Friday, September 18, 2009

Report card Time!

Regina is taking today off to finish getting her son settled in college—wishing him all the best for a great freshman year, and a good supply of hankies for mom (I just did this a couple of weeks ago with my son, so I know!)

As we did last year at our blogoversary, we’re pausing to have a look at what we’ve done over the past year on Nineteenteen and what we could do more of…and we’d appreciate your feedback. The list of topics you generated for us last year was an enormous help, so we’re asking again…feel free to suggest! Are there any topics we haven't discussed yet that you'd like to know more about? Anything we’ve already covered that you’d like to us to repeat or go more in-depth on? No topic is too trivial, or too silly, or too anything for us to consider—if you want to know about it, chances are someone else does too.
And do you have any other suggestions? Are our posts too long, or too short? Do you like the images we include, and are there enough or too many? What can we do to make Nineteenteen more useful and entertaining for you?

So please, suggest away! Anyone who comments with a suggestion will be entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of Betraying Season…yes, not an ARC but the actual hardcover edition. So bring 'em on!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I would love to read more excerpts of new books coming out. This is a great blog and I enjoy reading the posts. I really love reading the historical posts. about the places and different ways people lived. Really interesting. Thanks!!!

Unknown said...

I loved the interviews with the book characters, and the thing where you put up three 1800's-looking pictures/images and ask which one ACTUALLY came from the time period.

I just love this blog in general, because I love reading about the 19th century in a non-textbooky way.

Joanna said...

I love everything about the blog. I love the interviews, the excerpts, I love the information that I get to read on it.

I really enjoy the mystery objects. I'm finding that while I may know alot about the Victorian and Edwardian time periods, I dont know everything. And thats what I love about history, you can never know everything there is to know about it.

I think the blog is a great learning tool. Thanks for keeping it up. :)

ChaChaneen said...

Ah, leaving the nest. Sigh... precious.

Well my favorite is the pictures/ illustrations you share with us. They are eye candy! It brings the written words to life to see how something looked like in that era.

I enjoy book challenges or book club style reading where we all read with a schedule and can meet together here in bloggy world to share our thoughts on each chapter, characters, etc. Often I find something new when I hear someone else's perspective on it.

Most recently I enjoyed the Lyme Regis posts. I always enjoy when you share about fashion, I just don't get tired of the pictures. Flirting with props was great, I'll never hold my fan the same way. I enjoyed all the food posts! Things have certainly changed since the 19th century! I enjoyed the dancing posts about how you learned how to dance via the ECD classes. I enjoy your author interviews such as Sarah MacLean!

But mostly I enjoy when you share about your self! For example, when you shared your experiences about the dancing and the conference, it feels like I am there with you and enjoying every minute of it!

Have a great weekend and I look forward to see what you two will brain storm during the next 3 months to bring us in 2010~

Rosy said...

What I especially like about your blog is how you make the 19th century real-er to me. When I read Heyer and Austen (and your books, of course!), I can only vaguely imagine the clothes the characters are wearing and the places they go to, so the pictures you post help me to see what they really would have looked like. I like the details you give us about everyday life for the NineteenTeen, like how they would pay calls or how they were out or not out. Your blogs is a great place to learn the sort of background details that the novelist can't take story space to explain but that help me to live more fully in the story. Thank you, and I look forward to the next year of your blog!

Swallow-inthe-Cloud said...

I think you could write more book reviews then maybe movie reviews as well. The posts on historical places are cool too. I enjoyed reading those.

Rachel L. said...

I love your blog! I think it would be interesting if you posted some things about the lower class teenagers and what they spent their time doing?

QNPoohBear said...

Well, last year I suggested
I'd really like to see a post dedicated to bluestockings and other daring women. You mentioned where the Bluestocking would shop and some of what she would read. Penelope and Persephone and the ladies of La Petite Four are all modern women. Maybe you can highlight some real life examples? Were there any successors to Mary Wolstonecraft?

A Halloween post on gothic novels would be fun too!

Rachel said...

I love your blog! I would love more recipes, the original and then maybe a modern version.

I would also love to see posts on the lower classes and servants.

Thanks again for such an amazing blog!!

Marissa Doyle said...

Oh--I should have said the drawing would be for next Friday, so you have all week. I have a mind like a steel-trap sieve. :)

yabooknerd said...

I like reading about the places people would travel on vacation and what they would see there and where they would go to be seen. this is SUCH a fun blog! And I'm so excited for the new book :)

Tricia Tighe said...

Marissa,

This isn't a suggestion, just a thank you for all the goodies you sent this summer when I won the ARC.

I have a review of Betraying Season up here: www.damselsinregress.wordpress.com.

Congrats on your anniversary!

Tricia

Marissa Doyle said...

Tricia, that was lovely--thank you so much!

Keep the ideas coming, everyone! I'm already putting one to use with today's post, which will be up shortly.

Ashley, we probably won't be doing reviews here. Being authors, it's hard to stand judgement on fellow authors'--and usually friends' or acquantances' books. We will however, always be happy to do author interviews and features on YA books set in our century...if you know of one we haven't done yet, please let us know! We know of a few future releases from friends and are looking forward to having them visit here (hint, hint, Jen!)