Book #7 - "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory (10/10)
My first 10 out of 10 book of the year, and deservedly so! This is the first Gregory novel I have read - despite two of them languishing on Mt Toobie for a good couple of years or more - and I absolutely loved it.
It follows the ups and downs in the lives of the Boleyn family - starting with Mary, sister to Anne and "the other Boleyn girl" and her relationship with Henry VIII. It then follows Mary's downfall and Anne's rise into Henry's favour, and her subsequent downfall.
History has never been my strong point, and I think perhaps only knowing sketchy details of Anne Boleyn's life with Henry VIII, and nothing at all of Mary's life with him, actually enhanced this novel for me. Since finishing it I have done further background reading on the story, and while some of it is accurate, other areas are disputed.
I found the characters interesting and lively, and the writing evocative. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, and will definitely be reading more Gregory books in the future. This book more than deserves its 10 out of 10 rating!