Old Favorites Time

Going to cheat, or shortcut a bit - after reading the books I took on my trip, I didn't get back to the library (still haven't) so I returned to the land of old favorites.  Since I've read / reviewed all of these previously, I figure it's good enough to just do a single post.  Lucky you and me.

Cotillion - this is one of those GHs that goes up and down in my estimation.  On the one hand, Freddy is a dear and it's a sweet story (not *too* much other stuff, though rather a lot of it in the end).  On the other... the romance is quite subtle. I think last time I read it I may have been pleasantly surprised by the romance, but this time, I feel more like I expected more than what I got.  No question I love Heyer, but more and more, I feel like it's not even necessarily about the romance.  Probably it's I who am less interested in the romance, and so have higher standards. Regardless, loved the book.  Just didn't finish off feeling like it was better than I expected.

Verdict: 5/5

Frederica (out of order, but this is the other GH on the list) - common theme here. Now this one has a fantastic romance, mostly because such a good part of it is from Alverstoke's POV.  On the other hand, WAY too much other stuff going on, with Frederica's tiresome families (who I do not find particularly winsome).  And yet.. reading this, I enjoyed the romance but I knew it was coming (like every good line I've memorized already).  and even though the family antics are as uncharming as ever, it's still a good story.  Seriously, I am such a biased judge.  I like these books way too much.

Verdict: 5/5

The Blue Castle - romance here quite subtle, and more subtle even than I remembered. And the whole first part with her family is just depressing. I really don't even feel it's realistic (like really, whose family dislikes them that much?) But anyway - lovely little book, not much going on but, you know, it's short.  Thoroughly enjoyable.

Verdict: 5/5

The Morning Gift - but wait, didn't I just read this? well yes. I guess I enjoyed it *that* much. Talk about romance. This book seriously is romance perfected. I do not know what it is about it (previous reviews may speculate more). I just know that I had zero problem picking it up a mere few months after the previous reading and thoroughly enjoying it (meaning despite knowing what was coming, the emotional moments still delivered).

Verdict: 5/5

Persuasion - Obviously, can't get much more romantic than the actual story here.  But what I found interesting was that I didn't find the actual *style* to be that romantic.  I was surprised at how aware Anne was the entire time of still being in love with Captain Wentworth, and how much more aware she was of his interest in her when he came to Bath.  Takes a little from the angst of it somehow.  Still.  Peerless in quality of course.  Story to not be beat. Also, one of the shorter JAs.

Verdict: 5/5

That Author

Well, I was told I needed to find a substitute for food to help me diet.  Only thing that could possibly be is books, right? So, though I had no more time than in previous weeks, I felt I had to fit in a trip to the library (to aid me in my diet, of course :)) So on Friday afternoon, I took my little girlies and went. It was a short trip, it being Friday afternoon, and it being kids at the library. I quickly went to a few known authors and grabbed some books.  First one, of course, Lauren Willig.  I was excited to read her next stand-alone, given how much I enjoyed the Ashford Affair.  Well-written, historical romance with a modern-day accompaniment. The next one after Ashford was That Summer, so I took that one (not that there's really any reason to go in order).

That Summer, like all the other LWs, is a story about a modern woman examining history, and we get the usual two love stories.  And like The Ashford Affair, I think it was well-crafted and well-written.  So let's get to the stories themselves - first, Victorian England.  Unlike the Ashford Affair, where the ending was clear from the beginning of the story, and the story itself was extremely familiar, I was not at all clear where this story would end up.  Very appealing in a way, a little bit of mystery :)  As the book progressed, I could see this would not be one of the angst romances I so love - it was one of the ones where the couple are kept apart by external obstacles, and not their feelings. Bor-ing! And the ending... well there was a good reason I couldn't figure out how this one would end up.  Was not exactly a happy ending.  With all that... well written, interesting, engaging story, and nothing too painful.  Can't *really* complain.

As for the modern romance - really, it felt a little perfunctory.  I'm not sure why, it was a typical chic lit romance of ups and down, misunderstandings and sweet moments before the reconciliation.  But it just felt like..  I don't know, I wasn't convinced.  Also, in this one, the modern story is much less about unraveling the history from the 1800s, and more about unraveling the heroine's own history.  Not quite as much fun (you know it's not going to be fun when there's history to unravel from someone's own life).   Really, nothing to complain about in this story either, I just wasn't feeling it.

So - basically, this story was well-written, in a genre I am eminently comfortable in, and nothing in the plot (even the ending) was unspeakably offensive to me. At the same time, the main oomph of the romance was just not there, and for whatever reason, I missed it (more than in the Ashford Affair, which also didn't really have a fantastic romance - maybe it was before the modern romance was better in that one. Or maybe it was just my mood, expectations, whatever). Anyway...

Verdict: 3.5/5

A Perfect Romance

Still stuck on my usual, and in the mood for an old favorite, I picked up The Morning Gift.  I really am so boring, when did I last read this? Last year? But you know, it's just so so good.   In previous readings,  I have noted that Ruth's habit of "living deep" and the way everyone seems to be so enamored of it are not particularly appealing, but I can ignore it and just enjoy the rest of it. On this reading, I have to say, it didn't even particularly bother me.  Not sure what it was, whether I'm just getting less finicky or there is something I appreciated more, probably mostly the former.  But regardless, I didn't even have that to annoy me.   There was still the sadness of WWII, no getting around that, but as before, it isn't really enough in the forefront to be too much of a disturbance.

Which leaves me free to enjoy the meat of this book... succulent, delicious prime rib in this case.  Seriously, I do not think there is another book with so many "moments".   So much time together, such a perfect balance of angst with lightness, so much unspoken but there if you read between the lines.  I mean I'm just wishing I had brought it with me to reread, it was that good.  I don't even quite know how or why, but this book is pretty close to perfection for what it is.

Verdict: 5/5

Close Enough, Better than a Cigar

Continuing on my Succos reading spree, we have Lauren Willig's first stand-alone.  I finished the Pink Carnation series during my summer reading and then went back to the stand alones now.  As you may recall, I've found the Pink Carnation series to be less satisfying than it used to be.  The writing somewhat too flippant, even anachronistic, the romances too similar / not angsty enough, the plots a distraction.  I was ready to move on, and I think so was Lauren Willig, which is why she started on this (even before the series was finished).

The first stand-alone, The Ashford Affair, was written a few years ago, and, while there were lots of updates / teasers when it was written, some of them aren't fresh in my mind.  I think it was supposed to be inspired by Out of Africa, which I haven't read, and the Mitford sisters, which I have (at least The Pursuit of Love).  It *strongly* reminded me of the latter (like I think it deliberately followed the plot line of a poor but practical cousin and belle-of-the-ball debutante who runs off with husband after husband), and reminded me, too, of other books / plots that I couldn't even bring to mind. I knew exactly what would happen, not just because the book didn't keep it a secret, but because you just know that's the type - happy-ish ending but not without some tear-jerking.  It actually bothered me how familiar it all seemed, still not sure if that's only because of the Mitford / Downton Abbey side, or whether I really have read more in the same vein.  So much for the familiarity of the setting  / plot.

What about what really matters? Well, first of all, this was, like all of LW, a "time slip" novel, where the modern-day heroine learns about her ancestor's past.  My initial thought was that this device is unnecessary and distracting, the historical plot was enough and the modern story could not be fleshed out enough to be enjoyable. But I was wrong.  It was actually quite enjoyable and well told, and quite a good romance.  There was definitely a little bit too much melodrama about the discovery of Grandma Addie's past (not to mention that it was difficult to reconcile the dignified old woman Clemmie knew with the historical Miss Addie Gillecote).  But thoroughly enjoyable romance novella.

Back to the historical story, other than being shades of the Mitfords and mostly predictable, was it good? For one thing, it was not written in the, frankly, a bit silly style of the PC series, but in a more serious tone, in keeping with the more serious story.  I think it was a good trade-off. I don't need the seriousness of complex relationships and the shadow of WWI, orphans, and influenza, but the writing was a pleasure.  And I guess I really do just like historical England, because even though it was not my time period and there was all that serious stuff, I was still totally happy to read it.  The romance was also not my type (star-crossed lovers, not will-they-won't-they) but still satisfying in the end I guess.

In the end of the day, it wasn't my *ideal* setting or story, but it was close enough to both to be thoroughly enjoyable, due to the excellent execution.  Definitely looking forward to the next one (and the one after that, already published, and the one after that, still to be published :))

Verdict: 4/5

Silly Fluff Without the Fun

Next up, an author I did not forget last time, but that you haven't seen yet - Sophie Kinsella. Last time,  I figured I'd get the next in the Shopaholic series, but as it turned out I didn't get the next one, I got one that I had already read. When I realized that, I was just not interested in reading it, and really just not all that interested in the series at all.  So I moved on the stand-alones for this one.  Now Sophie Kinsella's stand-alones have, I would say, a mixed track record.  In general, she's a pretty funny author, and some of these are definitely funnier than others.  From a romance aspect, there's also a lot of variation, some quite enjoyable and others just missing some necessary elements.  There's also the point that it seems like all of her characters are the same - silly girls and brooding boys.  Doesn't sound like I like these books all that much, right? Like I said, it varies.

Moving on to this particular book, it had a strike against it right away because it was about two people. That almost always means at least one story that's not as interesting and always means not enough time given to each.  Strike to was that one of the two sisters has a kid - not that I have anything against kids of course :p Just complicates things.  One of the two sisters is the usual Kinsella flighty sprite, the other is somewhat more refreshingly down to the earth. Their menfolk are, respectively, refreshingly down-to-earth and a brooding male.  The romances are actually both potentially interesting - persuasion-type reconciliation and P&P hate-at-first-sight.  So - an ok mix of potential and meh.

But unfortunately, it didn't even live up to that mix.  Most of the book consisted of Fliss (down-to-earth sibling) ruining Lottie (flighty one)'s honeymoon.  Like really. We just go from incident to incident.  Some interaction with Fliss and her guy, though not much. None with Lottie and her guy (who is not the one on the honeymoon with her).  Sigh.  Quite a disappointment. I was really just trying to get through this silly book. Which incidentally, was also continuously inappropriate (Sophie Kinsella books vary on this front as well).

So yeah, a miss. We'll see what the next one is like.

Verdict: 2/5

The Drama, Without the Romance

And of course, next had to be the second Bollywood book, A Bollywood Bride.  Of course, I had high hopes for this one following the first.  But... just going to get right to it, somewhat disappointed.  This one, rather than taking the fan-fiction level romance cue from A Bollywood Affair, took the drama, drama, drama of the hero's damaged childhood and subsequent healing.  This time, it's the heroine who needs some healing - and boy, she does.  Some serious stuff going on there.  Which, in and of itself, not a really a point in favor. But beyond that, what about the romance? Not what I'd call a chic lit romance at all! It wasn't about them discovering feelings for each other, it was about Ria fighting with herself and with Vikram about being together despite all that other stuff.

So yeah... not really romantic.  Lots of drama.  Interesting Indian culture though.  And a romance in the sense that they get together at the end. And he's a great guy.  But still. A disappointment after the first, no question about it.

Verdict: 2.75/5

I Luv Bollywood

And now for something different. Well not that different ;) But new! Over the past years, I have of course seen many recommendations on austenprose, lauren willing, and wherever else. And of course, can't remember most of them, having not written them down. But one recent one that stuck in my head was the recommendation of The Bollywood Affair (or maybe it was for the second novel, which came out more recently).  Lots of positive stuff from the romance club, seemed worth reading. So I picked it up along (both books by the new author, Sonali Dev) on my recent library trip.

Bollywood, for anyone who didn't know, is the Indian film industry. I've only watched a few Bollywood movies (Aisha, based on Emma, and a few on Netflix) but I have *thoroughly* enjoyed what I've seen. Their rom-coms are so unapologetically rom-com.  Chock full of fun scenes and moments and whatnot.  And The Bollywood Affair is really a book version of that. It reads like fan fiction in the setup (arranged marriage, plane crash etc) and in the plot developments (accident + recuperation, wedding, night away together and all that).  It's so much fun, unashamedly. It was substantially less appropriate than the Bollywood films I see (which are squeaky clean) but that didn't bother me (though I honestly, I can do without).  And it didn't rely all on the physical stuff to build the romance - it was maybe a bit Mary Sue-ish in fact, with Mili's various talents and uniquely wonderful soul, and Samir's secret kindness, deep loyalty, and model good looks, but still, there's what to love in both main characters. And as for plot... not much ;) There's a lot of emotional squishiness to untangle (mostly on Samir's side) but easy enough to live with the drama.

This was a thoroughly fun book, most definitely quite close to fan fiction, but eh, not complaining. It was written decently enough and the Indian culture stuff was interesting.  Zipped through it (read instead of my Shabbos nap) and am eager to recommend to others :)

Verdict: 4/5

Culmination Kind of Flat

You might think that posting so recently after my last update, the latest review would be fresh in my mind. You'd be mostly right but... things go fast on vacation.  I'm already 3 books behind - so onward and upward.  As I mentioned in the last post, next on my list was, of course, the final Pink Carnation, Jane's story.  In contrast to #11 about a pair of minor characters and a plot that doesn't really tie in with the Pink Carnation's work at all, #12 features Jane herself as the heroine, in the thick of her spy war on Napoleon.  So it was going to be different for sure. I quite enjoyed #11, with its relative lack of plot and clean-slate characters, so the burden was on #12 to prove as enjoyable when back in the thick of the action.  On the other side was #10, Miss Gwen's story, which suffered from introducing us the the woman behind the parasol, and rendering the previously redoubtable heroine vulnerable.  And if this was a problem for Miss Gwen... Throughout the Pink Carnation series, Jane has remained ever calm and unruffled while pulling all the strings and knowing all the things.  So who wouldn't want to hear her love story?

Thus far we have the awesome Jane, ready for her hero.  As for the hero himself, I have nothing particularly bad to say of him, though I would say Jane is substantially more awesome (unlike her French counterpart and one-time flame The Gardener, but apparently he's destined for someone else (Lizzy) - two alpha spies can't work? whatever, I'm really fine with that).  But the issue comes down to the same thing as #10 - how to render the heroine sympathetic without damaging that sheen of omniscience? Personally, I don't know why Jane had to be rendered so vulnerable, but what do I know? Lauren Willig not only introduces us to her inner doubts (fine enough I guess) but moves the story along two years, placing her outside her old Paris network and outside the pale of polite society (disowned by her family).  Why, why, why? By making Jane so far from awesome, it deprives us of the treat of the coup de grace of Pink books.

So ok, let's try to judge the book on its own merits rather than as the culmination of the series.  As far as it goes, lots of spy plot, which is not a plus in my book.  Portuguese countryside instead of Regency London.  And the romance? I just feel like Pink romances are all the same - rather than a true angsty, suspensful back-and-forth true progression of a relationship, it's all professional interaction + an undercurrent of a certain type of tension, denying it because of said professional interaction, and culminating in a declaration. It just gets old, you know? Maybe it's really the way most romances go (at least those with more.. err.. physical description).  But these are the ones I read, so that's where I see the repetition. Anyway, yeah, it just felt like same, same, and not necessarily that enjoyable.

Oh well, right? Still, same as #10 - fast, easy read of a romance. Shouldn't be that critical. And looking forward to reading the standalones! Not hampered by any of the same-same (hopefully :)) And it was certainly fun to wrap it all up with the various characters.

Verdict: 3.5/5

Tangent Proves Worthy

And now, the first of my new library books.. it's boring I'm afraid :) Moving on the Pink Carnation series with #11, The Mark of  the Midnight Manzanilla.  If you recall, I did not enjoy #10 (book from my inaugural trip to the library), but wasn't sure how much of it was due to the protaganist (Miss Gwen) as opposed to a general descent in the series or to my own changing tastes. So this was a good opportunity to test which one it was.  #11 is about Sally Fitzhugh, quite a minor character in previous novels, and the Duke of Belliston, non-existent before this book.  Clean slate, as it were.

Sally reminds me a lot of previous heroines - practical, somewhat naive, valient, loyal, friendly - shades of Henrietta, Letty, Arabella etc.  Belliston is a brooding mystery man, in the mold of Lord Vaughn, Andre Joeun, and Colin himself.  So even more than with some of the previous books, there was a feeling of deja vu / been-there-done-that at the start.  But that being said, Sally is beautiful, confident, and unredoubtable.  Lucien, while he is withdrawn and mysterious, does not have the cold hauteur of Lord Vaughan, but an open and friendly personality once you "get to know him".  In other words, likeable, relatable hero and heroine.

The story is the usual - spies, murders, lots going on outside of the romance.  But fast-paced enough, taking place within the confines of London and aristocratic country society, involving a fake engagement, so nothing to complain about.  The romance not bad either... though honestly, these books are not actually the greatest romances - very little angst, and not enough suspense.  But a solid enough love story, definitely.   And, in some definite praise - 1) started reading the car on the way down to Maryland and enjoyed enough to get me quite a way through by the time we got there 2) disappointed by the Kerry Jennings Walsh loss in the semifinals, consoled myself by finishing the book before I went to sleep.  So I can say that I absolutely enjoyed this one.

So.. conclusion? My dissatisfaction with the last book, probably mostly due to Miss Gwen rather than to a general decline in the series.  Change in taste definitely still somewhat there, but not enough so that I didn't enjoy a generic PC with a generic heroine.  Older, prickly leading ladies just not to my taste. What a snob am I.

Meanwhile, liked this book and certainly looking forward to #12, Jaaaane herself.  Will be somewhat funny to pick up the main thread of the series after this book was a complete tangent, but I have hope that Jane's story will be worth all the spy stuff.

Verdict: 4/5

Lesser Known Works of a Master

Hello again - I have been reading but lazy to do reviews, because it's been Heyerville. And then I moved on to P&P and figured it'd take a while to finish so I had time. But then... vacay! And before I left (yesterday) I went to the library and got 7! new books to read (squee).  All familiar authors.  So exciting to go to the library after a 4 year break :) Anyway, I put P&P down and picked the new books up. Finished one already, so it is *urgent* that I get those Heyers done. So here you are, weeks late (oh well).

The three Heyers are
   - April Lady
   - The Unknown Ajax
   - Faro's Daughter

These books are all not on my most-read or most-favorite Heyer list, but I have read them all more than once and I do own them all, so you know, second-tier.  And here's what I have to say (again) - GH is the maaaaan! I mean second-tier, schmecond-shmier! I enjoyed all these 3 *thoroughly*.

First, April Lady.  I always considered this book to be somewhat romantic, but for some reason did not love it. Maybe not enough romance? Too much else going on? Nell is, to put it elegantly, a simpleton? Maybe there's some truth to it, but I absolutely found the romance delightful and the story eminently readable.  I stayed up late reading it as I was enjoying it so much.  There are a lot of fun, subtle moments, and it's a real sweet story.

Next, Unknown Ajax. Now this one, I know I never enjoyed much because of the lack of romance / too much story.  It definitely has a lot of story - didn't bother me as much, but that's a general pattern, I care more about the writing and less about the story than I used to. But what stuck out here - the Major! What a character. Witty, kind, resourceful, strong, and wealthy and titled to boot ;) And in love with "our Anthea" Smushes.  I love this stuff.

Finally, Faro's daughter. Why doesn't this one make my favorites? Here I think the issue was probably more the characters themselves. Max Ravenscar is one of those all-powerful types who are too cool for the story's own good - you never want them humbled or beaten because that would get in the way of the mystique but the whole point of the story is to to see them humbled (with love). I will say that, though Deb battles Max she never really does humble him outside of the usual humbled by love part. Anyway, I would say that my impression of the book didn't really change in this case. I definitely found the battle between Deb and Max to be a bit ridiculous and not necessarily enjoyable reading, but overall it's still a GH (I also think I ranked this one a bit higher than the other two, at least than The Unknown Ajax, in previous readings).

Anyway, yeah so that's all I have to say on these. I heart GH, even those less familiar ones.

10 Books In, Has the Premise Run Its Course?

Well I finally did it - almost 4 years after my last trip to the library (August 2012), I put my kiddos in the car and drove the (very short) drive (could have walked but then would have had to deal with the stroller) to the Edison library.  Excitingly enough, this library is less than a 10 minute walk from the house, and right near the train station where I come/go every day, but it took me this long to get there (and I lived for over a year in Carteret without ever taking a book out there (used the Manhattan library though) and in HP without even getting a library card, but anyway).  So what was my first pick? Lauren Willig of course.  I think I even wrote on an FB post on her page once that it would be. How embarrassing :) I didn’t have much browsing time, I got one more book (more anon of course), but let’s just focus on Willig first.

So as you know ;), I’ve been reading these books for a long time.  They are favorites of mine because they are regency romance but not the romance genre (have more literary pretensions). They are also of the historical mystery/drama genre, but less so than, say, Deanna Raybourn or Tasha Alexander.  Anyway, Regency, romance, not trash, and nice and light.  What’s not to like, of course.  So yeah I do like these books.  In recent years (well not that recent), I have noticed a “sameness” about them, and also somewhat liberal anachronism and silliness, so I can’t say I find them *that* well-written, but you know, they are pretty good. Neat enough phrasing, if a bit too pat. So that’s in the past few years. (I have read her books since I stopped going to the library, since I own two of them, so it’s not going back all that far necessarily.  You’ll have to read old reviews to see how far it does go back ;).  On top of this recent impression, and really more along with it, I think I have less tolerance for empty romance than I used to - I need something more in a book than an implausible romance and less-than-mediocre writing. Not saying that describes Pink Carnation books, just that my tastes have changed (matured, perhaps :)) in that respect.

So anyway, back to this particular book, it’s about Miss Gwen (I was, by the way, 3 books behind in the series, as well as not having read the 3 non-Pink books written in recent years, so quite a lot of material :) This was the least recent of the series books.)  Miss Gwen is Jane’s companion, a lady of mature years and prickly demeanor.  So not the most endearing of characters, at least as the heroine of a romance.  The book is supposed to show her softer side, but I’m not sure I want to see her softer side.  I liked her as the steely chaperone Miss Gwen, more ambivalent about “Gwen”.  The Captain is a debonair and likable figure, but I’m not sure I buy the romance.  It’s not forced or anything, just rather… shallow? Here’s where I’m not sure if I’m just picking up on the “sameness” thing (so boring because same), if the books have gotten worse, if my tolerance is lower, or if I really just don’t like seeing Miss Gwen’s softer side. Here’s hoping it’s the last, since I like being able to thoroughly enjoy my books.

Not that I didn’t enjoy the book. It was light reading, which I never mind. It had romance, it had some action, I guess a few laughs. It had characters I care about and the setting I love. So can’t really complain, and look for reviews of the last two books of the series shortly :)

Verdict: 3/5

GH In A Crotchety Mood

Slightly more recent finish, but only because it dragged on for a while - I'm pretty sure I started Lady of Quality either on my way back from Florida or maybe the Shabbos after, but with various busy Shabbosim and a Commentary, I only finished it a few weeks ago.  It's a Georgette Heyer, and one that I own, so obviously a lovely book but... I have to say, this one irritated me more than usual.  It was never one of my favorites, but I think it's fluctuated in line.  I haven't read it in a while (this was actually the first GH I owned, picked it up in the airport in England (or maybe it was Scotland) when I was there on my post-sem trip).  But right away, I found myself annoyed by Annis's intolerance of Miss Farlow coupled with Annis's tolerance of Ninian and Lucille.  It's funny, because I used to find GH's portrayals of "children" or young adults ridiculous for their unrealistically young behavior, but I guess I'm old enough that I find seventeen-year-olds (or however old they are) acting like babies to be completely realistic. So it wasn't that that annoyed me... more like, if they are that annoying, then why does Annis tolerate, indeed like, them so much? And just because Miss Farlow talks a lot, she's villified into this barely sympathetic sour creature.  I mean, of course I understand we're supposed to look down on her for being jealous of Lucille. But really, she isn't *that* bad, and I find Annis's unwillingness to put up with her foibles not very sympathetic when compared with her indulgent treatment of Lucille.  And it's much the same with Mr Carleton - we are supposed to sympathize with his and Annis's connection, because they have the same unwillingness to pander to the world and put up with silliness - but really, is silliness all that bad? Are people unworthy of sympathy because they are not intelligent?

I'm taking this all a bit too far of course, but I'm just trying to pin down what was bothering me as I read the book - this feeling of, but that's not what you should be feeling right now, no, you should be feeling less/more annoyed etc.  It really did get in the way of my enjoyment of the book.

So you didn't like the book, you'll ask? Well it was a GH.  I'll put up with a lot from a GH - Still my world, still my girl :)  But I'm not sure how soon I'll be picking this one up again.

Verdict: 4/5

It's interesting that this was her final novel - published posthumously I think. Perhaps it needed some refinement. Or perhaps it was GH getting crotchety in her old age, and passing it on to her characters :)

Strange, Silly, Spendid

I needed something to read in case I finished this month's Commentary on Shabbos... so I took A Company of Swans with me to my in-laws' house.  This is the "other" Eva Ibbotson I own (other than the Morning Gift, that is).  I didn't buy it because it's my second favorite, but rather because it was for sale that Borders going-out-of-business sale.  It's typical Eva Ibbotson - focused on the arts, melodramatic, and but of course a great love story.  Also, this one, in common with a lot of her others, has a definite creepiness factor.  I think it's especially prominent in this one because Harriet Morton is so alone... well actually many of the heroines are pretty alone, so I'm not sure why this one was so much worse.  Because it takes place in the wilds of the Amazon among the questionable company of ballet dancers maybe.  So there's definitely that to distract from the story, and it was creepy as ever I'd say.

That being said... I started this Friday night when I could have just gone to sleep and I stayed up until I finished it :) So clearly not too creepy for me.  Great romance, eminently likeable characters (perhaps too Mary-Sueish for some in their apparent universal likeability and congeniality, but  I could handle it).  Adventure in the Amazon, talented ballerinas, a tropical villa with devoted staff, and all that good stuff.  What can I say - the creepiness was there, the melodrama was ever present, it wasn't particularly well-written, but it's my kind of story :)

Verdict: 3.75/5

Staple Rereading

As I mentioned in the previous post, short note on a re-read.  This goes back to Succos, but I think it is actually the most recent book I have read, insane as that is (I started another one at my in-laws a while ago, but haven't finished it, and, as mentioned in the previous post, am now in middle of something interesting which you will hear about eventually :)) (other than that, it's been Commentary magazine, as I struggle to keep up with the monthly (following Pesach, I am actually in middle of the current month's issue, woohoo.  New reading material coming up whenever I get out to the library!)  Anyway, the reread was my three-book volume of Clare Darcy novels. I don't remember why I decided to reread it, probably it had a somewhat prominent place on my bookshelf.  Last time I read it, I somewhat enjoyed it, more than the stand-alone Clare Darcys I found at Howard County library.  (I haven't reread my review of course, so maybe my memory is faulty :)) Anyway, I certainly enjoyed the books well enough this time around, though the bar is set rather low since I don't do all that much reading these days. She definitely does a good job imitating GH's tone but the books fall far short in both plot and characterization (and humor, too).  They don't move along quickly enough, I definitely found myself getting somewhat bored at times.  And the characters are just a little too silly at times.  Furthermore, my snobbery was offended by the relatively low birth of the girl in the first book and the guy in the second one. So I enjoyed the third one the most :) Plus that was the one that took place in London.  But can't complain, all easy enough reading in my very favorite genre.

Verdict: 3/5

Maybe a Little Worn, But So, So Comfy

As I mentioned previously, most of my reading over the past few months (really going back quite a while) has been Heyer, so no real pressure to review.   I finally picked up something else so it's a good time for me to do my Heyer shorties. As always, impressions aren't fresh in my mind at this point and of course it's not my first go round for any of these.  So you'll get what you get :)

Bath Tangle - I think I liked this one a little more than usual on this reread. Why? Gosh these hard questions :) The romance was good.  I think I felt like there were more moments than I had realized at previous times.  Really too bad I can't remember more at this point :)

Regency Buck - now I have a complicated relationship with this one. It was one of my first loves, and it does feature a very dashing hero and heroine. But as a more experienced Heyer reader, its status as GH's first Regency is quite clear.  There is a lot more focus on the culture and less on the couple.  And there's a mystery element that I can take or leave.  But I realized that a while ago, so that was already factored in to my enjoyment of the book. That being the case, I wouldn't say I liked it more than usual, but you, it certainly has its moments.

Sylvester - now this one I actually have something a little interesting to say :) Possibly because I remarked upon it when I actually read the book (to Dov) so I remember it now.  I've gone back and forth with Sylvester - when I first read it, I was in ecstasies about how it featured a rich duke as the hero.  But subsequent readings left me less enthusiastic, as the heroine is rather uninspiring (not to say a little annoying at times) dab of a girl and, furthermore, we sympathize first with Sylvester so that it is difficult to see Phoebe's point of view.  I think on the reading before this, I remember thinking it was a little more romantic than I had at times given it credit for - I didn't remember the details of their time in London and how it made their romance grow more naturally.  This time though, it was the end of the book that struck me.  So many Heyers have something of a wild goose chase or complicated plot at the end that (in my opinion) distracts from the main event.  This book, too, features a wild ride through France and back to England - *but* the interaction between Phoebe and Sylvester throughout is priceless.  Far from being a distraction, I found the last part of the book elevated it to a solid, satisfying romance.  (That's not to say I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I enjoy any Heyer even without the ending, I'm just saying this may now be back on my favorite GH list).

Arabella - an old favorite, and still a good one.  Is somewhat open to the criticism I mentioned above about the end of the book being distracting - it's less romantic than amusing almost.  But Mr Beaumaris (GH's answer to Brummell) is, of course, perfection.  And though others have found Arabella silly and naive, I find her sweet and poised (though admittedly lapsing into idiocy at times).  I think I did find this one *a little* less romantic than I have at other times, but maybe that's because I know the romantic moments so well? They felt like they had just a tad of "do, don't say" to them.  But still, not complaining about this, it's a thorough treat.

Frederica - also one of my faves.  Again, I know the romantic moments here almost too well to thoroughly enjoy them, but they are still unquestionably satisfying.  There is rather too much about Frederica's family in this book for my taste (always has been) but it really is a great story.  Romantic and great read, as always.

Venetia - I always like this one, but I think at some point I elevated it almost above every other GH.  This would be on the virtue of there being little else in this book beyond the love story (I mean there is Venetia's family background, but that doesn't seem like an altogether separate concern) and the supreme romance - there are A LOT of good moments in this book.  On this particular read, I found myself rather more bothered by Damerel's lack of morality than previous occasions though.  Not that he's such a bad person, but the book does rather celebrate his rakishness, and I see no reason for that.  Still, still, still, it's spoiled to complain.  These books are really the best of the best :)

And one last thing I'm tacking on to the end here.  Not a Heyer, but after I went through all these old faves, I was in the mood of another - Eva Ibbotson's The Morning Gift (which I have reviewed here previously).  An incredibly well-done romance, though there's no question that stylistically it can be irritating (many find it so irritating they never get past it, I have the ability to do so :))  Certainly enjoyed it on this reread, but again, I may know the romantic moments a *little* too well to thoroughly enjoy them.  I know exactly what's coming and so maybe have difficulty appreciating their proper significance.

Am I reading these books too often? Maybe in some cases... but nah.  Not like I didn't absolutely love each and every one of them, even if I didn't get quite, quite, quite as much as on previous reads.

Verdict: 5/5

A Little Gem Tucked Away In Ebook Land

The next title on the list is the only original read of my kindle fare, and, I'd say, the most interesting.  Looking at the top free books, I noticed one of the top was the title "Wired Love".  This was not a book I had ever heard of, and I assumed it wouldn't interest me, but for whatever reason (probably something I read in the reviews, but I don't remember what) I decided to give it a try. I assumed it would be a tale of love over the internet,  contemporary but by some new author giving it away for free for publicity.  It wasn't.  As was evident from the very beginning, this is a historical novel - about love over the telegraph! I think it was rediscovered as an interesting title recently, since of course, it foreshadows our current age of technological courtship, which is why I had never heard of it (excuses, excuses :)) It certainly isn't a great classic, and doesn't read by one.  But it certainly *is* right up my alley - light historical romance! (not the harlequin kind :))

I wasn't sure where the book would go, since the premise didn't seem like it would stretch to entire book.   Two telegraph operators flirt, eventually they meet... by that point, no more suspense, right? But surprisingly enough, though the book was not exactly a weighty tome, it managed to keep the story fresh and interesting all along.  The obstacles placed in the way of our heroes feel realistic enough, and their light romance is sweet and fun to follow along.  Not the deepest or most intellectual story, but undoubtedly a fun little tale.

Verdict: 4.75/5

Yeah, I Just Like Her

Well, it's been a while (surprise, surprise).  I didn't realize how long a while till I just checked the last post - almost two months! What happened? The usual of course, very busy so not reading so much and posting even less, but also, I did take on a slightly more demanding work following all this light fare... but that's not what I'm reviewing now :) (hopefully soon, as I am actually nearing completion).  What happened was... well on one of my many times away from home (yom tov!), hubs couldn't find this book so I told him to pack something else... more light favorites :) So that's what we're reviewing now (yes, well after yom tov when they were finished).  It's two more Georgettes, both from the less-frequently-read pile.

First Talisman Ring - I used to read this one a lot, as it was one of the few the library had in stock, and I always enjoyed it.  I don't know that I ever ranked it as a top-tier, and if I did, I demoted it a while ago :) But that's not to say I don't like it, I do.  It's one of the non-Regencies, taking places in the 1790's, and has that more adventuresome tone GH's non-Regencies do (this is called swashbuckler I have learned on Lauren Willig, IIRC she actually reviewed this very book recently and made the some comment).  Anyway, not quite as joking in tone, and with language a touch more stilted/old-fashioned, whatever.  And characters maybe a little more old-fashioned too.  I don't consider that a good thing, but it's not the worst certainly.  More of a point against TR is its status as mystery-lite, rather than straight romance.  I don't have quite as much time for those.  But you know, as always, Heyer does a great job.  The romance is ok, the plot is interesting (and surprisingly, I didn't even remember every plot turn, though I had pretty good vague ideas of most)... and once again, I find myself impressed with her writing, especially her humorous writing, which keeps me engaged even when I just might get annoyed with these old-fashioned characters and their dramatic mysteries :)

Then there was the Nonesuch.  I think I enjoyed this one very much the first time I read it but not as much in the time(s) following (I'm not sure how many there were) so I was even less familiar with this one.  This is a Regency romance (yay) but the main characters are a governess and philanthropist, not necessarily the *most* engaging set of circumstances (I think that's probably why this one fell out of favor). In addition, I have some vague notion that I didn't find the romance all that potent.  On that latter point, I was I think most happily proven wrong on this re-reading, it's a good, solid romance, with a decent amount of suspense, and all proper feelings (especially where it counts, on Sir Waldo's side :)) As for the governess aspect of the book, I didn't find it too irksome, and the philanthropist aspect doesn't take up too much time.  And on the plus side, this book is a sparkler! Light, bright and fun - maybe precisely because of the governess aspect, we get to look down on all the silly young people while going about in their company :) So what am I saying yet again? GH can write! Seamless prose, easy dialogue, and, oh, the humor! I'd say the Nonesuch went up a notch in my book and GH... well how much further can she go? :)

Verdict: 2 * 5/5

Don't Need Nothin' But Heyer

So I am once again phoneless, this time slightly more permanently as I await a replacement for my broken phone.  And since I have nothing else to do, it's time for more reviews.  I'm actually a fair way towards catching up on my backlog, partially because this next review is a compound… of all the Georgette Heyers I've read over the past few months (quite a number of months, I don't think I've reviewed the ones I read back in Baltimore and that was 8/9 months ago).  Not sure if I'll remember them all without my list (which is on my broken phone, and which I just realized I may never be able to retrieve :() But here goes…

I. The Grand Sophy

I read this one a while ago, so I'm not sure how much of a point there is in reviewing it - I don't really remember any specific impressions I had of it on this reading.  I know I liked it - this was the first GH I reread and I was eager to finish it, reading my own copy at home because I left Baltimore before finishing S.b.'s copy.  Which makes me realize that this was not a book I read when I was staying in Baltimore after BB was born, since I didn't go straight home then.  Must have been S.b.'s or Huvi's sheva brachos.  In any case, still a while ago.  And it was great.  It's funny, I think I care less about romance than I used to, maybe enjoy a little (a very little less).  But GH's books have only become more enjoyable since the romance is only a small part of what makes them good.  The characters, the dialogue, the humor - The Grand Sophy has those all in generous quantities, and that's what makes it one of the best.

II. Cotillion

This one was also read in starts and stops, partially in Baltimore, partially at home (I think at home, I know I took the book home to return it to Batya, its rightful owner).  Again, very enjoyable and again, I don't remember much about my specific impressions.  This one has a lot of story to it, and maybe not the most interesting story.. but GH makes it work, everything moving along swiftly enough to keep me from getting impatient.  And the characters (Freddy!) and romance all in good working order.  Another good one, though not quite as brilliant as the Grand Sophy I'd say.

III. The Unknown Ajax

Well here's something different - I don't own a copy of this one (though I've had Gital's since I borrowed it when we went to them for Shabbos in January and she has another one so I may buy this one off of her) and I've only read it once, if I recall correctly, and that back when I read all the GHs, in 9th grade.  So you can surmise that this was not one of my favorites then, and I wouldn't say it has become one of my favorites since.  But I've been in the mood to read it for a while, I think because it was cited a lot in Jennifer's Kloester's GH's Regency World (reviewed earlier on this blog), which made me think it was more Heyer-y than I had previously attributed.  Anyway, there's a reason this one wasn't one of my favorites - it's not a typical Heyer Regency skipping along merrily through the glittering Mayfair throng - it takes place on a rather impoverished (though noble, don't worry ;)) estate in Devon.  And the main character is a soldier - of low birth! (well low birth on one side, on the other he's heir to a Baroncy :)) And the story is less about the romantic relationship between our protagonists than about their family issues (they're cousins) and all that.  So yeah, not typical Heyer fun.  But still, the characters and the dialogue are there, and the romance too, though not so prominently.  And the story moves along well enough as usual.  I really think GH is a better writer than even I give her credit for :) Maybe I should even give her mysteries a try… well that might be taking it too far.  The Unknown Ajax, while maybe not quite in her typical bent, is still most definitely a Heyer Regency romance, and thus enjoyable by default :)

IV. The Corinthian

So after reading a few old favorites (I'm pretty sure there's one more I'm not remembering that hopefully I'll review below) and one lesser known work, I took the medium ground.  The Corinthian isn't one of my absolute favorite Heyers, but I've read it multiple times and liked it enough to purchase it (actually I'm a little surprised that I did, it was probably one of the last ones on my list of necessary ones :)) It's good, but against its favor, we have the setting - the road to Bristol (i.e. not London), the plot - jewel heist and cross-dressing drama (i.e. not dances and card parties :)), and the couple - suave older guy and silly young woman (i.e. not someone you want to see humbled by love and not someone you particularly see as fall-in-lovable).  But, but, but… we still have our awesome hero (that's probably why I have always rated this book highly) and a well-told romance.  And writing that makes it all very easy reading.  I think I'm seeing a theme here… GH is THE MAN (figuratively :))

V.  I thought there was another one, but I went through my books and I couldn't think of another one I had read recently (other than the two I reviewed back in December).  So I guess it's conclusion time - which I already stated above, GH can write! I love these books for the romance first and foremost of course, and for the setting that has become so closely associated with romance (of course because it's such a fun setting in the first place :)) But then there's the dialogue and the humor… part of it is acquired taste, but there's not doubt that Georgette Heyer is a talented author.  Glad her books are still living up to the test of time, and multiple re-readings :)

Verdict: 5! 5! 5 out of 5! (I'm imitating The Count from Sesame Street, which I picked up from Lauren Willig's website, if you're wondering)

Light, Fluffy, and Real-Life!

It's a good thing I'm keeping a list of books I need to review on my phone, because otherwise I don't think I'd know what's on my agenda (forget next on my agenda, order is on my whim at the moment).  So coming up next we've got Jen Lancaster - this is an author recommended by Laren Willig, who loves her books.  She writes non-fiction, comedic memoirs.  Not a genre I've read much of, but since she seems very well liked, definitely worth a try.  And two of her books were available from the library on kindle, so that settled it.

As I said, this isn't a genre I've read much of,  so not much to compare it with (I thought maybe Dave Barry since I've been read one of his books at Dov's parents' house but those aren't really memoirs).  Actually David Sedaris (Yael H. was at my house last Shabbos and reading this) but I've never read any of his books.  So I did find the format of the books interesting - it's a little hard to tell what's real, and what's, shall we say, exaggerated.  And there's of course not much plot and, sometimes, an iffy timeline.  But small potatoes... These books are funny, easy reading.  I read two of them, one is more about her childhood and one more about contemporary stuff, but both are just full of light anecdotes and slightly satirical portraits of Jen herself and everyone around her.  Like I said, I'm not sure how much was real and how much either fictionalized or fiction, but I don't think it matters.  I'm not sure how much it even mattered that these were non-fiction as oppose to fiction.  Well it's definitely funny when you can say, hah, I know people like that (or I know people exist like that, they don't exactly run in my circles :)) but even if I have to say, yeah, there's no one really like that, enough elements of human nature / life in America / and all that shine through to be appreciated.

So I liked these books - I don't think I liked one more than the other, they were pretty similar and kind of ran together a little bit, but I'd be happy to read more of the same.  Really quite perfect reading for nursing, as there's not much continuity involved and everything flows along pretty fast.  Almost surprising how much she has to say about not that much... unfortunately these were the only two available at the library, and I'm not interested in paying.   So maybe I'll get some physical copies out at some point, or maybe she's a finished chapter (for now).  But good stuff.

Verdict: 3.753.5/5

PS Just searched for an image, and she is quite hefty.  Not that it matters, but interesting (oish I'm horrible :)) But that started me thinking about the books, where she does go into some weight issues, and then I realized I should probably add a post script.  I did like these books, but I'd say they are kind of guilty pleasures - or semi annoying, however you look at it.  (I hope more the latter).  She is really not the most refined, or the nicest, person.  Oh well, she's still funny.  But I am lowering my verdict.

Another Imitator Fails To Live Up to GH (But We Don't Fault Her For Trying :))

(A note - I know I've said before that I'm behind, but now I'm really behind :) Going to do my best to review this in any case, mai oui :))

So what came next in my spate of kindle literature? Well this one actually came both before and after the Wodehouse.  Backstory - as you may know, one of my sources of new reading material is austenprose, though those books tend to be Austen paraliterature of course.  This year they are featuring a year-long reading group of the Regency novels of Candice Hern.  Now I had never heard of her, but I assumed that if she was being featured, she was probably not a typical Regency romance (that is, bodice-ripper (sorry for the slightly risque term, I did not originate it :))) writer.  And indeed, on looking her up, I found that she has a set of typical romances and then she has the ones being featured on austenprose, more "traditional".  So Regency romance, but clean? Certainly worth a shot.  Especially when I found that her books cost a mere $2.99 per piece, and 3 for $7.99 (kindle books are usually more like $9.99).

I started with the one listed first on her website, A Garden Folly (well actually I started with the free short story, which was very silly, but pretty much as expected and good enough to keep going).  Cannot say my expectations were high, but I have to say, they were definitely met, and possibly exceeded.  Don't get me wrong, the writing/characterization/plot were all nothing to write home about, but they weren't cringe-worthy either.  Characters were I think mostly fairly believable/close enough to Regency (that is, GH :)) standards, and the plot was entertaining (though it ran out of steam somewhere along the way).  The writing reminded me of something, maybe Julia Quinn, which isn't a bad thing I would say.  All in all, I'd say I was pleasantly surprised.

So naturally I moved on with the sequel, which I think is called A Matter of Expectations (or something similar - I'll look it up now and verify :) ... nope it's called The Best Intentions (not sure where I got that first title :)) I'd say I was slightly disappointed, mostly because my expectations were higher.  I can't remember why I liked this one less, but I definitely did.  I think I found it slightly more boring - I just didn't like the plot as much (that would make sense, as it involves a widower... children are just boring :) (well in romance novels where they are never potrayed well they're invariably boring anyway)) Other than that, I'd say the writing was of the same caliber - nothing to write home about but I wouldn't say cringe-worthy either.

That was all encouraging enough to move on to the Regency Rakes trilogy, which was available as a set for $7.99 (nice and cheap :)) And here's where things fell off.  The writing was substantially worse (more abrupt, overly dramatic, long-winded, you name it) than in the first two.  And the stories mostly ran out of steam far too early.  I really don't think I had any enjoyment of the romance at all - certainly no heart-squeezing moments.  Mostly just chugging along.  And I think the characters themselves were more stock, slightly more boring - though that might have just been me getting bored.  It's possibly I would have enjoyed these more if I started with them - but I'm pretty sure I would have been just as unimpressed.

There's still one more left to go, and maybe I'll get to it eventually (since this is definitely easy reading and that's pretty much what I want on the kindle).  But I can't say I'm very excited by the whole series.  Still, clean Regency romance? Something we can use more of, even in mediocre doses.

Verdict: 2.5/5 (being kind b/c it's a favorite genre :))