A Thousand Splendid Suns

I finished listening to this book a few days ago but I had to let it gel before I could write a review. I really enjoyed this book. I think I liked it even a little more than Kite Runner. This book tells the story of two women, Mariam and Laila, as they each grow up in Afghanistan and how their lives come together. The story really grabs you and at the end of the book, I literally could not get out of the car because I had to know what happened next! Its similar to Kite Runner in that you get some of the history of the wars in that area, mixed with a really good story that is a bit emotional. I recommend!

Read (listened): June 2009
Related books: Kite Runner (same author, story is unrelated)

Next Up (for my commute): Secret Life of Bees

The Other Queen

This is Philippa Gregory's newest book about Mary Queen of Scots. I was less than impressed by this one. Aside from learning a little bit about Mary and her relationship with Queen Elizabeth, the book was pretty uneventful. For the entire 330 pages, Queen Mary is imprisoned with one of Queen Elizabeth's courtiers. The novel goes back and forth with Mary's attempts to escape and reclaim her throne. Nothing terribly exciting happens and I didn't get as wrapped up in the characters. I almost stopped reading halfway through.

So overall, unless you have a thing for English royalty, skip this one.

Philippa is coming out with a new one at the end of the summer called the White Queen. I hope its better.

Read: May 7 - June 11 (a whole month...that means it was dull)
Author: Philippa Gregory
Related Books: This is the last book in the series on the Tudor family. It comes after The Virgin's Lover chronologically.
Next Up: Reading Lolita in Tehran