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32. Georgette Heyer, Pistols for Two
This collection of short stories is typical Heyer - it’s funny, sweet, romantic, and full of Regency goodness. Since the stories aren’t connected to each other, there’s no easy way to summarize the book as a whole - so I’ll just summarize some of my favorites! In “A Clandestine Affair,” an old maid (in her early 30s) worries about her niece’s romantic entanglement with an unsuitable man, but is completely unprepared to encounter her own long-lost love. In “To Have the Honour,” a young soldier returns from the Napoleonic Wars to find his estate grossly in debt, and his family urges him to marry his childhood friend, who is now a beautiful heiress. And in my personal favorite, “Hazard,” a brooding marquis wins the sister of one of his drinking buddies in a card game. The only story I didn’t particularly enjoy was “Night at the Inn,” which was actually rather creepy and gruesome - not something one looks for in Heyer! One of these things is not like the others…. Other than that, though, romance fans will enjoy Pistols for Two - I only wish Heyer had expanded all these stories, which were far too short, into novels!
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I updated my 2009 book list today and realized something: all the books I've read this month have been written by women. And of all the books I've read so far this year, only seven have been written by men! I can't help feeling that this is somehow a Bad Thing. Should I be expanding my horizons more? Am I a sexist reader? Am I ignoring all the great male-authored stuff out there? Some of my favorite books are written by men, yet I tend to gravitate towards the female authors. I guess it's because I can't resist a good love story, and guess who writes most of those. :) Interestingly enough, the contrary is true of my taste in music - the vast majority of musical artists I like are male. I bet Freud would have a field day with this.