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Monthly Archives: December 2010

Happy New Year!

This year has flown by–my son started middle school at a new school (in)conveniently located at the end of Coney Island in Brooklyn, I began a new job, my first time in an office in almost ten years, I have a wonderful agent who is working hard on our behalfs, I got to see friends at RWA National this past summer, plus had the delight of having Risky Carolyn visit (note to Carolyn: The Pop Tarts store closes down today for good. Sorry.).

And there was media of all sorts; as is usual, I buy in a timely manner, but I don’t necessarily read in a timely manner. So on my TBR pile is The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook, The Black Prism by Brent Weeks (hardcover, no less!),and N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, to name but three of the highly anticipated (by me and others) books I own, but have not read.

So what did I read? I did read a lot, and some of the books actually did come out this year. I devoured Anne Stuart‘s House of Rohan series. While I don’t think these are her best, they are still pretty awesome, and I love Stuart’s heroes–usually beyond ruthless (also, Ruthless is one of the three titles in the series).

I read the first Cara Elliott, To Sin With A Scoundrel, and adored it. It’s really lovely when your friends write books you love, even if you weren’t friends with the author. I kept up with the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and started her Fallen Angels series. Yes, there are massive flaws in the books, and no, I don’t care. I love Ward.

Ilona Andrews Edge series began this year, and it’s an entry in what I think is a new genre, rural fantasy. It’s set out in the Louisiana swamps, and has lots of magic as well as gators and unpleasantly murky water.

Elizabeth Hoyt‘s Wicked Intentions was really good, I have been a Hoyt fan for awhile now, but this surpassed my expectations. Didn’t hurt the hero was right up my particular alley.

Sarah MacLean‘s Nine Rules . . . and Ten Ways . . . were both fun and yet substantive, with really lively characters and a deliciousness imbued throughout the whole book.

Um . . . I’m realizing I read a lot, since I’ve barely skimmed the reading surface. I also devoured more of Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, started Suzanne Collins‘ Hunger Games trilogy, Eileen Wilks‘ Lupi series, Jo Nesbo, Larissa Ione, Carolyn Crane‘s Mind Games, and a whole bunch more.

In music, I fell in love with The XX, Nikki And Rich and Miike (sic) Snow.

This is the year I discovered actor Tadanobu Asano, with whom I am currently obsessed, and also the year I got to see Richard Armitage in MI-5. Le swoon.

I’m looking forward to more glorious fun in 2011. Happy New Year!

Megan

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Eek, the year is almost over and there’s still so much to do …

OK, stuff this year. I know I read lots of books but what were they?

It was something of a banner year for Jude Morgan fangirls since he had two books out, and like Amanda I loved his retelling of the Bronte story, A Taste of Sorrow (the UK title), and while I thought A Little Folly wasn’t as strong as Indiscretion, it was intriguing if a little disappointing on the first reading. A second reading though left me feeling happier about it.

I dipped a toe or two into the Romance Waters and absolutely recommend my buddy Miranda Neville‘s latest, The Dangerous Viscount, which is funny, witty, and smart (and has a virgin hero if your socks are rocked by that sort of thing).

Another buddy, Lorelle Marinello, had her debut book out, Salting Roses, this fall. Now normally if I encounter the term southern women’s fiction I run a mile. But this was my buddy’s book and besides she mentioned me in the credits, and I bought it. I read it. I loved it. It’s smart and mercifully free of cliches and beautifully written. Go get it right now!

I’ve just finished Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby, which is wonderful, about aging and families and rock n roll and sharks washing up on English seaside beaches in 1964 and all sorts of great stuff. I also have just read the first Sookie Stackhouse book after becoming very irritated with True Blood, and I loved it. It’s one of those examples of a book that when it was translated to a visual medium lost the nuances and verve of the narration (and as cute as Anna Paquin is, I think her character is considerably watered down for TV). What a great voice!

Talking of TV, a couple of great UK imports arrived on BBCAmerica this year: The Choir, which is a series about conductor Gareth Malone going into unlikely places and getting people to sing, particularly those who can’t/won’t/don’t, inspiring me to do it in my own town (I’m still looking for more men, btw). And also Law & Order UK which is fabulous–full of angst and moral ambiguity and cups of tea and starring Mrs. Fanny Dashwood (Harriet Walter) as the Gov.

This is the year in which I decided I didn’t like Heyer much any more (sorry, Carolyn, though I’m keeping an open mind) but I became a great admirer of Stieg Larsson’s Girl… series, and finally got to see the movie of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, riveting to me, confusing to my husband who hadn’t read the book. Months after everyone else did I also saw Young Victoria. But the best film of the year for me (other than the last five minutes) was An Education, screenplay by Nick Hornby.

I spent a lot of time this year reading about and researching Austen, and discovered Laurie Viera Riegler‘s wonderful Confessions of a Jane Austen addict, and I intend to buy the sequel, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict very soon.

I have a couple of Xmas presents to look forward to, At Home by Bill Bryson and the annotated Pride and Prejudice, both too big and heavy for the commute which is where I do most of my reading.

But the highlight of 2010 was that this was the year in which I reached out to old friends and although we have been dreadful about keeping in touch since, I know that great gaps will not take place again.

Happy new year, everyone, and may 2011 be filled with great books and great friends!

2010 is coming to a close, but not without some lists. Keep in mind that last week is ancient history . . . I have to really get the brain going to think back much farther than yesterday.

Standout Books of 2010

These are the books that stand out in my mind without even having to think about it. 2010 was the Year of Georgette Heyer for me. We had our first Risky Read-Along and I went on a Heyer tear after that.

1. The Iron Duke by Meljean Book
2. Venetia, by Georgette Heyer
3. Frederica, by Georgette Heyer
4. A Civil Contract, by Georgette Heyer (with some small reservations)
5. The Talisman Ring, by Georgette Heyer

Favorite Gadgets

1. iPad
2. iPhone 4
3. Virgin Mobile MyFi

Things I overdid

1. Eating cookies
2. Procrastinating

Things I did not Overdo

1. Spending more time in real life with friends, near and far, including fellow Risky Megan, and two people I met online and via twitter, @sonomalass and @redrobinreader who turned out, respectively, live within 15 miles of me.
2. Spending more time with writing friends who, as it happened, moved to my town.

Things I did not Do Enough

1. Sleep

Favorite Songs or Bands I Discovered This Year

  1. Our December, Thriving Ivory
  2. Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen, these versions:
    1. Jeff Buckley
    2. Rufus Wainright
    3. John Cale
    4. Leonard Cohen
    5. kd lang
    6. Susan Boyle
  3. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga, hell, the entire Monster album
  4. Orion, (James Hatfield of Metallica) by Rodrigo y Gabriela
  5. Take Five (Paul Desmond) by Rodrigo y Gabriela
  6. Goodbye, Sweet Youth, The Greycoats

Things that Amazed Me

1. The SF Giants winning the World Series!!!
2. Hearing my son speak politely to other people’s parents
3. Just how badly the 49ers played

My 2011 Wish List

I am leaving out the obvious Peace on Earth stuff, OK? Assume all that as a given.
1. Agency Pricing goes away
2. I turn in my books on time
3. Someone gives me a free 13″MacBook Air
4. I get more sleep

So, what are a few things on your lists?

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I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I ate too much (of course) and have already spent my gift cards, but I did get the Eiffel Tower Barbie on my list, as well as some Hello Kitty pajamas and Balenciaga Paris shower gel, so it was a happy time all around.

I also love reading the yearly favorites of the other Riskies, and of our visitors, to see what I missed and what I need to buy from the bookstore immediately! (If I had any bookstore gift cards left, that is…). I’ve already talked about a few of my own favorites this year, like Bill Bryson’s At Home and Katie Whitaker’s A Royal Passion, but there was also a lot I enjoyed as well! Here are just a few. Were any of them on your own list? (I tried to divide them into categories, and I’m sure there are a lot I forgot!)

Fiction
Romance
(I haven’t had time to read nearly as much romance as I would like this year, but there were some fabulous ones!)

–Libertine’s Kiss by Judith James: I got to interview Judith James here at the Riskies earlier this year about this book, and it still stays in my head now! My favorite historical romance in quite a while, it has a wonderful, vivid Restoration setting, a truly rakish hero, a spirited heroine, very richly drawn and sexy.

Iron Duke by Meljean Brook: This book has quite rightly gotten an enormous amount of buzz online, and I heartily recommend it! I’ve been obsessed with reading steampunk lately, and this is the best of the genre I’ve found, highly imaginative, complex world-building, action-packed–plus a great hero and heroine. And just look at that cover–yum

In For A Penny by Rose Lerner: a wonderful Regency romance! A typical Regency storyline–rakish lord, marriage of convenience, etc–turned on its head in a deceptively complex story. Great characters and a well-drawn authentic setting!


Mystery

–Her Highness’s First Murder by Peg Herring: It’s 1546, and a serial killer stalks London. Who better to solve the mystery than the young Princess Elizabeth, especially after one of her own ladies is killed? She joins forces with her physician’s son to track down the killer! Very suspenseful and clever, with another well-drawn setting and fascinating characters. I imagine a young Elizabeth I would be quite a bit like the one in this book…

Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean: the first Regency-set Dido Kent mystery, and I’m already looking forward to the next! Dido is a spinster in 1805, who has to investigate when her niece’s fiance mysteriously disappears during their betrothal ball…

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: Possibly my very favorite work of fiction of the year! I can’t recommend it enough, it was sort of like a more witty Nancy Drew story (with better secondary characters). It’s the 1950s and 11-year-old Flavia de Luce, a budding chemist with a special interest in poisons, has to solve the death of a man in her family’s garden. She is definitely one of the most resourceful characters I have seen! (And the second Flavia book is out soon, yay!)

Historical Fiction

–Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin: an engrossing look at the life of the “real Alice in Wonderland” Alice Liddell (who I did not know had a royal romance with Queen Victoria’s son Prince Leopold as a young lady!)

Charlotte and Emily by Jude Morgan: Like Janet, I’m a huge fan of Jude Morgan’s book, and this was no exception. I read it straight through–definitely the best Bronte historical fiction I have come across. It’s so beautifully written and feels very “real”

Non-Fiction

Eiffel’s Tower by Jill Jonnes: An account of the building of the Tower and the 1889 Exposition, and all the colorful characters involved in this enormous undertaking (Eiffel himself, of course, as well as Edison, Annie Oakley, an Indian maharajh, Balinese dancers, etc etc). It reminded me of Brunelleschi’s Dome, another account of the times and characters surrounding a phenomenal architectural undertaking

–And along those same lines, Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb: a collection of stories about famous and not-so-famous Parisians in various historical periods. I never knew what I would find when I turned the page, and I loved that! I find books like this to be enormous inspiration when coming up with my own plots and characters

Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon by Michael O’Brien: An account of a journey undertaken by Louisa Adams from St. Petersburg to Paris in the middle of winter in 1815, across war-torn Europe just as Napoleon arrives back from Elba. A wonderful portrait of a strong and fascinating woman (usually overshadowed by her in-laws), her difficult marriage, and the culture of the times against the backdrop of an extraordinary voyage

Fifth Avenue, 5 AM: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman by Sam Wasson: I was recently reading a film blog about the best movie scenes of the year that mentioned Howard Hawks’ old dictum that a film only needs 3 or 4 scenes to be a good film. In the case of one of my favorite movies ever, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, it really only takes one scene to make me ignore the film’s (many) flaws and love it. Well, really there are several bits I love, but the ending is gorgeous. It’s Audrey Hepburn in a trench coat! She can’t find the cat! And it’s raining! And “Moon River” plays and they kiss–okay, now I’m crying. But this book is a great “behind the scenes” look at the making of the movie, and how revolutionary it really was
Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff: An attempt to strip away the myths and encrusted conceptions of Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor, etc) and find the real woman, who wielded unprecedented power in a brutal world

Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet by Jennifer Homans: A tremendous undertaking, a history of nothing less than ballet. Of course I loved it! A must-have for anyone who loves the art, it traces the evolution of technique, choreography, and performance. Very beautifully written, and engrossing.

Wait For Me! by Deborah Mitford, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire: A memoir by the 90-year-old duchess (and last surviving Mitford sister), it was funny and charming, though some parts were definitely more interesting than others! (All the Jeeves-and-Woosterish nicknames were hilarious, though I thought she was little too hard on her sister Nancy and too easy on her Nazi-sympathizing sisters Diana and Unity…). I found some of her earlier books very helpful in researching my “duchess” books, Duchess of Sin and The Shy Duchess, and this one was no different.

My favorite “comfort read,” especially when holiday craziness gets to be too much, is Harlequin Presents! This Christmas I read two I especially devoured:

The Twelve Nights of Christmas by Sarah Morgan

And Caught on Camera With the CEO by Natalie Anderson (who is fast becoming my favorite Presents author!)


They saved my sanity this December! But now I’d like to know–where are all these Italian tycoons and Argentinian polo players who are young and gorgeous and like “ordinary” women??? Send them my way asap…

As for movies–it hasn’t been the best of movie years, but I have found some I really loved! (But there are still a few I haven’t seen yet that I am really looking forward to, like The King’s Speech, The Tempest, All Good Things, and Somewhere). A few I enjoyed are: the crazy-over-the-top Black Swan; the gorgeous, operatic I Am Love (I’m amazed Tilda Swinton is not getting more awards buzz for this!); the “the way we live now” The Social Network; the hilarious but also strangely sad Get Him To The Greek; and The Kids Are All Right.

Over at my own blog, I have a look at some of my favorite fashion looks of the year as well! I can’t believe 2010 is almost over.

What did you enjoy this year–and what are you looking forward to in 2011???

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