It's too easy, you see, to get trapped in the past. The past is very seductive. People always talk about the mists of time, you know, but really it's the present that's in a mist, uncertain. The past is quite clear, and warm, and comforting. That's why people often get stuck there. Susanna Kearsley, Mariana

Susanna Kearsley, The Rose Garden

October Just One More Page BPC 📚 // Day 3 ➜ Faceless.

Title: The Winter Sea | Author: Susanna Kearsley | Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (2010)

Favorite Reads of April '24

“Some of these things are true and some of them lies. But they are all good stories.” Hilary Mantel in Wolf Hall Being Elisabeth Elliot: The Authorized Biography: Later Years Ellen Vaughn. Though I’ve known that Elisabeth Elliot was the wife of Jim Elliot (a missionary killed in Ecuador in 1956), that’s pretty much all I knew about her. A shame since she was living and writing during my younger…

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Season of Storms: A Susanna Kearsley Reissue

My first Susanna Kearsley was The Shadowy Horses, and I fell and fell hard: for those shadowy horses, and for the characters in that novel, and for the lush, almost mythic prose with which Kearsley brings worlds to our fingertips. Season of Storms, much to my surprise, is slightly later than The Shadowy Horses, but at least in this reading, my first, it felt much more like an early novel than…

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Seems Charles Lamb's quote was quite popular. From Susanna Kearsley's, "Season of Storms".

November Reading Wrap Up

Books I Actually Rated Surprisingly none this month.

Stand Out Books from November The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan, Translated by Earl Jeffrey Richards Originally written in 1405, many of this book's central arguments are still being made today. While the book feels incredibly "modern" (thanks in part, I think, to a very readable translation), many of the arguments are steeped in religious philosophy and occasionally argue for a status quo that would be unacceptable to most modern readers. A good read if you're interested in women and religion or feminism through history.

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 edited by Rebecca Roanhorse I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. Particular standouts: "Colors of the Immortal Palette" by Caroline M. Yoachim, who writes beautifully about being between worlds culturally and mortally. "The Red Mother" by Elizabeth Bear, which I want a whole series about this protagonist. "Broad Dutty Water: A Sunken Story" by Nalo Hopkinson which envisions a world under water from climate change and how humans continue to survive.

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley I've thoroughly enjoyed most of Kearsley's works and this was no exception. They usually have an element of magic or time bending and this one involves the ghost of a Roman centurion and a lost legion. The romance felt like it progressed naturally and it was nice to see attention to detail with the archaeology.

What I'm Reading Now I'm in the middle of so many things because I keep having to read what needs to go back to the library. I've got Latchkey by Nicole Kornher-Stace, which is shaping up to be an interesting sequel to Archivist Wasp, Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, which is a fascinating premise but I'm not holding out a lot of faith that he'll stick the landing, and One for All by Lillie Lainoff, which is a very solid YA novel so far. I've also just started With Golden Visions Bright Before Them by Will Bagley, which is a non-fiction discussion of the California Gold Rush. This is book two in Bagley's Overland West series, which will unfortunately not be completed due to the author's death. I read the first book, So Rugged and Mountainous when I worked at the Gateway Arch as background research and loved the writing style and deep dive into the time period, so I've been excited to finally pick the second one up. I'm also in the middle of the manga series Liselotte and Witch's Forest by Natsuki Takaya, who also did Fruits Basket, a classic shoujo manga and personal favorite. It's super cute!

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month So many recently published sequels that I've got on hold! N.K. Jemisin's The World We Make, Freya Marske's A Restless Truth, Cherie Priest's Flight Risk, and Sue Lynn Tan's Heart of the Sun Warrior! The next volume of the Mieruko-chan manga just came out and I can't wait for the library to get it.

Reading Challenges I finished r/Fantasy's Book Bingo! I'll do a post at some point with all the prompts and the books I read for them. I've only got two left for Book Riot's Read Harder, which is good because they'll be announcing next year's any day now. I'm reading One for All for 23. a book by a disabled author, and I've settled on Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper for 20. an award-winning book from the year you were born. I've also got No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai on hold as I try to read through all the works that inspired characters in Bungo Stray Dogs.

Okay, nice ask week ask -

What other books/tv would you recommend that have a similar vibe to Outlander?

OOOOOO this is such a good question!

ok number one book rec for an outlander vibe except with better historical research and editing lmao would be anything by Susanna Kearsley. Woman is a master. Historical fiction, magic, ghosts, soulmates, etc etc etc. Delicious stuff. Mariana, The Rose Garden, and The Winter Sea, are especially outlander-esque.

For non-magical historical fiction that makes you feel like you've been hit by a truck, may I suggest Amy Harmon? Especially Where the Lost Wander. I've only read two of her books but whewwwwwwww. beautiful ouch.

And currently my other fave historical fiction has been anything by KJ Charles. Mostly non-magical but wonderfully queer. Happy Endings all around 🥺

Anything I missed, @flyinghome-againstthewind, @theawkwardterrier?

The world becomes a wider place, with but a little learning.

Susanna Kearsley, The Firebird

The years might change our outer selves, but underneath it all we stayed the same, we kept our patterns

Susanna Kearsley

Susanna Kearsley, The Rose Garden

If you enjoyed the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, here are some book recommendations that you might enjoy:

"The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger: This novel tells the story of a man with a genetic disorder that causes him to time travel and his wife who must navigate their complicated relationship. Like Outlander, it features a time-traveling love story that spans multiple eras.

"The Bronze Horseman" by Paullina Simons: This historical romance is set in World War II-era Russia and tells the story of a young woman who falls in love with a soldier. Like Outlander, it features a passionate romance set against the backdrop of war.

"Dragonfly in Amber" by Diana Gabaldon: This is the second book in the Outlander series and continues the story of Claire and Jamie. If you enjoyed the first book, you will likely enjoy this one as well.

"The Winter Sea" by Susanna Kearsley: This novel tells the story of a woman who is writing a novel set in 18th-century Scotland and discovers that the events in her book may have actually happened. Like Outlander, it features a romance that transcends time and historical elements.

"The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" by Lauren Willig: This historical romance is set in Napoleonic-era England and France and tells the story of a young woman who is researching the identity of the Pink Carnation, a spy who helped bring down Napoleon. Like Outlander, it features a strong female lead and a historical backdrop.

These are just a few suggestions, but they all share a similar theme of romance, time travel, and historical elements!

Tag Game About You

Thank you for the tag @a-reader-and-a-writer! ❤️

💜 nickname: Becca, Becs

💜 star sign: Leo

💜 height: 5’7 3/4″

💜 last thing i googled: "lewis pullman tuxedo” (here’s why)

💜 song stuck in my head: “CUFF IT” - Beyoncé

💜 # of followers: 167 (I’m smol)

💜 amount of sleep: 6-7 hours a night

💜 dream job: art museum curator

💜 wearing: sweatshirt and sweatpants because I’m cold af

💜 movie/book that summarizes you: Jane Austen’s Persuasion

💜 fav song currently: “I Wanna Be Yours” - Arctic Monkeys

💜 aesthetic: a mix of dark and light academia with a splash of cottagecore and mid-century modern.

💜 fav authors: Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Emily Henry, Susanna Kearsley, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, Tessa Dare, Eloisa James, Lauren Willig, etc etc etc (I swear, far too many to name!)

💜 random fun fact: I’m two degrees separated from Ryan Gosling and three degrees separated from Chris Evans. Thanks, cuz!

No pressure tags: @writercole @wildbornsiren @antiquitea @fuckyeahhangman @blue-aconite @imjess-themess @rhettabbotts @fanboygarcia @mothdruid @lorecraft @princessmisery666 @bradshawsbaby @aimmyarrowshigh @starlight-and-seafire @cartoon-heart @hederasgarden

🌙⭐️

🌙 favorite book?

I’m terrible at picking just one favorite of anything, but one of my favorite books is definitely Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read that one. I also love just about anything by Susanna Kearsley!

⭐️ current favorite tv show?

I’m currently watching Virgin River on Netflix, which I really enjoy! The last series I watched in its entirety was The Offer, which I loved for obvious reasons 😏