strange and random happenstance

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 20th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Laura Grey has had it being a governess. She has just graduated from the Selwick Spying Academy and is off to France to do her bit to fight the revolution. Of course she just happens to be going to France in the very role she was trying to escape, that of governess. Laura, or more precisely, Laure Griscogne, has been away from her homeland since her parents died and left her orphaned and having to take care of herself in the only way possible, by rearing other people's children. Though when she started she was but a child herself. Now she has two new charges, the children of Andre Jaouen, a man the Pink Carnation is desperate to know more about, especially because he works in the Abbaye Prison with that most odious of men, Delaroche. But when you spend most of your time taking care of the children in a large and desolate house and rarely spying at keyholes and sneaking messages to the Pink Carnation through various booksellers, it's hard to see the value in your work. But there is more to Jaouen than meets the eye. He has connections within the artistic community that Laura's family was once in the center of. Laura was once the child of a somebody, a great poetess. Andre is having a hard time rectifying this stern, prim governess, with the loose and wanton Paris saloons of pre-revolutionary France. All the while Laura is herself having a hard time rectifying this rather attractive bespectacled man with that of a hardened revolutionary who wants to kill all the aristos he can find. But when both their missions unexpectedly collide around a man who could restore the French monarchy they have to decide whether it is best to let animosities and allegiances fall by the wayside and trust their instincts and growing attraction to each other. Plus sneaking through the countryside as travelling performers can't be as hard as it sounds...

The eighth installment in Lauren Willig's cannon of Pink Carnation books takes us right back to the heart of what this series is about; spying. Even if with a little Commedia it's, as the author puts it so well, "like The Sound of Music… meets Mata Hari." We are back within the courts of Napoleon and the streets of Paris, where blood might run at any moment, and the reality of the horrors that await in the Abbaye Prison are a real threat, not comfortably located on the other side of the channel. While the previous books have all had spies in various locals with various flower monikers, this one feels the closest to the legacy of the Scarlet Pimpernel; with our heroine in enemy territory, with barely an ally, and no ally that she can get to without a bookstore or an effusive poet. Speaking of said poet... we get nice little cameos from some of the Pink cast, but they are just the icing on the cake, what makes this book soar are the new characters of Andre and Laura, which even readers new to the series can enjoy without the previous installments. Every book since the first has been a pairing off of a previous hero or heroine with someone new or some old friend, but not in this case. Here we have a blank canvas ripe for the painting. Miss Grey has only had a few brief and enigmatic references which have given her no illumination. Laura has a rich and complicated past that was filled with sumptuousness and luxury and is now contained within harsh grey stays. Andre has also had a life that was once filled with love and an artistic wife, instead he now has to change ideals and live a sparse and paired down life. Both these two have spent a life hiding who they really are and masking what they want and feel. I felt such an instant connection with both of them, just waiting with baited breath for Laura to realize this man could not possibly be evil, even if he is French, they aren't all Delaroches. How Lauren is able to continually expand her Pink universe with each subsequent book astonishes me. One day we wonder who is that lady at the Selwick Spy School, books later, she is flesh, she is whole and wonderful. While the books do build on each other to form a perfect shelf in my library, they also are wonderfully contained little jewels of stories that you just want to go back to again and again, which I am so happy to do with Lauren this time. I didn't want the book to end. It is a feeling I am used to with Lauren's books.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andre Jaouen, Delaroche, Governess, Laura Grey, Laure Griscogne, Lauren Willig, Mata Hari, Regency Romp, Selwick Spying Academy, The Orchid Affair, The Pink Carnation, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Sound of Music

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 20th, 2010
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Laura Grey has had it being a governess. She has just graduated from the Selwick Spying Academy and is off to France to do her bit to fight the revolution. Of course she just happens to be going to France in the very role she was trying to escape, that of governess. Laura, or more precisely, Laure Griscogne, has been away from her homeland since her parents died and left her orphaned and having to take care of herself in the only way possible, by rearing other people's children. Though when she started she was but a child herself. Now she has two new charges, the children of Andre Jaouen, a man the Pink Carnation is desperate to know more about, especially because he works in the Abbaye Prison with that most odious of men, Delaroche. But when you spend most of your time taking care of the children in a large and desolate house and rarely spying at keyholes and sneaking messages to the Pink Carnation through various booksellers, it's hard to see the value in your work. But there is more to Jaouen than meets the eye. He has connections within the artistic community that Laura's family was once in the center of. Laura was once the child of a somebody, a great poetess. Andre is having a hard time rectifying this stern, prim governess, with the loose and wanton Paris saloons of pre-revolutionary France. All the while Laura is herself having a hard time rectifying this rather attractive bespectacled man with that of a hardened revolutionary who wants to kill all the aristos he can find. But when both their missions unexpectedly collide around a man who could restore the French monarchy they have to decide whether it is best to let animosities and allegiances fall by the wayside and trust their instincts and growing attraction to each other. Plus sneaking through the countryside as travelling performers can't be as hard as it sounds...

The eighth installment in Lauren Willig's cannon of Pink Carnation books takes us right back to the heart of what this series is about; spying. Even if with a little Commedia it's, as the author puts it so well, "like The Sound of Music… meets Mata Hari." We are back within the courts of Napoleon and the streets of Paris, where blood might run at any moment, and the reality of the horrors that await in the Abbaye Prison are a real threat, not comfortably located on the other side of the channel. While the previous books have all had spies in various locals with various flower monikers, this one feels the closest to the legacy of the Scarlet Pimpernel; with our heroine in enemy territory, with barely an ally, and no ally that she can get to without a bookstore or an effusive poet. Speaking of said poet... we get nice little cameos from some of the Pink cast, but they are just the icing on the cake, what makes this book soar are the new characters of Andre and Laura, which even readers new to the series can enjoy without the previous installments. Every book since the first has been a pairing off of a previous hero or heroine with someone new or some old friend, but not in this case. Here we have a blank canvas ripe for the painting. Miss Grey has only had a few brief and enigmatic references which have given her no illumination. Laura has a rich and complicated past that was filled with sumptuousness and luxury and is now contained within harsh grey stays. Andre has also had a life that was once filled with love and an artistic wife, instead he now has to change ideals and live a sparse and paired down life. Both these two have spent a life hiding who they really are and masking what they want and feel. I felt such an instant connection with both of them, just waiting with baited breath for Laura to realize this man could not possibly be evil, even if he is French, they aren't all Delaroches. How Lauren is able to continually expand her Pink universe with each subsequent book astonishes me. One day we wonder who is that lady at the Selwick Spy School, books later, she is flesh, she is whole and wonderful. While the books do build on each other to form a perfect shelf in my library, they also are wonderfully contained little jewels of stories that you just want to go back to again and again, which I am so happy to do with Lauren this time. I didn't want the book to end. It is a feeling I am used to with Lauren's books.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andre Jaouen, Delaroche, Governess, Laura Grey, Laure Griscogne, Lauren Willig, Mata Hari, Selwick Spying Academy, The Orchid Affair, The Pink Carnation, The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Sound of Music

André Jaouen's dream casting has been a thorn in my side now for several years. I just couldn't alight on just the right actor who had the looks, the brains, and the chops to take on this role. Then, after mistakenly thinking I had found my André I started my re-read of The Orchid Affair and Dominic West showed up hijacking my planned casting and doing a fabulous job of it I might add. So here's to an actor that showed up when I least expected it.

Name: Dominic West

"Dream" Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: André Jaouen

First Impression: I remember the new adaptation of Richard III was really hot when I was taking Shakespeare in High School (yes, it's been awhile). What everyone was talking about though was a young actor who was stealing the movie, that young actor was Dominic West. He was fine, but overall the adaptation felt flat to me, like it was trying too hard to reinvent the wheel. Dominic's next Shakespearean appearance would be more successful in my mind. It was A Midsummer Night's Dream if you must know. 

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Because my subconscious obviously thinks he's the one. But more then that, he is an actor that excels at whatever he's cast in so there's no doubt he'd be an amazing Jaouen. There's also an elegance to him while still not being upper crust, which wouldn't do for our favorite lawyer cum Royalist. Also, I just can so viscerally see him backstage performing in that absurd Commedia dell'arte costume pulling off his eyebrows to rush to his son's aid, it's not even funny how real it is to me.

Lasting Impression: If, like me, you knew Dominic's work and respected it but are still not wowed by him, check out The Hour. He seriously blew me away with his performance of Hector Madden and how he could be arrogant and vulnerable and sexy all at the same time. The house party where he seduces Romala Garai's character Bel Rowley, just wow. Why did they cancel this show again? Seriously. I want it back.

What else you've seen them in: Seeing as he's been acting since I was in High School, Dominic has amassed a seriously impressive filmography. For the BBC addicts there are the Shakespeare adaptations, the Dickens adaptations, the miniseries The Devil's Whore, the spooky movie The Awakening. For the chick flick fan there's Mona Lisa Smile, Spice World, Burton and Taylor. For the action adventure type, how about 300? There is literally a movie or show or miniseries to fit every mood from musical, Chicago, to drama, The Affair. Though, when in doubt, he's in one of the most highly regarded television series of all time, The Wire! Also, how could I let the chance to have a picture of Chalky White, aka the actor Michael Kenneth Williams, pass on my website?

Can't believe it's them: He was in Star Wars - The Phantom Menace? Seriously, I can't stop laughing. Make it stop, the tears, the pain in my side. Look at that outfit. Hahahahaha.

Wish they hadn't: I'm sure when he signed onto Star Wars - The Phantom Menace it was a good job, not the joke it is today, but still. Could we expunge this from his rather stellar record?

Bio: Oh, posh, Dominic went to Eton before going to Trinity College in Dublin, and then going to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where my choice for his Miss Grey also went, coincidence? I think not! Despite starting on stage at the young age of nine he spent some time in Argentina as a cattle herder! Because, why not. He has rarely been out of work and is always well regarded, but his recent performance opposite Ruth Wilson in The Affair has once again put him in the spotlight garnering many award nominations and laurels. Catch the laurels Dominic! He is also known for turning down a role in Game of Thrones! Of course while he might have been a better Mance Rayder, he is the definitive Noah Solloway.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andre Jaouen, Charles Dickens, Dominic West, Dream Casting, Game of Thrones, Lauren Willig, Mance Rayder, Miss Grey, Richard III, Shakespeare, Star Wars, The Affair, The Hour, The Orchid Affair, The Wire

From the moment I first delved into Laura Grey's story in The Orchid Affair there was only one actress in my mind who could bring this character to life. Someone with the looks, the attitude, and the acting chops.

Name: Michelle Dockery

"Dream" Character Casting for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Laura Grey

First Impression: The first thing I ever saw Michelle in was her second ever screen credit in the adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Hogfather. She literally killed it as Susan, DEATH's granddaughter and a governess, and by it I mean the monsters under the bed disturbing her charges with a poker. Quite literally the definition of stoic and unshakable governess.

Why they'd be the perfect actor for the Lauren Willig Miniseries: Well, aside from the whole governess angle, she has this ability to appear perfectly calm and collected, like she's wearing a mask or armor, but when she starts to soften, you realize all the emotions that mask was hiding. I can't think of anyone who can portray that stoic resolve that melts when she finds love. Plus, she's good with a poker.

Lasting Impression: Seriously, Hogfather people. There was no way it was anything but memorable and awesome, even if Going Postal is still the best Pratchett adaptation out there.

What else you've seen them in: Um Downton Abbey anyone? Most popular British import show to the US ever? Michelle has also been in a few crime shows like Waking the Dead, Heatbeat, and Dalziel and Pascoe, but for those of the Masterpiece Theatre fandom, you've most likely seen her in The Hollow Crown, Anna Karenina, Return to Cranford, or The Turn of the Screw. Only some of those I'd recommend... but at least The Turn of the Screw was a little more inventive then most adaptations and didn't tease you with Colin Firth.

Can't believe it's them: Michelle has a little role in Fingersmith, which isn't the best adaptation of the book, but it was fun to see her first role on screen.

Wish they hadn't: Seriously, this is a hard choice between Red Riding and Return to Cranford. Red Riding was just all around bleak with almost indecipherable accents loosely following events around the Yorkshire Ripper. But I think the crown goes to Return to Cranford, which was just atrocious. All the characters had personality transplants from the first series and the book, and then both Michelle AND Tom Hiddleston were underused, both with ridiculous haircuts to boot, see the picture above.

Bio: Michelle seems to have been made for the stage, starting young and then going to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, getting her first television job the year after she graduated in the adaptation of Sarah Waters's Fingersmith. But she's never fully left the stage, appearing in such wide ranging productions as His Dark Materials, Pygmalion, and Hamlet. She is often on stage for singing as well, being a jazz singer who has performed and collaborated with her Downton Abbey co-star, Elizabeth McGovern and her band, Sadie and the Hotheads. But it's was truly her role as Lady Mary in Downton Abbey that launched her to fame in 2010. At least fame hasn't damped her sense of humor, as you can see in this fabulous Lady Mary spoof, Tough Justice.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: DEATH, Downton Abbey, Dream Casting, Fingersmith, Going Postal, Hogfather, Laura Grey, Michelle Dockery, Return to Cranford, Terry Pratchett, The Orchid Affair, The Turn of the Screw, Tom Hiddleston

The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 1st, 2004
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Cecelia and Kate are back in action, together not separate for this adventure, and they're bringing their new spouses along for the honeymoon. Though Kate doesn't think there's any chance she's going to get used to being called Lady Schofield, much as Cecelia is having a hard time remembering she is Mrs. Tarleton, nevertheless they are in wedded bliss. Heading to the continent with Kate's new mother-in-law, Lady Sylvia, in tow for the first leg to Paris, they have barely arrived in France when magical misdeeds are afoot. They are inexorably drawn into a possibly Bonapartist plot to use items of magical significance to legitimize Napoleon as ruler of Europe, or at least they assume it's the recently deposed despot. The magic adds supernatural significance to the appointed leader making their rule as close to divinity as is possible. Asked by Wellington himself to stop this atrocity from happening, the happy couples are able to move about the continent on their grand tour with the whim of newlyweds, when really their whims are strategic plans to catch a magical mastermind. Hopefully they won't be in too much danger and that there will be lots of operas for Kate.

As you can imagine, reading all these books centered during the Regency in England basically means that I've been living in the early 1800s now for a couple of months. What you might not be aware of unless you've noticed the link on my sidebar is that I'm participating in a year long re-read of all Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation, aka Napoleonic War Regency England, books. This month I'm moderating the discussion of the re-read of The Orchid Affair on my friend Ashely's blog, The Bubble Bath Reader. And no, I'm not mentioning this just to get you to go over to her blog, though that would be rather nice, I'm mentioning this because my re-reading of both The Orchid Affair and The Grand Tour was a nice confluence of events that made me appreciate the later more then I did initially.

The two books serve as complimentary volumes dealing with the loss of the monarchy in France because of the revolution. While The Orchid Affair was about restoring a prince of the blood during the reign of Napoleon prior to his self-proclaimed Empire, The Grand Tour dealt more with the aftereffects of the war and the desire to not repeat recent history. Because both books, while not exactly being for governance by a sovereign entity, show quite well the fact that there is a benefit to stability. In France the stability is no longer having a fear of the guillotine, in Italy, it is the unification of all of Italy into one nation. By having a better grounding in history due to The Orchid Affair, what was on my first read of The Grand Tour a rather dull trek through Europe following artifacts, became something more real, something that actually had importance and impact. A little perspective can easily change your opinion if you are willing to let it.

But what I really think is the strength of The Grand Tour is that it brings the actual tradition, the coming of age right of the grand tour of Europe into a more visceral experience. Mainly this has to deal with travel during the early 1800s. In so many books of the time, or written about the time, the grand tour was just mentioned as a right of passage, a way to expand your knowledge and tastes by traveling and seeing great works of art. You were expected to gain some culture and then return home with a broadened mind and some stories. So in fiction you usually have the character who mentions they are setting off on this trip or have just returned, but do they talk about the actual day to day travel? No, they talk about art and artifacts. But just wrap your head around the fact that this is before trains, before cars, and there are a lot of mountains in Europe.

The "Tour" was more of a trek. To get a sense of this one would be better off reading travel narratives of the day, not fiction, or just read The Grand Tour. What Stevermer and Wrede have done so expertly is capture the hardships and danger that was involved in traveling through Europe in the 1800s, masked gunmen aside. We think we have it bad when our plane is delayed or we are rerouted? Imagine having to take days in a carriage banging about just to get from one city to another? Not only that. How about crossing the Alps? Here's your donkey, don't look down. Seriously, we, as travelers, have NOTHING to gripe about. Nothing! Poor Kate seems to spend the entirety of the trip cold, wet, and rattled; and that's not even because of evil magicians set on creating an overlord, this is just because of drafty carriages, wet weather, wind, and badly maintained roads. It takes the glamor right out of the grand tour, but in it's place it leaves a truth that is universal but is usually glossed over by other writers.

As for Stevermer and Wrede's continuation of the letter game? It fell flat. The Grand Tour was written over fifteen years after Sorcery and Cecelia and during the interim both the authors have gained a maturity in their writing. While this does lead to a solid writing style, it loses the spontaneity and fun of the previous book. It's more refined, it's more polished, almost to the point where you can no longer hear the distinction between the author's voices. Plus, I know the fact that the characters are on the tour together means that the previous convention of writing letters back and forth isn't tenable, so we are into diary territory, but the whole gimmick of the letter game is that the characters aren't together. So Stevermer and Wrede thought it would be fun to break basically the only rule of the letter game. Maybe they should have realized the rule is there for a reason. Having the narrative shift back and forth between Kate and Cecelia while they are often in the same room led to a bad case of head-hopping and having us readers get whiplash. So the book might have a lot going for it, and it's a solid read, but it lacks that magical spark that makes Sorcery and Cecelia so memorable.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 1800s, Caroline Stevermer, England, Europe, France, Italy, Lauren Willig, Magic, Napoleon, Patricia C. Wrede, Regency, Regency Magic, Sorcery and Cecelia, The Grand Tour, The Orchid Affair, Travel

At the beginning of last month, after a horrid June I might add, I had a wonderful email waiting for me in my inbox which made me instantly know that July was going to be a far far better month. The email was from the lovely Lauren Willig telling me about an idea that was bandied about on her website and that the St. Martin's folks liked. The idea was for a "That Summer Read Along." Read alongs are a big trend right now online, whether it's a combination re-read/read along in anticipation of the newest volume in a series, or just a virtual book club, they are très chic. What makes them better then book clubs is that you can have immediate discussions with people all over the world and by having a little structure, like with moderator, or with a certain number of chapters per week you get to read together at the same pace instead of having people skip ahead or fall behind. Which brings me to the That Summer Read Along!

Starting today, August 1st, there is going to be an official That Summer Read Along on facebook. There will be giveaways, prizes (one person who signs up by Monday, August 4th will be chosen to receive a signed copy of The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla, a five star book if ever there was one), discussions, answers to burning questions, you name it! I am honored to be one of the four moderators of this bookish event. I am joined by Ashley of The Bubblebath Reader, Christina of Austenprose, and Céline, an ardent Willig fan. To read Lauren's full announcement, head on over to her website, join us on Twitter (#ThatSummerReadAlong) or just join us on facebook! I'll be the moderator for the third week (August 16th-22nd), because all my favorite parts (which was hard to pick in a book with so much awesome in it) of That Summer happen to happen then (happenstance I tell you!) Re-reading the book and taking copious notes was a joy, as was my theme month "This Summer," and I can't wait to discuss this book with all you fellow readers! Also, don't think I won't be popping in all month to talk about the book even though I only moderate one week! I can't wait and hope to see you all there!

And speaking of read alongs... I met fellow That Summer moderator, book addict, and blogger Ashley through our mutual love and admiration of Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series. Ashley started her blog, The Bubblebath Reader, back in January, featuring many of the authors I love, so obviously you must now all go and follow her blog! She was kicking around the idea of having a year long Pink Carnation re-read/read along because the final (weep wail) volume, The Lure of the Moonflower, is out in a year and it will be the twelfth book... exactly enough for a year of Pink. I was more then a little excited by this idea, and totally in love with her proposed title of "Pink for All Seasons." I quickly said that not only was I for it, but I might have begged to be a part of it, quickly claiming next April and The Orchid Affair as my book, and then going so far as to design the banner... because once a graphic designing book lover gets an idea in her head she can't let it go! Starting in a month, aka September, aka right after the That Summer Read Along ends and you are feeling bereft, the re-read/read along begins! So I ask you to join me and Ashley reading a volume of the Pink Carnation series each month, with lots of fun discussions, casting ideas, giveaways, and who knows what else we'll think of, as we count down to the final (weep wail) book!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Austenprose, Facebook, Lauren Willig, Pink Carnation, Pink for All Seasons, Re-Read, Read Along, That Summer, The Bubblebath Reader, The Lure of the Moonflower, The Orchid Affair, This Summer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. "

I've been seeing a lot of postings about this book... should be interesing.

Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 332 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Now that the threat of war has passed, Sabina Kane is ready to focus on the future. Her relationship with Adam Lazarus is getting stronger and she's helping her sister, Maisie, overcome the trauma of her captivity in New Orleans. Even Giguhl is managing to stay out of trouble thanks to the arrival of Pussy Willow and his new roller derby team. But as much as Sabina wants to feel hopeful about the future, part of her doesn't believe that peace is possible.

Her suspicions are confirmed when a string of sadistic murders threatens to stall treaty negotiations between the mages and the vampires. Sabina pitches in to find the killer, but her investigation soon leads her down dark paths that have her questioning everyone she thought she could trust. And the closer she gets to the killer, the more Sabina begins to suspect this is one foe she may not be able to kill."

So many good new releases to ring in the new year! Like this new Sabina Kane!

All That Bleeds by Kimberly Frost
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"As the last heiress of the House of North, Alissa knows that striking up a secret friendship with a half-vampire enforcer is dangerous, but Merrick is a temptation she can't resist. But when Alissa is kidnapped, Merrick proves that he will do anything to protect the woman who tempts him with her very existence."

Brand new book that's not in Frost's popular Southern Witch series, should be interesting to read how she writes other stories.

Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"White House chef Olivia Paras and her arch nemesis, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, must work together to solve the double murder of one of the First Lady's assistants and the Chief of Staff-before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda."

One of my mom's favorite series, now I hope she doesn't go out and buy it because she's probably to definitely getting it for her birthday.

Smut by Alan Bennett
Published by: Picador
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One of England’s finest and most loved writers explores the uncomfortable and tragicomic gap between people’s public appearance and their private desires in two tender and surprising stories.

In The Greening of Mrs. Donaldson, a recently bereaved widow finds interesting ways to supplement her income by performing as a patient for medical students, and renting out her spare room. Quiet, middle-class, and middle-aged, Mrs. Donaldson will soon discover that she rather enjoys role-play at the hospital, and the irregular and startling entertainment provided by her tenants.

In The Shielding of Mrs. Forbes, a disappointed middle-aged mother dotes on her only son, Graham, who believes he must shield her from the truth. As Graham’s double life becomes increasingly complicated, we realize how little he understands, not only of his own desires but also those of his mother.

A master storyteller dissects a very English form of secrecy with two stories of the unexpected in otherwise apparently ordinary lives. "

Alan Bennett is a genius. Don't believe me go read The Umcommon Reader and get back to me.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Meet car mechanic and coyote shapeshifter Mercy Thompson, star of Patricia Briggs's #1 New York Times bestselling series. Being a lowly "walker" in a world of vampires, werewolves, and fae once kept her safe. But Mercy's bark-and bite-are not so harmless any more...

Though Mercy Thompson can shift her shape into that of a coyote, her loyalty never wavers. So when her former boss and mentor, Zee, asks for her help, she's there for him. A series of murders has rocked a fae reservation, and Zee needs her unique gifts, namely her coyote sense of smell, to sniff out the killer.

But when Zee is accused of murdering the suspect Mercy outed, he's left to rot behind bars by his own kind. Now it's up to Mercy to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not.

Mercy's loyalty is under pressure from other directions, too. Werewolves are not known for their patience, and if Mercy can't decide between the two she cares for, Sam and Adam may make the choice for her..."

After this re-issue of the third Mercy Thompson book in hardcover I'll have all the books in hardcover, which my make-up a little for the fact I have to wait a YEAR for the next Mercy Thompson book. Also, this has the awesome introduction of the magical stick that befriends her!

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
Published by: NAL Trade
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Veteran governess Laura Grey joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling adventures in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of André Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte's minister of police.

At first the job is as lively as Latin, but Laura begins to notice Jaouen's increasingly strange behavior. As Laura edges closer to her employer, she is surprised to learn that she has much in common with him. And Jaouen finds he's hired more than he's bargained for... "

Sooo good. This was one of my favorite books in Lauren's series, and seeing as how much I love this series, that's truly saying something. Go out and buy it now! I don't care if you already own it in hardcover, don't you need a paperback for everyday use as well? At least that's how I justify it.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Affairs of Steak, Alan Bennett, All That Bleeds, Cinder, Iron Kissed, Jaye Wells, Julie Hyzy, Kimberly Frost, Lauren Willig, Marissa Meyer, Patricia Briggs, Smut, The Orchid Affair

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
Published by: Dutton
ARC Provided by Dutton
Publication Date: January 20th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
Challenge: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy
Laura Grey has had it being a governess. She has just graduated from the Selwick Spying Academy and is off to France to do her bit to fight the revolution. Of course she just happens to be going to France in the very role she was trying to escape, that of "governess."  Laura, or more precisely, Laure Griscogne, has been away from her homeland since her parents died and left her orphaned and having to take care of herself in the only way possible, by rearing others children, though when she started she was but a child herself. Now she has two new charges, the children of Andre Jaouen, a man The Pink Carnation is desperate to know more about, especially because he works in the Abbaye Prison with that most odious of men, Delaroche. But when you spend most of your time taking care of the children in a large and desolate house and rarely spying at keyholes and sneaking messages to The Pink Carnation through various booksellers, it's hard to see the value in your work. But there is more to Jaouen then meets the eye. He has connections within the artistic community that Laura's family was once in the center of. Laura was once the child of a somebody, a great poetess. Andre is having a hard time rectifying this stern, prim governess, with the loose and wanton Paris saloons of pre-revolutionary France. All the while Laura is having a hard time rectifying this rather attractive bespectacled man with that of a hardened revolutionary who wants to kill all the aristos he can find. But when both their missions unexpectedly collide around a man who could restore the French monarchy, they have to decide whether it is best to let animosities and allegiances fall by the wayside and trust their instincts and growing attraction to each other. Plus sneaking through the countryside as travelling performers can't be as hard as it sounds?

The newest in Lauren Willig's ever expanding cannon of Pink Carnation books takes us right back to the heart of what this series is about. Spying. Even if with a little Commedia it's, as the author puts it so well, "like The Sound of Music… meets Mata Hari." We are back within the courts of Napoleon and the streets of Paris, where blood might run in the streets at any moment, and the reality of the horrors that await in the Abbaye Prison are a real threat, not comfortably located on the other side of the channel. While the previous books have all had spies in various locals with various flower monikers, this one feels the closest to the legacy of The Scarlet Pimpernel; with our heroine in enemy territory, with barely an ally, and no ally that she can get to without a bookstore or an effusive poet. Speaking of said poet... we get nice little cameos from some of the Pink cast, but they are just the icing on the cake, what makes this book soar are the new characters of Andre and Laura, which even readers new to the series can enjoy without the previous installments. Every book since the first has been a pairing off of a previous hero or heroine with someone new or some old friend, but not in this case. Here we have a blank canvas ripe for the painting, Miss Grey has only had a few brief and enigmatic references which have given her no illumination. Laura has a rich and complicated past that was filled with sumptuousness and luxury and is now contained within harsh grey stays. Andre has also had a life that was once filled with love and an artistic wife, instead he now has to change ideals and live a sparse and paired down life. Both these two have spent a life hiding who they really are and masking what they want and feel. I felt such an instant connection with both of them, just waiting with baited breath for Laura to realize this man could not possibly be evil, even if he is French, they aren't all Delaroches. How Lauren is able to continually excel at each subsequent book astonishes me. While they do build on each other to form a perfect shelf in my library, they also are wonderfully contained little jewels of stories that you just want to go back to again and again, which Lauren does do. One day we wonder who is that lady at the Selwick Spy School, years later, she is flesh. She is whole and wonderful and I didn't want the book to end. I hope when you get your hands on a copy you'll feel as I do. And if you hate the new cover, you don't have to keep in on the book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Abbaye Prison, Andre Jaouen, ARCs, Delaroche, Governesses, Laura Grey, Lauren Willig, Mata Hari, Pink Carnation, Reading Challenge, Scarlet Pimpernel, The Orchid Affair, The Sound of Music

The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: January 20th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In The Orchid Affair, Willig introduces her strongest heroine yet. Laura Grey, a veteran governess, joins the Selwick Spy School expecting to find elaborate disguises and thrilling exploits in service to the spy known as the Pink Carnation. She hardly expects her first assignment to be serving as governess for the children of Andre Jaouen, right-hand man to Bonaparte's minister of police. Jaouen and his arch rival, Gaston Delaroche, are investigating a suspected Royalist plot to unseat Bonaparte, and Laura's mission is to report any suspicious findings.

At first the job is as lively as Latin textbooks and knitting, but Laura begins to notice strange behavior from Jaouen-secret meetings and odd comings and goings. As Laura edges herself closer to her employer, she makes a shocking discovery and is surprised to learn that she has far more in common with Jaouen than she originally thought...
As their plots begin to unravel, Laura and Jaouen are forced on the run with the children, and with the help of the Pink Carnation they escape to the countryside, traveling as husband and wife. But Delaroche will stop at nothing to take down his nemesis. With his men hot on their trail, can Laura and Jaouen seal the fate of Europe before it's too late? "

This is THE BOOK you've been waiting for all year... wow, the year isn't that long... for all of 2010 and 2011? Yeah, that makes it sound better. It was worth the wait, it is totally awesome and you must rush out now to buy it. I said rush! Go go little blog readers, you won't be disappointed! Of course, maybe I should point out this comes out on Thursday, not Tuesday... nah.

Love Letters by Katie Fforde
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: January 18th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Laura, younger than her years, relies on books for action in her life. But now her ideal job in a bookshop is ending, leaving her at loose ends. Arranging author signings is her forte. At her farewell event, she meets a strong-willed literary agent who compels her forward into her future. Next thing you know, Laura is helping plan a literary festival, meeting new friends, and heading off to Ireland to hunt up Dermot Flynn, an elusive author who will absolutely put the festival on the map. She finds adventure and more new friends; then, under the influence of much strong drink, she offers her body to Flynn to get him to attend the festival. Laura is more naive and innocent than many of Fforde’s heroines, but she is as lovable and stalwart as any who have gone before her. She finds resources within herself that she never knew were there, has her heart broken, survives, and learns to make her way in the world with great success. In all, a sweet and engaging romance. "

A sweet romance about book lovers! Hell yes I say!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Katie Fforde, Lauren Willig, Love Letters, Pink Carnation, The Orchid Affair

See, no one reminds me, I go into a land of Turkey coma and emerge a week later to finally tell the thrilling tale of Lauren and her signing in Chicago. Thrilling if you like parking spots right in front of libraries and men in knee breeches. It was a mild and windless day... ok, perhaps that's further back than you'd like. After a book buying frenzy at the Michigan Avenue Borders (20% store wide!) and slaking our thirst at Ghirardelli's, my friend and I meandered back towards the gorgeous edifice of the Newbury Library on the quaint Washington Square Park, the less famous of those similarly monikered. We entered the lovely lobby to discover similar Turnip enamoured bookworms, in fact so many Turnip lovers that we had to be moved into a bigger room! One my way towards the facilities I spotted Lauren waiting in line at the information desk and was greeted with a hug and got to act as her unofficial escort while discussing, what else, books, in particular what the longevity of steampunk might be. I reclaimed my seat in the front row and Lauren claimed her seat of honour, which would rarely be used as her years of debate had taught her to ramble around while rambling, though we weren't to worry if she looked like she was making a break for the door, she wasn't leaving. Lauren is a rare species of authors, one who is also a fabulous speaker. Most authors live in their little world of words and have a hard time talking in front of large groups of people. Lauren is the opposite of this. She's just as alive and bubbly as her books. There's an enthusiasm that is infectious about her and the world she has created. It's easy to see Lauren as the creator of such memorable characters as the Pink Carnation, the Purple Gentian and of course, Turnip Fitzhugh. You can almost picture Lauren in Regency garb in the background of the Tullieries watching as Miss Gwen takes on Bonaparte and laughing while swigging pink champagne.

Starting with a reading of the Austen apocrypha, The Mischief of the Mistletoe's lost introduction, Lauren went on to describe all the ways she tried to avoid having Jane Austen in her book. Austen's world is a polar opposite to the one Lauren has created. Austen absolutely did not have young ladies hiding under tables and spies sneaking in through sashed windows. Lauren wanted to stay away from Austen with a ten foot pole and all those who had such firm views on this icon of literature, Regency Mafia anyone? But Turnip, her Regency Bertie Wooster, his story had to be told in Bath, and it had to be 1803, and that just had to be a time when Austen was in Bath and suffering from her dry spell. It just seemed as if Austen was now everywhere, even a vampire if you look in the right places, so Austen would be a part of Turnip's story.

The questions and answers section of the talk then took off with me asking about something I know we're all interested in. Who does Jane Wooliston, not Austen, end up with? Lauren says she knows, but only if her cunning plans agree to stay on track, which they never seem to want to do. After the first question was asked, more started pouring in. She described her research method as a period of immersion where she doesn't take notes, so that when she sits to write the story the history and the plot mesh together and she does spot research to fill in those details she needs more information on. Pink IX is already finished and it has our first American Heroine... one who might have appeared briefly in The Orchid Affiar is my newest theory, as well as Augutus Wittelby and Miss Gwen as a pirate Queen with the sage advice to plunder before burning. As for The Orchid Affair, we have a French hero for once! And as for a certain parasol wielding matron, it looks like she will get her own book and despite the recent Pink Comic illustrations, she is younger that she was portrayed, so my casting might work better than I thought! The reason for no Colin and Eloise in the newest book was made clear as a concession to the publishers to have a smaller, more giftable book for the holidays where Lauren could do justice to her characters. Also Waterloo was brought up, and no, not the ABBA song. Lauren said at the rate she's going, having barely made it out of 1803, she might have to do a time jump eventually, because otherwise it would take 83 books to get there, not that I'd mind, though my bookshelf might. After all there are so many places to take these characters, Russia, South Africa, Egypt (which I'm keeping my fingers crossed for!) While us readers tend to have our favorite books, Lauren always thinks the newest, the unstarted phantom will be the best, and is the least favorite after she's written it. Though she still has a soft spot for Mary and Vaughn, her bitch prom queen and jaded rogue. Now she's a full time writer she's realized her pace is such that soon her publisher will be surround by Pink manuscripts of which they can quite conceivably make a fort and that she might want to tackle that mystery set at Yale or that 17th century epic one of these days. But she vows to stop writing the Pink books before she gets bored because you see in some of these series you can tell when the author has lost interest and then disappoints the fans. Finally she said that in practicality she didn't get her History degree because it's a bad sign when it's taken you 7 years to cover a timeline of 3. The we got another little reading of Turnip arriving with the Christmas hamper for his little sister.

The signing then commenced! I was ecstatic to get my copy of Mistletoe signed, as well as my ARC of The Orchid Affair and my Pink expurgated 1st, which I forgot to mention to Lauren. So Lauren, if you're reading this, that was my Pink with all the missing sexy sexy bits that someone artfully removed. But more importantly I was excited because I had brought a present for Lauren, seen above on the table surrounded by books, ie, it's rightful home. For awhile now I have done artwork based on the old drawings by the Brothers Brock in my grandmother's turn of the century editions of Jane Austen. My favorite was always the one I did from Mansfield Park entitled: "Not of Facts, Perhaps, But of Feelings." Ironically this was a piece that was very close to being trashed cause it was not cooperating with me. I am so glad I never did that, because I would have always regretted it. Anyway, last year, while sick and revelling in the restorative powers of The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, in the last chapter Lauren used that quote! I was so excited I knew that if I was to ever go to a Lauren signing I just had to give her a print of that piece. Because, let's face it, writers do so much for use. They fill our lives with stories and dreams and what do they get back? Yes, they get the good reviews and the fans, but they also get the bad reviews and the detractors. What physical, tactile proof do they get that they are appreciated? Plus, I love giving presents! See the Lauren themed Pretty in Pink Giveaway! Lauren has given me so much joy and entertainment over the years I felt I needed to thank her for everything. Plus, I got an even better gift in return, she hung my art above her desk, and that just gave me warm fuzzies.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bertie Wooster, Book Signing, Chicago, Lauren Willig, Mansfield Park, Miss Gwen, Newbury Library, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily, The Mischief of the Mistletoe, The Orchid Affair, Turnip Fitzhugh

Oh Dutton, you do spoil me and my blog readers. Look at all the lovely Spy Swag I have which I'm going to share with you, my loyal readers when I announce my Pretty in Pink Giveaway next week! Until then, I think I will praise the greatness of Lauren Willig and Dutton in a warped but traditional Christmas sing-song.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: ARCs, Dutton, Giveaway, Lauren Willig, Pretty in Pink Giveaway, The Mischief of the Mistletoe, The Orchid Affair

So, a few weeks back, the cover for the new Lauren Willig book was unveiled. You can kind of imagine my shock when it was the above image, and not the type of classy affair us readers have been used to. To paraphrase the angry letter I wrote to Penguin: "Her followers have voiced their dismay at the change in cover design from that of sophisticated elegance, which greatly compliments her writing, to that of a trashy romance novel with a headless heroine, befitting a mass market paperback, not a New York times bestselling author. I would like to bring your attention to the fan hatred of the new cover, expressed on Lauren's site, in blogs and on facebook, and the fact that you will not gain any new readers with a cover that looks just like every other cover out there. Please realize that this change will hurt a very strong and successful franchise and that people do not want a change from beauty to tawdry. Please keep the integrity of this series in tact and get a new cover." Ok, well, that was actually pretty much the entire letter. The thing is, spending so many years in publishing, I know the author seldom, if ever, gets any say in what happens to their books, coverwise or promotionwise. So there's little chance of getting a change, and therefore my "perfect set will be ruined." Ah, I do loving a matching set, and every time Professor Slughorn comments on having the complete set, even if he was collecting "Blacks," I totally agree.

But Lauren, be the amazing, awesome and truly great writer she is thought of a compromise for the fans! How about a cover re-design contest? This couldn't be the cover, but it could be a limited edition fan cover. Seeing as I was already tinkering with the idea of doing this for myself. As I said to myself, Elizabeth, you are a graphic designer, if you don't like the cover, do a new one... in fact, I've often thought it would be fun to do this for lots of books, but I'd never been given the challenge before. Lauren has thrown down the gauntlet, I have picked it up!

Here are some of Lauren's previous covers. Now I wanted to maintain that "set" look. The feel of a collection and a unity in design. So I had a lot of fun it must be said, and I came up with my three entries.

This is a painting by Jules Bastien-Lepage, who did one of my Dad's favorite paintings at the MET of Joan of Arc, which I couldn't turn down seeing as it's called Flower Seller, and for a series based on spies with flower monikers, too too perfect. The spine and the banner come from the paperback edition of Pink Carnation, while the flowers are from istock, yes I spent a little money on this. I also exact matched fonts, because, you have to have continuity people!


For this one, the painting I used is Queen Victoria, it's just so pretty! Plus as Lauren said, "Another prescient cover! One of the pivotal scenes in the book involves an artist’s studio, a crimson velvet throw and Laura letting her hair down. " Oh, I can't wait! The Lace on the spine for this one was taken from Night Jasmine, while the binding is all my own work. The orchids are the same from the previous image (different color of course).


The final one is actually painted by an ancestor of mine, Jules Joseph Lefebvre, and is just so perfect for this, more flowers! The orchids here are also from istock.

So there you go, a little glimpse into my mind, and you might be wondering, why am I interrupting valuable time with Alfred Hitchcock to bring you cover re-designs!?! Well, because now you can go and vote on them! Now I'm not saying to go and vote on mine (*cough, numbers 20, 21 and 22 cough*) but you're totally welcome too! But just go and look at how awesome the other entries are and see how much time and devotion Lauren's fans have to her books. She really is the coolest author, with some of the coolest fans around! So go check it out (*cough 20, 21, 22 cough* Man, I have to get this tickle in my throat looked at!)

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: A Cartoonist's Life, Flower Seller, Hitchcock, Jules Bastien-Lepage, Jules Joseph Lefebvre, Lauren Willig, Pink Carnation, Proffesor Slughorn, Queen Victoria, The Orchid Affair