Discussion Post for 2020 reads.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I hope the block message came through for everyone.

I discovered with block messages I couldn't link for the two choices of non-fiction Cindy & I were thinking about which are;

They were Georgette Heyer's Regency World by Jennifer Kloester

or

Georgette Heyer's Regency England by Teresa Chris. Very similar titles I know.

& we want to see if the majority are happy with a The Black Moth/These Old Shades/Devil's Cub read in order to finish off 2020.

Let us know your thoughts.

I will start the non fiction vote with a vote for the Teresa Chris title.

[QNPoohBear]

I don't have the Teresa Chris book but I see one on Amazon I can get with the last of my gift card. Kloestner's book is easier to obtain and I already own it so I would be inclined to vote for that.

[Abigail]

Thanks for the time and effort you have put into the scheduling for next year! Some good ones on tap. I would love to read the three Georgians--like you, I love Devil's Cub and haven't read the other two for a long time.

My preference in the two nonfiction books would be for the Kloester because I have it and have been meaning to read it forever. Won't sulk if we end up reading the other, though.

[Margaret]

I already have the Kloester, but to my delight I was also able to find a copy of the Chris book on Abebooks for less than $10. So that's been ordered, and when the time comes I'll probably be okay with discussing either one! :)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Teresa Chris - 1
Jennifer Kloester -2
Happy Either Way! - 1

[Rosina]

I will of course go along with any reads, but I was saddened to see that of the six book listed for the first seven months of the year, four come right at the bottom of my list of books I enjoy, one (Lady of Quality) is in the middle and only one (Black Sheep) counts as a favourite.

On the other hand, a discussion of Frederica is always ... lively, and I will happily start a discussion on Lady Denville's faults.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Rosina wrote: "I will of course go along with any reads, but I was saddened to see that of the six book listed for the first seven months of the year, four come right at the bottom of my list of books I enjoy, on..."

Ooh, I can see our wrap up discussion for reading the Regencies will be lively! (I agree with you that The Black Sheep is the standout title from these later books.)

Probably we won't have so much pre-planning after 2020. & Critterbee is open to leading GH books that I'm not so fond of - like My Lord John. :)

[Critterbee❇]

I haven't read My Lord John yet, and I am at the point where I have read most Heyers, and am saving the titles that I haven't read because I absolutely hate the moment when I finish all the work by a fav author...

[Critterbee❇]

I know that will happen, though. And balancing the hesitancy with wanting to read all of the books, haha!
I look forward to, and dread, finishing every Heyer book.

[Susan in NC]

Abigail wrote: "Thanks for the time and effort you have put into the scheduling for next year! Some good ones on tap. I would love to read the three Georgians--like you, I love Devil's Cub and haven't read the oth..."

Thanks so much for all your efforts- next year looks wonderful!

I vote for the Kloester book simply because I have it - the other looks good too, and available used online for under $10.

[Sandy]

Where can I find the list of 2020 reads? (Sorry to be dense.)

[Rosina]

Critterbee❇ wrote: "I know that will happen, though. And balancing the hesitancy with wanting to read all of the books, haha!
I look forward to, and dread, finishing every Heyer book."

If you are saving My Lord John to be the bonne bouche at the end of your Heyer meal, you will be very disappointed ...

[Critterbee❇]

Sandy wrote: "Where can I find the list of 2020 reads? (Sorry to be dense.)"

It was in the group message, but not to worry, Sandy, I will post it here:


This is what 2020 group reads looks like now

January month off
Feb False Colours
March Frederica
Apr The Black Sheep
May Cousin Kate
June Charity Girl
July Lady of Quality
Aug Discussion of all GH's Regency books & how reading them in order went for each of us
Sept Month off
Oct The Black Moth
Nov These Old Shades
Dec Devil's Cub

[Critterbee❇]

"Critterbee❇ wrote: "I know that will happen, though. And balancing the hesitancy with wanting to read all of the books, haha!
I look forward to, and dread, finishing every Heyer book."

Rosina wrote: If you are saving My Lord John to be the bonne bouche at the end of your Heyer meal, you will be very disappointed ..."

No, too late for me all around, I feel that I have read her best already! I am not expecting My Lord John to be exemplary, just I dislike thinking that there is nothing new by Heyer for me to read. Purely selfish, when I think that I can enjoyably re-read almost all of her books...

[Sandy]

Critterbee❇ wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Where can I find the list of 2020 reads? (Sorry to be dense.)"

It was in the group message, but not to worry, Sandy, I will post it here:


This is what 2020 group reads looks like n..."

Thank you and sorry to make you repeat your work

[Critterbee❇]

Well, Carol did all the hard work, so I am happy to help ;P

What do you think of the reading order?

[Sandy]

Looks good to me. I find I own (as well as some of the others) but don't remember reading it. And can't even remember ever hearing about Cousin Kate. I'm enjoying my rereads quite a lot.

[Critterbee❇]

With Heyer, half of the fun is re-reading!

[Margaret]

I vote for the Teresa Chris one as have not read that. I have the other which is always to hand. The last ones for 2019 are not favourites of mine but as we have read several of my favourites this year I am happy to "put up and shut up!"

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

*smacks forehead*

Yes I should have posted the proposed list here. Sorry about that. Plus whichever non fiction book we choose, I'm proposing we read 15th June-14th July.

& I also forgot to mention we haven't read Charity Girl as a group before.

I'll close the consensus vote for the non fiction book Friday my time, Thursday North American time if thats ok. It's my husband's birthday Saturday & the kids will be coming home.

& our vote.

I make it Chris - 2
Kloester - 3
Happy either way - 1

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Sorry Margaret we cross posted! I'll amend the non fiction vote in post #20.

[Lesley]

For the non-fiction, I can get both books so I'm easy whichever way it goes. :)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Chris - 2
Kloester - 3
Happy either way -2

[Barb in Maryland]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Chris - 2
Kloester - 3
Happy either way -2"

Put me down as a 'happy either way'. The non-fiction that I know I have sitting on my shelf is Jane Aiken Hodge's "Private World of GH" from 1984. I may have the Kloester; I can't remember and I'm not close to that bookcase right now.

[Barb in Maryland]

Re: the reading order for 2020--I am looking forward to doing 'Black Moth' and TOS back to back as a group. I am very fond of Black Moth and TOS was my first Heyer and thus holds a special place in my heart.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Chris - 2
Kloester - 3
Happy either way -3

The Black Moth was my first complete Heyer, although I had read installments of The Black Sheep while staying at my aunt's. Both very special books to me.

[Karlyne]

I'll vote for the Kloester, because I have it.
And the list looks good to me!

[Jemima]

Not fussed either way. Thanks so much for the plans. Looks awesome. Can’t wait for Freddy one of my favorites. I will set Sophy in the month off. It’s my favorite and I missed the group read. Anyone want to buddy read it with me?

[Jemima]

And yes. Very happy to read the Georgians. I love them. I would love to group read some of the even earlier historical fictional eventually as well.

[Beth-In-UK]

Looking forward to the 2020 reads! Frederica is definitely one of my favourites, partly because of the huge collection characters - a real 'ensemble' piece, rather as Cotillion is. Black Sheep I like for the 'anti-hero' hero who was a real one-off for GH. It will, I suspect, draw in discussion about the similarities with Lady of Quality (which I think you all discussed earlier this year before I discovered this wonderful group!).

It will be interesting to me to reread the Black Moth, and, indeed, TOS, as I haven't read them in years. Again, I look forward to some interesting discussion about the 'links' between the two novels.

Jemima, if The Grand Sophy was discussed last year, and I missed out on that too, I am definitely up for another read, if you want to round up a few fans for a buddy read! (Or possibly build on and continue with what was discussed earlier this year - is that possible/desirable??)

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

I’m looking forward to reading the 3 Georgians together and comparing tBM and TOS.

I recall, back when I was getting my feet wet with GHs novels, I read Sylvester first and secondly read Devil's Cub without realizing that it was a revisit to Vidal’s parents from an earlier novel.

I’m looking forward to it!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Chris - 2
Kloester - 4
Happy either way - 4

@Jemima & Beth. If you want to use the old Sophy threads for a buddy read, feel free to bump them up. We don't close the most recent group discussions of any GH book, so that members can add their comments when they are able to read the book. :)

[Beth-In-UK]

Thank you - it's Jemima's call!

Re False Colours, I've just been watching a programme about Chatsworth, and of course it included poor Georgaina (was it spelt like that, or only pronounced like that??). She really had a wretched time of it. Having, some time ago, watched the film The Duchess (Keira Knightley, so dreadfully miscast as Lizzie Bennet, was very good as the doomer duchess), and thinking about how the Duke was portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, makes me speculate whether he was on the autistic spectrum. He had an uncle (possibly great uncle, I must look it up), Lord Frederick Cavendish (think it was Frederick!), who was a notable scientist in his day (I think the Cavendish Lab in Cambridge is named after him), but was so shy and reclusive it is now assumed that he was, in fact, autistic (as quite a few 'ultra-scientists' are!) (eg, Dirac).

It might explain why Georgaina's husband was so cold and unfeeling towards her - ie, wasn't 'bad' just 'incapable' of expressing warm emotions towards her??

(Sorry for all the 'I thinks'....my dim memories and too late here in the UK for me to go and look up what I should to verify!)

[Abigail]

Interesting connections between Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire (you're right about the pronunciation but it was spelled in the usual way) and the twins' mother in False Colours, but Georgiana was quite brilliant and I think of their mother as socially adept but rather a dim bulb.

From her biography I get the sense that the Duke initially adored her but became very disillusioned with her and therefore bitter, cold, and cruel. She in turn became more and more outrageous.

[Theresa]

Frederica is my number one favorite! I own multiple copies in print and ebook.

[Beth-In-UK]

That's so sad that the duke adored her at first.....I wonder what went wrong? I know the programme said she took 8 years to get pregnant (and then it was a girl)....

It also said that, marrying at only 17, she was suddenly presented with Chatsworth (probably the largest non-royal residence apart from Blenheim and possibly Castle Howard?? Certainly one of the largest!), and was simply expected to run it flawlessly as an experienced chatelaine.

I find that a bit hard to believe - surely both her own family, and the duke's, not to mention the senior household staff too, would have been on hand to guide her along?

All desperately sad, anyway - and just goes to show that for all their wealth, it was no guarantee of happiness, and indeed, sometimes guaranteed the very opposite.

[Beth-In-UK]

Theresa - Frederica is certainly in my top five faves. Shame about her name....just can't imagine Alverstoke tenderly calling her either her full name, or, even worse, some diminutive such as 'Freddie'!!!! It's a very heavy masculine sounding name to my mind, and little to be done to soften it.

[Moloch]

I received no message, but thanks for copying the list here.

I understand there's a vote going on, and I choose Kloester.

Thanks!

[Critterbee❇]

Current poll results

Chris - 2
Kloester - 5
Happy either way - 4

[Doris]

One more vote for the Kloester, please.

[Critterbee❇]

Thanks for voting, Moloch and Doris. :)

Chris - 2
Kloester - 6
Happy either way - 4

[Jackie]

I forgot to vote but it's happy either way.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

The vote is still open, Jackie!

Chris - 2
Kloester-6
Happy either way- 5

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Molloch sorry you didn't get the block message. All I can say is mysterious are the ways of Goodreads!

[Jackie]

the good news is, I can't lose ;-)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I'll be closing the vote in around 24 hours. Does anyone else want to have their say?

[Sheila (in LA)]

I'll cast my vote for Teresa Chris, since I read Kloester's Heyer bio this year (looking for some variety in authorial viewpoint :).

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Chris - 3
Kloester-6
Happy either way- 5

[Jay-me (Janet)]

I didn't get the block message - but I have selected not to receive any Goodreads notifications. So I am glad that you included the list on here.
I vote for the Kloester, I have this one on my audible wish list.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Chris - 3
Kloester -7
Happy either way- 5

I thought group block messages weren't considered Goodreads messages, but things may have changed.