It has been said that playing favorites isn't nice, but sometimes it's impossible not to! Join me at The Hiding Spot as I share a favorite author... and the author shares a few favorite things too.
Y.S. Lee
Genre: Historical Mystery YA
Book(s):
A Spy in the House Review
The Body at the Tower
The Traitor in the Tunnel (2012)
The Traitor in the Tunnel (2012)
Y.S. (Ying) Lee's novels may be set in stiff Victorian London, but that doesn't mean they're dry. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Mary Quinn's adventures as a spy are filled with danger, intrigue, and romance!
MY FAVORITES
I love both of the Mary Quinn mysteries, but I had to pick A SPY IN THE HOUSE as my favorite since it's Mary's first adventure... and she meets James for the first time. James is completely swoonworthy and the banter between the two is filled with romantic tension and humor. But, trust me, if you read the first one, be sure you have the next one ready to dive into immediately - you're not going to want to wait!
Character: Mary.
She is, without a doubt, one of my all time favorite heroines. She's smart, brave, and has a strong personality. I can't wait to dive into Mary's next adventure! (Which won't be out until 2012! *sniffles*)
Scene: The Wardrobe.
I decided I would share one of my favorite scenes instead of my favorite quote, then I realized how incredibly difficult that would be - there are so many scenes that I think back on with a smile, but many are spoilery! Then I remembered the passage I fondly refer to as "The Wardrobe Scene;" I love it so much that I mentioned it in my review of A SPY IN THE HOUSE! It occurs early in the novel when Mary is searching for clues in her employer's office and must duck into a closet to avoid detection. Of course, she doesn't realize that the closet is already occupied...
THE FAVORITE FAVORS
BOOK: "Middlemarch" by George Eliot
I think everyone in the world should read this novel. It’s absolutely beautiful – a quiet, subtle, detailed portrait of a small community that says everything you need to know about Victorian England. Just stunning.
FOOD: Steamed Dungeness crab with ginger and spring onions. Or maybe potato chips.
WORD: Quiddity.
(I was going to choose “fisticuffs”, but Courtney Summers beat me to it.) It’s fun to say. Its primary definition (the inherent “thingness” of something) is awkward. It has secondary, totally different definitions (related to “quibble”). And I love that it sounds so solid yet is so tricky. I haven’t yet worked it into a Mary Quinn novel, but remain hopeful.
CHARACTER: Peter Wimsey...
...from Dorothy L. Sayers’s detective novels: perfect wit and dazzling intelligence in one effortless-seeming package.
HOLIDAY: Driving through rural Malaysia with my husband.
We met so many warm, interesting people, the food was astounding, and every hour was an adventure.
For more information about Ying and her novels
check out the links below:
+JMJ+
ReplyDeleteWow! I can relate to almost all Ying's favourites! (Well, except the driving through rural Malaysia part, much less with a husband . . . LOL!)
This is a pleasant surprise because these coincidences don't always happen. I usually read about writers who are cool people but very, very different from me; now I find out about someone who seems both fun and "normal." =P
I had to return Middlemarch to the library before I could finish =(
ReplyDeleteQuiddity is a fantabulous word! I am going to try and use it in a sentence (I have an urge to edit my review of the Agency #2 just so I can use the word...).
Ok I got nothing.
The second book already came out (I would die if I had to wait till 2012). And I'm pretty sure the third book comes out in 2011. Which is so far awwwwaaaayyyy.
The Wardrobe scene is definitely the best scene from the first book.