What I'm Reading Today

I love Bill Bryson's books! I usually laugh out loud at almost every chapter, and so far At Home is no exception. The cover flap says that Bryson was inspired by his family's own house (a Victorian rectory in the English countryside) to "journey about his home from room to room to 'write a history of the world without leaving home.' The bathroom provides the occasion for the history of hygiene, the bedroom for an account of sex, death, and sleep, the kitchen for a discussion of nutrition and the spice trade, and so on." For a history geek like me, addicted to useless historical trivia tidbits, this book is heaven! I have only read a couple of chapters so far, but have already come across the development of the house from Roman times, the invention of the chimney, the progresses of Elizabeth I, and the windows at Hardwick Hall ("more glass than wall") among many other things. Love it!

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm Reading Today

A fascinating inside look at the making of one of my favorite movies...

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm reading today--Jude Morgan's Charlotte and Emily. I've read novels about the Brontes before (they do seem tailor-made for a novel, don't they?), but this one is far superior and beautifully written. I'm so enjoying it!

What I'm Reading Today

Since I'm on deadline right now my "fun reading" time is restricted at the moment (ack!!!), but I've been making my way through a new historical mystery, Her Highness's First Murder. A very young Elizabeth I (she's about 14 in this story) joins forces with a young doctor's son and the captain of her father's guard to find a serial killer. So far I'm really enjoying it! The characters are well-drawn and the story twisty...

What I Read on Vacation

Back from vacation yesterday, and the time away was wonderful (even though getting caught up on the WIP and the piles of laundry is less so...)! I finished Mrs. Adams in Winter, did some research reading, etc, but the best thing was I got to lay out by the pool for a couple of hours, sip some iced tea, and read something for (gasp!) fun. It was pure luxury.

When I was a teenager/college student I read quite a lot of series titles--they were short-ish, so easy to fit in between studying, small for sticking in a purse on the run, and fun. I seldom have the chance to read them now, due to deadlines and such, but I'd been hearing such great things about this book online. And it was tons of fun! A librarian who wears vintage clothes, a New Zealand setting, a rock star hero--perfect vacation reading.

What I'm Reading Today

Mrs. Adams in Winter by Michael O'Brien, an account of Louisa Adams (wife of John Quincy Adams) and her perilous flight across France all by herself, in the middle of winter, when Napoleon returned from Elba. I've been intrigued by this event, and Louisa, ever since I read about it in a book about First Ladies a few years ago (can't remember which book that was!), and thought it would make a great novel (maybe some day I will tackle that!). We hear a great deal about Abigail A., of course, and I'm a great fan of hers, but I think Louisa doesn't get enough credit...

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm Reading Today

I have 3 books going this week--a research book, a paranormal YA, and I decided to reward myself for finishing some revisions by actually reading a romance from my tottering TBR pile! (a rare treat these days). What are you reading today?

What I'm Reading Today

Since I finished my latest revisions AND finished scoring RITA books, I decided to treat myself to a novel from my TBR pile! This is such a fun, Austen-esque historical mystery....

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm Reading Now

This year Booker Prize winner. Almost finished with it now--what a fascinating, gorgeous style this book has. Being a big fan of Anne Boleyn, I've never been fond of Thomas Cromwell (obviously!), but I like this glimpse into his world...

What I'm Reading Now

In the last week I've read 3 biographies that featured great love stories of history (in one way or another!): Katherine Grey and Edward Seymour, George VI and the Queen Mother, and Abigail and John Adams. A great reading week!

What I'm Reading

Because I love stories of intrepid Victorian lady travelers!

(And I'm over at Risky Regencies talking about characters taking over my life!)

What I'm Reading Today

On the recommendation of Janet Mullany! This is a marvelous book that tells the exciting stories of Georgian/Regency scientists, explorers, and poets and how they both changed and were products of their times. Terrific.

What I'm Reading Today

What I'm reading today: The Book of William: How Shakespeare's First Folio Conquered the World by Paul Collins. A witty look at 2 of my (many) obsessions, Shakespeare and book collecting! Collins traces the history of the First Folio (and really the history of publishing in England) from Heminge and Condell through the huge book losses of the Great Fire, the glory days of the 18th century and rival Shakespeare editors (they really got down and dirty), the Victorian idea of Shakespeare, how big old Will is in Japan, to the present day (where a Folio sold at Sotheby's for over $5 million. Not, alas, to me). A great read. (The only quibble I had was the lack of endnotes and a proper bibliography--there was a lot I was curious about...)



Oh, and I'm over at Risky Regencies today celebrating the birthday of Elizabeth Gaskell, the woman who brought us North and South and thus Richard Armitage.

What I'm Reading Today

A great book on the fascinating life of Lucie de la Tour Du Pin (who lived through the court of Louis XVI, the Revolution, escaping to a farm in New York, Napoleon, and various other battles, insurrections, and family dramas)! I can't put it down.