The Other Boleyn Girl
By Philippa Gregory

I have to admit: This was rollicking fun—a real page-turner. I'm not usually into historical fiction, but for some reason I loved this book. Gregory takes actual figures and, with a little artistic license, creates a dramatic vision of life as a woman in the court of Henry VIII. She imbues the main character—Anne Boleyn's younger sister, Mary—with qualities that make you root for her. And, of course, there's all that sex and intrigue. It was a romp, but also a reminder of how rarely I get to read a book that's total escapism.