Just finished:
River God by Wilbur Smith. Set in ancient egypt, a slave guides the fate of the land through his mistress, her lover and her husband. Quite readable, a little pulpy, but enjoyable. First person POV through the eyes of a rather narcissistic character, though I found it amusing rather than annoying. Others, less so. Should also mention I found it reminiscent of Feist+Wurts Empire series, but a couple of others who'd also read those books saw no parallels. YMMV.
What is Life? by Ed Regis. Historical and physiological discussion of life, mixed in with philosophical questioning, particularly in light of recent attempts to artificially construct life. Short and to the point. Didn't expect quite so much history though. All still rather vague.
The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Fiction based on true events surrounding a town in 1666 that caught plague but decided to quarantine themselves to avoid spreading it. The heroine is an 18-year old chick, a widow with two kids. I quite liked this one, and the writing style was witty and eloquent, as well as quite vivid, especially during the gorier sections. Somewhat crappy end though.
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