The Pillars of the Earth

I actually read an entire book! And it was a good book too. It's called "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. My husband recommended it to me - he claims it is the best book he's ever read. I don't know that I would go THAT far, but it is very good. It's set in the 1100's in England. It's mainly about a builder and his family but is also about a priest and an Earl's daughter and various other people who are all intertwined together and also about the cathedral these people are either trying to build or trying to keep from being built. There were a few surprises in here, mainly the death of who I thought was the main character. It's a very good story - I hated to put it down and couldn't wait for the kids to get to bed so I could continue reading it!

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

I'm still working on figuring out what I really think about this book. There are some lovely moments in it, then there are times I wanted to scream...."How could anyone do that!" Here is the jist of the book via the back:

"On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by David Henry's fateful decision that long-ago winter night."

Yeah, now you can understand my frustration. Actually It was a good read, so I guess I liked the book...when it wasn't pissing me off. If you want to read it, I'll pass it on to you.

The Hatbox Letters by Beth Powning

This is about a woman coming to terms with the death of her husband. At the same time, she makes a surprising discovery about her family, while looking through papers in some old hatboxes from the attic of her late grandparents house.
Beth Powning is a beautiful writer. I went to one of her readings last fall, and she was charming, sweet, and very tiny.
I especially love this book because it's set near Sussex (New Brunswick) where the author's home is, only about 45 minutes away from Moncton, where I live.
This is a beautiful book, and was my favourite new book in 2003.