Announcement: Part II

 

I have been so excited to tell you about this that I can barely stand it. I promised you something big and something pink. Here it is!

Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series will be coming to a close when the twelfth book is published in August of 2015. The Pink books have been a great ride, and I have gobbled them up like candy every time a new one was published. The challenge for readers of a series that has climbed to twelve books? Keeping twelve books’ worth of characters and events straight in your head. Lauren is a whiz at bringing back characters we haven’t seen for a few books and giving them new jobs to do. When I read the tenth book last August, Lauren tossed in a few references that I knew I recognized, but I couldn’t remember quite why. Next year, when Pink XII is released, I want to be up to date with what’s going on. I need to go back and reread the whole series to get ready.

So guess what? I’m going to do just exactly that. Starting in September 2014, I will read one book a month until, voilà, the twelfth book is published in August 2015. That means one year of Napoleonic spies, balls, treasure hunts, sword fights, secret assignations, mistaken identities, heroines of all stripes, and plenty of other good stuff. I’m calling this Pink Extravaganza “Pink for All Seasons.”

The best part of it all? Several of my fellow Pink Enthusiasts are coming with me, and we want you to get involved too! Miss Eliza of Strange and Random Happenstance (who designed the beautiful banner and is generally amusing and awesome), Erin, and Beth have all signed on to pick their favorite Pink book and lead a month of fabulous reading. We’ll talk about read-alikes, characters, history, popular conventions, deleted scenes, casting in our “if-only” movie adaptation scenarios, and plenty more.

Did I say the best part? Perhaps I spoke to soon. If you are a regular here, or know me at all, you will know that my affection for Lauren rivals that of Leslie Knope for Ann Perkins .

 

Because Lauren is incredibly gracious and kind, when I approached her about hosting this year-long reread, she agreed to autograph a copy of each of her books for me to give away here on the blog.

To sum up: One year of Pink reading. One book per month. Guest bloggers to guide us through. Prizes. General frivolity. This is going to be an amazing year.

Have you read the Pink books? Do you have a favorite? If you do, and you’d like to participate in Pink for All Seasons, let me know! So far, the only books that are spoken for are these:

• Pink I: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
• Pink II: The Masque of the Black Tulip
• Pink III: The Deception of the Emerald Ring
• Pink V: The Mischief of the Mistletoe
• Pink VIII: The Orchid Affair

That leaves seven Pink books for you to choose from, if you are so inclined! Send me an email at ashley.pinkforallseasons@gmail.com, and we can talk about how you can participate.

If you haven’t read the Pink books, this will really be the perfect time to give them a try. I mean, it’s not just me who thinks they are awesome. Lauren’s books have been Romantic Times Top Picks and RT Readers’ and Reviewers’ Choice nominees and winners. Her books have won a RITA, a Booksellers Award, a Golden Leaf Award, and regularly appear on the NYT Best Sellers lists. September is right around the corner, but you have plenty of time to get yourself a copy of The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and get excited. This is going to be awesome.