I found it quite hard to pick my favorite posts–as I browsed through the last year I’d find something, congratulate myself on how clever I was, and find another Risky had written it!
We had a promotion (and another contest, long since won and gone) a year ago, when we all blogged about Pride & Prejudice, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the release of the Firth/Ehle version. I remember wailing to the other Riskies that I was running out of ideas–one of the disadvantages of posting later in the week, of course (Megan and Amanda didn’t complain nearly as much as I did, though). I eventually hit on the idea of Who gets the happiest HEA? in which I imagined what would happen to the various couples, not just Lizzie and Darcy, after the book ends–and you all had some very creative responses.
A lot of our posts here are research-related and here’s one from December 2006–Heavenly Voices, about the fashion for castrato singers in the eighteenth- and nineteenth- centuries, and absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. There’s a link to a video of mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux singing some of the extremely demanding and virtuosic music written for the great Farinelli and a youtube clip from the movie Farinelli. We also like to celebrate anniversaries, and I wrote about the abolitionists for the 200th anniversary (more or less) of the Slave Trade Act of March 25, 1807 in Men and Brothers–a post dear to my heart since Jane Lockwood‘s book Forbidden Shores, in stores October 2, is about abolitionists (and sex).
I also like to write about new book discoveries–I enjoyed Ian Kelly’s biograpy of the first superstar chef Antonin Careme, Cooking for Kings, which led to a discussion of food, recipes, and cooking experiments. And I blogged about Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend, a re-read for me, because I love to talk about Dickens and apparently so do a lot of other people.
And here are a couple of posts in which I let rip, sort of. If in doubt, make them laugh, so I concocted a quiz about what type of hero you are. And my final favorite in which I whine and complain and quote Orwell and D. H. Lawrence and get on my usual hobby-horses–if you’ve met me you’ll have heard all of this before–Cliches and the English Language.
So come chat or vote, and you could win a signed copy of Dedication and The Rules of Gentility.
Don’t forget our great big super contest, in which a lucky winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift certificate. All you have to do to enter is sign up for the Riskies’ newsletter by sending an email to riskies@yahoo.com with NEWSLETTER in the subject line, and if you’re signed up already, you don’t have to do anything but wait. Good luck!
I really enjoyed the What type of hero are you? post! It literally had me laughing out loud!
~Andrea
Way too hard to choose! As a retired opera singer, Heavenly Voices was near and dear to my heart. As the manager of a bakery, Cooking for Kings, was a must read. Then, of course, what type of hero just cracked me up!! By the way, I ADORE The Rules of Gentility and I have touted it to all of my friends, even the ones who don’t read historicals!
thanks Andrea and Doglady, and special thanks for the marketing push, Doglady.
My favorite is Cooking For Kings.
Yeah, the What Type Of Hero Are You? was fantastic.
My favorite is the cliche post. I adore D.H. Lawrence so I am partial to anyone who quotes him as an example.
What type of hero are you? was great ~ it has my vote.
Well, I dare say you made this choice easy to do because if COlin Firth as Mr Darcy is in anything, that has to be a number one choice. 🙂 So it would be the imagining those endings for others in P&P. 🙂
Ah, but there is the what type of hero. . .
Oh, and last week maybe after finally getting the book the week before maybe it was, I read it — and I just loved it!!!!!!! 🙂
Lois
Hehehe,
I vote for the witty What Type of Hero Are You? 🙂
What type of hero are you? is my favorite. It was witty and cute at the same time.
irvwsgguThe post that meant a great deal to me was Men And Brothers. I saw the movie, Amazing Grace, this past year and was totally gripped with the wonderful acting, great characters and settings and the beautiful movie that was memorable.
I enjoyed the What type of hero are you post. I thought it was hilarious. Great Quiz!
I have to agree with most the comments, What type of hero are you?, gets my vote too.
BTW I completely loved Rules, as you know and can’t wait till the next book comes out!!
Great chatting with you in Dallas too Janet!
I really liked Men and Brothers but what type of hero was a fun post.
Riskies, I’m sure you’ve been wondering, “Where the heck is this Keira anyway? She yammers on week after week, and then is dead silent when it comes to celebrate our anniversary.”
I was dealing with family and health stuff. So I was using my online time very stingily, mostly for work.
Janet, I thought I’d start with your favorite posts. Yes, in the plural. I really liked the castrati one (and the link to that heavenly recording), the Careme one, and the creative HEAs one.
Here’s my comment to your HEA post: “I’ve been wondering about a possbile pairing of Colonel Fitzwilliam and Kitty. He is kind enough to be indulgent but would rein in her excesses. And his being close to Darcy would mean that Kitty and Lydia wouldn’t be seeing too much of each other, all the better for Kitty…”
Keira, it’s good to see you back in circulation and I hope your life settles down once more. And hi Haven and Lois, so glad you liked the book. Diane, I still haven’t seen Amazing Grace and of course now it’s all but disappeared from the theaters and is not yet out on DVD (or is it?).
Seems like the big favorite is What type of hero are you, followed by anything vaguely to do with Colin Firth!
I’m often in awe at Janet’s knowledge and her wit, so it is hard to pick a favorite.
But I pick the Castrato one, because I had never heard of castrati before and because the recording and the video were so fascinating.
Janet, Amazing Grace will out on DVD mid-November, and I can’t wait to own a copy. I saw it in the theaters twice, and I’m shocked, shocked, you haven’t even seen it once yet.
What type of Hero are you? That one had me laughing along.
I enjoyed all the posts, but the one on Careme stood out because I didn’t know of him before. And I hadn’t realized chefs died young because of the smoke. Fascinating.
I think “Heavenly Voices” (about the castrati) was my favorite, too. (I didn’t know much about castrati before reading the post, and now know a little more!)
BTW, I just recalled — Jane Aiken Hodge had a castrato character in one of her novels…I think it was “First Night.”
Cara
What Type of Hero quiz is sooo comical; some of the choices are hilarious. My goodness, I like it.
I like the post where you talked about titles for your book. It made me laugh. I still like “Mr. Darcy’s Trousers” for a title, of course. lol
Hmm, tough choice! In keeping with my level of indecision all week, I’ll pick out two favorites: Who gets the happiest HEA?, ’cause I love Pride and Prejudice, and Our Mutual Friend, ’cause it’s cool. 🙂 And we just watched Bleak House on DVD, and the episode of Doctor Who with Dickens in it, so I’m feeling a bit Dickensian right now. (Maybe if I lie down it will go away.)
But I liked a bunch of the others a lot, too. So who knows?
Todd-who-is-planning-to-become-decisive-but-isn’t-sure-when-to-do-it
If I must pick it’s still a toss up. On the funny side I like the hero one; on the research side the one on castrati. My kids and I watched that video of Vivica Geneaux in awe.
I pick Ehat type of hero are you? as well.
Is it too late to post about a Thursday posting? It’s a toss up between two postings for me. Heavenly Voices and The bio of Chef Antoine. As I write this I realize that one could say they share a common thread – sharp instruments – because as I read through Cooking for Kings I was still going on about those ham slices!
Sad as this is, I am still looking for a copy of Rules…not that it’s a hint or anything. I resume my quest this weekend.
Hope things get better for you on the health and family front. You’re a steady voice here and on so many other places.
I really enjoyed Who gets the happiest HEA? becuas I usually do the same thing. I think and imagine if the characters’ union will really work!!
Like many before me… What kind of hero are you. I love quizzes and this was one was extremely funny. I even re-read it before posting this, and it still made me smile!.
As I write this I realize that one could say they share a common thread – sharp instruments
So true, Santa!
Keira, thanks for the heads up on the video of Amazing Grace. Then I will have no excuse.
Kim, the title fight really tested my ingenuity. I liked “The Lady Vanquishes.” I think I must have come up with about 50 titles, and about the same number for “Forbidden Shores.”
Sad as this is, I am still looking for a copy of Rules…not that it’s a hint or anything. I resume my quest this weekend.
Santa, Janet will be coming to the NJRW conference and I’ll bet she’ll have some copies of Rules there!
I like What type of hero are you. I always enjoy that kind of posts (the ones with quizzes).
Thanks for the heads up, Diane! I’ll bear that in mind as I bear down upon some hapless, teen-aged stock person.
What type of hero are you? was my favorite post.
I enjoyed your post of What type of hero are you it was alot of fun!