Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel. Fantastic. Really. So engrossing - you forget that you already know some pieces of the story. The most fascinating parts are not the familiar parts. Who cares about Henry and his stupid sex life - but textiles! And reformation! And painting, and disease, and family life, and finiancial markets, and education and marriage. A beautiful novel with a great story and real flesh on the people and places. Thomas Cromwell was the most interesting main character, and I loved the way Thomas More was depicted (a contrast from "A Man for all Seasons" and lining up more with how I've been privately thinking of him for the last few years). I looked up every painting I could find by Holbein, too.