THE LOST TUDOR PRINCESS by Alison Weir (non-fic)

Like all of the historical books by the prolific Alison Weir, this book is meticulously researched.  Weir makes history come alive. She is an expert in Tutor England, and if you have read and enjoyed her other books on this infamous family, you will want to read this one.  It covers the life of Lady Margaret Douglas who was the niece of Henry VIII. It was impossible to have grown up Tudor and not be involved in numerous plots. Luckily for Margaret both King Henry and her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I were in the end forgiving of her many falls from grace.  That is not to say, that Margaret didn’t suffer mightily.  She bore and lost a number of children, she was imprisoned in the Tower of London more than once.  Her son, Lord Darnley, was married against the wishes of Queen Elizabeth to Mary, Queen of Scots.  This took a deal of scheming on Margaret’s part.  Like all the Tudors, Margaret was a brilliant woman.  An ill-advised early love affair ended in disaster, but there exists a wealth of poetry written by Margaret and her lover, Thomas Howard. Throughout her life, Margaret remained optimistic and active in society.  She remained faithful to the Catholic faith and lived on the edge of danger most of her life.
Alison Weir has written an interesting and lively account of a woman who has largely been lost to history.  I highly recommend this book to all who love English history and the Tudor period.

WAKING LIONS by Eyelet Gundar-Goshen (fiction)

This book held my interest from start to finish.  A neurosurgeon has been more or less banished to a small desert town in Israel after a professional disagreement at his hospital in Tel Aviv.  He is married to a police detective and has two sons, none of whom are happy in their dusty outpost.  Late one night after a long day at the hospital, he is letting off steam in the desert by driving fast and recklessly.  Unfortunately, he hits and kills a man in a deserted area.  Thus begins a plot which tangles him in a web of lies to his wife as he desperately tries to extricate himself from  a blackmail  scheme where he is forced to treat illegal Bedouins who are being exploited by unscrupulous employers. The story revolves around attraction and love, guilt, morality, privilege, and touches on all the problems and politics we are grappling with in the modern world.  All the while, Eitan’s wife is working to solve the desert murder.  
This is a terrific book and one of the best I have read this year.  I highly recommend it to all readers and reading groups.  There is much to ponder.