Just for Fun Reading Challenge - February, 2012

This challenge is being hosted by Lori at Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.  

By participating, I agree to read one book "Just for Fun" each month.

My book for January was:

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

My Quick Take:

A pretty heavy read "just for fun".  Wolf Hall was the home of the Seymour family (Jane Seymour, etal) in the 1500's.  While Wolf Hall is mentioned a few times in passing and at the end of the book, the novel istelf revolves around Thomas Cromwell, friend to Cardinal Wolsey (later executed by Henry) and later advisor to Henry himself. 

The historical details are fascinating (and, let me tell you, the more I read of Anne Boleyn and Henry, the more and more I dislike them).  This glimpse into Cromwell-his upbringing, his friendships, his family, and his moral sensibility is very deserving of the awards it received (2009 Man Booker, National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction), but it will NOT be a read for everyone. 

Mantel uses a writing device that almost always refers to Cromwell as "he", which was oft-times confusing for me during a dialogue, as I would have to backtrack to see who was actually speaking.  The language is ... sometimes almost florid, and for readers who like straightforward prose, I could see it being "too" much.

This is not a book the reader can fly through; you have to take your time with the pages and prose in order to feel immersed in the story.  In doing so, however, you gain an authentic feel for the times and an appreciation of Cromwell's personality and diplomacy.

I give it a 4 out of 5 star rating (keep in mind that my ratings are based on my own personal enjoyment)

For February, however,  I am consciously choosing something MUCH lighter:

Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

(sometimes you just need a laugh or two from a book!)