Reading has always been a solace to me, these days perhaps more than ever. Here’s a bit of what I’ve been reading lately.

After much anticipation (on my own part, as well as many others around the world), Hilary Mantel finally released The Mirror and the Light, the conclusion of the Thomas Cromwell Trilogy. As someone who writes historical fiction, I’ve looked to Mantel as a mentor for my craft, even if she doesn’t know it. Whenever I begin a new historical fiction project, I reread her novels to remind me what historical fiction at its best can look like.

I was so excited when I finally bought The Mirror and the Light, but being the Mantel fan I am I decided to reread Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies before I read the last book just to remind me of the brilliance of the first two books (and to keep me up to speed as to where Cromwell’s story left off). It took me a while to get through all three books since they’re long, which is not a complaint. Who said that if a book is good it’s never long enough? Jane Austen? I’m glad I read all three books together because it’s easier to see Mantel’s genius as seeds she planted in Wolf Hall come to fruition in The Mirror and the Light. While there shouldn’t be any spoilers here (most people who read the trilogy know that Cromwell ends without his head), The Mirror and the Light is fascinating in showing Cromwell’s downfall. How could someone who rose from nothing and nowhere become King Henry VIII’s most trusted adviser? And then lose that trust almost as suddenly as he gained it? Again, there shouldn’t be any great surprises. We see it happen to Cromwell’s mentor, Wolsey, and we see it happen to others. All three books are magic in their own way, and if you love historical fiction then I cannot recommend the Thomas Cromwell Trilogy highly enough.

Which of these book choices don’t belong? If you chose Naomi Ragen’s An Unorthodox Match then you are correct. I had this book on my kindle for a while and after the heavy lifting of the Thomas Cromwell Trilogy I wanted to read something lighter. I’m surprised at how much I liked this book. There’s a lot to like about Ragen’s novel. I liked the fact that An Unorthodox Match is written from several characters’ points of view. I liked that it wasn’t a story about who is good or who is bad, but just about people doing what they believe is best at the time. And I liked the love story between Leah and Yaakov—even if the cover designer needs to find a different occupation. Seriously, don’t let the cover scare you away. It’s a sweet romance about how people from different worlds can find their way toward each other despite the odds. This is the first book I’ve read by Naomi Ragen and I’ll be back for more.