Neither Here nor There by Bill Bryson (travel memoir 1993)

I read this based on more than one recommendation.  People said it was really funny, but it wasn't good for me until the very end.  It was a lot of complaining.

King John and the Road to the Magna Carta by Stephen Church (nonfiction 2015)

I always love those Angevins.  Here is an interesting read about King John.  Church tries to see John's life from John's own perspective, because of course John did not go through his days thinking he would end up a big old failure.

Hannibal - A Hellenistic Life by Eve MacDonald (nonfiction 2015)

Fairly successful attempt at understanding Hannibal as a Carthaginian, a Hellenistic general who lived only 100 years after Alexander.  Our view of him is so largely shaped by the Romans, his mortal enemies, and the author tries to sidestep or augment that as much as possible with a more nuanced portrait.

Rome's Revolution: Death of the Republic & Birth of the Empire by Richard Alston (nonfiction 2015)

Alston truly convinced me it was a revolution.  He focuses a harsh light on the brutality of the triumvirate, particularly Octavian's, that in my opinion is often missing from portraits of Augustus.   Fascinating political analysis.

Thomas Cromwell by Tracy Borman (nonfiction 2014)

Ever since Mantel's fictional rehabilitation of Cromwell, I've been waiting for the nonfiction followup, and this is it.  Finally a truly nuanced study of the man, his life and actions, and his relationship with Henry, all deeply rooted in primary material.  Fascinating and necessary.

Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore by Walter Mosley (fiction 2014)

Really good novel.  A few paragraphs gave me the heart racing chills. 

Wars of the Roses: Margaret of Anjou by Conn Iggulden (historical fiction 2015)

I've read a lot about these conflicts, and this is a good effort.  A few times, I was not quite convinced that Iggulden was getting a medieval state of mind, but this is a fast-paced, well-researched book.