I know, I know, what can I say…not a regency romance among them, but here are the books I’ve enjoyed this year in no particular order. I patronize the local library where I haunt the new release shelf and read mostly on my commute (40 minutes on the Washington, DC metro).

Adam Hochschild’s wonderful book about the English abolitionist movement gave me an entirely different take on Georgian/Regency England. One of the points Hochschild makes is that the abolitionist movement could have only happened in England because of the country’s excellent infrastructure (roads and mailcoaches), and the population’s high level of literacy and passion for politics–even though few could vote, petitions and boycotts had great power. Can you imagine the sweet-toothed English boycotting sugar? They did, in the 1790s, just one example of how the movement crossed boundaries of class and gender. One of the few history books I’ve read as avidly, and found as moving, as a good novel. A funny book about suicide? Yep. A group of odd, sad, hopeless people meet on a rooftop from which they all intend to jump, and instead become friends–sort of–Nick Hornby isn’t a writer who gives in much to sentiment. Alternately touching, laugh-aloud funny, and savagely satirical.
This is the book I got for xmas and my latest commuter read which I finished last night, although it was a book I wanted to go on for a lot longer. Zadie Smith can make you laugh at and care about her characters, while making you think about Big Things like families, love, education, culture, identity. Rich, satisfying, thoughtful, bighearted fiction.

I was really surprised at how much I liked Ain’t She Sweet. Normally I run screaming from any book set in a small (particularly) southern town and/or dealing with characters suffering decades-old high school angst. But Phillips’ characters, particularly her complex, appealing hero and heroine, are grown-ups who can come to terms with their pasts, while still making some pretty dreadful mistakes in the present.

OK, I’m cheating a bit. I think this book came out a couple of years ago, but I read it this year and loved it. Imagine the Sopranos at the Tudor Court–the power-hungry, manipulative Howard family using the women of their family as pawns (“Yes, it’s Tuesday, Mary, so today it’s your turn to become the king’s mistress”). The book is about Mary, the sister of Ann Boleyn, briefly Henry VIII’s mistress, her troubled relationship with her sister and family, and how she breaks free of them. I love Gregory’s brilliant use of language, particularly dialogue, which evokes early sixteenth-century English without sounding archaic or anachronistic.

Another cheating entry–published a few years back, but new to me this year. Yes, it’s about SM. I loved the voice of this book–Carrie’s ironic, bookish take on her adventures as a sex slave. It’s suprisingly funny and sweet. And, oh yes, very sexy indeed, even if you think you’re not into that sort of thing. Its author Molly Weatherfield wears another hat as a writer of equally wonderful regency-set historicals.

Anna Maxted is a British chicklit writer–roughly speaking–who isn’t afraid to take on big issues and real angst (date rape, bereavement, eating disorders) and in her latest, adultery. At the same time she’s genuinely, hysterically funny and her heroines don’t lapse into the self-pitying whines I tend to associate with chicklit. And how’s this for an opening line (maybe she’s a contender for the successor to Jane Austen title we discussed a week or so ago?): Every woman likes to be proposed to, even if she knows she’s going to refuse.

Here’s the best re-read of my year, Flora Thompson’s memoirs of growing up in the English countryside in the late nineteenth century. A great source for small details of country life and a sense of an era about to come to an end. My great-aunt told us it was exactly as she remembered her early childhood. The book may be out of print here, but it’s rediscovered and cherished by every generation in England.

Looking ahead to 2006…In 1988 Catherine MacCoun published a book called The Age of Miracles, about a thirteenth-century novice who is possibly–or not–a saint, and what happens to her when she leaves the nunnery. I love this wry, thoughtful, beautifully written book–she’s another writer, like Gregory, who can evoke the past and not sound overly historical. I’ve re-read it many times and I guess it’s a romance, though nothing like any other medieval I’ve tried and flung against the wall. At the time I wouldn’t have been caught dead reading a romance (now I’m only mildly embarrassed but it’s so difficult to read with a paper sack over your head on the commute). After (oh, gasp, this makes me feel ill) eighteen years in the strange twilight world before the second sale, Ms. MacCoun’s next book comes out in May. And I can’t wait to read it.

Like Elena, I’m not a big one for reading books in the year in which they were published. Too busy? Yeah. Too cheap? Definitely. Too whatever? Hell, yeah. This year I found myself reading in many other genres besides Regency and Regency-set (which is still my primary reading material). I discovered some amazing writers in fantasy, science fiction, historical mystery, American historical, and paranormal.

First off is Barbara Hambly‘s Benjamin January detective series. The first book, A Free Man Of Color, takes place in 1833 New Orleans. January has just returned to his native city after many years in Paris. He’s a free man (hence the title), but is also dark black, a stigma in the color-conscious city of quadroons, octoroons, and the like. He gets involved in a murder, the solving of which takes many intricate and unexpected turns. The best part is Hambly’s ability to create an ambiance–her descriptions are spectacular, and her writing is stupendous. She’s also written in SF/F, and I’ve been collecting those, even though I haven’t read a word of them. She’s that good. Or I’m that obsessive.

Next up is Anne Bishop, whose Black Jewels trilogy is a dark, sensual, claustrophobic world of magic and power. This is not a read for the faint of heart, but if you like Anne Stuart and other bleakly compelling writers (and you don’t mind graphic blood and such), this is great, heady stuff. Again, I’ve been glomming her books even though I’ve only read one and a half thus far. I think I am obsessive. Darn me.

I came late to the party with George R. R. Martin, so you all might roll your eyes at my just having read the first of his A Song of Ice And Fire seriesA Game Of Thrones, but I’m sure glad I made it. Fantasy, but fantasy that isn’t fantastical; I read somewhere that A Game Of Thrones is based on the War of the Roses, and he’s got that same attention to detail and perspective that makes the best history books so compelling.

This year, I also discovered S.L. Viehl‘s Stardoc series. Those books are the definition of page-turners–every time you think you’ve figured something out, you’re just plain wrong. And you have to keep reading. It’s science fiction, but with a heavy dose of romance. Because of her SF stuff, I also picked up Lynn Viehl’s (same author, altered name) Darkyn series. The Darkyn are a family of vampires who are being hunted by rogue priests, and whose way of life (so to speak) is being threatened. Again, page-turners, and not for the faint of heart, although not nearly as disturbing as Bishop’s books.

Taking a sharp turn, I also read Cheryl St. John‘s His Secondhand Wife, which is set in 1890s Colorado (and hey! It came out in 2005!). It’s poignant, fiercely sweet writing, and the love story is extremely satisfying.

Unlike Elena (and Amanda, I think?), I haven’t been completely sold in Laura Kinsale’s brilliance until this year’s Shadowheart, which I could not put down. It’s set in the 14th century and features an assassin as a hero. Can you tell I love dark, alpha males? (Hi, honey!)

Before I talk a little about the Regency-era books I loved this year, I also have to mention Anne Stuart‘s Black Ice. Ooh, talk about dark! Anne Stuart could write a shopping list and I would buy it. This one is a contemporary suspense, and its hero does things few heroes would, and those kinds of risks is what makes Stuart so amazing.

In Regencies, I absolutely loved Loretta Chase‘s Mr. Impossible. Its hero, Rupert Carsington, is such a dish. It’s funny, poignant, dramatic, romantic, and deep all at the same time. Chase is just amazing. Don’t read her if you’re an aspiring Regency author–you might just curl up into a ball and cry. I mean, some might. Pass that hanky, please.

This year, I read my first Jo Goodman. A Season To Be Sinful was surprisingly complex, with a hero and heroine who were both flawed and whose love story was real and touching (and yeah, before you ask, I have a stack of Jo Goodmans, too).

Julia Ross is another rich, complex, and compelling author whose books–and heroes–step away from the mold. Night of Sin was just lush, a gorgeously descriptive book with some really dark deep secrets, passionate romance, and incredibly sensuality. Yummy.

Equally sensual and passionate, but with a much different bent, is Eloisa James‘s Much Ado About You. What makes her books so great is the way she writes about women’s relationships to each other as well as the men who intrigue them. Her dialogue is sparkling, it practically zips off the page, and her characters make mistakes that only deepens the ultimate HEA. Absolutely delicious.

If you’ve done any border crossing, what genre did you read? Why? Would you read more in genres you don’t usually read in?

Thanks for staying this long–

Megan

Happy Boxing Day, all Risky Regency readers! I hope Santa brought you just what you asked for. 🙂 And I also hope you aren’t quite as brain-fogged as I am, after a weekend of food, drink, and family festivities/quarrels (they are sometimes so hard to tell apart!).

All this week, the Riskies are going to be doing a sort of “year in review” thing. What were some of our favorite reads of 2005? What were some of YOURS? I’m starting off with my own “best of” list. One quick note (or three)–I didn’t count any of the Riskies’ books on my list, because that would have been the whole list. I didn’t count non-romances, contemporary romances, or anything but historicals. And I tried to stick to Regency-set books, but a few others crept in. 🙂

Amanda’s Favorite Historical Romance Reads of 2005 (in no particular order):
1) Susan Carroll’s The Dark Queen and The Courtesan (okay, not Regency-set, but these books were wonderful. Had to count them)
2) Loretta Chase’s Mr. Impossible
3) Myretta Robens’ Once Upon a Sofa
4) Kate Huntington’s To Tempt a Gentleman
5) Cheryl Sawyer’s The Chase
6) Gaelen Foley’s One Night for Sin
7) MJ Putney’s Stolen Magic (possibly the first time I’ve ever read a story where the hero was a unicorn)
8) Shana Abe’s The Smoke Thief (ditto above, only dragons)
9) Barbara Metzger’s Ace of Hearts
10) Liz Carlyle’s The Devil to Pay
11) Diane Perkins’ The Marriage Bargain
12) Jude Morgan’s Passion (breaking my own rule here–this is not really romance, but great historical fiction about women of the Romantic period. I was totally engrossed in this story)
13) I’ve just started reading Julia Justiss’ The Courtesan, but so far it is shaping up to be a great read

And that’s it for 2005! I didn’t read as much romance this year as I have in the past, but most of what I read was great. What were some of your own favorites?