This woman named "Oprah" told me about this book and it's really good. I do read a fair amount, but it's usually a few books at once, that I jump around to depending on my mood. They also usually have to be about Vietnam, drugs or something gay to keep my attention until the end. Pillars of the Earth is about none of those aforementioned topics but is completely holding my attention.

The Plot (from Publishers Weekly): Set in 12th-century England, the narrative concerns the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. The ambitions of three men merge, conflict and collide through 40 years of social and political upheaval as internal church politics affect the progress of the cathedral and the fortunes of the protagonists.

It doesn't get overly descriptive and keeps a steady pace of intrigue and action.

Anybody else reading it?