Vacation and Reading.

I have three little kids - one who is crawling and JUST beginning to walk. Vacation is sort of a dream for the future. Here we sit at this lovely lake and most of my time is spent making food, feeding, cleaning, and chasing. BUT, I'm a mama. That is what we do. Every vacation, though needs a really great BOOK! And boy am I immersed in one right now. I'm reading World Without Endby Ken Follet. It is the sequel to his 1989 Pillars of the Earth, another amazing read. Being an architect, I love the immense detail he shares on the building of the cathedral in Pillars, and now a bridge in World Without End. Even more, though, I adore the people and the history! He teaches me SO much about life in the 1300's without being dry or preachy. I'm learning about manufacturing, medicine, church life, economics, all through the eyes of people I really care about. He describes what each is thinking and what drives them. It is really interesting to examine people's motives and what is at the root of their actions. We are not as black and white, for sure. Good people make mistakes, and 'bad' people aren't inherently BAD, but it makes a great book! It is incredibly long, so I can read and read and read and still have LOTS more time to spend with them! I definitely recommend this book!
And GREAT NEWS! According to Wikipedia, a TV series is in the works for Pillars!!! And guess who is playing Prior Philip?? My very favorite: Matthew Macfadyen!! How can I wait until 2010??