Elements in Lit 201: Peerage continued

In our last lesson, we talked about the different ranks in British nobility. It drew a lot more questions (which I love!) and also helped me personally answer a Jeopardy question 🙂 The nature of these questions was about the proper way to address each level of the Peerage and about other countries’ classifications. So, today, I thought we’d take a look at how to address our ‘betters’.

In my search for info, I found a great site that goes into to lots of detail about how greet, in writing or speech, the nobility, among many other details, including the role of women. I can see now how complicated those times must have been, knowing how to refer to someone and who would be considered equals or subordinates. I’ll give a few examples here:

If you were writing a letter to a Duke, you would address it to “Dear Duke of…” …

The International Giveaways Cafe (27)

The café is prepping for the big New Years celebration later today. I just want to take a moment to wish everyone a happy, book-filled New Years where we all look forward to more interactive book news and reviews with our awesome readers. See you call again in 2012!!

There’s always room to add in new giveaways below, as well as enter any contests that are still active. So, if you have a few minutes to relax between big meals and opening gifts, this is the place to visit 🙂

Remember to let us know if you’ve won anything recently that you’ll get the chance to read now? (though reading time may be scarce at the moment) The Book Lovers would love to hear! At Book Lovers Inc., it’s our pleasure to share the bookish love! Good luck to everyone and hope you enjoy …

The International Giveaways Café (26)

The café is all abuzz with activity this week, prepping for tonight’s big event (is it already Christmas in your part of the world?). We’re passing out eggnog and treats all day long, celebrating as people around the world welcome family and other guests, open gifts, and share in the joy of the holidays. With this in mind, we wish you all the best of the season: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa…and if you don’t celebrate any of these, Happy Festivus 😉

There’s always room to add in new giveaways below, as well as enter any contests that are still active. So, if you have a few minutes to relax between big meals and opening gifts, this is the place to visit 🙂

Remember to let us know if you’ve won anything recently that you’ll get the chance to read now? (though reading …

The International Giveaways Café (25)

The café is opening up a little later this week, ’cause we know how desperate you’ll all be for refreshments by the noon hour. To that end, why not kick back and relax for a while and check out the contests that are still ongoing through this week! There are a few links below that expire today, so remember to check them out before it’s too late.

And if you have anything new to add, nows a great time to share your giveaway info here. Us booklovers know that the regular hustle and bustle of the holidays is ten fold with our ‘real’ lives and our blogging duties too. A nice little book win would go miles to making this time a whole lot brighter, right?

Remember to let us know if you’ve won anything recently that you’ll get the chance to read now? (though reading time may be scarce …

Explore This! Malta

I seem to be in a vicious cycle of revisiting past locations in any of the books I’ve been reading lately, so I thought I would take a different route today. I’m currently reading I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley. The book takes place somewhere in the English country side, but I thought it would be much more interesting to see where the author lives.

In fact, Mr. Bradley grew up in a town not 20 minutes from where I live now, but he has since moved to the lovely island of Malta. I have to be honest here, I had no idea where Malta was and (forgive me, anyone who resides there) at times mistake it for Madagascar (it might be time for me to bone up on my geography lessons :p ).

Anyway, I hope you’ve packed your bathing suit, as I whisk you away to …

The International Giveaways Café (24)

Welcome back to our Saturday morning get-together, where we have the chance to discuss book giveaways, link up our own giveaways, and enter all the others.

If you’re anything like me, book buying is a thing of dreams through the holidays. Thankfully, there’s lots of great giveaways running out there (including our Advent Calendars, which are awesome!), so there’s still chances to win the books that may not be in the budget.

My Saturday includes Christmas shopping (which I’ve just started); how about all of you lovely readers out there? Are you madly shopping over these last two weeks. Or have you done all the shopping, and now get to sit back with the egg nog, listening to carols and wrapping? (If so, can you stop by my place to help me wrap?! 😉 )

Have you won anything recently that you’ll get the chance to read now? The Book Lovers would love …

Advent Calendar Day 9: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones + Giveaway

Welcome to the 9th day of Book Lovers Inc Advent Calendar. Each day we will offer you one great read in a giveaway on all 24 days till Christmas.

Today you will have the chance to win a signed copy of First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones! *Whoo Hoo* First Grave of the Right, being a debut novel this year, had a cool back story and was a whole lot of fun to read/listen too. If you like quirky characters (obviously, I do :p ) then you’ll really enjoy this one.

Purchasing Info: Amazon, Book Depository, Chapters, Author’s Website, Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they …

Elements in Lit 201: Rank and File

If you’re anything like me, when reading historicals, there’s always a time when I have to run off to my reference books to check out one detail or other for historic truth. There’s another thing I’ve noticed when reading these types of romance novels, and it needs constant clarification (at least for me): What the heck do all these ranks mean? You read about the roguish Baron, the wicked Marquess, the daring Lord, but authors tend to insert snippets about how these characters are ranked in relation to others. ‘He shouldn’t be saying that to so and so, he’s of a higher rank’ kind of deal.

I thought it would be neat to take a look at how the British nobility are ranked and what it all means (I chose British because of the frequency of the Regency Romance, etc. and its ties to Britain. Other countries may be …

New Releases: Dec. 5-11, 2011

Shaedes of Gray by Amanda Bonilla

In the shadows of the night, Darian has lived alone for almost a century. Made and abandoned by her former love, Darian is the last of her kind—an immortal Shaede who can slip into darkness as easily as breathing. With no one else to rely on, she has taught herself how to survive, using her unique skills to become a deadly assassin.

When Darian’s next mark turns out to be Xander Peck, King of the Shaede Nation, her whole worldview is thrown into question. Darian begins to wonder if she’s taken on more than her conscience will allow. But a good assassin never leaves a job unfinished…

Demon’s Like it Hot by Sidney Ayers
I Heart Vegas by Lindsey Kelk
Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch

That Old Black Magic by Michelle Rowen
Ruthless by …

The International Giveaways Café (23)

Welcome back to our Saturday morning get-together, where we have the chance to discuss book giveaways, link up our own giveaways, and enter all the others.

We’ve made it into the first week of December, which means the holiday parties, Santa sightings, and other fun holiday events are in full swing. The one thing I dread at this time of year is hearing the carols starting in November. Once the snow hits the ground, it’s a whole different ball game though, helping to get me into the spirit of the season and all that. Have any of you had snow yet? Are you in the holiday spirit? Anyway, good luck with any entries and thanks for stopping by.

Let us know what your weekend has in store. Have you won anything recently that you’ll get the chance to read now? The Book Lovers would love to hear!

At Book Lovers Inc., it’s our …