It ain't pretty, those  books I loved when I was a kid.

It started when AAR reviewer Jane Granville offered to look for any books staffers wanted at a library sale at which she was working.  I immediately piped up, asking her to look out for anything by Violet Winspear, my favorite writer from my pre-teen and teenage HP days.  Surprisingly, since I've never seen them around here, Jane came up with two.   It was a start, but my appetite was only whetted.

I went online to look for the title I'd always remembered as being my mostest favorite ever - The Burning Sands - and my pal Lavinia's favorite The Honey is Bitter.  Both arrived just in time for my little staycation.

But the Violet Winspear glom was just the start of my little cruise down memory lane.  I also gobbled up three of my favorite titles (books I never, ever gave away) from the Great Tracy Sinclair, prolific Silhouette and Silhouette Special Edition author from the 80s and 90s - Never Give Your Heart, Castles in the Air, and The Tangled Web.

So, what has my little retro reading binge taught me?

1. That men were bosses and women were not.
2. That every now and then women need to be spanked, even if the hero can't bring himself to go through with it.
3. That I really didn't seem to have a problem back then with "I hate you" as the chief emotion displayed by the heroine until the final moment when the hero persuades her that she really did love him all along.
4. That those books really did come closer than I'd like to so-called "forced seduction."  Which is rape, BTW, euphemism be damned.

Still, guilty though I may be about it, there is something big about these short little romances that I think is in short supply in romance today:  Fantasy.  These heroines were so far removed from my daily life (and, okay, my age, too) and the heroes so Larger Than Life that I had Big Fantasies.  Something I kinda sorta miss.

I used to devour those Silhouette Special Editions at such a clip that I knew the name of the series editor from the short letters to readers that appeared in every title.  She's now an agent and I introduced myself to her at an RWA party once specifically to ask her if she knew what had happened to Tracy who last published about 2000 or so.  (For the record, she wasn't very friendly.)  She said that she thought Tracy was quite "elderly" these days and that she had contacted the agent a few years ago to ask her if she would represent her.  The agent declined.

That's too bad because I think Tracy knew something most writers and editors and agents don't these days:  A whole lot of readers want to escape.  Especially these days.

I've tried to read HPs today and they just seem...well, kind of sloppy and short.  Not to even mention that I can accept the sexism in older books, but not in new ones - hey, I want my fantasy, but I'd also like it cleaned up for my 21st century sensibilities.  My sampling has been hit and miss, however, so if anybody has any suggestions for writers I might try, I'd welcome them. 

(And, BTW, in my glom I didn't come across one typo or language error.  How refreshing! Books back then were like actually...well, edited!)

As for me, I know where my reading glom is going to go next.  I've got a few favorite Iris Johansen Loveswepts carefully stowed away and I think it's time to pull them out. Heck, if I'm going retro, I might as well go in deep.

Congratulations to Michele L.!  Her name was drawn at random from all of the correct entries in the trivia contest.   She wins copies of Tara Janzen's "Crazy Hot," "Crazy Wild," and "Crazy Cool," and Jane Candia Coleman's "Tumbleweed," Leigh Greenwood's "Texas Loving," and Elaine Barbieri's "Cry of the Wolf."   

Trivia contest answer:  In 1776, the United States declared its independence from Great Britain.  Britain and England were also acceptable answers.

Be sure to stop by on Monday, July 7, 2008 for a chance to win 8 Georgette Heyer books by participating in AARAfterHours's trivia contest.

Not so long ago, summer television was filled with reruns, unless we happened to be lucky enough to have a summer Olympics in the mix. Now, we have lots of new series, as well as "summer only series." This summer, I'm watching a number of shows that I really like. Of course, there's my usual mix of reality shows, chief among them, The Mole and So You Think You Can Dance....and Project Runway is starting in just a few weeks.

However, this summer, I'm also watching two - yes two - scripted shows. The first is a great comedy on TBS, My Boys. My Boys has a delightful ensemble cast, highlighted by Jordana Spiro, who stars as P.J. Franklin, a sports writer in Chicago. The series is now in its third summer, and takes place totally in the summer - giving non-Chicagoans the mistaken impression, that Chicago is always sunny, that people go year-round to Wrigley Field, eat outside at restaurants, and wear short sleeves.

The second scripted show I'm watching, is a rather uncomfortable, but highly interesting, show on CBS, Swingtown. I like to think of it as my "guilty pleasure" television viewing. Swingtown takes place during the 1970s, and features the residents of a Chicago suburb as they explore many of the activities that occurred in the 1970s - think drugs, wife swapping, and you get the idea. Of course, what links these shows together is they're both set in the Chicago area.

Anyone else have any new summer television finds?

In sharp contrast to LeeB's fantastic journey, I'm sitting around at home this week.  And, yes, if there were "having a wonderful time" postcards available for sitting on your ass in your own home, I'd be happy to send them.  So what has been keeping me occupied?

• RWA:  Contrary to what I thought myself and what I told everyone far and wide who asked, I am going.  So...
• Anthropologie:  Must get to summer sale.
• Super Cool ARCs:  Really, really super cool, but since I'll be giving a set away (probably not at the same time and not the copies I'm reading) on this blog in the very near future, I won't reveal what they are.  Just check this space oh, maybe, sometime next week, okay?
• South Beach Diet:  Why, oh, why did it take me so long to try this diet?  I've always done well with low carb, but this is low carb and low fat, thus much healthier than Atkins.  Anyway, I feel good and I'm getting some really good results.  Once you get past the two week induction period, it's a diet that's easy to stick with.  Anybody else tried this one?
• Comfort Reads:  So far I've read Welcome to Temptation and Slightly Dangerous and right now I'm half-way through Judy Cuevas' Dance.  As soon as I finish the latter, I'll get started on my ARCs.  BTW, regarding Dance:  It's always been ranked in my mind as a secondary book to the sublime Bliss.  I think I may be rethinking that position - I am absolutely loving it.
  
• Missing my Friend and Number One Playmate:  Lavinia (Avon author to be) is on vacation with her family right now at the actual, real-live beach.  It's lonely!
• Discovering Snow Patrol:  This band wasn't totally new to me since I knew their tracks from Spiderman, but right now I can't get my mind off  one of their non-hits, a song called You Could Be Happy.  To me, this one hits it out of the park:  The sweet music in sharp contrast to the pain so perfectly expressed in the deceptively simple (hey, to me simple is always best) lyrics, and the voice singing it all with such real emotion.  Sublime.  (I couldn't find a real band video, but there are a bunch of amateur efforts up on YouTube.  The one I've linked to seems to be the best of the worst.)
• Goofing off on the Internet:  A few links:  A U.K. hairstylist sued by a Muslim woman she met in a 10-minute interview, my favorite Steve Martin essay, a new crop circle that apparently equals Pi, and another interesting link to a Daily Maiil article on a fascinating master/slave relationship between a Victorian barrister and a maid.
  

So, what are you doing on your summer staycation?

Alert:  Thanks to TMZ for letting the world know about the new FLDS Online Clothing Store!  I.  Have.  No.  Words.  Really.

Hi, it's LeeB. back with my travel diary.  My previous entry ended in Bordeaux, France.  We pick up here:

Day 7 Bordeaux to Doncaster

I am back in the UK after leaving cloudy and cool Bordeaux behind. Flight to Gatwick was fine and I met up with a friend at Kings Cross. She had arrived earlier from the north so we chitchatted till my train was ready to board.

Bordeaux weather followed me here too but I saw my friend's smiling face at Doncaster station so that was a nice welcome. We went to the Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery (free) which had a photographic exhibit and some nice pottery on display (see photo below).  Saw a little bit of the town but it was rush hour so we made our way to Sainsbury's for some quick grocery shopping and then to my friend's house.  Her mom is a real sweetheart. I bought her some chocolates from Bordeaux and she very much appreciated them -- and even offered some to her daughter and me.

I have now seen their garden, which is very lovely -- colorful and full of birds looking for food.  My friend's house is cozy and decorated with lots of her photos and her mom's paintings. I am having a great time.

Tomorrow we are off to visit Chatsworth House & Garden, a stately home, rain or shine.

Day 8 Doncaster

Woke up around 6:30 a.m. to a thunder and lightning storm.  My friend took me on a short tour of Doncaster town Center. Not a whole lot to see but we did go to the shopping centre and walked around a bit. Then it was on to Chatsworth.   Rain, fog, rain, fog, rain, fog -- well, you get the idea. I thought I was back in Seattle in November -- seriously.

Once we got to Chatsworth we decided to eat lunch first and both of us had baked potatoes with mild cheddar cheese. Dessert was some meringue thing for my friend and I had chocolate cake.

Then it was on to explore the gardens.  (See photo below.)  Even though it was not the best of weather days, there were lots of people out and about.  Needless to say, my friend and I took lots of photos.  Then we saw some baby ducks.  Unfortunately mama duck saw us and gave chase for a bit.  The rain then started in earnest so we did a short exploration of the maze and then made our way into Chatsworth House itself.  The building is quite lovely, lots of paintings, pottery and statutes all over the rooms that are open. We took some photos but we both enjoyed the garden more.

We checked out the various shops at Chatsworth and then it was back on the road "home" in pouring rain. We saw a little patch of blue sky but then has since disappeared.  Tomorrow is an early start to catch our train to Taunton to visit the wilds of Somerset. Stay tuned!

Day 9 Wells

I hunted down a computer at a store here in Wells as Dunster doesn't have an internet cafe.  I know, the horror!

Weather has been alternately sunny and rainy.  Today we are in Wells and have visited the Bishop's Palace and the Cathedral (see photo below).  Wells is famous for its gorgeous cathedral, and the Bishop's Palace, which contains wells to supply water, and is how the town got its name.  The Palace is surrounded by a moat and is full of beautiful gardens.  If you have seen the movie "Hot Fuzz," parts of it were filmed here.

Day 12 Dunster to London

Back in London after arriving about 12:30 p.m. I'm in civilization again -- with internet cafes!!!!!!!!!!  So, when last I posted, I was in Wells. We drove (well, my friend did) back to our B&B in Dunster and I did a walkabout round the town taking photos at sunset.

Saturday dawned foggy in Dunster but the sun eventually broke through the mist.  Our first stop was Conygar Tower, which is up a huge hill across town from Dunster Castle.  My friends and I managed to slip and slide through some muddy parts and burned off breakfast.  Then all three of us explored the gardens and water mill just below Dunster Castle. That took quite a bit of time and then we finally entered the castle proper. Nice furnishings but as it is a National Trust property, no photos were allowed inside.

After that we went to Porlock, where we visited Greencombe Gardens. The owner, an elderly lady, had a stroke earlier this year, so an American man and his wife came over to take care of her. She was just being wheeled into the garden when we arrived so it is nice to see she can still enjoy her creation. The gardens are quite large, not as large as Chatsworth, but still worth visiting.

After that tour, we popped into Porlock town for a quick walk around and then went to Selworthy, a very small village managed by the National Trust. There is a whitewashed church there, a couple of graveyards, and some thatched roof cottages (see photo below). All in all a very picturesque town.  

If you are ever in Dunster, I highly recommend staying at the Millstream Cottage. Sue, the owner, was just so friendly and welcoming and chatty. I really enjoyed talking with her about all the places she has lived. She really made the visit to Dunster worthwhile to me.

Days 13 and 14 London and Paris

Sunday night was devoted to a pub meet at the Star Tavern in Belgravia with a bunch of friends, both Americans and UKers.  Didn't want to stay up too late as Monday morning I had to catch the 5:46 a.m. Jubilee line first train (tube) from London Bridge to St. Pancras. Arrived just past 6:00 a.m. and my friend, Jan, was right behind me. Our trip to Paris was uneventful as most of the north of France was misty and we couldn't see anything.

We met up with a friend, Sylvia (an American who lives in Paris) at Gare du Nord and she took us to the art deco restaurant across from the station. We decided to go to the Eiffel Tower (just to take photos) so Sylvia found the correct bus and we passed through "wedding gown town," as well as "sex shops galore town" before we disembarked just past the Arc de Triomphe. We walked over to the Eiffel Tower and from then on (with a quick stop at a boulangerie so I could get a warm chocolate pain), we walked and walked and walked, following Sylvia as she pointed out various sights.

After our marathon hike, we had a 2-1/2 hour lunch at one of her favorite restaurants. I had two shrimp wrapped up in some crackly stuff and a side order of potatoes. Sylvia and Jan had mushrooms. Plus we had lots of bread. Dessert was a sort of chocolate cake for me and Sylvia and Jan shared a soufflé. We then waddled out of there for more of a walk, but this time to Sylvia's flat.

Sylvia's apartment is located near Le Bon Marche department store and it is quite lovely -- and very Parisian.  We just stayed for a little bit as Sylvia had to pick the kids up from school. Sylvia gave us Metro tickets and told us which Metro stations to look for but Jan and I managed to miss them. We asked a taxi driver who just pointed us in one direction and then I asked a young man standing at a bus stop. He ended up walking us to the Metro station, after asking us where we were going, and escorted us to the correct place. What a sweetie!

The check in process at Gare du Nord wasn't very organized, considering the ease of St. Pancras but we managed to finally get on the correct train. Sylvia had told us to explore her neighborhood but if Jan and I had, we would have missed our train. Just drizzled a little in Paris but on the way back to London, it was quite dark and stormy. But once back in London and at the pubs, the weather wasn't important.

Day 15 - A visit to the Houses of Parliament

After sleeping in for a bit, I was off and running at about 9:00 a.m. I had to meet up with my friends at the Houses of Parliament about 11:15 so after walking around a bit, I found a place to stand and spent time sticking stamps on postcards.

Our tour guide was the research assistant to the MP (Member of Parliament) for Taunton.  Our tour guide was a lovely young lady who took us through the great hall (the only place photos are allowed -- you can imagine how I felt about not being able to take photos anywhere else) and then we visited the chamber where Queen Elizabeth hangs out prior to the opening of Parliament.

We also visited the chambers of the House of Lords (very pretty) and House of Commons (eh!). Found out where the expression "toe the line" came into being -- an MP (or whoever or sitting in the first row in chambers) mustn't step over the line. Our guide told us lots of stories, including one about an MP earlier this year having some sort of illness and how two other MPs (former doctor and nurse) came to his rescue. The story never made the newspaper.

The paintings and statues decorating the Houses of Parliament are quite lovely and I would have liked to have studied them more but there were many many tour groups in the chambers whilst we were there so I am just happy to have seen as much as we did.

After lunch in the Jubilee Cafe (where I absconded with a goodly pile of "House of Commons" paper napkins -- free souvenirs!), we were then shown to the place where we would get in line to see the procession of the Speaker and the Mace prior to watching a session of the House of Commons.

We were given a program about what was to be discussed (transport) and sat down to watch the show. Tv screens are provided so if you can't see the MPs below the seating area, you can watch them on tv.  After that, it was off to do more shopping and walking around now -- the rain seems to have stopped for a bit.

Stay tuned for the finale, Part 3, coming soon! (For Part 1, click here)

Hi, it’s LeeB., all excited because this is a four day work week!  Woo hoo!

This week, we have all six books to give away to one lucky reader:  three Tara Janzen titles ("Crazy Hot," "Crazy Wild," and "Crazy Cool") and three western-themed books:  Jane Candia Coleman's "Tumbleweed," Leigh Greenwood's "Texas Loving," and Elaine Barbieri's "Cry of the Wolf."   

All you need to do is answer this holiday-themed question correctly:   

Which country did the United States declare its independence from in 1776?

Send your answer to aarblog@gmail.com  One winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, Thursday night, July 3, 2008.  (Unfortunately because of high postal rates, we can only ship to US addresses.) The winner will be announced here and notified by email on Friday, July 4, 2008.  Good luck!

LeeB.

The British are...well, generally a bit more open-minded than Americans when it comes to paranormal possibilities.  Casual acceptance of the existence of ghosts and spirits is one manifestation of this, as is the British media's actual serious coverage of the UFO flap that is, incidentally, going on here on our fair shores, as well.

Add on to the astounding fact that the Ministry of Defense recently released formerly classified UFO documents (yeah, that'll happen here) the generally accepting treatment UFOs are accorded in the mainstream media.  A quick search this morning came up with this official UFO page on the BBC Wales news site. (Imagine for one moment, CBS or NBC doing the same.)  There's also a page at The Sun (okay, I know it's The Sun).  But it's something.  It's the serious coverage this subject deserves.

Among the more interesting recent reports to surface is that of a police helicopter crew in Wales spotting a UFO, chasing it until they lost it, and - wonder of wonders! - actually reporting it as soon as they returned to base. 

There have also been wide reports of UFOs seen recently in Australia. Mine workers recently reported a sighting and The Sun page includes a link to a story in which a town was "terrorized" (okay, I know it's The Sun) by hovering UFOs.

The evening of June 7th brought right here on our fair shores sighting reports from across the nation.  Here's how Peter Davenport - the very cautious and scientifically inclined guy who singlehandedly runs the National UFO Reporting Center - describes it:

NUFORC received a number of very interesting reports from many states across the U. S..  Many seemingly credible witnesses reported a very strange light, which passed across the night sky, paused for several seconds, and then shot off at high speed.  We received reports from Missouri, Massachusetts, Maryland, California, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, and Erfurt/Germany (in the German State of Thuringia).  If anyone was witness to this object, we would like to invite you to submit a report to our Center, using our Online Report Form.  For details about the sightings, please see those newly received reports posted to our website for the evening of Saturday, June 07, 2008. 

For reasons that are known only to the capricious and frequently irritating blog compose feature, I am unable to un-italicize the italics, so I'll take that as a hint that it's time to stop.  I'll end with this:  There is a worldwide UFO flap right now the likes of which I've never seen.  Does it mean anything?  I'm not certain.  With the proliferation of cell phone cameras and a growing acceptance by the general public that it's okay to believe in UFOs, I think the reports and photos themselves are what's really on the rise.  The UFOs have always been there; now people are more willing/able to report what they've seen.  My opinion, anyway.