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Monthly Archives: January 2009

How I did on my 2008 reading resolutions

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Now it’s my turn to be embarrassed. I just checked to see how I did on my Reading Resolutions for 2008 and see that I reached less than half my goals. Well, that leaves me some goals for this year, at least. 🙂

I didn’t end up reading as much romance as I wished. The problem is that when I’m writing or reading romance, I want to identify with the heroine and fall in love with the hero, but I can’t be in more than one imaginary couple at once! So I read during breaks in between drafts and on vacation, but my mess-in-progress has given me so much trouble I have not taken many breaks!

I did get to Laura Kinsale’s DREAM HUNTER and talked about it in my post on Lady Hester Stanhope. Now I have only one Laura Kinsale (SEIZE THE FIRE) left unread. Her website has a temporary image as a placeholder. It’s an exquisite image, but I’d love to see news of a new release!

As far as general fiction goes, I continued with my book discussion group. However, since many members were having trouble keeping up, our selections this year were selected based on brevity. Though I don’t think a book needs to be long to be gripping, somehow none of the selections excited me. And very few members read them anyway, which wasn’t the case when I first joined the group. Maybe it was me??? Anyway, I’ve decided life’s too short and I’m going to just read on my own now.

Another resolution I fell down on was to read more period fiction. I did, however, read a few more biographies, including GEORGIANA, which I talked about in an earlier post. Her life was certainly as exciting as any novel.

Another resolution was to read more fantasy. I’ve now read the first two books in Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series and look forward to more. They are brilliant and I adore the characters.

I also made great inroads on the Cornwell’s Sharpe series. I recently finished SHARPE’S FURY, following Sharpe through the Battle of Barrosa in 1811, so I’m about half way through the series.

In the areas of creativity and inspiration, I didn’t get to Joseph Campbell’s HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES (a new goal for this year) but I did enjoy WOMEN WHO RUN WITH THE WOLVES by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. There’s lots of gold there, though it’s a bit wordy. A friend raves about the audiobook, which is a bit condensed, so that might be a good option for any of you who are curious.

And I still have not read anything about crop circles. Maybe this year…

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Have you made any reading resolutions for 2009?

Anyone else singlehandedly take down a book discussion group? 🙂

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

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JANE AUSTEN MOVIE CLUB: Horatio Hornblower #1

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Welcome to the January 2009 meeting of the Risky Regencies JANE AUSTEN MOVIE CLUB!

This is where we meet on the first Tuesday of every month to discuss adaptations of Jane Austen’s works, and other Regency-interest film and TV productions.

(For info about what we’ll discuss next, or to participate in any of our other discussions, just see the previous post!)

Today’s discussion will be on the first installment of the ITV/A&E Horatio Hornblower series, which stars Ioan Gruffudd and Robert Lindsay.

Oh, and sorry about the awkward “#1” in the title of the post — but as the first installment is called HORATIO HORNBLOWER: THE DUEL in the US, and HORNBLOWER: THE EVEN CHANCE in the UK, I was afraid that adding even half of that to the title would lead to Blogger meltdown and imminent nuclear war.

By the way, the fantastic screen captures shown here — all from this episode — are courtesy of the very neat website twoevilmonks.org. They have a useful and hilarious summary of the plot of THE DUEL/EVEN CHANCE, including these and more great pictures, which is well worth checking out.

To aid the discussion, here are some of the
major credits, with “you’ve seen him before here”
tidbits in green:

Ioan Gruffudd — Horatio Hornblower

Gruffudd starred as Wilberforce in the recent film Amazing Grace.

Robert Lindsay — Captain Sir Edward Pellew

Michael Byrne — Capt. Keene

You may recognize Byrne as Major Nairn in the Sharpe series.

Jamie Bamber — Midshipman Archie Kennedy

Before he starred in Battlestar Galactica, Bamber played Lord Tony in the Richard E. Grant-starring Scarlet Pimpernel.

Dorian Healy — Midshipman Jack Simpson

Paul Copley — Matthews

Simon Sherlock — Oldroyd

Sean Gilder — Styles

DIRECTOR: Andrew Grieve

SCREENPLAY: Russell Lewis
(Based on the C.S. Forester stories “Hornblower and the Even Chance,” “Hornblower and the Cargo of Rice,” and “Hornblower and the Man who Felt Queer.”)

So…what did you think?

Did you like this Hornblower?

What do you think of the cast?

The script?

The special effects?

If you’ve read any of Forester, what do you think of the interpretation?

If you’ve seen the film MASTER AND COMMANDER, how do you think the two differ?


All answers welcome!

(And be sure to come back
on the first Tuesday of next month,
when we’ll be discussing
the 1934 SCARLET PIMPERNEL!)

Cara
Cara King, who prefers tea to rum, and bagels to ship’s biscuit

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JANE AUSTEN MOVIE CLUB SCHEDULE

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Our next four “meetings” of the Jane Austen Movie Club will be:

February 3: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1934 — Leslie Howard)

March 3: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (1982 — Anthony Andrews)

April 7: THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE

May 5: SHARPE’S RIFLES

And remember, none of our discussions ever really end…so if you missed a chance to comment on any of the adaptations we’ve already done, it’s not too late!

If you’re interested, our previous discussions were:

JANE AUSTEN ADAPTATIONS:

Pride and Prejudice (1940, 1980, 1995, 2005)
Sense & Sensibility (1995, 2008)
Northanger Abbey (1986, 2007)
Emma (1996, 1997)
Mansfield Park (1999, 2007)
Persuasion (1995, 2007)

MASTER AND COMMANDER
MISS AUSTEN REGRETS
THE DUCHESS
CLUELESS
CRANFORD
BRIDE AND PREJUDICE

(I plan to turn all the above into links, BTW…after I sleep…) 🙂

Cara

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Diane’s Favorite Books of 2008

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As you all know, I’m the slacker of the group, reading-wise, so I always feel a bit embarrassed when we do this Favorite Books of 2008 (which we’ll be doing all week except for Cara who is doing Horatio Hornblower-lucky ducky-or maybe I’m the only one and I just forgot what we decided). I’m embarrassed because I haven’t read a huge list of books.

This year I read my friends:

I loved all of these. I know I’ve read others but these came to mind first.
I have tons of friends’ books on my TBR pile as well.

I read a fair amount about psychic phenomena because I had a story idea but I’ve tabled that for the moment.

I have TONS of Research books I wish I’d read and I shall provide you a partial list:

The Verneys by Adrian Tinnniswood. The Verneys apparently never threw out a piece of paper and thus amassed the largest and most complete record of correspondence in the world. Plus they had some interesting characters in the family, including a serial adulterer, an unwed mother, a hero, and a petty criminal.
I bought this book at nearly full price; now you can find it discounted

Rites of Peace by Adam Zamoyski.
I forgot where I bought this one, but I purchased it to learn about the Congress of Vienna.

The Making of Victorian Values by Ben Wilson
This book (whose author looks very very young) promises to talk about the transistion from the Georgian era to the Victorian. In other words, the Regency! I purchased this one at a book fair. Great bargain at $7.00

The Curate’s Lot by A. Tindal Hart
I’m pretty sure I bought this from Dee Hendrickson who sold off her wonderful book collection. It will explain the life of a curate from medevial times to the twentieth century.

Tried by Their Peers by Rupert Furneaux
Somebody mentioned this book, probably on the Beau Monde loop and I promptly ordered it from abebooks.com. It relates trials in the House of Lords for such exciting things as poisoning, bigamy, divorce, dueling

George IV by Steven Parissien
Another bargain book and my latest acquisition. More about Prinny! What could be better.

I wish I’d read all of these in 2008, but now I can just aspire to read them in 2009. Stop by next year and see how I did.

What books do you wish you’d read in 2008?
When do you read? Do you read before going to bed? I do but I fall asleep.

Here are pics of the grandcats. Moscow masquerading as a chicken and PB the kitten.

Check out my website for new stuff!
Come visit the Wet Noodle Posse blog. We’re focusing on Life this year.

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Risky Resolutions!

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I am not ashamed–and never have been (check last year for proof)–to admit that I make resolutions. Classic ones, even, like lose weight, exercise more, and stop drinking so much damn coffee.

Okay, that one is so not going to fly. But the losing weight and exercise, that I am going to do (really. I usually do follow through).

And, since I do make Resolutions, it might be a good time to see how I did. Let’s see . . . last year, I did lose weight (which I regained, but that just means a fresh Resolution for this year!), I did get an agent (!), although I haven’t sold any books yet. I have caught up on sleep, somewhat, and yes, I have been having more sex (not that you asked).

This year, in addition to the usual things, I resolve to write more productively, waste less time, be a better friend and stop worrying about how many books I’ve been able to read, because fewer books read means more book written–theoretically, at least.

Maybe you’ve shared your resolutions already (I’ve been sleeping, ‘member, so I haven’t spent enough time at the computer lately), but what do you look forward to in 2009?


Megan

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