2003 was a good year for entertainment. For me that means primarily reading books and listening to cds. Here are some recommendations you might enjoy:

A DREAM OF SCIPIO, by Iain Pears, was definitely the best book I read all year. It was a historical adventure set in France during three particularly traumatic times in its history: the barbarian invasions during the decline of the Roman Empire, the Black Plague, and the Nazi occupation. Pears is probably my favorite author right now, since his historical mystery AN INSTANCE OF THE FINGERPOST, set during the English restoration period, was my favorite book of 2002.

RULED BRITTANICA, by Harry Turtledove, was an exciting alternate history novel about England under Spanish Rule following their defeat by the Spanish Armada. The main character is William Shakespeare who is spearheading a possible English revolt by using his plays to arouse the populace.

THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING, by Tracy Chevalier, is a tender tale of life and art in Renaissance Netherlands, as a young girl working as a maid in the household of famous artist Vermeers becomes first his assistant and then the model for his most famous painting.

THE EYRE AFFAIR, by Jasper Fforde, is a fast-paced romp across the pages of several famous books as a literary detective pursues a villain determined to change the face of several novels by kidnapping their main characters. Lots of fun, especially for people who love good books.

LIVE SCENES FROM NEW YORK and SIX DEGREES OF TURBULENCE, both by Dream Theater. Progressive rock and hard rock are probably my two favorite genres of music, and this band combines them better than any other band since the height of Rush and Iron Maiden.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING, by Chris De Burgh, my choice as the most underrated artist of the past twenty years. De Burgh combines tender ballads with soaring music, treading the lines between soft rock, hard rock, and progressive rock better than anybody.

ANY OLD TIME, by Steve Forbett. Nobody makes folk-rock better than Forbett, and this tribute to Jimmie Rodgers sounds as good as any of Forbett’s own albums.

THE OLD KIT BAG, by Richard Thompson. Critics and musicians love Thompson’s music, and deservedly so. His combination of traditional hard rock and tender folk-rock is always good, sometimes spectacularly so. Amazingly, he continues to get better with age.