It’s time for a Very Special Good Shit vs. Shit to Avoid, which is also partly a “Help a Bitch Out” request as well. Bitchery Reader L is on bedrest going through hellacious chemotherapy. The drugs have weakened her legs to the point where walking is painful, and so she’s staring at her bedroom walls for way, WAY too much time while she attempts to Kick Cancer’s Ass.
So! She has a request of the well-read and brilliant Bitchery: we’re looking for total escape romance, the kind that sucks you in and pulls you into another world, preferably one with a superb happy ending. We need your favorite “removes me from my present location immediately” romance reads because bed rest + chemo = NEED FOR GOOD BOOKS. L adds regarding the Bitchery:
They are so incredibly smart well-read in the romance area and I suspect other areas as well. If they have any recommendations of funny laugh-out-loud Regencies , I’d really be a happy camper. To give you an idea I love love love Loretta Chase and have read every one of her books, but unfortunately she doesn’t write fast enough.
Bring it on! We’re looking for the very best in uplifting, happy, happy, joy, joy, funny, funny romance. I’m going to open the suggestions to all subgenres, not just Regencies, so as to compile a longer collection list of romance that makes your day better. So please let us know the subgenre of your suggestion.
And special message to L: kick ass, take names, and I wish you many, many happy new years.
Georgette Heyer’s ‘The Grand Sophy’ is sweet, funny, and completely fluffy. I grin like an idiot and converse with small animals whenever I read it.
Best wishes coming to L in your cancer fight!
I’ll second the Sweet Potatoes Queen books suggestion. Those are great, and relatively non-fiction.
I laughed a lot and cried a little at Lani Diane Rich’s “The Fortune Quilt”, which is a contemporary women’s fiction book (but with a happy ending, so no worries).
And though I don’t know which historical classification they fall into, definitely, definitely, definitely read Christine Merrill’s “An Unladylike Offer”, “The Inconvenient Duchess” and “A Wicked Liaison” (whenever it comes out here in the US, if that’s where you are. That woman has a seriously laugh-out-loud sense of humor.
I’m another for the Julia Quinn vote. Also for Julie Garwood, Amanda Quick, Jennifer Crusie and Diana Wynne Jones. You could also try some of Meg Cabots Princess Diaries or the Missing series.
Bad Kitty by Michelle Jaffe had me in stitiches. For an old fashioned fairy tale you could try Shannon Hale and finally The Cat Royal series by Julia Golding whilst technically kids is fantastic and very funny.
Best wishes and Happy thoughts to you.
Ciara
With all due modesty my book, The Rules of Gentility,
a Regency that will make stuff come out of your nose.
Seconding Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Eloisa James, Terry Pratchett, and Jasper Fforde.
And a big smack in the face to the cancer. So there.
I literally read “Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon at the end of every semester as an instant pick-me-up from even my worst stresses. I know it’s not strictly a romance, but I can’t think of another book that so easily draws me in and keeps me there.
My first post and I wanted to recommend my favourite feel-better author – only to find Georgette Heyer was recommended already by half the people ahead of me!! 🙂 My favourite funny Heyers are Cotillion, Friday’s Child, Sylvester and The Grand Sophy but most of hers will make you smile and glow.
Also seconding the Terry Pratchett books (anything featuring Sam Vimes) and The Princess Bride, which is can’t-breathe-for-laughing funny in parts.
For funny but not fluffy romance, I’ll put in a vote for one of my favourite Irish authors, Marian Keyes. Especially Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Sushi for Beginners and Angels.
Best of luck in your fight.
Hey L,
One recommendation: A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest by Marianne Mancusi. Funny time-travel romance about Robin Hood.
Also, check out Paperback Swap for more books as well as forums.
Keep on keepin’ on, and don’t forget we’re all pulling for ya.
as no one mentioned Frederica by Georgette Heyer? That one is hilarious!
For total engrossing escapism you’ve got to go with Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series. Good lord, those books can take over your world for a few days/weeks. Not so much with the funny, but wicked good.
Katie McAllister’s Aisling Grey series is pretty hysterical. That demon dog of hers had me rolling with all the smack he talks.
Anything by Beth Ciotta. She writes wonderfully witty tales. Also, Lisa Kleypas is enchanting.
A happy second for Jo Beverly’s books, particularly the Malloren series. And Naomi Novik’s “His Majesty’s Dragon,” which is totally captivating, though not a romance. All best wishes to you, L.
“Love Is Blind” by Lynsay Sands
anything by Kasey Michaels, especially “The Butler Did It”
anything by Amanda Quick
Are we going outside the Romance box?
Then for laugh-out-loud funniness it’s 100% Tom Robbins’ Jitterbug Perfume. Hell, any Tom Robbins is good hilarious. And having a brain that’s not operating in a linear fashion is a good thing when reading him.
CROWN DUEL by Sherwood Smith—swashbuckling romance with a lot of humor. Other world, has some magic. First half is action, second half is courtly intrigue, with a hero to die for.
Dammit, everyone’s already recommended my comfort funnies…
AH HA – EXCEPT FOR…
Connie Brockway.
If you love Loretta Chase, you’ll love her. She varies between angst and funnies but somehow manages to do both extremely well. With her funnies, go for “As you desire” and her “Bridal” books (first being my favourite).
Oh, and Joan Smith whose regencies are currently available as ebooks. My neighbours probably think I’ve adopted a hyena down to the sounds coming from these here walls. IMO, she comes the closest to La Georgette in terms of banter with a huge helping of wit.
And Janet Mullany is not just blowing her own trumpet – well, she is but she’s justified: I mean I bloody would if I were her. I made the mistake of starting “Rules of Gentility” while having dinner and the results were not pretty…
I obviously second/third/fifty-sixth any Georgette Heyer (“Sylvester” being my favourite), Connie Willis “To say nothing of the dog”, and any Carla Kelly. Also SEP and Jennifer Cruisie for contemporaries. Jasper Fforde and Bill Bryson are great for non-genre laughs.
And come on. Have to mention old ‘Arry Potter…
Get well soon and kick cancer’s arse all ways to Sunday. And then spend the next 6 months telling us what you thought of all, and I mean ALL, the books we’re recommended. You up for that?
I also love Loretta Chase (so happy she’s writing again!), so here is my recommendation for a book that will totally suck you into another world:
ARCHANGEL by Sharon Shinn
It’s not in the romance genre per se, but it is VERY romantic. It’s about another planet where humans and angels live together.
Also, just another rec though you’re probably already read it… THE DUKE by Gaelen Foley. It managed to capture and hold my attention when I was sick with a 105 deg. fever and volunteering in a charity auction, so I figure it had to be good, even though the plot points are a little fuzzy.
L, all my best wishes are going out to you.
Most of my favorites have been named, so I’m only going to add authors I have not seen mentioned yet.
Marianne Stillings – Contemps, but very funny. Her book Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evie, had me ROTF!
Jenna Petersen – Regency, the heroines are female spies
and my all time favorite:
Celeste Bradley – Very very funny regencies, that just pull youinto the story!
I don’t read regency romance but if I were to want a comfort read I would head for Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series or some of her other books.
I agree with so many of the choices. I love Katie MacAlister and Nora Roberts.
Some other favorites: Barbara Michaels: The Dancing Floor; Vanish with the Rose
Diana Wynne Jones is wonderful, besides Howl’s Magic Castle I would recommend The Dark Lord of Derkholm and The Lives of Christopher Chant
An older Regency that is really good is Diana Campbell’s The Counterfeit Countess
Solomon vs Lord is a funny novel similar to the Stephanie Plum
L: Thinking good thoughts for you.
Loretta Chase’s Lord of Scoundrels. It’s just the best thing evah.
And the Princess Bride (William Goldman) will make you smile.
Cancer has no chance against one of us!
Marjorie Liu’s Dirk and Steele series are paranormal romance—you have shapeshifters, healers, conspiracies, and plenty of serious True Love going on. The series thus far is Tiger Eye, Shadow Touch, The Red Heart of Jade, Eye of Heaven, and Soul Song.
Also, Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series is pure escapism. It’s the life of a courtesan in alternate Renaissance Europe. Sex, fancy balls, love, and knights, what’s not to love?
I forgot Stardust by Neil Gaiman. It’s got romance, humor, and I got completely lost in the world Gaiman created. I recommend this book to everybody regardless of their normal taste in books.
I second Julie Garwood-The Secret, Ransom, Guardian Angel, & The Gift. Also Suzanne Enoch Rick & Sam series-Billionares Prefer Blondes and a few others. Susan Elizabeth Phillips Match Me If You Can, Lady Be Good, Nobody’s Baby But Mine. Can’t go wrong with NR-anything by her.
These are sort of fantasy from a juvenile or young adult level, but so good, and full of romance and witty dialog:
Mairelon the Magician
Magician’s Ward
(both by Patricia C. Wrede)
and
Sorcery and Cecelia
The Grand Tour
and
The Mislaid Magician
(by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer).
These books are set in a Regency England where magic works. Sorcery and Cecelia is all told in letters between two girls who are having their first year in society, with lots of romance and spells that are foiled and so forth.
Mairelon the Magician and its sequel follow a girl street urchin type who hooks up with a traveling magician to solve a mystery, also with romance. They’re very fast and funny.
I love Jo Beverley’s regency romances. They’re not all light in tone, but some (like Forbidden Magic) are quite silly.
I echo the Wrede recommendation, and…hell, most of these. Jenny Crusie, Nora Roberts, Julia Quinn, Loretta Chase, Lisa Kleypas—yes!!
One caution on Connie Willis. To Say Nothing of the Dog is beyond awesome (it warms the cockles of my black little nineteenth-century-scholar heart), as is her Bellwether. BUT. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should ANYONE EVER read Lincoln’s Dreams, and unless you’re really in for a downer, L, please do not read Passage.
It’s one of those books I wish I could delete from my brain. ::sigh:: Not b/c it’s not good—it’s brilliant. But I hate it.
Also, if you’re not too picky about historical accuracy, I love Meg Cabot’s historicals (written under the name Patricia Cabot). Kiss the Bride and *especially* An Improper Proposal are awesome.Educating Caroline is good, too, but my favorite is def. An Improper Proposal. (First time sex in the brig of a pirate ship!)
Oh! And Connie Willis reminded me—Dorothy Sayers’s Gaudy Night is one of my all-time favorite books. It’s a murder mystery, but it has the single most romantic proposal in all of English literature in it. (Well…it’s a toss-up between that one and the letter in Persuasion, but I think I’m still going to come down on the side of proposing in Latin.)
Plus, Sayers is funny and witty and makes me want to be Harriet Vane, murder charges and all.
Sending healing thoughts and prayers your way, L
For sheer laugh out loud, feel good I have to say Julie Garwood’s historicals
For screwball comedy, Janet Evanovich
For witty pirate banter, I’d say the Mallory brother series by Johanna Lindsay
For light angst with a touching, poignant and uplifting optimism I’d say Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught
For goofy futuristic hot fun I’d say Knight of A Trillion Stars by Dara Joy
Anything by Georgette Heyer (Grand Sophy, Cotillion, Frederica)
Anything by Jennifer Crusie (my faves are Getting Rid of Bradley, Manhunting, and Welcome to Temptation) Note: Getting Rid of Bradley makes me do that gasping laugh-snort-laugh-snort thing because I laugh so hard)
Anything by Nora Roberts if you’re in the mood for engrossing storytelling with a positive happy ending. Nora has made me burn more suppers than any other author in my life. lol She’s in a league of her own when it comes to sheer solidly good storytelling.
These stories have been favorites that brought a smile to my heart. I hope they bring a smile to yours
M
accckkk Actually the Jennifer Crusie book that makes me laugh so hard is “What The Lady Wants” I enjoyed “Getting Rid of Bradley” but What The Lady Wants is the one that slays me
I suck at remembering titles.
But I love good books.:)
Hang in there, L and kick cancer out of town
—M
It’s not a Regency, but Patricia Gaffney’s Crooked Hearts is a lot of fun (It takes place in 19th Century San Francisco and is about two con artists falling in love).
(apologies if this shows up as a duplicate post… I tried once before and it apparently evaporated into the ether.)
L –
I don’t read historicals, so I can’t contribute to that list, but along w/ Nora and Crusie and the others named, I’d suggest Susan Donovan for light, fun contemporary reading. Her books are:
HE LOVES LUCY
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET
PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION and
THE KEPT WOMAN
She also has a few short stories in some SEAL/Christmas anthologies.
Deborah Smith has written some amazingly good stories that will make you howl with laughter, but fair warning: She’ll also break your heart and run you through any number of other emotions on the way to that ever-so-satisfying ending. My favorites of hers are:
THE CROSSROADS CAFÉ
SWEET HUSH
CHARMING GRACE
And her new one, A GENTLE RAIN, is definitely a keeper as well.
Hang in there, be strong, and know that lots of prayers, good wishes, and cans of Whup Ass are being sent your way.
Diane
I’ll second the suggestion of Sharon Shinn, especially her Samaria series. Not so much for the humor, but because her books are exceedingly easy to get lost in. You’ll generally find them classified as fantasy.
Best wishes!
I agree on Lauren Willig, Julia Quinn, and Patricia C. Wrede (check out her Enchanted Forest Chronicles).
Try Jacquie D’Alessandro’s Mayhem in Mayfair series, which starts with Sleepless at Midnight, and the second is coming out the end of this year. All her historicals are witty, fun, and light.
I can’t believe I forgot to mention Sharon Shinn—I’ve had two co-ed book groups read Archangel, and the men enjoyed it just as much as the women—and Jacqueline Carey and Jennifer Crusie.
And Patricia Gaffney! I love Crooked Hearts, but Outlaw in Paradise is hilarious too.
Add one more Bitch to your side, L. Good thoughts your way.
L,
If you want your escapist immersion to began sooner rather than later and you have a laptop you can read from, email me privately; I have a whole shit load a.k.a a library of ebooks, many genres.
I’d be happy to loan you a bunch.
shaunee
shaunee @ comcast.net
L,
I’m in clean out mode at the moment and have noticed that alot of the recommended titles are on my shelves. Email me and I can give you a list of what I have for you to pick thru and then ship them over to you. Yours to trade in for more or add to your keep shelves.
pure(dot)faerie(at)gmail(dot)com
Re: Caution on Connie Willis… I second the avoidance of Lincoln’s Dreams and Passage.
However, her other stuff mentioned is great—funny, escapist. Along with Bellwether and To Say Nothing of the Dog, I would also suggest a collection of short stories, Impossible Things, which contains Even the Queen (very funny) and Spice Pogrom (think slap stick, Doris Day/Cary Grant comedy of errors).
All the best to you.
Tracy Shields
I tend to find YA really comforting when I’m sick. In that vein I’d recommend Enthusiasm, by Polly Shulman – the setting is contemporary, but the protagonist and her best friend are both nuts for Pride and Prejudice, and clever references are worked through the plot. Nice, satisfying romance in it, too.
Rest up & get well!
L,
Wish I’d thought to offer sooner—I also have many of the books listed here that I can send to you. Email me at bookgirlsd(at)yahoo(dot)com if you’d like some of them.
cheers,
MplsGirl
not Regency, but totally hysterical, Date Me Baby One More Time by Stephanie Rowe. i read it while i was supposed to be studying for boards and putting it down to go back to th board review books just got more and more difficult with each chapter.
best wishes and good thoughts to you!
I saw another mention of Susan Donovan and I have to second (or third or fourth that)…she’s hilarious!
So is Susan Andersen, I love her writing. They are both contemporary writers, but so wonderful.