Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Recent Reread - and other stuff.

First off – I changed my wallpaper. I tried to find the meme that went around so I could find instruction on how I did it before, but I couldn't so I’ll just have to post the picture. A mighty fine backdrop me thinks!

(yep - no question - I'm obsessed! )





Making out my top 100 list has caused me a lot of nostalgia for some of my older treasured books. I’ve been reading them for a while now – since I started the ‘Guess that Book’ contest – which will resume shortly by the way. Now, although I have a TBR pile that is starting to really freak me out, I’ve been called by The 100 to read them all again. I tried ignoring their call, but they woke up when I started listing them and the darn things are getting louder in their screams. So what can a reader do except heed them?

Silk & Shadows by Mary Jo Putney

Published: December, 1991

This one is book No. 28 and the loudest of the bunch. I think when I read The Serpent Prince, that’s when this one really started to roar at me.

Here’s a brief blurb from Barns & Noble:
Cutting a dazzling swath through Victorian society, wealthy and seductive Peregrine weaves a web of desire around Lady St. James, who's pledged to wed Peregrine's enemy. Only the burning power of love can pierce Peregrine's chilling silence about his secret past and hidden purpose, and Sara plunges into a whirlpool of uncertainty with a man who has everything a

woman could want--and fear.

I’m happy to say this reading was just as good as the first.

In this historical, Mikahl Khanauri is a mysterious visitor to England from the East. We quickly learn he has come to England to finally begin his revenge that he has been planning on for years and to help in that revenge, he is willing to use Sara St. James, a strong young woman with ghosts of her own, who just happens to be engaged to his most bitter enemy. But as we read along we learn that Mikahl is not at all what we think he is.

Mary Jo Putney wrote some of the best books back in the 80’s and this is certainly one of them. It’s a story of revenge and the power of love.

I adore Mikahl in this book. Like Simon from The Serpent Prince, he’s not always easy to like and he does some very questionable things. But he’s a fascinating and very charismatic character.

Sara is a very strong heroine and works wonderfully well as his conscious. She is a great match for Micahl.

I’m not sure how easy it is to find. I’ve had my copy for years. But it is well worth the effort to find.

This one is definitely a 5 out of 5!


I’m not sure if I mentioned it or not, but before heading to visit Nance, I ordered quite a few books and while we were there, I bought quite a few more. They’ve gotten a bit mixed in the TBR pile that terrifies me so hopefully I remember them all. This was my haul

Of course I had to get all 3!













I had to get this one - she lives in the same city as me.






(I now have the entire series of these ones too without reading a one of them yet - and they are trade sized!)
















And I think I got more - but they are all jumbled up now.

'til later

15 comments:

Jace said...

And what a haul it was! *lol*

I read Awaiting The Moon, have Awaiting The Night in the TBR, am wondering if I should get Awaiting The Fire. One of those tough life decisions. *grin*

Anonymous said...

We've a poster that the Radio Times gave out free, with Robin Hood on one side, and Guy of Guisborne (Richard Armitage) on the other. Sadly the children keep wanting it hung with Robin Hood to the front...

Mind you, I'm not enjoying the second series so much. The first series was silly, but didn't realise it was, which made it fun in a so-bad-it's-good way.
This series they've obviously made a conscious decision to embrace the silliness, which makes it less fun to watch.

Though Guy had a nice moment with Marian last week. He may be evil incarnate, but given a choice between him and Robin...

Kristie (J) said...

Jace: I'm pretty sure there were a couple more - and of course there were the 3 I bought on the way home last night that I didn't mention or the ones I ordered from Harlequin that should be arriving soon. It's going to take another whole post to get them all in. And yet - I'm reading books published years ago that I've already read - many more than once.

Marianne Mca: which just goes to show what do kids know doesn't it? I've watched Robin on the YouTube videos and oddly enough I can barely remember what he looks like. Now Guy on the other hand.
I know what you mean about the first series, though I've yet to watch 90% of it myself. It must be kind of like the original Star Trek show - so bad that it's good. And how cruel you are to torment me with the Guy/Marian comment when I live on the other side of the pond and can't watch it. I know a number of people who have BBC America on their satellites and they are really impressed with what they have to offer. Hhhmmm thinking while I type. I have BBC Canada here. I wonder..... I shall have to investigate this further.

nath said...

LOL, great haul :D I can't wait for you to review some of them :D The Mary Jo putney sounds great... unfortunately, I have a bit of difficulty getting into her books :(

sula said...

ooh, delicious photo, Kristie. As for Robin Hood....who's he? That hot bad guy, that's the one I want. lol.

You totally beat me to the punch on the Silk and Shadows re-read review. I had reread it about two weeks ago and started to write a review but never did finish it. Needless to say, I found it just as good this time around as the original time I read it some 8 years ago. :)

Anonymous said...

I love each of Mary Jo Putney's books in the Silk trilogy. They've been re-read to the point of tatters, but it has been awhile and now that you've put the bug in my ear I'm going to pull them out. Again.
Jane A.

Kristie (J) said...

Jane: My copy is pretty tattered too :). I didn't enjoy Ross' story quite as much - I really didn't understand her motivation for leaving him, but I really liked the third one too. I'm just finishing up Thunder & Roses now and it's another one that's just wonderful. I think they really have stood up well and aced that test of time we sometimes have if we reread old faves.

Sula: Isn't that a grand picture?!? I tried leaving the computer on last night (it's in the bedroom) but *laughing* it didn't really work. First off I felt a bit foolish - like when I was a teenager and used to post pics of Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders all over my bedroom walls. Then the screen went dark anyway and the computer hummed annoyingly so that was a failure.
And I hope you finish up your review of S&S. I'd love to read what you have to say. *it's almost eerie isn't it, how are brains travel the same wavelength*

Nath: She's a hit and miss author for me. Granted she has many more hits than misses, but if you've hit some of her misses, I can see why she wouldn't work. I'd say if you can find S&S at a Real Good Price in a ubs, you might want to give it a try. I haven't read her myself for quite a few years - not since she ventured into the paranormals. And even before that some of her books didn't work that well. But some of her earlier books are real treasures.

Anonymous said...

OMG! My heart stopped over that picture of Richard! And the funny thing is I watched the first season of Robin Hood a few months ago and had no clue who he was, but I wanted to see Guy rather than Robin and wanted Marian to marry Guy.
Passion for the Game has to be Sylvia's best book to date!
To Tempt a Scotsman has been very slow reading for me, but Dahl can write some yummy sex scenes!
Aw Silk and Shadows is one of Putney's best. It has been so long since I have read her books.
But seriously, who can even think of reading if you keep putting picture of him up! *Drool...* Kristie, if you marry Richard can I be the mistress?

Anonymous said...

Kristie, I went and looked, but unfortunately the clip of this week's show on the BBC website doesn't show the Guy/Marian moment.
There is an interview with Richard Armitage about the role, if you're interested.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/drama/robinhood/ram/videorichardarmitage2?size=16x9&bgc=6699CC&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&nbram=1&bbram=1

sula said...

yeah Kristie, our brainwaves seem to be crossing all the time lately. lol. spooooky!

MJP was one of my stand-by authors back in the day, but I have not enjoyed her recent paranormal stuff. I'm curious to reread Ross's story now after having gone back to Silk and Shadows. Wasn't he the one that was involved with an artist? Or am I mixing up my series...

Kristie (J) said...

Katiebabs: I found it under the wallpaper section on the official BBC Robin Hood site - and well - just couldn't resist. Will Turner is a mere boy to me know :)

Marianne Mca: I tried the link but I couldn't get it. I don't have the right plug-ins or something. I checked another way, but it kept loading and loading and loading and nothing happened. And I checked the BBC station here and all they have is news :-( Must be like the British version of CNN (although more unbiased I'm sure!)

Sula: Ross' story is he married very young and very shortly after that his wife left him and had a fling with another guy - then decamped for Egypt. He found her by accident years later leading a tribe of warriors. She told him the reason she left was because she was frightened of loving him too much. I thought "ooookkkkaaaayyy?? That's a pretty darn good reason to leave someone you love - because you love them". I think her name was Julia (it's been years since I read it and I only read it once). The third book is about Julia's brother who thinks he is dying or something IIRC. I liked it much better but only read it once too.

sula said...

ooooh yeah, now I'm starting to remember. She was annoying. I liked Ross tho and wasn't the story set in Egypt and/or other exotic locale? I remember liking something about the setting.

Now I'm going to be frustrated trying to think of the one with the artist. waaaaait...ok, the hero was Michael and the heroine Catherine. I think. Michael Kenyon? That sounds right. Now if I could remember the name of the book. lol.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, the reason Juliet left Ross was because she and Ross loved each other so much that she felt consumed and smothered. Whatever. But I try to ignore that part and concentrate on the rest of the story which IMO is pretty darn good. I think one of the reasons I like the last two books in the Silk trilogy is the setting which is fabulous.

Sula - Catherine and Michael were in Shattered Rainbows, my favorite of the Fallen Angels books. But I think the artist is Kenneth, isn't it? His story is River of Fire. But now I can't recall, was there an artist in Shattered Rainbows?
Jane A.

Kristie (J) said...

LOL - Sula: Jane's right. I think you are getting your Putney's mixed.
Silk Trilogy
Silk and Shadows
Silk and Secrets & Juliette takes place in Persia and that area.
Veils of Silk Ian (Julia's brother)& Laura takes place in India. He's impotent and she's scared of men.
(I had to double check on Amazon)
And Jane's right. The artist is River of Fire from the Fallen Angel series.

Jane: I just couldn't warm up to Michael at all after he was such an ass in Thunder & Roses. *g* I vaguely remember this convesation from AAR.
I couldn't forgive Michael after what he did in Thunder & Roses. Wanting to kill my poor Nicholas was bad enough - but the thing that really did him in was what he did before (if I say what, it's a major spoiler ;-)
Now I'm going to have to reread all those old delightful Putneys again. Good thing mine are easy to find now *g*

Dev said...

I have Highlander Untamed in Mt. TBR and hope to read it soon. I've got lots of good books buried in there ~ I just need to decide which one to dig out next.