"The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett

Quite possibly my new favorite book. The storyline and characters are extremely well-developed, with heartbreaking lows and the highest of highs. He also does an excellent job of bringing you into life in the 12th century, a very brutal time in Europe. Follett has woven in murder, mysteries, and humanity at its best and worst. You also see in sharp contrast the relationships between common people, nobility and the all-powerful church.

I loved the complexity of this book, and all of its intertwining storylines. But you always know who is who, their individual histories and relationships with other characters. It’s not like reading Tolkien, which forces you to go back over and over again to find out who the hell he’s talking about. It is also part of Oprah's Book Club, but please don't hold that against it.

Here’s a synopsis plagiarized from Powells.com:

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known...of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect — a man divided in his soul...of the beautiful, elusive, Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame...and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follet's historical masterpiece.