THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, by Ken Follett.

In recent months, PILLARS OF THE EARTH has spread like word-of-mouth wildfire through my circle of family and friends. It has become one of the most talked-about and widely read books among my acquaintances...and for good reason: It's one of the best novels I've ever read.
It all started early this year when we attended a tour of Mont St. Michel in France. Near the end, the tour guide indicated that if we "really wanted to understand" the medieval mind, we should read PILLARS. I had never read any of Follett's books before, but I vaguely recalled him as some sort of espionage writer. Nevertheless, I gave PILLARS a try upon my return to the states, and was thoroughly engrossed.
Anyone who has stared with awe upon the great cathedrals of Europe such as Chartres in France has wondered how they were built, who was responsible, what drove the hearts and minds of these long-ago architectural geniuses who etched the record of their religious conviction literally into stone. PILARS OF THE EARTH brings the era to life, in the decades-spanning tale of the creation of (fictional?) Kingsbridge Cathedral. The characters are real people; full of passions, triumph and tragedy, and their world is as real as if we were breathing their same air.
Any criticism one could air about this book would be a mere quibble compared to the narratives power to entertain, inform, and bring a lost world back into existence. Trust me, you'll always remember PILLARS OF THE EARTH. (After reading it, I've gone on to discover other Follett novels...they've all been wonderful).

PINKALICIOUS, by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann.

Pink. Pink. Pink. Is there any such thing as too much pink? ("NO WAY!" says the reviewer who had a hot pink wedding in the late 80s!) Pinkalicious loves pink. She especially loves yummy cupcakes with pink frosting. But, when she eats too many...she turns pink and comes down with a horrible case of pinkititis. The doctor says the cure is to stop eating pink and to eat a steady diet of green foods. YUCK! Can Pinkalicious resist the pink cupcakes sitting on the refrigerator? This picture book sings! The words are delicious and the pictures are gorgeous. Full of pink and lace and crowns, this book is a girly-girl's dream.

PROTECT AND DEFEND, by Vince Flynn.

New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn returns with his most explosive political thriller yet. A tour de force of action-packed suspense, Protect and Defend delivers an all-too-realistic and utterly compelling vision of nations navigating the minefield of international intrigue. A true heavyweight in the political thriller arena (Minneapolis Star Tribune), Vince Flynn has created a flesh-and-blood hero that readers can cheer for and a finger-blistering page-turner they won t dare put down.In Protect and Defend, the action begins in the heart of Iran, where billions of dollars are being spent on the development of a nuclear program. No longer willing to wait for the international community to stop its neighboring enemy, Israel launches one of the most creative and daring espionage operations ever conceived. The attack leaves a radioactive tomb and environmental disaster in the middle of Iran s second largest city. An outraged Iranian government publicly blames both Israel and the United States for the attack and demands retribution. Privately, Iran s bombastic president wants much more. He wants America and Israel to pay for their aggression with blood.Enter Mitch Rapp, America s top counterterrorism operative. Used to employing deception, Rapp sees an opportunity where others see only Iranian reprisals that could leave thousands of Americans dead. Rapp convinces President Josh Alexander to sign off on a risky operation that will further embarrass the Iranian government and push their country to the brink of revolution. As part of the plan, CIA director Irene Kennedy is dispatched to the region for a clandestine meeting with Azad Ashani, her Iranian counterpart.But Rapp isn t the only one hatching plans. Iranian President Amatullah, has recruited Hezbollah master terrorist Imad Mukhtar to do his dirty work. For decades Mukhtar has acted as a surrogate for Iran, blazing a trail of death and destruction across the Middle East and beyond. When Kennedy s meeting with Ashani goes disastrously wrong, Rapp and Mukhtar are set on a collision course that threatens to engulf the entire region in war. With the clock ticking, Rapp is given twenty-four hours, no questions asked, to do whatever it takes to stop Mukhtar, and avert an unthinkable catastrophe.

1,000 PLACES TO SEE IN THE U.S.A. AND CANADA BEFORE YOU DIE, by Patricia Schultz

It's the phenomenon: 1,000 Places to See Before You Die has 2.2 million copies in print and has spent 144 weeks and counting on The New York Times bestseller list.Now, shipping in time for the tens of millions of travelers heading out for summer trips, comes 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die. Sail the Maine Windjammers out of Camden. Explore the gold-mining trails in Alaska's Denali wilderness. Collect exotic shells on the beaches of Captiva. Take a barbecue tour of Kansas City—from Arthur Bryant's to Gates to B.B.'s Lawnside to Danny Edward's to LC's to Snead's. There's the ice hotel in Quebec, the Great Stalacpipe Organ in Virginia, cowboy poetry readings, what to do in Lexington after the Derby's over, and for every city, dozens of unexpected suggestions and essential destinations.The book is organized by region, and subject-specific indices in the back sort the book by interest—wilderness, great dining, best beaches, world-class museums, sports and adventures, road trips, and more. There's also an index that breaks out the best destinations for families with children. Following each entry is the nuts and bolts: addresses, websites, phone numbers, costs, best times to visit.
Elizabeth Connor - Library Journal

PURPLICIOUS, by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann. Illustrated by Victoria Kann

Pinkalicious loves the color pink, but all the girls at school like black. They tease her, saying that pink stinks and pink is for babies. But Pinkalicious doesn't think so…that is, until her friends stop playing with her. Now Pinkalicious has a case of the blues. But could she ever turn her back on her favorite color?
In the follow-up to the bestselling Pinkalicious, a young girl remains true to herself and discovers that pink isn't only a pretty color, but also a powerful one.

PLAYING FOR PIZZA, by John Grisham

John Grisham is setting his next book in Italy. “Playing for Pizza,” the story of an American quarterback trying his luck in Italy, will come out in September 2007, the Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group announced Thursday. The book will be published simultaneously by Doubleday in the US and Century in the UK.
“One of the many joys of working with John is the element of surprise,” Doubleday publisher Stephen Rubin said in a statement. “Who would have thought that the master of the legal thriller would write a novel about cotton farming (‘A Painted House’) or a novel about the excesses of Christmas? (‘Skipping Christmas’) Now, John pulls another rabbit out of his endless supply of hats with ‘Playing for Pizza,’ a romp about a fish out of water that had me laughing out loud.”
“Playing for Pizza” is a short novel about a fallen American football star who can no longer get work in the National Football League and whose agent, as a last resort, signs a deal for him to play for the Parma Panthers, in Parma, Italy. The quarterback’s move to a small city in a foreign land leads to a series of cultural misadventures. The idea for the novel grew out of time Grisham spent in Italy researching his novel, The Broker, which was set in Bologna.
“I was pleasantly surprised to find real American football in Italy,” says Grisham, “and as I dug deeper a novel came together. The research was tough – food, wine, opera, football, Italian culture – but someone had to do it.”
Playing for Pizza will be published as a Century hardback on September 25th with an Arrow paperback the following year.
Sources: MSN News, PR Newswire

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH, by Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth is a 1989 historical novel by Ken Follett about the building of a cathedral in Kingsbridge, England. It is set in the middle of the 12th century, primarily during the time known as The Anarchy, between the time of the sinking of the White Ship and the murder of Thomas Becket. Follett's publishers were apprehensive about both the novel's content and its length, which is 973 pages. Also, until this novel was published, Follett had previously been known for writing in the thriller genre. The novel became Follett's best-selling work.
The book traces the development of Gothic Architecture out of the preceding Romanesque Architecture. In the early part of the book, a mason builds a Romanesque cathedral; later, his stepson builds a true Gothic cathedral in its place. The book was listed #33 on the BBC's Big Read, a 2003 survey with the goal of finding the "Nation's Best-loved Book." The book was also selected for Oprah's Book Club in November 2007. A sequel, titled World Without End, was released in October of 2007.