Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

In this book, which won the Man Booker Prize last year, Hilary Mantel looks at the early court of Henry VIII through Thomas Cromwell, a commoner who rose to become one of the king's most trusted advisers (the role which he holds at the end of this book), as the king's marriage to Anne Boleyn is falling apart. I really appreciated this book's engagement with a wide cast of characters, and its portrayal of Cromwell, which is nuanced, and demonstrates Cromwell's changing religious and political opinions as time passes. Well worth reading (and I'm really hoping that Wikipedia is right about a sequel being in the works). Booker award winner, 2009.