25 May, 2008

Joanne, the Unpredictable


We managed to get a few more boxes unpacked this weekend--I think it will be years before everything we have finds a new spot. But among the boxes and boxes and boxes left in the basement is one I can't seem to find: My collection of "Joanne" books. Oh, it's there somewhere, I remember moving it. I just have to dig down to it.

A few years ago, I started collecting books with my name or its variant, Joanna, in the title. They all look kinda cool lined up on a bookshelf. I picked up another one this weekend: Joanne, The Unpredictable, by Katheryn Kimbrough. It was published in 1976, when I was way too young to be reading such bodice rippers. The plot:

Joanne was the most stunningly beautiful and dangerously willful of all the Phenwick women. Even before she reached the age of twenty, she knew how to be all things to all men in order to turn them into puppets of her desire. And from the moment she arrived at Merrihew Manor, the ancestral Phenwick family estate in England, she began to cast her spell over everyone from her elegant, aristocratic cousin, to the handsome, virile master of the neighboring property, to the worldy, irresistibly charming man of the theatre who was visiting from London.

Life at Merrihew Manor was a whirling, intoxicating masked ball of romance for Joanne--until she realized the occult horror that ruled this ancient place, and felt the tightening embrace of a satanic force that neither her beauty nor her guile could disarm or deceive...
What a hoot. It has it all: occult horror, a gothic estate, and a beautiful young heroine. It may have to be this summer's poolside reading. Er, if I hung out at the pool, that is.

Some people collect Precious Moments figurines, I collect books with my name in the title. What's your freaky collecting habit?

8 comments:

Jen said...

"Puppets of her desire" LOL...
I am a dish a holic. But I am recovering. The oddest thing...We also have a small collection of rocks. From places. We've been known to pack them in a suitcase to fly home.
Silly us.

"What do they have in that heavy bag...Rocks"...well Yes.

Joanne said...

You, my dear Jenni, are not alone! I collect Rocks from Places, too! I have a fishbowl full of them.

And whenever I travel outside the country, my friend Patrick says to me, "Bring me back a rock."

Marilyn said...

"tightening embrace of satanic..." Oh, Joanne, delightful! You really should copy and frame that cover.

Our collections are varied and crazy: floaty pens, pressed pennies, rocks from everywhere; Pearl Buck novels, Marjorie books, penguins, and rusted metal signs; Josie collects busts. You know, of people. Washington, Napoleon, Eleanor Roosevelt. Told you we were nuts!

Joanne said...

Oh, Marilyn! I love rusty old signs. I currently have a few in my eBay "watch" list. I want to get one for the door to what we're calling the electrical room--a 10 by 3 foot room with a couple of shelves and the circuit breakers for each unit. I picture something with a skull and crossbones and lightning bolts everywhere.

Looks like Jenni is definitely not alone on the rocks thing.

Jen said...

Ok so maybe it is not so weird to pack rocks in your suitcase.

I have pressed pennys too. I forgot about them.

I also have a ton of travel magnets. I kept them on the side of the old frige. I have to come up with a way to display them in this house. Since the frige is stainless and magnets don't like stainless.

Marilyn said...

Jenni, we have a lot of travel magnets, too, and in the new (old) house we paneled the fridge with wood, and guess what? Nothing to do with our magnets. Driving me crazy.

Totally off-topic and long-winded - but all the rock-collectors out there should watch a very cute Lucy & Desi movie, "The Long Long Trailer." They play honeymooners in a big 50's RV, and Lucy collects a rock from everywhere they go. Eventually the trailer's too heavy to go uphill - and as you can imagine, chaos ensues. It's very funny - and a little too close to home! :)

Joanne said...

I totally remember that scene!

LadyCiani said...

Lately I am collecting plants.

My husband said, "I knew you collected books when I married you. I didn't know you would collect plants!"