Plutarch's Lives, volume 2:
I particularly enjoyed the lives of Caesar, Anthony, Pompey, and Brutus, as they gave multiple views on the events surrounding the Ides of March and beyond, though Plutarch definitely was not sympathetic to some of them. I could also see Shakespeare's plays more clearly--one member of my Great Conversation book group noted how he almost completely lifted his description of Cleopatra on her boat from Plutarch.
The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope (spoiler alert!)
This has definitely been my favorite Trollope book yet. He takes the typical story of two sisters' romances and turns it on its head. One is engaged right away and jilted and the other rejects the ideal suitor for a penniless one. Lily Dale in particular is great as is John Eames, for whom this is a coming of age story as well. I also liked how he didn't make Crosbie a flat character but made the jilting a temptation to him and then continues his storyline, rather than leaving him simply as a villain. The only negative thing is the edition(Nonsuch Publishing)--very poorly copyedited--unclear paragraphing in dialogue and typos galore.
