Everything Austen

If you have been reading my blog for a while you know I've been on a Jane Austen kick, ahh ... for about a year now. I'm thinking it as making up for lost time. Until last summer I had never read an Austen book, though I had seen the Hollywood version of Emma and Sense and Sensibility. This past year my reading lists have been filled with Jane Austen's six books, Jane Austen themed books, and enjoying movie adaptations of Jane Austen's books.

Guess what? I'm not done yet.

So, when I heard of a Everything Austen challenge, hosted by Stephanie at The Written Word, I knew I was on board. Why do I love this challenge? Well, let's see. We are challenged to read books written by or themed from Jane Austen. We have 6 months to read or watch 6 titles (Now that I can do, I'm a slow reader.) Watch? That is correct, we can also watch a movie. Not much arm twisting needed, I've always been a sucker for period movies.

So here is my list (the first three books are already sitting by my bedside table):

Me and Mr. Darcy - Alexandra Potter

The Diary of Captain Wentworth - Amanda Grange

The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Joy Fowler

Rude Awakening of a Jane Austen Addict - Laurie Viera Rigler. (I read Rigler's first book in this series, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. The book left you with many questions, mainly how did Jane Mansfield adjust to her new 21st century surroundings. Thank you Laurie for not disappointing your readers by completing the story for us.)

So that is 4 books. Now for some movies. What shall I watch? Actually I'm not sure. After reading The Jane Austen Book Club I'll look for the movie. I heard Lost in Austen is good. Any one seen Bride and Prejudice? It is a Ballywood version of Pride and Prejudice.

Have no fear, I will be watching at least 2 Jane Austen themed movies. And if all else fails there is always Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice.

Happy reading.

Spring Reading Thing

Since the Fall Into Reading Challenge, 2008, I've been stalking visiting Callapidder Days daily regularly, wondering when the spring reading challenge was coming. Plus, reading her great postings.

Well, the Spring Reading Thing - 2009 begins today. On the first day of spring, go figure the irony. And my books are stacked and ready to go!

The fall challenge pushed me to finish the Jane Austen portion of my Jane Austen Read-a-Thon. This spring I continue my Jane Austen fascination by reading the Jane Austen themed books. Last summer a friend introduced me to such books as Austenland and Me and Mr. Darcy. I was ordering these books, through Paperback Swap, and ready to read when it occurred to me I may enjoy them more if I actually read the works Jane Austen. To this point I had only watched the cinema versions of Emma and Sense and Sensibility. And so I read them, all 6 works, after each book rewarding myself by watching the movie version.

So, first on my list: The Jane Austen themed books. (In no particular order)

The Jane Austen Book Club, Karen Joy Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Alexandra Potter
Austenland, Shannon Hale
Captain Wentworth's Diary, Amanda Grange
Mr. Knightley's Diary, Amanda Grange (in the mail)
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, Laurie Viera Riglere (Presently on my wish list at Paperback Swap.)

***All these books were ordered through Paperback Swap. An economical way to collect the books, and when I've completed them I can re-swap them for new books.

But I can't start these yet. Presently I'm reading a book written by Alan Alda, and so starts the Nonfiction section of my list.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, Alan Alda
Play By Play, Neil Conan
Leap of Faith: Memoris of an Unexpected Life, Queen Noor

Why these? Well, because they have been collecting too much dust while sitting on my bookshelf, and I really do want to read them. Once again, the last two books in this section were acquired from Paperback Swap. (Alan Alda's book I borrowed from my Mother-in-Law, a media center coordinator at a local private school. A librarian in the family is a good thing.)

And the final section, Devotional:

A Woman After God's Own Heart, Elizabeth George
*This book I began during the last challenge. Yes, I'm still working on it. If you remember it took me 8 months to complete Beth Moore's The Patriarchs.

When that is finished I'll start another book. What is the title of that book, I don't know? Yes, I have the book. Yes, I know where the book is, somewhere in the basement with all the other books from my now empty bookshelf. The living room just received a new coat of paint and everything has yet to be returned to it's proper place.

That is my list. A little more ambitious then the fall challenge, then again reading Jane Austen was ambitious in and of it self.

And what is on your list? One of the fun parts of this challenge is reading the lists of others, and finding new books to read. For the next challenge.

Let the reading begin!

Austen Update

If you remember, this Summer was an Austen Read-A-Thon. Apparently, I need more then one summer to read 6 books. Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey remain on my to-read-list (plus all the spin-offs that started this little reading fest), but at this time I'm taking a break from Austen and moving on to other series.

First is The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith. I started this series last year and have the latest three books to read. If you are looking for an quick, clean and entertaining read these then start here.

After that? Maybe I'll return to Jane Austen, or maybe I'll read some of the other books on my bookshelf, just waiting for my eyes.

Want to excite your kids about reading, and maybe have them accomplish a chore or two? Head over to No Ordinary Moments and download Jolanthe's Fall Reading Chart.

Summer Reading

Last summer I traveled around the world the cheapest way possible, through books. First I visited Provence, France by reading Peter Mayle’s A Good Year, then traveled down to Tuscany, Italy with Under the Tuscan Sun, written by Frances Mayes. The summer ended with a second ocean crossing to Botswana, and read The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith.

Several summers ago I attempted to read E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s The General in His Labrinth. However, I did not get very far in either book. with two young children (at the time my oldest was 2) reading the books made me feel as if I was lost in a labyrinth, in the heat of the Indian sun.

This summer I’m traveling back in time and enjoying the works of Jane Austen. The idea of an Austen summer began when a friend introduced me to some books based on Jane Austen and her characters, The Jane Austen Book Club, Me and Mr. Darcy, Austenland. Then PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre presented the entire series of Jane Austen’s work this past winter. I was hooked. This summer I am reading her entire works, after each book rewarding myself with its TV adaptation. When I’ve finished all 6 of her books I’ll move onto the Jane Austen themed books. At the rate I’m going, I’m only on my 2nd Jane Austen book, I should be good for reading material through the winter.

As a family we are reading Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. We kicked off our family reading venture by seeing a kid friendly production of Wind in the Willows performed by the local university’s children’s playhouse. When we are finished with the book the kids will be rewarded for not whining each night that we read the book completing such a long book by seeing the stop-action movie adaptation, made in 1983. At least I hope we finish the book by the time we watch the movie. I bought it for our trip to Canada but at the rate we are reading the book may not be finished before our trip.

And now that I have shared our family's favorite books what is your family reading this summer?