Dusty Pages' Book Shelves

Many Books About Which to Write

2010-01-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

(I tried to write it: "Many books to write about", truly I did, but I just couldn't!)

I have neglected this blog long enough. I have a list of wonderful books I've read over the past year, and I'm going to try to start on that list this month. Real life gets in the way of blogging sometimes, but that is really no excuse. It doesn't take long to write a quick post about a book.

Here are some of the books I've enjoyed over the past few months:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley -- WONDERFUL, award-winning novel. If you haven't read it, do so, and if you get the chance to listen to it on audio, do so. Jayne Entwistle does a marvelous job narrating.

Before the Season Ends and The House in Grovesnor Square by Linore Rose Burkard. These were both really wonderful historical novels, nice, clean, relaxing feel-good reads, and I need to write about them because she has a new one out (third in the series) this month!

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Echo, A Person of Interest by Susan Choi, The Amber Room, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Third Secret by Steve Berry, and all of the "Cotton Malone" books by Steve Berry, beginning with The Templar Legacy (the other five I have yet to read). These are all older books that I really should have already read; I REALLY don't know how I missed reading The Name of the Rose.

A few more that I read and want to write about are: What Hath God Wrought by Daniel Walker Howell, My Dearest Friend: Letters of John and Abigail Adams, and Country Cooking from Central France.

Quite an ambitious list, eh?

A Loud "Huzzah" to Captain Frances Grose

2009-01-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

From My Reference Shelves . . .

. . . comes an interesting little book ~~

1811 Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue
with a Foreword by Robert Cromie

If you read literature written in the 1700s to early 1800s, or historical fiction that has been set during this time period, you are probably familiar with many of the colorful expressions used then, the "cant" and slang of the day. Or if you are a writer of historical fiction set during the Georgian or Regency periods of England, you may have an author's interest in the expressions in use during that time. I have such an interest, and that is how I came upon this little gem of a book.

My copy is a 1971 edition and is unabridged from the original 1811 edition with a foreword by Robert Cromie of the Chicago Tribune. The inside title page announces rather grandly, "1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence."

The original "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue" was put together by Frances Grose, an 18th century antiquarian, back in 1785, and was titled "A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue." And, by the way, the word "vulgar", as it is used here, is in its original definition of meaning "commonplace, ordinary" or in "common or ordinary usage." Yes, some of the expressions and words in this dictionary were meant to be crude when they were used, but most are simply the slang of the day.

The foreword by Cromie is as much fun to read as the dictionary itself. The blurb on the back of the book describes it as "An entertaining insight into the slang, wit and humor of late 18th and early 19th century England, when a 'Flaybottomist' was a school teacher, a 'Carrion Hunter' an undertaker, and a 'Buttock Broker' a matchmaker. Many words had different meanings then -- 'High Living' meant 'to lodge in a garret or cockloft,' a 'Faggot' was a stand-in soldier and, with special apologies to today's feminists, 'To Lib' meant 'to lie together.' And, believe it or not, a 'Pig' was a policeman."

I wanted to pick out a few good ones to write about here, but it is just so hard to pick only a few. And actually I believe it would be better if I wrote about actual words or expressions culled from this book in my "usage" blog, I Stand Corrected, don't you think? So I'm going to mirror this entry over there or at least link to it, and I know this book will provide much good fodder for posts at that blog.

If you should ever have the opportunity to read this book, or any of the editions of this book, do so. As Cromie says, ". . . it is great fun to read through, or browse in, this gathering of words . . . . They will delight and instruct you, shock and intrigue you, titillate and anger you, but they will never bore you."

Around For One Whole Year

2008-12-31T17:20:00.000-08:00

I missed the December 15 One Year Anniversary of this journal/blog, so I'll wish it a Happy Anniversary today!

And I need to get on here and make some new entries. It isn't as if I don't have plenty of books sitting around just waiting to be written about!

So, coming soon:

Protecting the Gift, by Gavin de Becker

Whiskey Galore, by Compton Mackenzie

Water on the Brain, by Compton Mackenzie

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, Francis Grose

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

From My Crime/Detective Fiction Shelves

2008-10-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I suddenly got a "hankering" for some crime fiction. I was in the mood to re-read some I hadn't read in a while, but I sneaked a new one or two in there, too. I'm not a big fan of gory crime fiction. I like technical novels like Kathy Reichs' Temperence Brennan books (I like the TV series "Bones", but the books are much, much better), cloak and dagger stuff from Tom Clancy, law-related crime drama from John Grishom, light and funny detective fiction like the Stephanie Plum novels from Janet Evanovich, and even lighter, but very witty and funny books like Diana Mott Davidson's amateur sleuth caterer, Goldy Bear.

I thought I'd share a few of the books I've read recently.

Michael Connelly never disappoints. Harry Bosch is one of my very favorite characters. He's a real man's man and a homicide detective's homicide detective. I like him because he comes off so real because of the way Connelly creates him. I can't remember the first Bosch novel I read, but I've since read most of them. Somehow The Concrete Blonde had escaped me until recently, so it's a new addition to my shelves.

In The Concrete Blonde a serial killer's widow is suing Bosch and the LAPD for killing the wrong man. And when a new victim is found with the "Dollmaker's" signature marks, it looks like the widow may be right. It's a fast-paced thrill ride as Bosch tracks the blood-thirsty killer. The Concrete Blonde is more than detective fiction, more than courtroom fiction (although there is a really, really good courtroom scene), it's a great who-dunnit, which is probably my favorite kind of crime fiction. Check out a copy at your local library if you haven't read it yet.

The first book I read by Catherine Coulter was Eleventh Hour, and it is still a favorite of mine of her novels. Point Blank is an FBI crime thriller that I had never read before. I was a bit disappointed in it. It featured the recurring characters of married (to each other) agents Savitch and Sherlock, whom I have come to like and respect. My personal favorite Coulter-created character Agent Dane Carver is in this one, too, and Agent Ruth Warnecki, whom I have to admit is an interesting character. Actually I like all the main "good guy" characters, but the book itself just wasn't as seamless as I like a good mystery to be. There are two plots going on simultaneously. Savitch and Sherlock (and Dane and everyone on their FBI team) are after an insane, hate-filled old man (who has a grudge against Savitch) and his psychotic and blood-thirsty girl friend. I really had to suspend disbelief with a lot of the plot twists and a lot of the dialogue as well. There were just too many passages that seemed to be either hastily stitched together or written with one hand while the author was yawning behind the other. The other plot involves a fortune in Confederate gold that amateur-spelunker Warnecki is searching for in a cave in Virginia. A dead body found in the cave opens up a whole other investigation, led by the local sheriff. Ruth and the sheriff provide a nice romantic sub-plot, but it's too little to save the book for me. Savitch and Sherlock drift in and out, helping with Ruth and the sheriff's investigation while they keep looking for the insane old man. Of course, there are completely happy endings in the end, but I actually had to make myself finish it -- mainly because I wanted to know the answer to the who-dunnit of the cave murder. It wasn't who I thought it would be. This is not a book that I'll read again, so I'll pass it on to someone else. There were too many "huh?" moments for me. It was not the serious detective novel that I want to read from Coulter.

Next I turned to an old favorite spy-mystery that I haven't visited in several years. Dorothy Gilman created a wonderful Marple-esque character in Mrs. Emily Pollifax. We are introduced to her in the first of a lengthy series, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. She's an elderly widow who has decided she is not going to go gently into that good night -- she takes martial arts lessons when she's not busy with her gardening club -- and suddenly she takes it into her head to fulfill a childhood ambition that she should volunteer her services to the CIA. She applies in person and through a misunderstanding is given a courier's job. Of course the simple courier's mission turns into something quite unexpected, and Mrs. Pollifax finds herself a prison in a prison in Albania with a very important piece of microfilm that she doesn't even know she has. She acquires a very interesting "partner", and between the two of them, using each one's unusual skills and resourcefulness manage to escape from the enemy and return to the States with the microfilm. I really do love this book. It's comical and witty, and Mrs. Pollifax is very endearing. She takes a personal interest in everyone she meets, and that always seems to pay off. If you've never read any of these books, start with this one and then go on to the others, of which I'll write soon -- because now that I've read the first one, I have to go through the whole series. Oh, and the "partner" she acquires in Albania? Well, he graces the pages of subsequent Pollifax novels. Yes, you may have to suspend disbelief, but it's well-written, so you don't care. It's a fast, funny, smooth, enjoyable read, and if it's new to you, I recommend you give it a try.

Well, that's it for my shelves tonight. I'll be back soon with a few more picks.

Welcome!

2008-10-08T20:17:00.001-07:00

I'm so happy that the migration from AOL Journals went well. I do enjoy writing about the books on my shelves, and I plan to continue to do so here at this new location. Please check back in with me once in a while.

Moving

2008-10-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Within a few days I will begin migrating Dusty Pages Books Shelves over to Blogspot. I will leave a link to the new blog here if possible. If not possible, I will also leave a link to the new blog in my new Dusty Pages blog on blogspot. That URL is http://lori-dustypages@blogspot.com.

From My Reference Shelves . . .

2008-03-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

The Oxford Dictionary of

English Etymology

One of my favorite books on my shelves is The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, edited by C. T. Onions and first published in 1966. My copy is a 1974 printing, large, hard-cover, with no dust-jacket, that I bought on eBay. It is in excellent condition, and although it gets a pretty good workout from me, I am, so far, keeping it in excellent condition.

The publisher's note inside described Dr. Onions as the last of the editors of the original Oxford English Dictionary. He died while the 1966 version that he edited was going through the press.

Dr. Onions joined the staff of The Oxford English Dictionary in 1895. He published a Shakespeare Glossary in 1911, and that is next on my list of book "wants".

The Oxford English Dictionary of Etymology has 24,000 main entries, digging into the origins of more than 38,000 words. For each entry the dictionary gives the pronunciation, a short definition, and the century and source of the word's first recording.

Tags: Dictionaries, Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford English Dictionary of Etymology, Dr. C. T. Onions

From My Young Adult Book Shelves

2008-01-31T17:55:00.000-08:00

ALICE, I THINK by Susan Juby

I loved this book!

And I think I have found a new favorite author. I bought this book at a library sale, and I'm so glad I did. I found it a delightful read, a true hard-to-put-down book. I knew it was going to be a delightful book when I read the first paragraph. Any book that begins, "I blame it all on THE HOBBIT. That, and my supportive home life." can only be wonderful!

Alice is a home-schooled, intelligent girl with slightly wacky parents, but an adorable, normal younger brother, and a therapist she calls Death Lord Bob. Alice's parents had raised her to be creative and freely expressive, and the first week into her first grade school experience proved that this is not necessarily a good thing when dealing with your peers in a school setting. So they took her out of school and taught her at home. Now, at 15, she is going to go back to regular high school and is wondering how things will work out this time around. The story is told with a lot of satire and wry humor.

Simply Audiobooks summed up their review of the book this way: "Alice, I Think is the story of a teenager attempting to survive her parents, her hometown, and her reentry into society. Told through keenly observant, satirical journal entries, Susan Juby's first novel is wise, witty, and utterly original."

Juby is very witty, and I cannot count the times I read a sentence and then had to re-read it just so I could experience again the pure joy of her turn of phrase. The description of Juby herself, on the back flyleaf, says it all:

Susan Juby dropped out of fashion design college at a young age and it shows. She lives on an island with her husband, James, and their dog, who prefers to remain anonymous. Alice, I Think is Susan Juby's first novel. She hopes there will be many more, as a career in fashion does not, at this point, seem likely.

I look forward to finding and reading more of her books and perusing her web site.

My copy of ALICE, I THINK is a very good ex-library copy with dust jacket and was published in 2003 by Harper Tempest.

Tags: Susan Juby, Alice I Think

Only Brave Tomorrows

2008-01-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

From My Historical Fiction Shelves . . .

ONLY BRAVE TOMORROWS

by Winifred Bruce Luhrmann

Published by Houghton Mifflin Company in 1989

I found this book at a thrift store and thought it sounded good. ONLY BRAVE TOMORROWS is the story of a 15-year-old girl, Faith, who travels to New England in 1675 during King Philip's War. King Philip was the Wappanoag Indian leader who waged a year-long war against the English colonists. Faith's father is a pious Puritan who is zealous not only about his religion but about the New World, and is determined to settle in one of the Massachusetts colonies, despite the Indian warfare.

Although the main characters are fictional, real historical characters are mentioned, such as the minister Increase Mather, and militiaman Captain Turner. This is the only novel I could find published under the author's name of Winifred Bruce Luhrmann. On the back leaf of the dust cover the author says that she got the idea for the book, in part, from her own family genealogy. Her family has records indicating that they may be descendants of Metacomet, known to the English as King Philip. She states that she wanted the New England life of the complex Puritans and the equally complex Native Americans to "come alive."

I enjoyed the book. It was a good, easy read with realistic characters. The story is well told, and the main character shows the type of strength and determination I like to see in the character of a young girl in a novel like this. I would let my 12-year-old daughter read this, and I believe she would enjoy it. It is not deep, although it covers a very bloody action during America's early years.

My copy, as I said, is an ex-library copy in good shape with a well-maintained dust jacket.

Tags: Only Brave Tomorrows, Winifred Bruce Luhrman, King Philip's War, Metacomet, New England

Turning The Pages

2008-01-21T20:05:00.000-08:00

Turning The Pages

A few months ago someone, and I don't remember who, directed me to this site called Turning the Pages, which is part of the Online Gallery of the British Library web site. I had saved it to look at later, and about a month ago was "later". I was very enchanted with it, so I thought I'd share the info with you. I really enjoyed reading through the Jane Austen's The History of England in her own hand. This is a scanned copy of the book in her own handwriting, complete with little vignette sketches that she did. You can "turn" the pages, using your mouse, just as if you were holding the book in your hand. If her handwriting proves to be too hard to decipher, you can choose to read it in text or you can choose audio and listen to it being read as you read along. You can also magnify portions of the text.

There are several very interesting pieces on the site, including a personal notebook of sketches of Leonardo DaVinci, Diamond Sutra -- the oldest printed book, and the first atlas of Europe, compiled in the 1570s.

So check out Turning the Pages when you have a moment. And if one my readers is the one who first suggested it to me, then I apologise for taking so long to try it out!

Tags: British Library, Online Gallery, Turning The Pages, Jane Austin's History of England

From My Mystery Shelves . . .

2008-01-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

DEATH AT WHITECHAPEL

by Robyn Page

Published in 2000

This is one of my favorite paperback mysteries on my shelves. I got it the year it came out, and I believe I have read it three times since then.

Robin Paige is the pseudonym of the husband and wife writing team of Susan Wittig Albert and Bill Albert. This is as yet the only book by Paige that I have read, and I really must remedy that situation!

From the Berkely Prime Crime web site: "Sir Charles Sheridan is many things––an amateur scientist, a renowned photographer, a skilled detective, and married to Kate Ardleigh, an American writer of the popular, yet frowned upon, 'penny dreadfuls.' Together with the help of historical figures, like Beatrix Potter, they uncover sinister secrets and solve murders."

In Death At Whitechapel the historical figure is Jenny Jerome Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill. Scandal is threatening Winston's blossoming political career by someone who threatens to have proof that Winston's father was Jack the Ripper. In order to help Jenny, Kate and her husband must delve into the mystery of the notorious murderer, discovering along the way a web of intrigue that goes all the way to the Royal family.

The Alberts use research that actually had been done that connects Jack the Ripper to Churchill, to Queen Victoria's son, "Eddie", and others, as well as the society of Freemasons. I found the book intriguing, and have to say that in my opinion, of all the "Jack" theories out there, this one sounds the most plausible to me.

Check this one out at your local library and indulge in a thoroughly good read. You won't be able to put it down.

Tags: Death at Whitechapel, Robin Paige, Susan Wittig Albert, Bill Albert, Jack the Ripper, Winston Churchill, Prince Eddie, Queen Victoria, Scottish Rite of Freemasonry

Helen

2007-12-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

Second Contemporary Novel, Eighth Published Novel

HELEN -- published in 1928

I bought my copy of HELEN several months ago, but only recently sat down to read it. I found it extremely charming from page one.

This is supposedly the most popular of the four contemporary novels, and the one that was the most autobiographical.

Helen's father, faced with raising his daughter alone after his wife dies in childbirth, takes on the job with joy and much appreciation for his reserved, stoic, little girl. Helen, extremely close to her father, becomes his beloved companion. The book takes place before, during, and after World War I, and the great changes taking place in the world at that time form a background for the changes in the life of the main character, Helen. Since Heyer had lived this time period herself she is able to paint a very real, poignant picture of the aftermath of the great war on England.

The love story in Helen is one of the most beautiful ones that Heyer ever wrote in my opinion. In Helen, when her father dies suddenly, she turns to her childhood friend, Richard, for comfort and realizes that she has previously undervalued his many good qualities. Richard is portrayed as an intelligent, athletic man who knows and understands Helen's natural reserve.

Helen mirrors Georgette in many ways. She likes and understands men better than women. She is reserved, intelligent, self-controlled, and believes in the social classes. But Helen was very athletic, and Georgette wasn't.

Georgette wrote Helen two years after her father died. There is a touching part in the book where Helen, also a writer, picks up her unfinished book for the first time since her father's death and sees some pencilled corrections he had made. But she goes on about her business, "dry-eyed and smiling", with Richard understanding and respecting her reserve.

It is indeed a very beautiful, brilliant book, and if I had not already been a fan of Heyer this book would send me looking for her other novels. There is a happy ending, but there is much drama on the way there.

My copy is a hardcover published by Buccaneer Books in the 1980s and is in perfect condition.

Heyer dedicated HELEN to Leonard P. Moore, a friend of her father's and her agent with Christy & Moore.

I have never seen HELEN in any library, but it is worth a look. It isn't too difficult to find a copy for sale, but you will not find a paperback, so expect to pay at least $20 or more on Amazon. I have once or twice seen a first edition on Ebay where the bidding went up very high.

Tags: Georgette Heyer, Helen

The "Old Gentleman" Orders All

2007-11-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

The Masqueraders

Heyer's seventh novel, The Masqueraders, was published in 1928. I absolutely love this one!

Set in England it tells the story of Prudence and Robin Merriott, brother and sister, who arrive in England from France on the orders of their father, whom they call The Old Gentleman.

The two have grown up following their father across Europe, often taking assumed names and even switching genders with one another -- which is how they arrive in England. Prudence, tall and built on queenly lines, dresses and acts the part of Mr. Peter Merriott, while Robin, small and compact, dresses and acts the part of Peter's sister, Kate. Since Robin, along with their father, has recently taken part in the late Jacobite Rebellion, they feel it is a matter of life or death to maintain such a desguise.

They are guests of an old friend, Lady Lowestoft, who knows their true identities, and are supposed to wait quitely until their father arrives. But they are inadvertantly drawn into society in their disguises by chancing upon and twarting the abduction of a young innocent. Robin (Kate), of course, falls for the girl, Letty, while Prudence (Peter), befriended by Sir Anthony Fanshawe, a close friend of Letty's father, finds herself drawn to him.

With the help of their faithful retainer, John, the two maintain their disguises through many close calls until the very end of the book, when The Old Gentleman sets all to rights with a surprise that rocks the ton and restores the family's fortune and rightful place in society.

The Masqueraders has romance, adventure, intrigue, and one of the most annoyingly egotistical characters ever encountered -- The Old Gentleman. There is a dastardly villain, swordfights, tipping wine down sleeves (you have to read it to see what that means!), and a wonderful love story! All ends well, of course, but the journey to that delightful end makes this one that you MUST try to find in your local library.

Heyer was only 25 when she wrote this book and was living in Africa with her husband at the time. This is one of my favorites, in my top 10. It is light, has a fast plot, and adorable main characters.

My only copy is a hardcover, Heinemann edition, a fourth printing of the first editon, and even though it is in poor physical shape, I am very proud to have it. The image at the top is of a newer softcover copy.

Tags: Georgette Heyer, The Masqueraders, Jacobites

Who's Who In British History

2007-09-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

The History Today Who's Who In British History

Edited by Juliet Gardiner

A few months ago I came across a reference to this book. I can't remember where or what the subject under discussion was, but I thought it might be a handy reference book to have around. A couple of weeks ago I found a copy on Ebay with a starting bid at $5.00. I was the only bidder and got it for that plus shipping.

It's a very handsome book, about three inches thick, with 40,000 entries covering over 2,000 years of British history. (I could do without Cromwell's picture on the front, but I can live with it.) The book was published in 2000 by Collins & Brown, Limited.

The book is edited by Juliet Gardiner, who also wrote the preface, but the entries are authored by six historians distinguished in their fields, with specialist contributions from eight period historians. The entries are concise, but very descriptive. The contributors chose for inclusion who they thought defined the historical period of their own expertise. It is quite a comprehensive list, but by no means is it complete. A complete "who's who" would undoubtedly fill a dozen more such volumes. The book is easy to navigate, and I have been having a lot of fun with it.

My copy is in pristine condition with no tears in the dust jacket and no writing or stamping on the book at all; and I consider it a good bargain for the price I paid. The original price inside the book jacket is £25.

I am proud to have it on my reference shelves.

Tags: Reference books, Who's Who in British History, Juliet Gardiner

New Journal

2007-09-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

I have now started a journal exclusively about Georgette Heyer. I will be mirroring entries about her books written in this journal, and also will be writing more about her and her life in general. Here is the link (it's also now in my sidebar):

Getting To Know Georgette

"What was her mysterious parentage?"

2007-09-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

From My Heyer Shelves . . .

Published in 1926

THESE OLD SHADES by Georgette Heyer

These Old Shades was Heyer's sixth published novel, and was set in Georgian times. It tells the story of Leonie, a girl brought up in a humble home in Paris, but whose origins are anything but humble.

Through a series of interesting events, (and after first masquerading as his page "Leon") Leonie becomes the ward of the Duke of Avon. The mystery of her real parentage lies in the hands of the Duke of Avon's enemy, the deadly Compte de Sainte-Vire, a man Leonie greatly fears.

Published in 1926, the book is very much "of it's time", with a rather melodramatic tone. It seems to be a favorite with members of the Heyer Listserv (book discussion group), and Avon is definitely a favorite hero with the ladies on the list. Justin, Duke of Avon, is amusing, arrogant, self-centered, with a sometimes destructive wit at the beginning of the book. About halfway through we see him maturing a bit; he is kinder, his good characteristics have strengthened, and he actually puts someone else's interests above his own.

Leonie, I have to admit, annoys me at times; she worships Avon with slavish adoration and defends him to all. The man's nickname is "Satanas", for goodness sake! But I still have a kindness for her, and, as I said, he does grow up. This is a Heyer that I do like to re-read once in a while. The characters of Justin's family are so very funny. There is a lot of wit and charm in the book (which one expects of Heyer, after all). I think my favorite character in the whole book is Rupert, the Duke's brother. Rupert makes the book worth reading all on his own.

It is a fast-paced, tension-filled book, which will keep you laughing throughout -- from the moment Avon first meets Leonie, dressed in boy's clothes and going by the name of "Leon", to the excellent chase and rescue at the end. It is a feel-good read with hilarious dialogue throughout and characters that you can't help but love. And although it is not in my personal top 10, I know some who put it in the #1 spot on their Heyer list. So look for it in your library or buy an inexpensive paperback on Ebay or Amazon. It's worth the read.

My copy of TOS is a Bantam Books paperback, published in 1970. It is one of only a few that I do not yet have in hard cover.

Note: Heyer did not do sequels, but it is generally accepted by "Heyerites" (and stated by Heyer biographer Jane Aiken Hodge) that she did take the main characters in The Black Moth and use them again, under different names, in These Old Shades. She titled the book so as a hint to her readers; the characters in TOS were "shades" of those in TBM.

Since TOS was published in 1926, she was probably writing it at the time of her marriage to Ronald Rougier in 1925. It was published during what is known as The General Strike in England when there were not only no trains or newspapers, but no advertising or reviews, either. Yet the book was an instant success. Hodge suggests Heyer may have been encouraged to believe that she didn't need publicity to have a successful novel, after TOS sold 190,000 copies on publication.

My list, so far:

1. Simon The Coldheart

2. These Old Shades

3. The Great Roxhythe

4. Powder and Patch

5. The Black Moth

6. Instead of the Thorn

Tags: Georgette Heyer, These Old Shades, Jane Aiken Hodge, The Private World of Georgette Heyer

Someday I'll Laugh About This

2007-09-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

From My "Young Adult" Shelves

SOMEDAY I'LL LAUGH ABOUT THIS by Linda Crew

I bought this book at a library sale. I don't believe I've ever read anything else by this author, but the blurb on the book jacket got my attention, and I'm glad it did.

This is the story of a 12-year old girl who can't wait to get to the family's cottage on the Oregon coast for the yearly vacation with her cousins. This is a very sweet, coming-of-age book, that describes the simple pains and pleasures of being on the cusp of adulthood.

Her favorite cousin, one year older than herself, has changed out of recognition, mooning over a boyfriend and making friends with the daughter of the despised developer who threatens to change the coastal scenery the family has enjoyed for more than two generations. Her favorite uncle is coming to visit and bringing someone "special" with him, whom Shelby does not want to meet at all.

The book is fast-paced, with a family of funny characters, and all of the angst of growing up and having to face those inevitable changes. Linda Crew writes about her inspiration for the book here. I really enjoyed it, and look forward to my daughter reading it.

Someday I'll Laugh About This was published in 1990 by Delacorte Press, part of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.

Tags: Linda Crew, Someday I'll Laugh About This, Young Adult books

From The "Not My Favorite Book" Book Shelf

2007-07-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

Fool Me Once by Fern Michaels

I'm never happy when I read I book that doesn't quite "do it" for me.

Eler Beth and I attended a library sale recently, and I found a nice, big, hard copy with dust jacket of Fool Me Once by Fern Michaels. I, of course, recognized the name, Fern Michaels, although I couldn't immediately think of what I had read by her. I knew she was a fairly prolific writer, and had a vague feeling that she mostly wrote romance novels. The blurb on the jacket sounded good, and it didn't cost much, and the money went to charity, so I thought, why not?

On a scale of "Yuck" to "Super!" I would have to give it an "Eh!", nothing more.

The plot is decent; I like the way she uses the dogs in the story -- I can tell she loves dogs, especially Yorkies! But there are things about the way she develops her characters that seems very contrived to me. I found myself, about halfway through, doing some skimming before I finally started reading each word again. There were some twists that I didn't like -- not plot twists, but character twists. Some of the characters suddenly acted in a way that was totally unexpected, and there really didn't seem to be any need for it. How they acted didn't really affect the plot of the book, they would just suddenly say or do something that seemed to have been written in just for the heck of it. I almost got the feeling that the author was rather bored with the book herself.

I persevered and made sure I read the whole thing, though. It did have a fairly satisfactory conclusion, except for the behavior of one minor character at the very end. It is a long book, so if you like to listen to audio books on a long trip or at work, I would recommend getting this one. Another thing I did like about it was that there were no graphic sex scenes; well, no sex scenes at all, really. I don't like sex scenes. I'd rather have that left to my imagination.

I'm not sure how long this one will stay on my shelves. I doubt I'll ever read it again, so it may get freecycled soon. I will, however, make a point to check out some other Fern Michaels books to see if like any of them. Maybe I'll find one that I've read before (because I'm pretty sure I have read something by her before!).

Tags: Fool Me Once, Fern Michaels

Simon The Coldheart

2007-06-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Book Number Five --

Heyer published this book in 1925, the fifth of her 54 novels.

I have to count Simon as a favorite, though not in my top 10.

The book is set in the year 1400 and tells the story of Simon, the illegitimate son of Geoffrey of Malvallet who, at the age of 14, has to fend for himself. He puts himself in the service of Fulk of Montlice (his father's natural enemy), and I do mean "puts himself" into his service. He has a very forceful nature and gets what he wants. He wanted to serve Fulk, and so he does! He works his way up from page to Fulk to a friend and equal to Alan, Fulk's son. The book follows Simon to age 32, by which time he has made a name for himself as Simon of Beauvallet, has a castle of his own, and has won for wife the lady he chooses, a spitfire and a beauty.

Simon is set during the reign of Henry IV, a favorite historical age for Heyer. She dedicated the book to her father, George, because of all her published books at the time, Simon was his favorite.

Heyer, however, put Simon on the list of books she was adamant about keeping suppressed, even when fans wrote to ask that it be reissued. After her death, her son allowed it's publication in 1977, saying that in this one case his mother had been too harsh.

I have to say I agree, because I do enjoy reading Simon now and again. My own hard cover copy looks exactly as the photograph above. I was able to get it on Ebay for $32.00 plus shipping, and it came to me encased in plastic and in pristine shape. It is a 1978 Book Club Associates edition, published by arrangement with William Heineman Ltd. And I don't mind at all that it isn't a first edition (which would be a find, indeed) because it is such a beautiful book, and I love that cover. I also have a Pan paperback, published in 1979.

Now that I've written about Heyer's first five, I will begin to put them in the order in which I enjoy them. Of these first five, the order would be:

1. Simon The Coldheart

2. The Great Roxhythe

3. Powder And Patch

4. The Black Moth

5. Instead Of The Thorn

Tags: Simon The Coldheart, Georgette Heyer

INSTEAD OF THE THORN

2007-04-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

From my HEYER shelves...........................

In 1923 Georgette Heyer published her first contemporary novel, INSTEAD OF THE THORN; her fourth novel to be published. This post-WWI novel tells the story of Elizabeth Arden*, a sheltered 19-year-old who finds herself completely unprepared for the people and situations she finds when she ventures out into the world on her own.

Elizabeth meets and imagines herself in love with Stephen, a successful novelist much older than herself. They marry, and young, innocent Elizabeth, who had been reared by her father and a spinster aunt, is horrified by her first sexual experience with her older husband. The father and aunt had balked at explaining the facts of life to Elizabeth in any way, and, unable to deal with the realities of married life, she runs away from her husband. She comes to learn a lot about herself and marriage in general, and eventually returns and really falls in love with her husband this time. Stephen is depicted as a very good, loving man, who shows a lot of forbearance for his young wife.

This has been called a courageous book to have been written by an unmarried girl of the 1920s, and it is. The journey Elizabeth takes from being appalled by sexual relations to beginning to have real insight into herself and the world around her is well written, and the book sold well when it was published, although not as well as the historical novels.

INSTEAD OF THE THORN is one of only four contemporary novels that were not crime novels, and it is felt to be the most feeling of the four (Heyer later supressed all four of them). It is hard to find an older copy of this book without paying a fortune for it, but Buccaneer Books reprinted it in the 90s, along with the other three set in post-WWI, and this newer issue can be found and purchased at a decent price. The image below is of a 1923 issue.

I do recommend reading this book if you have access to it, and if you are building a Heyer library, be sure to include the four post-WWI novels. They are the only novels that can be said to have offered any kind of insight into Heyer's everyday life.

*It is interesting that the heroine's name is Elizabeth Arden, but there has never been any indication that this was not simply a name pulled out of a hat. The real-life Elizabeth Arden, of beauty spa fame, opened up her first salon in Paris in 1922, and I suppose it is possible that Heyer could have seen the name and that it appealed to her, but again, there is no evidence of that.

Tags: Instead of the Thorn, Georgette Heyer,

Mable Riley

2007-04-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

From My "Borrowed Books" Shelf . . .

I just finished a very good book from the library entitled, MABLE RILEY; A RELIABLE RECORD OF HUMDRUM, PERIL AND ROMANCE, by Marthe Jocelyn. The book is published by Candlewick Press, and the copyright is 2004.

This is the story of Mable, a teenage girl who, in 1901, goes with her older sister who is embarking on her first teaching job. The school where Viola will teach is quite a distance from their home and family, but Mable is glad of the opportunity to travel and is longing for adventures. Mable is to attend school and also act as Viola's assistant with the younger students.

Mable and Viola board at the home of a farmer, his wife, and a grown son. Mable eventually makes a couple of friends at the school, and meets a neighbor lady, who is considered by the godly Methodist community as being a "bad apple". But Mable likes Mrs. Rattle, and very soon is pitched into an adventure that she didn't really bargain for, because Mrs. Rattle and a few other ladies in the community secretly hold suffragette meetings. Mable actually becomes involved in a strike on a local factory, almost ends up in jail, and eventually helps bring about a satisfactory ending to the workers' problems.

There is a bit of romance in the story, too, for Viola and for Mable. The book is written in the form of a diary, written by the title character. This form does not interfere with the flow of the story at all. Within Mable's diary entries are absolutely wonderful little poems and a serial story that she writes for her school friends back home and sends in letters to her best friend.

This is a book written for young adults, and can be found in the juvenile section of your public library. I find that quite often I crave a good novel written for the young adult, and this one fit the bill. I would highly recommend it.

The author says she got the inspiration for the book from reading the journals of her maternal grandmother, written more than 100 years earlier, even though her grandmothers' story was nothing like Mable's. Jocelyn says on the back flyleaf, "They are detailed accounts of unremarkable days, but hidden on the back pages are her terrible efforts at poetry...., but I am ever grateful for her need to record the particulars of ironing collars and the selection of hair ribbons."

Tags: Mable Riley, Marthe Jocelyn, young adult fiction

From My Heyer Shelf

2006-08-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

THE GREAT ROXHYTHE by Georgette Heyer

Set in Medieval England, this book was published in 1923.

Often this is a hard one to find. I remember watching several copies on various websites, with prices going up into the hundreds of dollars; then I finally found a copy that was around $32.00 including shipping. Mine is hardcover, without a dust jacket, in very good shape, and a second edition printing. I do not think that a paperback was ever published of this book; although with the new paperback GH re-issues that are coming out this year, I wouldn't be surprised if they are planning to print one now.

As an early Heyer, again, just like the two before it, I think it shows us Heyer's talent and to what we have to look forward. The time period in which it was set was, I believe, a favorite with Heyer. I have read other readers' comments who've not cared for the book because it is so long, because the language is sometimes stilted, and because the ending isn't all they would like it to be.

Personally, I really enjoyed reading the book, once I was able to obtain a copy. I do not believe it will be one that I can re-read regularly like I do so many others, but I believe I'll crave a re-reading once in a while.

The character of Roxhythe, himself, is conceited about his own accomplishments, powers, strengths, charm and wit. But the reader can't help liking him. You see, he really is all the things he says he is; and he is loyal, sometimes uncomprehendingly so, to his King (Charles II) and country. Heyer modeled Roxhythe after The Duke of Buckingham, according to Hode, although she never says what she basis her reasoning on.

The secondary character, Christopher, is one of my favorite of Heyer's. It is through Chris' eyes that we learn to see into Roxhythe; to see past the facade that he puts up for most of the world; to see the deeply-rooted convictions and loyalty, the love that he really has for his country. And it is through Chris' eyes that we see the gentle side of Roxhythe. There is, of course, a love story as well in the plot, and it is, refreshingly, a veryrealistic telling of a relationship between a man and a woman in love.

One of my favorite lines in the book is when Chrisis speaking in some doubt as to Roxhythe's power to get some gentlemen of the court to do his bidding. Roxhythe reassures him on that point, saying simply, "....I am Roxhythe."

As in all of Heyer's novels, there is plenty of humor and wit in ROXHYTHE. The book spans several years, and it is easy to get bogged down in it. It is not her usual fare; set during the intrigue and politics of Charles II's reign, it is a far cry from the Regency- and Georgian-period romances for which she is so well-known. But, especially remembering that Heyer was only 21 at the time of publication, I have to say that the book is quite a splendid accomplishment, and I could only dream of having had the knowledge and ability to write such a book when I was 21 years old.

I read a review in which the writer said that it is not up to Heyer's "usual standards"; considering that it was only the third of her novels to be published, I have to say that she hadn't really yet had time to set any standards. And it should be remembered that she wasn't at all satisfied with it herself (she often wasn't satisfied with her books). And still, though written by an "immature" writer at the time, it is still a very "mature" book. I believe the problem that some people have with the book is that they are accustomed to the light-hearted romances or the wonderfully well-written who-done-its of Heyer; when they finally have the chance to read ROXHYTHE, it is so entirely out of that realm that they are disappointed. So, I advise that if you get the chance to read it, you should do so with an open mind. Imagine it isn't Heyer writing it, but some other 21-year-old, newly published author.

As for the ending -- I appreciated it. I cried, but I thought it was well-done.

Copies of THE GREAT ROXHYTHE can be found at a reasonable price. Do not be suckered into paying a fortune for one. If you are so fortunate as to have a copy in your local library (which I highly doubt) take advantage of it and give it a try.

Actually this should be listed as Heyer's second published novel, I believe. Please see my entry entitled "Yes, I'm A Heyer Addict" for details.

Tags: Georgette Heyer, The Great Roxhythe, Charles II, The Duke of Buckingham

Some Massive Catching Up To Do!

2006-08-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

I have woefully neglected this journal, and I plan to remedy that as soon as possible. In my defense, I have been busy earlier in the summer with my job winding down; then having the kids home; and then this week, getting them back to school. Also, I have been trying to discipline myself to work on my own book with some kind of regularity -- so far, so good.

Catching up over the next few days, I plan to write about: THE GREAT ROXHYTHE, which is the next of GH's books in order; June's book of the month; July's book of the month; August's book of the month; then I will continue with GH's books in order; a mystery that I really love called DEATH IN WHITECHURCH; and then I'll throw in a few more off my shelves as well. Those are the plans for August, anyway.

May reading on the Heyer List

2006-05-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

This month we are reading two books concurrently: THE RELUCTANT WIDOW and DEATH IN THE STOCKS.

I have not read TRW in a long time, and I am glad to be reading it now, because I had forgotton how much I like it. I started reading it yesterday and have had to make myself put it down to do other things.

I have never read DEATH IN THE STOCKS, but I have a copy and will start it next week. I like most of Heyer's mysteries, so I'm sure I'll like this one.

From My Heyer Shelves: Her Second Book

2006-04-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

POWDER AND PATCH

First published in 1923 under the title THE TRANSFORMATION OF PHILIP JETTAN, and under Heyer's pseudonym, Stella Martin.

The second book published by Georgette Heyer was Powder and Patch. My copy is a Mandarin paperback. I don't yet have a hard cover copy, but will be looking for one; preferably an old one.

This book is the story of Philip Jettan, a very good, very irreproachable young man, who has all his life been in love with his childhood playmate, Cleone. When Cleone returns from her ladies' seminary, having acquired the polish and accomplishments necessary for a young lady about to be presented to society, she finds fault with Philip because he is not like the foppish dandies she has met in Town. Her heart may whisper his name to her, but as the book says, "Cleone was stern with her heart, for there was much in Mr. Jettan which did not meet with her approval." Even Philip's father wishes there were just a touch more wildness in his son. Philip is a good, steady man, who takes care of his responsibilities, has a good sense of humor and all the best character traits. But Cleone wishes for a little more dash; and she has become accustomed to being flirted with, and Philip does not flirt -- he just says what he thinks.

On the advice of his father and uncle, Philip travels to Paris for an extended visit where he "transforms". He starts dressing, acting and speaking the part of a handsome, foppish, indolent young man of means. He even writes poetry and fights duels!! When Cleone sees him again, it is as if he is an entirely different person. But although this is what she seemingly wanted all along, for some reason she finds she doesn't like it, and wants the old Philip back.

The book is very funny, and although, being only her second published work, it is not one of her best, still she writes it with a lot of insight and her characteristic wit. Of her first two I like it the better.

Actually I believe this was her third published book, with The Great Roxhythe her second. Please see my earlier entry entitled "Yes, I'm A Heyer Addict" for details.

Tags: Georgette Heyer, Stella Martin, Powder and Patch, The Transformation of Philip Jettan

From My "Young Adult" Book Shelves

2006-04-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

BACK HOME by Michelle Magorian

This was a very good book; for an adult or a teen girl. It is the story of a twelve-year-old English girl who returns to her home in England after having spent five years in America as an evacuee during WWII. There are so many differences between the cultures of the two countries and between her family and the family she lived with in America, not to mention the difference in herself between the ages of eight and twelve.

When she gets home she has to get reacquainted with her mother and deal with boarding school and the restrictions normally placed on a girl her age that she hadn't had in America. The story is so well told, the characters multi-faceted, and the journey they take is one we all take to some extent when faced with the everyday changes of normal life.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a Harper Trophy winner and was published in 1984 by HarperCollins Publishers, Ltd. The author also wrote GOOD NIGHT, MR. TOM.

Tags: Michelle Magorian, Back Home, Good Night Mr. Tom, Harper Trophy

From My "Old Favorites" Shelves

2006-04-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN

by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

This is the orginal story, the real story of the Gilbreth family.

If you have never read this book, you need to get it from your local library right away! This is such a hilarious and sweet book. It is written by two (the oldest boy and the third girl) of the children of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth who were both noted motion study and efficiency experts in the early 20th century.

Dad believes that he can run his dozen children just like a factory. Mom has a little lighter touch, although she ends up backing up dad in almost everything. The things that this family accomplished, learned and taught others are fantastic. Real things happen to them; things that happen in every family, like when the oldest girl starts dating and she is plagued by the youngest siblings; like when she wants to wear makeup and have the newest hairstyles against dad's wishes. Then there are the strange things that could only happen in this family; like everyone having their tonsils out at one time with dad filming the whole thing so he can see if the doctors are doing the procedure as efficiently as possible!! The family was also instrumental in developing the "touch-type" method of typing.

Frank and Lillian were married in 1904 and did indeed have 12 children. Frank was the pioneer of motion study and he and his wife became partners in the management consultant firm of Gilbreth, Inc. Frank died young just before his 56th birthday in 1924, and his wife, ten years his junior, continued his work without him. She eventually became even more well-known than her husband had been, making a name for herself not only in motion study but in workplace psychology and feminism.

The book is dedicated "To Dad, who only raised twelve children and To Mom, who raised twelve only children". I think that is a neat dedication. At the end of the book the two authors give us the best insight into their Dad's real personality. They tell that someone once asked him what he wanted to save time for. Their dad answered, "For work, if you love that best, for education, for beauty, for art, for pleasure." Then he said, "For mumblety-peg, if that's where your heart lies." I love that quote!

CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN was first published in 1948 and became a bestseller almost immediately. It was then made into a play and then a motion picture starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy in 1950. The movie version that came out in 2003 I have not seen and cannot bring myself to see. With something like this book, based on a real family who grew up in a very particular era (1904 to 1924), making it about a modern family just totally changes the whole thing.

My personal copy of the book is a paperback containing the complete and unaltered text of the original hardcover edition and is published by Bantam Books.

Tags: By The Dozen, Frank Gilbreth, Lillian Gilbreth, Frank B. Gilbreth Jr., Ernesting Gilbreth Carey, Motion Study

March and April Heyer Book List

2006-04-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

In March I forgot to list what we were reading on the Heyer List. We read FALSE COLOURS and HELEN. I didn't actaully read either, though! Ha! I'd re-read FC recently, so I just followed along in the discussion. I didn't get a copy of HEL until right at the end of the month, so I saved all the discussions about it, but didn't read them. I didn't want them to spoil it. I will of course, read it now, and I will write about it in here when its turn comes.

In April we are reading.......what else, but......APRIL LADY! That was one of the first Heyer's I ever read and have re-read it alot, because it was always carried in the local library. But I really can't say it is a top favorite. So far the discussion has been good, because so many Heyer readers don't like it and those who do are fiercely loyal to it. More on AL when its turn comes, as well.

From My Audio Shelves

2006-04-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

ELEVENTH HOUR

by Catherine Coulter

I have read Catherine Coulter before and like her. She is a very prolific author and her novels cover several different genres. ELEVENTH HOUR is one of the audio books in my collection at work. I have also read it, and I think the audio version is not quite as good because it is abridged; but it's still a good "listen" if you like audio books while you drive or work.

ELEVENTH HOUR is the seventh in Coulter's FBI series. The main character is Special Agent Dane Carver, whose twin brother has just been murdered. Father Michael Joseph, while hearing a midnight confession, has been shot in the head. There is, unknown to the killer, a witness; a seemingly homeless girl named Nicki. Dane and Nicki team up to try to find the killer and discover that the murder eerily mirrors a newly aired television program. Everyone connected with the tv show becomes a suspect. There is also a connection to a series of unsolved murders form the seventies.

A secondary story line is the true identity of Nicki and what she's running from. When the first murder is finally put to rest at the end of the book, we find that there is still some suspense -- another murder(s) to be solved dealing with Nicki's story.

The story line is good and there are lots of surprises. In neither storyline is it obvious who the murderer is -- I like it when they keep you guessing. The FBI agents from her previous novels, Savitch and Sherlock, are here as secondary main characters, and I've always liked them.

All in all it is a good read, although, like I said, the actual novel is better than the abridged audio.

ELEVENTH HOUR was published by Putnam in July 2002. The audio book I have is a Brilliance audio release on cassette, abridged. The unabridged version is also available on cassette and on CD.

Tags: Eleventh Hour, Catherine Coulter, DaneCarver, Savitch, Sherlock

Yes, I'm a Heyer Addict!

2006-04-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, I do believe I have mentioned before that I am avid fan of Georgette Heyer, right? Well, I thought I'd list all her books in the order in which they were written. I now have at least one copy of all but two of her 55 books. And I'm very close to getting the other two. I've talked now about her first one in this journal, and I plan to write about each one and also to put them in some kind of order of preference.

Books By Georgette Heyer In

Chronological Order ----------

1921 -- THE BLACK MOTH (GEORGIAN)

1923 -- THE GREAT ROXHYTHE (MEDIEVAL)*

1923 -- POWDER AND PATCH (G)*

1923 -- INSTEAD OF THE THORN (POST WWII)*

1925 -- SIMON THE COLDHEART (HENRY IV)

1926 -- THESE OLD SHADES (GEORGIAN/LOUIS XV)

1928 -- THE MASQUERADERS (GEORGIAN/JACOBITE)

1928 -- HELEN (POST WWII)

1929 -- BEAUVALLET (ELIZABETHAN)

1929 -- PASTEL (POST WWII)

1930 -- BARREN CORN (POST WWII)

1931 -- THE CONQUEROR (HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM)

1932 -- DEVIL's CUB (G)

1932 -- FOOTSTEPS IN THE DARK (MYSTERY)

1933 -- WHY SHOOT A BUTLER (M)

1934 -- THE CONVENIENT MARRIAGE (REGENCY)

1934 -- THE UNFINISHED CLUE (M)

1935 -- REGENCY BUCK (R)

1935 -- DEATH IN THE STOCKS (MYSTERY); published in U.S. as MERELY MURDER

1936 -- THE TALISMAN RING (R)

1936 -- BEHOLD, HERE'S POISON (M)

1937 -- AN INFAMOUS ARMY (M)

1937 -- THEY FOUND HIM DEAD (M)

1938 -- ROYAL ESCAPE (CHARLES II)

1938 -- A BLUNT INSTRUMENT (M)

1939 -- NO WIND OF BLAME (M)

1940 -- THE SPANISH BRIDE (R)

1940 -- THE CORINTHIAN (R); published in U.S. as BEAU WINDHAM

1941 -- FARO'S DAUGHTER (R)

1941 -- ENVIOUS CASCA (M)

1942 -- PENHALLOW (M)

1944 -- FRIDAY'S CHILD (R)

1946 -- THE RELUCTANT WIDOW (R)

1948 -- THE FOUNDLING (R)

1949 -- ARABELLA (R)

1950 -- THE GRAND SOPHY (R)

1951 -- THE QUIET GENTLEMAN (R)

1951 -- DUPLICATE DEATH (M)

1953 -- COTILLION (R)

1953 -- DETECTION UNLIMITED (M)

1954 -- THE TOLL-GATE (R)

1955 -- BATH TANGLE (R)

1956 -- SPRIG MUSLIN (R)

1957 -- APRIL LADY (R)

1957 -- SYLVESTER: OR THE WICKED UNCLE (R)

1958 -- VENETIA (R)

1959 -- THE UNKNOWN AJAX (R)

1960 -- PISTOLS FOR TWO, A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES (R)

1961 -- A CIVIL CONTRACT (R)

1962 -- THE NONESUCH (R)

1963 -- FALSE COLOURS (R)

1965 -- FREDERICA (R)

1966 -- THE BLACK SHEEP (R)

1968 -- COUSIN KATE (R)

1970 -- CHARITY GIRL (R)

1972 -- LADY OF QUALITY (R)

1975 -- MY LORD JOHN (MEDIEVAL -- PUBLISHED POSTHUMOUSLY)

*The Great Roxhythe, Powder and Patch, and Instead of the Thorn were all published in 1923. On some lists, The Great Roxhythe is listed as her second book, while on others it is listed as the third. Jane Aiken Hodge, in The Private World of Georgette Heyer, lists Powder and Patch as the third published novel, which is probably correct. The first lists I ever saw listed it as second, so that is how I made my lists and ordered my entries in this journal. However, I have changed this list (and the lists and order of entries in my new Georgette Heyer journal) to put Powder and Patch as the third published novel, as Hodge states it is.

Tags: Books by Georgette Heyer in Chronological Order, Jane Aiken Hodge

A Story for a Convelescing Brother

2006-04-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

THE BLACK MOTH

By Georgette Heyer

Published in 1921 when Heyer was just 19 years old.

She had written the story to amuse her convalescing brother, Boris, and was encouraged by her father to have it published. Imagine, she wrote this when she was 17 years old!

The Black Moth tells the story of Diana Beauleigh, a country-bred lady who, as the book jacket says, "inflamed the passion of a great Duke." Before the Duke of Sale can manage to abduct the lady, an unknown masked man rescues her and is, of course, injured in the process. And of course, who gets to nurse the man back to health and fall in love with him before finding out he is not a highwayman? Diana, of course.

Heyer did not write sequels, but characters in this book are revisited in THESE OLD SHADES and DEVIL'S CUB.

I have a copy of this Georgian novel in paperback and a good-quality hard cover with a dust-jacket, published in 1968.

THE BLACK MOTH is special simply because it was Heyer's first book. It is good, without being great. It is not in my top 10 of Heyer's books, but it definitely showed what Heyer was going to be able to accomplish as she got older. I can't imagine writing anything nearly so good at the age of 17, much less a period piece in which knowledge of Georgian England would be necessary.

I do recommend reading it, because there is nothing wrong with it. It is a good, enjoyable read, and it does intoduce characters that are brought out again in other novels. Besides, as I said, it is her first book! That alone is reason to read it.

Written in 1919, Published in 1921

Tags:Georgette Heyer, The Black Moth

From my "Borrowed Books" Shelf...........

2006-03-27T21:01:00.000-08:00

Is this really what the word "Hoosier" means? An interesting discovery..........(this is a copy of today's entry in my regular journal)

A friend of Thomas' who knows I collect old books loaned me an old, old dictionary that had been in his family for many years. It is entitled NEW DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1926 EDITION, and has the indented alphabet tabs like they used to have. The title page says "Collier's New Dictionary of the English Language Based on the Principles of Lexicography Adopted by Noah Webster LL.D." It says that it was "Carefully Revised by John Vaughn PhD., LL.D", then it says "45th Edition Revised by Adam Ward." (That's a little confusing. Apparently it was carefully revised by one man, then simply revised by another.) At the bottom of the page it says "This book is NOT published by the original publishers of Webster's Dictionary, nor by their successors, but published by P.F. Collier & Son Company New York." Whew! Glad they kept that straight! Anyway.........

It is filled with all the interesting things that you can find in good dictionaries, like weight and measurement tables, origin of the English language and principles of English Grammar, etc. But in the back were also some sections that you don't always see, such as: Glossary of Radio Terms (remember this was in 1926); Foreign Words, Phrases and Proverbs; Commercial and Legal Terms; Aviation Terms (with a lot of words dealing with hot-air balloons!); Automobile Terms; Base Ball Terms (yes, it was two separate words, not baseball); Golf Terms; American Casualties in the World War (remember, there had only been one world war at that time); Types of Motor Car Bodies; Famous Characters in Poetry and Prose; The Names of the States and Their Meanings, and much, much more! But the section that I found very interesting was this one: The Nicknames of the States and the Reason.

Now, I am a Kentuckian by birth. I am still a Kentuckian at heart, but for the past 15 years we have lived in Southern Indiana, so I am a Hoosier by address. (Most people refer to this area as Kentuckiana.) I have always been interested in what the word "hoosier" means and where it comes from. If you do a web search you will find that the guesses, some scholarly, some just plain funny, are numerous -- one for every day of the year! And no two people seem to agree on the origin. But now this little dictionary, published in 1926 has given me a definition -- one that I've decided to adopt. Why? Because I like this dictionary. It's a nice, comfortable old tome, that went to a lot of trouble to give me all the information I would ever have needed to know about the world in 1926, and so I choose to honor it by accepting its definition of the word "hoosier". And furthermore it states that definition in a very-plain-no-room-for-doubt-will-brook-no-argument sentence, on page 1,074. It says, "Indiana -- 'The Hoosier State,' from the word 'hoosher,' a word applied by the merchants of New Orleans to Indiana boatmen because of their boisterous manners and perpetual bragging. [Creole-French.]

So there!

I hope no one out there can burst my bubble. But if I do happen to have any French Creole readers who could verify that, I'd appreciate it. Either way, that is what I'm going to say when asked what the word means.

I wonder what the Indiana boatmen were always bragging about, though? What did they have to brag about that the Ohio boatmen or any other boatmen didn't have to brag about? Or did they just brag about everything and nothing in particular? Ah! The mystery continues!

Tags: New Dictionary of The English Language 1926 Edition, Hoosier, hoosher, Kentuckiana, dictionaries

From my Audio Shelves..........

2006-03-26T19:24:00.000-08:00

Over the past two years I have developed an appreciation for audio books. Of course, I've always enjoyed them in the car, and have checked them out at the local library to listen to during my drive time. But since I've gone back to work full time I have discovered how much enjoyment it can be to listen to them at work, while keying. I have started purchasing audio books of all genres on cassette, cd and MP3, usually from ebay. I won't spend more than just a few bucks on one, and I consider it money well-spent. I have built up quite a library at work that I have made available to the other members of my team. They call me the librarian there.

So I am going to write about one of my audio books..............

DEJA DEAD by Kathy Reichs

My copy of DEJA DEAD on audio is an unabridged copy on cassette and is read by Amy Irving. DEJA DEAD, published in 1997 by Scribner (paperback in 1998 by Pocket Books; audio book in 1997 by Simon & Schuster Audio) is the first novel published by Dr. Kathy Reichs, forensic anthropologist for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, State of North Carolina, and for the Laboratoire des Sciences Judiciaires et de Medecine Legale for the province of Quebec. She is also an anthropology proffesser.

The main character of DEJA DEAD is Dr. Temperance Brennan, a character fashioned after Dr. Kathy Reichs, herself. If you like watching CSI and like reading books that are like CSI, then you will love DEJA DEAD; and you will develop an affection for Tempe Brennan. She is a believable character and the plot line is detailed, exciting, just a little bit "gross"; just like CSI, only you get the descriptions of what they're working with in detail, instead of just seeing quick shots of what is acceptable to show on TV!

We discover that Dr. Tempe Brennan is the mother of a college-age daughter, Katy, and is amicably separated from her husband, Pete. We are also introduced to her cat, Birdie. In the beginning of DEJA DEAD Tempe is planning a June weekend of sightseeing around Montreal, but has to postpone that because she has to examine a body that has just been discovered. The body is on a site where some historical buriels had been found in the past; so initially she is supposed to just determine whether it, too, is an archaeological case or a more recent death that the coroner's office will need to investigate. Well, it is quickly made apparent that the decapitated and badly mutilated corpse is a recent homicide. What's more, there is something about the corpse and the crime scene that is familiar to Tempe. As the investigation continues she begins to suspect a serial killer.

It is very amazing to me how many details of a person can be learned from just examining small bits of evidence. Tempe finally establishes the identity of this victim. During the investigation Tempe has to battle to convince the Montreal police, and one inspector in particular, that there really is a connection between this victim and victims of other unsolved cases; that there is a serial killer loose in Montreal and that he will kill again.

We are also introduced to Tempe's friend, Gabby, a cultural anthropologist, who is undercover and getting deeply involved in something dangerous, and who is becoming very scared of a possible stalker. When Gabby disappears shortly after alluding to this fear, Tempe is worried at first, and then mostly just annoyed. Gabby has done this type of thing before.

When more evidence turns up pointing to a serial killer, the police finally start to take Tempe seriously. Will it be too late? Will Tempe start to get too close? Will the killer come after her? After Gabby? After Katy?(Well, what do you think?)

I love the details Reichs gives, even the sordid ones! She is a very impassioned storyteller, as well. We enter right into Tempe's frustrations, fears, joys, and sympathies. The storyline keeps the reader gripped right from the beginning; it is a fast, suspenseful, nail-biting ride, with a satisfying end.

The other character we are introduced to is Lieutenant Detective Andrew Ryan of the Quebec Province Police Force. He is very skillfully woven into the storyline. There is obvious attraction between the two, as well as irritation on Tempe's part with Ryan's reputation as a "lady's man". But the reader must, from the start, take a liking to Andrew Ryan. We look forward to seeing if a relationship will develop and where it may go. While inserting this dynamic into the storyline, Reichs does not turn this into a romance story (although one sees the potential for quite a romance between the two).

DEJA DEAD is the first of several Tempe Brennan novels. I enjoyed it on audio book. Amy Irving did a good job as reader, although on subsequent listenings my opinion changed slightly. (More on that in furture entries.)

Click here for more on Kathy Reichs and her novels.

*Note: This season's new Fox show Bones, is taken from Reichs' books. I have not seen it yet, so I don't know if I'll like it or not. I have a feeling there will be too many things changed for my liking, but I'll give it a try.

Tags: Kathy Reichs, Deja Dead, CSI, Bones, Temperance Brennan, Fox TV

Featured Author of the Week.................

2006-03-06T20:54:00.000-08:00

GEORGETTE HEYER

She was born August 16, 1902 in Wimbledon, England and published her first novel at the age of 19.

Although she is mostly known for her Regency novels, she also wrote several Georgian period novels, one biography of William the Conqueror, one set during the reign of Charles II, four Post-World War I novels (contemporary to her life), one collection of short stories, and eleven mysteries.

As I said, though, she is probably best known for her Regency period novels -- the Comedy of Manners-type works, and witty romances. I do appreciate and enjoy Jane Austen, but while Jane Austen wrote about the time in which she was living, Heyer wrote from in-depth research and her love of the period; and it shows. She is appreciated for the interesting wit, humor and absurdities of her characters, her twisting plots, colorful use of Regency cant and her knowledge of the customs, culture, political landscape and class distinctions of the period.

I have been a huge fan of Heyer since about 1980. I had obtained a few of her books over the years, but in 2005 seriously started building a collection of her work, mostly buying from Ebay and Amazon, but also making finds at flea markets, thrift stores and yard sales. I almost have a complete collection. Of her 55 books I have at least one copy, and sometimes more, of 53 of them. This is a pretty good website for anyone who likes Heyer. It is appropriate that my first featured author be Heyer because of the many shelves in my house filled with her books. I am also a member of an online Georgette Heyer book discussion group.

Georgette's grandfather was Russian, and the name "Heyer" was originally pronounced, as most people pronounce it today, as "high-er". But during World War I the family changedthe pronunciation to sound lessGerman and it was pronounced to sound like "hair". Georgette herself pronounced it that way. But it is very hard for me to do so. I didn't know about the war-years' pronunciation change when I first became a fan, so when I found out that she herself pronounced it to rhyme with "fair" I tried to do so. But it automatically comes to my mind or out of my mouth as rhyming with "flyer". I'm trying, though.

Georgette was the eldest of three children. Her brothers were Boris and Frank. Her father, George Heyer, was a teacher at King's College School. Coming soon will be a review of her first book, THE BLACK MOTH.

Patricia Veryan is another one of my favorites; I place her beside Heyer, neither above nor below. She has her own unique style for writing Georgian and Regency period novels. I have also started a collection of her books and will be talking about them in the future.

Clare Darcy is the only modern author of the Regency Novel that I would put directly below Heyer and Veryan. Most, and I do mean MOST, modern writers of Regency romance do not know the period well at all. They get too many things wrong and most of the books read as if they have been thrown together. Once in a while I come across one that is pretty good, and when I do I will share it here. A trend of modern Regency authors that I truly do not like is putting in graphic scenes depicting sexual encounters. It is unnecessary. Neither Heyer, nor Veryan, nor Darcy had to do so to tell warm, romantic, funny love stories.

I will definitely be writing a lot about Heyer and her books. I hope I have some readers out there who will enjoy it, and I'd like to hear from you, even if you don't know or care for Heyer, or if you don't agree with anything I've said. Here are some other websites readers may find interesting:

Note* On this past Saturday, October 12, 2007, I got a copy of Pastel that I won on Ebay, so now I have at least one copy of all but one of her books.

http://www.pemberley.com/

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~awoodley/Regency.html

Tags: Georgette Heyer, Patricia Veryan, Clare Darcy

From my Contemporary Romance Shelves........

2006-03-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

SMALL TOWN GIRL

By LaVyrle Spencer

This book was published in 1997 and was a New York Times Bestseller. I read it for the first time about 10 years ago and fell in love with it. If you haven't read it, do so!

It is the story of a successful country music singer who returns to her small town to help care for her aging mother after hip surgery. She has to deal with the much slower, less hectic pace, her two sisters, one of which continues to resent her and her success, her mother who enjoys living in the past and her mom's next door neighbor, a boy she went to school with. The story is great and so is the romance!

I have a paperback copy and an audio cassette. The audio is abridged, however, and is nowhere near as good as the actual book. I'm going to try to find an unabridged copy.

Tags: LaVyrle Spencer, Small Town Girl

From My Contemporary Shelves

2006-02-26T12:37:00.000-08:00

THE MERMAID CHAIR

By Sue Monk Kidd

I recently read this book for the first time. It was good, used a lot of symbolism, and had some very likeable characters. It was also the type of book that makes you want to take the main character and shake her really hard or slap her around. I mean, she has a great guy at home, so why risk it all for...........well, I don't want to give away the plot. It had a very satisfying ending, though. I recommend it!

Tags: Sue Monk Kidd, The Mermaid Chair

February's Georgette Heyer

2006-02-25T19:38:00.000-08:00

From my Heyer shelves.........

The book we are reading in The Heyer List is SIMON THE COLDHEART.

Georgette Heyer published Simon in 1925. It is set during Medieval times, and is a very good Heyer read. If you are used to just reading her Regencies you will still enjoy Simon; Heyer's humor and wit are prevalent throughout. My paper back has a forword written by Heyer's daughter.

I have a paperback copy and a hardcover with dust jacket on my shelves. The hard cover copy is in excellent shape, as near perfect as if it were brand new.

Tags: Georgette Heyer, Simon The Coldheart

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

2006-01-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

From the CLASSICS shelf............

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...........it was a time to re-read A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens.

I first read the book when I was 12, then in high school with the rest of my English class. I guess I've read it a couple of times since then. Right now I'm listening to it on cassette at work. I also have an old paperback copy on my shelves.

I will probably write more about the book in future entries, now that I've reminded myself of how much I enjoy it. The story of course is good, but what I really like are the words and the people! Oooh, who doesn't get goosebumps thinking of Madame DeFarge and her cronies with their clicking knitting needles!!

Tags: A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

P. D. James

2006-01-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

I recently listened to DEATH IN HOLY ORDERS by P.D. James on cassette. I really like that book and the author. If you like a good, long, suspense story with interesting characters and a "hard-to-guess-who-done-it", then you need to read this one -- if you haven't already! Of course, if you are a P.D. James fan, you know that this describes all her books. There just isn't anyone better at writing who-done-its.

This is an "Adam Dalgliesh" book, and he is one of my favorite main characters. It has been around for awhile, having been published in 2001. But it's one I can re-read, especially on tape!! As a matter of fact, I don't have a copy of the actual book, just an audio copy on my audio shelves. I highly recommend this book.

Tags: P.D. James, Death in Holy Orders, Adam Dalgliesch

Eler Beth's Recommendation

2006-01-21T22:45:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading MOONSILVER, the first in The Unicorn's Secret series, by Kathleen Duey. This is a great book, and I now move on to the second in the series. Eler Beth loves these books, as I would have when I was her age. They are perfect for young girls; I'd say especially ages 8 to 12 would like them very much. I'll talk more about the books and the author in future entries.

The Corinthian, by Georgette Heyer

2006-01-21T22:38:00.000-08:00

In the Heyer List Group we are currently discussing Chapters 1 - 10 of THE CORINTHIAN, one of my favorite, lighter Heyer reads.

Author -- May Baldwin

2006-01-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

I have found some copies of several of May Baldwin's other books at Abebooks.com.

They are A RIPPING GIRL, DE VICTORIA SCHOOL, NELL, MYSIE, THE GIRLS' ETON, HOLLY HOUSE AND RIDGE'S ROW, HILDA'S EXPERIENCES, THE GIRLS OF ST. GABRIEL'S, THE FOLLYS OF FIFI, POPULAR GIRL, A SCHOOLGIRL'S DIARY, TEDDY AND LILLY'S ADVENTURES, MRS. MANNING'S WARDS, SPOILT CYNTHIA AT SCHOOL, PEG'S ADVENTURES IN PARIS, BARBARA BELLAMY: A PUBLIC SCHOOL GIRL, JEAN AND THE BOYS, KENYA KIDDIES, THAT LITTLE LAMB, DORA A HIGH SCHOOL GIRL, SARAH'S SCHOOL FRIEND, IRENE TO THE RESCUE, SYBIL OR OLD SCHOOL FRIENDS, GOLDEN SQUARE HIGH SCHOOL, MOLL MEREYDITH MADCAP, A PLUCKY GIRL, THAT AWFUL LITTLE BROTHER, A CITY SCHOOLGIRL AND HER FRIENDS, THE SUNSET ROCK, MISS PETER, TROUBLESOME TOPSY AND HER FRIENDS and A YEAR IN NATURELAND. There are copies in German of several of the books. She was quite a prolific writer, wasn't she? I may have to try get some of these. If there is anyone out there who has ever read any of these or heard of May Baldwin, please let me know.

Tags: May Baldwin

January Heyer Book

2006-01-14T23:25:00.000-08:00

I will be talking more about Georgette Heyer because I am rather fanatical about her!! Right now I just want to mention that the Heyer Reading Group to which I belong is reading THE CORINTHIAN this month. This is one of the lighter, Regency-era Heyer novels, and one I've always enjoyed. I haven't read it recently, so I'll read along this month.

We are currently covering chapters 1-5, but will start 6-10 on Monday, so I have some catching up to do. More later on that.

Don't Know Much About May Baldwin

2006-01-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

About The Author

I haven't been able to find out anything about May Baldwin yet, by just doing searches on the net. I'll continue trying, though. I'd like to find and read some of her other books. (See previous entry.) I have found her mentioned along with other authors of the "girl school"-type novels, though.

In these articles, The History of Girls' School Stories and Reviews & Criticism 1906-1945, Baldwin was only briefly mentioned, but I thought the articles themselves were interesting reads. I always enjoyed those types of books when I was younger. The articles bring out that by 1920 the number of girls between the ages of 12 and 18 who attended school had risen from 20,000 in 1897 to 185,000. The genre of girls' school stories became established and the most popular form of reading during the first quarter of the 20th Century.

There is some really fascinating information in these articles about how education facilities for girls came about. I hadn't realized until reading this that St. Andrew's in Scotland had been the first girls' public school.

About the genre of girls' school stories the first article says: "However, from the beginning the genre did not appeal only to girls who were receiving a middle-class girls' education..., but also to those educated at home and from lower-middle-class and working-class backgrounds. There were initially far more readers of school stories than there were British girls receiving secondary education, and many girls encountered the genre before the experience of school itself. It was not simply the representation of readers' own lives, then, which appealed to them about girls' school stories....In marked contrast to boys' reading, the reading of fiction was regarded as asuitable pastime for young women, as long as what they read was not considered to be challenging or corrupting in any way."

I would still like to find out more about May Baldwin. Hopefully I can. I really enjoyed re-reading MURIEL AND HER AUNT LU, and would like to purchase a copy with a binding in better shape than mine, because it printed with truly lovely binding! I look forward to Eler Beth reading it someday. It is a very good book.

Tags: May Baldwin, Muriel And Her Aunt Lu, The History of Girls' School Stories, Reviews and Criticism 1906 - 1945

A 1909 Tale of Paris

2006-01-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

I spent quite a bit of time trying to decide which book on my shelves I would like to write about first. I scanned them ... while this author or that dust jacket jumped out at me -- "pick me, pick me!"

On one of my lower shelves a big, fat volume in red caught my eye. Aha! I haven't seen you in a while!

The book is MURIEL AND HER AUNT LU, A Tale of Paris, by May Baldwin. I can't remember exactly where I got this book, but I was probably around 13 or 14 years old at the time. I've read it three or four times, but not in recent years ... until yesterday. I started reading it again. And I became curious about the author, so I did some research. It wasn't easy finding information about her; it required more than just entering her name in a search engine.

The book:

My copy is about 8-1/2 inches tall, 6 inches wide and over 2 inches deep. The binding is red with a beautiful, etched picture on the front of two ladies dressed in Parisian clothes of the early 1900's, sitting at a small table having coffee or tea, with a young girl standing beside one of the women. The spine is made to look like a column with the title and author printed in gold on a twining ribbon.

Inside the fly leaf the title of the book is actually given as MURIEL AND HER AUNT LU or School and Art Life in Paris. Below that is By May Baldwin Author of HOLLY HOUSE AND RIDGE'S ROW, GOLDEN SQUARE HIGH SCHOOL, MYSIE, PEG'S ADVENTURE IN PARIS, etc. Then credit is given to A. S. Boyd for eight illustrations. The copyright is 1909 W. & R. Chambers, Limited, London and Edinburgh, and J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia. LIPPINCOTT is also stamped on the spine.

There is a dedication "To My Friend Rose Mackintosh". The book is printed on thick, almost-but-not-quite-card-stock paper. There are 32 titled chapters and 412 pages.

Overview: 14-year old Muriel goes to live with her aunt, an art student, in Paris, after the death of her mother. Muriel, an only child has very grown-up ways and speech. She was taught by her mother and a governess, and because her mother's health had always been poor, she was used to caring for her invalid mother. Her father, a doctor, is so devastated after his wife's death that he takes a position as a ship's surgeon and sends Muriel to boarding school. She has never been with girls her own age and does not know how to act around them. Muriel, miserable, leaves the school and journeys across the Channel to her father's sister, her beloved Aunt Lu.

Her life there with the aunt is so beautifully told. Lu, a serious, studious, talented art student and also naturally reserved, has never really made friends with her fellow art students, including the mischievous Angelique who also lives in the same rooming house as Lu. With Muriel's coming lots of things change. Lu learns to thaw a little and relax; Muriel learns how to make and keep friends. Of course, mixed in with the story are a lot of history and art lessons, told in such a beautiful and sometimes funny way.

The style of speech is very old-fashioned and continental, but not in a weighty way. It is still a book that is easy to read. I sank into it when I was young and I sank into it yesterday! I look forward to introducing my daughter to the book in a few years. I don't know if there are any copies in libraries; I've never looked. I found a copy for sale for $25.00 at Pioneer Books and for $37.00 at Biblio.

Tags: May Baldwin,Muriel and her Aunt Lu,

"Beware the Man of One Book" -- Anonymous

2006-01-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

I cannot remember a time when I could not read. I cannot remember a time when I did not have books all around me. I was taught to read by being read to by my mother and older sister, Barbara. She is the one who first began to teach me the necessary mechanics of reading, so that I was already a reader on an elementary level when I started school. I was taught to read by the sight at any given time of one or both my parents or of any of my siblings with their noses buried in the pages of a book or magazine. I was taught to read by the joy I felt when I heard the rustle of pages turning, the smell of a new book or of news print, the sight of all those words filling all that white space.

In school I was always several years ahead of myself in reading comprehension. My Senior-year English teacher told me she'd never had a student who had read such varied material. I still have pretty eclectic tastes in reading.

So, what do I like to read? What do I have on my shelves? A little bit of everything.

I like biographies, children's books, classic literature, books for young adults, fables, mythology, modern romances, period romances, mysteries, suspense novels, westerns, ancient literature, science fiction, books on self-improvement, books on home-improvement, comics, poetry, school texts, plays and cereal boxes! (Although that last isn't supposed to be on my book shelves!) I'm currently reading the "Unicorn's Secret" series of books by Kathleen Duey that my nine-year old just finished. (They were a recommended read, and when my daughter recommends a book, I must read it!) I have four books going right now: the abovementioned "Unicorn" book (Book #1, because I just started), the first volume of ONE PIECE, which is an anime that my 16-year-old son told me I'd like (he was right -- very funny!), the Georgette Heyer novel for December (REGENCY BUCK), that my Heyer group is reading (actually just finished it), and I'm listening to CRITICAL JUDGMENT by Michael Palmer on audio at work.

Sometimes I want something light and full of fluff. Sometimes I want Dostoevsky. Sometimes I want to re-read a favorite series like The Rabbi Series by Harry Kemmelman, Tolkein, or all of the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES series....aallllll of them! Sometimes I want to re-visit a favorite from my childhood, like Nancy Drew (the original ones!), The Three Investigators, or something by Marguerite Henry, Marjory Hall, Erle Stanley Gardner or Zane Grey. And I almost always have a Georgette Heyer or Patricia Veryan novel going, because they are the best and wittiest, with the most consistently interesting characters of any of my favorite novelists, and it always makes me feel good to read them. Sometimes you can find on my shelves a book that I picked up from some dusty thrift store shelf, written by some obscure author no one's ever heard of.

I don't have the time to read like I used to, but I still manage. And my shelves are full to overflowing. This year I have been concentrating on building my collections of my favorite authors and of many classic novels. I'd like to share on the pages of this journal what is on my shelves and what I think about the books and authors. I'll also be sharing my quests for certain books that round out a series or collection. Maybe by doing this readers will find some enjoyment, be reminded of an old favorite, or be inspired to try out a new author.

I've tried this before and just couldn't get it down the way I wanted. But this time is different. I know what I'm doing. So stay tuned for some talk about books. Leave comments, email me, make suggestions, recommend a book you like and tell me why you like it. It's a new month and a new year, and I mean to start it off with a book. Come join me.

Tags: Reading, books, Veryan, Heyer,

Coming Soon...............

2005-12-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

What's On My Bookshelves???

This will be my third try at getting this "Book Talk" Journal just the way I want it. Hope it works this time!

Tags: Books