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I've always been someone willing to try new things and I find my tastes in everything from books to music constantly evolving. When I moved to Alabama in high school I became addicted to old school country and southern rock. If it wasn't by Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd or the like I wasn't interested. In college my literary obsession was biographies. I became fascinated by the stories of people like Katharine Graham, James Stewart and Richard Nixon. I couldn't get enough.

And it would seem that not much has changed since then. My current musical passions, however, are centered at the moment on indie singer/songwriters and jazz legends, and historical fiction seems to be occupying most of the real estate on my nightstand.

At the moment I am simultaneously poring through The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig and The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, which I am frantically trying to finish before the movie hits theaters next week. I'm a big advocate for reading the original work before shelling out $8.50 to have the same story told to me through the eyes of some Hollywood director, but I'm always eager to see how actors bring some of my favorite characters to life. In this case, two of my favorites, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman, portray Mary and Anne Boleyn, two sisters vying for the affections of one king -- Henry VIII played by Eric Bana. The livelihood of their family depends on one of the girls seducing the king and producing a male heir. It's really an intriguing story. I haven't been able to put it down. The adulterous formalities are comical as the king keeps his courtships a secret from his wife, Queen Katherine of Aragon (Catherine, according to history books), who has yet to produce an heir and is described as old at 38. Perhaps, the most interesting dynamic, however, is how differently the two Boleyn girls approach their situation. Mary, who initially catches Henry's eye, develops a deep affection for the king while her sister Anne muscles in and foregoes passion, stopping at nothing to be queen. I'm only about half way through the book, so it will be interesting to see how this rivalry plays out in the book and on screen. We all know what eventually happens: England splits with the Catholic church and Anne winds up losing her head, but the journey to the finale is often the best part of any story. Here's to hoping this journey is worthy of such a marvelous finale.