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Monthly Archives: December 2009

As you know Washington DC joined the rest of the mid-Atlantic in experiencing a record-breaking December snowstorm. Here in the Northern Virginia suburbs, the snow started Friday night about 9 pm and didn’t stop until late afternoon Saturday. We got 2 feet of snow. Here is a view of our snow, taken from my upstairs window at 12 noon Saturday.

One nice thing about snow is it covers all the dirt and darkness in a blanket of pure white, everything becomes quiet and life, of necessity, slows down.

One can almost imagine what it would be to live in the country in Regency England, to take walks through the wood, perhaps even to go skating on the pond or zipping over to your neighbor’s house in a horse-drawn sleigh.

Of course, a Regency winter walk might be like this:

And zipping along in a vehicle, might be more like this:

In the newspaper you might read about stories like this one from the 1814 Annual Register:

Extraordinary Instance of the Sagacity of a Dog.—Mr. T. Rutherford, of Long Framlington, was, about a fortnight ago, overcome in a snow storm, near Alnwick, and fell. In this state he was exposed to all the horrors of the night, till seven o’clock in the morning. His faithful dog at this time observing a shepherd at a small distance, used every exertion to attract his attention, such as howling, going from and returning to the spot where his master lay. This induced the shepherd to follow the dog’s motions. Mr. Rutherford was found, (then covered by the snow,) carried to a neighbouring publichouse, and, after five hours’ exertion, life was restored, and he is now quite well.

On the other hand, one might have a lovely Regency Christmas, eating Christmas pudding, drinking wassail, playing Christmas music on the pianoforte, dancing or playing cards.

What do you imagine a Regency winter and Christmas to be like? What do you think you’d like best about it?

It’s been a great gift to have such a wonderful Risky Regencies community. I wish all my fellow Riskies and everyone else a very happy holiday season!

Marmion
by Sir Walter Scott

Heap on more wood! – the wind is chill;
But let it whistle as it will,
We’ll keep our Christmas merry still.

I love talking about books I’m reading–whether they’re my strap hanger sensational reads of the week or, in the proud Risky tradition in this last week of the year, when we talk about what books we enjoyed. We spend quite a lot of time talking about our own releases and we also interview other writers, but I like the idea of talking about books that aren’t anything to do with our usual blog fare.

I didn’t read a lot of fiction in 2009 and I wish I had. Fortunately I had an amazon wish list to inspire my nearest and dearest for xmas (no, I love these slippers with the big stain from boiling cranberry sauce. Buy me books) and a B&N gift card so I’m going to attempt to catch up.

First, a couple of research books I enjoyed and/or found useful this year. I finally tracked down this book hoping it would answer the question What did they DO all day? Answer: I still don’t know. But some great stuff in here, including her accounts of travel when she enjoyed the company of people she wouldn’t usually consort with.

This was a fascinating account of England’s fear of a Napoleonic invasion with lots of great cartoons and original source material and I got it, like many of my books, from bookdepository.com which has free shipping worldwide and lots of books not distributed in the US.

I even read a book about writing–something I usually avoid for fear of terror or superiority–but this one was awesome, and rightly so since it’s recommended by the very smart and well-read Pam Rosenthal–On Writing by Samuel Delany. He’s an academic who also writes mass-market fiction, and has a great, balanced view. I also anticipate reading two other books, both novels, The Magician by Lev Grossman and Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs, also recommended by Pam.

A book I loved by an author who’s a friend, and who also writes for Little Black Dress and by a weird coincidence lives in my home town in England–Julie Cohen‘s Girl from Mars which was the best romance I’ve read in years. It has a fabulous adorable geek heroine and a wonderful cast of geeky secondary characters (note to my daughter if you read this: where is this book?)

Like Amanda, I also loved The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes (note to my husband if you read this: where is this book?) and The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Hmm… lots of English books here.

And now, what Santa bought me and what I’m anticipating in 2010 … I’m reading Hilary Mantel’s amazing Wolf Hall about Thomas Cromwell, which has the most gorgeous sparse yet rich prose. I’m also reading, although not quite at the same time, or rather re-reading, since I now own a copy, Anna Maxted’s A Tale of Two Sisters. I think Maxted is possibly the closest we have to Jane Austen in the 21st century. She’s sharp, fearless, satiric, and takes on Big Issues–this book is about fidelity, sisterhood, and fertility. And, yes, it’s funny.

And–great big fangirl squeal–two books are coming out this year by Jude Morgan! The Taste of Sorrow, about the Brontes, which came out in hardback in 2009, is being released as a paperback, and he has another Regency, A Little Folly, coming out on my birthday. How considerate. (And what a great cover.) I’ve pre-ordered both.

I intend to spend New Year’s Eve reading. How will you celebrate?

Happy new year and happy new year reading!

Well.
Ahem

To be honest, I didn’t know until last week the Riskies were going to be blogging about our 2009 reads. Back before I joined up with this illustrious group, I wasn’t even keeping track. Or after that either, actually. I haven’t got a neat and tidy list of great books I read. So all you get are some of the books I read in 2009 that I can remember right now.

That doesn’t mean published in 2009. Shrug. Sorry, but the instructions said READS of 2009.

Here’s my untidy list, in no particular order.

  • The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Maybe it’s no accident that I listed this one first. For me, it was one of the standout reads for 2009. I grew up on High Fantasy, and Rothfuss’s rendition is brilliant and original. Breathtaking. If words matter to you, this is a book you should read.
  • The Way Of The Shadow by Brent Weeks. A trilogy. Again, fantasy. Very deftly done.
  • Beat The Reaper by Josh Bazell. My Review here. By all rights, I should have disliked this book and been unable to finish it, since portions are written in present tense which I LOATHE with a white hot passion. But Bazell put a character on the page who was just so fucking outrageous I couldn’t not read. I’m waiting for the movie.
  • The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. Technically, I shouldn’t include this since I read it in late December 2008, but whatever. My Review here. I had major issues with this book. It is flawed, particularly in its depictions of the female lead, but Davidson is a tremendously talented writer and I will buy his next book.
  • Grimspace and Skin Tight by Ann Aguirre. What can I say? I’m an Aguirre fan girl now.
  • Sunshine, by Robin McKinley — technically, I’m not quite done but I don’t anticipate this book crashing and burning at this point. This is a vampire book in a wonderfully conceived world. I am staring at the cover right now, itching to get back to it.
  • Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I’m late to the party, I know. But I kept hearing the HBO TV series True Blood was really good, so when book one of the series was free on the Kindle App, I downloaded it. Got around to reading it. Bought the rest for Kindle AND in paper. Watched TV for about the first time in 20 years and met my One True Love, Alexander Skarsgard. That’s a lot to love about a series.
  • Soulless by Gail Carriger. This book was FUN to read. What a delightful heroine. Oh, how I loved her!
  • Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon

And right now, that’s all I can remember, even though I read a lot of books and there are more that I know I loved. But it’s late and I can’t remember right now. If you discuss your favs in the comments, I will perhaps remember and can chime in with more.

Books I’m looking forward to in 2010 include anything by these authors:

  • Ann Aguirre
  • Victoria Dahl
  • Barry Eisler
  • Lee Child
  • Patrick Rothfuss
  • Mary Balogh
  • JR Ward
  • Jo Bourne
  • Courtney Milan
  • Gail Carriger
  • Karen Rose
  • Eileen Dryer

Types of books I’m hoping to find in 2010 include:

  • A different kind of vampire book. Something that works the tropes a little harder
  • A REALLY great historical. For whatever reason, too many of the historicals I read this year severely disappointed. There were some great ones, though.
  • A bust your gut laughing contemporary.
  • Hot military dude doing super hot sekret training stuff. Love that.
  • A scary paranormal. Could combine with the first.

Things I’d like to see happen in 2010:

Sookie ends up with Eric
Stephanie Plum picks Ranger

How about you guys? What did I forget? What books did you love in 2009?

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Happy week after Christmas, everyone! How was your holiday? The weather here was frightful, but indoors was delightful. Lots of Christmas candy and Prosecco, along with the Say Yes to the Dress marathon on TLC (amazing how those dresses all look just alike after a while, yet everyone argues bitterly about them), and episodes from season one of Legend of the Seeker (thanks to the gift of the DVD set!). Now I have to get back to yoga, eating semi-healthy, and finishing the WIP. First a look back–and forward.

Forward: If you got your February issue of RT, you may notice my first Laurel McKee book, Countess of Scandal, is not reviewed therein. It seems there was some sort of snafu; hopefully we will see it in March. In the meantime, I did get my very first review, yay!!! From Romance Reviews: “This was an exciting, suspenseful, and very passionate story. Loved it and very much look forward to the next in this series. Interesting history lesson and a good backdrop for a first-class love story. Four checks!” (Sorry for the bragging interlude–I am soooo excited about this book, I can’t contain it!)

And now back, to the year that was 2009! It was a very good reading year indeed, at least for me. As usual, I didn’t get to read much fiction, except as vacation treats, but what I read was excellent. I loved how Carolyn’s Indiscreet blended a vivid, exotic setting with deep, complex emotions and intriguing characters, and how Diane brought a very realistic aspect to post-war trauma and the horrors of battle to Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady. I just finished Gail Carriger’s Soulless, and I totally loved it! I’m fascinated by the steampunk sub-genre, and this was a terrific example with a wonderful heroine. Can’t wait for the next book. Also in romance, I enjoyed Carrie Lofty’s unusual look at the Robin Hood legend What a Scoundrel Wants and Liz Carlyle’s Tempted All Night. And I loved Susan Wittig Albert’s new Beatrix Potter mystery, The Tale of Applebeck Orchard (I really enjoy this whole series).

There are two other novels I read that really stayed with me. I read them months ago, and still remember them vividly, though they are very different from each other. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows is an epistolary novel featuring extremely vivid characters and a well-drawn setting of an island under occupation and recovering from it post-war. I hate, hate, hate when a book is described as “uplifting,” but, well, this book really is. There are aspects that are quite dark, but overall it’s a lovely look at the resilience of people. I also loved Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger, which had an equally vivid setting but was possibly the scariest book I have ever read! Dr. Faraday has long been obsessed with the local Stately Home, Hundreds Hall (which is its own character in the story) and its family the Ayerses. Class conflict melds with the supernatural, subtly building to a terrifying finish. Eeek, I shiver now just thinking about it!

And it was a truly exceptional year for terrific non-fiction. I had a hard time narrowing it down, but here are some that stand out for me:

John Guy’s A Daughter’s Love, about Sir Thomas More and his devoted daughter Meg. Meg was More’s favorite child, a deeply intellectual woman who carried on his legacy after his death (and even effected a daring rescue of his head from London Bridge). A wonderful look at a dark, dangerous era and an extraordinary woman.

Veronica Buckley’s The Secret Wife of Louis XIV. Another extraordinary woman in dangerous times of violent change! Francoise d’Aubigne, Madame de Maintenon, rose from poverty-stricken beginnings as the daughter of a condemned traitor (reprieved at the last minute and sent off to the West Indies) and then teenaged wife of the cripple poet Scarron to the very pinnacle of French society through sheer intelligence and force of will (and a little sneakiness, too).

Richard Holmes, The Age of Wonder. This book has received many end-of-year accolades and justly so. It’s a feat of great storytelling as well as a look at a moment of intense scientific change. Holmes focuses on a small group of dedicated Romantic-era scientists, most notably William and Caroline Herschel, Humphry Davy, Joseph Banks, and Mungo Park, all working in different aspects of science.


Michael Holroyd, A Strange Eventful History. A look at the lives of actors Ellen Terry and Henry Irving and their tumultuous families amid the rise and fall of the Lyceum Theater. A long book, but it reads much too quickly–I wanted to keep on with these people after the end of the story! A wonderful look at the world of the Victorian theater and the mind-set of most unconventional people.

Caroline Moorehead, Dancing to the Precipice. Another book about a strong, intelligent woman in times of upheaval. Lucie de la Tour du Pin was born into the French aristocracy and lived a long, eventful life, serving at the courts of both Marie Antoinette and Josephine, traveling Europe with her diplomat husband (who she loved very much), surviving the Revolution (she and her family eventually fled to New York, where they spent 3 years on an upstate farm before returning to France), the years of Napoleon and his downfall, and so much else. The story mixes politics and court intrigues with daily family life. I loved it.

Some honorable mentions: Paul Collins, The Book of William (a look at the history and life of the First Folio). Peter Martin, Samuel Johnson: A Biography. Celia Lyttleton, Scent Trail (the author tracks down the ingredients for her exclusive perfume). Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore, Blindspot (written in the style of an 18th century picaresque novel–fascinating!). Jonathan Bate, Soul of the Age (a new bio of Shakespeare–with a twist). Wendy Moore, Wedlock (a look at a Georgian marriage that was very disastrous indeed).

It was a good year in movies, too! I actually came across 4 I loved, when usually I am lucky to find 1 or 2. They were Bright Star (lovely, period-looking yet unfussy, and sweetly erotic), Julie and Julia (just don’t watch this one hungry! And Meryl Streep is Julia Child, natch), An Education (best film of the year, IMO), and The Young Victoria, which I saw just last week (gorgeous to look at, and very romantic). I’m hoping to make it to the theater again this week, since I am off work. What would you recommend?

I hope you had a great 2009, and will have an even better 2010! (And Carolyn has a contest going on at her blog where you can win 2 books by–me! Comment over there for a chance to win)

All this week on Risky Regencies we’re going to discuss books we’ve read in the past year and books we plan to read in 2010.

It’s been a great year of “must-reads” for the Riskies, book-wise, Amanda’s and my (and Deb Marlowe’s) Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, Amanda’s High Seas Stowaway, Spirited Brides, The Winter Queen, The Maid’s Lover, my Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady, The Unlacing of Miss Leigh; Janet’s A Most Lamentable Comedy, Carolyn’s Scandal, Indiscreet and her paranormal, My Forbidden Desire.

Even more exciting, this was the year I got my Kindle! As you might have heard me say, I LOVE MY KINDLE! I can take my Kindle anywhere. (Colleen Gleason aka Joss Ware even takes hers into the bathtub–in a ziplock bag)

Regency Historicals I’ve read on my Kindle include:
Lavinia Kent’s A Talent for Sin (nominated for Best First Historical by RTBook Reviews)
Mary Blayney’s Stranger’s Kiss (nominated for Best Innovative Historical by RTBook Reviews) – Way to go, Lavinia and Mary!

NonFiction books about the Regency that I’ve read on my Kindle include:
Regency England by John Plowright – a history about the life an times of Lord Liverpool.
Wedlock: The True Story of the Disastrous Marriage and Remarkable Divorce of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore by Wendy Moore – a fascinating story of a woman tricked into marriage and how she got out of it, pre-Regency, actually.
Waterloo Days by Charlotte Anne Waldie Eaton – a memoir that’s been very helpful in writing my Soldier books.

I’ve also been on a self-help kick. My Kindle Self-Help books include:
Finally Thin! How I Lost Over 200 Pounds and Kept Them Off–and How You Can, Too by Kim Benson – I love an inspirational weight-loss story
Breaking Murphy’s Law by Suzanne C Segerstrom PhD – a book about Optimism. I was sure it wouldn’t be good, but it was!
The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn – a 1925 book foreshadowing The Law of Attraction.

For Christmas my sisters and I buy each other Gift Cards and I asked for Amazon.com gift cards. So now I have a tidy sum of $$ to purchase some 2010 books!

I’ve downloaded some samples to consider:
Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy by Peter S Canellos – a departure from my usual sort of book
The Ordeal of Elizabeth Marsh: A Woman in World History by Linda Colley – I think Janet (or Amanda? maybe Megan…) recommended this one, about a woman who lived in the 1700s
Fossil Hunter by Shelley Emling – about Mary Anning, who found the first ever dinosaur skeleton in 1811.

I’m just scratching the surface of possible books to buy. I’ll save some of the money for Romance books, more self-help (because I need a lot of it), and, of course, nonfiction, research books relating to the Regency.

I’m open to suggestions!

What books did you get for Christmas? If you got gift cards, what books are you planning to buy? And, most important, what books should I buy???

Come to my website. I’m about to pick a grand prize winner in my contest. There’s still time to enter!

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