Guilty Pleasure #7- Obsession with Historical things

I've been reading the romance genre probably my whole life. My romance reading started when I was young (they weren't the steamy kind then) but then my reading addiction abruptly took a back seat during my teen years. Then came marriage and then pushing out 3 babies in six years. So once again, not much romance reading took place then. 

After years and years of maybe picking up only a few books a year, I started to dabble in the other areas of romance. See I was primarily just a contemp romance reader. Then a very good friend of my went head over heels for this Outlander series. She started talking er typing to me in a Scottish brogue and everything suddenly became "verra" Scottish and I seemed to become a "lass". 

I respect my friend's opinion verra much so picked up Outlander by Diana Gabaldon  and promptly didn't talk to any of my friends for about 3 months. Why you ask? Because I was blown away and decided to read the entire series. The thick books of the Outlander series kept me up all night and I was even tempted to call into work sick so I could read. Ok I never would do that but I was tempted. 

That was pretty much my first taste of the historical genre. Granted Outlander isn't a "historical romance" but it was historical and all the research that goes into those books makes it quite accurate (with a fiction spin). 

I couldn't get enough of past events.  Every book I bought had to be historical romance. I started googling moments of history. I wanted to experience and understand everything from the past I could. I kicked myself so badly for not paying attention to history in school and for not knowing anything about my region. 

So here are some crazy things I did with this obsession about history. 

I increased my book collection x10 with historical books. My top five favourite series are: 

1. Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

2. Ok just to be out with it, ANY and I mean ANY historical by Julie Garwood. She is a goddess to me!

3. The numbers series by Sarah MacLean - You have to get these books. 

• Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake
• Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord 
• and her newest release (which I still haven't read but will soon Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart

4. The MacKenzie series by Jennifer Ashley

• The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie
• Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage 
• and coming in August is The Many Sins of Lord Cameron

5. The Hathaway Series by Lisa Kleypas  (honestly Lisa is amazing at any of historical but that series is my fav)

Ok book part over...what else did I do?  My fellow guest reviewer Julie and I went to see Historical Fort Erie. We got to dress up and everything. I was so excited because I got to hold a real life leather flogger.

I also went and bought out our local Blockbuster video store of anything historical. Yes I still have to say that Titanic has to be my all time favourite movie. So much so, that I went and got professional photographs taken of me in an outfit that a high society lady would have worn on the Titanic. Now this was a lot of fun and I totally recommend to anyone. It took hours and hours to get me just ready for the shoot. Everything was authentic right down to the hair style and clothes. These photos were taken by Dana Brushett Photography. She is a genius and she handles all sizes of women. The pictures are stellar and a real self esteem booster!

What else did I do? I wanted to visit a historical town with all their wonderful elements. I wanted to visit museums and touch bricks that were put there 200 hundred years ago.  Let me share some wonderful shots from historical Charleston, NC. I could post about a hundred pictures here but just two for now. 

This was the Bed & Breakfast that we stayed at. It was the John Rutledge House Inn. EXCELLENT!

So I think it is clear that when I jump on a bandwagon, I give it my all. What have you done in the lines of obsession? 

PS - stay tuned for Scotland pictures someday. It is still an obsession of mine.