Something to Think About....

We interrupt this book blog to bring you a public service announcement....

Seriously, what with earthquakes and dangerous hurricanes taking up a large part of the news lately, I thought it might be helpful to pass along a little bit of advice that has been learned through first-hand experience.

With many past mandatory evacuations due to hurricanes and recovering from the most catastrophic one, Katrina, I've learned a few important lessons that may be helpful to you in general, not just in the event of a natural disaster.

I tend to be a very organized person, so I didn't have a tremendous amount of difficulty in gathering the important things in life when we had 24 hour notice to leave before Hurricane Katrina hit -- but for those people who had documents in haphazard, unorganized places, I can imagine they were left leaving empty-handed or in a frenzy doing last-minute searches. The lesson here: Have a central place in your home where all your important documents are kept (life insurance, home insurance, health insurance, titles and deeds, passports, credit card info, certificates (birth, marriage, etc..), financial info, wills, and make sure you have a COPY of all this documentation! You want to file all the copies of this vital information in one type of file folder or container that you can pick up and leave with on a moment's notice. Having copies scanned to a disc is fine, but you also need hard copies. If you have a waterproof/fireproof home safe, it's even better to store your copies here. It's also a good idea to go room by room in your house and take a picture -- this is important documentation of your valuables in case of theft, fire, or water/wind damage. File the disc of photos with your vital info. *****Keep your originals and your copies of documents in two completely separate areas of your home.***** If something happens to one set, you still have another set of copies for backup in another place.

Many people lost everything -- everything -- during Katrina. Houses, furniture, tv's, cars, jewelry, clothes, etc.... You know what really hurt and caused the most distress? The lost wedding photos, the baby pictures, the portrait of a beloved family member that was ruined by the water. The lesson here: Material things don't matter in life, but sentimental things that are irreplaceable are heartbreaking to lose. Do you have backups of your photos, wedding albums, baby pictures, family pictures, etc...? If you have priceless family photos that were before the days of digital photography, make scans of one-of-a-kind photos and save to a file and backup with a cd or some other type of backup service. The disc can be stored with your documents as mentioned above. I took my entire wedding album and my children's baby books with me when I evacuated because they were well before the digital age and I had no copies, but I have since scanned them in the event I have to evacuate again. Heaven forbid!

Believe me, I hope you never have to experience a catastrophe, but no one is immune to the dangers of a house fire or a dangerous weather situation no matter where you live in the world. Start implementing a plan to organize and safekeep the important documents and photographic treasures that you value and it will give you great peace of mind.

If you live on the east coast of the U.S., stay safe!

Suddenly Sunday - End of Summer Beach Party

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope all is well with you and you have been enjoying reading and collecting some great new books!

With all the hoopla related to getting into the back-to-school mode, I haven't accomplished much leisure reading. Hopefully, after I'm finished with shopping for uniforms and school supplies, filling out tons of teacher forms, and have all the Parent Back to School Nights behind me, I'll be able to give my attention back to some of those new books that are calling to me. Right now, I've just enjoyed these last few weeks of summertime with my kids and loved having them hanging around the house. They're growing up way too quickly for me.

In book news, I'm excited to receive a copy of Helen Hollick's Sea Witch which I won from Laura's Reviews. Thanks so much to both the author and Laura as it looks absolutely wonderful!



There will be a fun event tonight, End of Summer Beach Blowout, at Writerspace with many big-name authors (Deanna Raybourn, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jayne Ann Krentz, Sabrina Jeffries, Julie James, just to name a few) giving away great prizes such as advance-copy books, signed books, and lots of other goodies. Sounds like a fun opportunity to attend a virtual beach party and maybe win some prizes!

Happy reading and have a wonderful week!

Suddenly Sunday is a weekly event hosted by Svea at The Muse in the Fog Book Review.

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen

"Georgie, aka Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, cousin of King George V of England, is penniless and trying to survive on her own as an ordinary person in London in 1932.

So far she has managed to light a fire and boil an egg...
She's gate-crashed a wedding...
She's making money by secretly cleaning houses...
And she's been asked to spy for Her Majesty the Queen.

Everything seems to be going swimmingly until she finds a body in her bathtub and someone is definitely trying to kill her."(from the publisher)

my thoughts:

Looking for a light, charming, and entertaining cozy mystery? Then look no further -- Lady Victoria Georgiana, a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria known simply as Georgie, is delightful in her approach to life despite her royal connections. Born and raised in privilege to one day marry into more wealth, she suddenly finds herself needing to find a better way to support herself rather than an arranged marriage with an obscure foreign prince. What's a royal to do after getting fired from the cosmetics counter after only one day? How about advertising as a char lady? And imagine her surprise when she is recruited by the Queen to spy on a certain prince and his scandalous American love interest! Add a dead person in a bathtub and you have all the ingredients for a murder and mayhem mystery.

Georgie is endearing, spunky and down-to-earth and this is a promising beginning to a 1930's era English royal mystery series. Her Royal Spyness is strong on charm and characterization and light on mystery, so it's perfect for fans of Georgette Heyer mysteries.

For more information about the Royal Spyness series, click here.

3.5/5

Title: He Royal Spyness
Author: Rhys Bowen
Berkley Prime Crime
324 pages
genre: cozy mystery

Women Running from Houses

I guess I can blame it on the weather.....it's been raining for the past few days with roof-rattling claps of thunder and dark, gloomy mornings. (I'm not complaining, mind you, as it is blessed relief from the heat.) While it's perfect weather for curling up with a book to read, I have a wide assortment of newly released books that are just not tempting me. I've picked up a book here and there and quickly lost interest.

What's a body to do when you've fallen into a slump?

Turn to comfort reads! My choice for comfort reads on a rainy day? Anything that is gloomy gothic goodness -- you know, those old battered paperbacks with the woman on the cover that is running away from the house (or castle) in terror. What is it that she fears? The human inhabitants or the supernatural ones? I eat these books up!

I literally sat on the floor with my pile of old paperbacks and the rain beating against the windows and had the best time revisiting old ghosts and tormentors. Over the years, I've pretty much read everything by Victoria Holt, Phyllis A. Whitney, Daphne du Maurier, and Mary Stewart. I recently acquired an entire collection of old Barbara Michaels (aka Elizabeth Peters) supernatural mysteries, so I'm just beginning to dip into her wonderful backlist.

Here's a sampling of some of the quick rereads I enjoyed in my trip down memory lane. Didn't need to read the whole thing -- just bits and pieces to refresh my memory, and I have to say they are still as good as ever!


Kirkland Revels
The Legend of the Seventh Virgin
The Quicksilver Pool
Thunder Heights
Nine Coaches Waiting
Mistress of Mellyn
Window on the Square

I even enjoyed watching Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier in Rebecca while I was in the gothic mood.



How about you? Do you have any old favorites in the gothic romance/romantic suspense genre? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

The Daphne du Maurier Companion, Helen Taylor (Editor)

"Daphne du Maurier is one of Britain's best-loved authors, her writing captivating the imagination in a way that few have been able to equal. Rebecca, her most famous novel, was a huge success on publication in 1938 and brought du Maurier international fame. This enduring classic remains one of the nation's favourite books.

In this celebration of Daphne du Maurier's achievements, today's leading writers, critics and academics discuss the novel, short stories and biographies that made her one of the most spellbinding and genre-defying authors of her generation. The film versions of her books are also explored, including Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca and The Birds, and Nicolas Roeg's Don't Look Now.

Featuring interviews with her family, essays by contemporary authors, and a long-lost short story by the author herself, this is the essential companion to Daphne du Maurier's life and work."
(from the publisher)

my thoughts:

The Daphne du Maurier Companion is a fascinating look at the personal and professional life of Daphne du Maurier (1907 - 1989), one of Britain's most popular authors. She was an extraordinarily talented author who created such memorable gothic tales such as Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, Frenchman's Creek, and the short story, The Birds, and many of her novels and stories have been made into equally popular adaptations for film, theatre, and television. I'm very intrigued by the "story behind the story," and often an examination of an author and his/her creations is as fascinating as any thrilling work of fiction. I first discovered du Maurier in high school when I read The House on the Strand, and I believe this was my first experience with an historical time travel plot -- I loved it and moved on to Rebecca, another great favorite of mine, and have been a fan of her writings ever since.

A deeply complex person, Daphne was raised in privilege as a daughter of a famous actor, Gerald du Maurier. Surrounded by artists and intellectuals, she was encouraged to explore and live life adventurously "like a man" (her father had daughters but wanted a son), and it is no secret that Daphne had psychological complexities in her personality that identified with a male voice and point-of-view -- this manifested itself in both her personal and professional life, and when the reader begins to examine her writings, some of the dark psychological torments of her characters could easily be a reflection of her own inner feelings. She strongly resisted the label of "romantic writer" -- she felt her writings were much more complex and addressed deeper issues. While her adult children have spoken openly about their mother's life and sexuality, they insist that there are no secrets about Daphne that are not already known; the author put a fifty year embargo on her personal diaries, so it will still be quite some time before the public can have access to Daphne's private thoughts.

The book is divided into five parts and is written in an easy and engaging style.

Part 1 - Daphne du Maurier by the People Who Knew Her
Inerviews with her adult children and her editor.
Part 2 - The Lasting Reputation and Cultural Legacy of Rebecca
In-depth analysis and discussions of her most popular novel.
Part 3 - Daphne du Maurier's Writings
A summary of each of du Maurier's novels and stories (with no spoilers).
Part 4 - Daphne du Maurier in Adaptation
A discussion of film adaptations of her work, with particular emphasis on Hitchcock's creations.
Part 5 - A rediscovered short story.


A wonderful handbook for all Daphne du Maurier fans -- her passion for the landscape and nature is evident in many of her novels, and her ability to describe a sense of time and place is sheer poetry. Here is a lovely passage from Frenchman's Creek, and hearing it read in her own voice is wonderful. Enjoy!




4/5 stars
Title: The Daphne du Maurier Companion
Edited by Helen Taylor
424 pages
Virago
2010
genre: nonfiction

The Road to Pemberley, Edited by Marsha Altman

A Romantic, Engaging and Witty Collection of New Short Stories that Feature Jane Austen's Most Beloved Characters

Including over a dozen stories from both emerging and established Regency romance authors, this new anthology celebrates Jane Austen with a series of brilliant adaptations. Austen’s masterpiece has spawned an entire genre of literature, and The Road to Pemberley brings together the best of the best from published and new writers alike to create a cornucopia of Darcy-and-Elizabeth intrigues. England during the Regency Era, with its country estates, horse-drawn carriages, and formal balls, continues to captivate modern readers and The Road to Pemberley brings this fabled world to life in all its glory. Each author casts Darcy and Elizabeth in their first full year together at Pemberley, where the storied husband and wife find themselves in the throes of the newlywed experience, navigating a host of new social quandaries, old personal dilemmas, and exciting adventures.
(from Goodreads)
**********

It's one of those days...it's been raining buckets for days -- various parts of the city are without electricity....streets are flooding.....yet my trusty UPS man had a special delivery for me today and it's just what I've been waiting for. This is not going to be a review, but rather a spotlight on a new anthology of Pride and Prejudice short stories.

The Road to Pemberley, edited by Marsha Altman, is a new collection of Austenesque stories which all focus mostly on Darcy and Elizabeth's first year of marriage ( of course, with different interpretations and dilemmas). Perfect for curling up with a cup of tea on this dreary day or keeping on my nightstand for a quick Austen-fix before going to sleep at night.

Gotta go.....I'm off to read their first adventure, "The Pemberley Ball."



Title: The Road to Pemberley: An Anthology of New Pride and Prejudice Stories
Edited by: Marsha Altman (stories by Regina Jeffers, Sarah A Hoyt, Ellen Gelerman, Valeria T. Jackson, Jessica Keller, Tess Quinn, J. H. Thompson, Bill Friesma, Nacie Mackey, Marilou Martineau, Lewis Whelchel, and Marsha Altman)
Ulysses Press
2011
485 pages

The Devil in Music by Kate Ross

"At a mist-shrouded villa on Lake Como, an Italian nobleman is grooming a young English tenor for a career on the glittering operatic stage. Before their sojourn is over, one will die by violence and the other will disappear.

Enter Julian Kestrel, Regency dandy and amateur sleuth. Traveling on the Continent with his ex-pickpocket valet, Dipper, Kestrel is irresistibly drawn into this baffling murder case. Among the suspects are a runaway wife and her male soprano lover; a liberal nobleman at odds with Italy's Austrian overlords; a mocking Frenchman with perfect pitch; and a beautiful, clever woman who begins to haunt Kestrel's dreams.

Soon Kestrel is caught between the shadowy Carbonari - secret rebels against the Austrians - and the equally ruthless Austrian-sponsored police. But at the heart of the mystery is the captivating tenor known only as "Orfeo." Was he a political agent? A callous adventurer? A jealous lover? These questions take on a new urgency when the killer strikes again. And as Kestrel uncovers the truth, he risks becoming the next victim."
(from Goodreads)

my thoughts:

The Devil in Music, the fourth and sadly the last installment of the Julian Kestrel Mysteries, is by far the most sophisticated and complex plot of the series. This a tale that incorporates a host of characters and their passions...passion for music, the opera, and passions of the heart which lead to revenge and murder. The story takes on multiple layers of mystery and intrigue as the characters become entangled in a web of secrets, spies, and hidden identities against the backdrop of a dangerous political climate in the northern Italian states in the 1820's. A bit tough at first to get everyone and their backstory straight, but once all the Italian characters were firmly in place and the politics of the time became clear, my patience was rewarded with a truly spectacular turn of events!

Kate Ross is a master of weaving the most intelligent and intriguing threads of mystery that I have ever experienced.....I've enjoyed each one of the books, but A Broken Vessel remains my top favorite. They are so rich in secrets and clues that I cannot wait to read them again even though I know how it will all work out in the end. It will be fascinating to watch how all the puzzle pieces "click" in to place and just marvel at the talent of this author (who sadly has passed away.) We learned so much more about Julian Kestrel, the popular English dandy, and we can only wonder what might have been planned for his future adventures. A highly recommended series for those who enjoy tough-to-solve mystery puzzles.

4/5 stars

Title: The Devil in Music
Author: Kate Ross
Viking
1997
447 pages
genre: historical mystery