Julia Quinn: An Offer From a Gentleman

• ISBN-13: 9780380815586
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 7/28/2001
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Pages: 368

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball - or that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight. 
 Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other - except, perhaps, this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but his breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers her his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love? 

It's sort of like Julia Quinn knows my life. Or at least the story of Cinderella, anyway. You see, I was raised by my mother and grandparents, but was forced to spend every other weekend with my father and his wife, and their children. My father (now divorced from my stepmother, mwahaha) recently told me that I was Cinderella, which was a little upsetting if he knew that but didn't do anything. But I digress. The point is, my life was very much the Cinderella fairy tale, with the being forced to clean the house I only lived in four days out of the month and verbal abuse by the non-parent. There just wasn't a Prince Charming to come rescue me. I got out on my own. I told you that story not for sympathy, but because that might explain why I'm giving this book higher marks than I perhaps normally would. 

 Sophie Beckett is the illegitimate child of an Earl, a very difficult position to be in during the Regency period (or any time, really, let's be honest). Her circumstances are not as bad as they could be, however, as she is labeled as her father's "ward," and receives all of the luxuries that entails. That is, until he marries and brings in the fabled stepmother and two evil stepsisters. Or, in this case, one evil stepsister and one fairly kind but weak-minded stepsister. Sophie's life takes a distinct turn for the worse upon the death of her father, and she is forced into unpaid servitude.
 Enter Bridgerton Number Two, better known as Benedict. He falls in love with a mysterious lady at a masquerade ball (HMM WHO COULD THAT BE?) but loses her to the stroke of midnight, only to come across Sophie in rather unfortunate circumstances a few years later. Hijinks naturally ensue.
 What really struck me about this novel is the reality of it, as I've said. Some people are blessed with loving step-parents. I have one. The other one. He's more of a father to me than my actual father, which doesn't bother me in the least. However, every once in a while, you get those people that feel put upon to care for children that are not there own, for however brief a time. They believe that the other child is somehow detracting from the love and/or attention that they and their children deserve. I've seen it, I've experienced it, and so I relate to Sophie on a very personal level. Huge credit for that goes to Quinn for painting a realistic portrait of those emotions. She does, however, stray into "excuse me, what" territory with the final big fight between Benedict and Sophie. I felt that his anger there was a little unjustified and used mostly to motivate plot movement.
 Characterizations are fun and interesting, as usual. We see much more interaction between the younger three Bridgerton sisters, as Daphne has already had her story told and they are the only ones remaining in the house to received the attentions of ladies'-maid-Sophie. They always provide a healthy dose of humor at perfect moments i.e. the scone incident.
 The pacing of the novel was great, as well. I was never bored, nor did I feel that it moved too fast to be considered a novel. Again, Quinn is one of my favorite romance writers, mostly because her books deal with real emotional issues, for each character, and the sex is not all important to the books. The characters' relationships are based on emotions and getting to know the other, and less on physical desire, which is a nice change from other romance novels of today.
 Overall: A
 Again, giving this one higher scores than normal for personal reasons. But honestly, without those, it would still have been at least an A-.

Hideyuki Kikuchi: The Stuff of Dreams

• ISBN-13: 9781595820945
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
• Publication date: 9/13/2006
• Pages: 204

Even Vampire Hunters cannot resist the siren song of an ageless sleeping beauty.
 In a world where even the smallest and most remote village cannot avoid being terrorized by the monsters that stalk the night, there is a hamlet, prosperous and peaceful, where mortals and the vampire Nobility have coexisted for years. It is there that seventeen-year-old Sybille Schmitz has slept, neither waking nor aging, for thirty years since first receiving the vampire's immortal kiss.
 The mysterious Vampire Hunter known only as "D" is lured to the tranquil oasis by recurrent dreams of the beautiful undying girl bathed in an eerie blue light and dancing in a ghostly chateau. But there are a number of people who do not welcome the presence of the dhampir, fearing D will disturb the delicate balance upon which the fate of the town rests. They will stop at nothing to protect that balance, even if it it means destroying the most feared Hunter the world has ever known.

 In our beloved D's fifth adventure, he encounters a foe that he may not quite be able to deal with - not because he's so much stronger, but because he's a dream. What? Yes, that is indeed the plot. D finds himself called into someone's dream, to do what, we don't know. Neither does he.
 Once again, I found myself noticing Kikuchi's strange prose. It strays occasionally into cheesy and over the top territory, but after the first chapter or so, you get used to it and move on with your life. Also, I did notice that D talks a whole lot more in this installment than he has so far. Which is somewhat jarring, because you don't really expect him to explain his actions or ask questions - the D we know and love would just figure the mystery out on his own, based upon pure observation. So it's a little unusual in that respect. The plot, however, is fantastic.
 Kikuchi weaves a crazy complex story, that I only realized was so complex when I was trying to explain it to my dad. He didn't get it. I probably wasn't doing that well with my explanation, but it's not like he really cared, so I'm not going to be bothered about it. Suffice to say, it is well and truly a mind-fuck. Yes, guys, I did just drop my first f-bomb on this blog. We should through a party. Back to the plot, though. It leaves you wondering, definitely. Who was right? Did everything turn out as D expected? Were the characters happy with the choices they made? I leave those questions to you, as Kikuchi does. At the end, you're left to your own devices to decide how everything might have turned out. Because D doesn't much care, and Kikuchi certainly doesn't tell you.
 This novel is one of the shorter ones, so it flies by, but you hardly notice at what speed you're reading because the story is rather engrossing. And that's all I'll say about the plot. I'm done, I swear.
 Characterization: As I said before, D seems to be a little more open in this novel, which, honestly, displeases me a bit. One of the reasons I love D is that very stoicism that seems to be missing from The Stuff of Dreams. The other characters are pretty shallow since it is such a small novel. A novella, really. The only person that really interested me was Sheriff Krutz. He was just so wonderfully conflicted, and you felt a connection with him and his wife right at the moment you met them (separately, but the same feeling).
 Overall: B+
 Because of the smallness of the work, a lot was crammed in and characterization definitely suffered. But the story was fascinating and definitely set your brain to working, so that's why the score isn't lower. Although, I did enjoy it, so don't freak.

Jennifer Kloester: Georgette Heyer's Regency World

• ISBN-13: 9781402241369
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Incorporated
• Publication date: 8/1/2010
• Pages: 400

Immerse yourself in the resplendent glow of Regency England and the world of Georgette Heyer...
 From the fascinating slang, the elegant fashions, the precise ways the bon ton ate, drank, danced, and flirted, to the shocking real life scandals of the day, Georgette Heyer's Regency World takes you behind the scenes of Heyer's captivating novels.
 As much fun to read as Heyer's own novels, beautifully illustrated, and meticulously researched, Jennifer Kloester's essential guide brings the world of the Regency to life for Heyer fans and Jane Austen fans alike.

I ADORE GEORGETTE HEYER. I'm going to scream that from the mountaintops someday, I swear. I mean, really, what's not to love? She's clever, she's funny, she's historically accurate, and her love stories are beautiful without being cheesy or overtly sexual like the romances of today. I highly recommend her to anyone and everyone.
 This book was not written by her, obviously. Rather, it was written about the world in which her characters lived with the intent that readers of her novels would gain a) an appreciation of how much work went into the accuracy of her portrayals and b) a greater understanding of the Regency period. It's beautifully organized and easily understood. There are lots of pictures and so some of the descriptions, such as the vehicles and the fashion that have lots of similar terms that are hard to distinguished, are made much easier to catalogue. The author is obviously a huge fan of Georgette Heyer's work (you would have to be, and besides, who isn't?) and she truly makes you realize how accurate Heyer was. I always heard she did a remarkable amount of research, but I suppose I never registered how much until I finished this book.
 I honestly don't really know what else to say, other than it was a very informative and interesting read that wasn't boring, which is high praise indeed for this kind of book.
 Overall: A
 As many pictures as there were, I would have liked a few more for the more refined distinctions amongst clothing and vehicle styles.

Voltaire: Candide

• ISBN-13: 9781593080280
• Publisher: Barnes & Noble
• Publication date: 6/1/2003
• Pages: 176

Are evil and tragedy part of a cosmic plan that mere humans are blind to? Should we just accept our fates with the belief that everything happens for a good reason, that we live "in the best of all possible worlds?" 
 One of the finest satires ever written, Voltaire's Candide savagely skewers the very "optimistic" approach to life as a shamefully inadequate response to human suffering. The swift and lively tale follows the absurdly melodramatic adventures of the youthful Candide, who is forced into the army, flogged, ship-wrecked, betrayed, robbed, separated from his beloved Cunégonde, and tormented by the Inquisition. As Candide witnesses calamity upon calamity, he begins to discover that all is not always for the best. 
 Filled with wit, intelligence, and an abundance of dark humor, Candide is unsparing in its attacks upon corruption and hypocrisy - in religion, government, philosophy, science, and even romance. Ultimately, this celebrated work says that it is possible to challenge blind optimism without losing the will to live and pursue a happy life.

 I want everyone to read this. Seriously, I'm going to start giving it as a gift to people. It's deeply disturbing while being darkly humorous; you might not get it, although sometimes Voltaire definitely beats you over the head with what he's trying to say. But I give it a huge recommendation because I strongly believe that he points a giant finger at what is wrong with the world today - hypocrisy.
 We first meet Candide (yeah, that's the protagonist's name. Who knew?) as a young man not of the upper class. He falls head over heels for the daughter of the Count who owns the estate, and when they are discovered, Candide's life takes a turn for the worst. And I mean, the worst. But because he has unfailing faith in his tutor.....'s philosophy that all in the world is perfect because it is all as it should be. Voltaire openly scorns this idea, and it's really hard not to agree with him after watching Candide.
 From being sexually molested (implied) by some Bulgarians (now that's just mean) to being captured by the Inquisition and going on the run for multiple murders, Candide just can't catch a break. He's so gullible that he's robbed several times. These are not spoiler, because after the first couple of times these things happen, you realize - if there is the potential for something bad to happen or for someone to take advantage of our hero, it's going to happen. Just assume that at the start of every adventure. Oh, he has some gold? Assume that gold will be buh-bye by the end of the chapter. Shhh....I just saved you a lot of mental stress.
 Candide does eventually get his happy ending, although it is so incredibly back handed, I can't help laughing when I think about it. He gets to settle down with all the buddies he's met on his travels, but they're not satisfied because they spend all their time arguing the philosophy of life rather than living. A final lesson in the final chapter.
 Overall: A-
 There were several times that I gave a sharp bark of laughter, out loud, of pure shock at what I was reading. Quite frankly, I didn't even think that you could print the things Voltaire was writing about at the time. Rape, murder, theft, hypocrisy, all confronted with stunning frankness. However, his openness to the subjects leads to some very awkward and deeply disturbing moments. Plus, after a while the reader begins to feel themselves being beat down by the negativity and unfortunate lives and situations of every single character in the novel. Luckily, it's short in the extreme, so I don't have War and Peace proportions of residual depression.