Reading Update #35

[desertvixen]

 Yes, I know, it's been awhile.

 The last bit while I was in Arizona I went on a little Nancy Drew and/or Hardy Boys reading spree.  It was enjoyable.

 Other reads include:

 North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris is one I would recommend - even if, like me, you weren't so hot on her other Darcy and Elizabeth mysteries.  This one involves an interesting mystery, a ghostly presence, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, staying at Pemberley.  It also involves some of the crew from Northanger Abbey. 

 Nancy Drew 7: The Clue in the Diary was another one of the Applewood reprints.  Diary, of course, is the book where Ned Nickerson gets introduced.  I like him better in the original, as he's definitely there to be the brawn and not the brains.  This is another one where it's not so much race-related stuff they had to edit as it was class-related stuff.  A good read.

 The Hourglass by Barbara Metzger was very good.  If you liked Saved by Scandal, you'll probably really enjoy this one.  The ending is really good.  It took a little to get into, but after that it was golden.  The required annoying animal sidekick is a good one.

 The Queen's Quadrille by Georgina Grey was one of those where the title has little to nothing to do with the story, but the story was one of the better ones.  It is a Georgian, not a Regency.  Any recs on other good Georgians?

 In the Thrill of the Night by Candice Hern is one of the spicier big Regencies, but pretty good for passing the time.

 Ask A Mexican by Gustavo Arellano is a collection of newspaper columns in the Orange County Weekly.  It is educational and entertaining, and funny.

 Counterfeit Kisses by Sandra Heath was good, but pretty standard for her stuff.  It may leave in the next pre-PCS book purge, but for now it stays.  The plot has mistaken identity, scorned females, pompous peers, and stolen jewelry.  Not to mention revenge and justice.

 The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig was good, but not as good as the first one.  To be honest, I really don't care what happens to Eloise and Colin, but I liked Miles and Henrietta's story.  I was pretty sure they were going to get together after the first one, but the book was decent.  I wouldn't buy the next one in hardcover, though.

 The River Knows is Amanda Quick's latest Victorian, and this one is good.  I read it on the plane back from Arizona and really enjoyed it.  The plot is tight, the characters are good.  The hero's family is definitely entertaining, and a little bit of a switch from how things are normally.  The couple - Anthony and Louisa - are one of my more liked sets.  It's just out in hardcover, but Quick is one of those authors that I will buy in hardcover automatically.

 To Rescue a Rogue by Jo Beverley was good.  It's intended to be the cap to her Rogues series, and so everyone drops in for a spell.  The story goes well, with appropriate tension. 

 DV

Comments

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Metzger is generally good, if only for her prose. Which is usually bad for me to read before writing dramatic angst, as, ah, I tend to pick up writing styles, and light, humorous prose doesn't exactly work with dramatic angst. Unless I'm being deliberately ironic.

Hrm. I haven't read Miss Lockheart's Letters in a while...

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Saved by Scandal was my first Metzger, and remains my favorite.

I like the insanity and the busy casts.

DV