My Top Favorite Books of 2012

Of all the 142 books I read in 2012, some of the books were published in 2012 and some were from my to-be-read pile and those pubbed before 2012. As a result, I have a list of favorites of all the books I read in 2012 (some of them re-reads) and a list of favorites of all the books that were published in 2012 and that I read in 2012. The items in the lists are in no particular order. (For a complete list of my books, go HERE.)

Published & Read in 2012

At Your Pleasure by Meredith Duran
The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal
When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris
Bringing up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman


Read in 2012

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
At Your Pleasure by Meredith Duran
My Dearest Enemy by Connie Brockway
The Proposition by Judith Ivory
Untamed by Pamela Clare
When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris
Bringing up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman
The Rake and Refromer by Mary Jo Putney
A Grand Design by Emma Jensen
Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh
Confessions from an Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville
Kiss Me Annabel by Eloisa James
Kissing Comfort by Jo Goodman
Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman
Marry Me by Jo Goodman
Hazard by Jo Beverley
Devilish by Jo Beverley
The Irish Warrior by Kris Kennedy
Defiant by Kris Kennedy
Reforming Lord Ragsdale by Carla Kelly
Libby's London Merchant by Carla Kelly
The Devil's Delilah by Loretta Chase
Knaves' Wager by Loretta Chase
Isabella by Loretta Chase
A London Season by Joan Wolf
Lord Richard's Daughter by Joan Wolf
The Arrangement by Joan Wolf
Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas
Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

Books I Read In 2012

The list of books that I read in 2012 are grouped by various sub-genres of romance and then by various genres. Within each category, they're listed in no particular order. Books marked with "(2)" indicate that I re-read those. Go here to read the list in its entirety.

Pride & Prejudice Quiz

Happy 200th Birthday, Pride & Prejudice!

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that we all like a good literary quiz," so in honor of the birthday, The Telegraph has put together a fun quiz on the story.

Do give it a try, and let me know how you did.

Picture Day Friday: Chatsworth House

The 2005 movie version of Jane Austen's book Pride and Prejudice features Chatsworth House, the stately seat of the Dukes of Devonshire in North Derbyshire, as Mr. Darcy's Pemberley.

Pride and Prejudice Turns 200 on January 27

Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the first published copy of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, the BBC is putting on an authentic recreation of a Regency ball, titled Netherfield Ball. It is to be filed on location at Chawton, Hampshire, where Austen spent the last eight years of her life.

According to The Independent, "in the 90-minute [BBC] special, Pride and Prejudice: Having A Ball at Easter, experts will re-stage the planning and rehearsals for an early 19th century ball, as well as [look] back at the first-hand testimony of ball-goers of the time."

The program will look at all aspects of the food, beverages, costumes, dances, music, furnishings, and decorations. Experts—such as food historian Ivan Day, literary expert Professor John Mullan, author Amanda Vickery, curator and expert on the history of dress Hilary Davidson, and Stuart Marsden and Dr. Anne Daye who will choreograph the dancing—will ensure that all the details are authentic to the time period, place, and Austen's work. The program will also explore the social history of Austen's world.

Note, this ball is not open to public, even at exhorbitant fees, so I wonder who's going to get chosen (and how) to participate in the filming.

Would you be interested in participating in such a ball, or do you prefer to watch it on your television?

Archelogical Evidence of Jane Austen's Home

Jane Austen was born in 1775 at the old Steventon Rectory in the Hampshire countryside and lived there for nearly 25 years. She wrote Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility there. After her family moved to Bath, the rectory was soon demolished and the land became a pasture over the years.

A recent archeological dig at the site has unearthed foundations and objects and revealed secrets of Austen's early home life.

"Contemporary records and an initial geophysical scan of the ground was used to identify the exact position of the house. No visible signs of the building remained, aside from a blocked-off well. Project director Debbie Charlton, of Archeo Briton, said: 'It was nerve wracking when the first bricks appeared. We weren't 100% sure we were in the right place when we started.'"

The revealed foundations match the description of the house published by Austen's nephew. Even then, he knew that Austen was going to be popular and fans would be seeking all such details about her.

The scientists unearthed nearly 500 shards of china, storage jars, wine glass stems, and clay pipes and 1,000 nails. Plate shards reveal the famous blue willow pattern that the family would've eaten off of. "The initial studies of the finds of pottery and storage utensils have revealed a more down-to-earth existence of the family" than depicted in Austen's books.

Scientists hope that "the finds will go on display at Basingstoke's Willis Museum when a full study has been completed."