Fantastic Books!

[GraysonKelly]

I didn't realize that Pillars of the Earth was an oprah book. I have never read any of her recommended books before.
I love to read anything and I do mean anything. But I'm partial to historical fiction particularly anything having to do with the Holy Land, the templars, WWII (but not a war book per se) Christianity in general. Some people think I'm kind of strange in that way. I love a good mystery but since Patricia Cornwell went haywire with her last several books in the Scarpetta series, I kind of got away from her. Same thing with the James Patterson Women's Murder Club series. I do dearly love Iris Johannsen (sp?). And of course there's my secret stash of romances that not everyone likes.
Gray
I'll check out those books ya'll mentioned. They sound very interesting. Thanks!
Oh, and with regard to Kay Scarpetta...I do really, really, really LOVE that character...I just don't like what Patricia Cornwell did to her.

[Irulan]

I
Oh, and with regard to Kay Scarpetta...I do really, really, really LOVE that character...I just don't like what Patricia Cornwell did to her.

LOL, so I'm not the only one that went "WTF" with the last few?

I've been reading the Lords of the North series by Bernard Cornwell. It focuses on Alfred the Great, and the clashes between the Saxons and Danes over territory to make England. I'd definitely put this in the adventure historical category: lots of battles and sword fights and stolen hoards, but the author does do his homework on places, timeline and incidents.

The reason I mention this series in response to your post is that the series is also a study of the clash between the Christians and the Danish pagans. I like that it is somewhat historical in context, without the usual feminist/wicca-ish twist that tends to get put on paganism in old England. Anyway, they are a lot of fun.

[Flybye]

I'm partial to historical fiction particularly anything having to do with the Holy Land, the templars, WWII (but not a war book per se) Christianity in general.

Favorite authors of mine in this regard are Bodie and Brock Thoene - great historical fiction, WWII, and with a slight Christian perspective. Zion Chronicles are the ones that cover this.

[OakLeaf]

I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I like the kind of historical fiction that's a counterpoint to the truism that "history is written by the winners" - novels that give a voice to history's losers.

The Valiant and the Damned by Roy Clews, about the Luddites - I'll never use that word as an insult again.

There was a book about the Catiline rebellion that I read several years ago and just can't remember the author or title.

Another one by Sheri Holman that I just finished: The Dress Lodger, about a factory worker/prostitute and a doctor in 1830s England.