First of all, let me tell you why Megan has been absent from the blog for two weeks. Sadly, her father passed away, very unexpectedly.

Our Riskies community knew Megan’s father through her eyes and most movingly from the Mother’s Day tribute she gave to him here . Wasn’t this blog post voted a Megan favorite? For good reason.

Megan assures us she is doing well, but our hearts go out to her and her family. Her dad was only 65, so it feels like he’s been snatched from her way too soon.

Megan’s personal blog has been keeping us informed. For those who wish to offer condolences, why don’t you leave a message for Megan there? I do encourage you to scroll down on Megan’s blog and read about the amazing man who was her father (or click here).

Very special thanks to Myretta Robens, Regency author and friend to Megan, who graciously jumped in to blog about Pride & Prejudice last Friday. We’re still getting comments!

Megan will return to the Riskies when she is able, maybe even by Friday. In the meantime, hugs to her from all of us.

This week we’re talking about our favorite reads of the year.

Sigh.

Compared to the other Riskies and, I’m sure, our entire Riskies community, I am definitely the least well read. I just don’t read many books at all and I rarely keep track and I have a horrible memory. So this is a hard blog.

I can say that of the fiction I’ve read two of my very favorites are Amanda’s A Notorious Woman and Janet’s Rules of Gentility. A Notorious Woman had the rich atmosphere of Venice and was an exotic and different read for me. Rules of Gentility was sooooo clever, sparkling and bright. I’m proud as I can be that my fellow Riskies wrote such wonderful books.

I’ve been mostly reading nonfiction this year, reading for research and inspiration. My favorite book about the Regency (well, BEFORE the Regency) was Paula Byrne’s biography of Perdita. I knew virtually nothing about Mary Robinson and I found her life very remarkable. Lovely to know that there were strong, complex, talented, surviving women in that time period!

I’ve also been reading some other sorts of books for research, books about psychic ability. I’ve read Allison Dubois’s books, We Are Their Heaven and Don’t Kiss Them Goodbye. The TV series Medium is based on Allison Dubois’s life. Verrry interesting.

Because Amanda saw it on a library shelf, I also read Terry Iacuzzo’s Small Mediums At Large: The True Tale of a Family of Psychics. Really fascinating!

I’ve read a couple more books in the same vein. Why? you ask. Well, I have this idea for books which include what I consider “real” psychic phenomena-clairvoyance, psychic healing, mediums, telepathy. Real, as opposed to things like vampires, werewolves, and shape-shifters.

Hee hee. I’ll bet my reading list is unique!
What have you been reading this year? Have you read any of these books? What did you think of Rules of Gentility and A Notorious Woman?
What books are you buying for gifts? I’m thinking of buying The Dangerous Book for Boys for my son…who is an adult.