The Fateful Day by Rosemary Rowe (historical mystery 2014)

I really like this series even for mystery lovers who aren't into the Roman world.  It's fast-paced, funny and full of great details about life.

A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain by Marc Morris (nonfiction 2009)

Edward was an amazing man, very long-lived as well as long-limbed.  This book follows the ins and outs of his adventurous and global life, and it does a great job of connecting the threads of his experiences throughout time.  Highly recommended especially for the attempt to put Edward's more notorious acts in the context of the times.

The Middle Ages by Johannes Fried (nonfiction 2015)

Mr. Fried is obviously a very learned person.  This is a giant book that kept me reading many times when I was supposed to be doing something else.  It covers military, social and political history but my favorite parts are about transmission of ancient thought through the Middle Ages.  Mr. Fried has convinced me that these times were not "dark," that in fact the foundation was laid then for who we are today.

The Woman who Would be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney (nonfiction 2014)

Ms. Cooney takes an exciting and interesting approach to telling Hatshepsut's story.  Since the queen is so far in the ancient past and many of her monuments were destroyed, the author takes care to spell out when she is riffing off the evidence, which she does throughout the book.  I thought it was pretty effective.

The May Bride by Suzannah Dunn (historical fiction 2014)

Pretty good stuff about Jane Seymour's late teens.  Dunn takes on a story with thin evidence and turns it into a believable narrative.

Rubicon - The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland (nonfiction 2003)

I enjoyed this book - I've always loved reading about Julius Caesar and Augustus, and it had something new (to me) to offer.  His analysis of the Roman "mindset" of the times is fascinating.

Funeral Games by Mary Renault (historical fiction 1981)

It's about what happened among Alexander's generals and relatives once he died.  It's so good, go get it.  The details are lovely.