wednesday may 14
Smalltown Canadian girl meets cosmopolitan Dublin girl in Emma Donoghue's long-distance love story Landing.
Jude is flying to London to bring her dying mother home. Sile is the airline hostess on the flight. Despite the circumstances and the complicated relationships they both are already involved in, they're attracted to each other.
It’s impossible, of course. Jude has hardly ever been out of spitting distance of her tiny town, where she is a museum curator. Sile is in a settled relationship, is part of Dublin’s vibrant twenty-first-century urban scene, and knows from her own Anglo-Indian heritage how complicated long-distance, cross-cultural romance can be.
But they make tentative contact again a few weeks later. A romance of emails, phone calls, and all-too-infrequent visits ensues. Something will have to give, though, as both of them know, if they’re to have a real relationship.
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wednesday march 05
Of all the literary sisters of Bridget Jones, Hester Browne’s Melissa Romney-Jones (a.k.a. Honey Blennerhesket) is one of the most charming.
Not that Melissa would really find Bridget a kindred spirit. Melissa is a more old-fashioned girl who would never let her standards down far enough to drink and smoke and slack off at work as much as Bridget and her friends, and she wouldn’t be at home with their sarcastic humor. (Melissa never gets double entendres.) Though of course she would make perfectly cheerful conversation with any of them at a party—nice girls do, after all.
But her spunky optimism and determination to find true love make Melissa Bridget’s sister under the skin.
We first met Melissa in The Little Lady Agency, when Melissa decided to put her unusual talents to use by opening a business under that name. All of her old-fashioned domestic accomplishments (not to mention her busty figure that fits 1950s-era clothes better than modern fashions) and her firm belief in the social niceties made her the perfect advisor for London’s clueless bachelors.
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friday february 01
I love to bake, so last year I took a cake decorating class thinking I might enjoy making wedding cakes from home. Let’s just say it didn’t go so well.
As Valentine’s Day approaches and wedding proposals are in the air, Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes gives me hope that maybe someday (and with a lot of practice) I can make perfect cakes too.
Martha's new book includes everything you need to know about baking and decorating wedding cakes, as well as complete recipes, equipment and techniques, and tips on planning, designing, transporting, and assembling them. Of course, the highlight of the book is her album of 111 beautifully photographed cakes for every bride’s taste and occasion.
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wednesday november 14
Last week I dug through my piles and files of books and reviews to post about some titles I thought you might have missed.
I got a little bit of response, including a few emails, from people who were curious about what the titles might be (no guesses, though!). No one commented about what kind of books they'd like to see more of in these posts, though, so I just want to repeat--don't be shy if there's something you're looking for. There's always more where these came from!
Anyway, read on if you were curious about any of the little blurbs and what the titles were. Did any of you recognize these titles?
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wednesday october 31
Okay, I know it’s Halloween, but how about some romantic fantasy that’s a little less creature-of-the-night than the current crop of vampire romances?
The authors of these books would describe themselves as fantasy writers rather than romance writers, but I think their books have plenty of appeal for readers of both genres. Whether your heart lies with high fantasy or with grand romance, you’ll find yourself swept away.
I wrote last year about War for the Oaks, Emma Bull’s fantasy about a rocker chick who gets caught up in a faerie war. Here are just a few more suggestions of fantasies with strong romantic elements—lots more where they came from! Teen readers might enjoy these, too.
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thursday october 18
I’ve read a couple of Jane Austen's novels and have seen many of them adapted on film, but author Laurie Viera Rigler is a self-proclaimed Jane Austen addict. She has read and reread all six of Austen’s books and is a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. She has also just written her first novel, a charming romantic tale called Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.
After Courtney Stone finds her boyfriend Frank having an affair with their wedding cake designer, she nurses her rejection with a copy of Pride and Prejudice and a bottle of Absolut. She wakes up to find herself in the body of Jane Mansfield, a 19th-century English woman.
Courtney is not prepared for the chamber pots, corsets, and endless embroidery that are a normal part of Jane’s life. But living in Jane’s body does have its perks: servants wait on her hand and foot, there’s plenty of delicious food to eat and balls to attend, and the dashing Mr. Edgeworth makes her weak in the knees. But can he be trusted? And how will she ever return to her life in 21st-century Los Angeles?
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friday october 12
Just in time for Halloween--a scintillating, sizzling, sexy array of paranormal chick lit. Whether vampires are your thing, or demons turn you on, you're guaranteed to find something to read here:
friday september 28
For those of you who think that British chick lit begins and ends with Bridget Jones's Diary, do I have news for you! The chick lit genre is teeming with great British authors. For a hilarious (and mostly true) introduction to British chick lit, check out A Yankee Girl's Guide to Brit Chick Lit. According to the author, some of the differences between British chick lit heroines and their American counterparts: the British "drink like fishes", "slather themselves with scent", and "always seem to be wearing disreputable, grayish underwear when Mr. Right finally comes along and sweeps them off their feet." Did I pique your interest? Then read on for a list of some of my favorite British chick lit authors and their most recent books:
thursday august 23
Last year I went to see the exhibit Diana: A Celebration at the Dayton Art Institute. I got a rare look at Princess Diana’s childhood photographs, mementos, and home movies, as well as a collection of her dresses worn at both royal and charity functions.
The highlight of the exhibit was the dress worn at her wedding to Prince Charles at St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981. Featuring a 25-foot train trimmed with lace and an 11-foot veil hand embroidered with 10,000 mother-of-pearl sequins, the dress was stunning to behold.
If you weren’t able to see the dress in person, then reading the book A Dress for Diana by David and Elizabeth Emanuel is the next best thing. The Emanuels became instantly famous when they were hand picked by Diana to design the most famous dress in the world.
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friday august 10
The weather's not the only thing that's hot and steamy these days. This summer's batch of new romances are just as sultry. If you're in the mood for a little romance (and perhaps one or two or ten scorching love scenes), check out these latest titles. They're guaranteed to raise your temperature a degree or two.
Historical Romance:
Romantic Suspense:
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sunday july 08
Schaffert’s
Devils in the Sugar Shop is sophisticated chick lit set in present day Omaha, Nebraska. The story is centered around a group of women who, try as they might, just can’t seem to get it right. DeeDee is the proprietress of a very tasteful adult oriented store called the Sugar Shop. Ashley is a failed writer of erotic fiction. Artist and bookstore owners are also among the occupations of the group. Add stalker to the list, but just whom that happens to be is a delicious mystery deeply embedded in the novel.
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sunday june 17
Cynthia Kaplan went to summer camp and school dances, had a crush on Jamie Karlan, got dumped by boyfriends, struggled with her career, sought the approval of her parents, cared for her ill grandmother, got married, became a mother, and tried to live her life the best she knew how.
If you see yourself in any of these scenarios, then you understand the happiness and heartache of being a woman.
But if you think Why I'm Like This: True Stories is going to be an overly sentimental book, think again. Often compared to David Sedaris, Kaplan's personal essays are funny and sad yet refreshingly frank, as if she is examining her life under a microscope.
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wednesday april 25
Today marks the beginning of the Romantic Times Annual Booklovers Convention, held this year in Houston, Texas. The event is sold out, so if you don't already have your ticket, you'll have to make do with these recent releases by some of today's best romance writers. Warning: some are hotter than others.
Historical Romance:
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thursday march 15
Break out that ugly green turtleneck you've been dying to wear and get ready to celebrate--St. Patrick's Day is almost here! Cincinnati's Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade is this Saturday. Corned beef, cabbage, and Guinness can be had at Newport's or Mason's Claddagh Irish Pub. If you're looking for a quieter way to commemorate the holiday, check out some of these novels set in Ireland.
In recent years, mystery writers have found Ireland a fertile ground for murder and mayhem. Lake of Sorrows, Erin Hart's sequel to Haunted Ground, is a prime example. In it, pathologist Nora Gavin is sent to the bogs of Central Ireland to investigate two recently discovered corpses, one ancient, the other recent. Other good mysteries set in Ireland include Ken Bruen's Priest, Carol Anne O'Marie's Murder at the Monk's Table, and Dicey Deere's The Irish Village Murder (all three are the latest titles in series).
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tuesday february 27
I first discovered Susan Elizabeth Phillips when I read her book It Had To Be You back in 1996. I loved her wit and humor and her easy storytelling style. Still do. She's one of a few authors that I'll automatically read without having to know what the book's about.
When her newest book, Natural Born Charmer, was published this month I happily snapped it up and read it in one weekend. It's the story of Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard and vagabond Blue Bailey. When Dean picks Blue up after he spots her walking down the highway in a beaver suit (trust me there's a good reason for that!) their adventure is only begining. Throw in Dean and Blue's mommy issues, Dean's younger sister and one cranky old woman who owns the town and what you have is ultimately a story of what it means to be a family and accepting the one that you have.
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monday january 22
I was reading an article some time ago in one of those magazines librarians read (Library Journal, Publishers weekly--sorry I can't remember which one!) and was somewhat interested to read about cross-pollination that was occurring between romance and other genres. I thought it was a good thing at the time, and thought it might be interesting to come across one of these titles, though I wasn't intrigued enough to seek one out.
Now I'm not so sure. I'll admit, I was frantically grabbing audiobooks in the last few minutes of my lunch break, and therefore missed the rather telling CD cover of Cover of Night by Linda Howard. So I was a little surprised by the sudden "blossoming of affections" that happened during the bloody beginnings of the siege (by criminals working for the mafia) of a small mountain town. I was also very surprised at the end when the male lead's close-quarters and semi-premeditated killing of at least one of the criminals was so blithely accepted by the heroine, despite her having young twins. Altogether, I found the premise of the plot more amusing than suspenseful, and the "happy ending" chillingly odd, which I'm pretty sure is not what the author intended. I'm sure there are other novels that blend the genres with ease. This was just the wrong one to encounter first and unawares.
wednesday december 20
Twinkling lights. Horse-drawn carriage rides. Kissing under the mistletoe. And eggnog--lots and lots of eggnog. In the mood for a little romance yet? No? Then maybe the following titles will help.
- Santa Baby by Jennifer Crusie, Lori Foster and Carly Phillips--A sexy trio of holiday-themed novellas from some of romance's hottest authors.
- The Eggnog Chronicles by Carly Alexander--Two sisters, Jane and Ricki, and Jane's best friend Emma look for romance during the holidays in New York City.
- Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber--Seattle resident Katherine O'Connor finds romance and more with child psychologist Dr. Wynn Jeffries.
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saturday december 02
I bought
Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, two long novellas generally published together, in Italy on a drizzly day, and stayed in bed reading them even after the sun came out. Nancy Mitford was a genius, and these books are her best fiction. They're based on her own family, which has spawned several exuberant biographies:
The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family and
The House of Mitford.
Unsuitable Attachments and Love in a Cold Climate tell the stories of sensible Fanny Logan's eccentric cousins and of the wealthy and ancient Montdore family. Fanny's quiet life could hardly be more different than her beloved cousin Linda Radlett's, and also than that of her friend Polly Montdore. The Radletts' terrifying father Matthew hunts his chldren when foxhounds are not available (and also when they are) and writes down the names of the many people he dislikes on pieces of paper and puts the papers in a drawer, believing this will cause something bad to happen to these enemies.
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friday october 13
Girl with a Pearl Earring helped make historical fiction featuring ordinary women a hot publishing trend in the past few years. And with the recent reconsideration of Marie Antoinette’s reputation, there seem to be a lot of French Revolution novels lately.
How about a novel featuring ordinary women in revolutionary France? The Rose Grower, by Michelle de Kretser, is a surprisingly moving book that will appeal to fans of both light and serious historical fiction.
In a rural province, three sisters of good but not aristocratic family sympathetically follow the news of political and philosophical unrest in Paris. It’s all rather distant, though—their own lives and budding romances are of far more real importance.
Until, slowly, revolution reaches their comfortable corner of the country.
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monday october 09
Every time Jane Heller releases a new book, it’s like I’m getting a little piece of chocolate in book form. In her latest book, Some Nerve, celebrity journalist Ann Roth (who works for the People-like Famous magazine) is told by her editor to obtain the unobtainable: An interview with notoriously press-shy mega-star Malcolm Goddard. If she doesn’t get this interview, the nice girl journalist (there’s no point to digging in a celeb’s garbage when you can get info from them politely) is fired. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
It’s interesting reading about Ann’s attempts to woo Malcolm into giving her an interview, her attempts to get around his venomous publicist and just how far she has to lower herself. She finally gets him to agree to an interview, but he stipulates that she interview him while he’s flying his Cessna plane. The only problem: Ann is deathly afraid of flying and Malcolm knows this. When her fear prevents her from getting “The Big Get” (as her editor calls it), she heads home in disgrace to her small Missouri hometown to be a freelance journalist.
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tuesday august 29
The RITA (Romance Is Treasured Always) Awards were presented at the 26th Annual Romance Writers of America National Conference in Atlanta on July 29. Although they tend to be overshadowed by other more “literary” awards, the RITAs are a big deal in romance publishing circles.
This year’s winners include:
- Romantic Suspense: Survivor in Death by J.D. Robb
- Inspirational Romance: Heavens to Betsy by Beth Pattillo
- Short Historical Romance: The Texan’s Reward by Jodi Thomas
- Contemporary Single Title: Lakeside Cottage (Susan Wiggs)
- Novel with Strong Romantic Elements: Lady Luck’s Map of Vegas by Barbara Samuel
- Long Historical Romance: The Devil to Pay by Liz Carlyle (this book is on order—keep your eye on the catalog, it should show up shortly)
- Paranormal Romance: Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair (this one is also on order)
You’ll find the complete list of winners on the Romance Writers of America website.
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thursday july 20
Your average chick lit novel usually revolves around a romantically challenged heroine who is either going through a career crisis or has recently lost her job, is obsessed with Prada and Kate Spade handbags, and often has a loyal and gorgeous neighbor/best friend/co-worker lurking somewhere in the background that you just know they're going to hook up with. Sometimes there's a cute pet or two. And a clever title is a must. Which leads me to my list of my all-time favorite titles. Enjoy!
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wednesday july 12
Can't get enough of Elizabeth Bennett and her Mr. Darcy? Lost count of how many times you've seen the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice? Or is Colin Firth the definitive Mr. D? Austen fans always pick Darcy as their favorite hero (or at least those I know) and can now rejoice in An Assembly Such as This: A novel of Fitzilliam Darcy, Gentleman.
Author Pamela Aidan (a librarian I am proud to note) begins a delightful trilogy about the courtship of Elizabeth from Darcy's point of view. Find out why he was so uncomfortable the night he met Elizabeth, thereby precipitating her negative feelings. Learn how he befriended the naive Mr. Bingley and his hateful sisters. And, of course, get the skinny on Wickham.
Regency England has been well worked over by romance novelists and only a few have been as effective in capturing the manners and ways of its society as Aidan. From the opening scenes at the Meryton assembly you are swept into the spirit of Austen's provincial intrigues and romances. Mr. Darcy's snobbery sets him up for Elizabeth's stinging retort and so the plot begins.
You don't need to read Pride and Prejudice to follow the story (but you really should or it won't be as delicious) and most readers who pick this up will probably be devoted Austen fans. Aidan follows the course of true love after this first novel with Duty and Desire and These Three Remain (unhappily the library doesn't have them yet) but each installment may be enjoyed independently though you will want to devour them all. But in a most genteel way.
friday june 30
The British novelist
Katie Fforde isn’t a household name here, but in England her engaging romantic comedies have won her a devoted following. I’ve been a Fforde fan since the late 1990s, when I picked up
The Rose Revived, the first of her books to be published in the States. Since then, she’s published a long string of charmers, including
Wild Designs,
Stately Pursuits, and
Second Thyme Around. The heroines of her
new book are Ellie and Grace, spirited thirtysomethings who find romance and the courage to make some dramatic changes in their lives after they decide to fix up a dilapidated mansion Grace inherited from her godmother. Predictable? Well…a little. Entertaining? Absolutely!
