books, grandpa briefly

[fearlesstemp]

I am wide awake right now. Work is going to be torture tomorrow because of this, and yet here I am, typing away.

Okay, so, confession time: I have totally gotten hooked on romance novels. The last week or so of stress and drama was prime breeding ground for a new reading habit, since I was traveling all over and spending stretches of time seated in strange places that smelled funny, where a compact paperback book was very helpful. I read the entire Julia Quinn Bridgerton series in a week, and while parts of it got repetitive for me (probably because I read one a day), I totally enjoyed them and now I feel this need for more. More!

I have a feeling there must be romance novel fans on my flist. I am asking for your help! I feel like I do this all the time, but I can't help myself - you guys always give good book recommendations.

Until this week, the only romance novels I'd read were those by Jennifer Crusie or Georgette Heyer, and I love both of those authors. I'm leaning toward Regency right now (the more escapist, the better), and I like funny books without too much melodrama. In short, I tend to roll my eyes when the the heroines are constantly crying, or (heaven forbid) the heroes turn on the waterworks.

Basically, I want Georgette Heyer, but I've read all of her stuff that's readily available!

Any recommendations?

In Grandpa news - he was better last night (he ate dinner! The nurse said to me, "Saturday, I would have said he had four days left, five at the most, but now? Who knows!"), and tonight was my aunt's turn at the nursing home, so I haven't seen how he's doing today for myself. I called the nursing home today to talk to his doctor and get an update about his condition/prognosis, but he didn't call me back. My family says I need to let it go and let things happen as they will - and I know they're right! But this uncertainty is maddening to me. I guess I'm more of a control freak than I thought.

Did I mention that my graduation party is Saturday? It's still on, which seems weird to me, but my parents rightly pointed out that we can't postpone because who knows what will happen when, and we can't put life on hold indefinitely, and blah blah blah, rational logical sensible. Oh God, I need to find an outfit. And lose twenty pounds. And get a job.

It would totally be awesome if my fairy godmother chose this week to show up.

Okay, I'm talking about fairy godmothers, CLEARLY it's time for bed. Peace out, yo.

Comments

Regency authors

[canalbaby.livejournal.com]

Jo Beverley, especially her Company of Rogues series, and Emily and the Dark Angel and Deirdre and Don Juan (very funny, especially with the appearance of one of her minor characters, Kevin Renfrew, "The Daffodil Dandy.") http://members.shaw.ca/jobev/rogues.html

Carla Kelly usually has very strong, often unusual heroines.

Re: Regency authors

[fearlesstemp.livejournal.com]

Yay, thank you for the recommendations and the link!

JET = Bookpusher

[jeviltwin.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Carla Kelly, I have two extra copies of her wonderful books (Miss Milton Speaks Her Mind; Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand) that I'm going to mail you! Because I found them at a used bookstore months ago and could not just leave them there -- I knew that eventually there would be an opportunity to foist them upon the unsuspecting! just like this. :-)

I have your address, don't I? We've exchanged Christmas cards? If not, or if you've moved since December, contact me at curried_goates @ yahoo.com. That's an order! *g*

Re: JET = Bookpusher

[fearlesstemp.livejournal.com]

JET! You are awesome! If by "exchanged Christmas cards" you mean "you sent me one, and I really really meant to send you one, but I totally flaked on cards this last Christmas (AGAIN), a fact which is still cause for much self loathing" then yes, we did exchange Christmas cards. I am still at the same address, and oh my goodness, would be eternally indebted to you if you would be willing to send the books my way! I will reimburse postage, cost of books, etc!

I will pay you back for this! Some day, when you least expect it . . . I will do something nice for you! You have been warned.

Seriously, thank you so much.

[myalexandria.livejournal.com]

well, Fiona Hill is a great Heyer knockoff. She's been writing mysteries for a while (under another name) so you may have to go to abebooks.com or amazon used for her stuff, but it's great. My favorite is "The Country Gentleman."

[fearlesstemp.livejournal.com]

A Heyer knockoff - greatness! Thank you, Cecilia! Will definitely look her up.

[lawgeekgurl.livejournal.com]

if you liked Julia Quinn, you'd probably like Susan Enoch. And probably Christine Dodd (I'd start with the Governess series). Lisa Kleypas is good, but there's some melodrama at times. Hrm, let me think. Laura Lee Guhrke is good. And if you like Heyer, you'd like Anne Gracie.

[fearlesstemp.livejournal.com]

I ended up grabbing an Anne Gracie book while I was at the bookstore for a few minutes after work today - thank you for the recommendation!

[lawgeekgurl.livejournal.com]

if it's the latest one, I probably should have told you it's a little angsty. the last two were more humor and less angst, but I still think they're all good.

[suzy_queue]

::heads over to the romance novel shelf::

Try Patricia Cabot. That's Meg Cabot, of Princess Diaries fame, only she changes her name based on genre. Patricia is for historical romance novels, and Megan is for contemporary, with Meg for teen. I've liked some of Sabrina Jeffries, too.

And speaking of fairy godmothers, it's contemporary, but read Enchanted, Inc and Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson. I think you'll love them. I was utterly charmed.

[fearlesstemp.livejournal.com]

I am definitely going to check out Enchanted, Inc. and Once Upon Stilletos - I meant to grab them tonight, on your recommendation, when I was at the store after work, but I got to the bookstore and realized I'd spaced and forgotten the slip of paper I'd written the author's name on. Next time! Thanks for the rec.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Carla Kelly is good, but out of print. I like Eloisa James, but everyone else I know hates her. Laura Kinsale's Seize the Fire is charming and has penguins. (Her other books are good but darker.)

[fearlesstemp.livejournal.com]

A kind soul has offered to send me used copies of Carla Kelly books, lucky girl that I am! And a friend of mine told me in the past that Laura Kinsale is amazing - thank you for reminding me of these!

[sinsense.livejournal.com]

I know you're asking for Regencies, but I tend to go for trite modern crap (think Nora Roberts) so I can't really give you any of that. Susan Wiggs, who is one of my favorites (I read Lakeside Cottage, a modern one, off of the share-a-book shelves on my Anguilla trip, and looooved it) also apparently does historical romances. I don't know if they're any good; I've only read her moderns.

Let us not discuss how much we have in common by now. No! It is not worth discussing! But let me tell you that romance novels are the best reaction to stress ever made.

[fearlesstemp.livejournal.com]

Let us not discuss how much we have in common by now. No! It is not worth discussing!

It is not! But it never fails to crack me up.

SPEAKING of things we have in common, all day today I was thinking about Keen Eddie and how much I miss it and how sad it is that there are no further adventures. Or are there??? Only you have the answer, Fellow Jess!

Also, thank you for the recommendation - I've read contemporary stuff too (I totally heart Jennifer Crusie, have you read her stuff), and will totally check out the ones you mentioned here.

[sinsense.livejournal.com]

Creepy students have kept me away from the Eddie! But not for much longer. And I swear I will finish this story, or it will haunt me til the end of my days.

I picked up a Jennifer Crusie today, because I was reaching Warning: High Stress mode, and spent most of tonight rolling around on the couch, squealing. Then I remembered another book you might like, if you don't mind YA lit: Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Superb stuff, in my opinion.

[fearlesstemp.livejournal.com]

Okay! Late reply, but had to say: I ADORE YA, to the point that I kind of regret going into secondary education because it makes my forays into the YA section of the bookstore awkward again. I had only recently worked through my issues and decided I would read what I wanted to, dammit, who cares what Snooty McBooksBuyer thinks in the next aisle? when I started teaching and started worrying that I'd end up in line next to one of my students, both of us clutching the latest Meg Cabot. I would fear appearing the teacher trying to be young and hip! When Lord knows I'm nothing of the kind.

All that said: Dairy Queen sounds amazing. I am definitely looking for it next time I'm in the store! If you like YA, I have to recommend Megan McCafferty's stuff if you haven't read it (her main character is named Jessica, so clearly she gets a head start in awesomeness).