Historical Romance Book Club discussion
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Joanna wrote: "Cloud cover here for the eclipse. Won't be seeing much :("It's supposed to be visible (80%) at around 2:45 pm EST. now it's 2:04 pm now.
I won't be seeing anything either. Weeks ago I ordered glasses via vendor on Amazon. Later, Received an email from Amazon reccoes that I NOT use the glasses I ordered as the vendor has not verified with Amazon that their product meets NASA standards.
Amazon will reimburse me, but it was too late to order any other glasses as they were all sold out. :(
That's our "fine" capitalist system in the US--deliberately sell products, medicines, automobiles/SUV that injure or kill people for profit at anyone's expense. Gotta love it.
It was overcast where I live in Northern CA. It was a bit dark and maybe cooler. But no sunshine in Humboldt County, CA
It turns out my supervisor had a pair of glasses, so I did get to see it at about 2:47 pm EST, about 2.5 minutes after the reccoes time to view.I'm sorry that it was overcast/cloudy where Joanna and Mara live. What a bummer!
I looked to see when the next total eclipse is forecast. The website I looked at is predicting the next total eclipse in 2024. According to the map for its path for areas of the country with 100% coverage of the sun, my home town in western NY in the Lake Ontario area is ground zero for a total eclipse or very close to it. If I'm alive and in good health, I can go there and view it. This time, I'll know enough not to buy any fake crap from unscrupulous vendors.
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Joanna wrote: "I ended up catching a glimpse through the clouds. Definitely not the spectacle I thought it could be. I know several people that drove north to be in totality zone. Sounds like it was worth it."Some people at my sis job took leave to drive to So Carolina from the DMV metro area (where I live) for a family outing.
I'm reading
, I'm not really liking it to be honest. I enjoyed the other title I read by her much more
I'm listening to Sylvester.Thanks to Mariana for saving me 1 Audible credit with the info that this is in Hoopla.
I'm in a transport and am clasping my hands to my bosom at a revisit to my very first read by Georgette Heyer.
Tammy wrote: "I'm reading , I'm not really liking it to be honest. I enjoyed the other title I read by her much more"The hero in this one is a total jerk. Book #2 is much better.
Lauren wrote: "Tammy wrote: "I'm reading , I'm not really liking it to be honest. I enjoyed the other title I read by her much more"The hero in this one is a total ..."
Lauren, I think that was the problem for me-he was a jerk and was never redeemed in my eyes.
Read
, because it was recommended for fans of Julie Garwood and she's my favorite. It was a quick read and pretty good.
Tammy wrote: "Read , because it was recommended for fans of Julie Garwood and she's my favorite. It was a quick read and pretty good."I cried reading the second book from this series,
.
Missy wrote: "Tammy wrote: "Read , because it was recommended for fans of Julie Garwood and she's my favorite. It was a quick read and pretty good."I cried reading t..."
That definitely makes me want to read it! Plus his brothers both seemed interesting
Tammy wrote: "Lauren, I think that was the problem for me-he was a jerk and was never redeemed in my eyes. ."Yeah, Bourne's coldness really undermined the romance for me and prevented it from being a 5 star read.
Tammy wrote: "Read , because it was recommended for fans of Julie Garwood and she's my favorite. It was a quick read and pretty good."I really enjoyed all three books in this series. Highly recommended.
Maya Banks has another Highlander Trilogy that is really good too.
Ladies, I am curious to know how much a new release HR book ( kindle/ print book) costs in other countries. I live in India and here a kindle book costs INR 250-280. Most of the paperbacks take a month to arrive and cost almost double the price of a kindle book. Also I find that we cannot pre-order a few books. Does anyone else ( from other countries) have a similar problem?
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Joanna Loves Reading, Bluestocking of HR novels
(last edited Nov 04, 2017 04:38AM)
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Looking at the exchange rate, you are doing a bit better on kindle books than we are in the USA. For example, Wilde in Love is $6.99 (more than 450 INR). This is a typical price for a well-established author, though we also see $7.99 (about 530 INR) or $5.99 (400 INR). Up and coming authors will be in the range you cited. Paperbacks are typically the same price or just a dollar more.
New paperbacks in Israel cost about 60 Shekels ($17) - highway robbery! I almost never buy new and get from the used book store instead where books are about 5 shekels /$1.4 (if you bring old ones to trade). Sometimes I'll get a book from Book Depository - they are significantly cheaper and the free shipping is amazing! Shipping takes 10-12 days.
I get most of my books from the library (I pay $120 a year as an overseas patron and get unlimited books and audiobooks), and occasionally get a Kindle book; For us, Kindle prices are the same as in the US.
Wow Lauren, $120!The public library in my community charges $20 per year for people who are out of state/out of our service area/in the area temporarily etc.
I’ve heard of some public library systems in the US that charge $50 per year for people without a permanent local address.
Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Wow Lauren, $120!..."Mine if from Orange County in Florida. They are the most expensive, but their selection of books is the best out there.
Free Library of Philadelphia is $50 and Houston Public Library is $40 - I had both of these at one time, but gave them up because I wasn't getting as many books from them as OC.
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Mine if from Orange County in Florida. They are the most expensive, but their selection of books is the best out ..."
I didn't realize there were options like that out there. That's great.
Joanna,The rub is that these libraries that let people w/o permanent local addy pay a fee for a library card, want you to pick up the library card in person. You might be able to apply online for a temp card that expires in a month, but you have to show your face (and photo ID) to pick up the “real” card.
I would love to have a card to the LA public library system because they have the best Overdrive collection of M/M romance in the country. Alas, I live on the east coast.
Lauren wrote: "New paperbacks in Israel cost about 60 Shekels ($17) - highway robbery! I almost never buy new and get from the used book store instead where books are about 5 shekels /$1.4 (if you bring old one..."
$17 for a new book! $120 for a year! This is robbery indeed.
Also, I didn't know we could get a membership as overseas patron
Joanna wrote: "Priya wrote: "Ladies, I am curious to know how much a new release HR book ( kindle/ print book) costs in other countries. I live in India and here a kindle book costs INR 250-280. Most of the paper..."Oh! That is almost double the price we pay here.
Wow, I'm so lucky the Mpls county library system is amazing, you can request a book and they'll deliver it your preferred library when available. You can renew and request online, late fees are beyond reasonable and other wise it's completely free.
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Yea, I was surprised at that. Figured we would all be in about the same ballpark. I guess the advantage we have is the libraries often have a good selection of HR.
Hey! I'm not sure if there's already a thread about this topic, so if there is one already, please link me to it. For the time being, I'll ask my question here. When do you find time to read books, especially if you have to bring your work home with you?
For me, I usually set Saturday aside for reading. I usually begin and finish one book on the weekend (but only if I have the time). I listen to audiobooks on my way to and from work, and sometimes while I'm prepping my lessons at home or grading quizzes/exams (I teach math).
Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "Joanna,The rub is that these libraries that let people w/o permanent local addy pay a fee for a library card, want you to pick up the library card in person. You might be able to apply online for..."
Yes. Thankfully there are some who allow overseas patrons. I also would have loved an LA library card. Alas....
Missy wrote: "For me, I usually set Saturday aside for reading. I usually begin and finish one book on the weekend (but only if I have the time). I listen to audiobooks on my way to and from work, and sometimes while I'm prepping my lessons at home or grading quizzes/exams (I teach math). ."I'm also a teacher and have to squeeze the reading in. I listen to audiobooks on the way to and from work, while walking the dog, cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc. I also read before bed. It's hard to find the time.
Hey, Lauren! By the way, I just started and finished
Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long today. You recommended me the book back in July. See thread here. It was a sweet story. Wished there had been more interaction between the H/h though. Nevertheless, I've enjoyed it. Thanks for the recommendation.
You're welcome!The series is a bit hit and miss for me. Glad you enjoyed it overall
Missy wrote: "Hey! I'm not sure if there's already a thread about this topic, so if there is one already, please link me to it. For the time being, I'll ask my question here. When do you find time to read book..."
We can discuss anything here in Almack's.
I have two kids to take care of and I read only when they are at school or asleep ( after I finish my daily chores). I get to read atleast an hour a day.
Ally wrote: ..Not being much of a TV watcher,"You do a lot of reading everyday! I am waiting for my kids to grow up, so that I get more time to read:) I too don't watch much TV and use all my free time to read.
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I listen in the car and sometimes with chores and, depending on what I am working on at work, I listen during the day -- that tends to ebb and flow.
Joanna wrote: When I say read, I mean switching back and forth between reading a..."These days I am checking GR a lot more. I am trying to curb the impulse without any progress.
Priya wrote: "Ally wrote: ..Not being much of a TV watcher,"You do a lot of reading everyday! I am waiting for my kids to grow up, so that I get more time to read:) I too don't watch much TV and use all my fre..."
Yes, with kids, excluding TV time still leaves limited reading time. I usually listen on work commutes and read during lunch break and after kids go to bed. That gives me 2 to 5 hours a day, depending on how much I sleep.
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Don't worry ladies. When my kids were young I was lucky to read about 10 books a year. Just no time after work, looking after them ( and their afternoon activities)and still have some time for the husband. Now I have time to sit back and really enjoy reading.. although now with 3 grandchildren sometimes that still doesn't happen... but in a good way of course.
Ally wrote: "So how many books do you guys think you read per month? I'm probably close to 10 on some months. Right now, I feel like I've slowed down a bit despite the fact that I'm reading some awesome books."Looking at my goodreads challenge, I noticed I read around 7 books a month.
About 10 each month, but most of the books are audiobooks.
Ally wrote: "Priya wrote: "Looking at my goodreads challenge, I noticed I read around 7 books a month."That's a pretty good amount. All romance?"
This year I read mainly HR. Only 9 out of the 80 books I read are non- romance.
Ally wrote: "Do you find that you read some audio books slower than traditional books?"They are slower actually. lol. Sometimes I just want to stop the audiobook and read at my (faster) pace, but I can't because of work.
Ally wrote: "So how many books do you guys think you read per month? I'm probably close to 10 on some months. Right now, I feel like I've slowed down a bit despite the fact that I'm reading some awesome books."I read around 10-12 per month. And ditto, I feel I have slowed down lately. But I can't seem to find a book that'll get me hooked. :(
Ally wrote: "Halima wrote: "around 10-12 per month. And ditto, I feel I have slowed down lately. But I can't seem to find a book that'll get me hoo."Frustrating, right? I went back to an author I knew would d..."
Absolutely frustrating! I am re reading books. I have tried and failed.
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Yeah going back to old favs gets me out of a slump. Looking at my GR lists, I guess I read about 12-15 books a month. Huh. I'm surprised it's so many LOL. I only work part-time/casual so I guess I have more time for reading than some of you.
HR is my top fav at the moment, but I do love a good CR as well, and I occasionally stray into science fiction and police procedurals.
Joanna wrote: "I had been in a slump too, but I think I am getting out of it. Rereading a favorite helped me."Yeah I was feeling like nothing looked good to me, so I quickly re-read one of my favorite HRs, An Unexpected Gentleman, and now I'm excited about reading again. I think when you read too many "bleh" books in a row it's easy to wonder why you're spending so much time with books in the first place.
Ally wrote: "Ohhh what makes it one of your favorites?"You know, I think there was just some strange alchemy the first time I read it? I first read it several years ago, when I'd only read 5 historical romances or so, and I was really new to the genre and didn't quite know what I liked. It's not like ~the best~ book, but it hits on a lot of my favorite tropes: marriage of convenience (and/or a book where the main couple is married for the majority of the story), an older heroine who already has a pretty good sense of her own self-worth, a cute kid ("plot moppet" according to the Smart Bitches, haha), and it takes place in rural Scotland instead of London, so it's a bit more unique.
Ally wrote: "I'm reading more and more reviews before I buy a book AND I am narrowing down which reviewers I trust."
I agree, absolutely. I have a few friends for years who I always ask what historical romances to read because they've read SO MANY, except our tastes are always so different that I always have to report back with "well, I read another one of your faves...but I hated it!" ...oops. But they're always good sports about it, haha.
In general, I have really idiosyncratic tastes in books and even I can't always predict what I'll like. I do have some favorite tropes, though (see above). Also I'm huge into "unusual" historical romance with non-Regency London settings, so that's usually a good bet. Of course, books like that don't tend to get as many reviews lol
Historical Romance Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Fires of Winter (other topics)Fires of Winter (other topics)
Isaiah & Isolde: A Pennyroyal Green Prequel (other topics)
My Lady Jane (other topics)
My Lady Jane (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Julie Garwood (other topics)Jennifer Ashley (other topics)
Johanna Lindsey (other topics)
Joanna Bourne (other topics)
Julie Anne Long (other topics)
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Wow! 99%! A virtual total eclipse!"
Yeah, I wonder if I will be able to detect the 1%..hehe. I have a coworker taking the day off and going to a 100% spot, seems unnecessary.