Quilts and Books

Castle of the Wolf is an unusual book, because it can’t be easily pigeon-holed into a specific type of story. It’s not a paranormal, but does have just a hint of the paranormal in it. I wouldn’t call it a gothic novel, yet it certainly has moments with a distinct gothic feel. It’s not a comedy, but there were many humorous moments, particularly in the beginning when Cissy arrives at the castle. The hero and heroine are common archetypes in historical romance-land—he’s disfigured from the Napoleanic wars (lost a leg), and she’s the spinster sister who refuses to settle for living under the thumb of her bitchy sister-in-law. The year of its setting is fairly common for a European historical (1827), but the place most definitely is not common (Germany’s Black Forest). All of these elements are deftly woven together by the author. In addition there are all sorts of literary references. Some I recognized, but many I didn’t. And it doesn’t come across as pretentious. The heroine is well rea…

I was showing this off to a few people recently and at least 2 of them told me that it looked like a jigsaw puzzle to them. One asked me if I'd done it deliberately. Well, no, I hadn't, but I don't think I mind that it looks that way. I used bright purple thread for the quilting and a medium-weight cotton batting. My meandering quilting stitching is getting better with hardly any hitches. So I suppose the smooth curves, bright thread, puffy finish can make you think of a jigsaw puzzle. I was just playing and practicing. It's kinda' nice when it all finishes up so well. I do like this one. It looks nice in the powder room, too. It tones down that rather unfortunate shade of mint green :-)

I've been reading alot of romantic suspense lately. And here I used to think I was such a die-hard historicals junkie. But since I've loved suspense novels since I was a teen, it really is a natural fit to move into romantic suspense. All the tension with a guaranteed HEA. Really, it doesn't get any better than that. Anyhow, I'm not sure where I saw the recommendation for this one, but I'm glad I was able to find it at the library. I'll be going back for the rest in the series for sure.

Raine Cameron is a shy, timid woman who suffers recurring nightmares that center on the suspicious death of her father. The nightmares plague her to the extent that she decides to go after her father's brother, Victor (whom she hasn't seen in 17 years), to see if she can uncover the truth. Unwittingly, she stumbles into the middle of a secret investigation by Seth Mackey who holds Victor partially responsible for the death of Seth's brother. Seth and Raine meet and th…

I just realized that here it is May 13 and so far I've only read 6 books. I'm way off the pace and this week isn't going to afford me much reading time. I have to buckle down and clean the house as I'm hosting a bridal shower next Sunday. It'll be worth it, but I do hate giving up prime reading time for something so fleeting as a clean house. And I've been sewing a little more. I need to post a picture, but that isn't happening tonight either.

No matter. As if anyone would even see it.

I have no idea how many Regency-set novels I’ve read over the years. Hundreds and hundreds at least. So here’s to an author who can take a well-worn concept and put it in fresh prose, and make me laugh when she does it. Describing Almack’s on p. 18 we read, “…Almack’s Assembly Rooms, to which only the cream of Society was admitted—for the meritorious purpose, it seemed to her, of confining excruciating boredom to a small, select circle.” Such are the delights of reading a Loretta Chase novel. But it’s not just her way with words, it’s her way with characters, too. I always feel as if her characters are well-drawn; we understand who they are and what motivates them. Ms. Chase also understands the era she writes about and I think her characters are, for the most part, true to that era.
Not Quite a Lady is the 4th and final installment in her linked series of books about the Carsington brothers. I have to say that Mr. Impossible remains my favorite, but I liked this one a lot. It was both…

This is Elizabeth Hoyt's second book and for me it was as enjoyable as her first one, which was my favorite historical of 2006. Her first book used this device of telling a fairy tale, bit by bit as chapter introductions, that paralled the main story. This book had a fairy tale, too; I'd known that from the reviews I'd read, but I expected the structure to be the same as in The Raven Prince. Instead of chapter lead-ins, the fairy tale is embedded in the dialogue as Georgina tells the story to Harry. The book is full of witty dialogue, but it really sparkles in the places where the fairy tale is told. In addition to the theme of the fairy tale being a parallel to the story, Hoyt uses it to highlight Harry's logical, pragmatic character and Georgina's creative, romantic side. They're rather stereotypical male/female character traits that resonate because men and women often do approach stories very differently. And while the telling of the fairy tale is really a …

I've been working on the pattern to the right and here are the flowers I've made so far. I decided to go ahead and use all 4 of the pattern papers that came in the packet and make 4 identical little quilts. I can think of 2 people right off the bat I want to give one to. I'm sure I'll come up with someone else for the last available one. I haven't worked much on them in the last week; there's been a lot of stuff to do, especially for PTA and church. And of course, this being the day before the tax filing deadline, I finally had to pay attention to our taxes. Finished those an hour ago. Gee, a whole day early. That'll explain why my April reading list is relatively short up to this point.

So, maybe I'll go read for awhile. It's too late in the evening to sew. Everyone else is asleep. And no baseball to listen to--Phillies were rained out.