SLOW BURN?!! the stuff in your spoiler?!! i am here for it!!!!!I'm partway through the new Emily Henry (enjoying!) and a little way in to the new Mariana Zapata (also enjoying!). I love the slow burn in Zapata's novels and this is definitely already providing that even just a little way in.
But (semi-spoiler here I will hide just in case anyone wants to go in blind) it's not a regular contemporary romance (magical creatures incl warewolves are involved) and I'm not normally one for magical creature stuff (save for teenage me devouring Twilight & enjoying a few weird A/B/O fanfictions and Ali Hazlewood's Bride).
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As you may know I'm trying to get rid of some books so I'm being ruthless as I read the books.
I've just finished These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer.
I started off thinking it was a 4 so it would have to go, then nearing the end with tears streaming down my face I gave in and marked it a 5, so it's another one that's staying.
Here's a review of it in case you've never heard of it. I have to agree with the reviewer that I too was thinking why was this not made into a film?
Interesting to note it was written 99 years ago.
This book was thoroughly enjoyable. I tell you, Avon is a very singular hero. I have read few books with a hero whose dialogue was so expressive, yet ironic at the same time. His wit is so sharp that it could cut diamonds. What's really interesting is that Avon is considered the worst of the worst when it comes to being a debauched rake, yet you never see him looking or acting anything less than elegant. I really admire that Heyer was able to convey this about him without going into his dirty deeds. All that occurs before the book begins. In fact, so much is conveyed and not expressly shown in this story, and done with remarkable skill. I have to say that I read this story, looking to Ms. Heyer to teach me (as a writer) the ability to create powerful dialogue that shows and does not tell. Avon is quite the character. He is definitely a dandy and a fop, wearing bright colors, dripping with lace and jewels, and high-heeled shoes. He even carries a fan that he uses. But he is a man of his time, with a masculinity that is not questionable. And to think we don't have to see him bedhopping to believe in his masculinity!! I thought that Ms. Heyer did a fantastic job in showing Avon's transition from being a cold man with a heart of stone to a loving person. You see this in his manner changing towards friends and family. And you see it in how he interacts with Leonie, who gives him her steadfast, unconditional love from the very beginning.
Avon is bent on revenge, but he exemplifies the saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." He waited over twenty years to obtain his revenge on his enemy. When the tool of his revenge stumbles into him on a Paris street, it takes a while for you to see how he/she plays into it. Avon concocts a shallow, bored, remote demeanor that is very misleading. The whole while, he is feeling and seeing everything that goes on around him. He sees right through Leon's facade, realizing that she is a girl. Her unique coloring, Red hair and black eyebrows, immediately brings to mind his worst enemy, Saint-Vire. Yet it takes the reader a little while to put the puzzles together. You are not bored though, as the story unfolds and you get to realize what Avon's plan is. For the lines in this story are so laugh out loud funny, you might want to be careful where you break out this book. I'm sure people thought was I was crazy in the moments I read this story in public, because I would burst out into hilarious laughter. As for the revenge plot, you have to read this book until nearly the very end to see how marvelously and skillfully Avon executes his plan for revenge. I have to say, 'Bravo.' And to be honest, it couldn't have happened to a better person.
One of my favorite characters in this story is Rupert, Avon's younger brother. Why? Because he made me laugh so hard. He had the best lines. I firmly believe that Loretta Chase must have thought of him when she wrote Bertie in Lord of Scoundrels, although Rupert is not nearly as unintelligent as Bertie is portrayed to be. Rupert does a very good job as serving as comic relief in a story that would have been quite dark without these moments of humor. Because of his contribution, I cannot even consider this a dark read. This is also in part to the back and forth dialogue between characters which has the cadence and the humor that endears comedic movies of the 1930s and 40s to this reader and movie buff. The scene with the horse that Rupert 'borrowed' and its livid owner who comes to Avon's home for redress was laugh out loud hilarious. Definitely like a scene from 1940s slapstick comedy at its best. Some of the characters that add to the wonderful atmosphere are fan, Avon's sister, Marling, her staid husband, and Hugh, Avon's less staid, but certainly moral friend, who often disproves of Avon's behavior, but is a steadfast friend all the same.
Leonie is a character that I liked, although at times her ingenue nature was a bit much for me. The older I get, the less I really enjoy the very young, vivacious, extremely audacious-mannered heroines. I did not let that lessen my enjoyment of this story, for Leonie is the perfect foil for Avon. This older, very jaded hero needed a very young, sweet heroine with a zest for life. He would not have fallen in love and committed to a happy ending as a happily married man otherwise. In fact, I think his cold heart would have grown colder through the years, probably pushing everyone away who loved him, had it not been for Leonie's advent into his life.
Leonie is the character that everyone loves. I suppose she might be considered a 'Mary Sue' by some, but again, I don't quibble, for this story needed a character like her for it be successful. Also I reject the notion that an old fashioned, feel-good story doesn't have its place in the world. They most certainly do. And at the end of the day, the escapades of this hoyden do make you smile and feel good.
This novel gave me a very good look into 18th century life in France and England, for which I was grateful. It is said that Heyer's book stand up against the most stringent historical accuracy sticklers. She is a testiment to the genre of historical romance, which is always taking hits as being low-brow fiction. I wonder why this has not been made into film, for I feel it would make a wonderful movie. And it has an appeal outside of those readers who enjoy romance.
I've just finished These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer.
I started off thinking it was a 4 so it would have to go, then nearing the end with tears streaming down my face I gave in and marked it a 5, so it's another one that's staying.
Here's a review of it in case you've never heard of it. I have to agree with the reviewer that I too was thinking why was this not made into a film?
Interesting to note it was written 99 years ago.
This book was thoroughly enjoyable. I tell you, Avon is a very singular hero. I have read few books with a hero whose dialogue was so expressive, yet ironic at the same time. His wit is so sharp that it could cut diamonds. What's really interesting is that Avon is considered the worst of the worst when it comes to being a debauched rake, yet you never see him looking or acting anything less than elegant. I really admire that Heyer was able to convey this about him without going into his dirty deeds. All that occurs before the book begins. In fact, so much is conveyed and not expressly shown in this story, and done with remarkable skill. I have to say that I read this story, looking to Ms. Heyer to teach me (as a writer) the ability to create powerful dialogue that shows and does not tell. Avon is quite the character. He is definitely a dandy and a fop, wearing bright colors, dripping with lace and jewels, and high-heeled shoes. He even carries a fan that he uses. But he is a man of his time, with a masculinity that is not questionable. And to think we don't have to see him bedhopping to believe in his masculinity!! I thought that Ms. Heyer did a fantastic job in showing Avon's transition from being a cold man with a heart of stone to a loving person. You see this in his manner changing towards friends and family. And you see it in how he interacts with Leonie, who gives him her steadfast, unconditional love from the very beginning.
Avon is bent on revenge, but he exemplifies the saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." He waited over twenty years to obtain his revenge on his enemy. When the tool of his revenge stumbles into him on a Paris street, it takes a while for you to see how he/she plays into it. Avon concocts a shallow, bored, remote demeanor that is very misleading. The whole while, he is feeling and seeing everything that goes on around him. He sees right through Leon's facade, realizing that she is a girl. Her unique coloring, Red hair and black eyebrows, immediately brings to mind his worst enemy, Saint-Vire. Yet it takes the reader a little while to put the puzzles together. You are not bored though, as the story unfolds and you get to realize what Avon's plan is. For the lines in this story are so laugh out loud funny, you might want to be careful where you break out this book. I'm sure people thought was I was crazy in the moments I read this story in public, because I would burst out into hilarious laughter. As for the revenge plot, you have to read this book until nearly the very end to see how marvelously and skillfully Avon executes his plan for revenge. I have to say, 'Bravo.' And to be honest, it couldn't have happened to a better person.
One of my favorite characters in this story is Rupert, Avon's younger brother. Why? Because he made me laugh so hard. He had the best lines. I firmly believe that Loretta Chase must have thought of him when she wrote Bertie in Lord of Scoundrels, although Rupert is not nearly as unintelligent as Bertie is portrayed to be. Rupert does a very good job as serving as comic relief in a story that would have been quite dark without these moments of humor. Because of his contribution, I cannot even consider this a dark read. This is also in part to the back and forth dialogue between characters which has the cadence and the humor that endears comedic movies of the 1930s and 40s to this reader and movie buff. The scene with the horse that Rupert 'borrowed' and its livid owner who comes to Avon's home for redress was laugh out loud hilarious. Definitely like a scene from 1940s slapstick comedy at its best. Some of the characters that add to the wonderful atmosphere are fan, Avon's sister, Marling, her staid husband, and Hugh, Avon's less staid, but certainly moral friend, who often disproves of Avon's behavior, but is a steadfast friend all the same.
Leonie is a character that I liked, although at times her ingenue nature was a bit much for me. The older I get, the less I really enjoy the very young, vivacious, extremely audacious-mannered heroines. I did not let that lessen my enjoyment of this story, for Leonie is the perfect foil for Avon. This older, very jaded hero needed a very young, sweet heroine with a zest for life. He would not have fallen in love and committed to a happy ending as a happily married man otherwise. In fact, I think his cold heart would have grown colder through the years, probably pushing everyone away who loved him, had it not been for Leonie's advent into his life.
Leonie is the character that everyone loves. I suppose she might be considered a 'Mary Sue' by some, but again, I don't quibble, for this story needed a character like her for it be successful. Also I reject the notion that an old fashioned, feel-good story doesn't have its place in the world. They most certainly do. And at the end of the day, the escapades of this hoyden do make you smile and feel good.
This novel gave me a very good look into 18th century life in France and England, for which I was grateful. It is said that Heyer's book stand up against the most stringent historical accuracy sticklers. She is a testiment to the genre of historical romance, which is always taking hits as being low-brow fiction. I wonder why this has not been made into film, for I feel it would make a wonderful movie. And it has an appeal outside of those readers who enjoy romance.
I’m new to this thread and this made me laugh. I started reading a book and thought ‘wow this is so familiar’ etc. husband pointed out the copy I had read years ago, sat on a shelf. It was a Jane Fallon. Always great to read but not memorable.
I’ve just finished The Wedding People. Really enjoyed it. I’ll start The Great Alone tonight I think
Planning an afternoon in the sun with Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Not the cheeriest of subjects but enjoying it so far
The Great Alone is good but an exhausting read. Kristin Hannah throws everything, including the kitchen sink at her characters and this is no exception
Does anyone have a book journal, something like this with prompts in? Just curious what people do if anything.
I slumped in April, didn’t finish a single book, and I think it’s because I get burned out going quickly from one book to the next so thinking I might try and build in some journalling between books so I have time to absorb and reflect on it before moving on to the next. I don’t want to use Goodreads as the reviews are all public and the reflections are for me not others. I’m thinking it might help me remember books better too!
I think I pick up my next book quickly because I just get excited to start something new but also feel if I don’t always have a book on the go that months will pass by before I pick another one up. But then burning out causes the slump anyway!
I slumped in April, didn’t finish a single book, and I think it’s because I get burned out going quickly from one book to the next so thinking I might try and build in some journalling between books so I have time to absorb and reflect on it before moving on to the next. I don’t want to use Goodreads as the reviews are all public and the reflections are for me not others. I’m thinking it might help me remember books better too!
I think I pick up my next book quickly because I just get excited to start something new but also feel if I don’t always have a book on the go that months will pass by before I pick another one up. But then burning out causes the slump anyway!
@Tofino I've given the Papier one as a gift before, and the feedback was that it was lovely quality but there was almost too much room to write stuff? (and as a result you can only track 32 books in it!)
www.papier.com
Italian Summer | Reading Journal
The journal for your reading journey. Find delight in new narratives and remember your most-loved books with our reading journal. Record and review your reads, with journaling prompts that double as book club questions. Choose your next book from your own reading wish list, or consult our...
www.papier.com
Ooooh so pretty!!! Especially the blue one! I think for my first one it’s probably out of budget anyway as I’m not sure if I will stick with it or if it will work for me. I’ve just thought though, I might check vinted because even unknown brands on Amazon can be £10-15@Tofino I've given the Papier one as a gift before, and the feedback was that it was lovely quality but there was almost too much room to write stuff? (and as a result you can only track 32 books in it!)
Italian Summer | Reading Journal
The journal for your reading journey. Find delight in new narratives and remember your most-loved books with our reading journal. Record and review your reads, with journaling prompts that double as book club questions. Choose your next book from your own reading wish list, or consult our...
I did buy a download for Goodnotes but I filled it in once and found it faffy
I took ages to get into These Old Shades and loved it once I was there! I also loved Devil's Cub, which is about their son, so much so that I've put off reading the final part of the tetralogy An Infamous Army, because I understand Vidal appears in a less salubrious light.As you may know I'm trying to get rid of some books so I'm being ruthless as I read the books.
I've just finished These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer.
I started off thinking it was a 4 so it would have to go, then nearing the end with tears streaming down my face I gave in and marked it a 5, so it's another one that's staying.
Here's a review of it in case you've never heard of it. I have to agree with the reviewer that I too was thinking why was this not made into a film?
Interesting to note it was written 99 years ago.
This book was thoroughly enjoyable. I tell you, Avon is a very singular hero. I have read few books with a hero whose dialogue was so expressive, yet ironic at the same time. His wit is so sharp that it could cut diamonds. What's really interesting is that Avon is considered the worst of the worst when it comes to being a debauched rake, yet you never see him looking or acting anything less than elegant. I really admire that Heyer was able to convey this about him without going into his dirty deeds. All that occurs before the book begins. In fact, so much is conveyed and not expressly shown in this story, and done with remarkable skill. I have to say that I read this story, looking to Ms. Heyer to teach me (as a writer) the ability to create powerful dialogue that shows and does not tell. Avon is quite the character. He is definitely a dandy and a fop, wearing bright colors, dripping with lace and jewels, and high-heeled shoes. He even carries a fan that he uses. But he is a man of his time, with a masculinity that is not questionable. And to think we don't have to see him bedhopping to believe in his masculinity!! I thought that Ms. Heyer did a fantastic job in showing Avon's transition from being a cold man with a heart of stone to a loving person. You see this in his manner changing towards friends and family. And you see it in how he interacts with Leonie, who gives him her steadfast, unconditional love from the very beginning.
Avon is bent on revenge, but he exemplifies the saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." He waited over twenty years to obtain his revenge on his enemy. When the tool of his revenge stumbles into him on a Paris street, it takes a while for you to see how he/she plays into it. Avon concocts a shallow, bored, remote demeanor that is very misleading. The whole while, he is feeling and seeing everything that goes on around him. He sees right through Leon's facade, realizing that she is a girl. Her unique coloring, Red hair and black eyebrows, immediately brings to mind his worst enemy, Saint-Vire. Yet it takes the reader a little while to put the puzzles together. You are not bored though, as the story unfolds and you get to realize what Avon's plan is. For the lines in this story are so laugh out loud funny, you might want to be careful where you break out this book. I'm sure people thought was I was crazy in the moments I read this story in public, because I would burst out into hilarious laughter. As for the revenge plot, you have to read this book until nearly the very end to see how marvelously and skillfully Avon executes his plan for revenge. I have to say, 'Bravo.' And to be honest, it couldn't have happened to a better person.
One of my favorite characters in this story is Rupert, Avon's younger brother. Why? Because he made me laugh so hard. He had the best lines. I firmly believe that Loretta Chase must have thought of him when she wrote Bertie in Lord of Scoundrels, although Rupert is not nearly as unintelligent as Bertie is portrayed to be. Rupert does a very good job as serving as comic relief in a story that would have been quite dark without these moments of humor. Because of his contribution, I cannot even consider this a dark read. This is also in part to the back and forth dialogue between characters which has the cadence and the humor that endears comedic movies of the 1930s and 40s to this reader and movie buff. The scene with the horse that Rupert 'borrowed' and its livid owner who comes to Avon's home for redress was laugh out loud hilarious. Definitely like a scene from 1940s slapstick comedy at its best. Some of the characters that add to the wonderful atmosphere are fan, Avon's sister, Marling, her staid husband, and Hugh, Avon's less staid, but certainly moral friend, who often disproves of Avon's behavior, but is a steadfast friend all the same.
Leonie is a character that I liked, although at times her ingenue nature was a bit much for me. The older I get, the less I really enjoy the very young, vivacious, extremely audacious-mannered heroines. I did not let that lessen my enjoyment of this story, for Leonie is the perfect foil for Avon. This older, very jaded hero needed a very young, sweet heroine with a zest for life. He would not have fallen in love and committed to a happy ending as a happily married man otherwise. In fact, I think his cold heart would have grown colder through the years, probably pushing everyone away who loved him, had it not been for Leonie's advent into his life.
Leonie is the character that everyone loves. I suppose she might be considered a 'Mary Sue' by some, but again, I don't quibble, for this story needed a character like her for it be successful. Also I reject the notion that an old fashioned, feel-good story doesn't have its place in the world. They most certainly do. And at the end of the day, the escapades of this hoyden do make you smile and feel good.
This novel gave me a very good look into 18th century life in France and England, for which I was grateful. It is said that Heyer's book stand up against the most stringent historical accuracy sticklers. She is a testiment to the genre of historical romance, which is always taking hits as being low-brow fiction. I wonder why this has not been made into film, for I feel it would make a wonderful movie. And it has an appeal outside of those readers who enjoy romance.
It’s taken me weeks to read something beyond the first couple of chapters. My reading mojo has been in the pits for months BUT ….. today I struck gold with Miss Benson’s Beetle. It’s exactly what I needed and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. It’s heading towards a 5
. I’ve not been able to put it down. A perfect read to lift someone from the doldrums.
. I’ve not been able to put it down. A perfect read to lift someone from the doldrums.I've read An Infamous Army and it's got a permanent place on my bookshelf so I obviously loved it! I still haven't yet read Devil's Cub so am now looking forward to it after your comments.
I too took a while getting into These Old Shades but then it grabbed me and that was it......I surrendered and it was a keeper.
As I was ambushed on another forum into book buying temptation, I am expecting to have to buy another shed load of historical books I thought I'd read all of, but obviously hadn't.
Abby Jiminez has randomly started cropping up on my TikTok FYP recently - or to be more precise her dogs Tess the Pudelpointer and Stuntman Mike the Yorkshire Terrier have! It took me ages to realise she was a pretty successful author and not just a dog content creator!
Glad to know she’s got good reviews here! Will defo add her to me wish list. Any in particular I should start with?
I love Tess!
Finished - really good book if a bit meh at the ending. I’ve really got into the zone of reading for a good few hours at a time and completely losing myself in a book again and am loving it. I’m quite close to completing my reading goal for the year already which I’ve only ever managed once before!
How quickly do you pick up a new book?
From the last page of one to the firstpage of the next?
The books I read just as books I can pick the next one up later that day/tomorrow.
But some books (Sebastian - This is How We Are Human) give me a hangover and I need to sit with that. And then others - The Strike series I need to sit and process all the parts of the book.
From the last page of one to the firstpage of the next?
The books I read just as books I can pick the next one up later that day/tomorrow.
But some books (Sebastian - This is How We Are Human) give me a hangover and I need to sit with that. And then others - The Strike series I need to sit and process all the parts of the book.
Yeah the same. If it's just a random book I can go immediately to the next, usually get the next one opened on my kindle straight away, ready to start that same evening! (If I know what I fancy next!)
The ones that I have 'lived' inside, I have to sit with for a bit. Usually Google it, read an in depth analysis if there's one online, search it on Reddit and here, if there's a film I'll watch that.
I read The Long Walk on Friday night/Saturday, all in one go, and could have gone straight onto the next one as it's in a compilation, but I'm still thinking about my friends!!
(Couldn't even pick up the paperback of Cheltenham Square Murder i also have on the go!)One done onto the next here. No processing and I generally can't remember a damn thing about the book a week later. I will take pics of pages that resonate though and have a folder of those.
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