The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner (Ballatine Books)

This book is a fantastic easy to read historical fiction. It chronicles the life of Juana, the daughter of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain and sister to Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry the 8th of England. It is a perfect example of why I love historical fiction about European monarchies. There is so much political intrigue, suspense, and secret passion its better than any trashy show on MTV or gossip magazine, mostly because everything really did happen for the most part. While historical fiction novels are just that fiction, they are based on the very complicated world of monarchies which were full of all these plots and romances. This particular novel is definitely a page turner with a dramatic and slightly surprising ending, especially the historical notes that the author gives at the end. Definitely save that for after because it provides a different perspective to the events than how the reader sees them unfold through the eyes of Juana. A must easy read.