Category: Austen in August

_+ #atozchallenge _+ 26 Days | 26 Essays [epic journey] Today is Letter “C”. Hint: Curated Centuries.

Posted Thursday, 3 April, 2014 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

A to Z Challenge Day 3  Letter CI am involved in a world-wide globally connected blogosphere challenge where each blogger who signs into the participant linky is quite literally confirming their express desire to blog straight [except on Sundays!] for *26 Days!* whilst writing *26!* most intriguing & thought-producing alphabet essays! Or, to be comically inspiring, randomly cheeky, and otherwise delightfully entertaining! The bloggers who have signed into the challenge are from all walks of blogosphere life: book bloggers united alongside lifestyle gurus; writers of all literary styles nudged up against travelogues; the gambit runs the full course of each and every theme, topic, subject, and genre you could possibly light your heart with joy to broach in a blog! And, the curious bit to the journey is where your posts lead you as much as where other blogger’s posts inspire you! It’s this fantastic community to celebrate the spirit within the blogosphere as much as the spirit of connection amongst the bloggers who might not have crossed paths with each other otherwise. After all, the road map for blogs is as wide and large as the actual world outside the nethersphere of websites, pixels, and memes! Walk with us whilst we discover a bit about ourselves, our blog, & each other!

I am blogger #552 out of 2279!


C L A S S I C A L L I T E R A T U R E settled into my heart at a very young age as I still recollect my readings of:

There is a timeless eloquence knitted into the classics which gives us a proper sense of the art of story-telling because writers from previous centuries were not as tied down to particulars surrounding their characters and narratives. It was far more imperative to write down the bones of one’s story than to be negated to following a strict guideline of where their story actually would befit a publisher’s catalogue! And, in that rampant freedom came such heart-warming stories which defy time by their ability to resonate with readers from one generation to another! There is something to be said for being able to write a story as it inks out of your heart and populates the page!

Photo Credit: Jorie of Jorie Loves A StoryOne of the best blessings for me in becoming a book blogger this past year, is that I am open to new horizons as far as where I can seek out appreciators of the classics! One of the communities that I was most anxious to join and still am looking forward to participating alongside is The Classics Club! For a girl who has spent most of her days trying to convince people there is merit and mirth within the classics, how extraordinary of a discovery this is for me! They even have their own ‘tweeting’ codes to send-off messages & notes to each other! I love the fact that they are such a warm and welcoming bunch of bookish souls – dedicated to champion the authors of the past by presenting their tomes to the modern reader in a way that is convicting of its worth! They host RALs (read-a-longs) and challenges throughout the year too! I decided to create my first ‘badge’ by using photography I had taken whilst on a road trip throughout the Mid-West states! I originally created the badge in FotoFlexer, but re-created it once I found the lovely PicMonkey which gives you more choices to make ‘badges’ pop & stand out! I think they came out quite well!

I have found several classic-minded book blogosphere events since I went live in August 2013, and although, I haven’t always been able to complete the tasks I set out too as I had joined them, the appreciation I have to reading the classics has never faltered! When I realised I had taken on too much in August (i.e. launching Jorie Loves A Story to a ‘live’ audience; participating in my first Bout of Books, undertaking my first! blog tour hosting “The Prayer Box” by Lisa Wingate for JKS Communications Publicity Firm; and trying to tackle Austen in August!) I re-attempted my Austen reading list for Classics Re-Told which was a multiple book blogger effort to read ‘after canons’ of individual classic authors and post on our individual blogs our thoughts and impressions therein! I felt for sure September was going to be the best month for me to accomplish this renewed task, however, September 2013 proved to be quite a unique month full of unexpected circumstances and events which proved taxing in my attempts to soak into Jane Austen!

If you hover your ‘mouse’ over “Stepping Back into the Folds of Time (tCC)” you will find all the classic-minded RALs, challenges, and events which get me quite giddy to be in a position to participate in! I decided to break the classical literature related events away from the regular fiction ones (which fall under RALs & Challenges in the top menu) as they are a specific focus group! One of the blessings this year, is not only am I still in-progress to read the books inside those older challenges as you can see on my main RALs & Challenges page (where I keep my progress updated) but I have unearthed a wicked sweet reading challenge entitled:

 

 Back to the Classics badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Nigel Lo (Public Domain : Unspash). In this particular challenge you have specific categories you have to ‘fill in the blank with the classic book of your choice’ in order to complete the challenge! I decided to focus on a portion of classic literature I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading which is classic crime! Outside of those choices, I wanted to finally set aside time to dig into Henry James, an author I have appreciated from afar for quite too long! And, then of course there is Emilie Zola of whom I had made a purchase request at my library for his novel: “Au Bonhear des Dames” | The Ladies Paradise by Emile Zola {1883}. I made a double-request to include the tv series “The Paradise” and I was quite chuffed and happy to see both were added to my local library’s collection! I am hopeful I can start to read his novel ahead of the series arriving as books tend to come in a bit faster than the dvd seasonals!

I like being challenged to step outside my own inklings of where I am thinking my reading adventures are taking me, whilst at the same time keeping myself curiously tethered to the hope of unlocking a ‘new’ author who will take me on this wicked sweet journey through language, setting, and prose of narrative! I get a happiness inside of my spirit each time I am about to enter into the realm of a classic novel; thinking about the readers who had picked up a similar version of the story as I am and wondering what their thoughts were as they opened the book for the first time!? Some of my classics are in the ‘classic’ hardback stylings of the mid to late 1800s and early 1900s. I was gifted a beautiful portable and deep blue set of Shakespeare which I am quite keen on opening this year as well! I have been wanting to set my sights to work my way through his collected works since I was a teenager in high school finding that I had an affection for Julius Caesar moreso than Romeo & Juliet; and a penchant for Much Ado About Nothing! I loved the way in which Shakespeare elected to speak his emotions in his writings. He never backed down from being fierce or representative of all the chords of human emotion but he staid within the dimensions of what is effectively dynamic given that he wasn’t one who opted to use the harsher words of the 20th Century which run thick and through. He had a way of conveying internal thoughts and outside prejudices which gave you a pause to contemplate the fuller scope of his legacies as you read his words.

The last time I was able to update my progress on where I was currently with my classics readings was on Wednesday, 19 February 2014! I had previously turnt in a group check-in for The Classics Club: 15 February, 2014, where I was blissfully excited to be reading along with #LitChat for War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy! I never dreamt I would tackle Leo Tolstoy in 2014, but this goes back what I was lamenting or at least attempting to say, there are moments when I find a book or an author settles itself into your hands, of which purpose isn’t known at the time of opening the book but alights inside your heart once you’ve completed your reading! I always felt there is a time and season for everything in life, but to take that a step further, I believe we are meant to read certain stories at certain times in our lives to where the text and context might have a greater effect on us rather than if we had read it previously or at a point in the future. By blogging my reading life, I feel as though I can extend a part of my journey to you dear hearts, hopefully inspiring you to take on your own literary wanderings and perhaps, sharing a common goal in our quest to uncover and discover new authors who lit a flame of curiosity which can only be quenched by reading their works!

Septemb-Eyre hosted by Entomology of a Bookworm

One of the classic books I am determined to complete before Summer is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronté, as I had this intensive study of the novel happening in September, but as foresaid, September had other plans for me than reading the books which were intriguing me and engaging me in long-known conversations! I was a bit surprised by how captivated I was by Eyre, as my introduction to her came about through the motion picture “Jane Eyre”:

Jane Eyre (1996) Official Trailer #1 – William Hurt (HD) by MovieClips Classic Trailers

Alongside my pursuit to focus on the after canons of Austen, specifically of Pride & Prejudice for Classics Re-Told, I have also allotted myself to read a certain number of sequels and re-tellings for Jane Eyre! (underneath the top menu ‘Stepping Back into the Folds of Time: Books of Eyre’) Some characters enter our lives and give us the ability to want to know of them. To seek out more about their person, or to understand more of their depth than we previously were clued into on our first introductions. Jane Eyre is a woman who has such a quiet strength of resolve, she enables us to genuinely seek more out of ourselves whilst facing adversity as much as she endears our heart whilst presenting herself without embarrassment or unease. Eyre is a champion for everyone who has had humble beginnings and who strives to not only reach past her circumstances but to carry-on forward with the hope of her dreams and for finding a man who would allow her the honour of returning her love.

I was not even certain if I could participate in the War and Peace Book Club for LitChat as I was struggling to hold the War and Peace Book Club badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Alex Tamon (Public Domain : Unsplash). massive hardback volume our leader recommended for the RAL! Normally reading a hefy book would not be as complicated, but I am finding of late my hands falter a bit with the larger books and I do a bit better with a paperback version in which I can carry with me or snuggle into a comfy chair soaking into the narrative at will. My local library pulled through for me, whilst I was visiting a different branch than my home location I asked the question of seeking a paperback of War and Peace which would be easier for me to read? Apparently my local library has a secondary ‘hidden’ collection insofar as to be able to offer patrons unchecked out editions of classical literature! This refers to the fact that I have a copy of War and Peace but it is without a due date! The blissful freedom in knowing that I can take my time with the text, and not have the fear of having the book boomerang back to the library every fortnight as apparently this particular novel is of greater need in being read right now! I am trying to see when I can begin my readings, but I think early this coming week will work just fine, as I want to read the first 400 pages in order to get properly caught up, as I am unfortunately two months behind at this point! I had so much happening all at once that I fear that between sorting out when to read and how to gather the book back from the library, I exhausted the hours I could have been reading Tolstoy! Therefore, in coming weeks you will start to see the lovely badge I created here float into view as I journal my impressions as I read and gather my thoughts in order to participate actively in the topical discussions in which Dana Sachs is hosting via the War and Peace Book Club for LitChat!

Of all the books on my Classics List to be read, there is one section that I am most proud of curating, which is the category for “Magical Realism” as I was first introduced to this genre through The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker! I am forever speaking on the book’s behalf via Twitter, and attempting to draw out a line of conversation on the post I created to highlight the book, because it was singularly one of the best library discoveries I made last year! A complete accident of sorts drew the book into my hands! The type of book I had trouble putting down because I didn’t want to part with the characters, their journey, or the story in which I felt closely tied into by the time the final chapters were concluding! The post evolved to become a bit of a primer for “Magical Realism” itself as a genre, and for that, I was quite happy as I literally copied over all the lovely books I unearthed and placed them on my Classics List! This is why I felt it was quite keen of Mr. Danish in sharing my passion for the genre and how wicked sweet it was seeing that we are drawn to the same authors & stories!

If I had to pick my Top 5 Magical Realism books I want to read next, I would select:

  1. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
  2. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
  3. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
  4. The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
  5. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
  6. +1 for good measure: The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern (a book I began at Christmas 2013 & have wanted to complete!)

The first selection has been a hardback I purchased from a big box store the year it was released as it was one of the few times a newly released book had captivated my attention to the fullness of Howe’s. I have been properly entranced ever since and whilst engaged in a recent conversation I was urged to place this book on a ‘post haste’ schedule of reading priority’ of which I couldn’t agree more if I stressed how itched I am to begin! Harris’s story arrived to me on two separate occasions and for two separate birthdays: in my early twenties a family friend was going to surprise me by seeing the motion picture and then, two years ago this Summer I was gifted the book by a dear friend. The book has nearly haunted me as a result! Sarah Addison Allen I discovered by stumbling across her website a handful of years ago and finding she offered the best backgrounds for a reader’s delight! Those same backgrounds for my desktop are lost to the ethers when my computer crashed and died in late 2013. The spell her stories cast on me have not been lost! White’s novel has had a murmuring of an effect on me as I have overheard reader’s speaking on the book’s behalf in my local library as much as I have been involved in conversations online or through email to dear friends who insist that I put down all the books I am currently reading and shift over into The Language of Flowers! I couldn’t blame them, as the premise had me at first reading! Which brings me to The Mistress of Spices which is one of my first Bollywood discoveries and of course, a hidden discovery for ‘Magical Realism’ as at the time I had viewed the motion picture I was entranced by the style of Indian film-making and less concerned by the genre in which it fit! I was quite curious then to read the book after finding that it had been an adaptation!

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh Invalid book: 0 by Pan Macmillan

More curious to note is that my next C L A S S I C A L L I T E R A T U R E readings will be of:

  1. The Ladies Paradise by Emile Zola
  2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronté (as a RAL with my dear friend Maggie!)
  3. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (RAL with LitChat)
  4. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (to follow War and Peace!)
  5. A Shakespeare Play

Which brings me to my next foray of C L A S S I C A L L I T E R A T U R E is to embrace all the lovely BBC and/or other adaptations on film! I am striving towards reading stories ahead of seeing their adaptations as in the past, I have always lost hours in which to make this plausible! There are times where I have known there was a book ahead of the motion picture (i.e. “Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World”) and times when I hadn’t truly known there was one at all (i.e. “Cheerful Weather for the Wedding”). I am looking forward to seeing which adaptations sweep me away into the story I fall in love with on the printed page and which adaptations I find fall a bit short! Which is a continuation of something I have already begun to do, as I have seen more theatrical versions of “A Christmas Carol” than you can shake a stick at! The story never fades from the fondness of my heart nor does seeing how each new ensemble cast handle the breadth of the tale! I have also seen a handful of classic adaptation and modern for “Pride and Prejudice” the last one being a re-telling entitled “Lost in Austen” which I actually discovered whilst participating in Classics Re-Told in September! My review of the mini-series never surfaced which is one review I am most keen on finishing after I watch the mini-series for a second viewing! (time frame unknown: it was an ILL)

I look forward to making connections with other bookish souls who wander around the same books as I do, all the while retreating into the C L A S S I C A L L I T E R A T U R E past and finding new friends along the way!

Parjunkee Designs

My passage into C L A S S I C A L L I T E R A T U R E has only just begun to move forward again, and as I find ways to bring the books to life in my musings, I shall be sharing my lamentations in posts throughout Jorie Loves A Story as a way to become part of the nexus of conversation surrounding the books which throughout time have held a finger-hold on us.


Thank you for joining me on DAY 3 | A to Z Challenge!

I am a girl named Jorie who loves a story!
I am a bookish library girl on a quest for literary enlightenment!
I am predominately self-taught and library educated!
I am Mademoiselle Jorie!
Thank you for joining me on this journey!

This marks my third post for the:

A to Z Challenge

And, might I add as an observation on Day 3? 

I was oft curious to find out if other appreciators of C L A S S I C A L L I T E R A T U R E enjoy reading and then viewing adaptations and/or if they have a preference of only viewing certain books in motion picture over others!? Where does your own heart lead you into the wide realm of C L A S S I C A L L I T E R A T U R E as you step back into the folds of time yourself!? Are there authors who you picked up and were quite shocked you did not soak into their narratives? Were there any startling surprises in where your wanderings led you? Which authors have withstood your reading adventures of being the ‘key’ authors who lead you back time and again!?

{SOURCES: A to Z Challenge Participant & Letter C Badge provided by the A to Z Challenge site for bloggers to use on their individual posts & blogs to help promote the challenge to others. Wildlife photography by Jorie of Jorie Loves A Story, badge edited & created in PicMonkey by Jorie. “I Like Big Books” badge by Parajunkee Designs is a free resource provided for book bloggers. The book trailer by Pan MacMillian & the film trailer by MovieClips Classic Trailers had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel & film. Back to the Classics badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Nigel Lo (Public Domain : Unspash). War and Peace Book Club badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Alex Tamon (Public Domain : Unsplash).}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Thursday, 3 April, 2014 by jorielov in A to Z Challenge, After the Canon, Austen in August, Back to the Classics, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Trailer, Bookish Discussions, Bookish Films, Books of Eyre, British Literature, Classical Literature, Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics, Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Library Find, Magical Realism, Poetry, Re-Told Tales, Reading Challenge Addict, Rewind Challenge, Romance Fiction, Sequel Authors, tCC The Classics Club, William Shakespeare Challenge

Walking in Miss Elizabeth Bennett’s shoes,…my thoughts on “Pride & Prejudice” by Jane Austen

Posted Monday, 16 September, 2013 by jorielov , , 8 Comments

Parajunkee DesignsPride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | originally entitled: First Impressions, written approx. during October 1796 – August 1797, at age one and twenty| Austen herself re-titled the manuscript, having made revisions to the story in 1811 and 1812. |originally enscribed as written: By the Author of “Sense and Sensibility”

Published by: Whitehall , in January 1813 | originally published in America as Elizabeth Bennett or Pride & Prejudice in 1832

Page Count: 490 | originally spilt into three volumes of a whole [based on the edition I am reading: Barnes & Noble Collector’s Library: pocket-sized unabridged edition]

[side note: I wish I could have collected more of these at the time! As I only was able to pick up the pocket edition of Dickens Oliver Twist, before they pulled these from the shelves!]

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By: This is quite a good question, as I know I purchased it at Barnes & Noble at some point, but as to when and how or why, I yield that my memory is a bit fragmented! I only remember taking it off my shelf originally to read ahead of the [2005] adaptation that was soon in theaters, and I feared I would not finish it in time!

On why I choose this to be my first reading, for Austen in August an annual reading challenge hosted by Roof Beam Reader: I wanted to begin at the beginning of my experience with Ms. Austen, and that meant going back to my original choice of Pride and Prejudice, as I was thoroughly enchanted by the notion of the story, long before it ever populated in my mind! You will find that this is a ready experience that repeats itself in my reading adventures! Books and motion pictures walk hand-in-hand in my life, despite the fact that I am generally a purist, in wanting to read the book prior to watching the motion picture and/or limiting myself to which sequel authors I want to become engaged in reading, as I always feel they should honour the canon.

I originally planned to read my coveted collection of Austen novels, as I had purchased the full set of her works out of a book club I have long since forgotten which I was a member of [this goes back to when mail-order book clubs were all the rage in the mid-to-late ’90s], as they had such wonderful cover art featured on each volume! It was a gift to myself to celebrate my birthday one year in my twenties, and I wanted it as a counter-balance to the lovely set of Sense and Sensibility books my Mum had gifted to me around the same time frame! She had found an exclusively lovely edition of the novel, as well as the full screenplay and story of how the adaptation of 1995 had been produced. It was my intent to read the book, then the screenplay, and lead into watching the motion picture! Alas! I had to give in to the fact that my mind couldn’t yet settle into Austen’s brilliant prose, and I tabled the idea for awhile. Then, a few years went past, and in 2005 on the foot heels of Keira Knightley’s version of Pride about to hit theaters, I was quite determined to get into Jane Austen! I picked up this lovely pocket edition from Barnes & Noble, [as much as I prefer indies, my area has none!] as I am forever attached to the original cloth-bound pocket editions of centuries past! I love the comfortable ease to hold the tomes, as much as it feels like I am reading as readers read in a different age than the one I am living in myself! Therefore, with this new version in hand [daresay, how many editions do most end up collecting?], I embarked on completing the novel before the motion picture left the theater! A full fortnight passed, and I was anxiously worried that the film might leave our cineplex, only to be relieved that it hadn’t and I promptly found myself elated by what was unfolding in front of me! As it began, I noted the creative liberties, but I also had the re-collective memories of what I had read, as it nearly felt for the first half of the film, that I was both reading a subtext of narration alongside the live action!

I wanted Pride to serve as a proper starting off point to entertain sequel authors for the first time in my reading life! I sought out everything that my local library could give me, and came to appreciate the offerings long before I ever could read them! As soon as I checked them out, one by one, I would love over their covers, inlets, and read the synopsis, awaiting the day where I could dive into the heart of their stories! Except to say, that August played out a bit differently than I forethought it would:

Whilst I launched JLAS, I undertook Austen in August, declared my intent to read Books of Eyre, contributed a piece to The Clockwork Carnival, settled into Bout of Books, 8.0, participated in the first Blog Pen Pal Exchange, encountered an illness, a 4-day migraine, technical difficulties during the Bout & afterwards [more than half the Bout’er blogs wouldn’t load – who knew I needed to switch browsers!? I *love!* SeaMonkey now!], waylaid by fierce lightning and thunderstorms, AND just when I was thrilled to bits about all the lovelies I am reading, the hours ticked off the clock and I arrived at September before I could make a backwards glance and wonder, “Where did dear August go off too!?” I even found time to sort out which weekly memes I want to contribute too: Sunday Showcase (#1, #2) and Library Loot being two I felt best to start on, prior to finding WWW Wednesdays! September started with a surge of excitement, as I participated in my first Book Cover Reveal [Love at First Slight by J. Marie Croft] and my first Blog Book Tour Stop [The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate]!! All the while attempting to make headway on the list of books I had garnished to read throughout the month! In the end, I learnt a hard lesson: there are only so many hours by which you have to find the balance to accomplish everything you set out to do!

I decided that I would take a step back in September, arranging my goals into my day planner journal, and giving myself the freedom to have a bit more flexibility to truly enjoy the blogosphere events as they alight in my life! I feel like I couldn’t give as much of my heart to Austen in August, nor could I complete the Bout properly either! I need to compose my Wrap-Up Posts to where I can put it all in a better light and scope! There is, of course, the addition of wanting to get back to my pen, ferret off dearly owed letters and correspondences to the most patient friends a girl could ever hope to know, and knit my UFOs into finished objects I can be proud of!

One measure of gratitude in knowing that I wasn’t the only one who fell a bit short on their reading goals this past month, was the lovely PM I received from our Host Adam! I am not sure if he realised it or not, but he encouraged me to know that all of us run into issues or difficulties time to time, and if the overall reading experience trumps the stress of the insanity that came up whilst we endeavoured to complete our goals!? Then, we succeeded triumphantly! In this way, I feel more encouraged than ever in my next goal that is attached to Austen in August, is Classics Re-Told! A collective reading challenge, where each of us picked a ‘team’ to be on, and which ‘work’ we wanted to explore via the canon and after canons! Being that I had already chosen mine for “Pride and Prejudice”, I attached myself to 19th Century & Gothic Classics, hosted by Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy! I am going to read “Persuasion”, the few after canons, and Sandition to participate in Author of the Month hosted by The Joyful Bookcase, December’s selective author! In this way, I will be accomplishing the original goals I set forth to attempt!

English: "Reading Jane's letters" - ...
English: “Reading Jane’s letters” – Elizabeth reading Jane’s letters – Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: George Allen, 1894, frontispiece. (Photo credit: Hugh Thomson (1860-1920) (Lilly Library, Indiana University) [Public domain, PD-1923],
via Wikimedia Commons)

The ready exchangement of letters and correspondences warms my heart evermore: One of the best instances of the merits of immediate and intimate conversations to be freely conversed by way of letters and correspondences, is the inter-relation of characters in “Pride and Prejudice”. Theirs was a life that would never have superseded their own home front news, if not for the passages of letters by way of footman. In our own century {the 20th and 21st}, some of us still rely on news reaching our loved ones and friends alike by the same vein as Elizabeth and Jane Bennett!

And, what is humbling to denote, is that such a letter that was dispatched between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennett, is one that I can readily attest as to have happening to a couple I know whose union was nearly thus disrupted had the man not had the fortitude as Darcy, to spilt his heart into the pen of his hand, and give way, to the felicities of the heart by which his companion had not yet expressed or were readily known unto herself! It’s not everyday you strike up a direct connection with a portraiture of literature, that has had such an affection placed inside your own life, by the story of another!

You’ll find that letter writing and correspondences shall become a bit of a mainstay on Jorie Loves A Story, as I am seeking out ways to bring to light this beautiful exchangement of lives, that some might readily dismiss as having ‘long since lived its proper due’. In my left sidebar, there is a particular section that lays to mind my attachment for envelopes, letters, stationeries, stamps, and the various minutiae of what any correspondent could ever possibly hope to find amongst their cherished supplies! Thus, time to time, due take a bit of a ganderment at my cross-referenced ‘topics’, curiously attuned to the category of: Epistolary Novel for forthcoming mentionments in literature, and of Letters & Correspondences for all others!

On why Pride and Prejudice is a story that I could re-read at least once per year: Singularly, my heart is full of rejoicement and giddy enraptures of what is yet to follow the very first page, of the very first chapter! It always begins rather innocently, as Mrs. Bennett merely wants to see her five daughters well-married, to self-sufficient men who can establish their well-being long after Mr. Bennett, her husband is put to the grave! A bit macabre of a denouncement at first glance, until you realise that there is a clause in the family’s inheritances which prevents the girls from benefiting from their father’s estate; as they were bourne the wrong gender! This is what opens the story to the novice reader of Jane Austen, of whom, wants readily to become acquainted with her collective works and might have picked this as a starting point! I have noted of late, that there is a bit of a disconnect amongst Austenites & Janeites (as I identify as the latter), as to where this story fits in with their love of Austen! Some I noted are a bit disinterested in the story forthwit, whereas others might lean more towards one of the other stories, but not as readily into this one. If any of those particular readers read this, I’d be deeply encouraged to hear their point of views as to what has caused a bit of a rife or rather, a bit of a disagreement on the benefits of the story!? Perhaps it’s too strongly viewed as a classical attempt of making a fluffy modern chick-lit!? I am being presumptuous here, although a rare slight of my own character, it’s been known to happen, that it’s difficult not to make presumptions in certain instances! As for my own regards to the story, I do not view it in the same light as the modern counterparts, as there is such a hearty breath more to this story, than the agreeable notion of young girls marrying before they enter their thirties!

I get forever wrapped up in the state of the affairs of the Bennett family, from the doting father, to the impossibly repentant Mrs. Bennett, who is both vain and shallow, yet affable in her attentions to her daughters. Outspoken to a fault, and determined not to be outshined by another family in the same district, I truly always sided that somewhere in her bosom, she had the right attentions; merely went about them in the wrong manner! Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary Bennett are the sisters that I always find myself to be able to have learnt more of, as they stand out in my mind as the sisters who have more to give than Lydia and Kitty. Kitty, however, is less in reproachment than her sister!

Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy: two characters that alight in your heart: As such they should, because they have an enigmatic way about themselves, that endears you to want to see these two make it in the end! She’s blinded to her prejudicial tendencies towards the prideful Darcy, of whom, cannot overlook her class, station, and family! Each are quite the pair in their own rights, as she is fiercely independent and strong! She is fortified by having been raised in a family that believed that each daughter had the bourne right to sort out their own affairs and their own motivations of how they wished to occupy their hours from young ages. Most girls during their time, were confined to structure and lessons, on how best to be in good form to be presented to society, and never, would any other family expect that all the daughters of one, should be ‘out’ for marriage at once! Thus, Elizabeth’s life takes on a new path than most women Darcy has been meeting up until this point! He’s bemused by her, he’s perplexed by her, and he is most especially vexed, too! And, yet, he has found himself repeatedly thinking about her, and drawing himself to be curious to understand her even better than he believes he has from afar! It’s through their tribulations and their small triumphs that you start to see how they become attached to your heart!

You celebrate each small step towards their union, including seeing how everything unraveled to begin with, as it was conjecture and misconstruments that led to such a disgraceful start! She took the word of another bloke for straight-up honesty, and he misconstrued her worth by the wiles of her family! Each of them, have their fair share of faults throughout the story, and Austen does not limit her recollections of each grievance and each misunderstanding! She knits the story together through long and arduous monologues and narratives, that transport you into the living moment of each event! You barely can draw a breath as you turn the page, because your either going to be viewing this from Elizabeth’s point of view or that of Darcy’s!

Jane Bennett vs. Lydia Bennett: If such two could ever be thus compared to one another! Lydia has no common sense, much less decency of character, whereas Jane is tender-hearted, sensitive, and loving! Lydia seeks only to self-satisfy her own personal needs, and desires, whereas Jane is constantly striving towards full acceptance of all she encounters, and endeavours to resolve her mind not to make haste judgements that could lead to gross misunderstandings! I had to smile at this character attribution, because her sister, Elizabeth, is rather quick to judge, and doesn’t mind being in haste of her emotions! I think Elizabeth would rather feel the full-throttleness of life as she’s living through it, rather than to be chaste like Jane, and hold back all inclinations to give over to her human condition! Jane takes life calmly and with affirmation. She trusts in herself and has considered that there are far worse things in life than to be unattached in marriage; even if that were her first inclination to achieve once she was a certain age!

Lydia is a typical follower of the wrong influences, seeking self-gratification and never letting herself get attached to anything deeper of conviction than petty needs and forging friendships with people who can help her advance in life OR be of use to her in some other way. She doesn’t see fit to be a supporter of the family she was bourne into, because to me, she comes off as being a rather self-centered and spoilt child, who never learnt the first or proper way to live without conceited pride! I honestly do not think I can write more on her, actually! She is my least favourite of the Bennett sisters, and I oft was museful on whom Austen structured her of, if there were a real-life counterpart!?

Jane on the other hand, I enjoyed watching in close quarters, whilst she was in conference with Elizabeth! They shared such an enduring sisterhood bond, that I nearly felt as though the Bennett’s had two families in one! With the elder girls separate from the younger three! Except to say, of Mary, the one sister of whom next to Jane and Elizabeth, caught my attention forthwith! It had occurred to me that if Elizabeth hadn’t sought out the truth behind Bingley’s sudden exit at Netherfield, what pray tell would have become of Jane!? It’s quite easy to say you’ll quit the notion of love, but to walk through life without a chance of seeing it bloom!? I feared in time (if Bingley had not returned), she might become harder and less soft.

The secondary characters I questioned their loyalty for their friends &/or family: The Lucases and the Collins families were the ones I took the most angst with, as once Charlotte had married Elizabeth’s cousin (who inherits Longbourn, no less!), I noticed that his letters’ to Mr. Bennett became much more frequently, and always to absolve or rectify some grievance or instance of which he found fault with the Bennett’s! Such high piety for a man of the cloth! And, perhaps that is justly so, as I know some branches of religion are quite strict, but ooh! To have a relation that calls you out on every error, every fault, and every circumstance that might not quite go the way you had hoped!? How tolerable I found the Bennett’s and how agitating I found Mr. Collins! I was not surprised that Charlotte and Elizabeth’s friendship felt estranged and strained prior to her visit at the parsonage. It was nearly as though through marriage Charlotte had morphed into a new body and soul! Her parents, the Lucases were not much better in character, and here I shall leave their revealings for the reader to find them!

My overall review of Pride and Prejudice:

The story of Pride and Prejudice, will always be rather dear to me, because of Elizabeth Bennett. I feel as though from the very first opening chapter until the closing of the last, I am walking in Ms. Elizabeth Bennett’s shoes. Struggling at times to understand the indifference of her family, and the qualms that beseech a singleton whilst attempting to understand the opposite sex. She is bemused and befuddled by the man named Darcy, who from the onset makes no attempt to gain her attention, and has an ill-view of her family overall. She is a second daughter, in a family of five, who is deeply attached to the love and affection of her father, and is at times, more at quells with her mother, who tends to put the family in a bad light when out in public; due to the nature of her outbursts that do not always comply with the social norms of the day in which they live.
It’s a story that is full of intrigue, as far as knowing the full extent of how the unfolding events in regards to her sister Lydia will properly affect the four Bennett sisters who are left outside of matrimony, and yet, it is also a plight of a family’s survival once the provider has died, as there is a clause (or stipulation rather) in the will, that depicts the true heir is a male. In this case, a cousin named Mr. Collins, who is quite a disagreeable match for young Elizabeth! Even I, would have balked at such a choice! And, firmly would have asserted myself as much in the same vein as she did with her own father!What makes this such an endearing classic for me, is that the Bennett family rallies and bands together through thick and thin. They may have their fair share of disagreements but at the heart of the family, is simply that: their a family bond in love and do care about the happiness of each other. And, like most dysfunctional families, they at times, go about showing this affection in quite the wrong manner!It’s Elizabeth’s determination not to settle for someone less than her equal and a man of quality, that makes me endeavoured to love her! She stands firm in her beliefs, at all costs, and she isn’t quick to acknowledge a grievous mistake or misunderstanding, but her heart and spirit, does not allow her not to oblige a concession when the need arises that she has to omit a fault made on her own behalf. She lives strong and loves deeply. And, I appreciate that she is completely true to herself throughout the sequence of her life we are given to seeing her. She is a woman who is sorting out how to live and how to proceed forward in her life, by not limiting her options, nor settling for what she knows will be wrong for her heart. For in marriage, as Ms. Bennett and I both know, one must lead forward with one’s heart, and be entwined in true love for the relationship to last forevermore.

My thoughts on sequel authors: One of the key requirements I have when deciding about which sequel authors to read OR not to read, is whether or not they have written their new contribution to the story by giving proper credit to the original canon. This goes in my mind to include the proper setting of story, pace, and use of language, as there are quite a number of sequel authors who take more liberties with their contributions than I am willing to accept! Unfortunately, some spin too modern of a tale for me to be satisfied that the canon was upheld, and whenever I see colourful language eking into the dialogue and narrative I all but cringe outright! When you’re going to write a sequel to a highly well-known and beloved 19th Century story such as “Pride and Prejudice” (although you could insert ‘any’ story into this example), you must know, that for the most part, most of your potential readership is going to want to stay true to that original style!

In this way, it takes me quite awhile to sink into a sequel author’s work, as I am looking for certain ‘tells’ that this is an author who celebrates the legacy of the original writer (in this case, Ms. Jane Austen!), and yet, takes a new thread of discovery that not only embodies the original, but takes the reader on a new journey, that seamlessly shifts forward and or back, given the methodology of the writer at hand. I appreciate all sequels that bring us closer to the world by which Austen created, yet gently giving us a bit more of it, than what Austen could give us herself. I appreciate the same usage of language and turns of phrase, the older stylings of taking time to tell a story, rather than to resolve it rather quickly and make a person feel whip-lashed! I like hearty text with a hearty story, fully brought to life with characters that stay with you, and endear you to them long since the book is put back down!

I suppose in some ways, I would be considered a purist in most regards and yet adaptive in others, as most purists to the original canons will not entertain a sequel on any grounds. I think each contribution has its place, as there are as many different perspectives to come into “Pride and Prejudice” as there are readers who navigate the offerings. I think if each of us decides what she or he is willing to accept, then each sequel author will surely find the right reader for their works! If I bypass one book for another, odds are someone behind me will select it and pass on the one I that I choose in return! Such is the beauty of being individualistically unique in our reading patterns!

I am, of course, mindful that others’ might have a different approach? And, if any of them drop by my blog, I do hope they might entertain me with how they approach the sequels in the commentary!?

My thoughts on motion picture adaptations: I am not to say unyielding when it comes to motion picture adaptations, as the 2005 screen adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” did take creative liberties, and yes, did segue away from the original leanings, but there was enough included for me to pick up the story and the pace by which I have come to love! It still held the charm and the essence of what makes this story alight in my mind as a joyous memory! And, that makes the difference for me! I know too, that once I see Colin Firth as Darcy, in the 1995 adaptation by the BBC, I am most likely going to claim that as my favourite by far, yet as I haven’t yet seen it, I am at this time without an all-time favourite adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice”.

I can attest that even re-tellings in motion picture have their time and place, such is the example of “Bride and Prejudice”, which gives us a Bollywood touch and feel to the story! I am most encouraged that a story, an author, and a setting so distantly removed from our modern era, can lead to such extraordinary developments! I think this signifies that the story is universally accepted, understood, and known. It’s a story that sinks into your heart, and there are more than one way to have it properly represented. I am encouraged by the number of adaptations that are available to view, as I want to slowly work my way through each of them!

I suspect that even if I were to go back and watch the classic film versions, and shift forward again through modern eras, I am going to denote not only the differences of the film maker’s choices of what to include or exclude, but the changes in the perceptions of the actors and actresses who played the cast of characters that have charmed their way into our hearts! They are characters that leave an impression on you, due to their character development in the book, and the way in which they are presented to having had lived their lives. Some are wholly acceptable and curious to see in live action, whereas there are a few that leave you feeling rather vexed and anguished for their inclusions, yet they are still essential to the underlining of the story! In this, I find it most curious to see how each actor who takes each part will attribute which character traits that their character demands of their attention. I can find myself quite curious indeed as I progress through the adaptations!

On how I appreciated to be a part of *Austen in August*: There is something to be said for getting a group of like-minded and enthused readers together, to celebrate an author that they each love quite so dear! For a very long while, I was wondering if I would ever run into or get to converse with other appreciators of the 19th Century literature classics, that have intrigued me for most of my life! Books and stories that I have always wanted to take the time to delve into and alight long enough to have their impressions wash over me. These are the books that are not always readily accepted in our living generation as books that still hold merit, but I think, there are times in life when you have to seek out the right readers and the right circles, where your interests lie alongside the majority rather than the minority!

Thus, is how I felt when I stumbled across “Austen in August” and had had the high hopes of being able to read at least 10 sequels of Pride and Prejudice, after having completed reading the original text, and then, taking up Persuasion (and two of its sequels), before continuing into Sandition. My reading missteps already having been noted, I wanted to focus instead on what the month provided and how happy I am that I was able to take a glimpse into the world of ‘The Classics Club’, as well as the world of Jane Austen readers, who like me, are always eager for an opportunity to re-visit OR read her works for the first time!

Archive List of all Austen in August Posts on Roof Beam Reader – I sort of ducked in and out of the festivities as they were in progress, as I was participating in Bout, and finding that my hours were slipping faster than I could achieve everything I wanted to do! Therefore, what I appreciated the most was being introduced to the author: Sally Smith O’ Rourke, (contributed a guest post) who penned the books: Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen and The Man Who Loved Jane Austen. As much as I enjoyed the introduction to author Carol Cromlin, (contributed a guest post) who wrote the book Fitzwilliam Darcy, Such I Was. The flexibility of posts that our host gave to us throughout the month of August, is something that I appreciated very much, as he not only highlighted the finer points of Austen, but touched on the appreciation of Janeites & Austenites, as much as the endearing attachment we all have with Jane Austen!

An unexpected treat, was received by the author Ms. Cromlin, who upon the book being given to two fortunate winners, gave the rest of us the option of receiving bookmarks by Post! Her book, alongside Ms. O’ Rourke’s are two sequel authors I look forward to exploring in the future!

On how I was thankful to be included at the last minute for *Classics: Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics*: A silver lining and a bit of redemption at the same time, is how I came to view the inclusion of this wicked sweet reading challenge, which is a bookish blogosphere event to celebrate the works of the classics, but through the eyes of as many different bookish bloggers as possible! I had originally stumbled (you will notice this to be a trend; nearly everything I participate in, is ‘stumbled upon’ at rather the golden hour!) upon this event having thought it was closed for participants, but much to my absolute delight, Charlene had informed me that I could still join in if I so desired! Desire? I jumped, no! Leapt at the chance! I quickly set to mind which books to keep from ‘Austen in August’, and which books to ferret over to ‘Author of the Month’, and which, might just have to drop off completely if they didn’t cross-relate!! I even kept a few that I thought would work with the theme of what we were attempting to accomplish! In this way, I am most grateful to be a latecomer to ‘Classics Re-Told’ and look forward to seeing the rest of my contributions come to life!

An unexpected surprise discovery, art inspired by Pride and Prejudice:

| Slideshow of “Inspired by Pride & Prejudice”, the story unfolds in storyboard format,
curated by Jorie, featuring DeviantArt(ists) |

| Deviant Artists & the Titles of their Works |By Order of Appearance |

“Pride and Prejudice” by flominowa; “The Bennett Sisters” by PrimeHunter; “Elizabeth” by rynarts; “Pride and Prejudice – II” by MigraineSky; “Assembly” by gppr; “Original Regency Cloak” by Abigal709b; “Pride and Prejudice” by PatiMakowska; “Pride and Prejudice: The Ball” by EveyAmmond; “Pride and Prejudice I” by Isa-Wyrd; “Pride and Prejudice – Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth” by Madmorumotto; “Darcy’s Letter” by Kriegerin; “Pride and Prejudice” by WonderSara; “Jane’s Letter” by RaindropMaster; “Keira Knightley” by BarbaraMariaPoleszuk; “Pride and Prejudice VII” by MigraineSky; “Mr. Darcy’s Letter” by sive; “Keira Knightley” by AuroraWienhold; “Lizzie” by perselus; “Darcy and Elizabeth – detail” by gppr; “Mr. Bennett” by perselus; “Pride and Prejudice” by Pad-Mil; “A most unwilling subject” by gppr; “Mr. Darcy” by baronpluto; “Jane Bennett and Mr. Bingley by gppr; “Mr. Darcy” by manapia; “Lizzy and her Dad” by kakao-bean; “Pride and Prejudice Cover” by jessijordan; “His Pride, Her Prejudice” by hitora; “Bennett Sisters – Pride and Prejudice” by BlueFairy123; “Pride and Prejudice” by mademoisellek; “Pride and Prejudice Storyboard” by wahay; “Pride and Prejudice Bookmark” by Kitty-Grimm; “Pride, Prejudice, Markers” by Pau-Norontaus; “Pride and Prejudice I” by theancientsoul; “Pride and Prejudice” by MaryMaru; “Pride and Prejudice” by Lily-Hbp; “Pride + Prejudice: Hands” by Ladamania; “Pride and Prejudice” by Ines92; “Pride and Prejudice” by FinAngel; “Collide” by KuaKness; “Pride n’ Prej: Jane + Bingley” by flominowa; “Pride n’ Prejudice: Liz + Darcy” by flominowa; and “Pride and Prejudice” by milfei.

Jorie Loves A Story | @DeviantArt

This marks my first [& last!] contribution of participation in reading (Jane) Austen in August! I Austen in August badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Carli Jean (Public Domain : Unsplash)had been hopeful that before the close of the month [August], I could have added at least five more selections from the list I purported to being possible ahead of my blog’s launch! I fear, I have slighted myself a grievous error, in not allowing myself the proper time and attention I was attempting to give this challenge! Which is why dear hearts, I originally was going to extend the challenge, when I came upon a posting about “Classics Re-Told” via Bookish Whimsy!!

Classics Re-Told badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Cas Cornelissen (Public Domain : Unsplash).This post also serves as my first contribution piece for Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics, which is hosted by Bookish Whimsy! I was fortunate to happen upon her post on 3 September, and confirmed my acceptance on the 5th of September! In this way, I shall be continuing onward and upwards with my goals! I am most appreciative that I was able to continue to give my original intentions such a hearty spotlight and not to discontinue reading the books that I discovered to include, which have become quite dear to me!

Due to a variety of circumstances, mostly of technical difficulties in nature, I have been forthwit delayed in my posting of this entry!

Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen
Source: Purchased | Personal Library

Genres: Classical Literature, Romance Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Published by Whitehall

on October 1796 - August 1797

Format: Portable Hardback Edition

Pages: 281

{SOURCES: “Reading Jane’s letters” illustration were provided by Zemanta, and inserted directly to the post via the related content widget. Thus providing the related content with appropriate attribution and sourcing as they are in the public domain. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee Designs to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits by Jorie in PicMonkey for the Classics Re-told badge. Austen in August badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Carli Jean (Public Domain : Unsplash). Classics Re-Told badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Cas Cornelissen (Public Domain : Unsplash). The Overcoming Pride and Prejudice poster was provided with embed codes to insert into this post! I had originally found it through Zemanta as a related article!}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

Related articles:

Jane Austen
by JeffreyDriver.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Austen in August
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Posted Monday, 16 September, 2013 by jorielov in 19th Century, Austen in August, Classical Literature, Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics, England, Regency Era

Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics [focus on] Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Posted Thursday, 5 September, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

 

Classics Re-Told badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Cas Cornelissen (Public Domain : Unsplash).I had originally read about the Classics Re-Told challenge, several weeks ago, and was under the presumption that the sign-ups to participate were long since closed! However, ever the optimist and curious about being able to participate the next time a challenge such as this would come back around, I left a comment! This was 3rd of September 2013, and by the 5th of September 2013 when I could finally return to see if a note was left in response, I joined officially!
For those who have been reading my blog, you will notice that I took the list of ‘after the canon’ books I had found to read during Austen in August and have re-absorbed them into Classics Re-Told! In this way, I can make amends on what I was not able to accomplish in August, and whilst continuing forward reading the books in earnest, I get to participate in a collective reading, where other readers will have the chance to watch my progress! Perhaps, even, be inspired to give one of the ‘after canons’ a chance, if they previously hadn’t come across them! The host for the *19th Century  & Gothic Classics* branch is: Bookish Whimsy. I am joining Melissa @ Harley Bear Book Blog + Andrea @ Beauty but a Funny Girl + J. Dudgeon @ J. Dudgeon, in our quest to read “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen and the books that followed this classic essential from the Regency!

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Books I Want to Focus On:

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Vanity and Vexation: a novel of Pride and Prejudice {original UK title: Lions and Liquorice} by Kate Fenton; Pride and Prescience or A Truth Universally Acknowledged by Carrie Bebris; Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister by C. Allyn Pierson; Two Shall Become One: Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Pride and Prejudice Continues by Sharon Lathan; The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater; The Independance of Miss Mary Bennett by Colleen McCullough; Pemberley by the Sea {alternative title: The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice} and Mr. Darcy’s Obsesssion by Abigail Reynolds; Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Field by Melissa Nathan; Dancing with Mr. Darcy: stories inspired by Jane Austen and Chawton House {anthology} by Sarah Waters; Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal.

*I did not appreciate the style and prose of the one I struck through.

13 books in total. Equates out to 3.25 books per week!

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Adaptations I Want to Focus On:

Pride and Prejudice, the audio book recording: Flo Gibson; Bride and Prejudice [2004]; Pride and Prejudice [2005]; Pride and Prejudice [1940]; Lost in Austen: mini-series [2009]; and Pride and Prejudice: the BBC mini-series [1980].

* I did not think I could handle the drone of her voice! The words were rushed together!!

Cross-Related Works:

  • Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor {Being a Jane Austen mystery} by Stephanie Barron
  • I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend by Cora Harrison
  • Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster [2007]

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My motivation to read “Pride and Prejudice” and the ‘after canons’:

Even before I first picked up Pride and Prejudice, I instinctively knew that I would be a life-long appreciator of Jane Austen! There was a drawing towards her works, her life, and her styling of writing that I cannot quite pin-point yet altogether know was threaded throughout my growing years and adulthood. I still remember for one of my birthdays {in my twenties} I purchased the “Jane Austen Library” out of one of the mail-order book clubs I was a member of at the time! I cannot recall directly if it was the Book-of-the-Month club OR another one, yet the books were hardback and had the most beautiful cover art I had then come across attributed to her collective works!

Prior to this, my Mum found the “Sense and Sensibility” screenplay {in hardback} which was directed by Emma Thompson. She also gave me a copy of the novel, in order to read and cross reference both texts. I remember beginning both quite eagerly, but I never properly became engaged into either! Around the time of the Keira Knightley adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, I felt that perhaps the stars were aligning and I could once again dig my heels into a book that had left me museful for most of my life! Especially with all the references being made in motion pictures {ie: “You’ve Got Mail”} making me ever the more curious,… I finally picked up a pocket hardback edition at Barnes & Noble! My greatest Austen moment thus far was being able to soak up the narrative during the opening week of the film and seeing it before it left the theaters! Quite chuffed I pulled that off, I must say!

As homage to my quest to understand Jane Austen, and to make a nodding at the first book that enticed me to her works, I decided to focus on Pride and Prejudice and the books that were spun into life out of respect of her canon and out of the inspirations that the story led other authors to create.

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My Fellow Classics Re-Told Co-Contributors for “Pride and Prejudice”:

Melissa @ Harley Bear Book Blog

She has listed the following on her post as the selections she will be reading and watching during the challenge: Pride and Prejudice [2005] motion picture adaptation starring Keira Knightley & ?; The Lizzie Bennett Diaries [2012] web adaptation starring Ashley Clements;  Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance; Austenland by Shannon Hale; Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg; Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik; Pride and Popularity by Jenni James; and Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard. Be sure to follow her along as she embarks on this journey!

Andrea @ Beauty but a Funny Girl

She wrote that she had completely forgotten about the event taken place, but is still going to attempt to participate, as she has watched and enjoyed several adaptations over the years. She filled out a questionnaire specifically addressing her impressions of the films, and what she has taken away by absorbing into the life and world of Pride and Prejudice. I am not sure if she meant for that to be the main post OR if she is going to contribute more as the weeks go by. Stay tuned! By the 16th of September, I haven’t seen any posts leading me to think otherwise, and I think, she has quite literally bowed out. I can understand her circumstances, and therefore, her contribution is her Introduction.

J. Dudgeon @ J. Dudgeon

  • Introduction Post
  • Countdown: 10 Things I Love About Pride & Prejudice
  • Pride and Prejudice vs. Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Fields
  • Bride and Prejudice vs. Pride and Prejudice
  • Lost in Austen vs. Pride and Prejudice

She is the writer behind her own spin-off version of Pride and Prejudice entitled: Pride & Prejudice in California: Vol. 1: Pride, Prejudice and Termites. She has not yet composed her first posting by the 5th of September when I first began this post. However, on the 8th of September she started to post, including a breakdown of what she hoped to read & view! We have a few overlapping interests, as I too, am going to seek out “Lost in Austen”, “Pride, Prejudice, and Jasmin Fields”, as well as re-watch “Bride and Prejudice”.

Observations of our Differences:

Whereas Melissa and Andrea have grown an affection for “The Lizzie Bennett Diaries“, I cannot stipulate the same affection for the adaptation myself. Personally, it was a bit too raw, modern, and I took issues with various dialogue choices as well as the pace/flow of the story itself. I originally started to hear the murmuring of this adaptation across the broad spectrum of the bookish blogosphere earlier this year, but most predominately over Summer! I tried to keep an open mind about it, but to be honest, my first instinct was to roll my eyes and avoid watching them! Then, I thought that would be too prejudicial of me, and a bit too proud of my admiration of the classic film adaptations, by which, I have always wanted to see in full! I will admit, that even I, have a soft spot for a modern re-telling, which is the 2005 adaptation, where purists [Austenites + Janeites alike!] will shudder in horror for me to even admit this, yet its true! Therefore, after reading this post over on Bookish Comforts which bespoke about modern adaptations, I decided to take up the suggestion of ‘giving it a go’. I stopped watching after Episode 3. I. Could. Not. Take. One. More. Second. To each their own, as the saying goes.

Ironically, or naught, I felt that “The Autobiography of Jane Eyre” might actually be something I’d be more inclined to tune in and watch, as I watched Episode One! I will have to see how I feel about it after I conclude my reading of: Jane Eyre, for both Septemb-Eyre and Books of Eyre!

I am thankful that each of us are approaching this challenge from a completely different perspective and starting point! We might cross-relate on the motion picture adaptations, and of our love of the original canon, but you will be happy to note, we each take different forks in the road from there! Dear hearts, you shall have a full month to spend wandering around our blogs, and seeing a quite varied array of discussions populating our reviews!

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Archive List of my Classics Re-Told Posts:

  • Prelude: Austen in August
  • Preface: What is a girl to do? Except Continue Onward!
  • Preview of a new sequel: Book Cover Reveal for “Love At First Slight” by J. Marie Croft
  • Post I: Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics [focus on] Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Post II: Walking in Miss Elizabeth Bennett’s Shoes,…
  • Post III: Book Review: “Love At First Slight” by J. Marie Croft
  • Post IV: My second “Pride and Prejudice” Adaptation | First Viewing | 1940
  • Post V: My first “Pride and Prejudice” Adaptation | Second Viewing | 2006
  • Post VI: My first re-telling of “Pride and Prejudice” Adaptation | “Bride and Prejudice” | 2004
  • Post VII: “Darcy, Such As I”, a special keepsake and glimpse into the novel
  • Post VIII: Jane Austen Puzzle via Austen Authors
  • Post IX:
  • Post X: ?
  • Post XI: ?
  • Post XII: Austen, Jane Austen, Detective at the Ready!
  • Post XIII: Decidedly and Decisively Darcy: Private I’s
  • Post XIV: book
  • and continuing,…
  • Epilogue: Cross-Referencing Austen in August + Classics Re-Told
  • Epilogue: Websites of Austen & Pride and Prejudice
  • Epilogue: Review of: Lost in Austen, the book
  • Epilogue: Review of: Lost in Austen, the mini-series
  • Epilogue: book
  • Afterwards: Recollections of Classics Re-Told Reading Challenge

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Con-current Classic Re-Told Events & Their Respective Hosts:

Ancient to Renaissance Lit Classics | hosted by: Alyssa @ Books Take You Places

Mythology | hosted by: Brittany @ Book Addicts Guide

Children’s Classics | hosted by: The Cheap Reader

American & Miscellaneous Classics | hosted by: Excellent Library

Read this: A full history of how *Classics Re-Told* became to being!

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My Favourite Resources for Jane Austen:

  • Jane Austen Knits – despite being aware of this lovely zine which drops once or twice a year into our lives, I have not yet had the proper chance to collect the volumes! Each visit I make to Barnes & Noble, I find myself properly flushed with excitement over what the issue will contain! One day!
  • Austenprose –
  • Jane Austen Centre –
  • Jane Austen House Museum –
  • Austenticity –
  • Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine –
  • Jane Austen’s London – Blog of author Louise Allen who wrote Walking in Jane Austen’s London. I discovered this in connection with her book tour as the book was featured on The Word Wenches blog! Its an exciting book that allows the Janeite full access to know where in London you can take a walk, and be transported into the era of Jane Austen!
  • Austen Authors –  An informative blog about Jane Austen, populated by sequel authors who enjoy writing about their muse. A recent discovery of mine! They host monthly giveaways and encourage readers to not only drop commentary but to pass the word around about their lovely blog! The authors you will find in conjunction to the blog are as follows: Susan Adriani [The Truth About Mr. Darcy & Darkness Falls Upon Pemberley]; Nina Benneton [Compulsively Mr. Darcy & Death Sparkles (anthology)]; Diana Birchall [Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma, Mrs. Elton in America (trilogy), Jane Austen Made Me Do It (contributor), Onoto Watanna, The Story of Winnifred Eaton]; Marilyn Brant [According to Jane, A Summer in Europe, Friday Mornings at Nine, On Any Given Sundae, Double Dipping, Holiday Man, & Pride, Prejudice, and the Perfect Match]; Jack Caldwell [Pemberley Ranch, The Three Colonels, & Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner]; Karen Doornebos [Definitely Not Mr. Darcy & Undressing Mr. Darcy]; Monica Fairview [The Darcy Cousins, The Other Mr. Darcy, Jane Austen Made Me Do It (contributor), & An Improper Suitor]; Alyssa Goodnight [Austentatious, Austensibly Ordinary, & Unladylike Pursuits]; Maria Grace [Darcy’s Decision, The Future Mrs. Darcy, & All the Appearances of Goodness]; Cassandra Grafton [A Fair Prospect: Disappointed Hopes, A Fair Prospect: Darcy’s Dilemma, & A Fair Prospect: Desperate Measures]; Syrie James [The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, Dracula, My Love, Nocturne, Forbidden, Jane Austen Made Me Do It (contributor), & The Harrison Duet: Propositions and Songbird]; Regina Jeffers [The Phantom of Pemberley, Darcy’s Passions, Darcy’s Temptation, Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion, Vampire Darcy’s Desire, Christmas at Pemberley, The Disappearance of Georgiana Darcy, The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy, Honor and Hope, The Scandal of Lady Eleanor, The First Wives’ Club, A Touch of Velvet, A Touch of Grace, A Touch of Cashmere, A Touch of Mercy, Second Chances, His: Two Regency Novellas]; Sharon Lathan [Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One, Loving Mr. Darcy: Journeys Beyond Pemberley, My Dearest Mr. Darcy, In the Arms of Mr. Darcy, A Darcy Christmas, The Trouble with Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy Falls in Love, & The Passions of Dr. Darcy]; Susan Mason-Milks [Mr. Darcy’s Proposal]; Jane Odiwe [Mr. Darcy’s Secret, Willoughby’s Return, Lydia Bennett’s Story, Jane Austen Made Me Do It (contributor), Searching for Captain Wentworth]; C. Allyn Pierson [Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister]; Abigail Reynolds [What Would Mr. Darcy Do?, To Conquer Mr. Darcy, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World, A Pemberley Medley, Mr. Darcy’s Obsession, The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice, Morning Light, Mr. Darcy’s Undoing, By Force of Instinct, Mr. Darcy’s Letter, Mr. Darcy’s Refuge, Mr. Darcy’s Noble Connections]; Colette Saucier [Pulse and Prejudice, All My Tomorrows, Alicia’s Possession, Dearest Bloodiest Elizabeth]; Mary Simonsen [Anne Elliot: A New Beginning, Searching for Pemberley, A Wife for Mr. Darcy, For all the Wrong Reasons, Mr. Darcy’s Bite, Mr. Darcy’s Angel of Mercy, Darcy on the Hudson, A Walk in the Meadows at Rosings Park, Captain Wentworth Home from the Sea, Becoming Elizabeth Darcy, Darcy Goes to War]; Sally Smith O’ Rourke [The Man Who Loved Jane Austen, The Maidenstone Lighthouse, Christmas at Sea Pines Cottage, Yours Affectionately, Jane Austen]; Shannon Winslow [The Darcy’s of Pemberley, Mr. Collin’s Last Supper, For Myself Alone, & Return to Longbourn]

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{*NOTE: What is most curious to me, is to reflect, that on this one group author blog alone, there are two sequel authors I am reading this month represented! Their book titles are set in bold! I wonder if anyone else has read any of the selections mentioned!? I do notice a bit of a trend to vamp up the characters, however, I am not one inclined towards embarking down this particular path!}

Is “Pride and Prejudice” amongst your favourites of Jane Austen!? Was it the first of her novels that you picked up OR did you select another!? Which adaptation vexes you!? Which adaptation warms your heart and enchants your mind!? What is one happy hearted memory that surfaces to mind when you see a post like this, where the novel is at the forefront of the discussion!? Which Austen sites of interest do you enjoy visiting!? Do you have any to suggest!? Which actors do you think best represent Elizabeth & Darcy!?

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This began as a month-long event I was participating, and I decided to expand it to become inclusive of my first Classics Club experience; thus making this a self-directed challenge and not limited to the constraints of it’s original event.

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{SOURCES:  Classics Re-Told badge created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Cas Cornelissen (Public Domain : Unsplash). Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

Related Articles:

Jane Austen in Popular Culture – [Wikipedia]

Walking in Jane Austen’s London (the book) – [janeaustenslondon.com]

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Posted Thursday, 5 September, 2013 by jorielov in 19th Century, After the Canon, Audiobook, Austen in August, Bookish Whimsy, British Literature, Classical Literature, Classics Re-Told: 19th Century & Gothic Classics, England, Inspired by Stories, Motion Picture Adaptation, Re-Told Tales, Sequel Authors, Spin-Off Authors, the Regency era

WWW…Wednesday #1: What is a girl to do? Except continue onward!

Posted Wednesday, 28 August, 2013 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

WWW Wednesday badge by Jorie in Canva

I loved the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity that it gives the reader! :) Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read which would provide a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! :) Love the concept! Therefore, this weekly meme is hosted by Should Be Reading. Each week you participate, your keen to answer the following questions:

  • What are you currently reading!?
  • What did you recently finish reading!?
  • What do you think you’ll read next!?

Afterwhich, your meant to click over to Should Be Reading to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! :) Perhaps even, find other bloggers who dig the same books as you do! I thought it would serve as a great self-check to know where I am and the progress I am hoping to have over the next week!

What are you currently reading!? Such a question, this week! :) I must confess, this is my first day past my migraine, and even I am a bit surprised at how well I am doing! I had to let go of Bout of Books, 8.0 whose postings are still a bit run amuck as I haven’t had the proper chance to go back and flesh out what needs to be completed! I’ll get to it, just not today! Which is why I am still in-progress with my first Austen in August selection: “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, of which I am hoping to conclude either tonight or on the morrow! I want to post my review of this lovely novel before September whips into view!! I have plans for how I want to read through my other selections, but those plans will be revealed at a later time! :)

I am going to forego attempting to read my first Annie’s Attic mystery, until Bout of Books, 9.0 in January! However, I may or may not dig into “The Crimson Petal and the White” by Michael Faber at some point between now and then! The reason I’m holding off on Annie’s Attic’s series, is because that is what my focus for Bout 9.0 will be! Ha! I’m going COSY!! :)

Meanwhile, I have seven! lovely books in progress at different stages of absorption:

  1. Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
  2. Bluebird or the Invention of Happiness by Sheila Kohler
  3. The Secret Papers of Madame Olivetti by Annie Vanderbilt
  4. The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland
  5. Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs
  6. Murder on Monday by Ann Purser
  7. & Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert

If you choose to click over on each title, you will be drawn back into the days of the Bout, and see what first motivated me to read each book and the progression of reading them as each day lulled forward!! I must say, it’s a remarkable chronicle of one week out of my life, of how unwellness and rollicking thunderstorms can swerve in and out of your reading hours, and cause quite a bit of havoc on your overall outcomes!! 1 out of 10 books consumed isn’t quite so bad, when you think on it!

What did you recently finish reading!? “Haunted” by Heather Graham was the 1 out of 10 books I consumed during the Bout, and “The Prayer Box” by Lisa Wingate is the book I read for review whilst taking part in my first book blog tour for JKS Communications Publicity Firm!! I had such a profound personal attachment to the book, that I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to direct my review of it, but after putting the finishing touches on that post this afternoon and evening, I must say, I am happy with where it led me to go!! :) My review of Haunted will be clustered closer to when I can finish more of my Bout books!!

What do you think you’ll read next!? A far easier answer to provide! :) You see, after I read “The Golem and the Jinni” by Helene Wecker, I wrote a very cheeky note about what I wanted to read next!! Which is why, dear hearts, as soon as I get my tail caught up with all these lovely books I am reading, I will be digging into Mistress of my Fate. However, short of that, I will be picking up my copy of Jane Eyre, as I am participating in Books of Eyre 2013 + Septemb-Eyre 2013! Evenso, there are a few books that came into my hands via the library, which I’ll be outlining in my next post, “Library Loot #1“, which surely will curtail my reading of Mistress of my Fate, a wee bit more due to the fact the books will need to be returned forthwit! And, there is the issue of Lucid Stars finally making its way to me, as there was a bit of a glitch in my ILL’ing recently, to where, I received the two books AFTER this first one! Oy! Time shall reveal!

{SOURCE: The WWW Wednesday badge created by Jorie in Canva as a way to
promote the weekly meme for those who want to take part in it.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Wednesday, 28 August, 2013 by jorielov in Austen in August, Books of Eyre, Bout of Books, Septemb-Eyre, WWW Wednesdays

I, honestly admit, I have a slight confession,…

Posted Saturday, 17 August, 2013 by jorielov 2 Comments

I, honestly admit, I have a slight confession,… I am hereby addicted to reading challenges, Reading Challenge Addict badge created by Jorie in Canvaread-a-thons, read-a-longs, and other blogsphere community reading events! Yes. I, Jorie, of Jorie Loves A Story, have an addiction to reading! And, of daring myself to tackle one more ‘challenge’, despite already being committed to another already in-progress! I have discovered today, that I am NOT alone.  Nor am I the only one PROUD of this affliction. Look for our ‘badge of honour’ to find us! OR, click to join, if you find your afflicted too!

I created a running list of all the particulars of each challenge or reading event that I take on under my *RALs & Challenges* page!! However, for the sake of declaring just how much of an addict I am in this regard, I shall list them in order of participation:

70 Authors Challenge: A Personal Challenge I created for myself to read 70 Authors in 24 months time; focusing on 1-5 books per author! Technically, this won’t count until the 2015 Tally, as it concludes in August 2015! Originally scheduled to be a challenge in 12 months, but I have re-considered this and extended it to two full years!

  1. Austen in August: declaration of intent & Walking in Miss Elizabeth Bennett’s shoes,…
  2. Bout of Books, 8.0: declaration of participation; personal goals & motivations; day one; day two; day three; day four; day five; day six; day seven; wrap-up!
  3. Books of Eyre: declaration of participation; Jane Eyre;
  4. Septemb-Eyre: declaration of participation; Chapters I-XI; wrap-up!
  5. The Reading Hour: 3am; 5pm
  6. Classics Re-Told: [focus on] 19th Century & Gothic Classics: introduction: spotlight on: pride & prejudice; Walking in Miss Elizabeth Bennett’s shoes,…;
  7. Finnikin of the Rock: declaration of participation;
  8. SFN Bingo Reading Challenge: declaration of participation; Collaborative blogosphere event, merging book bloggers, authors, publishers, and sci-fi enthusiasts together, for a month long celebration of science-fiction! Each blogger will have a set schedule of posts, topics to explore, books to focus on, tv series to gush about, and certain bloggers will be hosting giveaways as well! Event begins 1 November & Concludes 30 November!
  9. Holiday Readathon: sign-up page; Christmas Romance Reading List;
  • Wonderfully Wicked: coming in October Due to circumstances changing, my amount of free time is reduced.
  • Banned Books Week: late September / early October Due to circumstances changing, my amount of free time is reduced.
  • Author of the Month: september, october, november, & december Due to circumstances changing, my amount of free time is reduced.

Unless I am mistaken this will be the full list for the year! :) Ahh, alas! A Bingo Challenge steps through the ether! :)

Reflections After the Fact: {work in progress!}

Austen in August: Aside from the fact that I nearly considered this a failure in the regards of being able to accomplish what I originally set out to do, in the end, I felt confident in my ability to actually ‘read’ a work of Austen during the month of the event! My review of the book did not post until September, which I regrettably could not avoid but I felt badly that my review’s link had to be threaded in the commentary section rather than the official Austen in August linky! :( Next year, if Roof Beam Reader hosts this lovely event again I would like to wisely choose 3 Austen novels to read so that I can not only reflect on her grace of story-telling but also participate in the Romance Reading Challenge that helps to promote the romance genre! I think if I could spilt the difference and read six books total I’d be plumb happy! I did complete the challenge even if I only read “Pride” due to the fact that the challenge had no direct rules or obligations! :) In this, I drew a bit of repose,…

Bout of Books, 8.0: You could say this challenge is continuously ongoing as I have not yet resolved the posts for the event itself as right after the event closed, I was ‘up and at ’em’  as the saying goes on my blog! I was focusing on everything that was happening in my personal life as much as attempting to keep a pace on where my blog was taking me next! Somehow in those short hours of September’s opening door, I lost my footing with Bout of Books, 8.0 despite the fact that I did finish reading one of the chosen books (“Haunted”), as much as finished nearly a quarter of another (“Lark Rise to Candleford”), and a bit less than that for the rest of my selections as I purposely focused on the first twenty pages per novel which was left-over to read save two (“The Crimson Petal & the White” & “The Lady in the Attic”). In this way, despite my challenges during the event, I succeeded in not only pushing forward and keeping with the event but for proving to myself that an isolated read-a-thon has its benefits even if you fall a bit short in your accomplishments! For instance, it opened my mind and heart to authors I never had the chance to fully grasp beforehand, and it opened up the door to the bookish blogosphere in a way where I could become acquainted with new bookish bloggers & hosted events where without JLAS I was blind to knowing existed previously! I consider this a strong lesson in perhaps being overly ambitious in my reading selections but having the heart of a reader who was determined to prove something to herself even if she fell a bit wayside of the intentions of conceiving the goals originally! 

I am working towards having all the posts reading for reading and viewing by the close of the year!! I would love to even attempt to finish reading the books I had started and post the reviews to coincide with Bout 8.0! As even if they run on my blog in December, its a project that meant something to me and if I complete it even four months after the fact, the point is dear hearts, I completed it in a time frame that worked for me! :) And  isn’t that the true merit of why we join these challenges!? To endeavour to accomplish something we first feel we cannot and to rise above our doubts and take our reading lives to new heights!?

Books of Eyre:

Septemb-Eyre:

The Reading Hour: I thoroughly enjoyed my reading of “Charlotte’s Web” even a bit moreso than I originally felt that I might, as I knew the story was intrinsically sorrowful and yet, held within it a life lesson worth reading even as a thirty-something as I am now rather than the young girl I was originally! :) I followed true to the “The Reading Hour”‘s principle in reading at an hour that coincided with their main event in Australia. The only disheartening experience for me during this event is that when I attempted to contact the event hosts I did not fetch a reply by email despite how enthused I was to share my own ‘reading hour’ observation! :( I followed up reading the book by ILL’ing a copy of the live-action motion picture of the same name which starred Dakota Fanning! The ILL arrived roughly a month shy of when the event occurred but I didn’t mind the wait as the reward was too sweet to worry about the gap of time which had elapsed! I considered this one of my favourite reading challenges of the year as I tipped my hat back into my childhood and drew a breath forward into my adult years at the very same time! How oft are we able to do this?! The full effect of ‘the reading hour’ was not lost on me, and I look forward to when I have children to inspire the joy of reading to nestle into their hearts as my own Mum and Da did for me so many moons ago! :) 

Finnikin of the Rock:

SFN Bingo Reading Challenge:

Reading Challenge Addict is hosted by Bev of My Readers Block. Originally inspired into being by Cheryl of CMash Loves to Read & Gina of Hott Books! You have until 30 November 2013 to add your declaration post to count in the tally for the year! The way in which you know your such a reader is by noting the following:

  • Easy as Pie: {1-5 Challenges, entered + completed}
  • On the Roof: {6-10 Challenges, entered + completed}
  • In Flight: {11-15 Challenges, entered + completed}
  • Out of This World: 16+ Challenges, entered + completed}

By looking over the specifics of this listing, I am on the cusp of On the Roof/In Flight!! We’ll have to wait and see what befalls my interest between now and New Year’s Eve!! Laughs whilst smiling. Not bad, eh!? For a blogger whose only been ‘live’ for 10 days!! I am itching with curiosity what everyone else put on their posts of declaration, so as I’m able too I will be visiting their blogs!

What about you!? Are you addicted and afflicted by reading, too!!??!

2014 Advance Planning Sesson {which will I choose!? ooh the intrigue!}

{SOURCE: Reading Challenge Addict badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Saturday, 17 August, 2013 by jorielov in 70 Authors Challenge 2013-19, Austen in August, Author of the Month, Books of Eyre, Finnikin of the Rock, Holiday Readathon, Reading Challenge Addict, Septemb-Eyre, The Reading Hour, Wonderfully Wicked