Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Romance Readers Guide to Historic London, by Sonja Rouillard - Way Cool!

I've got a book to recommend that I guarantee you've never seen the likes of before.  It's the Romance Readers Guide to Historic London. Sonja Rouillard has put together one of the coolest books I have ever seen. Let me quote Chapter 3 in the Table of Contents:  "Then and Now - Famous historical sites from romance novels and what they are now." Isn't that just the neatest thing?  Chapter 1 starts with Emma, from Jane Austen, speaking to her husband, Mr. Knightly, in London in 1816. Emma has just come back from the year 2017 and is trying to explain what she saw. Her husband, quite understandably, is skeptical, to say the least. This is so cleverly done that it sets the tone for the rest of the book.  Are you curious?  Of course you are.

So besides these historical romance sites, what else does the book have? I will give you the titles of the other chapters, with their explanations:

Chapter 2 -    How to Time Travel - Instructions for taking a walk in the footsteps of your favorite heroine
Chapter 4 -    Ye Olde Maps
Chapter 5 -    Dining - like an English lady or a bloke in a pub
Chapter 6 -    Sleeping - like a princess or a governess on holiday
Chapter 7 -    Walk, Float, or Dance - into the romantic past
Chapter 8 -    Shopping - in Merry Old England
Chapter 9 -    The Country Life - easy day trips and overnights to charming villages and nearby palaces and castles
Chapter 10 -  Before You Go - What would Emma advise?

Even the Appendices are interesting.  I kid you not:

I      Novels quoted in the Guide
II    Suggested novels to accompany your journey
III   Link to end notes
       Image credits & additional acknowledgements
       Alphabetical index

And on top of all the great information, there are tons of old-timey black and white photos that are really rad.  Most importantly, you don't have to be a romance reader or even a reader at all to enjoy this book.  I will tell you that an enormous amount of time and research went into the making of Romance Readers Guide to Historic London.  (19th century) Hats off to Sonja for coming up with a concept that provides information that is just so darn unique.  Nice job!




8 comments:

  1. Thank you, Lloyd, for your kind review. I'm so pleased that you liked it! For more information or to buy it in print or ebook go to https://www.amazon.com/Romance-Readers-Guide-Historic-London/dp/099874090X
    Thanks again! Sonja

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  2. That would be great to take on a trip to London!

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  3. You're right, this is a cool book! It would be great to take a trip to London and follow the author's guide. It would be like visiting the places and the feelings associated with the books we've read.

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    1. Agreed (even though I don't think I've ever read any of those Jane Austen-type books).

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  4. Sounds great! Now all I have to do is arrange for a trip to London....

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