The Headmistress of Rosemere

I don't think of myself as being especially romantic, but every once in awhile I really enjoy reading a romance novel. If I read too many in a row I lose interest, but when I read just the right one I am very happy. After I finished my graduate work for a few months I only read romance novels, and generally I most enjoyed those set in Regency England. These books returned me to novels after a year of theology and church history exclusively. I enjoy reading Debbie Macomber and now I've found a new author to enjoy, Sarah Ladd.

When I was in grade school I wanted desperately to be able to go to boarding school. I thought going away to school would be the most exciting thing in the world. Perhaps it was because I didn't have a brother or a sister or perhaps I had over idealized Jacqueline Kennedy's years at Miss Porter's. My parents thought it was a ridiculous request for many reasons. We knew no one who went to boarding school, we couldn't afford it and I think it would have broken their hearts to send me away so young. But that didn't stop me from thinking about life at boarding school.

I fantasized about my life at boarding school, but I never thought about the life of the teachers or the headmistress. I'm sure my fantasy boarding school would have had a headmistress like Patience Creighton. She is young, kind, intelligent, attractive and committed to her students, and she is the headmistress of Rosemere. This most engaging book takes place in one of my favorite periods in literature and I enjoyed the visit back very much. Besides Patience, there are a number of engaging characters that I enjoyed getting to know. The plot moved quickly and had a number of twists that surprised me and kept me reading. I hope there's a sequel. I'm eager to see what happens next for Patience and some of my other favorite characters.

One especially nice thing about these cold days is how pleasant it is to spend a winter's afternoon with a cup of cocoa and a good book.  We had snow again this afternoon -- just flurries -- but it deterred me from getting much farther than a few blocks from home. But I had a pile of books and the Sunday New York Times to keep me company, and it was a sweet afternoon.

As ever, I'm so glad you stopped by to visit. Keep warm and cozy and take good care!

Please note: I was given a copy of "The Headmistress of Rosemere" for review via the Litfuse Publicity Group, but the opinions are all mine. 

Extremely Random 5 Friday

Welcome to my little corner of Random 5 Friday. It's where I take all of the thoughts swirling in my head and try to come up with five cogent paragraphs. I don't know if I always make it, but I do have a good time, and I have a great time visiting with my Random 5 buddies. Now on to the big thoughts.

1) The week started with a difficult decision. Would I watch the Golden Globes or "Downton Abbey?" I was out to dinner with friends and missed the first hour of the Globes. I arrived home just in time for "Downton," and then switched over to the Globes. Definitely the most organized television evening I've had in years. Which did you choose?

2) I finally completed reading my first novel this year, "The World Without You," by Joshua Henkin. I enjoyed it a lot and found the story of a family mourning the loss of a son, husband and brother -- not unlike the journalist Daniel Pearl -- engaging and compelling. It's the first ebook I borrowed from the library and was so excited to see that the process worked. I've just borrowed "Matrimony" by the same author and I'm hoping I like it as well. "Bridget Jones" has gone home only slightly read to the library. Sorry, Bridget.

3) I'm starting to get excited about the Super Bowl coming to New York/New Jersey. I am sorry, sad, upset that my beloved Giants won't be playing, but I'm trying to move beyond that.

The subway system has Super Bowl excitement

4) There's a great giveaway in honor of the book, "The Headmistress of Rosemere." The link is in the upper right and it's definitely worth a click. I'll be writing about the book later this month.

5) I've been dreaming of attending  #sofabcon14 in Arkansas in May. I've never been to this conference, but it looks fabulous. But as much as I've been dreaming of the conference, the airfare has been a nightmare. I was thrilled to discover a giveaway for six all-expense paid trips to the conference. They will be looking for the most creative entries and I'm clearing my calendar to put together the most fun, creative and convincing blog post/video/painting I can. Arkansas, here I come! I've been dreaming of you.         

Thanks so much for visiting. I hope you have a great long weekend and take good care!