Near and Dear

Anyone that's close to me (probably I could count them on one hand) knows that I LOVE to read. Not only do I love to read, I love to learn. It's not uncommon for me to have books all over the house in each room so that if I pause for a moment, I can pick up a book and have my nose in it. It's also not uncommon for my husband to come home to find me reading, oh let's say, his art appreciation text book from college. He'll raise an eyebrow with a bemused smile and teasingly ask me "Reading my art book today, huh?".

Anyhow, I love to read was my point. With that said, I thought it would be fun (I realize that I'm going out on a limb thinking that you would think it's fun but understand that deep down I know it's just me enjoying it) to share with you the books I am reading within the month. And without further ado, I present my current love...The Pillars of The Earth by Ken Follett.

Now, I have to admit that I almost didn't read it once I started reading the Author's Notes. I'm sure you are, perhaps, thinking to yourself, who actually reads that? Well, I do and I will literally read everything from the inside jacket covers, the Library of Congress catalog part of the book and so on and so forth...I apparently have an infatuation with words.

On to the book. The reason I ALMOST didn't read past the Author's page was because right there in black and white, the author states that he is an atheist and that didn't go over to well with me since I have a growing personal relationship with Christ. I mulled this over and decided that no harm was done in reading it and if I didn't like it, I could put it down.

Well, I couldn't put it down. It was the most beautifully written story that I have read in a very long time. The book is about 1000 pages long and I couldn't bear to rip myself away from it's intricate story lines, characters and the visual images that will rest in my heart after reading this book.

The book is about the lives of 12th century inhabitants of a village called Kingsbridge, a dying town with only a monastery barely keeping things going. Several main characters join in on the building of the most beautiful cathedral the world has ever seen. Because of this one cathedral comes treachery, adultery, perjury, murder, battles, malice, and the list could go on and on.

Literally from the first moment I picked up the book until I finished it, there was never a dull moment. There was so much going on yet every part of it felt personal, like I could feel their pain, their love, their raging wars, everything. I despised the antagonists (there were many) and couldn't wait for their demise. The protagonists (I know that there is typically one leading protagonist in a story but this has many as well) made my heart swell when they won their various victories, I was downcast (what a great word!) when they lost their personal battles and in the end, well, I don't want to say anymore.

I loved this book and, honestly, I wanted to know every minute of what went on in their lives. I was overcome by sorrow when I read the last sentence of the book because I didn't want it to end.

This definitely gets 5 stars from me and if you have read this book, I would love to hear your thoughts on it!!

I just started reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I had tried to read this a few years ago but constantly found myself distracted with it so I'm ready to begin with a clear mind.