor underdeveloped. Her first novel, I'm eager to read more of her writing.

Similar to The Pond, A Free Life just putters around a plot and doesn't go anywhere. Yes, the characters are struggling as refugees of Communist China, but the struggle is subdued, weak, and, well, boring. Jin repeats established story lines just a few times too often, which then makes those story lines less an established aspect and more an annoying twinge. I get it already--he's still in love with some woman that used him! Now, create another conflict and propose a fictional solution. I don't know that I'll be clamoring for his next novel.

Any spinner that wants to be worth his or her weight in cashmere needs this book. Even knitters could benefit from this book. BBH has not left my bedside table in almost a month - I enjoyed this resource so much, I went out and bought my own copy!

An interesting exploration of human emotions and perceptions on dying. Crowell writes with honesty and depth.

The pictures are mildly creepy, but the book is pitch perfect in tone and voice. It's full of kid logic and sly humor. It's a great read for adults as well!