If it's Monday, it must be...

...yes, that's right, Manlove! Back by popular demand. A day to talk about all things related to the men lovin' the men. Of course, you will have already checked out the fabulous blog of dear lisabea for hijinks and hot man pics. And if you haven't checked it out, then hurry up and do so!

For myself, I have a bit of a confession to make. I was all set to do some pondering and deep thinking and had planned to write about my introduction to m/m love in books. And then I got side-tracked. Basically, my whole day got eaten up by obsessively watching Season 1 of Doctor Who. Did you know that Netflix does this thing where you can stream video over the web and watch movies instead of waiting for them to come through the mail? Yeah. Pretty cool stuff! Um yeah, so that's why this entry will be short and probably a lot less intelligent-sounding than first intended.

But let's go back to the beginning. I have been trying to think back and recall the very first time that I read a book that included some m/m action. I don't want to count the bits from some of Robin Schone's books (I'm vaguely remembering something from The Lady's Tutor?) where m/m is a kind of shorthand for 'evol and depraved' cuz honestly, where's the love? No, I think the first time I ever stumbled across manlove would have to be when I picked up the last installment in Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty erotic novels. Holey wow! For a nice little Christian missionary girl like me, this was an eye-opening experience. (*cue music to "A Whole New World"*)

From there I moved on to some good ol' Emma Holly. First up was Menage which I got because I thought it sounded kinda spicy. And it was. Only the spiciest bits were not so much the threesomes, they were the intense and passionate exchanges between Joe and Sean. That whole ending where Joe comes back all alpha male and "marries" Kate? Rubbish. I don't buy it for a moment. Those guys have to be together. Whether or not they add Kate to the mix is immaterial. Point being, it was the first time that I was emotionally rooting for the other guy (something like cheering the notorious "other woman" perhaps?) to get the guy.

More Emma Holly followed. Cooking Up a Storm featured a hot Quebecois chef who was very, shall we say, comfortable with his sexuality? And another Holly book, Fairyville, again was all about the connection between the two men that made the book worth reading. All that crap about Magnus and his magical wee wasn't nearly as compelling as Bryan and Alex. (Although I will say that the best scene in the book, for my money, is when Magnus goes down on Bryan...hothothot!)

Which leads me to my first REAL m/m romance novel. Yes, you knew I had to mention it. My Fair Captain by the incomparable JL Langley. I already blogged about this one, so I won't rehash it here. But since then, I'm both eager to jump into more m/m books and also terrified to do so for fear that none of them will live up to my very high expectations after Langley. Now that I've typed that, the solution occurs to me that I should probably start by...um...reading more Langley? righto, sula, you're a real bright one.

Anyways, to finish this rather rambling entry, I figured I'd take a page from my dear buddy lisabea and offer a copy of My Fair Captain to one lucky reader out there. Yeah, ok, perhaps it's just a scheme to get you to comment on my blog, but consider...you could win one of the best reads of 2007! So join in the fun of the day and share your thoughts, recommendations, cheers, jeers, or whatever.

Happy Manlove Monday!

Doctor...Who?

Well I'm now officially addicted to another TV series. Ever since I realized belatedly that I've had BBC America all this time on my cable line-up (I thought it had gone away when we cancelled the extra set of channels but stupidly never bothered to check), I have been revelling in the ability to satiate my Richard Armitage fetish by DVRing Robin Hood. Now, thanks to a hot tip from Carrie Lofty, I've added another show to my 'record all episodes' DVR list. Thanks a lot, Carrie...now I'll be sure to waste hours and hours in front of the tube! lol.

Do I dare to even try give a summary as to what the show's about? I've only watched five episodes so far - the last three of season 2 and the first two installments of season 3. I don't even have all of the characters or plot lines remotely straight. There's this quirky guy who doesn't have a name other than "The Doctor" who travels around space and time in a police box and sorts out problems dealing with various alien forces and manifestations. In the episodes I saw, he was accompanied by a side-kick or assistant named Rose. Now it appears that she won't be in the next season and another gal is being set up as the side-kick. I'm sure that fans have their opinions as to the relative merits of this development. Me, I don't have an opinion. Other than that what I saw made me want to go back and see how the relationship between the Doctor and Rose developed because it was quite obvious in the season finale that there was a something very real and deep between them.

What I quite liked about what I've seen so far is that this show is not strictly sci-fi. It also has strong elements of drama, comedy, adventure, and even little hints of romance. And while I found myself laughing at the almost Peter-Pan like whimsy of the Doctor on than one occasion, the "bad guys" and their nefarious intentions are very real and quite dark. Who would have thought that a tin can that looks like a squared-off version of R2-D2 could actually be scary. When it's gliding around screeching "Exterminate!" in maniacal-robot tones and then shooting people into dust bits, it starts looking a lot less cute. And then there was this super-creepy part in which the humans are being conquered by these machine-like beings and having their brains sucked out and installed into metal bodies. eep!

What makes it all watchable is the human element. The Doctor is a multi-faceted character who is alteratively really funny, incredibly smart, deadly serious, and deeply intuitive. You get the impression that beneath his cheerful and often flippant mannerisisms he is an old soul. From what little I saw of Rose, she impressed me as having her head screwed on straight and not just being a TSTL female side-kick installed for the purpose of making the male lead look stronger and smarter. She's in touch with her emotions, but she's also strong and resourceful. I quite liked her and look forward to seeing the previous seasons.

Now I'm off to netflix to see if I can't find the aforementioned previous episodes. Yay for more entertainment to fill my already busy schedule.

another week gone

Well at least it is Friday. Haven't really felt like blogging much this week. I did finish Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts and Vixen by Jane Feather and may try to write up some very brief comments on them this weekend. But to be quite honest, I'm still feeling a little blue about the previous entry's subject. I know, that's crazy. I didn't know the guy. But there you go. Makes me think about mortality and life and all that serious stuff.

Anyways, I'm also back to having my Tuesday and Thursday nights taken up with MBA classes. I'm studying Operations and Supply Chain Management as well as Financial Management. As boring as it sounds, there are moments of coolness, the times when I'm reading a textbook or sitting in class and I get an "aha" moment. What I'm really hoping for is to be able to take some of the ideas and apply them to my own job. I have a fair amount of flexibility and say-so in how my area is run, but I get so busy in the day to day tasks that I don't often take the time to step back and make a master plan for the year. This is something that I really have to do. I don't want to stay a worker bee, I want to move up in the world. Probably would be a good idea to develop some more organizational skills.

Oh, it looks like lisabea and I (and others?) will be resurrecting Man Love Monday, so stay tuned. I'm contemplating my contribution but still haven't settled on an exact topic. Most likely Emma Holly will figure into it though, since I'm a relative newbie to m/m anything. I'm almost worried that My Fair Captain will have spoiled me. Can they all be that good? Inquiring minds want to know.

K, time to go to work and be productive. See you on the other side!

(I'm posting white shirt just to cheer me up and make me smile. Nothing new to see here, but sometimes you just need comfort eye candy. le sigh)

Can't believe the news today

I remember seeing Heath Ledger for the first time as the young upstart in The Patriot. As overblown as the film was, his passion and youthful energy really jumped off the screen and made me sit up and take notice. Of course, his rugged good looks didn't hurt either, but you got the impression that there was more to him than just a pretty face. And who could forget the rollicking fun of A Knight's Tale? Cheesy and anachronistic? Sure, but what an entertaining movie, and Heath played that role to perfection. The poor boy peeking out from behind the swaggering mask of the arrogant young "knight", longing for the respect of his peers and the love of a good woman. I'll admit, in the intervening years, my travels having taken me away from following films, I had only kept tabs on his career by reading headlines and reviews. I was happy to see that he took the road less traveled by choosing roles that one wouldn't expect of a Hollywood heartthrob. I know that he'll always be remembered for his role in Brokeback Mountain, but I haven't yet seen the film. I'm a sissy at heart and don't want to be sad, and I know that the movie has to be a tearjerker. And now I know that when I do finally watch it, it will be an even sadder experience.

We were the same age. 28 years seems too short. I suppose we'll always wonder what might have been. He left behind an impressive body of work for one so young. And a little girl named Matilda will never know her daddy.

Bleak Weather, Bleak House

It snowed today. Quite a lot actually for this area. So we all got to go home at noon and my night class was cancelled. Hooray for snow days! I took the opportunity to curl up with my latest period mini-series and appropriately enough on a bleak winter day, I watched the entire set of episodes to Bleak House, all 15 of them. Just finished a few minutes ago.

How was it, you ask? Very entertaining, very good. Why the hell can't we clone the BBC and have a few of them over here making movies on a constant basis? In any event, I'm too tired to write a review. I did, however, find a very comprehensive write-up elsewhere on the web and you can find it by clicking here if you're interested.

High points include Anna Maxwell Martin as the central female character. She's got quite a unique face and very serene yet strong presence. I liked her a lot in North and South and it was nice to see her in a larger role here.

Oh and there is some little known actress named Gillian Anderson that shows up now and again...you might have heard of her? Yeah, actually I never did watch an entire episode of the X-files but it was still a bit weird to see her in period dress and speaking with a British accent. Not bad, just weird. I think she did quite a nice job. Very cold and aloof and stuffy. Lovely, dahling...

Alright, off to bed. Too bad the snow has stopped and I will have to go back to work tomorrow but at least we've been told the office opens an hour later than usual. One more hour to sleep in! Or to get up and read some more of Chesapeake Blue. I do love those Quinn boys!

More Richard-ey goodness

Oh la la, I have fallen behind in blogging. What's there to report?

Well, I started MBA classes again for the spring semester. Which means that I'll be back to agonizing about how I "should" be doing homework whilst I'm surfing blogland or reading romance novels.

I watched the first part of Bleak House which looks to be excellent (thanks again, GailK!). I think I'm going to save it for the weekend when I can sit down and watch a ton of it in one go.

I finished my re-read of Devil's Bride after really going at a leisurely pace. It seemed longer than I remember. I still like Honoria because she's a pretty tough cookie and she really never does "submit" to Devil and his high-handedness. Devil I really like because he doesn't see Honoria as inferior or flighty or somehow "less" because she's a woman. Yeah, he's an alpha male, yadda yadda, but I don't think he's an arse. He's protective of his family and those he loves and interestingly enough, he never does actually verbalize his feelings to Honoria in this book (I think he says the big L word later on in one of the other Cynster books). This actually seems in character though and almost refreshing. Oh yeah, and can I just say? Richard Armitage as Devil? Definitely workin' for me. I'm thinking the longer hair ala Guy of Gisbourne but with the sexy white cravat ala John Thornton. ooh baby! Which leads to the next point...

At the moment, I'm enjoying more of dear Richard in his HILARIOUS and adorable guest role in the British sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. He plays the love interest of the woman vicar who is (let's be honest) rather well-endowed and full-figured. How cool is it to see THE hottest guy in town falling crazy in love with a woman who doesn't fit the stereotypical heroine profile? And did I mention that the whole episode is freakin' funny? And that Richard is hotter than hot? Ok, so I did.

Heads up, all you RA fans...if you haven't put the Vicar of Dibley: A Holy Wholly Happy Ending on your netflix queue, you're missing out!

A little teaser...



And you should really check out this clip and skip ahead to 8:00 for Richard as a sexy accountant bargaining over kisses "with tongues"! *g*

Period mini-series watch-a-thon

And you thought I was going to talk about that neat Jane Austen fest that's going down over at PBS starting tomorrow....

Nope. (Although I do have my DVR set up to record and all). I've been ensconced in a veritable plethora of BBC dramas thanks to my friend GailK. Yesterday and today I watched an adaptation of Edith Wharton's The Buccaneers (whose cast included a very young Mira Sorvino) and this evening I have gotten 1/3 of the way through George Eliot's Middlemarch. tumperkin, I have spotted dear Rufus and he is a doll. Here's hoping he gets the girl in the end. I still have Bleak House and Elizabeth the Virgin Queen to get through as well. Good times.

In other news I did a bit of shopping today and managed to snag some post-holiday clean-out-the-store sales. I love a good bargain, and I REALLY love shopping for clothes in my new size(s). Speaking of sizes, what is up with standard sizing? It seems that every single label has their own chart because I never know what I should try on and end up grabbing 4, 6 and 8 and it's a crap-shoot as to which will be my size. pfft. Anyways, cute clothes inspire one to keep up the healthy habits and whatnot. I even did pilates in front of the TV whilst watching my period dramas. *g*

On the reading front, I finished DoY (le sigh) and let me just say that Richard Armitage plays a fantastic Derek. At least in my head he does. Now I'm a chapter or so into Devil's Bride. And wouldn't you know it, but the hero is dark and handsome and I might just have to slot poor Richard into playing that role as well. One can never have too much Richard, imho. Nor too much of this picture.

Man Love Monday spillover...

Just because it amuses me, here's a Guy of Gisborne/Robin Hood slash-y fan video. Enjoy...

Man Love Monday - Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade review

And now for the second part of my contribution to Man Love Monday...(if you still haven't checked out the awesomeness on lisabea's blog, make sure you do!)


Now we move to a more somber and serious story. I’m a longtime reader and fan of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books. When Lord John Grey showed up, I must admit that I wasn’t very fond of him. Mainly because he carried a torch for Jamie and I’m irrationally protective of Jamie. He’s Claire’s (and mine of course, but that doesn’t count), and I don’t want anyone else lusting after him. Like, I said…irrational. But since Lord John has started starring in his own series of mystery stories, my views on him have taken a complete turn.

I “read” Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade as an audiobook. There is something to be said about curling up in bed, in the darkness of the night and falling asleep gently to the sound of a story. Each night as I got further into the story and got to know Lord John better, the more I was intrigued by him. He’s a man of intense honor. A soldier who knows how to lead men and how to inspire loyalty. And yet, he must keep the most essential part of him a secret. I found it fascinating how LJ is both completely comfortable with his sexuality (in a conversation with a lover, he says that he’s never wished he was not gay) but yet completely in the closet. He HAS to be for the sake of his career, his family, and his very life. Being a gay man in 18th century England was not accepted. Indeed, there were repercussions far worse than simply being looked down upon. Dishonor, ruin, even prison and death.

This book is not a romance novel but does contain romantic elements. As far as the actual plot of the story is concerned, it is like any good Gabaldon tale. Long and seemingly meandering but everything falls together in the end. Long ago, the death of Lord John’s father cast a shadow of scandal over the entire family. Although it was accepted a suicide, LJ is certain that it was in fact murder and new information prompts him to undertake a quiet investigation. In the meantime, his regiment is preparing to reenter the war in mainland Europe, he embarks on a new love affair and all the while manages to balance everything with his trademark wit, grace and dry sense of humor that makes him such a memorable character. Something that I particularly enjoyed was the delicate and unspoken dance of words, gestures and double meanings that serve to convey meaning between himself and other gay men right in plain view of everyone. For an excellent example, check out the following excerpt.

As it happened, I was listening to this book at the same time I was reading My Fair Captain. The juxtaposition of gay men in an open society vs. gay men in a closeted society was really quite interesting. It made me very sad that Lord John would never be able to openly experience a loving relationship with a partner of his choice. By the end of the book, I was aching for him and what seemed to be a lonely future stretching before him. I know that Gabaldon isn't finished with him yet and he still has a role to play in the Outlander books, so I'll continue to hope that he finds some measure of happiness. And I'll continue to have a little crush on him.

A

Man Love Monday - My Fair Captain review

Yep, it's Man Love Monday! Be sure to check out lisabea's blog for hilarious commentary, HAWT photos and loads of fun. My humble contributions will come in the form of book reviews. Let's begin, shall we?

I have to be honest. I did not expect to be particularly interested in reading an m/m romance novel. To be sure, I’ve read books that had gay secondary characters as well as ménage stories which included some m/m action. But my first love is historicals and I was under the impression that given the rigid social structures in the past, a satisfactory gay love story would be difficult if not impossible to find. I like my HEA and how happy of an ending can one have with the shadow of an oppressive disapproving (and downright dangerous) conservative society hanging over your protagonists’ heads? Enter J.L. Langley’s gay space Regency, My Fair Captain. Yes, you read that right. Gay space Regency! All of the fun clothes, stuffy balls, horses and carriages and social rules but recast in a totally gay society.

Captain Nathaniel Hawkins commands an intergalactic Navy space frigate. Banished from his own home planet years ago after a duel, Nate lives the life of a rough and ready warrior. Sent to the planet Regelence to investigate a case involving missing weapons, he finds himself in the middle of a highly formalized Regency-like society where young men are chaperoned and sought after in marriage by older more experienced men of the Ton. King Steven and his consort Raleigh are Nate’s hosts, and as luck would have it, one of their five sons literally falls into his lap. Aiden is a young, headstrong artist who has no interest in playing the marriage mart. He is only interested in furthering his training in art and wonders, “Why did everyone think a man needed a consort and children to make him complete?” (sound familiar?)

Readers of historical romances will pick up on the types right away; what makes the book so fun to read is that the standard formula we all know is turned just slightly on its head. Nate is the alpha hero. Strong, masculine, straightforward and just a little gruff, he can’t understand why he’s so attracted to Aiden. Although naïve and unsure of all the new feelings coursing through him, Aiden finds himself drawn to the dashing captain and reconsiders his antipathy towards marriage. They engage in a courtship that includes all of those delightful little Regency scenarios. The first waltz at the ball. A furtive kiss away from the chaperone’s watchful eye. Nate making his intentions known to Aiden’s parents. Even the standard “being caught in a compromising situation and being forced to marry in a hurry.” It’s all there. Oh and did I mention the wedding night? I have to hand it to Langley. This was hot and romantic and thoroughly believable. A natural physical expression of the emotional connection between these two men and not something merely meant to shock or titillate the reader.

There’s more to the story about the missing weapons and the dastardly bad guys who are trying to take over the world (or something) but I found myself skimming over that stuff to get back to Nate and Aiden. The developing relationship between them rings true and becomes more involved throughout the book. And the supporting characters like Nate’s adopted son and Aiden’s parents and brothers all have distinctive personalities and propel the story along. When I finished the story, it was with a big sigh and a sloppy grin on my face. And that’s what I really want out of a romance novel.

If you, like me, are new to the world of man-love romances and you want a good place to start, you could do no better than My Fair Captain. I know that I’m keeping Langley on my list of authors to watch and I can’t wait to read another story set in Regelence. Much thanks to lisabea for getting the word out on this book.

A-

showing my true colors

If you hadn't noticed yet, I'm not a blogger that reads a lot of new releases. I do try to get about one a month or so depending on the author and the buzz, but honestly, I can't afford all new books all the time. I'm a huge fan of the library and more recently started using paperbackswap a lot. Oh and then there is always trading with other online bloggers and buddies. (thank goodness for the ARC fairy).

Yesterday, I made it to the library before closing time, and after dropping off the DVDs that were due, I made the requisite head-turned-sideways shuffle down the paperback shelves. For some reason I wasn't in the mood to take chances and instead ended up with a lot of old favorites that were just begging for a re-read.

First off, I made a beeline for the classic Lord of Scoundrels. Apparently, enjoying this novel makes me a woman who is either the equivalent of a 13 year old masochist or who likes abusive heros. Huh? Alrighty then. Honestly, I don't mind people disliking books that I like. Heaven knows I hate a lot of books that get raves. But you don't have to make assumptions about the "kind of women" who read a book you don't enjoy, do you? Oh well. I am determined to make lemonade out of lemons. Last month, I read a thread at AAR about how someone hated The Serpent Prince, so I picked it up and reread it...and loved it even more! That person did me a big favor by getting me interested in the book again. So I will happily reread LOS and feel the lurve once more.

I kept going down the alphabet and saw a group of Jane Feather books. Now back in the day, I used to read Feather a lot. I'm not sure what happened but I haven't read her in years. Well, I seem to remember reading The Hostage Bride and enjoying it. And it was so long ago that it might as well be new to me. Into the stack it went.


Next up, the Kleypas section. Ooh, Dreaming of You was back on the shelf. Our library's copy of this book is tattered and worn and speaks to how beloved it is. It's rarely on the shelf, so when I see it, I often just have to grab it. Yeah, I've read it, but it's always good. A comfort read. And this will be my first time reading it post N&S. Richard Armitage dancing through my head as Derek? Natch.


After K comes L. And what could be a better guilty pleasure (and probably shows how much of a tasteless romance reader I am at heart) than a reread of Stephanie Laurens' Devil's Bride? I think Laurens' Cynster books were the first set of pb romance novels that I actually spent money on and purchased new. They seemed awesome in college. Ok, so that whole Cynster schtick hasn't really aged well and nowadays they all blend together, but going back to the ORIGINAL is always a good time. Devil and Honoria. Alpha male falls in love at first sight. To have and to hold. la ti da ti da....

So far all of my choices were re-reads. Comfort food, so to speak. I thought that I ought to include at least one new-to-me book. I believe I may be the only blogger in romancelandia who hasn't glommed and followed the entire JD Robb In Death series. And I'm not shooting to read all 500 or so books just to catch up with everyone. BUT I thought it would be worth seeing what all the fuss is about, so since Naked In Death was in stock, I semi-reluctantly topped off my stack with it.

Who knows when I'll get a chance to read all of these great books. Manlove Monday is coming up and I need to go away and collect my deep thoughts so that I can be worthy of participating in such a weighty event.

More movies to recommend

Seems like my blog has become more of a movie review area than a book review site lately. Guess all that TV I watched over the holidays with the family and/or boyfriend has something to do with that. Anyways, I simply must throw in a little post about the movie we watched last night. I recently discovered that I have in fact had BBC America on my line-up all along (and all this time I assumed that I didn't and have been missing hours and hours of RICHard in Robin Hood...arg!) Annnyways, I saw a preview for what looked like a historically set movie with a romance, so naturally I set up my DVR to record it.

Under the Greenwood Tree is based on a novel by Thomas Hardy. Unlike my previous experiences with Hardy, however, everyone does not die in the end. Hooray! This is a cute little story about a simple village with rather ordinary people. Miss Fancy Day has recently moved into the village to be the new schoolmistress. In very short order she finds herself being courted by not only the richest farmer in the area (a rather blustery and chubby old fellow) but also a poor working man and the local parson. To mix things up even more, the parson is dead set upon pulling his little village into the modern era whether they're ready or not. He's just purchased a "harmonium" (an organ?) to replace the "choir" that has traditionally provided music in church. He wants Fancy to play the new instrument which automatically sets her up as something of a usurper in her new hometown. Fancy's father is dead set upon her marrying up and actively encourages the suit of Mr. Shiner, the richest man in town. But Fancy finds herself drawn to poor Dick Dewey (yes, you have to love the name) despite her better judgement as to who makes the best husband material.

What I enjoyed about this movie was that it felt gentle and charming. None of the main characters are part of the gentry, they are all country folk. It all felt very sweet. Also, the actors seemed very well cast. The handsome young country boy was played by James Murray, whom I don't think I've ever seen anywhere, but he was adorable. Check out those blue eyes!

Viewers of the Forsyte Saga will also recognize Parson Maybold as none other than Montague Darty. A bit of a change, but he does well as the pompous if well-meaning preacher with a very high opinion of himself.

Fans of light romantic drama set in Britain will probably want to put this one on the netflix queue. I'd recommend it for an evening of relaxation. It's no North and South (but really, that is in a category all of it's own) but in it's own way a very nice little film.

on the road again, and again, and again

Happy new years indeed. Last night my brother, my boyfriend, and I went to a small party hosted by a few of my friends. It was lovely, good food, good company, dancing, etc. but we had to cut it short because my brother was supposed to catch a flight at 8 o'clock the next morning. It takes about an hour to drive from my door to the airport and security lines being what they are nowadays, we got up at 5am and left the house by 5:30 in order to be there with plenty of time to spare. Mind you, I was the one who woke up early, made a hot breakfast for everyone, woke them up, herded them out the door in time, etc. We get there fine and drop him off, heading back for home just as the sun peaks up from behind the mountains. After getting home, we crash into bed, bleary-eyed from lack of sleep and look forward to a nice leisurly morning sleeping. Forty-five minutes later, my cell phone rings. I miss the call. I look at the number. No one I know. It rings again. Against my better judgement, I answered this time on the off-chance that my brother's flight was cancelled due to bad weather at his destination. Well, it was my brother but the flight wasn't cancelled. It was just supposed to leave at 8 o'clock at night. ARG! Why in heaven's name did he not double-check, triple-check and brand this information on his mind? So being the pushover I am, I fell victim to his whining about having to spend 12 whole hours in the airport and I drove back to pick him up. And I still have to drive him back tonite. And then drive home. I calculate that I will have spent about 6 hours of my last vacation day sitting in my car. If there was a way to insert a very angry looking emoticon, you would find one here.