Mr. Darcy's Obsession by Abigail Reynolds

Mr. Darcy's Obsession

By Abigail Reynolds

Copyright 2010

Sourcebooks - Historical Fiction

348 pages

"So you are the mysterious young lady who has been causing such an uproar. Since you are to be part of the family, you might as well call me Aunt Augusta. It is traditional to say it with a certain degree of exasperation."

"Aunt Augusta!" Darcy said. "This is hardly the time."

She pointed at him. "You see, Fitzwilliam is providing a fine example. He has the tone almost perfect. A few more years of practice, and he will sound exactly like his father."

Elizabeth made a slight curtsey. "You will have to forgive me, madam. It is beyond my thespian abilities to seem exasperated with someone I have just met. You will have to do something to exasperate me first."

Mr. Darcy's Obsession is yet another spin-off of Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice, this time imagining a world two years after Lizzy's visit to Rosings -- a world in which Darcy talked himself out of proposing, Mr. Bennet has died, the family estate has been entailed to Mr. Collins, and Jane has married a milliner.

When Darcy finds out about Elizabeth Bennet's reduced circumstances from an angry Bingley, he decides he must find out how she is doing in her new life as governess to her aunt and uncle's children in Cheapside. With that in mind, he journeys to Cheapside and traverses the street without learning a thing, until he meets a little urchin named Charlie.

Charlie is a smart little whippersnapper and he becomes Mr. Darcy's spy, enabling Darcy to renew his acquaintance with Lizzy by joining her for walks in a nearby park (and definitely resulting in the improvement of life for one little street boy). Will Darcy get over his pride and finally give in to his obsession, making Lizzy his wife? What will become of the rest of the Bennet family? And, what about poor Bingley? Will he ever return to London and find love?

To be honest, Mr. Darcy's Obsession is rather predictable after one has read the introductory material and become acquainted with the new background and storyline. Bingley is almost entirely out of the picture, now that Jane has married a much older man and is expecting a baby, but you can easily guess where that's headed. What's unexpected is the new cast created for purposes of changing the storyline. Reynolds has added to Darcy's family and the little urchin he pulls off the street to use as his extra set of eyes and ears is a charming addition.

The bottom line: If you don't mind a change from the original Austen, Mr. Darcy's Obsession is a pleasant, often clever, read and every bit as clean (no more than a kiss is exchanged) as the original. The additional cast adds a completely new dimension to the story and makes it unique. My only complaint is that sometimes I thought Mr. Darcy's intent was a little unclear, but one doesn't have to read far to untangle any confusion. Definitely recommended.

Just walked in:

How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway - An ARC passed on by a friend. Thank you, Paula!

Just walked in and out:

Isabel and her slave. We went to get the second half of her shots. Fingers crossed this batch doesn't knock her as flat as the last round.

People I don't know:

Because I haven't taken many photos, lately, and some of my favorite shots from vacations are those of total strangers, I decided I'll share one that I love of a family enjoying Trafalgar Square.

Aren't they lovely? They seemed to be having a very wahooey time. Incidentally, I chose to read Mr. Darcy's Obsession partly for the Everything Austen II Challenge and partly because I enjoyed The Man Who Loved Pride & Prejudice by the same author. I plan to read more by Abigail Reynolds. Mr. Darcy's Obsession is my fourth read for the Everything Austen II Challenge.

Happy Wednesday!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Little Chimp's Big Day by Schroeder and McCue

Little Chimp's Big Day by Lisa Schroeder
Illustrated by Lisa McCue
Copyright 2010
Sterling Children's Books (ages 3 and up)

In the jungle, in a tree
Sits a little chimpanzee.
Mother said she'd be right back.
But now the branch snaps with a crack . . .

Little Chimp is off on an adventure that takes him into the mud with a frog, onto the back of a hippo, under a waterfall, up in a tree for a banana snack, all around the jungle until he wears out and mother chimpanzee conveniently shows up to put him to bed in a tree.

Little Chimp's Big Day would be a cute story even without Lisa McCue's marvelous illustrations, but her cheerful paintings truly make the book a winner. I've been a fan of McCue's artwork since we read and enjoyed a board book called Raccoon's Hide and Seek illustrated by McCue, when my youngest was quite small. All of us can still recite the rhyming text in that beat-up old book.

In Little Chimp's Big Day, that same delightful art is paired with equally memorable rhyming text and a sweet story. Little Chimp may be wondering where his mother has gone, but mother's not worried. She's quietly hiding, allowing her little one to explore while she keeps an eye on him. Sharp-eyed children will notice the mother chimp peeking through the trees and catch on to the fact that someone is watching out for the little one, even when he thinks he's all alone.

Highly recommended, but I'd especially recommend that parents with little ones who are having trouble with separation anxiety rush out to find a copy of Little Chimp's Big Day as it's a perfect story for reassuring children who are going through that "fear of abandonment" stage.

Just walked in:

Everything Christmas from WaterBrook for review
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (from PBS) and
Fables: Legends In Exile by Willingham, Medina, Leialoha and Hamilton (graphic novel, from PBS)

Just walked out:

My brain. I think it went for a nap with the cats. It is really cold in this house, though, and that ought to keep me awake. I am loving the cold, in case you're wondering. We're supposed to shoot back up to the 80's, this week. ~sob~

Last night I finished reading:

Mr. Darcy's Obsession by Abigail Reynolds - and I liked it. I think I'll review that one next, to break up the children's book reviews. I've got quite a backlog of children's books to review because of the Summer Reading Slump followed by End-of-Summer Blogging Block, both of which I hope never to experience, again, ever, ever.

This made me smile, yesterday:

The University of Oregon's a cappella group On the Rocks singing "Bad Romance". It's the dancing that made me smile but I love their voices. Awesome video. Warning: The song contains some bad language. It's a Lady Gaga song. It hurts me to type that "gaga" bit. Thanks to SuziQ for pointing out that bit of mad fun.

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Strange Happenings by Avi . . . because it *is* RIP season, even if I'm not signed up

Strange Happenings by Avi

Copyright 2006

Harcourt Books - Short Stories/Children (ages 9-12)

147 pages

Strange Happenings was on my wish list at Paperback Swap for at least 2 years before I finally managed to acquire a copy. I'm just telling you that so that you'll know what a patient soul I am.

There are 5 short stories in Strange Happenings. "Bored Tom" tells the story of a boy who'd rather be a cat (because cats don't have to do anything but lie around all day -- obviously, Tom has never met my hyperactive kitty girls) and describes what happens when Tom gets to change bodies with a stray cat he has adopted. "Babette the Beautiful" is the story of a queen who wants to give birth to a baby of flawless perfection and finds the answer to her wish is a little too much to handle.

"Curious" tells what happens to a boy who is so curious about the town baseball team's alien mascot that he can't rest till he finds out who is inside that costume. "The Shoemaker and Old Scratch" tells the story of a greedy shoemaker who makes a deal with the devil but doesn't know it. And, "Simon" tells about a hunter who gets his due after he kills the most beautiful bird in the forest.

Each story has a bit of a fairy-tale feel and they do tend to be horrifying in the manner of the old-style tales but not always in a gory way. Strange Happenings was definitely a good choice for that spooky time of year some of us have come to know as R.I.P. Challenge Season. Well, at least I think of it that way.

I didn't sign up for the R.I.P. V. Challenge since I have a two-challenge limit; but I still wanted to read something creepy. It fit; I'm satisfied. I can't say I loved the stories but I also can't seem to put a finger on why. Maybe it was the fact that they were a little too predictable. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for the level of payback in the average fairy tale. Honestly, I just don't know. But, I'm glad I waited 2 or more years for the book because it definitely was a perfect way to usher in fall and I do think it's worth reading, even though I didn't find it altogether satisfying.

I always regret it when I don't sign up for the R.I.P., incidentally. Someone remind me of that, next year, okay?

Sometimes kitties do lie around doing absolutely nothing. We call it "looking innocent".

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin

A Memory Between Us by Sarah Sundin
Book 2 in the Wings of Glory series (stands alone fine)
Copyright 2010
Revell - Historical Fiction/Christian/Romance
439 pages, incl. discussion questions

Jack turned right onto Abbey Gate Street, where window boxes teemed with flowers in defiance of the war. Whatever made Hitler think he could defeat the British?

Levitski pulled the mixture control lever on the center console. "Engine three off. Booster off."
Jack turned the ignition switch on the console. "Engine three off."
"Cowl flaps closed."
"Throttle closed. Harv, when you've got a moment, transfer fuel from three to two."
"When I've got a moment? Tell that to Jerry." Harv swung his guns overhead after a yellow-nosed Fw 190.
Jack looked outside. Chaos. Fighters in every direction, hundreds of them. Forts lagging and tumbling, fighters in flames, white American parachutes and brown German ones.

Lieutenant Ruth Doherty has a past and can't forgive herself for the mistakes she's made. Major Jack Novak has his own problems, but he's a man who loves a challenge and Ruth is one army nurse who is about as challenging as they come. Laid up in the hospital after he's wounded in battle, pilot Jack sets a goal to win Ruth over. But, he has no idea what he's up against. Ruth is single-minded, working hard to send money home to her orphaned siblings and not interested in dating because of her damaged past. And, yet, she's never felt more comfortable with any other man.

As WWII escalates and the casualties grow, they need each other even more. But, can Jack overcome his own battle with pride and admit what he wants to do with his life to both his father and himself? And, will Ruth ever let her guard down? Or will the war separate them, forever?

Well, gosh. I just realized how complicated this book is. First of all, there's the WWII backdrop. Jack is pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress in the U.S. Eight Air Force, stationed in England. WWII is one of my favorite historical time periods and I particularly love England as a setting, so that was the main reason I wanted to read this book. Against this war backdrop is a romance that seems impossible to overcome. The hero is, shall we say, a little on the cocky side? And, the heroine is a wreck. Ruth is determined never to marry or even date. Kissing throws her into total panic. Jack really throws her for a loop.

The seemingly impossible romance between Ruth and Jack takes place over a span of a little over a year, but during that time a lot happens. Jack and Ruth keep things platonic for a while, but now and then he's overcome with the urge to kiss her and Ruth goes ballistic. There is the usual black moment that one finds in every romance and it's a big one. I won't spoil it, but it was a bad enough black moment that I thought Ruth would be crazy to ever have anything to do with Jack, again. But, then, Ruth was a competent nurse but, emotionally, a little off her rocker so . . . lets just cut to the chase.

What I liked about A Memory Between Us:

I loved the historical setting. I thought the author did a pretty good job of giving you that "I was there" sense during the battle scenes,when Jack was flying. I absolutely adored the author's sense of humor; there were loads of light, smile-inducing, clever moments. I loved the nursing scenes, especially when Ruth shifted to a different job. I liked the friendships Ruth and Jack had on the side and how those developed and went through ups and downs. And, while I can't say whether or not the author's battle scenes were accurate, I thought they were suitably tense and mostly believable.

What I disliked about A Memory Between Us:

Ruth had an excellent reason to fear intimacy but I thought the thing she considered her "sin" was not sinful at all. I couldn't understand why anyone would consider what she did unforgiveable. However, I did understand that she was seriously damaged by a horrible experience. I just thought the focus was a little strange and it could have been more believable if handled a slightly different way. That is, of course, merely my humble opinion.

Jack's sin? Sigh. Same thing. I think he had a dilemma he needed to work through about his life and he did make a very serious error in judgment because of something horrible that happened in his past. But, the repetition of the word "pride" just drove me nuts. I thought he was cocky and a little arrogant; occasional use of slightly different wording might have helped.

In general:

A Memory Between Us is heavily focused on the romance and yet there are plenty of other things happening to the main characters when they're apart. So, you get plenty of time reading about Ruth's experiences as a nurse and her frustrations when she's paired with a good-looking but lecherous man during her training for a new job to earn more money for her siblings (reading about that new job is particularly fun because it's so interesting). And, Jack's arrogance isn't just the cause of the "black moment". It causes trouble with his best friend and may get in the way of his attempt at promotion if he doesn't get his act together. With the war going on, Ruth and Jack are thrown together, torn apart, thrown together. I found that surprisingly believable.

The bottom line:

I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved the setting but I had trouble fully believing the characters could be that distraught about their pasts -- traumatized, yes, but wracked by guilt? I had trouble buying into the sin and pride -- the guilt factors. When it comes to the setting, though, I thought everything was done very, very well. The nursing scenes had the ring of truth and most of the flight scenes did, as well. There were only a couple of times I thought a bombing mission would have been more believable if there'd been a bit less joking around. And, the endings of both stories of the individuals (separate from their romance) were satisfying. Confused, yet?

Well, let me just say this. It's very romantic, very heavily Christian, and seems to be well researched. If you like Christian romance and WWII settings, you'll more than likely enjoy it. There was a lot I liked and a few things that just drove me crazy. One thing, in particular, that just drove me off my rocker was the overuse of the word "groaned". Let them sigh, shake their heads or run their hands through their hair, now and then! The constant groaning just felt lazy to me. And, yet, I loved those battle scenes, Ruth's training, the dynamics between the hero and heroine and their friends and a lot of other side material so much that I'm really glad I read it.

So, I'm going to say I recommend it to romance lovers and WWII addicts, especially those who like a clean romantic read and don't mind a lot of talk about sin and a whole lot of moaning and groaning when the protagonists are frustrated. If you can overlook its flaws, there's a lot to love about A Memory Between Us. I liked it and would read more by the author.

In other news:

No photos, today! Huzzybuns and I spent half the day shopping for houses. We're still not convinced we want to go into debt, but decided we'd never get anywhere without at least seeing what's out there. We had a good time. After house hunting, we visited Kiddo and took him out to eat and shopping, which is always delightful.

Funny moment: When we were preparing to visit one house, the real estate agent said there was a note to be careful not to let out the hairless cat, Fiona. I told the agent we had a cat named Fiona . . . and an Isabel. She gave me a funny look and said, "The dog's name is Izzy."

That hairless cat was really something. I've never seen one in real life -- just photographs. She was bizarre to look at but a really friendly, lovable cat. And, Izzy the dog -- a bulldog -- was a sweet, shy girl. We had as much fun talking to and petting the critters as we did looking at the house.

Just walked in:

Infections and Inequalities: The Modern Plagues by Paul Farmer (from PBS)

Enough for now. I'm typing this late and it's past time for bed. Nighty-night!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Books Read in 1999

January

1. Rip-off - Fay Faron
2. Travels with My Aunt - Graham Greene
3. Moses Supposes - Ellen Currie
4. The Holy Man - Susan Trott

February

5. Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
6. Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut
7. Paramedic - Peter Canning
8. The Holy Man's Journey - Susan Trott
9. 100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

March

10. Message in a Bottle - Nicholas Sparks
11. Rx for the Soul - David B. Wilhelm, M.D.
12. Dial 911 - J. Lloyd & E. Herman
13. EMT: Race for Life - Lloyd & Herman
14. Tending Lives - Echo Heron
15. Angels of Emergency - Donna Theisen
16. Trauma Center - Lloyd & Herman
17. Baudy Trauma - Dr. D. Page
18. Emergency! - Mark Brown, M.D.
19. EMT: Rescue - Pat Ivey
20. Talking Trauma - Timothy J. Tangherlini
21. Lights & Sirens - Joan and Ed Herman

April

22. The Burglar in the Library - Lawrence Block
23. Lights & Sirens, a Writer's Guide - Lowis Cowan & ?
24. Rescue Alert - Joan Lloyd & Ed Herman
25. Ill Wind - Nevada Barr
26. Firestorm - Nevada Barr

May

27. A Superior Death - Nevada Barr
28. Blind Descent - Nevada Barr

June

29. Full Circle - Karen Young
30. A Thin Dark Line - Tami Hoag
31. Plum Island - Nelson DeMille

July

32. Track of the Cat - Nevada Barr
33. The Fire Inside - Steve Delsohn
34. Reflex - Dick Francis
35. Most Wanted - Maggie Price

August

36. The General's Daughter - Nelson DeMille

September

37. Remember September - Jon Salem
38. One for the Money - Janet Evanovich
39. Roll Over and Play Dead - Joan Hess
40. Two for the Dough - Janet Evanovich
41. Three to Get Deadly - Janet Evanovich
42. Four to Score - Janet Evanovich
43. High Five - Janet Evanovich
44. Bringing Out the Dead - Joe Connelly
45. About Last Night - Stephanie Bond

October

46. Private Eyes - Jonathan Kellerman
47. Talking Mysteries - T. Hillerman & E. Bulow
48. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling
49. Bad Men Do What Good Men Dream - Robert I. Simon

November

50. The Bone Lady - M. Manhein
51. Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
52. My Old Man and the Sea - David and Daniel Hays
53. But, I Love You Anyway - Sara Lewis

December

54. The Gift of Fear - Gavin de Becker
55. Swimming to Catalina - Stuart Woods
56. The Great Train Robbery - Michael Crichton

Books Read in 1998

January

1. To Have and Have Not - Ernest Hemingway

February

2. Rough Justice - Lisa Scottoline
3. Country Days - Alice Taylor
4. Fahrenheit 450 - Ray Bradbury
5. The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini - Cellini
6. The Eye of Anna - Anne Wingate
7. Scene of the Crime - Anne Wingate
8. Yakuza, Go Home - Anne Wingate
9. Pastime - Robert B. Parker

March

10. Dead Cert - Dick Francis
11. Burglars Can't Be Choosers - Lawrence Block
12. All That Remains - Patricia Cornwell
13. The Glass Key - Dashiell Hammett
14. The President's Daughter - Jack Higgins

April

15. Risk - Dick Francis
16. In the Presence of the Enemy - Elizabeth George
17. The Great Taos Bank Robbery - Tony Hillerman
18. Stand Before Your God - Paul Watkins
19. Archangel - Paul Watkins

May

20. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
21. Forfeit - Dick Francis
22. Twice Shy - Dick Francis
23. Calm at Sunset, Calm at Dawn - Paul Watkins
24. A Passage to India - E. M. Forster

June

25. The Old Man Who Read Love Stories - Luis Sepulveda
26. Extreme Measures - Michael Palmer
27. The Scarlet Pimpernel - Baroness Orczy
28. Letters from the Inside - John Marsden

July

29. Don't Point That Thing at Me! - Kyril Bonfiglioli
30. The Snapper - Roddy Doyle
31. The Prophetess - Barbara Wood
32. The Modigliani Scandal - Ken Follett
33. How to Save Your Own Life - Erica Jong
34. A Father's Heart - Karen Young
35. Brideshead Revisited - Eelyn Waugh

August

36. Straight - Dick Francis
37. The Third Twin - Ken Follett
38. The Promise of Light - Paul Watkins
39. The Titanic as Told by its Survivors

September

40. For Kicks - Dick Francis
41. The Story of My Disappearance - Paul Watkins

October

42. Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson
43. High Stakes - Dick Francis
44. When the Bough Breaks - Jonathan Kellerman

November

45. Flying Finish - Dick Francis
47. Available Light - Ellen Currie (note that I skipped a number, here -- my early calendars were not always complete)
48. Comeback - Dick Francis
49. Silent Partner - Jonathan Kellerman

December

50. Total Control - David Baldacci
51. Chocolate for a Woman's Soul - ?
52. The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian - Lawrence Block
53. Vertical Run - Joseph R. Garber
54. Callander Square - Anne Perry

Books Read in 1997

January

1. Homeland - E. V. Thompson
2. Stranger in a Strange Land - Robert Heinlein
3. The World of the Sea Otter - Stefanie Paine
4. The Body Farm - Patricia Cornwell
5. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts - Lillian Jackson Brown
6. While My Pretty One Sleeps - Mary Higgins Clark
7. Thunder Point - Jack Higgins
8. J is for Judgment - Sue Grafton
9. Angel of Death - Jack Higgins
10. D is for Deadbeat - Sue Grafton
11. Natural Causes - Michael Palmer
12. On Dangerous Ground - Jack Higgins

February

13. Jamaica Inn - Daphne DuMaurier
14. Body of Evidence - Patricia Cornwell
15. Postmortem - Patricia Cornwell
16. The Runaway Jury - John Grisham

March

17. Spy Hook - Len Deighton
18. K is for Killer - Sue Grafton
19. Spy Line - Len Deighton
20. Spy Sinker - Len Deighton
21. The English Patient - Michael Ondaatje

April

22. Faith - Len Deighton
23. Loves Music, Loves to Dance - Mary Higgins Clark
24. Wind Chill Factor - Thomas Gifford
25. Hope - Len Deighton
26. Charity - Len Deighton
27. Drink with the Devil - Jack Higgins

May

28. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Russell Freedman
29. Born Free - Joy Adamson
30. Travels - Michael Crichton
31. Eleanor Roosevelt - Russell Freedman
32. Remember Me - Mary Higgins Clark

June

33. The Hot Zone - Richard Preston
34. Tomorrow When the War Began - John Marsden
35. A Far Cry from Kensington - Muriel Spark
36. The Robber Bridegroom - Eudora Welty
37. Islands in the Stream - Ernest Hemingway
38. Curriculum Vitae - Muriel Spark
39. Loitering with Intent - Muriel Spark
40. The Village - Alice Taylor
41. The Lover - Marguerite Duras
42. Return with Honor - Scott O'Grady
43. About Time (short stories) - Jack Finney

July

44. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
45. The Fallen Man - Tony Hillerman
46. Dead of the Night - John Marsden
47. The Third Day, The Frost - John Marsden
48. Longshot - Dick Francis
49. Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl
50. Wild Horses - Dick Francis

August

51. Time and Again - Jack Finney
52. From Time to Time - Jack finney
53. Bodies of Water - Roseanne Cash
54. So Much to Tell You - John Marsden
55. This Side of Paradise - F. Scott Fitzgerald

September

56. The Thin Man - Dashiell Hammett
57. Acceptable Risk - Robin Cook
58. Diana in Private - Lady Colin Campbell
59. Darkness Be My Friend - John Marsden
60. Legal Tender - Lisa Scottoline
61. Absolute Power - David Baldacci
62. Chip Harrison Scores Again - Lawrence Block
63. Critical Judgment - Michael Palmer
64. The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams - Lawrence Block

October

65. The Burglar Who Thought He was Bogart - Lawrence Block
66. Gracie: A Love Story - George Burns
67. The Burglar in the Closet - Lawrence Block
68. Final Appeal - Lisa Scottoline
69. Everywhere that Mary Went - Lisa Scottoline
70. Contagion - Robin Cook
71. Running from the Law - Lisa Scottoline

November

72. Our Game - John Le Carre
73. Original Sin - P. D. James
74. The Cat Who Said Cheese - L. J. Braun
75. Mutant Message from Down Under - Marlo Morgan
76. A Simple Plan - Scott Smith
77. Thin Air - Robert B. Parker

December

78. Double Deuce - Robert B. Parker
79. A Long Line of Dead Men - Lawrence Block
80. The Godfurd Manuscript - Robert B. Parker
81. The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling - Lawrence Block
82. The Genesis Code - John Case
83. Mortal Stakes - Robert B. Parker

Books Read in 2002 (incomplete)

I found a calendar with only the first few books from 2002 listed, which means there's probably another calendar floating around, somewhere, although 2002 really looks like it was a bad year and I do recall at least part of that year sucked. If/when I locate a complete calendar, I will update.

January

1. Tell No One - Harlan Coben

February

2. Going Solo - Roald Dahl

March

3. Time Rider - Rickey Mallory

Books Read in 2001

January

1. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Jack Finney
2. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
3. The Continental Op - Dashiell Hammett
4. The Woodrow Wilson Dime - Jack Finney
5. The Man with the Getaway Face - Richard Stark

February

6. Killer Germs - ?
7. The Redemption of Deke Summers - Gayle Wilson
8. Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
9. The Third Victim - Lisa Gardner

March

10. The Defiant Hero - Suzanne Brockmann
11. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
12. The Green Mile - Stephen King
13. Traveling Mercies - Anne Lamott
14. The Girls' Guide to Hunting & Fishing - Melissa Bank

April

15. Resistance - Anita Shreve
16. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis
17. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis

May

18. Manhunting - Jennifer Crusie
19. . Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J. K. Rowling
20. Big Trouble - Dave Barry

June

21. Nobody's Baby But Mine - Susan E. Phillips
22. Do Fish Drink Water? - Bill McLain
23. The Lawman Who Loved Her - Mallory Kane

July

24. Baby I'm Yours - Susan Anderson
25. Waking Up Alive - Richard A. Heckler
26. Something About Ewe - Ruth Dale
27. The Observatory - Emily Grayson
28. Seven Up - Janet Evanovich
29. Always Six O'Clock - Phoef Sutton
30. Zen in the Art of Writing - Ray Bradbury

August

31. Eclipse Bay - Jayne Ann Krentz

September

32. Equal Rites - Terry Pratchett

October

33. Dark and Stormy Rides Again - Scott Rice
34. Bounce - Don Roos
35. Mad About Maddie - Cheryl Anne Porter

November

Nothing at all! apparently, I was too busy driving to orthodontist appointments and around the UK to read.

December

36. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
37. The Dangerous Husband - Jane Shapiro
38. The Gazebo - Emily grayson
39. L. A. Confidential - the screenplay
40. To See You Again - B. Schrimmer

Books Read in 2003

January

1. The Burglar Who Sutdied Spinoza - Lawrence Block
2. Lead Poisoning: 25 Stories from the Wrong End of a Gun - Chris Pfouts

February

3. A Minor Indescretion - Carole Matthews
4. Grime & Punishment - Jill Churchill
5. Dr. Yes - Lisa Cash
6. Perfect Timing - Jill Mansell
7. Full Tilt - Janet Evanovich

March

8. Slightly Single - Wendy Markham
9. Mr. Maybe - Jane Green
10. Shopaholic Ties the Knot - Sophie Kinsella
11. Fourplay - Jane Moore
12. Thoughts While Having Sex - Stephanie Lehmann (Interesting note: I abbreviated this TWHS in my calendar -- maybe I was worried that the kids would see it?)
13. Amanda's Wedding - Jenny Colgan
14. The Man I Should Have Married - Pamela Redmond Satran

April

15. Improper English - Katie MacAlister
16. The Great Escape - Paul Brickhill
17. Backpack - Emily Barr
18. Still Life with Volkswagens - Geoff Nicholson
19. Agnes Browne - Brendan O'Carroll
20. My Life and Hard Times - James Thurber
21. Guilty Feet - Kelly Harte
22. The Chisellers - Brendan O'Carroll

May

23. The Granny - Brendan O'Carroll
24. People Have More Fun Than Anybody - James Thurber
25. Big Chief Elizabeth - Giles Milton

June

26. Coffe & Kung Fu - Karen Brichoux
27. Getting Over Jack Wagner - Elise Juska
28. Solo - Jill Mansell
29. The Count - Helena Dela

July

30. Seven-Week Itch - Victoria Corby
31. Snap Happy - Fiona Walker
32. Marion's Wall - Jack Finney
33. Can You Keep A Secret - Sophie Kinsella
34. Come Together - Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees
35. Combat Medic: Vietnam - Craig Roberts
36. A Compromising Position - Carole Matthews

August

37. Nine Months - Sarah Ball
38. Things My Girlfriend & I Have Argued About - Mil Millington
39. Under An English Heaven - Robert Radcliffe

September

40. The Year My Life Went Down the Loo - Katie Maxwell
41. The Nanny - Melissa Nathan

October

42. Something You Should Know - M. Hill
43. Second Prize - Chris Manby
44. Tricky Business - Dave Barry
45. Alamo House - Sarah Bird
46. Shocking Behavior - Jennifer Archer

November

47. The Wrong Sort of Girl - Valerie-Anne Baglietto
48. Mr. Commitment - Mike Gayle

December

49. Every Woman for Herself - Trisha Ashley

Books Read in 2004

January

1. Goose Eggs and Hoover Bags - Dawn Cairns
2. Old School Ties - Kate Harrison
3. The Time Machine - H. G. Wells

February

4. Nathaniel's Nutmeg - Giles Milton
5. Talking to Addison - Jenny Colgan
6. Sleeping Cutie - ?

March

7. Millie's Fling - Jill Mansell
8. My Cat Saved My Life - P. Schreiber
9. Who Needs Decaf? - T. Michaels
10. It's Open House - Jill mansell

April

11. In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson
12. Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport - ?
13. Two's Company - Jill Mansell
14. Aiding & Abetting - Muriel Spark
15. Good Girls Gone Bad - J. Medoff

May

16. Just Friends - Robyn Sisman
17. The Hatbox Baby Carrie Brown
18. New Cardiff - Charles Webb
19. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith

June

20. One True Love - Stephanie Lloyd
21. The Scapegoat - Daphne DuMaurier
22. Amnesia Nights - Quinton Skinner

July

23. Frenchman's Creek - Daphne DuMaurier
24. Hot Pursuit - Gemma Fox
25. Plan B - Jonathan Tropper

August

26. Miranda's Big Mistake - Jill Mansell
27. Nadia Knows Best - Jill Mansell
28. Ex Libris - Ross King
29. The Underground Man - Mick Jackson
30. The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch - Marsha Moyer
31. The Restraint of Beasts - Magnus Mills

September

32. Sackett's Land - Louis L'Amour
33. 32AA - Michelle Cunnah
34. Separation Anxiety - Karen Brichoux
35. The Last of the Honky-Tonk Angels - Marsha Moyer
36. Cocktails for Three - Madeleine Wickham

October

37. Love and a Bad Hair Day - Annie Flannigan
38. Call Waiting - Michelle Cunnah
39. The Persian Pickle Club - Sandra Dallas
40. Boy Meets Girl - Meg Cabot
41. An Englishman in Paris - Michael Sadler
42. Happy All the Time - Laurie Colwin
43. Tell Me the Truth About Love - W. H. Auden
44. Does She or Doesn't She? - Alisa Kwitney
45. Flabbergasted - Ray Blackston

November

46. A Delirious Summer - Ray Blackston
47. The Four Seasons - Mary Alice Monroe
48. The Whitney Chronicles - Judy Baer

December

49. Persuading Annie - Melissa Nathan
50. To Have and To Hold - Jane Green
51. The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot
52. Princess in the Spotlight - Meg Cabot
53. Princess in Love - Meg Cabot
54. A High and Hidden Place - Michele Claire Lucas

Fiona Friday - Things to watch

Fi was a little torn between watching the baby cardinals outside or the little kitten rascal inside.

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Why We Fight, edited by Simon Van Booy and some nifty timing

Why We Fight, edited by Simon Van Booy
Copyright 2010
HarperPerennial Modern Thought
216 pages

I believe that philosophy is a subject we have a natural gift for, but a subject often regarded as one with no practical value--and closed to anyone outside the walls of universities. I am committed to the idea that these central questions of life are part of our everyday lives--that we all possess the skill and agility to tackle them, and that by pondering them, we can experience more fulfillment in our relationships, in our work, and in how we view ourselves.

Inside these books are readings, poems, quotations, and visual images that will inspire you to continue exploring the subject for years to come. I have tried my best to present philosophical ideas with no immediate resolution as immediately accessible for everyday thinking.

--from the Preface to the Series in Why We Fight by Simon Van Booy

The material in Why We Fight is an interesting collection that explores why humans argue, bicker, go to war and in other ways battle with each other. I chose to read Why We Fight first of the three books in the series -- which includes Why Our Decisions Don't Matter and Why We Need Love -- because it was the one that interested me the least and I wanted to save the best for last. That makes me chuckle, now, because I found Why We Fight absolutely fascinating and thought-provoking.

Beginning with the biblical story of Cain and Abel, each entry is introduced by the author. The story of Cain and Abel is described as follows:

. . . an etiological story that explores the nature of an aggressive biblical tribe called the Kenites. However, for most people it's a story about murder, crime, punishment, envy, and sibling rivalry--all major themes in ancient literature.

In many ancient stories and myths, people fight because of excessive pride--an emotion that often arises after the experience of rejection.

I've read the story of Cain and Abel dozens of times and loved the way Simon deftly captured both the history and the context of the story in a minimum of words, as he did in all of his introductory descriptions. I've been taking my time reading these philosophy books (I'm currently in the middle of Why Our Decisions Don't Matter) and finding it fascinating how the reading seems to parallel my thought processes along with some of my other reading material and even a photograph viewed this week. I'll provide a link to the photo and explain why the reading folded nicely into my thoughts about the photo when I review Why Our Decisions Don't Matter. It has to do with Hamlet. And, stars. But, back to the subject . . .

Two of the articles in Why We Fight particularly grabbed my attention because the first article, written by an animal psychologist and zoologist, describes human aggression as no different from that of other animals while the second article flatly disputes the concept of inherited tendency to defend our territory. Are we territorial by nature or not? Therein lies the joy of this book and the entire series: food for thought, discussion and to tempt one to further reading.

Love it, love it, highly recommended. There were 2 readings that literally put me to sleep but I did finish them and I think we can at least partially blame fatigue.

And, lest you think, "For crying out loud, everything's been 'highly recommended', lately," I must tell you that's because of that slumpy business I went through during the summer. I've only been reading books that totally grab me and suck me in. Anything that doesn't capture my interest and keep it is still getting set aside. Hopefully, I will soon find the time to share a little about some Did Not Finish books; and, I do plan to review one children's book I didn't like, soon. But, it's not the one in the sidebar. The little chimp book is another one I loved. You'll see.

The Coffin Quilt by Ann Rinaldi is a book that I consider one of those serendipitous reading choices that closely aligned with the thought process in Why We Fight, although I didn't think about the parallel when I picked The Coffin Quilt up to read.

The Coffin Quilt is a fictionalized account of the feud between the Hatfield and McCoy families -- a vicious, bloody feud that began with the theft of the McCoys' pigs in 1878. Ha! Territorial fighting, right? The pigs were a valuable and crucial possession because every part of the pig was used for either food or some other important need, such as soap-making. After the McCoys lost their pigs in a court battle (because some Hatfields were involved in the legal doings and they stuck with their kin, no matter what), the feud exploded into all-out war with ruthless killings after beautiful Roseanna McCoy ran off with Johnse Hatfield and the Hatfield patriarch refused to allow them to marry, destroying Roseanna's reputation.

The Coffin Quilt is told from the perspective of Fanny McCoy, the youngest daughter, and it is by far the best book I've read by Ann Rinaldi. I'm going to quote from the cover blurb (no spoiler included):

As the killings, abductions, raids and heartbreak escalate bitterly and senselessly, Fanny, the sole voice of reason, realizes that she is powerless to stop the fighting and must learn to rise above the petty natures of her family and neighbors and find her own way out of the hatred.

There's a lot of senseless violence, but the novel is a young adult and not too awfully graphic. I wouldn't be surprised if someone, somewhere thought it was worth banning (ha!--got in my comment about Banned Books Week!) but I thought it was well-written and, judging from the author's notes, meticulously researched, the perspective and fictionalized portions chosen with logic and insight.

The Coffin Quilt definitely provided more food for thought on the concept of why humans fight and I also recommend it as a good read with one caveat: The book is written entirely in vernacular. In general, I avoid books that are written in a regional dialect but I've lived in the South long enough that I had no problem understanding the mode of speech. I would advise flipping through The Coffin Quilt or reading an excerpt before purchasing, though, if you dislike books written in that particular style.

In summary:

Why We Fight, edited by Simon Van Booy - Philosophical readings, both fiction and non-fiction, and other material -- highly recommended to both the higher-minded and those who think they're too dim to handle philosophy. I think those of you with slow cogs like mine will be pleasantly surprised at the readability.

The Coffin Quilt by Ann Rinaldi - Solid young-adult fiction based on the real-life feud between two families, recommended for both youngsters and adults with the caution that it's written in Southern dialect.

It took me all evening to write this post, partly because the kitties are kind of needy and getting into a heap of trouble. There have been some fluffed-up tails, banging noises and other bits of excitement. Hope you enjoyed it and that you had a very wahooey Wednesday!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Calvin Can't Fly by J. Berne & K. Bendis

Calvin Can't Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie by Jennifer Berne
Illustrated by Keith Bendis
Copyright 2010
Sterling Kids - Children's (Ages 4-8)
32 pages

As the other little starlings were learning to swoop and
hover and fly figure eights, Calvin buried his beak in books.
And there his mind soared.

Calvin the starling isn't interested in the normal starling things like learning to fly; but, he loves to read books. He is teased and called names, but that doesn't stop Calvin from going to the library or dreaming about legends, poetry and becoming a great writer (while his brothers and sisters are dreaming about delicious bugs). When the time comes to migrate, though, Calvin is in dire straits. He has no idea how to fly and sadly watches his huge starling family leave without him.

But, then his brothers and sisters and cousins return with string and scraps of cloth. They carry Calvin . . . until the family comes upon a hurricane. Of course, Calvin is the only bird who knows about hurricanes -- because he has read about them. He saves the day by advising everyone to take shelter and the whole starling family celebrates their safety after the storm has passed. Calvin is so excited that he jumps and flaps and flaps his wings until his relatives tell him that he is, in fact, flying.

And, that's pretty much the end. I absolutely loved Calvin Can't Fly, except for one little thing. I did think that ending was a little abrupt, when I read the book aloud to the cat. Incidentally, Fiona is not a good listener. She walked in and out of the room and I ended up reading to nobody until my husband showed up with a silly grin on his face. He's used to me, but he knows weird when he sees it.

Apart from that ending, I think Calvin Can't Fly is so wonderful that I would consider it for gift-giving purposes. It's not just about a bird who is different from the rest (aka, your average "fish out of water" children's book); it's about the joy of reading. And, the illustrations are marvelous -- colorful, perky, bright, joyful illustrations. I'm a big advocate of reading children books that encourage a love of reading as early as possible; and, picture books that suck little ones in with an upbeat story about reading's benefits combined with great illustrations? Perfect.

Highly recommended. This one's going on my keeper shelf. I'm not yearning for grandkids (I am way the heck to young to think too hard about that) but hopefully someday I'll have a little one to share this with. If not . . . I may need to volunteer to read at schools. What do you think? Should I do that, anyway? It seems like a decent idea. My thanks to Sterling Kids for this unexpected bit of reading joy.

Many books have walked into my house, this week (which means I need to get to work escorting a few more out the door).

From Paperback Swap:

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Line by Teri Hall

From Hyperion, via Shelf Awareness:

Kasey to the Rescue by Ellen Rogers

From Algonquin Books (all surprises):

The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter
A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein
Missing Lucile by Suzanne Berne

Your Tuesday dose of kitty joy . . . Isabel: The Glamour Shot

And, that leads to a reminder that I need to go wash the kitty bowls.

Happy, happy, joy, joy to all!

Bookfool

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

London's Strangest Tales by Tom Quinn

London's Strangest Tales: Extraordinary But True Stories by Tom Quinn From Over a Thousand Years of London's History
Portico - Nonfiction/History
378 pages

I'm going to try to keep this review short and sweet because my butt is numb. I am actually doing my darnest to return to blog-hopping and man . . . I can feel the fat cells replicating. But, I'm having fun.

London's Strangest Tales is a book I purchased either from Waterstone's in Greenwich or Foyle's in Charing Cross (London). All I recall is the sensation that I wanted to take both bookstores home with me or, at the very least, get a hammock and move into Foyle's. They have plenty of room for campers. If you're ever in London, you must go to Foyle's. Your eyes will tear up with joy at the sight of all those beautiful books. Five floors!!! They have an entire 5-shelf section on climate change!!!

But, I digress. I purchased the book because I like to read about the places I visit, after the fact, in order to keep the escapist sensation of travel going. London's Strangest Tales looked like pure fun and a good dose of history. It is, in fact, not only extremely entertaining and informative but also a worthy book to read before traveling to London because one might find some interesting little sights to search for that would otherwise be easily overlooked.

Beginning with the tale of why Great Scotland Yard has remained Scottish territory since the year 950, the book progresses forward in time. There are tales of historical or unique buildings and cemeteries, the origins of various place names, the odd habits of royalty and other eccentric Londoners, how various businesses came into being and expressions (such as "robbing Peter to pay Paul") originated in London.

I enjoyed all of the stories, but found those that described places I've visited particularly fun to read about, such as why Trafalgar Square is permanently unfinished and how William Fortnum (a footman to Queen Anne who made a nice little sum of money selling candle-stubs from St. James Palace) and Hugh Mason (a shopkeeper and friend of Fortnum) combined their talents to create the wondrous Fortnum & Mason store.

On why Trafalgar Square is unfinished:

The unfinished bit is the empty plinth in the northwest corner -- this has been empty ever since the square was first built and though in recent years some bizarre sculptures have been placed on the unused plinth (including an upside-down see-through version of the plinth itself!) there are still no plans to erect a permanent statue here.

--from "Trafalgar Square -- Permanently Unfinished" in London's Strangest Tales, p. 193

I believe this is the unfinished plinth in question, with a temporary ship-in-a-bottle display:

Loads of fun and highly recommended. London's Strangest Tales would have been a terrific book to read on the plane home because I have a dramatically short attention span on planes (usually, I give up and watch a movie or sleep) but the brevity of each of the tales resulted in a book that lends itself well to reading in bits and pieces.

No other news, today, at least not that I'm willing to share because I need to open a window or two and breathe the cool air. Cool!!! Wahoo!!!!!!!

Bookfool, a wee bit excited about the Autumn thing

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

For the King's Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick

For the King's Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick

Copyright 2010

Sourcebooks Landmark - Historical Fiction

517 pages

Elizabeth Chadwick's Website

In the 12th Century, Ida de Tosney is presented at court. Shy, lovely and innocent, Ida hopes King Henry II will grant her a decent marriage. Instead, she catches Henry's eye and becomes, to her horror, his new mistress.

Roger Bigod's father, Hugh, is a nasty man, bent on picking his son to pieces. As Roger's father and his army of Flemish mercenaries prepare an attempt to oust King Henry from the throne, Roger decides he has had enough and leaves, fighting instead in defense of the king. But, after Hugh Bigod's loss, his earldom is stripped from him and his castle's defenses torn down. That earldom and the lands are Roger's inheritance.

Upon Hugh's death, Roger is left with a dilemma. His stepmother and her two sons dispute the lands and the title that is legally Roger's by birth. And, his participation in one battle may not be enough to convince the king to rule in his favor.

When Roger arrives at King Henry's court intending to settle the dispute, young Ida catches his eye. Ida is equally captured by Roger's respectful manner and dashing looks. When the king's interest fades, she sees a chance to escape an unhappy life as the victim to Henry's whims by marrying Roger. But, leaving Henry will lead to the hardest sacrifice of her life. Will Roger ever succeed in regaining the lands and title that are justly his? And, will Ida and Roger be happy in spite of the loss that continues to tear at her heart?

Well . . . I'm not going to spoil it for you, but here's the thing you probably most want to know about For the King's Favor: I could not put this book down. Both Ida and Roger are likable characters, flawed in their own ways but honorable, loyal and kind. Their tale is a fictionalized account of real-life characters the author came across while researching her two books about William Marshal. I've read the first Marshal book and have a copy of the second, but it's been a while since I read The Greatest Knight and it took me a bit to realize that was the same William Marshal dropping in and out of the story. Then, I realized I was reading about many of the same events from a slightly different angle.

Oh, how I loved reading the same story from a different viewpoint. As I've mentioned many times, I'm not well educated in history and for that reason, I love reading accurate, well-researched historical fiction from which I can learn. Chadwick is, in my opinion, very much like Georgette Heyer in her painstaking research, in this case of Medieval England, as well as her sometimes-baffling detail (again, a lexicon is a very fine thing). In the author's notes, she admits to altering a few details as as she learned more in her research, but primarily by way of a change in the timeline and not by a large number of years. The shift wasn't enough to cause confusion and you have to appreciate an author who is so dedicated to accuracy.

The bottom line:

Highly recommended. I absolutely loved For the King's Favor. Like Heyer, Chadwick has already written a large number of books and that means many years of excellent Medieval reading to come. Wahoo!

In other news:

I am fighting a lingering migraine and computer issues. It's apparently time to upgrade my computer; but, since I had a really good time this summer, I'll have to wait. There are days that my computer is so sluggish it's like being on dial-up, all over again. Hopefully, I'll be able to hold out until I've finished paying for my vacation fun. Fingers crossed.

Things Isabel has done, this week:

Chewed an earphone cord into two useless pieces, learned to occasionally show tender affection to her big sister Fiona (I took some touching photos of Isabel sharing a windowsill with Fi, touching one of Fi's paws with both of hers, but missed the moment when Izzy reached up to bat Fi's whiskers and Fi didn't even flinch), chomped a window-blind pull into 4 worthless chunks, convinced a Bookfool that maybe declawing is worth remote consideration, and swung from a chair cushion after a failed leap onto a breakfast-nook chair. Said Kiddo, after rescuing her: "I wish I had that on video."

Best news for us:

Our first real cool front has arrived!!! Wheeee! Time to party!! I'm off to drink cider on the porch with hubby and enjoy the air. Happy Autumn!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fiona Friday - Enough, already

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Man Gave Names to All the Animals by Bob Dylan, illustrated by Jim Arnosky

Man Gave Names to All the Animals by Bob Dylan

Illustrated by Jim Arnosky

Copyright 2010

Sterling Children's Books - Ages 4-8

32 pages; Includes a CD of the original Bob Dylan recording

Author's website

I've chosen to post an unusually large cover image of this book because it's so gorgeous you need to see it in as much detail as possible. Man Gave Names to All the Animals is absolutely stunning, vibrant, beautiful . . . think of any other adjective that has to do with eye-popping color and you've got the gist. Illustrator Jim Arnosky requested permission from Bob Dylan to use the lyrics to his song "Man Gave Names to All the Animals", from the album Slow Train Coming, and illustrate them to create a children's book. The result is 32 pages of rhyming fun, including a copy of the catchy original song on CD.

I no longer have small children and my cats aren't into dancing (except when they're boxing each other or chasing ribbons), but my husband and I played the CD and we were rocking. We both agreed that our kids would have absolutely loved both the song and the book. You can't beat the combination of bright colors, rhyme and music. Here's a sample page spread, without the words:

Art used with permission from Man Gave Names to All the Animals, (c) 2010 by Jim Arnosky, Sterling Children's Books.

The cover image at the top of this review is what you see on the book jacket, but if you take the jacket off this glorious, hardcover book, underneath is a cover just as pretty but totally different. On the front is a close-up of a tiger and the back shows butterflies floating from one corner to another. I'm one of those people who take off book jackets to keep them pristine, so I always appreciate it when the cover beneath is also nice to look at.

The bottom line: A perfect combination of words, rhythm and illustrations; and, you can't lose with a CD of Dylan's playful tune to jazz up the reading with children. Highly recommended.

In other news: Look!!! Kitties at peace!

Not long after I snapped this photo, Fiona rolled onto her back and Isabel scooted over and chomped on Fiona's ear. Izzy got a little tap on the head for bad behavior, which promptly sent her into an urgent bath ritual, followed by another stretch of good behavior, with her head even closer to Fi's. Awwww. So cute. And also . . . Wahoo!!!

Just walked in, this week:

Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens by Jennifer Schaertl (I have a crappy little kitchen)

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper (cat book!)

Desiree by Anne Marie Selinko (a Sourcebooks rerelease of one of my all-time favorite books!)

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

All but Desiree were from Paperback Swap. And, just so you know, plenty of books are going out the door, too. I'm not sure we've hit balance, yet, but I'm trying.

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester

Georgette Heyer's Regency World
by Jennifer Kloester
Copyright 2010
Sourcebooks - History/Reference
374 pages

For those who have never read Georgette Heyer's fiction, Heyer was a prolific author who wrote books set in the Regency period. I'm not sure how many of them I've read -- maybe 5? I've got years and years of Heyer reading ahead of me. Her books are absolutely delightful. Those I've read have been light-hearted, romantic, adventurous reads with only one exception and that particular title leaned toward Gothic.

The problem with Georgette Heyer's books is that she was such a thorough researcher and worked so hard to maintain accuracy that if you don't know your Regency history her books can be a bit baffling, particularly the lingo. I've printed out a few lists of Regency cant and slang to help me with the reading. Like Shakespeare, eventually you will get the drift via context, even if you aren't able to define a word or two or fifty. But, I've wished for a lexicon for quite some time.

Georgette Heyer's Regency World is not a lexicon, although there are sections with definitions. The book, however, goes way beyond simple definitions and serves as an excellent history lesson on the Regency period. It includes such things as methods of transportation and entertainment, styles of both men's and women's clothing, marriage traditions, royalty and other real-life characters and lifestyles of the privileged. Within that text, Kloester uses examples from both real life and Heyer's fiction.

Truly, Georgette Heyer's Regency World is an amazing read. I learned so much about the Regency period that my admiration for Heyer has been multiplied ten-fold and I'm certain that, although I'll undoubtedly refer back to the book, I will go into future Heyer reads with an understanding of the time period that should make her books even more enjoyable.

The bottom line:

Highly, highly recommended for readers of Georgette Heyer's books, particularly those who know little about the Regency time period. My edition is an ARC and the index is not complete (the page numbers for the index portion had not yet been inserted) but the index looks very thorough and should make it an easy reference book. My only complaint -- and it's minor -- is that I would like to see a complete alphabetical lexicon section rather than one divided into topics like money, men's clothing, clubs, sport, etc.

In other news:

Little Isabel is sleeping behind my monitor. I can see her tail and a little bit of white fur body. How cute is that?

My high school is having a reunion, this weekend. It's a big-number reunion. It makes me cringe. I was on the list of "missing students" so I didn't hear about it till yesterday. That's fine. I'm still trying to plow through some books to try to catch up with myself, now that my summer slump appears to have ended and traveling would have nipped that in the bud.

It is still way hot in Mississippi but we've at least dropped from mid-to upper 90's to lower 90's. I'll party when it hits 78. We're also having quite a little drought here. If you know a good rain dance, please feel free to dance for rain for us. Does that work, doing a rain dance for someone else? Maybe I need to get up and dance. Just FYI, I am one awkward dancer. I'd probably end up getting Mother Nature to drop frogs or something.

One for the road: A photo of our little Isabel playing with a ball on her scratching post. When she arrived at our home, she had to climb the scratching post with all four legs to reach the ball. Now, you can see she just stands on her tippy-toes only three weeks after her arrival. She is growing ridiculously fast. I think Fiona wishes she'd hurry up and just turn into a boring old cat, but every day we seem to see a little improvement in their relationship, if that's what you call it.

What exciting things are happening in your world? Read anything fabulous, lately?

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang (review)

Whisper on the Wind by Maureen Lang
Copyright 2010
Tyndale - Historical Fiction
407 pages (includes discussion questions)

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers!!! Stop right here if you plan to read this book right away!!!

The year is 1916. Belgium is under German occupation and Isa Lassone is doing something very unusual -- sneaking into Belgium in order to try to save the family she used to live with and came to think of as her own. But, it's not as easy as she hoped.

Edward, a young man she has loved since she was 7 years old, is working with other Belgians to keep up morale among his countrymen by helping to print and distribute La Libre Belgique (Free Belgium), a newspaper to keep Belgians notified of the real, uncensored news and lift their spirits.

Edward refuses to leave the country but encourages her to help his family leave. However, Isa cannot bear the idea of leaving without him. So, they all remain and Isa moves into her old home -- with a German officer billeted in one of the large home's bedrooms. When a new location is needed for a printing press, Isa offers up a secret room in her cellar. But, in doing so, she risks not only her own life but the lives of the people she loves most. Only her faith in God keeps her going during the most dangerous times.

Will Isa, Edward and his family survive the German occupation? Or will they die trying to do their part to keep hope alive?

First things first: I spent all day reading Whisper on the Wind. That's partly because I'm a slow reader (le sigh) and partly because I couldn't put that sucker down. It has its flaws. At times I thought, "Seriously? I don't buy that," but then I realized I kept sticking poor Isa mentally into the wrong time period. I've read very, very little about World War I and have no idea what German security was like in that time and place. So, it's possible that Isa may have gotten away with a few squeaks past the Nazis as she entered the country.

My general feeling about the printing press in her cellar (which I don't believe is a spoiler, but I've gone ahead and added the spoiler warning, just in case some might consider it to be) was that it was crazy but insisting that she must move back into her own home in an occupied country, knowing at least one Nazi was billeted there, was just ridiculous. I just had a terrible time getting past that.

Otherwise, I loved the book. I've mentioned before that I read My Sister Dilly by Maureen Lang and enjoyed it. This was an opportunity to read something vastly different (historical versus contemporary) and I found that I liked her writing as well as I did the first time. At the beginning, there are some tense moments but they're nothing compared to the danger that occurs later in the book. In that regard, I found it very realistic -- the further they became entrenched in their work and the more strangers they encountered, the more dangerous their situation became.

The bottom line:

While the premise is a bit over-the-top and there are moments and situations that I had trouble swallowing, Whisper on the Wind is absolutely engrossing and I highly recommend it, especially to fans of Christian historical fiction. Danger, intrigue, tension, romance (not gushy or overdone, but one of many elements) and a satisfying conclusion make for a page-turning read.

Whisper on the Wind is apparently the second in Lang's "The Great War Series", although it's a stand-alone and there was no hint that it's the second book in a series. I only found out it was not the first book in the series when I saw an excerpt from the third book in the back.

In other news:

I'm going back to that make-no-promises rule I had, a while back. I would really, really like to whip out a bunch of reviews, this week, but can't make any guarantees because I never know from one day to the next if the words will come. Obviously, no problem tonight. Maybe doing nothing but read and play with cats is a good way to prepare to write. ;)

Over the weekend, I finished Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester. I'd like to review that next, while it's fresh in my mind. But, I'd also like to run a 10K, again. I'd like world peace. Just wish me luck, okay?

A new book has arrived at my home, today: Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper. A kitty book!! Wahoo! I also got a copy of Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter (4th in the Gallagher Girls series, which Kiddo and I love). Both were from Paperback Swap.

And, Sterling Kids sent me 4 books from their new "Inside" series: Inside Dinosaurs, Inside Hurricanes, Inside the Human Body and Inside Tornadoes. I'm a weather freak, so I read Inside Hurricanes immediately and I'll go for Tornadoes, next. I haven't decided whether I'll review them as a group or individually -- that will depend on whether I find them consistent. I really liked Hurricanes, apart from one little quibble that is not unique -- it's in every single freaking book that mentions Hurricane Katrina and you can probably guess what that is because I can't shut up about it.

Best news of the week: I have caught the two kitties sleeping within 18 inches of each other twice!!!! How exciting is that? Fiona's still more skittish than normal and Isabel chews on things she shouldn't, climbs curtains (eeks -- we hardly have any curtains but she's found them!) and frequently provokes Fiona . . . and sometimes Fiona bats her for no other reason than, "That is MY toy and I don't want you touching it," but, hey, we'll take any progress at all.

Happy . . . oh, Monday is almost over. Well, then. Happy Today!

Bookfool with whuppita, whuppita, whuppita noise in her hallway (I knew a day of cats sleeping might mean a long night)

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