Forging an Art

Daily reports on DragonCon 2010 over at BSC: Day One, Day Two, and Day Three.   Over 400 pictures of the Con over at Flickr.

And what was left out of the reports . . .

The best time to arrive and get in line to pick up badges is NOT three o’clock on Friday afternoon.  That being said, there’s plenty to do during that three hour wait, like take pictures of costumed attendees and laugh back at the businessmen pointing and staring from the parking deck above. 

DragonCon is very educational.  I’m not kidding.  Where else can you learn about crossed letters and medieval poisoning techniques?  You can also discover very quickly what sort of fans are on each track and specifics within each track.  For example – fans of certain anime series.  Why were the only ones excited about my ten year old daughter’s Hikaru (Angelic Layer) costume middle-aged men?  In real life it would be creepy to have strange men grabbing my arm and asking to take my child’s picture . . . and at DragonCon it was, yes, a little creepy to have these men asking just that.  Wearing a costume is asking for attention, though, so we played along and enjoyed it, but I secretly hoped a young girl would approach and recognize my battle doll, just once.

Where else can you find a blue Power Ranger, Gandalf, Afro’thulu, and Obi Wan on stage together, never mind throwing footballs painted as gnomes?  At an actual person.  Standing in front of a sign advertising gnome punting.  This was, obviously, the World of Warcraft party.  Later on the same stage, Finn from Adventure Time approached to choose a raffle prize to shouts of “What time is it? Adventure time!”  He looked back out into the crowd to ask, as he pointed to the prizes, “Which one, honey?” which brought on more laughter . . . later, Finn asked ‘honey’ to marry him during the ‘after hours’ Warcraft gig.  Of course she said yes, because what could be more romantic than a man in a white-eared hat costumed as a child from a cartoon series proposing at a World of Warcraft party? 

The logisitics of ordering pizza for delivery during a DragonCon weekend – an hour on hold, and a three hour wait for delivery.  Upon arrival, the stunned teenager holding pizzas stares at the lobbyfull of costumes.  “What is wrong with these people?” he asks me.  That must be the ten thousand dollar question, and not one we actually ask out loud because after all, if we’re there, he’s asking about us, too.

While waiting for my son to take a turn on Mech Corps, a military simulation game that was very reasonably priced and engaging, the man in front of us – who had a gigantic bag that had a list of why Mythbusters is so awesome written on the side – turned around to complain about a woman who had pushed him around on the escalator.  “I’m fat,” he said. “But she was fatter.  Her fault.  A weapon of ass destruction.”

One of the Tolkien-Lewis panelists, M.B. Weston, caught my interest when talking about her Elysian Chronicles titles.  These sound like must haves for fantasy fans – guardian angel warfare and treason.  Speaking of the T-L panel, I have to mention that someone said The Silmarillion was an academic exercise.  I must must must beg to differ – if The Silmarillion isn’t great storytelling – a long, difficult read, yes, but read it out loud and you’ll see what I mean – I’ll give up coffee for a week.  Okay, a day – but it’s a safe bet and my favorite Tolkien title.

Holly Black, an incredibly popular and successful young adult author, has graphic novels illustrated by the very talented and approachable Ted Naifeh, who allowed me to snap a photo as he demonstrated his talents in the comic artists alley.  Shopping opportunities: we returned diligently to the Dragon Pets booth, where we bought a sweet pink and purple dragon last year, twice; once to buy an armored dragon and again for a multicolored one.  We also found an adorable, soft squid from Cyphre Voudou that has been well-loved and spends his nights sharing a bed with two American Girl dolls.  That doesn’t sound quite right but it’s true.  My quest for earrings – usual travel purchase – brought me back to Ravenwing, where I purchased jewelry last year for myself, my daughter, and my mother, so it was easy for me to pick up where I left off and stock up on some beautiful handcrafted items, including these beautiful beautiful fish earrings in my very favorite color.

Noticed in the parade but too quick for me to catch a photo – in the Star Wars group, a woman with a “Hutters” t-shirt that looked very like a “Hooters” t-shirt.  It took a moment before several men behind me started yelling “Hutters!  Hutters!” and caught her attention.  She turned and waved like Miss America, perfectly comfortable as any Hooters girl would be, but obviously, much cooler.  At least with the DragonCon crowd.

*Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews, July 2010.

Contemporary:
Andersen, Susan. Burning Up
Ciotta, Beth. Into the Wild
Edwards, Louisa. Just One Taste
Halliday, Gemma. The Perfect Shot
Hubbard, Charlotte. Law of Attraction
Mallery, Susan. Finding Perfect
Phillips, Carly. Love Me If You Dare

Erotica:
Burton, Jaci. Riding the Night
Davis, Jo. I Spy a Naughty Game
Dupree, Delta. Purely Sexual
Harper, Vonna, et al. Sexy Beast 9
Hill, Joey W. Vampire Trinity
Perrin, Kayla. Control
Phillips, Christina. Forbidden

Fantasy:
Carriger, Gail. Blameless
Golden, Christopher. When Rose Awakes

Historical:
Donner, Kit. The Vengeful Bridegroom
Drake, Olivia. Never Trust a Rogue
Fletcher, Donna. Bound to a Warrior
Gaston, Diane. Chivalrous Captain, Rebel Mistress
Greenwood, Leigh. No One But You
Hill, Sandra. The Viking Takes a Night
Johnson, Kathryn. The Gentleman Poet
Kernan, Jenna. His Dakota Captive
Kyle, Barbara. The Queen’s Captive
Lee, Jade. Wicked Surrender
Linden, Caroline. You Only Love Once
McCarty, Monica. The Hawk
Medeiros, Teresa. The Devil Wears Plaid
Petersen, Jenna. The Unclaimed Duchess
Quinn, Paula. Seduced by a Highlander
Richards, Caroline. The Deadliest Sin
Scott, Susan Holloway. The Countess and the King
Stuart, Anne. Reckless
Warren, Tracy Ann. Wicked Delights of a Bridal Bed
Wildes, Emma. My Lord Scoundrel
Willingham, Michelle. Surrender to an Irish Warrior
Wilson, Gayle. Claiming the Forbidden Bride

Inspirational:
Gray, Shelley Shepard. Autumn’s Promise

Mainstream Fiction:
Ballis, Stacey. Good Enough to Eat
Coleman, Rowan. The Home for Broken Hearts
Hardin, Robyn. Chronicles of a Midlife Crisis
LaZebnik, Claire. If You Lived Here, You’d Be Home by Now
Macomber, Debbie. 1022 Evergreen Place
Michaels, Fern. Exclusive
Noonan, Rosalind. In a Heartbeat
Rendell, Joanne. Out of the Shadows
Riggle, Kristina. The Life You’ve Imagined
Shors, John. The Wishing Trees

Mystery:
Albert, Susan Wittig. The Tale of Oat Cake
Arruda, Suzanne. The Crocodile’s Last Embrace
Baxter, Cynthia. Crossing the Lion
Bowen, Rhys. Royal Blood
Coel, Margaret. The Spider’s Web
Henry, Sue. Cold as Ice
Kiely, Tracy. Murder on the Bride’s Side
Lavene, Joyce and Jim. Deadly Daggers
McGee, Chaz. Angel Interrupted
Mayes, Casey. A Deadly Row
Meier, Leslie. Wicked Witch Murder
Olson, Karen E. Driven to Ink
Paretsky, Sara. Body Work
Riggs, Cynthia. Touch-Me-Not
Ryan, Annelise. Scared Stiff
Stanley, Jennifer. The Way of the Guilty

Paranormal:
Adrian, Lara. Taken by Midnight
Aiken, G.A. Last Dragon Standing
Archer, Zoe. Warrior
Bardsley, Michele. Cross Your Heart
Bast, Anya. Cruel Enchantment
Beck, J.K. When Blood Calls
Burns, Monica. Assassin’s Heart
Castle, Jayne. Midnight Crystal
Cole, Kresley. Demon From the Dark
Day, Alyssa. Atlantis Betrayed
Delacroix, Claire. Rebel
Dodd, Christina. Chains of Fire
Douglas, Kate. Hellfire
Feehan, Christine. Dark Peril
Fox, Addison. Warrior Avenged
Frank, Jacquelyn, et al. Nocturnal
Graham, Heather. Ghost Moon
Howell, Hannah, et al. Yours for Eternity
Ione, Larissa. Sin Undone
Kantra, Virginia. Immortal Sea
Kohler, Sharie. My Soul to Keep
McCarthy, Erin, et al. The Beast Within
Marsh, Anne. Bond With Me
Monajem, Barbara. Tastes of Love & Evil
Sands, Lynsay. Born to Bite
Silver, Eve. Sins of the Soul
Sizemore, Susan. Primal Instincts
Snyder, Maria V. Spy Glass
Strong, Jory. Healer’s Choice
Treanor, Marie. Blood on Silk
Walker, Shiloh. Veil of Shadows

Romantic Suspense:
Adams, Jeanne. Deadly Little Secrets
Banks, Maya. The Darkest Hour
Barton, Beverly. Don’t Cry
Brady, Kate. Last to Die
Dane, Jordan. The Echo of Violence
Leigh, Lora. Renegade
Monroe, Lucy. Close Quarters
Novak, Brenda. Body Heat
Shayne, Maggie. Kiss Me, Kill Me

Science Fiction:
Aguirre, Ann. Killbox

Suspense:
Cain, Chelsea. Evil at Heart
Corin, Joshua. While Galileo Preys
Dittrich, Stacy. The Rapture of Omega
Indridason, Arnaldur. Hypothermia
van Heugten, Antoinette. Saving Max

Time Travel:
Squires, Susan. The Mists of Time

Urban Fantasy:
Bickle, Laura. Sparks
Gay, Kelly. The Darkest Edge of Dawn
Gray, Sarah. Wuthering Bites
Petersen, Jesse. Married With Zombies
Stein, Jeanne C. Chosen
Turner, Joan Frances. Dust

*Courtesy of RT Book Reviews, May 2010.

Contemporary:
Dahl, Victorial. Crazy for Love
Leigh, Lora and Jaci Burton. Nauti and Wild
London, Julia. One Season of Sunshine
Mallery, Susan. Almost Perfect
Miller, Linda Lael. Austin
Ross, JoAnn. The Homecoming
Sey, Susan. Money, Honey
Shepherd, Kandy. Home is Where the Bark Is

Erotica:
Adams, Tessa. Dark Embers
Carew, Opal. Bliss
Dane, Lauren. Insatiable
Douglas, Kate. Wolf Tales 10
Stevens, Shelli. Need Me
Tyler, Alison, et al. Alison’s Wonderland
Williamson, Beth. Unbridled

Fantasy:
Lackey, Mercedes. The Sleeping Beauty
Mills, K.E. Wizard Squared

Historical:
Ashley, Jennifer. Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage
Ashworth, Adele. The Duke’s Captive
Barbieri, Elaine. Renegade
Blayney, Mary. A Courtesan’s Kiss
Bridges, Kate. Alaska Bride on the Run
Brisbin, Terri. The Mercenary’s Bride
Busbee, Shirlee. Passion Becomes Her
Dain, Claudia. Daring a Duke
Dare, Tessa. Twice Tempted by a Rogue
Dreyer, Eileen. Barely a Lady
Feather, Jane. Rushed to the Altar
Foley, Gaelen. My Dangerous Duke
Henke, Shirl. Love Lessons at Midnight
Kalogridis, Jeanne. The Scarlet Contessa
Kleypas, Lisa. Love in the Afternoon
Lang, Emma. Ruthless Heart
Laurens, Stephanie. The Brazen Bride
Long, Julie Ann. I Kissed an Earl
Merrill, Christine. Paying the Virgin’s Price
Parr, Sarah. His for the Taking
Quincy, Olivia. My Lady’s Pleasure
Rice, Patricia. The Wicked Wyckerly
Rodale, Maya. A Groom of One’s Own
Scott, Amanda. Tempted by a Warrior
Scott, Bronwyn. Untamed Rogue, Scandalous Mistress
Simons, Paullina. Tatiana and Alexander
Taylor, Janelle. Cherokee Storm
Thomas, Jodi, et al. Give Me a Texas Ranger
Thomas, Melody. Claimed by a Scottish Lord

Inspirational:
Noble, Diane. The Sister Wife

Mystery:
Aames, Avery. The Long Quiche Goodbye
Adams, Riley. Delicious and Suspicious
Blair, Annette. Death by Diamonds
Campion, Alexander. The Grave Gourmet
Daniels, Casey. Tomb With a View
Davidson, Eileen. Diva Las Vegas
Johnston, Linda O. Feline Fatale
Lakin, Rita. Getting Old is Tres Dangereux
Laurie, Victoria. A Glimpse of Evil
Lowe, Sheila. Last Writes
Maffini, Mary Jane. Closet Confidential
Peacock, Caro. A Family Affair

Paranormal:
Brook, Meljean. Demon Blood
Cassidy, Dakota. My Way to Hell
Davidson, MaryJanice. Undead and Unfinished
Dodd, Christina. Chains of Ice
Eden, Cynthia. I’ll Be Slaying You
Galenorn, Yasmine. Night Myst
Graham, Heather. Ghost Shadow
Hatfield, Meagan. Shadow of the Vampire
Jackson, Melanie. The Ghost and Miss Demure
Kellison, Erin. Shadow Bound
MacAlister, Katie, et al. Cupid Cats
Marley, Louise. Mozart’s Blood
Palmer, Pamela. Rapture Untamed
Showalter, Gena. The Darkest Lie
Singh, Nalini. Bonds of Justice

Romantic Suspense:
Adair, Cherry. Black Magic
Adair, Cherry et al. The Bodyguard
Bush, Nancy. Blind Spot
Davis, Dee. Dangerous Desires
Garbera, Katherine. The Pirate
Griffin, Laura. Unspeakable
Neggers, Carla. The Whisper
Parrish, Leslie. Cold Sight
Roberts, Nora. The Search
Sala, Sharon. Torn Apart
Shayne, Maggie. Killing Me Softly

Suspense:
Cantrell, Rebecca. A Night of Long Knives
Freveletti, Jamie. Running Dark
Gardner, Lisa. Live to Tell
Johansen, Iria and Roy. Shadow Zone
Mofina, Rick. The Panic Zone

Time Travel:
Bangs, Nina. An Original Sin

Urban Fantasy:
Ashwood, Sharon. Unchained
Brennan, Allison. Carnal Sin
Drake, Jocelynn. Pray for Dawn
Gideon, Nancy. Chased by Moonlight
Holmes, Jeannie. Blood Law
Kane, Stacia. Unholy Magic
MacKenzie, Kasey. Red Hot Fury
Neill, Chloe. Twice Bitten
Peeler, Nicole. Tracking the Tempest
Phoenix, Adrian. Black Dust Mambo
Robertson, Linda. Fatal Circle
Vaughn, Carrie. Discord’s Apple
Vaugh, Carrie. Kitty Goes to War

Young Adult:
Noel, Alyson. Dark Flame

My return to Anna Godbersen’s young adult Gilded Age soap with Splendor, the fourth and last in The Luxe series, became a pleasant evening of surprises early on with the realization that her writing, along with her characters, has matured with a polish as delicate as the opal beads on Carolina Broad’s wedding gown.  Readers unfamiliar with the first three Luxe titles (The Luxe, Rumors, and Envy) should take the time to visit these tumultuous relationships during their chronological development rather than attempt to jump in at the end of the author’s two year publishing streak.   Some of the events in the first three novels were a bit predictable; not so with the final episode of the drama. 

Turn of the century New York stages most of the action in this tale, save for a visit to Cuba where love reigns true, at least for the moment.  Posturing and partying is what this group of young adults do best, but settling into a life of responsibilities, disappointments, and acceptance is what is required.  Carolina, the housemaid turned arm candy turned destitute beggar turned heiress, finds herself again on a rollercoaster of constant fear of being discovered for who and what she really is before she can marry the man of her dreams, who requires a gentlewoman for his wife – certainly not a servant.  Claire, the sister who has been loyal and loving to Carolina throughout Carolina’s search for happiness, rescues her weary sister with a dose of simplicity and reality when her plans again go awry and all seems lost.

Elizabeth, the romantic beauty who has lost her true love in a devastating and violent turn of events, knows the pressures that Carolina, formerly employed by Elizabeth’s family, endures because of the class expectations that take precedence over emotional bonds.  Pregnant and widowed, she is encouraged to marry the kind family friend who always seems to be available to help; too available, in fact, to be unmotivated by personal gain.  The murderous shift in character is a shock, but details bring his history and purpose to light, making it a believable and exciting change.  Elizabeth’s rescue comes in the form of a longtime admirer whose timing is, quite literally, lifesaving.

Elizabeth’s younger sister, Diana, stays true to form by following Henry, her sister’s former fiancée and rival Penelope’s husband, out of the country when he joins the military, working to support herself, and determined to find Henry.  Such unheard of behavior is typical of the dark-haired, tempestuous girl, who follows her heart regardless of consequences, at least until the end.  “It’s not that I care what they say, and I know you do not.  But I don’t want to live in a place where all I can hear is the whispering about what a little tramp I am,” she offers her distraught lover when he begs her to stay with him after a long struggle to find a way to overcome obstacles to their relationship, not the least, his wife.  Diana strays from her character here, leaving an unbelievable void where one would expect to find her with Henry, happily ever after, or if not, at least with a plausible explanation.  She has never been interested in the opinions of others, and her pursuit of Henry knows no bounds; so her excuse is, one could say, not hers at all, as far as the Diana who has been drawn for us over four novels would give.

Penelope, Elizabeth’s former best friend, Henry’s wife, and resident bad girl, gets a dose of her own medicine for a change as the drama winds down, and rises, tough and worn, to survive, as she must, at the end.  Trapped in a loveless marriage, she realizes her position and responsibilities call for a different approach to life: “she began to feel that they might go on, just as they were, for a very long time.”  Echoes of the final lines of The Great Gatsby are clear, as is Penelope’s and Henry’s awareness that some things never change, although people might, and fighting one’s destiny may prove more harm than good.

I heard vague inklings about the coming release of this steampunk novel by Cherie Priest many months ago, then definite excitement from Tor editors along with Tiffany Trent (Hallowmere) during a panel on Victorian lit and steampunk at DragonCon.  And steampunk itself?  Does Alice in Wonderland qualify, and how about A Connecticut Yankee?  Is the historical nature of a story vital to the steampunk definition?  Leaving the beaten path . . .

A boneshaker was actually – IRL – an iron bicycle with a wooden seat, sans springs.  Ouch.  In Priest’s tale, it is a mining machine, doomed to create havoc and destroy life, as it were, in late nineteenth century Seattle, a Seattle not yet part of the States, and the States still in the midst of the Civil War, which has continued for nearly two decades.   This is really a story of a tough woman set on saving her teenage son, and the relationship between the two that has led up to his adventure and how it changes during and because of their discoveries.  Priest is all about a fast pace, which keeps the reader’s eye on the page and wanting more; her descriptions are detailed but not overdone; and the emotional drama is present but not mushy or overpowering. 

My only question – and perhaps not a question, at that – regards a statement by Yaozu, in answer to Zeke’s question about the power behind the lights:  “They are powered by the future.”  Nothing more is mentioned about this ‘future’ aspect, and I was left wondering through the rest of the novel what, if anything, the future had to do with the doctor or the technology.  I thought perhaps the doctor had appeared from the future – a la Connecticut Yankee – or the knowledge/machinery itself had been transported in some manner from the future.

Forget Cliff’s Notes and SparkNotes – breeze through the classics with Sarah Schmelling’s Ophelia Joined the Group Maidens Who Don’t Float.  This looked amusing as a title, but the book in hand is hilarious.  The treatment of the traditional school reading list torture, including Moby Dick and Little Women, is instructive, with valuable insight regarding characterization in particular, while maintaining snort-inducing humor.  Yes, snort-inducing.  The connections, which are key to the Facebook mindset, make real people out of some pretty cardboard characters, as Schmelling imagines interactions that never could or would happen between a variety of characters and authors.  Where else can you find references to Henry James, Jerry Seinfeld, and Mr. Roper – of Three’s Company fame/infamy – in one volume?  Actually, I don’t think I have ever seen Mr. Roper referenced before, except in TV Guide, and I don’t think that counts.

The Adventures of Amir Hamza.  This was required reading, and a long tale to boot, as are most epics.  It is rather repetitive, again, as some epics, with the usual battle, triumph, marriage/feast.  There is a particularly strange line/translation that I just can’t make sense of – “her eyebrows shot out the arrows of her eyelashes and deeply pierced his heart” and one phrase that I really like – “the crocodile of their swords.”  What a great image, and one I have not yet encountered.  I like the dust clouds that, while contrived, magically appear before or during a battle to offer an intermission, if you will, for discussion and consideration between armies and enemies.

How to Take Over Teh Wurld – this is an absolute scream.  Beyond snorting, in fact.  I can’t get enough of these great cat pictures, tagged with brilliantly hysterical captions in LOL-speak.  For someone like me, who responds to my son’s “ROFL” with “MAO” – not via email, but in everyday passing conversation, as if such an exchange could be considered conversation – this is like manna from the sky.  This sort of business keeps me sane, or insane, take your pick.  I need to get my hands on its predecessor, I Can Has Cheezburger? in order to make my life complete.

I made the mistake of re-reading Rebecca West’s Henry James. I really can’t stand Rebecca West, but I know I need to – and want to – know what others think of my man Henry.  As my coworker Miss Terri says, it’s best to know your enemy.  What an obnoxious, self-centered person this one was, too.

More required reading in the form of Efuru, the very concise tale of an African woman that leaves so much unsaid.  Nwapa’s no-nonsense prose is reminiscent of Hemingway and the iceberg; so much under the surface.  This book could be ten times as long as it is, but there is no reason for an expansion.  Efuru’s experience is understood, and the lack of bemoaning her plight or celebrating her triumph – if it is a triumph, and isn’t it pretty to think so – only adds to that which the reader can imagine.

Just finished Jacqueline Kolosov’s A Sweet Disorder, which was, well, sweet, but not as good as The Red Queen’s Daughter.  It was a bit slow to start but I knew that Kolosov would make the time investment worthwhile, and she did.  The focus on needlework made this romance particularly interesting to me, along with the relationship between embroidery and healing, both of which require strong observation and creative skills: “a man must study life if he is to master even a fraction of its complexity,” one of Miranda’s suitors notes, and in this case, it is attention to detail that allows her and other strong female characters to greater agency in their fates. 

Who else can accuse a character of “excessive barbering” but Scott Donaldson?  Just in love with his collection of essays, Fitzgerald and Hemingway: Works and Days.

*courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine, August 2009.

Contemporary:
Allison, Liz, and Wendy Etherington. Winning It All
Angell, Kate, et. al. Santa, Honey
Dailey, Janet. Santa in a Stetson
DeLeon, Jana. Mischief in Mudbug
Dimon, HelenKay. Holding Out for a Hero
Garvey, Amy. Christmas Spirit
Holm, Stef Ann. All That You Are
Kaufmann, Donna, et. al. Kissing Santa Claus
Macomber, Debbie, et. al. That Holiday Feeling
McLane, LuAnn. He’s No Prince Charming
Phillips, Carly. Lucky Break
Wiggs, Susan. Lakeshore Christmas

Erotica:
Banks, Maya. Sweet Seduction
Carr, Susanna. The Year of Living Shamelessly
Fox, Cathryn. Instinctive
Harper, Vonna. Taming the Cougar
Hart, Megan. No Greater Pleasure
Lloyd, Joan Elizabeth. The Spicy Bedtime Companion
McCarty, Sarah. Tucker’s Claim
Mellor, P.J., et. al. Under the Covers
Pearce, Kate. Simply Wicked
Sunny. Lucinda, Dangerously
Templeton, Julia. Sinjin

Fantasy:
Andrews, Ilona. On the Edge
Carriger, Gail. Soulless
Gilman, Laura Anne. Flesh and Fire

Historical:
Ashley, Jennifer, et al. A Christmas Ball
Astor, Kristi. A Midnight Clear
Blake, Veronica. Black Horse
Bryant, Sarah. Sand Daughter
Carlyle, Liz. Wicked All Day
Caskie, Kathryn. The Most Wicked of Sins
Cornick, Nicola, et. al. Together by Christmas
Dare, Tessa. A Lady of Persuasion
Finch, Carol, et. al. Cowboy Christmas
Goodger, Jane. A Christmas Scandal
Hunter, Jillian. A Wicked Lord at the Wedding
Ivie, Jackie. Once Upon a Knight
Jewel, Carolyn. Indiscreet
Johnson, Angela. Vow of Seduction
Justiss, Julia. From Waif to Gentleman’s Wife
Kenny, Janette. A Cowboy Christmas
Killian, Kimberly. Highland Dragon
Kleypas, Lisa. Tempt Me at Twilight
MacGillivray, Deborah. One Snowy Knight
MacNish, Tracy. Stealing Midnight
Maguire, Margo. Taken by the Laird
Marlowe, Deb. Her Cinderella Season
Maxwell, Cathy. The Earl Claims His Wife
Michaels, Kasey. How to Tame a Lady
Raleigh, Deborah. Seduce Me by Christmas
Small, Bertrice. The Border Lord and the Lady
Smith, Kathryn. When Seducing a Duke
Thomas, Jodi. The Lone Texan
Welfonder, Sue-Ellen. A Highlander’s Temptation
Willingham, Michelle. Taming Her Irish Warrior

Mainstream Fiction:
Brant, Marilyn. According to Jane
Chamberlain, Holly. One Week in December
Coleman, Rowan. The Accidental Family
Harper, Sandra. Over the Holidays
Macomber, Debbie. The Perfect Christmas
Michaels, Fern. Razor Sharp
Thompson, Nancy Robards. An Angel in Provence

Mystery:
Beaton, M.C. There Goes the Bride
Childs, Laura. Tragic Magic
Crombie, Deborah. Necessary as Blood
Daniels, Casey. Dead Man Talking
Dunnett, Kaitlyn. A Wee Christmas Homicide
Ferris, Monica. Blackwork
Fiffer, Sharon. Scary Stuff
Fluke, Joanne. Plum Pudding Murder
Hamilton, Barbara. The Ninth Daughter
McCoy, Judi. Heir of the Dog
Watson, Wendy Lyn. I Scream, You Scream
Webb, Peggy. Elvis and the Grateful Dead

Paranormal:
Armintrout, Jennifer. Queene of Light
Ashley, Amanda. Immortal Sins
Bangs, Nina. My Wicked Vampire
Black, Shayla. Seduce Me in Shadow
Brook, Meljean. Demon Forged
Delacroix, Claire. Guardian
Graham, Heather. Unhallowed Ground
Inclan, Jessica. The Beautiful Being
Jones, Lisa Renee, et. al. Awakening the Beast
Kenner, Julie. Demon Ex Machina
Klasky, Mindy. How Not to Make a Wish
Leigh, Lora, et. al. Hot for the Holidays
Macela, Ann. Wild Magic
Marsh, Anne. The Hunt
Neill, Chloe. Friday Night Bites
Perry, Kate. Chosen by Desire
Sands, Lynsay. The Renegade Hunter
Slade, Jessa. Seduced by Shadows
Ward, J.R. Covet
Warren, Christine. Big Bad Wolf
Windsor, Anna. Captive Spirit
York, Rebecca. Dragon Moon

Romantic Suspense:
Alden, Jami. Unleashed
Brant, Kylie. Waking Evil
Brothers, Marilee. Rock and Roll Queen of Bedlam
Butcher, Shannon K. Love You to Death
Cassidy, Carla. Up Close and Personal
Gerard, Cindy. Feel the Heat
Novak, Brenda. The Perfect Murder
O’Clare, Lorie. Long, Lean and Lethal
Rush, Jaime. Out of the Darkness
St. Claire, Roxanne. Make Her Pay
Tyler, Stephanie. Hard to Hold

Suspense:
Carroll, Margaret. Riptide
Johansen, Iris. Blood Game
Kava, Alex. Black Friday
Pinter, Jason. The Fury

by the reliably wonderful Donna Jo Napoli, reviewed here.

Latest review up at BSCReview.com.

Rosemary Wells is a big hit at our house – we adore Max and Ruby, as well as Yoko the cat.  When this book came across my desk, reading it was a certainty.  Around the same time, my daughter’s third grade class was working on a research assignment about first ladies of the United States.  My daughter and I were very happy that she was honored with Nancy Reagan as her first lady, and we learned quite a bit about Mrs. Reagan and President Reagan from the books I brought home from work.  One of her friends studied Mary Todd Lincoln, and her mother was less than thrilled.  “She ended up in a looney bin,” she complained, and her daughter made a point of that in her presentation.  As I knew only the basic facts about Mrs. Lincoln – she came from money, which made President Lincoln’s campaigns possible, for example – I was unaware that she had four sons, three of whom died before she did.  No wonder the poor woman lost it. 

Wells’ book is a childlike vision of two of those sons, Tad and Willie, as they watch their father rise to the presidency, never losing his perspective on the value of his family in the midst of the fuss and bother of politics.  Tad and Willie take turns narrating a brief time in the life of a family caught in the larger family struggle of the American Civil War.  Lincoln’s sons bring the man, as well as the boys, to life, and put the Civil War in all its fury in the context of one close and loving family.  Two of the four members of this family die while living in the White House; one lives only a few years longer, leaving a mother as the only one to speak of the devastation she suffers.

The timeliness of finding this book, along with the skill of the author, makes this one of my favorite books.  P.J. Lynch’s attentive paintings do justice to the camaraderie between father and sons, and captures the humor in a father’s indulgence during meetings with others who don’t particularly appreciate the childish antics of a beloved son.

  Bits and pieces off the shelf . . .

Eudora Welty as Photographer
Pearl Amelia McHaney, Sandra S. Phillips and Deborah Willis contribute very informative essays to surround this collection of thoughtful photographs by this great Southern writer.  Of great interest is the discussion on Welty’s use of light as she captures moments in time, moments when flickers of interest pass through a man and a woman’s face as they meet on the street, or as tomato pickers on a break talk amongst themselves, a few noticing the camera and gazing at what? The device, the photographer?  What do they think as they are frozen in time, carried forever into the future and the gaze of readers like me?  They may be lost to us, but their expressions become familiar as we recognize them as our own.  Welty the photographer shines through the black and white of these pages in a must-see collection of Americana.

The Du Mauriers
When one’s family history is as fascinating as Daphne Du Maurier’s, what else can a great writer do but fictionalize it?  First published in 1937, this no holds barred account of her, um, more interesting predecessors shows no shame or pity on the part of the author.  She weaves her great-great grandmother into a caricature of motherhood, a woman devoid of morals and obsessed with pleasure.  Her daughter Ellen is a serious child, embarassed by her mother and eventually disappointed in her husband and her children.  George, or “Kicky,” her eldest and the author’s grandfather, stumbles on his way to becoming the writer we remember him to be.  This is quite a soap opera, and since, as we say, the truth is often stranger than fiction, it is the more charming for it.

Mouse Noses on Toast
Oh, the cleverness of an insane Tinby! 

A Gift of Grace
First time author Amy Clipston has penned a complicated story that makes it clear that in spite of the simplicity of the Amish way of life, members of the Amish community struggle with the same relationship problems and emotional issues as the rest of the world.  When Rebecca’s sister Grace, who left the community and the faith years earlier, dies along with her husband in a car accident, she becomes guardian to her two nieces.  Lindsay finds comfort in Amish traditions and beliefs, but Jessica wrestles with her aunt and uncle, insisting that she doesn’t belong with them.  Rebecca wants to fulfill her sister’s wish to raise the girls, but her insistence may be blinding her to God’s will.  I was sorry to reach the end of this well-written story, and will be happy to see the next book in this series.

Crowned in a Far Country
This is more than a series of facts about eight royal brides; Princess Michael of Kent reveals the distinct personalities of each woman as she fulfills her duties as a monarch.  Some had voracious appetites for men or for jewels; others longed mostly for their homeland and their families.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that Catherine the Great, known for her many lovers, was patron of her new country’s literary culture.  She founded the Russian Academy of Letters and charged them with producing a dictionary and a grammar for the Russian language, both of which did not exist before Catherine determined the need.  The other seven contributed in some way to their new culture, making the best of what, in some cases, were frightening and unwelcome situations.

Sarah MacLean’s debut is just the thing for those girls who have been sneaking peeks at Mother’s regency romances, but aren’t quite ready for some of the more adult themes and details many of them carry.  Three friends enter the social season together, determined to maintain their independence in spite of the pressure to marry the best prospect as soon as possible.  Meanwhile, a Stephanie Laurens-esque mystery, replete with murder motivated by treason, greed, and jealousy, keeps the story, and romance, brewing.  My only issue - Alex’s lady’s maid, Eliza, has a strange accent that comes and goes.  Is it an Essex (as one might expect, considering the setting and facts of Eliza’s upbringing) accent, and if so, why does it follow only certain trends of such an accent, and not others?

I read this in one evening, bowl of popcorn and large, warm cat friend at hand, and went to sleep with pleasant, Austen-inspired dreams.  Here’s to hoping Ms. MacLean lets readers in on events that lead to the happy marriages of the other two heroines left single at the end of this title.

Publisher’s previews for July 2009, courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews:

Chick Lit:
Coplin, Kira. Pop Tart
Dean, Zoey. Hollywood is Like High School With Money

Contemporary:
Andersen, Susan. Bending the Rules
Bond, Stephanie, et. al. Sand, Sun . . . Seduction!
Dahl, Victoria. Start Me Up
Langtry, Leslie. I Shot You Babe
Leigh, Lora, et. al. Real Men Last All Night
Mallery, Susan. Straight From the Hip
Maynard, Janice. Mating Game
Shalvis, Jill. Double Play
Shalvis, Jill. Instant Gratification
Shepherd, Kandy. Love is a Four-Legged Word

Erotica:
Betts, Lucinda. What She Wants
Carew, Opal. Secret Ties
Devlin, Delilah. Darkness Burning
Douglas, Kate. Wolf Tales VIII
Evans, Anna J. Skin Deep
Harper, Vonna, et. al. Tempted by a Cowboy
Hart, Megan. Deeper
Lee, Deanna. Games Girls Play
McCarty, Sarah. Wild Instinct

Fantasy:
Mills, K.E. Witches Incorporated

Historical:
Allen, Louise. The Disgraceful Mr. Ravenhurst
Blayney, Mary. Stranger’s Kiss
Brisbin, Terri. The Conqueror’s Lady
Busbee, Shirlee. Surrender Becomes Her
Cameron, Deanna. The Belly Dancer
Chase, Loretta. Don’t Tempt Me
Cornick, Nicola. The Scandals of an Innocent
Duran, Meredith. Bound by Your Touch
Foley, Gaelen. My Wicked Marquess
Garlock, Dorothy. The Moon Looked Down
Grange, Amanda. Colonel Brandon’s Diary
Gray, Allegra. Nothing But Scandal
Healey, Judith Koll. The Rebel Princess
Heath, Lorraine. Surrender to the Devil
Henke, Shirl. Chosen Woman
Jeffries, Sabrina. Wed Him Before You Bed Him
Kalogridis, Jeanne. The Devil’s Queen
Kayne, Stacey. Mountain Wild
Lejeune, Tamara. The Heiress in His Bed
Mallory, Anne. For the Earl’s Pleasure
Mallory, Margaret. Knight of Desire
Marcos, Michelle. Wickedly Ever After
Maxwell, Cathy, et. al. Four Dukes and a Devil
Merrill, Christine. A Wicked Liaison
Putney, Mary Jo. Loving a Lost Lord
Quinn, Julia. What Happens in London
Rice, Patricia. Mystic Warrior
Rickloff, Alix. Dangerous as Sin
Rubenhold, Hallie. The Lady in Red
Scott, Amanda. Tamed by a Laird
Scott, Susan Holloway. The French Mistress
Smith, Bobbi. Runaway
Wells, Christine. Wicked Little Game
Williamson, Beth. The Redemption of Micah

Inspirational:
Smith, Debra White. Texas Heat

Mainstream Fiction:
Carter, Mary. Sunnyside Blues
Frank, Dorothea Benton. Return to Sullivan’s Island
Harbison, Beth. Hope in a Jar
Monroe, Mary Alice. Last Light Over Carolina
Morsi, Pamela. Red’s Hot Honky-Tonk Bar
Page, Jean Reynolds. The Last Summer of Her Other Life
Porter, Jane. Easy on the Eyes
Richards, Emilie. Happiness Key
Sheehan, Jacqueline. Now & Then
Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa. The Husband Habit
Wingate, Lisa. The Summer Kitchen

Mystery:
Alt, Madelyn. Where There’s a Witch
Blackwell, Juliet. Secondhand Spirits
Bowen, Rhys. Royal Flush
Connolly, Sheila. Rotten to the Core
Howell, Dorothy. Purses and Poison
McGee, Chaz. Desolate Angel
Olson, Karen E. The Missing Ink

Paranormal:
Burton, Jaci. Taken by Sin
Day, Alyssa. Atlantis Unmasked
Eden, Cynthia. Midnight’s Master
Feehan, Christine. Hidden Currents
Finn, Lucy. Best Wishes Always
Frank, Jacquelyn. Rapture
Graham, Heather. Dust to Dust
Havens, Candace. Dragons Prefer Blondes
Holly, Emma. Breaking Midnight
Kane, Tammy. Breath of Fire
Madison, Tracy. A Stroke of Magic
O’Shea, Patti. Edge of Dawn
Palmer, Pamela. Desire Untamed
Raye, Kimberly. Sucker for Love
Showalter, Gena. Seduce the Darkness
Singh, Nalini. Branded by Fire

Romantic Suspense:
Brady, Kate. One Scream Away
Christofferson, April. Alpha Female
Freethy, Barbara. Suddenly One Summer
Howard, Linda. Burn
Johnston, Joan. Outcast
Neggers, Carla. The Mist
Parrish, Leslie. Fade to Black
Reece, Christy. Run to Me
Roberts, Nora. Black Hills
Ross, JoAnn. Breakpoint
Rowe, Stephanie. Ice
Webb, Debra. Everywhere She Turns

Suspense:
Adler, Elizabeth. There’s Something About St. Tropez
Caldwell, Laura. Red Blooded Murder
Hinze, Vicki. Kill Zone
Johanse, Iris and Roy. Storm Cycle
Martin, P.D. Fan Mail

Time Travel:
Montgomerie, Pamela. Sapphire Dream

This is Anna Godbersen’s third novel in the Luxe series, and is just as satisfying as the first two.  Carolina, former maid to the almost-fallen house of Holland, has her ups and downs as well as a bit of romance, and another wedding completes the book but not the story.  Diana takes drastic steps to overcome her addiction to Henry, and even more desperate measures to be with him.  Elizabeth?  Well, good things come to those who wait, although Mrs. Holland might not agree on that account.  This was hard to put down – in fact, I didn’t, but rather read it straight through.  Soap opera in the time and place of Henry James - how could I resist?  Looking forward, of course, to the next episode, I mean, title, which will complete the series.

Review of The Ghosts of Kerfol at BSC posted yesterday.

*Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews, January 2009:

Chick Lit:
Kala, Advaita. Almost Single

Contemporary:
Banks, Leanne. Trouble in High Heels
Hughes, Charlotte. Nutcase
James, Julie. Practice Makes Perfect
Kleypas, Lisa. Smooth Talking Stranger
Ledbetter, Suzann. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Leigh, Lora. Maverick
McLane, LuAnn. Redneck Cinderella
Miller, Linda Lael. Montana Creeds: Dylan

Erotica:
Amber, Elizabeth. Dominic
Devlin, Delilah. Texas Men
Hart, Carole. The Family Jewels
Hart, Megan, et. al. Naughty Bits
Hill, Joey W. A Vampire’s Claim
McCray, Cheyenne. Total Surrender
Mercury, Diana. Pleasures of the Forbidden Valley
Reynolds, Maya. Bad Boy
Schone, Robin. Cry for Passion
Stuart, Amie. Hittin’ It
Teglia, Charlene. Animal Attraction
Zedde, Fiona, et. al. Satisfy Me Tonight

Fantasy:
Lynch, Scott. The Republic of Thieves
Valente, Catherynne M. Palimpsest

Historical:
Balogh, Mary. First Comes Marriage
Barbieri, Elaine. The Rose & the Shield
Bryan, Emily. Vexing the Viscount
Carlyle, Liz. Tempted All Night
Cornick, Nicola. Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress
Davidson, Carolyn. Eden
Greenwood, Leigh. Someone Like You
Greiman, Lois. Seduced By Your Spell
James, Samantha. Bride of a Wicked Scotsman
Johnson, Susan. Gorgeous as Sin
Jordan, Nicole. To Romance a Charming Rogue
Kelley, Christie. Every Time We Kiss
Laurens, Stephanie. Temptation and Surrender
McCarty, Monica. Highland Outlaw
Maitland, Joanna. His Cavalry Lady
Metzger, Barbara. The Wicked Ways of a True Hero
Nash, Sophie. Love With the Perfect Scoundrel
Neville, Miranda. Never Resist Temptation
Noble, Kate. Revealed
O’Brien, Anne. Conquering Knight, Captive Lady
Page, Sharon. The Club
Raleigh, Deborah. Seducing the Viscount
Raybourn, Deanna. Silent on the Moor
Warren, Tracy Anne. Tempted By His Kiss
Welfonder, Sue-Ellen. Seducing a Scottish Bride
Welsh, Kate. Questions of Honor
Wilkinson, Lisa Marie. Fire at Midnight
Williamson, Beth. The Education of Madeline
Wolf, Pearl. Too Hot For a Spy

Historical Fiction:
Kyle, Barbara. The King’s Daughter
Lebra, Joyce. The Scent of Sake
Lovejoy, Charlotte. Madame Bliss

Inspirational:
Efken, Meredith. Play It Again, SAHM

Mainstream Fiction:
Ball, Donna. A Year on Ladybug Fam
Barrett, Jo. Don’t Let It Be True
Center, Katherine. Everyone Is Beautiful
Flock, Elizabeth. Sleepwalking in Daylight
Fowler, Earlene. Love Mercy
Kelsey, Linda. Fifty is Not a Four Letter Word
Lopez, Josefina. Hungry Woman in Paris
Mallery, Susan. Sunset Bay
Schieber, Phyllis. Willing Spirits
Steel, Danielle. One Day at a Time
Welling, Tina. Fairy Tale Blues

Mystery:
Ash, Maureen. A Plague of Poison
Ault, Sandi. Wild Sorrow
Brightwell, Emily. Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time
Childs, Laura. Oolong Dead
Dennison, Hannah. Scoop!
Emley, Dianne. The Deepest Cut
Fluke, Joanne. Cream Puff Murder
Laurie, Victoria. Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun
McCoy, Judi. Hounding the Pavement
Marberg, Peg. Fatal Flip
Pollero, Rhonda. Fat Chance

Paranormal:
Ashley, Jennifer, et. al. Immortals: The Reckoning
Benson, Tara. Death’s Daughter
Cassidy, Dakota. The Accidental Human
Davis, Lexi. The After Wife
Dayton, Gail. New Blood
Garey, Terri. You’re the One That I Haunt
Henry, Mark. Road Trip of the Living Dead
Ione, Larissa. Desire Unchained
Ivy, Alexandra. Darkness Revealed
Jones, Linda Winstead. Bride by Command
Kittredge, Caitlin. Second Skin
Lyone, Jennifer. Blood Magic
Madison, Tracy. A Taste of Magic
Stenzel, Natale. Between a Rock and a Heart Place
Thompson, Vicki Lewis. Casual Hex
Vaughn, Carrie. Kitty Raises Hell

Romantic Suspense:
Alden, Jami. Kept
Carr, Robyn. Temptation Ridge
Dodd, Christina. Danger in a Red Dress
Kauffman, Donna. Let Me In
Korzenko, Julie. Devil’s Gold
Robards, Karen. Pursuit

Suspense:
Carr, Eileen. Hold Back the Dark
Eisler, Barry. Fault Line
Gross, Andrew. Don’t Look Twice
Pinter, Jason. The Fury
Stevens, Amanda. The Whispering Room
Thompson, Carlene. You Can Run . . .

Time Travel:
Joyce, Brenda. Dark Victory
Mallory, Tess. Highland Rebel

Vampire:
Gleason, Colleen. As Shadows Fade
Showalter, Gena. The Vampire’s Bride
Singh, Nalini. Angel’s Blood

Young Adult:
Cast, P.C. Hunted

Philippa Gregory‘s latest doesn’t sit as well with me as her previous books.  I have adored her chronicles of the Boleyn sisters and the Tudor family, and I was pleased to read a Mary Stuart who is not a mindless, love-struck girl but strong and selfish, with self-preservation and pride in her royalty and her crown foremost in her thoughts.  Her son James, who would become the first king of a united England and Scotland, was her hope, but his succession was dependent on her death and the guilt of her execution that weighed upon her cousin, Elizabeth.  Mary has always been an enigmatic character in British history; we share Robert II of Scotland as an ancestor, and the Stuart family has always been of interest to me.
I am not sure that I disliked the change in points of view between Bess and George, the couple selected to house Mary during her stay in England, and Mary, but I do know that the movement between the three was too quick.  I wanted more from each of them each time they took a turn.  I also wanted the fifteen years skipped over at the end, which ends in Mary’s execution.  Yes, I know that those years would double the length of the novel, but that is no matter.  It would be well worth the time to explore the relationships between these three during the years in which they were most certainly awaiting her execution.

Wendy Lesser‘s first novel is actually three novellas, the first of which is amazing and wonderful and I wanted it to go on and on.  The second wasn’t bad, but the third was wretched and I wondered if Lesser had been smoking crack after she completed the second.
As a James fan, I was obviously entranced by the first story, which does not name James but the implication is clear, as is that of characters in the steads of Wharton, Fullerton, and Andersen, along with the James butler and his drunken wife.  Lesser’s speculation on Wharton’s thoughts are engaging, and I was disappointed when they came to an end.  I adore my Henry, and one of the many important lessons I have learned from him and his work is that love has no expectations.  Hopes, most certainly, but not expectations – that would be another feeling altogether.  Lesser captures this quality in the love James holds for those dear to him, while her Wharton double furiously struggles to understand this.
I am looking now at a ridiculous review by Lucy Ellmann of the NYT, published on October 9, 2005, in which Ellmann states that Lesser “coyly never admits that these two are based on Edith Wharton and Henry James,” which is a rather silly thing to say.  Of course they are Wharton and James, and there is nothing coy in the portrayal that would leave any room to question this.  Ellmann goes on to claim that the characters (in the entire book, not just the first novella) are “emotionless.”  Ellmann must have completely missed the James/Wharton piece.  She complains that “well on the way to her third orgasm” is an “icky” description, but laments Lesser’s “promising disquisition on menstruation” that does not, to Ellmann’s disappointment, continue.  So – Ellmann wants to read about the heroine’s menstrual troubles but not about her amazing sexual experiences?  That doesn’t work for me.

It’s not Edith Wharton or Henry James, but the setting sure is.  Anna Godbersen’s teen soap set in Gilded Age (1899) Manhattan is an easy read, unlike Wharton and James, and the story isn’t original, but there is something about that cliffhanger that had me putting the sequel on hold as soon as I got in to work this morning.  I really don’t care about Elizabeth or Penelope, though – I want to see what Diana (who reads du Maurier’s Trilby behind her mother’s back – what is up with that?) and Henry are up to, and Lina, well, Lina is in quite a situation herself and we don’t know what she really thinks of it.
Four days and the sequel later – the drama continues, as there promises to be another in the series.  The story proves more predictable as it moves on, and the glittering details are only so entertaining.  There are a few too convenient plot twists that seem a bit contrived, but that is true soap opera fashion (unlike James, of course) in the same vein as Dynasty or Dallas.  The part that is hardest to accept, and perhaps I am just old and jaded and here is where it shows, is early on when Elizabeth’s new life in California is described as so different from her past.  In spite of the difference, she was happy, because she “had followed her heart, and no one ever regrets that.”  I haven’t snorted so loudly in many days, I can tell you that, after reading that line.

Alison Weir‘s latest delve into Tudor drama was great company on my recent plane trip.  With a very large Irishman insisting I take his business card in case I became lonely (his words) on one side of me, and an older Chinese lady snoring against my other side, I was happy to have brought something of interest, and as I suspected, this volume, the second of two fiction works from the bestselling biographer, was a dream.  Focusing on Elizabeth’s life from toddlerhood to the beginning of her reign as queen, Weir settles sufficient time and space on this developmental period in Elizabeth’s life.   Weir takes liberty, as fiction writers will, with a few areas of Elizabeth’s life, but documents them as such in her note at the end of the books, during which she also remarks that “it has been sheer joy being able to write about her.”

At 1124 pages, Kristin Lavransdatter is quite an investment.  It isn’t an easy creature to lug about, and it doesn’t fit well into a purse or briefcase.  It takes quite a while to wander through the life of this stubborn farmer’s daughter, from childhood to death, her heart open for readers to see and consider.  Set in fourteenth century Norway, Kristin’s journey revolves around the conflict she carries between her duty to her father and youthful passion.  She follows her heart but regrets it, carrying the sin of her behavior with her until she dies.  Her story is romantic at times and realistic always, allowing that hindsight may offer clearer vision, but our actions still follow us and there is nowhere to hide. 

“Her heart was bleeding with sorrow and shame, but she knew that she could not believe in miracles because she was unwilling to give up her inheritance of health and beauty and love.”

Author Sigrid Undset, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1928 after publishing the trilogy that would become Kristin Lavransdatter, was the first woman to win the prize, in spite of complaints about the sexual explicitness and blatant moral questions explored in her work. 

“She was so blissfully robbed of all power.  She leaned closer to the man and whispered faintly; she didn’t know herself what she said.  When he placed his hands on her bodice and stroked her breasts, she felt as if he had laid her heart bare and then seized it.”

I stumbled upon Kristin when I was a member of the ALA/YALSA DVDs for Young Adults Committee and watched a fifteen minute animated short called The Danish Poet, which is a charming study of coincidence and possiblity.  The poet, who finds himself unable to write, travels to Norway to meet his favorite writer, Sigrid Undset.  Kristin is mentioned and noted by its size, and my interest began.  When I returned home, I searched the stacks for a copy and lo and behold, there it was.  I walked around with Kristin for several weeks and attracted not a few stares and questions, but was totallly absorbed in a life set in a faraway time in a faraway land but so close to my own.  How many decisions do we carry with us forever, decisions made on a passing feeling, a hunch, a guess, without thought to the next twenty or thirty years?  Kristin walks through life with her baggage of guilt, but she finds fulfillment and happiness in spite of it.  It isn’t easy, but her struggle proves worthwhile and universal. 

Kristin Days

Uneasy lies the head, as The Bard noted, and how true that was with the tumultuous years of Yorkist rule in England.  During less than a half century filled with intense and violent family conflict, the House of York ultimately defeated itself by internal divisions that were much more damaging than any outside threat.  These were the years of the princes in the tower, the king’s personal control of crown finances, and the establishment of a permanent royal library.  Archivist Anne Crawford chronicles the facts behind the fantastic, some of which are one and the same, in this engaging text.  Anne Easter Smith recently speculated upon a romantic relationship between Margaret of York, who married Charles of Burgundy, and her very married brother in law, Anthony Woodville, in Daughter of York.  Smith admits the fictional account is just that, but she imagines it so well it seems real.

The Yorkists
Anne Easter Smith

If you are not an eight year old girl, I warn you, you will lose.

I mention this because my own smallish child spent way too much time yesterday morning doing just that.

I do intend to keep this journal focused primarily on books and related subjects (I’m not sure what that might include so we’ll see what happens) but, as my grandma says, the road to hell is paved in just this manner. I might mention one of my children (herein referred to as Small Child and Large Child, as they are 8 and 16) or whatever else is on my mind at the time of posting, but books are the bomb. I can’t get enough, and the LC and SC can’t get enough either. I usually prefer historical fiction and fantasy, and nonfiction in the realm of history (English) or car racing. The LC adores fantasy, mostly dragon related, and I will include his comments on his reading here, too. Those comments may and probably will be limited to “very good” or “it sucked” because he is a sixteen year old boy. He just finished The Door Within trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson within a matter of days (all three books in about three days) and said they were “very good,” so there you go.

I have written one book review for FBS – The Golden Rose – and am working on one for Lavinia by Ursula LeGuin, with whom you can never go wrong. I am reading Cozzens’s Guard of Honor on the advice of my dissertation advisor, also with whom I can never go wrong, and Enacting History in Henry James by Buelens.