The Scarlet Pimpernel--Baroness Orczy

Finishing The Scarlet Pimpernel for the third time provided me almost as much enjoyment as the first time. (Once you know the plot, it's hard to create quite the same level of anticipation during a second or third reading.) I had a number of reasons to read the novel again. After reading both A Tale of Two Cities and The Secret History of the Pink Carnation I was interested in re-reading one of my all-time favorites. I had extra incentive, since this was my book club's selection for the month and I'm in charge of leading the discussion (in which case, if you're in my book club, you may want to skip this so our meeting isn't redundant).

Orczy is interesting. (If that doesn't entice you to keep on reading, I don't know what would!) Aside from being actuall royalty (albiet Hungarian and not British royalty), she was a very prolific writer. The Scarlet Pimpernel was her first book to be published, but she had a difficult time getting it published. She intentionally wrote the book so that it could be easily translated into a stage play and this became the novel's saving grace. It was originally performed on the stage before a publisher was willing to pick up the novel. While critics disparaged the novel, it became an immediate success with the public. Over the course of the next 35 years Orczy wrote many sequels to her original Pimpernel novel, but none were quite as popular as the first.

The Pimpernel's popularity lead to the establishment of many standard stereotypes in today's literature and culture. The creation of characters such as James Bond, Zorro, Batman, Superman, and other masters of espionage can be traced straight back to Sir Percy Blakeney's foppish and clever ways. For this very reason, The Scarlet Pimpernel becomes a necessary read for anyone hoping to gain further clarity and understanding about the world we live in today.

Aside from reading the Pimpernel for esoteric reasons, Orczy presents an entertaining and enjoyable plot. The story follows the beautiful and witty Lady Marguerite Blakeney as she is forced to decide between sacrificing her much-loved brother Armand St. Just or the identity of the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel. After much indecision, Marguerite makes a choice that drives the rest of the novel and provides multiple opportunities for the Scarlet Pimpernel to demonstrate not only his daring and dashing abilities, but his more romantic and sensitive side as well.

All in all, the book is enjoyable and well worth the read. I just have one minor issue. Throughout the novel Marguerite is continually refered to as "the cleverest woman in Europe," yet the novel never actually has her do or say anything witty or clever. In fact, compared to the Scarlet Pimpernel she is downright dull and needy. Oh well, I guess that's the lot of women in the late eighteenth century.

The Shopaholic Series--Sophie Kinsella

Scene: Rowley family living room. Scott studies for his up-coming Contracts final. Lonica reads in her favorite spot on the couch. The light reflects like a halo off her luminous hair. (Hey, it's my blog and story, I can tell it how I want...)

Scott: Are you going to write about the Shopaholic books on your blog?

Lonica: I don’t know.

Scott: Why not? You spend lots of time reading them.

Lonica: I’m not sure…Maybe.

Obviously, my eloquence was astounding. But, I have to say—he got me thinking. I have now finished reading five, yes that’s right, five Shopaholic books. If I felt so “meh” about them, why do I keep reading them? I’ve spent a couple of days puzzling over that question and have come to a conclusion.

Each of the five Shopaholic books, Confessions of Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic and Sister, and Shopaholic and Baby, by Shopie Kinsella, follow the story of Becky Bloomwood as she racks up credit card debt with her Visa. They all involve a slightly different variation of the same Shopaholic theme: New York, marriage, sister, and baby, but follow a similar plot line. I spend the first half of the book mentally chastising and criticizing the main character, Becky, until eventually she realizes her mistakes near the climax of the book, and then works her problems out with a little creativity and a lot of luck.

When I say "mentally chastising and criticizing" I mean it. I find myself silently screaming: "Drop it! You really don't need that!" "Just tell the truth!" "Didn't you learn your lesson last time?" "Come on, you can't be for real!"

In other words, the first half is aggravating and the second half is thoroughly enjoyable. By the time I finish and set the book aside, I'm anxious to reach for the next one.

This phenomenon is perplexing. Usually, I either like a book or I dislike a book. The only thing I can figure, is that Sophie Kinsella does a few things well--very well. Her books are full of irresistible laughter. Despite the fact that Becky Bloomwood is so irritating at times, she is also incredibly entertaining. Not only is the plot comical, but her reaction to events leads to one chuckle after another.

Additionally, Kinsella's writing can be read easily and can be finished rapidly without a great deal of in depth thought. For someone who has a whole long list of books to read, there's really something rewarding about quickly finishing a book. To prove my point, I finished the last two just this weekend.

If you're looking for something light, entertaining, and enjoyable, I would definitely recommend the Shopaholic series by Shopie Kinsella. If you want to avoid wondering in irritation "Who in the world actually buys Jimmy Choo shoes?", "Can anyone actually glance at a shirt and immediately recognize it as last season's Armani?" and "Do people honestly care that much about fashion?" I think I would stay away.

On a more positive note: I also read Kinsella's other two un-Shopaholic novels, The Undomestic Goddess, and Can You Keep a Secret? and thoroughly enjoyed them. It's not so much Kinsella that turns me off, as it is the irritating fallacies of Becky Bloomwood.

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose--Lauren Willig

Lauren Willig is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. The woman is brilliant and her novels reflect that quality. Just yesterday I finished reading her latest book The Seduction of the Crimson Rose. This book is the fourth in her series about fictional spies from the eighteen century, who are contemporaries with the Scarlett Pimpernel. I have previously reviewed the first in the series, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, here if your interested.

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose picks up the previous story with Lord Vaughn and Mary Allsworthy, who are working together to try and uncover the dashing and dastardly French Spy, The Black Tulip. As they dodge death, meet for secret assignations, and uncover truth together Lord Vaughn and Mary realize that they can't live without one another. Ravishing heroines and dashing heroes create a classic worth reading!

While the plot might be a bit predictable, this book is definitely worth the read for a number of reasons:

1. If you care to learn about English and French life during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, these are absolutely fascinating. Willig holds a post-graduate degree in history and has clearly conducted research before writing. I appreciate her thoroughness.


2. Few books actually have me looking up vocabulary as I read along, and I appreciate one, like this one, who teaches me a new word or two. Did you know that "ennui" is high-falutin' way of saying "I'm bored?" Such valuable vocabulary has escaped me before reading Willig.


3. Willig is obviously well read and I appreciate the references she makes in her books to other famous works of literature. After a brief poll, I think she made allusions to Jane Eyre, Shakespeare, Milton, Dante, Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Paine, and a number of others. The constant references to other works sets Willig apart from many modern authors and adds a richness to the text which is extremely enjoyable.


4. Willig balances the academic nature of her novels with good plain enjoyment. Her writing is incredibly humorous in a witty and sophisticated way. She draws upon puns, irony and sarcasm to lighten the mood immeasurably.

Overall, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose is one book you'll be thinking about and enjoying for awhile. If you enjoy Elizabeth Peters, The Scarlett Pimpernel, Jane Austen or just like to read a good chick-flick, this is the book for you.

WARNING: I realized I failed to mention one detail and some of you might care. The first book, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, is a romance (well, actually all of them are). With that comes a rather detailed romance scene. The scene could easily be skimmed (or completly skipped) and nothing like that occurs in any of the following three books; they are all very clean. Just thought some of you might like the warning...

Any good ideas out there?

I promise I'll get around to actually reviewing books soon (I've got a couple of good books I just finished), but I want this blog to be about more than just spouting off about the books I like. I want it to be a bit more interactive. So...I'm asking for your participation (if you're interested). If you have a book you're interested in letting others know about, use the little widget on the left sidebar to share your message with others. If you would like to actually review a book here, I'd love for you to participate! Of course, you are always more than welcome to add comments and participate in the discussion. Let me know if you have any other ideas for my blog! Hope you come back to visit again soon!

From Conception to Arrival…The Birth of Blog for Books

Yes, I know the title is very creative, but I have to say though--it gets the point across. So, the conception of this little blog began at Christmas time. My sister in law, Kendee, mentioned something about always looking for a good book to read. My other sister in law, Sarah, called me asking for a good book to by for my mother-in-law for Christmas.

I started thinking, “wouldn’t it be nice if there was a place to share good recommendations?” The idea snowballed from there to include the widget on our regular blog of books I’m currently reading. This, however, didn’t seem quite good enough. I wanted to actually have an opinion about the books I’m reading.

Thus, I decided to create a new blog solely for the purpose of reading, discussing, and reviewing the books that are currently on my bookshelf. I know that not everyone is really going to care about what I’m reading, but the truth is: I care. And, honestly, that’s all that really matters out there in blog-land. So, whether you’re just stopping by to appreciate my super awesome header, whether you got lost on the way to a better blog, or whether you intentionally, actually want some good recommendations for books just keep reading this blog!