Sweeping Sagas discussion

Can I just say I love the chapter titles, lol.

Chapter 1: In Which Susannah Receives Her Lover

*grumbles*

My moochee has still not mailed my book :/

Hi Jill, it's 4:30 AM right now. I was tossing and turning and finally gave up. I'll head for the gym shortly before heading off to work.

Moochee - I requested this from Bookmooch which is a swap site. I am the moocher so the person who is supposed to send it is the moochee in my lingo. Common courtesy on these swap sites should be a quick response to the mooch request and mailing promptly, but I've had a couple of times where 2-3 months later you finally give up. I may try for an ILL, but from looking at Worldcat I'm not sure any libraries in the US have this one :/

I may cancel my mooch and order it from Paperback swap since copies are available there.

Got my copy from Paperback Swap, it came pretty quickly. I'd be happy to wait at least a week or two before we start this one. I just started Outback Station yesterday, trying to catch up!

Oh thank god. For some reason I got it in my head that we had to start this on on Monday 11/29. But I *know* there was a Monday the 29th floating around here somewhere.....which book was it for????

It was for Outback Station Michele! Somebodies got started early!!!

Carey wrote: "It was for Outback Station Michele! Somebodies got started early!!!"

What is the start date for Southern Cross? I put it up on the group read header so I should correct the dates.

I don't think we picked one yet...let's wait til you get your copy. Good job on the header, I like it!

Carey wrote: "It was for Outback Station Michele! Somebodies got started early!!!"

Crap. I'm all messed up. :) (And you know why that is, ha ha).

Okay no start date for Southern Cross. We'll set that up later.

I'll start OS today. Argggghh.

Have to hide my new toy from myself so I won't be tempted away from reading....

:)

Jill wrote: "I did start a day early. But Misfit made me do it. Really.

Glad everyone can wait to start SC. I am flooded with library books I have to read and return first."

Yep it is my fault. If I'd started something else though I'd have been days behind. Things happen.

Just teasing you guys. I'm a slower reader than I thought and I get distracted easily...I was so proud of myself for finishing my previous book on Sunday night so I could start OS yesterday!

I'm vastly behind too....got caught up in that Emma Drummond book and just finishing it now. I've got a 4 hour flight to Houston tomorrow, though, so that should let me get a good dent in OS.

Michele wrote: "I'm vastly behind too....got caught up in that Emma Drummond book and just finishing it now. I've got a 4 hour flight to Houston tomorrow, though, so that should let me get a good dent in OS."

Looking forward to your thoughts on that one.

Are you done already Jill? You are speedy!

Jeez Michele, you just got home!!! They couldn't let you alone for two minutes?

Carey wrote: "Are you done already Jill? You are speedy!

Jeez Michele, you just got home!!! They couldn't let you alone for two minutes?"

LOL - nope. Looks like you and I have recurrent training around the same time...you'll just be a couple hundred miles north of me. I hear Houston has been in the mid-80s. Blech.

Misfit wrote: "Michele wrote: "I'm vastly behind too....got caught up in that Emma Drummond book and just finishing it now. I've got a 4 hour flight to Houston tomorrow, though, so that should let me get a good ..."

OMG - I think I love it way more than you did, ha ha ha. I'd rate it as one of the best HF I've ever read.

LOL - nope. Looks like you and I have recurrent trainin..."

Too bad we are not closer, we could do some serious damage at Half Price Books...or to some margaritas. :)

Michele wrote: "Misfit wrote: "Michele wrote: "I'm vastly behind too....got caught up in that Emma Drummond book and just finishing it now. I've got a 4 hour flight to Houston tomorrow, though, so that should let..."

Isn't she good? And talk about keeping you biting your nails until the very end. The more I read stuff like this, the harder it is reading all that *other stuff*.

Yes, I do, I'm a flight attendant. :) Different airline from Michele, opposite coast too. But we were able to meet for 20 minutes in Chicago earlier this month. It was such fun!! Hope we get to do that again soon. We took a pic, I'll load it for you guys if someone will tell me how to do it!

Michele wrote: "OMG - I think I love it way more than you did, ha ha ha. I'd rate it as one of the best HF I've ever read." Misfit wrote: "Isn't she good? And talk about keeping you biting your nails until the very end. The more I read stuff like this, the harder it is reading all that *other stuff*."

You guys are killing me...I have not got any Emma Drummond! Gotta get my hands on some. Seriously, Michele, one of the best? Up there with SKP & HH? I'm going to find some RIGHT NOW!

Carey wrote: "Michele wrote: "OMG - I think I love it way more than you did, ha ha ha. I'd rate it as one of the best HF I've ever read." Misfit wrote: "Isn't she good? And talk about keeping you biting your na..."

Ok, I have a tattered copy of Scarlet Shadows for you. I think Misfit liked this one better than Forget the Glory (the one I'm just finishing), but I thought Forget the Glory was beyond fantastic. My copy is library, but I swear if I ever see it somewhere, I'm buying it.

There's another two books of hers (one sequel to another) that definitely falls into the category of family saga. I'll find the names.....we should SO do a group read of those.

Thank you! Going to look for Forget the Glory too...

Carey, you would love these, and she also writes under the name Elizabeth Darrell. I hear some are a bit hit and miss, not bad but just not on top of her game. I have no idea why I only gave four to Forget the Glory, but yes I loved it.

PaperbackSwap and Bookmooch are pretty cleaned out on her titles (I started a stampede at PBS on the HF forums there). I got Scarlet Shadows via PBS (I think Michele and I got the last two) and the rest via my library (god bless them). So far the best of them I've read is Beyond All Frontiers. 19C England, first Afghan war. Seriously scary stuff.

I think the family saga you are thinking of is a trilogy and begins with A Question of Honour. I had it out from the lib but decided to take a Drummond break and returned it. Four in a row of the same author after all :0

Also look at The Gathering Wolves under the Darrell name. A bit slow at the start but a strong finish. Latter Russian revolution conflicts between the Whites and the Reds in the far north.

What is funny is that we have a thread this long going under the topic of a book we aren't even reading, LOLOL.

Michele wrote: "What is funny is that we have a thread this long going under the topic of a book we aren't even reading, LOLOL."

I know. Perhaps we should continue this under an Emma Drummond thread? I am not smart enough to move the comments. How about you?

PS, are you in love with Rowan or what? Sigh....

Misfit wrote: "Michele wrote: "What is funny is that we have a thread this long going under the topic of a book we aren't even reading, LOLOL."

I know. Perhaps we should continue this under an Emma Drummond th..."

Of course I'm not that smart. But you're right, we should start an Emma Drummond thread nonetheless.

ps....I loved them all. Even Lydia and even Fanny. That's the beauty of Drummond, such flawed characters. Rowan was heartbreaking despite all of his flaws!

Flawed characters and awesome dialogue. Gawd I loved the banter between Rowan and Mary, especially when he tried to correct her English. As for that sandstorm...

BTW, credit for the Drummond find goes to a mention of her from Elizabeth Chadwick over at HFO. I might have missed it, and we'd all be worse off with less books to read.

Misfit wrote: "Flawed characters and awesome dialogue. Gawd I loved the banter between Rowan and Mary, especially when he tried to correct her English. As for that sandstorm...

BTW, credit for the Drummond fin..."

EC, doesn't that just figure? ;)

Jill wrote: "I'll just jump in her and say I love Emma Drummond as well - Forget the Glory and Beyond All Frontiers were fabulous.
Just started Russian Roulette (under Elizabeth Darrell).
I think we have Elizab..."

Jill, I think I could read her books forever and such an incredible range of topics and locales. And yes, I've already given EC a hearty thank for for the mention. Outside of her dialogue, I really like her knowledge of all things military (British) and the pecking orders that come with it. Very much apparent, especially in Forget the Glory, which made Rowan and Mary's story that much more compelling.

I have to say her novels are the perfect blend of romance (sans sex) and history.

Jill, if your copy of Russian Roulette has a jacket blurb (assuming there isn't one already here at GR), would it be too much trouble to bang it out so I can put it up? Do you have a cover that isn't shown here you can scan?

Ahh, EC is right up there with Sharon Kay Penman & Helen Hollick. Nice to know who SHE likes to read!

Are the Darrell books historical? The couple that I saw looked more contemporary. One might have been WWII though. They look good.

Only one left on PS was Dragon of Destiny, so I nabbed it just to try. Ordered a couple more, including two from the saga, so I'll be ready!

Carey wrote: "Ahh, EC is right up there with Sharon Kay Penman & Helen Hollick. Nice to know who SHE likes to read!

Are the Darrell books historical? The couple that I saw looked more contemporary. One mig..."

I think the Darrell books might be more contemporary, but Jade Alliance and Gathering Wolves under that name were historical.

Carey, EC is an avid reader and loves to share that love of reading. The mention of Drummond came up over a review of Valerie Fitzgeralds Zemindar and she noted that if I loved that (which I do) I'd probably like Beyond all Frontiers (which I did).

PS, go and order Zemindar now. If you like 19C India with a Jane Eyre-ish heroine you will be in heaven.

You realize by now how evil I am don't you?

No more evil that the rest of us! It is a sickness but not the worst one we could have. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll go over to PS and see if there are any. Just spent $24 on eight Emma Drummond books...a good deal but don't want to buy anymore.

I saw the pic you added of Patrick Swazye on the North & South thread...how do you add a photo? I'll put up the one of Michele & I.

Carey wrote: "No more evil that the rest of us! It is a sickness but not the worst one we could have. Thanks for the recommendation, I'll go over to PS and see if there are any. Just spent $24 on eight Emma D..."

Hi Carey, you need to use your library :)

I think you will enjoy Drummond's books.

Pics, you need an image with a URL. If you find one right click to properties and copy that. Then you use this magic code [image error]
immediately after that paste your URL and finish with this >

If you have an image on your hard drive you need to put it on photo bucket (or use a private blog post) to get a web image with URL. Takes practice and plenty of trial and error.

Oh dear. I'll work on it, html is not my forte! My library stinks, unfortunately. I live in a tiny town with a tiny library. They probably do ILL, I've never tried that.

Carey wrote: "Oh dear. I'll work on it, html is not my forte! My library stinks, unfortunately. I live in a tiny town with a tiny library. They probably do ILL, I've never tried that."

Carey, you would be surprised at ILL. If they participate in the national program you should do well. You wouldn't believe the *small* libraries I've received ILL's from,

A couple of very small Oregon coast town, A Benedictine Abbey, smaller college libraries, Anchorage, the east coast and mid-west you name it. Half the fun is seeing where they come from.

All they can do is say no, so just ask :)

I could probably count on one hand how many times they've said they tried but couldn't find it in this country. I do try to get the cheapie MMPB's going for a penny via PBS instead of wasting their resources, but outside of that they do quite well.

I am very fortunate to live in King county and have access to that library. I don't recall where, but they've been rated in the lower top ten in the US. No small achievement.

Thank you Misfit, we'll see if this works!

[image error]

>

That's me on the left, Michele on the right.

Yay! You did it.

How cool to see the two of you together!

Jill wrote: "Thanks for the photo Carey.
Nice to be able to put faces with your names.
Do you guys meet up regularly with your flying schedules?"

It's been hard to make our schedules match up, Jill. But we did see each other briefly in Chicago in November (you should have SEEN the bag o' books Carey brought me....plus chocolate, it was the sweetest thing!). And we were in Washington DC the other night at the same time, but figured it out too late to see each other....I missed Carey by about 30 minutes, I think, argggghhh! :)

That was an exciting day! Hopefully we can have other opportunities to be in the same place at the same time. I'm looking for some Seattle trips at work!

Carey wrote: "That was an exciting day! Hopefully we can have other opportunities to be in the same place at the same time. I'm looking for some Seattle trips at work!"

Carey, if you ever had a long enough lay over during *business hours* at SeaTac let me know. If I'm not work-obligated I'll come and get you and run you downhill to Kent so you can peruse the shelves at Browsers used books. Lots of fund discoveries.

Jill :)

I don't bench press, I am large (overweight), but hairy? Gawd, it's getting thinner every day I swear :)

Hehe.

I am the company's credit manager. The Collector. The mean one. The one who rolls her eyes when the salesman says I've known him for years and he's good as gold and never a problem ever and I just shut my mouth and wait six months until he's in over 90 days and hasn't a sous, so I can sit there and tell the boss "I told you so and rolled my eyes to boot."

:)

I have my reputation and proud of it. I want to get paid and I will do anything to get it done...

Jill wrote: "Misfit wrote: "Hehe.

I am the company's credit manager. The Collector. The mean one. The one who rolls her eyes when the salesman says I've known him for years and he's good as gold and never a p..."

Oh she just talks big, Jill. She's really a sweetie and so much fun to talk trash with over lunch, lol.

That's an offer I can't pass up Misfit! Noplace better in the world than a good used bookstore with a fellow booklover!

I only know Michele but can't wait to come visit you guys down under, have never been there. Gotta talk Michele into going with me...

Oh boy! Let me know when and I'll try to be there, wouldn't that be fun!