Reviews
7 reviews added to recommendations
Wolf Hall
This is the first of a beautiful and brilliantly written trilogy on the life of Thomas Cromwell, counselor to Henry VIII of England. I recommend the entire trilogy, but if picking just one, I certainly recommend the first. Hilary Mantel is an exquisite writer. She brings Cromwell's story to vivid life among the court intrigues and political machinations of the time. She makes Cromwell so interesting that you almost forget all the more famous members of royalty that surrounded him.
A Game of Thrones
This modern fantasy classic is as good as people say it is, and I'm not a fantasy reader. The HBO series first got me hooked, but it's nothing compared to the books. George Martin's writing is surprisingly lyrical and beautiful. Don't let stereotypes of fantasy literature turn you off or fool you. This is incredible writing. Martin is a very detailed writer, and the books generally get longer (if you decide to go for the whole series, which I highly recommend), but if you can hang with it, it's worth it.