End of the 100 Books in 2012 Challenge

Although I haven't updated my blog recently, I have been reading. Here are the final additions to my 100 Books in 2012 Challenge update.

79. Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann

80. Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann

81. Ashes to Ashes by Tami Hoag (reread from 10 years ago)

82. Dust to Dust by Tami Hoag (reread from 8-10 years ago)

83. Falling Home by Karen White

84. Following the Drum: Women in Wellington’s Army by F.C.P. Gage

85. Jane Austen and Ghosts by David W. Wilkin

86. The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer

87. Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

88. The Days of Summer by Jill Barnett

89. Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate

90. Love Will Find a Way by Barbara Freethy

91. Almost a Bride by Patricia McLinn

92. The Witness by Dee Henderson

93. Cry Uncle by Judith Arnold

94. Sing Me Home by Jerri Corgiat (reread from 10-15 years ago)

95. True Devotion by Dee Henderson

96. My Man Pendleton by Elizabeth Bevarly

97. Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson

98. Sleepwalker by Karen Robards

99. The Angel Knight by Susan King (reread from 10-15 years ago)

100. Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate (read 3 times in 2 months)

101. Silken Threads by Patricia Ryan (reread from 10-15 years ago)

102. The Poisoned Serpent by Joan Wolf

103. The Earl by Cecilia Holland

104. Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

105. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (reread from 4 or 5 years ago)

 106. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs (reread from 4 or 5 years ago)

107. Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs (reread from three years ago)

108. The Last Hope by Nora Roberts

109. Carolina Home by Virginia Kantra

110. Spinning Forward by Terri DuLong

111. Sunrise on Cedar Key by Terri DuLong (again)

112. Postcards from Cedar Key by Terri DuLong

113. Tangled Up in Love by Heidi Betts

114. Lone Star Cafe by Lisa Wingate (reread from 8 years ago)

115. Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner by Lisa Wingate (reread from 6 years ago)

116. Texas Cooking by Lisa Wingate (reread from 8 years ago)

117. Under the Kissing Bough by Shannon Donnelly

118. Mistletoe and Mischief by Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Nicola Cornick, Cara Elliott, Anne Gracie, Susan King, and Patricia Rice

119. See Jane Score by Jane Gibson

120. Regency Christmas Magic by Amanda McCabe, Allison Lane, Edith Layton, Barbara Metzger, and Sandra Heath (a reread from 8 years ago)

I enjoyed all these books except two (Jane Austen and Ghosts and The Earl). My favorite books, aside from the rereads (which I wouldn't have reread if I didn't really like), were the books whose covers are shown on the right.

I don't know what my favorite book of the year was. Narrowing the choice down to one single book is almost impossible. Did you have a favorite among the books you read this year?

100 Books in 2012 Challenge: Update

The latest additions to my list of books read this year.

54. The Witness by Nora Roberts (2 times)
55. Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (2 times)
56. Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (2 times)
57. Glitter Baby by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (reread from 10-15 years ago)
58. Acts of Mercy by Mariah Stewart (2 times)
59. Shattered by JoAnn Ross
60. Dark Side of Dawn by Merline Lovelace (reread from 15 years ago)
61. After Midnight by Merline Lovelace (2 times) (reread from 10 years ago)
62. Against the Law by Kat Martin
63. Count to Ten by Karen Rose
64. Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag
65. Hide by Lisa Gardner
66. The First Mistake by Merline Lovelace
67. Bad Medicine by Eileen Dreyer
68. Haunting Rachel by Kay Hooper
69. Brown-Eyed Girl by Mariah Stewart
70. On the Run by Iris Johansen
71. Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline
72. Dead Ringer by Lisa Scottoline
73. Sleep No More by Susan Crandall
74. The Prey by Allison Brennan
75. The Hunt by Allison Brennan
76. The Kill by Allison Brennan
77. Birthright by Nora Roberts (2 times)
78. Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown

All of the books were good. My favorites were Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag, Birthright by Nora Roberts, and Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown. Why were those three books my favorites? Hard to explain, except that I had a difficult time putting them down.

The three books in Allison Brennan's Predator Trilogy were also very good, but scary enough that I needed to put them down several times in mid-read. Dead Ringer by Lisa Scottoline was very good, too. It's been a while since I read a book by Ms. Scottoline, but this book reminded me why I liked Ms. Scottoline's books.

The books on the list I liked the least: Glitter Baby, which is an generation-spanning saga that hasn't aged well, and On the Run, which seemed over-the-top throughout.

What have you been reading? If I don't respond to a comment, it's because I can't. I reported the glitch to Blogger weeks ago, but they still haven't solved the problem.

Susannah

Jane Austen Novels and Their Movie Adaptions

In honor of Jane Austen's birthday, which is later this week (16 December), at Risky Regencies today, my friend Amanda McCabe is talking about the movie adaptions of Jane Austen's novels.

http://riskyregencies.blogspot.com/2011/12/happy-birthday-jane.html

I agree almost completely with Amanda's assessment of the movies. The only version of Mansfield Park I know is the 1983 mini-series, which was slow and drawn out and rather depressing.

I didn't love the 2007 version of Northanger Abbey, but I liked it better than the previous version.

I haven't seen the 2008 version of Sense and Sensibility, but it's hard for me to imagine that it's better than the 1995 version with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman, which I love.

I haven't seen the 2007 version of Persuasion, but it's almost impossible to imagine that it could be better than the 1995 version with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds, which---most days---is my all-time favorite. (The Thompson-Grant-Rickman version of S&S occasionally edges it out of first place.)

I haven't seen the 2009 version of Emma, but I like both the Paltrow version and the Beckinsale version movies. I also agree with Amanda that it would be nice to combine aspects of both versions to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

In honor of Jane Austen's birthday, let's talk about her books and the movie adaptions of them. Which one(s) is your favorite?

Of the books, my favorite is either Sense and Sensibility or Persuasion, depending on the day you ask. Of the movies, as stated earlier, most days the Root-Hinds version of Persuasion is my favorite, but the Thompson-Winslet-Grant-Rickman version of Sense and Sensibility is a close a second---and occasionally edges out Persuasion.

Last year, I had surgery on my foot three days before Christmas and had to spend three weeks on the couch with my foot propped up on the back of the couch. I could get up for no more than five minutes at a time, and I couldn't walk farther than the bathroom or kitchen. (The first couple days, crutches, which I had never used before, were required.) During that quite long three weeks, I had a Jane Austen movie marathon. I watched every version of every Jane Austen novel adaption I had (11 of them) at least once (MP & NA), and most of them multiple times. The most watched versions were the Root-Hinds Persuasion, the Thompson-Winslet-Grant-Rickman Sense & Sensibility, the Knightley-Macfayden version of Pride and Prejudice, the Paltrow version of Emma, the A&E  (Firth-Elhe) version of Pride & Prejudice, and the Beckinsale version of Emma, pretty much in that order.

I'm contemplating another Jane Austen movie marathon this holiday season.

Susannah

Want to own a hand-written manuscript by Jane Austin?

If you're a fan of Jane Austen's books, here's your chance to own a hand-written manuscript of Jane Austen's The Watsons.

Jane Austen rare manuscript for sale

Enjoy!

Susannah