#2, Paul Among the People, by Sarah Ruden

Okay, I didn't read all of this book, but most of it.  It is aimed at people who have a bias against Paul as a no-fun anti-woman curmudgeon.   Since his doesn't describe me, in that I like Paul, I must say it didn't change my opinion of Paul, but rather confirmed what I had surmised:  that Paul's message, when set against the times in which he wrote, was new, exciting, and liberating (after all, it is the Gospel).  Recommended.

2016, #1: Conspirata, by Robert Harris

This is the second in the trilogy about Cicero, the first being Imperium and the last being the just-released Dictator.  It breathes life into the story of Roman politics in the last days of the Republic.  The big names, Pompey, Sulla, Cato, Crassus, and of course Cicero are shown as politicians of various stripes seeking fame, fortune, and, sometimes, the good of their country.  Fascinating.  I can't wait to read the last volume!