How was everyone’s holiday? Here it was good but very cold (and still getting colder! I am sooo ready for springtime). I had a great time burrowing in with new books and DVDs, working on the WIP (did I mention it’s due in February? Yep, 3 1/2 weeks away), dressing my Poodle in her Snuggie for Dogs, and eating candy. But I did manage to make it out to see a couple of movies, including the totally adorable Princess and the Frog.

This probably won’t surprise you, given my deep love for things like Hello Kitty and bright pink shoes, but I am a Disney movie fanatic. Beauty and the Beast remains my all-time favorite, not only for its sheer gorgeousness but because Belle has brown hair and likes to read books. Princess and the Frog isn’t quite Beauty and the Beast great (for one thing, the songs aren’t especially memorable, plus it’s hard to beat the Beast as a hero), but it is very charming. Roger Ebert called it “sprightly and high-spirited” which is a very good description.

The setting of 1920s New Orleans is stupendous, one of the best I’ve seen in a Disney movie. But what’s a Disney fairy-tale without great characters? Tiana and Prince Naveen fit the bill very well, and one thing I was struck by is how romance novel-esque they were (except for the being frogs part. That might be a bit hard to pull off, even for a paranormal author!). Tiana is the most self-sufficient and independent of all the Disney “princesses.” She works two waitress jobs to save for her dream of owning her own restaurant. She is focused and hard-working, and she takes no nonsense. But this is also her weakness, as she never slows down to enjoy life or the people around her. She doesn’t stop to consider love.

Prince Naveen is exactly the opposite. His character arc is not quite as well-developed as Tiana’s, but at least he has one, unlike, say, Cinderella’s prince. His whole character was being handsome and owning a castle. Naveen has been cut off by his royal parents for being a fluff-off party boy. He just wants to enjoy life, and has never worked at anything. Now he has to either marry a rich girl or (gasp!) get a job.

You see how this is fitting together? They each have strengths (and weaknesses) the other lacks, and their journey to discover this fact, from dislike to love, is wonderful. When Naveen decides he will get a job (or 2 or 3!) to get Tiana her restaurant, you know its true love–if they can defeat the evil, scary villain and turn back into humans again. Plus Tiana has some great clothes, always very important. I especially liked her streamlined, flapper-ish wedding gown at St. Louis Cathedral.

This is one of the things I enjoy most in writing romance fiction. Creating 2 characters and discovering what it is that makes them perfect for each other. What is it about them that will enable them to not only fall in love, but stay in love through all life’s trials? Though none of my characters have ever been turned into amphibians before!

Did you see The Princess and the Frog? What did you think? And who are some of your favorite romance novel (and Disney movie) pairings?

My reading this year has been largely colored by what is going on in my life. As many of you know, my husband suffered a severe stroke in January. So I’ve had less time to read than I would like, though I still read over breakfast and in waiting rooms, etc… I could not live without the solace of books!

Of necessity, I’ve read a number of books on stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). A few of these stand out as fascinating, not just to those whose lives are affected by TBI, but to anyone interested in how our minds work. I’ve already mentioned MY STROKE OF INSIGHT, by Jill Bolte Taylor, the story of a brain scientist who suffered a stroke and recovered to write about it. It has a lot about the interaction of the left and right brain functions and insights into how to live a more “balanced-brain” life. BRAIN, HEAL THYSELF, by Madonna Siles, is the story of a woman whose friend and roommate suffered an aneurism that left her somewhat zombie-like after conventional rehabilitation ran out. Siles found creative ways to help her friend and their story is not only a page turner but full of useful advice for caregivers. THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF, by Norman Doidge, deals with neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself. Doidge writes about recovery from brain injury, but also topics such as overcoming learning disorders, including a chapter on maintaining mental acuity as we age. The key, friends, is not only to stay active but to always be learning something new. Something I think we Riskies and friends are into anyway. 🙂

As for fiction, I feel a bit guilty to say that it’s been hard to read romance. If I were not a writer, I’d be gulping down romance novels as an escape. As it is, I find it hard to read romance without feeling the pangs of wanting to write again.

So for a time, I concentrated on reading my children’s favorites. One that stands out is the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series by Rick Riordan. It’s sort of like Harry Potter but with Greek mythology rather than magic as a backdrop. I say this just as shorthand, not to imply there is anything about this series that is not fresh and funny and delightful. I hear there’s a movie coming out in February and can’t wait to take my kids.

I’ve also read some general fiction. I was thrilled to read the published version of my friend Therese Walsh’s THE LAST WILL OF MOIRA LEAHY, which I’d already critiqued in several earlier incarnations. I also finally caught up with THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, one of those books I’d always felt I ought to read. It is a beautiful book. Has anyone seen the movie and did it do justice?

I haven’t avoided romance entirely. I read one historical in which I felt the author aimed for a Kinsalean level of hero angst and fell short. I just wanted him to get over himself! But that is just my opinion; many readers loved this book. Since then, I’ve stuck mostly with authors who rarely disappoint and who inspire me to want to get back to my own stories. My favorites of this year are older books, so you may have already read them. One of them is BEAST by Judith Ivory–I was totally intrigued by what Ivory did with her complicated, beautiful, scarred hero. I would like to see Johnny Depp play him.

I mentioned a while back that Laura Kinsale’s FLOWERS FROM THE STORM helped me hold onto hope during the dark early hours of my husband’s stroke. Since there are long gaps between her books (though they are well worth waiting for!) I have been hoarding them. This year I dove into the last one, SEIZE THE FIRE. I loved her characters, the historical background that made their angst feel so very real, and the essential goodness that helps them survive.

I allowed myself to read SEIZE THE FIRE because (hurrah!) Laura Kinsale has a new book coming out in February, LESSONS IN FRENCH. And she’s going to be our guest at the Riskies on February 7th.

So here’s looking forward to much happy reading and blogging in 2010!

Elena

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)

Happy Christmas Week, everyone! It’s a bit crazy here this week, with finishing up work (I’m off tomorrow after noon for a whole week and half, hooray), finishing up shopping/wrapping/baking, working on the WIP (due February!) and general holiday looniness. But I do get to go see a preview of The Young Victoria tomorrow night, which I am very excited about–I’ve been waiting for this movie for a long time! Next week I’ll be able to let you know what I think of the story, the acting, etc, but I am pretty sure there is one aspect I will like very much, which is the costumes (of course!). They look very authentic in the photos, as well as quite pretty. (And if Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend are also a bit prettier than the originals, well who am I to complain?) (There is already an excellent review at Scandalous Women!)

So while I run off to do some lunch-hour last minute shopping today, enjoy the images!

(I love how the Queen’s tiara is the model for the one “Victoria” is wearing! And how beautiful is that shade of blue?)

(First comes love, then comes marriage…)

(Then comes Victoria with the baby carriage! I’ve always enjoyed this portrait because they look so supremely unconcerned that little Princess Vicky is playing with dead birds)

What do you think of the costumes? Have you seen the movie yet (and if so what did you think??) What other historical figures would you love to see made into movies, and who would you cast?