.
a few years ago when it was first published. I was reminded of the book when I recently saw the trailer for the upcoming movie (featuring Keira Knightley and the lovely Carey Mulligan). I never read Remains of the Day
, Ishiguro's most famous novel, but I was impressed by the books' understated style.
for the past few months, since it's the type of book you can easily pick up and come back to a few days/weeks later.
"Treason is very much a matter of habit." -George Smiley
by Carolyn Hougan and enjoyed the quiet, intellectual style her spies possessed. 
is considered to be one of his best novels (along with The Spy Who Came in From the Cold
and A Perfect Spy
). (An interesting side note, the term "mole" was first used by Le Carré in this novel.) is not flashy, or even exciting. Instead, it involves pouring through paperwork and the ability to analyze vast networks of spies and their handlers. He also manages to convey the strangeness of the double agent's life, working his way up in an organization while slowly destroying it in such a way as not to attract attention. Le Carré has the gift of possessing sparse, yet descriptive prose, allowing his work to more than just another spy novel.
by Benjamin Black (aka. accomplished author John Banville) but just couldn't get through it, and I'm currently juggling a few books at once, attempting to settle on one to finish. Sometimes when I find I just can't force myself to really find a book I love, I usually just sit back and wait for a good one to fall into my lap. 
in high school and instantly became addicted to her novels, which usually take place during the Middle Ages in England, Wales and France. 
and The Reckoning
) taught me more about Wales than I ever knew was possible. Did you know that in Wales during the Middle Ages couples could be granted divorces if they realized they had made a mistake? Or that a wife was permitted to divorce her husband if he was physically abusive towards her? Or that illegitimate children had the same rights and privileges as children born in wedlock? In fact, the culture and tradition of Wales almost serves the purpose of another character her books. 
(Volume I of Henry and Eleanor Trilogy)- (1101-1154) Empress Maude, the daughter of King Henry I of England, battles for her throne against her cousin Stephen, the son of William I. England is plunged into a 20 year civil war so destructive historians said it was a time when "Christ and his saints slept." While Elizabeth I was the first female monarch of England it was supposed to have been the beautiful and strong-willed Maude, who's son Henry would go on to become one of England's greatest kings. 
(Volume II of the Henry and Eleanor Trilogy)- (1156-1171) The second in the trilogy, the novel begins after Henry II has inherited the crown and married the beautiful and powerful Eleanor of Aquitaine (nearly ten years his senior). The story also focuses on Henry's chancellor and friend Thomas Beckett, who he appoints as the powerful archbishop of Canterbury. Beckett soon becomes a defender of the church against his one-time friend and their contentious relationship results in Beckett's murder and his later sainthood. 
(Volume III of the Henry and Eleanor Trilogy)- (1171-1186) The final novel in the trilogy focuses on the aftermath of Thomas Beckett's murder and the tumultuous relationship of Henry II and his queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Their four sons chafe under their father's strict nature, and along with Eleanor's urging, they launch into a ten-year battle to overthrow their father. Penman accounts Eleanor's attempt to escape her husband by dressing as a man, but she would be caught and imprisoned for 16 years. (Volume I of Welsh Trilogy)- (1183-1232) Eleanor and Henry's youngest son is now King John and he secures a truce with divided Wales by marrying his out-of-wedlock daughter Joanna to Llewelyn, Prince of North Wales. The novel follows their marriage as well as John's attempts to subdue Wales under his reign. (Volume II of Welsh Trilogy)- (1231-1267) This novel picks up with the incompetent reign of King Henry III and his bitter feud with his brother-in-law Frenchman Simon de Montfort. Born to a poor family, de Montfort rises to powerful heights marrying the king's sister against his will, and then by forcing him to sign the revolutionary Oxford Provisions, limiting the kings' power and assuring the rights of his English subjects. Henry's intelligent and ruthless son Edward eventually prevails at the battle of Evesham, changing the course of English and Welsh history forever. (Volume III of Welsh Trilogy)- (1271-1283) Edward I is now king of England and Wales, and the novel focuses on the Welsh uprising and the Welsh king Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. Engaged to Simon de Montfort's daughter Ellen, Llewelyn must deal with Edward's increasing power over Wales and the kidnapping of Ellen by pirates at Edward's behest. The saddest of all the Welsh trilogys, since the Welsh rebellion would never survive Edward I's reign. 
: A Novel of Richard III- (1459-1492) Penman tackles the controversial Henry III and his rise to power. She manages to make the much maligned King sympathetic, but not without his serious faults. 
