Member: ChocolateMuse

Nope, Heyer's going to have to wait until Christmas break, when I have access to a local library and some decent used bookstores. (The university library does not carry her books, unsurprisingly.) I may be gobbling up she and Patricia McKillip (a beloved fantasy writer) during December in order to make my fifty, because I doubt I'll be doing anything but finishing up LotR for the rest of this semester. Ah, the trials and tribulations inherent in writing research papers!

posted by ncgraham at 9:13 pm (EST) on Nov 22, 2009

"I only have two stars," she says as she climbs to the top of the hot list. What a ... sneak! ;)

By the way, to add/delete authors from your favorites list you have to go to their individual pages and Add to favorites/Favorited button. So you can either ditch them all and make it disappear, or else you could do away with Morton and replace her with Gentlefolk like Heyer.

posted by ncgraham at 2:55 pm (EST) on Nov 20, 2009

Wow - Amy, you, and I all have Hot Reviews listed today. We are da bomb!

posted by ncgraham at 2:47 pm (EST) on Nov 19, 2009

Hi

The Hot Review is still listed. You may need to change the settings to indicate more books are shown -- to do so, simply click on the pencil to the right at the top of the hot review section. You can then default to allowing ten books to show.

This should enable you to see that your hot review is there.

posted by Whisper1 at 8:45 am (EST) on Nov 18, 2009

Congratulations on your hot review listed on today's home page!

Linda

posted by Whisper1 at 9:42 pm (EST) on Nov 17, 2009

Wow, thank you for the in-depth analysis. I wasn't expecting that! Yes, I was quite upset to see that neither Cotillion nor Friday's Child was there. And I wasn't seriously considering Beauvallet. :P I do have a high tolerance for romance—although I haven't read any in the "genre" that I know of, unless you count Austen and the like—but I do hope to like Heyer. Hmmm, maybe I should just read a bunch of these, if there aren't any stand-outs. Or maybe I should just hunt me down a copy of Friday's Child at a bookstore.

posted by ncgraham at 9:36 pm (EST) on Nov 15, 2009

I have a literary question for you, friend Rena. I was planning on introducing myself to Georgette Heyer this Christmas break by checking out my library's copy of Cotillion, but it turns out that they have closed one of their branches indefinitely and many of the books won't be available for at least a while now. (I wonder if they're selling any of them; if so, I'll have to tell my mom to keep an eye out for McKillip and Heyer at library booksales.) Anyway, they still have several of her books, including The Toll-Gate, Devil's Club, False Colours, Beauvallet, An Infamous Army, and These Old Shades. Do you have any recommendations or guidance to offer me? :)

posted by ncgraham at 10:24 pm (EST) on Nov 12, 2009

Not a lurker on your thread, but probably should be! Just happened to check my home page which I have set up to automatically inform me of friends updates (including reviews) and....voila....there was your Two Towers review!

posted by EnriqueFreeque at 1:16 am (EST) on Nov 4, 2009

Well done Muser on the Two Towers!

posted by EnriqueFreeque at 12:24 am (EST) on Nov 4, 2009

And whoever that is intimately connected with Katrina is not me! I would be banned for life if I pulled those schenanigans again. I hope whoever that is enjoys it while it lasts.

posted by EnriqueFreeque at 1:15 am (EST) on Oct 29, 2009

Congratulations for your HOT REVIEW on "Ghostwritten"!~! Well done my friend!~! I was very excited to see you there. Very well deserved.
See you on the threads and again, congrats!~!
luv n hugs,
belva

posted by nannybebette at 12:28 am (EST) on Oct 28, 2009

Oh no worries, my sock puppets have long since been suspended. They sadly are no more. Finis!

Yeah, HR does depend a lot on one's popularity unfortunately, but not always. I think it's good nonetheless to pimp as many people and their reviews (assuming they're good reviews) as possible so that they, in turn, will become review pimps themselves, and we all, eventually, go on and encourage and promote one another's work and become like a reviewer's collective. That was the idea behind it back when we were just, what, 10 or 12 of us strong and it was "The Quest for the Last Page of Ulysses" - a goof, really - created in an attempt to actually complete Ulysses (which I didn't!) -rather than Le Salon of today.

posted by EnriqueFreeque at 11:04 pm (EST) on Oct 27, 2009

Hey, that #1 Hot Review you got going right now has already proven your worthiness.

Maybe we're not worhty!

posted by EnriqueFreeque at 12:34 pm (EST) on Oct 27, 2009

Woo-hoo! Awesome!

posted by EnriqueFreeque at 10:36 pm (EST) on Oct 25, 2009

So have you joined Le Salon Litteraire yet?

;-)

posted by EnriqueFreeque at 11:07 pm (EST) on Oct 22, 2009

Hi Rena! Post your LOTR rambles wherever you like. Maybe the challenge threads (yours or mine, whichever you prefer) are the best place. That way we might be able to suck more people into our LOTR conspiracy. Muwhahahaha!

I'm so, so glad that you are enjoying it, though I confess myself surprised and humbled to have my mini-defense of LOTR being treated so reverently. I'm not worthy! But if it's helped you, that's all that matters.

I loved Sylvester so much that I want to jump right into another Heyer book. But I want to ration them a little, too, instead of gobbling them all at once. I'm glad she wrote so many! And after that there are her mysteries, woohoo. Have you read any of those? I've heard someone say that Heyer's contemporary stories remind her of Jane Austen writing about her contemporaries. Interesting.

I started Bel Canto yesterday and am enjoying it so far. I'll go into more detail in my thread. Thanks for poking me to start one, they're terribly fun! :)

(And did I really give away the identity of the daughters in my Collins review? Which one do you think Helena is? Wait, don't answer that; I don't want to answer you and spoiler it. But be assured that though Collins is far sneakier than me, I tried to keep things dim! Guess you'll just have to read it now, oh darn :-P)

posted by wisewoman at 10:56 am (EST) on Oct 9, 2009

P.S. I saw both your comments at the same time today, so I didn't have a moment's concern! :-)

posted by bonniebooks at 9:50 pm (EST) on Oct 8, 2009

That's funny, the coincidence. And I wasn't even feeling guilty, because the book was in the back of my car and I had mostly forgotten about it. Glad you are still excited about getting it. Enjoy! :-) Bonnie

posted by bonniebooks at 9:48 pm (EST) on Oct 8, 2009

Hi Lorena. I think you have a very pretty name, btw. How is LOTR coming along? Don't worry about me outstripping you; I'm actually listening to it on audiobook (read by Rob Inglis) and while it's quite good, it's also quite long! I have an hour commute and I listen to it on my way home from work each day. I did do a little extra listening this weekend while I was swapping out my summer clothes for my winter sweaters (pause a moment to allow a tear to fall...). But you'll probably finish it before I do. I just got done with the Council of Elrond. Fantastic stuff.

Your thoughts about Sam aren't completely off base. In the early chapters he does appear as a yokel (I do think it's funny when the Gaffer says that Bilbo learned Sam his letters, "meaning no harm by it, mark you, and I hope no harm comes of it." LOL!). But as the story goes on Sam starts to show a yearning for poetry and beauty that is not mute. He longs to see the Elves (which represent Art and grace), and eventually he even comes out with some poetry of his own. He is a gardner; he is indirectly influenced by that in his desire to create, I think. He is more in line with the female principle than any other member of the Fellowship.

You are right that Tolkien does give Sam "doglike" qualities. But it's not so much because he is a gardner as that he is Frodo's servant. In my thesis I discuss the "good servant/bad servant" dynamic of Sam and Gollum (who is also described in terms of animalistic qualities). Perhaps if you see the relationship between Frodo ("Mr Frodo") and Sam as first and foremost a feudal one, the descriptions won't bother you so much?

Sam's resolve and courage are no less than heroic in the last chapters before they reach the end of their journey. He rises above the merely comical and commands respect by his determination. Tolkien says that "his will was set, and nothing but death would break it." But he keeps a humble heart through all of this, calling himself "nowt but a ninnyhammer" in spite of his brave deeds and quick thinking. I really think he is one of the heroes of the book, right up there alongside Aragorn and Frodo. He is medieval in his feudal loyalty to Frodo, and yet it's very modern of Tolkien to give a "commoner" such a big role and distinct personality. So anyhow, that's my mini-rant on Sam :-)

Wow, I can't believe we agree even on the translation of Quo Vadis! Sometimes I question if Kuniczak's translation was THAT bad or if I made it worse in my memory, but whenever I want to reread I always go straight for Curtin. It's nice to hear you had a similar experience. I read Sienkiewicz's Polish trilogy one summer and they were translated by Kuniczak, and I don't remember the writing being that bad. But I did read at a breakneck pace, and the stories were far more about the adventure than the style.

posted by wisewoman at 12:43 pm (EST) on Oct 5, 2009

Hi Rena,

thanks for your message, always nice to hear from you! I see that you have 'Barchester Towers' in your 'To read really soon' collection. Can't wait to see what you think of it!

Enjoy the long weekend :)

regards,

Laura

posted by digifish_books at 11:41 pm (EST) on Oct 4, 2009

Hello Rena dear. Yes, by all means call me Amy! Amy, ww, Your Majesty... I answer to them all :-P

I'll definitely discuss all my upcoming reads in my challenge thread. Bel Canto probably isn't something I would have picked up myself, so if I end up loving it, it's all your fault, just like with Georgette Heyer. I hope you are prepared for these consequences :)

Yes, I have to have an "on deck" list for my to-read pile, or else I would just stare blankly at the enormous mountains of books surrounding me and never be able to decide what to read next. Of course, half the fun of my on-deck list is sneaking a completely random book ahead of my "scheduled" reads. Such are the joys of a book-lover, lol.

I just checked out your list — this is unreal. You already know that LOTR is one of my all-time favorite books, but did you know that so is Quo Vadis??? I hope you have the original translation by Jeremiah Curtin. Kuniczak's is okay, but he doesn't quite have the grand archaic language of Curtin. It could be that I am just really attached to Curtin's translation because it was the one I read as a teen that seared itself on me. I have a review for Quo Vadis but don't read it until after you've finished the book; it's full of spoilers. Have you seen the movie with Deborah Kerr? Good, but it doesn't even touch the glory of the novel.

And Moby Dick is another great one. I remember how strange everyone thought it when we had to read it for a class and I actually thoroughly enjoyed it, lol. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on these and the other books you're soon to read!

posted by wisewoman at 10:02 am (EST) on Sep 30, 2009

Hi Chocolate! I took the plunge; let me know if I'm doing this right :)

http://www.librarything.com/topic/73151

posted by wisewoman at 1:12 pm (EST) on Sep 14, 2009

Hi Chocolate, and thanks for the comment! I wandered through your thread over at the 50-Book Challenge group and I'm more convinced than ever of our kindred-spirit status :) Wives and Daughters is one of my favorites. I have starred your thread and will try to remember to check in!

Maybe I will join one of the challenge groups, now that you mention it. I read way more than 50 or even 75 books a year; my goal is 120 books a year. *checks* I have already listened to 21 audiobooks and read 75 regular books this year, so I'm in good shape!

Oh, and I wanted to tell you, I picked up a copy of Patchett's Bel Canto a few weeks ago because I remembered how highly you had rated it on your profile page. It's currently in my collection entitled "Hovering High on the To-Read List," which means I might get to it in the new few months (lol). I will be sure to let you know my thoughts when I do.

posted by wisewoman at 1:38 pm (EST) on Sep 11, 2009

Hi, I decided to visit your page after you left a comment about Jenny Wren on laytonwoman3rd's thread. I see you've added this book, and other Virago Modern Classics, to your wishlist. This, plus the nature of your library and your favorite reads, make me think you might enjoy the Virago Modern Classics group here on LT. I've discovered some heretofore unknown (to me) female authors and enjoy the social side of the group as well.

Laura

posted by lindsacl at 11:03 am (EST) on Sep 11, 2009

Lorena, my sister is very sick, so in preparation for coming down to help her (she's 8+ hours away), I kept forgetting to mail your book. It's still there, all wrapped, so eventually will get it to you. Happy to see you back posting. Left a comment about Wives and Daughters. I'm hoping to find a used copy of that one at Powell's when I go back through Portland. Take care. B.

posted by bonniebooks at 11:59 am (EST) on Sep 2, 2009

I did a tribute to Librivox today on my blog, DonuraReads

www.donurareads.blogspot.com

posted by Donura1 at 10:55 pm (EST) on Jun 14, 2009

Thanks so much for referring me to the audiobooks discussion thread. I found the recommendations of additional books on Librivox to be really great. I am a big fan of Brenda Dayne from her knitting podcast so I will have to listen to Age of Innocence. I would love to get a little more discussion on the Librivox discussion group.

posted by Donura1 at 4:28 pm (EST) on Jun 14, 2009

*reporting back* :-)

I just finished writing my review for Friday's Child. It was absolutely, unquestionably amazing! I loved every minute, and Eve Matheson's reading was excellent. And the story! And the characters! And the humor! I feel like I could gush for hours about how much FUN it all was. Thank you so much for recommending it! I'm a committed Heyer fan now. I really can't decide which I prefer, Cotillion or Friday's Child. I love authors that present me with dilemmas like that :)

Thanks again!

posted by wisewoman at 11:56 am (EST) on Jun 8, 2009

I will report back immediately as soon as I've listened to Friday's Child, never fear! My experience with audiobooks has been pretty good so far; the voice actors seem to be well-chosen for their parts. So I'm not too worried about Ms. Matheson. I just hope it shows up; sometimes it can be dicey with ILLs. I'll ask about it tonight when I stop at the library.

Happy ILLing! :)

posted by wisewoman at 11:36 am (EST) on May 13, 2009

I just read your review of The Reluctant Widow. I admit I had viewed the lurid, dramatic cover of my old 1960s copy with a skeptical eye, but now it sounds like an absolute scream. Yay :)

posted by wisewoman at 1:51 pm (EST) on May 6, 2009

My dear Muse of Chocolate — you will be happy to learn that I have placed Friday's Child on hold at the library. It's read by Eve Matheson (?), I believe. I am eagerly awaiting it! I am borrowing it via interlibrary loan. Maybe you could try that for your lost copy of A Blunt Instrument?

I appreciate the note about the misspelled name! I looked it up on Amazon and a reviewer spelled it "Penicuik," so I changed it to that. And lol, you're most welcome for the call-out in my review. I owe it all to you! :-P If you'd like to be mentioned by name, just let me know and I'll call you "that blessed fan, ChocolateMuse" ;)

Yes, I found The Grand Sophy and The Reluctant Widow on BM (BookMooch.com). A fellow moocher in the UK sent them to me. I will look up your review of TRW, thanks for the tip! I like knowing that Heyer wrote so many books... all the more to look forward to.

Thanks again for giving me the push to try Heyer again :)

posted by wisewoman at 1:44 pm (EST) on May 6, 2009

Hey ChocolateMuse! I just wanted to drop by and let you know that I saw Cotillion at the library on audiobook on my last trip there to find something good to listen to during my long commute to work... so I tried it. I absolutely LOVED it! What a satisfying story! I was so worried it wasn't going to end like I wanted it to, and then when it did I actually let out a whoop of joy :-). It was just so good.

Thank you so much for the recommendation. I just posted my review, and I'm eagerly anticipating my next Heyer book!

posted by wisewoman at 4:10 pm (EST) on May 5, 2009

Fun, huh? So, I'm going past the post office on Friday. Will that be soon enough? I'll email you as soon as I've mailed it, OK?

posted by bonniebooks at 11:25 pm (EST) on Apr 21, 2009

Yay, another W&D fan! I actually saw the miniseries before I read the book, and though this is usually a big no-no, in this case it was all right because the screenplay was so delightfully faithful to the original story. I'll never forget my first time seeing it... it was a Sunday afternoon and I had tried to get my husband to watch it with me, but to no avail. So I settled down to watch it and had about 45 minutes left when Todd came in, and of course got hooked. He wanted me to start it over right then and there. I was like, "no way José!" So I finished it, and then we watched it the next two nights (he loves it just as much as me now, lol). So I saw it two times in three days, and my second viewing was just as good as the first!

I've added your Heyer recommendations to my BookMooch wishlist, and will read one of them as soon as it pops up. I'll try to let you know when I do. I do love when people enjoy books I've recommended.

As for Martin, I'm a little like Inigo Montoya: "I hate waiting." :-P So maybe I will just put off his books till they're all written!

posted by wisewoman at 10:58 am (EST) on Apr 20, 2009

Hi ChocolateMuse! Thanks for the kind comments about my MP review. It was sweet of you to make the effort to write me about it :-). I'm glad you enjoyed it. And I know what you mean... it's impossible to pick a favorite Austen. She is a genius.

And I appreciate the tip about the 1989 adaptation. I'll have to look it up. I'm always on the lookout for well-executed adaptations. (Speaking of which, my husband and I are going to watch Wives and Daughters tonight, adapted from Elizabeth Gaskell's novel. Have you ever seen it? We've watched it many times but it never gets old. It's so well-written and acted.)

I think we have a lot in common! I'm a big Wodehouse fan too, and Trollope and George R. R. Martin are on my to-read list. I admit I tried Heyer once and didn't care for her too much; her characters seemed too modern. Maybe I didn't give the book enough time (it was Lady of Quality). Were I to receive an enthusiastic recommendation from a Heyer fan, though, it might just make me try her again... ;)

posted by wisewoman at 10:00 am (EST) on Apr 17, 2009

Hi Rena,

thanks for the Heyer recommendations. I still can't quite my mind up whether I liked 'Sprig Muslin' or not. It was an audiobook and the narrator was rather affected in places. And I thought the character Amanda was a silly little miss with all the trouble she caused! :) Anyhow, I will give Heyer another try.

regards,

Laura

posted by digifish_books at 1:08 am (EST) on Apr 2, 2009

Ooops! Sorry Choc'muse, I forgot to mention I had migrated to the 75 Book Challenge Group for 2009.

regards

Laura

posted by digifish_books at 12:00 am (EST) on Mar 30, 2009

I know exactly what you mean about Brienne. However, maybe she'll turn up like Catelyn - although I'm not quite sure if that's a good thing. I'm glad you liked A Feast for Crows. Interestingly, that's that one that sticks in my mind the most - maybe because I read it more slowly than the first three (which I just ripped through).

My DH finished A Game of Thrones and is about 200 pages into A Clash of Kings. He teaches and is still on vacation, so everyday I come home and ask for a recap of what he's read that day. I think I'm going to have to start my own re-read pretty soon; since finishing A Feast for Crows I've had a hard time really getting into another book.

I'm glad you liked the series, and I'm sure you're like me - just waiting for this fall when A Dance with Dragons comes out!

posted by Talbin at 10:32 am (EST) on Jul 29, 2008

Whoops! Sorry if you saw any spoilers on my profile page! The good thing about the books, though, is that there is so much going on with each and every character that even if you find out one thing about someone, there will be 10 more things about other characters that will definitely surprise you. And some good news - after you posted your comment, another LTer (joycepa) posted to tell me that A Dance With Dragons is available for pre-order on Amazon, due to be released September 30th!

posted by Talbin at 11:12 am (EST) on Jun 30, 2008

I noticed on the thread about books people are reading that were inspired by LT, and I notice that you're reading (and enjoying) Martin's series, A Song of Ice and Fire. I also found that series here on LT (philosojerk highly recommended it at one point), and just loved it. I normally never read fantasy, but that series is great. Anyway, just thought I'd stop by and say Hello to a fellow Martin fan! Tracy

posted by Talbin at 6:42 pm (EST) on Jun 29, 2008