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Risky Read Along

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Welcome!

The Riskies are reading Georgette Heyer’s Venetia.

We’re shooting to read 7 chapters a week, but we’re open to adjusting numbers up or down so don’t freak if that seems too much or too little. Just let us know in the comments how things are going.

I’d love for our discussion to go … anywhere at all within the bounds of nice. The goal is to have fun talking about what we liked or perhaps didn’t like.

Sometimes it’s good to acknowledge even the obvious: The written word does not carry the same information you get when you’re in a face to face discussion — a lot of additional information gets lost. So, I hereby declare that we are all to interpret everything as having been meant in the best and nicest possible way.

Below I’ve listed a few things to think about while we read. Don’t think about the ones that don’t appeal to you and YES! Bring up your own reactions and thoughts. It’s perfectly fine to wait to see what others say. Remember, this is FUN!

Language (word choice, sentence structure etc)
What do you think of Venetia and her family?
Was there a place where you thought, Wow, this just rocks! Where and why?
Was there a place where you thought, Wow, this isn’t working for me. Where and why?
Favorite character
Class distinctions
What assumptions about gender are embedded and exploded in these chapters?
Given the opening, just how do you feel about foxes? (OK, so maybe I started reading already.)
How is Heyer’s story different from historical romance written in the 21st century?

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Risky Read Along — The Book! Your Opinions Requested

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The people have spoken. Our read along choice is Heyer’s Venetia.

How about a start-reading date of March 10?

I think that should give everyone time to get to their favorite library, bookstore or online retailer to obtain a copy.

It occurs to me that some of us may be the Thrive Under Pressure types and may feel the need to delay reading until the very last minute and then engaging in a Venetia fest of page turning. Others of us may be the Steady As She Goes type who will adore a schedule.

I don’t wish to force anyone into an unsuitable reading style and yet we must accommodate the group. The goal, of course, is to reach a point when we have all read the book and can then yak away about what we think whilst having our minds blown from the insights and opinions of other esteemed Read Alongers.

Therefore, I propose a reading schedule with ongoing discussion of the book over the course of, say, 2 to 3 weeks. Anyone who wants to read the book in a big gulp toward the end can certainly do that, but no complaining about spoilers. We Risky types can deal with a little chaos, I’m sure.

I also propose that we be amenable to change — if it turns out we’re all a bunch of over achievers and everyone reads the book by the first weekend, then we adjust accordingly.

Do please weigh in with your suggestions, thoughts, time frames etc., in the comments.

Also, I feel compelled to mention that I elected to obtain the HQN edition of Venetia and while it has a lovely cover and must say I’m disappointed with the quality of the paper. It’s newsprint. For the money, I expected something a bit more durable. I suppose I won’t feel about about writing notes on the pages. I haven’t started reading yet . . .

Comment away.

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