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"Reading Challenges: a help or a hurt? Do you find that the reading challenges keep you organized and goal-oriented? Or, do you find that as you near the end of a challenge that you've failed because you fell short of your original goals? As a result of some reading challenges, I've picked up books that I would have otherwise never heard of or picked up; that, frankly, I have loved. Have you experienced the same with challenges? If so, which ones? Do you have favorite reading challenges?"

Great topic this week at WG. Reading Challenges. What can I say? I'm a sucker for a good reading challenge. I can't help myself. I do join several reading challenges and I try to complete them, but more often than not I am unable to finish all of them. It's fun trying and I do get to read books that I would not have read otherwise if I hadn't joined certain challenges.

One of my favorite places to find new reading challenges is over @ A Novel Challenge. She posts links to all the challenges on the blog-o-sphere.

If you look on my sidebar on the right, I list the challenges I am currently participating in. They are all fun, and I've met some great bloggers thru these challenges.

I like challenges that are low pressure, this way I don't feel obligated to finish them quickly. One of my favorite reading challenges is Carl's R.I.P reading challenge which runs from September thru October and is all about reading supernatural, thrillers and gothic novels...anything scary.


Some of you know I run my own reading challenge called Romance Reading Challenge which challenges you to read 5 romance books in 12 months. I'm happy to see bloggers participating and enjoying the challenge.







What about you? Do you participate in reading challenges?

title: The Convenient Marriage

author: Georgette Heyer

genre: regency romance

pages: 307

published:1934

first line: Lady Winwood, being denied, the morning caller inquired with some anxiety for Miss Winwood, or, in fact, for any of the young ladies.


rated: 4 out of 5









When the Earl of Rule proposes marriage to her sister Lizzie, Horatia offers herself instead. Her sister is already in love with someone else, and Horatia is willing to sacrifice herself for her family's happiness. Everyone knows she's no beauty, but she'll do her best to keep out of the Earl's way and make him a good wife. And then the Earl's archenemy, Sir Robert, sets out to ruin her reputation...Unbeknownst to Horatia, the Earl is enchanted by her. There's simply no way he's going to let her get into trouble…





Horatia (Horry) Winwood is the youngest of three sisters. At age seventeen, she's not what society views as a beauty, and she herself has pretty much accepted that she will not marry. Horry is short, has severe eyebrows and a studder when she speaks.

Miss Horatia, the youngest of the three, had nothing that declared her lineage except her nose. Her hair was dark, her eyes an profound grey, and her brows, nearly black and rather thick, were quite straight, and gave her a serious, almost frowning, expression. No amount of careful training would induce an arch in them.
She was quite half a head shorter than her sisters, and, at the age of seventeen, was obliged regretfully to admit that she was not likely to grow any taller.

Horry's eldest and beautiful sister, Lizzie, is promised to marry the Earl of Rule.
She needs to marry the Earl to save her family from the gambling debt that her brother has put them in. Lizzie, however is madly in love with Edward Heron. But Edward is is not wealthy and would not be able to take Lizzie's family out of debt.
Horry decides to take it upon herself and visit the Earl and convince him to marry her instead. Being that her other sister, Charlotte, flat out refuses to marry him herself. The Earl is amused by Horry, and he decides to take her up on her proposal, he agrees to marry her.






This book had me laughing out loud. Especially when Horry arrives back home after proposing to the Earl, in his carriage, to the shock of her family. She then announces that he has agreed to marry her instead and that she's convinced him to be a Patron to Edward. Her family can hardly believe it, they have to whip out the smelling salts so the mom won't faint. But true to his word, the Earl arrives that afternoon to officially ask for Horry's hand in marriage.

'And I explained how n-nothing would induce Charlotte to m-marry him, and he did not seem to m-mind that.'

'I shall die,' said Charlottle with resolution, 'of Mortification!'

'Oh Horry dear!' sighed Elizabeth, between tears and laughter.

'And I asked him,' concluded Horatia triumphantly, 'if he would m-marry me instead.' And he is g-going to!'

Her relatives were bereft of speech. Even Lady Winwood apparently considered that the situation had gone beyond the powers of her vinagrette to mend, for she allowed it to slip from her hand to the floor while she stared in a bemused way at her youngest-born.


It was Charlotte who found her voice first. 'Horatia, do you say that you had the Indelicacy, the Impropriety, the-the Forwardness, to ask Lord Rule to marry you?'

'Yes,' said Horatia stuanchly. 'I had to.'

'He cannot,' said Charlotte, 'have noticed the Stammer.'

Horatia put up her chin. 'I s-spoke to him about the S-stammer, and he said he l-liked it!'

As the story goes on, Horry does Marry Lord Rule and she begins to live a life of luxury. Soon enough, she begins to gamble and winds up getting herself a bit of a reputation. She meets a man named Robert Lethbridge, with a reputation himself of being a ladies man. Before she knows it, Horry starts a friendship with Lethbridge, against her husbands wishes. But Horry wants to make Rule jealous, she knows he keeps a mistress himself, the Lady Massey.






I really enjoyed The Convenient Marriage. What a fun, light, and sweet read this was. There's plenty of interesting characters and the plot has good twists and turns. I liked Horry's character, although she annoyed me a little at times with her foolishness. I did like Rule's character, lucky for Horry, he was older and wiser than she was. Horry's brother Pel, who enjoys gambling and drinking was another memorable character. He gets himself into plenty of trouble including a duel over Horry's honor.


Georgette Heyer is one of my favorite authors, I will have to read more of her work. This is my third novel by her and will not be my last. Ms. Heyer had a way of creating a story and just running with it, you never really know what is coming next. She added plenty of plot twists and charm to her books.









About the author:


http://www.georgette-heyer.com/

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, who made the Regency period her own. Her first novel, The Black Moth, published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. Although most famous for her historical novels, she also wrote eleven detective stories. Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one.

Special thanks to Danielle Jackson over @ http://www.sourcebooks.com/ for sending me this book to read and review.

Booking Through Thursday:

One of my favorite sci-fi authors (Sharon Lee) has declared June 23rd Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Day.


As she puts it:


So! In my Official Capacity as a writer of science fiction and fantasy, I hereby proclaim June 23 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Day! A day of celebration and wonder! A day for all of us readers of science fiction and fantasy to reach out and say thank you to our favorite writers. A day, perhaps, to blog about our favorite sf/f writers. A day to reflect upon how written science fiction and fantasy has changed your life.


So … what might you do on the 23rd to celebrate? Do you even read fantasy/sci-fi? Why? Why not?

I'm a fan of sci-fi but for some reason I don't read it as much as I'd like to. I watch the films and tv programs more instead.


One of my favorite Science Fiction reads is
Stephenie Meyer's The Host.







Another very good fantasy read, is Stardust by Neil Gaiman.








And a while ago, when the Star Trek Voyager series first came out, I quickly became a fan. I wound up reading a few of the books based on the series. Don't laugh! They were fun.







I'd like to read more sci-fi, can you recommend any? I've already read Well's 'The War of the Worlds' and enjoyed it too, but I prefer sci-fi with an element of romance in the plot.

Danielle over at Sourcebooks is kindly sending me an ARC of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange. The book will be available on Aug.11th. I am very excited to read this one! Mr. Darcy as a vampire??? You got my attention! I'll be reading and reviewing this one at my blog.

I really like this cover. What do you think?

Amanda starts where Pride and Prejudice ends and introduces a dark family curse so perfectly that the result is a delightfully thrilling, spine-chilling, breathtaking read. A dark, poignant and visionary continuation of Austen’s beloved story, this tale is full of danger, darkness and immortal love.

You can visit the author's blog here or website here.

You can read a book excerpt here over at the Austenprose blog.

Cover Attraction: I’m a very visual person and love beautiful cover art. It doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll read the book but at least I might stop and take a peek instead of walking right on by.

This week’s Cover Attraction is:
An oldie but goodie....Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte





I haven't read this one yet, but it's on my TBR. I like the cover on this one, it's very simple yet eye catching.

Charlotte Brontë's most beloved novel describes the passionate love between the courageous orphan Jane Eyre and the brilliant, brooding, and domineering Rochester.


The loneliness and cruelty of Jane's childhood strengthens her natural independence and spirit, which prove invaluable when she takes a position as a governess at Thornfield Hall. But after she falls in love with her sardonic employer, her discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a heart-wrenching choice. Ever since its publication in 1847, Jane Eyre has enthralled every kind of reader, from the most critical and cultivated to the youngest and most unabashedly romantic. It lives as one of the great triumphs of storytelling and as a moving and unforgettable portrayal of a woman's quest for self-respect.

Teaser Tuesdays asks:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

I could sleep with those things in my apartment, but not well. They whispered to me.

Just After Sunset

by Stephen King