Picture this!  An author creates a series of stories (The Bridgertons).  Yet a common thread throughout each book there is one event the characters protest, object to, complain about…well, you get the …picture.  And say, for example…it’s set in the Regency era, and, um… suppose it’s a musicale.

Yes! Yes, that’s good, a musicale.  Better still, a Quartet.  These characters—young and old—loathe to attend because the musicians—excuse me!  I meant Quartet, are all unmarried, yet debuted young women.

And uh—tone deaf.

Yes.  I said tone deaf.

So, the brilliance in Julia Quinn’s new book (I pray is a series) has done just that. Honoria Smith-Smythe is a determined and quite untalented violinist.  But as an unmarried, already out debutante, family tradition requires she take her place in the Quartet until such time she marries.  She grits her teeth in a firm, bright smile and plays.  Why?  To make her mother proud, of course.

Marcus Holroyd, the Earl of Chatteris, is an unusual hero.  He is a brooder (not so unusual), strong (okay, that too is not so unusual).  Somewhat shy and introverted (definitely, unusual).  When he trips in a hole (also unusual) , Honoria has dug to create a theatrical show intended for herself, he ends up spraining an ankle in the silly thing.  Worse, when the doctor cuts off his beloved Hessain boot, he apparently stabs his leg.  Marcus almost perishes from the infection, but for Honoria and her mother’s unexpected medicinal treatments.

But, in truth, it’s their long standing friendship from childhood that brings their situation to life and love.  Uh, and the fact that  if Marcus can sit on the front row and proudly root on this woman on through such ear-splitting trauma.  He deserves the title of ­—

HERO!

So, rather than “picturing this” in your head, try “picturing this” in your hands.  It is such a fun and lovely story, you’ll be glad you did.  And certainly worth the read and the eventual reread.   ­— Kathy L Wheeler

I found it a tad bit ironic to see Oprah holding the new Dickens’ compilation with the gorgeous Oprah-branded cover in one hand for A TALE OF TWO CITIES and GREAT EXPECTATIONS and the Kindle in the other. Yes, every member of her audience got both, and she said something to the effect of “While books will always be around and I love to hold a book in my hand, the Kindle is great for taking on vacations.”

That image is precisely where we are in the reading evolution. Holding on to the past, embracing the future, and getting to experience both in the present moment.

I love to hold a book, too, but when comparing the weighty double-novel paperback to the light Kindle, I gotta say, I’d choose to read Dickens on my e-book device, which in my case is the iPad. Since Dickens is in the public domain, you can download both books for free. That’s just what I did. Oprah admitted she’d never read Dickens, and it inspired me to “join the club” and re-read the books. Honestly, I don’t remember much from reading them in my much younger days.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS was written in 1867, and while the book has a lot of Dickens’ trademark curmudgeons, criminals and feisty boys, I’m loving the dialogue and Dickens voice all over again. I hope some of you will read along with me.

But if you don’t yet have an e-reader or reading app on your smart phone, you can buy the special edition Oprah-Dickens book here. If you’re ready to get or give a Kindle, the wi-fi version is only $139, which, in my opinion, is a steal.

And don’t forget about our HoLITday picks in the sidebar if you’re looking for great books to give this year.

Recipe is done in “parts” so you can make accordingly. For a small group, I use my Magic Bullet Blender and for larger parties, I bring out the big blender.

Tropical Breeze:
1/2 Crystal Light Fruit punch
1/4 orange juice
1/4 citris vodka (plain is fine, too)
Ice cubes
Green apple sugar rimmer
Blend and serve.

Also makes a refreshing smoothie if you wanna go non-alcoholic.

Have a fabulous weekend and thanks for reading, Babes.

xo,
Malena

Nancy Drew is 80 years old! To celebrate, Carolyn Keene’s first mystery featuring the young sleuth, THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK, has been reissued by Grosset & Dunlap in a limited anniversary edition. Here, Nancy Drew expert Jennifer Fisher sniffed out 14 fun facts about one of fiction’s most enduring crime solvers.

1. Edward Stratemeyer created Nancy Drew.

2. The first three books in the series — THE SECRET OF THE OLD CLOCK, THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE and THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY — all debuted on April 28, 1930.

3. Besides blue, Nancy Drew’s car has been yellow, green and even maroon.

4. Carolyn Keene was a pseudonym for many ghostwriters over the years.

5. In the early books, Nancy often wore glamorous heels and fashionable frocks while chasing suspects, climbing ladders and sleuthing for “ghosts” in secret passageways.

6. Nancy Drew never takes money for her detective work — she is an amateur detective after all!

7. Since 1930, Nancy Drew has solved over 500 cases! Pretty good for an 80-year-old sleuth.

8. In the classic Nancy Drew series, volumes 1-56 from 1930 to 1979, Nancy Drew never solved murders.

9. Nancy Drew’s chum George Fayne’s catch phrase was “Hypers!” (“Like, wow!”)

10. One of Bess Marvin’s favorite foods was a gooey chocolate fudge sundae.

11. Nancy Drew went off to college in a short-lived series, NANCY DREW ON CAMPUS.

12. Nancy Drew’s first trip outside the United States was to Canada in
the original text of THE MESSAGE IN THE HOLLOW OAK.

13. Nancy Drew packed heat, carrying her father Carson Drew’s revolver in two early mysteries: the 1930 text of THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE and the 1931 text of THE SECRET AT SHADOW RANCH (she shot a lynx.) In contrast, in the 1965 Nancy Drew book, THE SPIDER SAPPHIRE MYSTERY, when confronted with guns, Nancy and her pal George Fayne tossed them into a brook.

14. Some famous Nancy Drew fans include: Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O’Connor; first lady Laura Bush; TV personalities Oprah Winfrey and Barbara Walters; mystery authors Nancy Pickard, Sara Paretsky, P.M. Carlson and Susan Kandel; plus actresses Barbara Streisand, Emma Roberts and Ellen Barkin. —Jennifer Fisher

Buy them at Amazon.

From the publisher:

When a debut author is instantly adored by industry leaders like Eloisa James, you know you’ve got something special. Even The Romantic Times advises, “Once you start, you won’t want to put it down.”

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always considered herself a shy, plain, spinster–until one day she becomes completely fed up with her boring life of discontent. If she can’t have a man of her own, what’s the use in sustaining a pristine reputation? Callie makes a list (of nine things a proper lady would never be caught dead doing) and vows to accomplish them all!

From drinking scotch and smoking cheroot, to attending a duel and dancing every dance at a ball–Callie is on a quest to bring adventure into her life. Seized by her newfound appetite for thrills, Callie chooses the most nerve-wracking task as her first: Kiss someone, passionately.

As MacLean expertly weaves a series of surprising twists and turns, Callie’s transformation from passive, old maid to confident, feisty woman takes shape. Readers will be swept into her journey of self discovery, rooting for Callie with all of their hearts.

Read more about McLean and guest authors here on HER BLOG. Guest authors have been coming on all month to dish their very own NINE RULES—check it out!