I read the news and watch the news. I get Entertainment Weekly. I know my TV programs. I know two months in advance which movies I’m going to see over the summer and I have a good idea which ones I’m going to regret having spent my time and money on. I love my books. I read and re-read my favorite books. I trumpet to the rafters the shows, movies, and books I love.
Sometimes, though, I miss things. Really, really good things. Just in case you missed them too, here are some really good things I missed the first time around.
Asking for Trouble
is a wonderful book by Elizabeth Young, published in 2001 and later adapted into the dreadful 2005 Debra Messing movie, The Wedding Date. If you’ve seen the movie, forget it. This book is hysterically funny, in the realm of Bridgit Jones, though better than that, I thought. I devoured it within twenty-four hours, enjoying the development of characters, the chemistry between the hero/heroine, and loving how they both enjoyed the twisting lies that developed the plot toward an ending I did not see coming.
I laughed out loud, gasped in delight, and sighed with pleasure by the end. If you love some chick lit, grab up this keeper and savor it over a rainy day or a laze on the beach. It’s better than chocolate and I could have used it as a mood-enhancer years ago.
Penelope
is a movie starring Christina Ricci and James McAvoy, whom I loooooove beyond reason so I’m not sure how I missed this movie when it arrived in 2006. A modern fairytale setting with a good old-fashioned curse that turns on an updated twist, this movie will reach tweens, teens, and even their cynical old parents. There is joy enough for everyone here.
Lord of Scoundrels
by Loretta Chase is a book I’ve long heard exalted as an example of fabulous romance writing. The reformed, redeemed rake of a husband, the gorgeous and smart heroine with none of the ridiculous dithering all too often found even among contemporary heroines. The laugh-out-loud plot twists lead to a teary-eyed smiling conclusion. Published in 1995, I found it only this year. Yes, people, I am sometimes very, very slow. This is now one of my favorites, has been given the seal of approval by my darling mother, and sits on my keeper shelves waiting for its turn to cheer me up on a bad day. Or on a Friday. (Hey, maybe This Friday!) If you’ve long given up on historical romance, give this one a chance to turn you around. It’s worth the try, I promise you.
And as I’ve learned time and again with these and other examples, don’t be afraid to catch up on something you missed the first time around!