Are You Ready For This?

It has been awhile since I have got sucked into a novel series and I have missed it. The sequel to Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Days of Blood & Starlight comes out November 6th! (Happy birthday Mimi!!!)

In preparation I have been listening to Daughter of Smoke & Bone and once I am done will read the first seven chapters of Days of Blood & Starlight online here. Did you know the author Laini Taylor is coming to Changing Hands November 9th? Have you read Daughter of Smoke of Bone yet? Well come on what are you waiting for read it and then come to the signing! My friend Melissa is listening to it in the car right now (if she can make time anyone can make time!) and we have been talking about it which is getting me even more super excited! 

Come on guys Batman is doing it, you should too!

In Regency Heaven

According to Goodreads I have read 51 books this year (that doesn't count books I have re-read) out of these 25 have been by Georgette Heyer.  

 Like I mentioned in my previous post it wasn't always easy to find her books and a lot of them I listen/read. here is a stack of some that I was able to get from my library. I had to laugh when I gathered them up to take back.

What I like about Georgette's books is she is witty and has me laughing out loud. 

“Queer creatures, females," mused Mr. Standen, shaking his head. "Fellow's only got to be a rake to have 'em all dangling after him. Silly, really, because it stands to reason---- Well never mind that!” 
― Georgette Heyer, Cotillion

“Those fine eyes of hers had a disconcertingly direct gaze, and very often twinkled in a manner disturbing to male egotism. She had common-sense too, and what man wanted the plainly matter-of-fact, when he could enjoy instead Sophia's delicious folly?” 
― Georgette Heyer, Devil's Cub

 “Let me tell you, my dear Cousin, that I should be better pleased if you would refrain from meddling in the affairs of my family!”
“Now, that,” said Sophy, “I am very glad to know, because if ever I should desire to please you I shall know just how to set about it. I daresay I shan’t, but one likes to be prepared for any event, however unlikely.”

― Georgette Heyer, The Grand Sophy

She often makes jokes about reading romances as well, I love books that can laugh at themselves I hate pretentious books. It has seriously effected my speech, I have called men rakes and called my sister a goose.

It has been so much fun living in the Regency England and learning even more about it. I think I am now crawling out and getting ready to go to New York!

Discoveries

After reading and enjoying the book Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson I saw the author listing her inspiration as Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. I had tried to read one of Georgette's books before but didn't get very far but decided I should give her another chance, and I am so happy I did! Her books sometimes take awhile to get to the plot but they are so much fun once you get there. I read my first Georgette book in June and have since read six of her books so far but guess what she has written something like 50 books. I feel like a kid at Christmas the only sad thing is WHY DID I NOT READ THEM SOONER? As I have been looking on Goodreads and reading reviews it breaks my heart to hear others say they have been reading them since they were a teenager, I feel so left out. Another problem is they are not all that available in the library, but I did find that I can download their audio books from my library. AND GUESS WHAT I found out that Richard Armitage (aka Mr Thornton) narrates a couple of the audio books.

While trying to find said audio books from the library I discovered OneClickDigital  I downloaded the app and now can listen to a fairly big selection of audio books. Sadly they did not have any Georgette Heyer but they did have Midnight In Austenland by Shannon Hale, some Eva Ibbotson and Sarah Dessen. Overdirve another site provided by my library also has digital and audio books! 

Also I wanted to bring up The Lizzie Bennet Diaries again, I am still watching and liking them more and more. The girls no longer wear orangey make up and look how cute Mr Bing Lee is.

I want more people to watch so that way they can afford to keep making them and I can see their Darcy. You can check them out here. 

Piles

Next to my bed are three piles of books the first is my pile from the library, the second is books I have borrowed from friends & the last is books I have bought. The reason these books are in piles next my bed and not in the two bookshelves next to my bed is they are my to read/currently reading books.

(note these pictures are two month old the shelves already look different & I have another bookshelf in the living room)

I always feel guilty returning books to the library unread, hence why the piles are causing me to feel overwhelmed, which could be why I have been watching the tv series Wonderfalls instead of reading.

Wonderfalls was created by Brian Fuller before his Pushing Daisies days, but it only ran one season. Maybe I will talk about it on another post. But I will say that it does have these two gentlemen in it. 

I had never seen the guy on the right before but he was adorable & yes Lee Pace does wear his shirt buttoned very low in one of the episodes, and I didn't mind at all. Oh also the series ended with a Travis song, it could be love. 

Kindred Spirits & Reading

My brother Mark & I like to debate about owning books vs electronic readers. He is pro-electronic readers and never having to move boxes of books. My rebuttal always consists of how personal a book is. You can get it signed, share it with your friends, stick sticky notes in it and maybe even hug & smell them.
The other night I was hanging out with some friends and the conversation turned to books, something we do not normally talk about. I asked what their opinion was on books vs. readers. One said he liked having books and then jokingly added how it made him feel like he was better than other people. He asked if I ever felt having books made me feel superior. I just laughed and explained how I use to read books that others considered intelligent and although I could appreciate them I just did not love them. Then I found books that made me love reading again, and I have never looked back. Although I am not ashamed of the books I love, I realize that most people are probably not impressed with my books.  I was kind of surprised when he confessed he was impressed that I read.
That conversation took place Monday night then today a blog I follow did a post called My Taste in Books , where she lists what she looks for in a book. I could pretty much copy the whole post over here because I loved  & related to it all. But here are some that especially resonated with me...

• I like reading the truth, being moved and authors who get under their character's skins.

I have noticed that characters who feel the most real to me are characters who authors say had a mind of their own, making choices the author did not want them to make. 

• I love hope and redemption and life.

I believe in Hope as in the song The Cave by Mumford & Sons "I will hold on hope".

• I love books that somehow manage to peek into my soul.

There is such comfort in reading a book where a characters shares your insecurities, fears or joys.

• I want to read books that have characters worthy of me spending my time with them. 

Exactly! I can not read books where there is not someone I would be friends with in the book.

I found the blog after reading a review by Nomes on Goodreads, she had said exactly what I had wanted to say about the book. After clicking on the "compare books" in Goodreads I found we have 64 books in common and are 86% similar. Nomes lives in Australia, we don't even live in the same country and still have that many in common, she is definitely a kindred spirit.

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world." — Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)


One of the last things she says in her post is... "No one has the same taste as me. No one will 100% love what I do. And, I like that."


Isn't it funny how we both love to find people who love or hate the same things we do but we also love the little things that make us us. 

Anne of the Island

I have really been loving the Audiobook app Debbie told me about. Recently I finished listening to Anne of the Island my favorite from the Anne of Green Gables series. The following quote describes exactly what it felt to visit Anne again.

"I feel as if I had opened a book and found roses of yesterday sweet and fragrant, between it's leaves."


I read the Anne of Green Gables series when I was in Jr. High but I grew up watching the movies. Listening brought me to a time when I could easily use my imagination & pretend. While driving home from camping William was looking out the window and saying what all the clouds looked like. How long has it been since I looked at clouds and saw anything but clouds?


"You must pay the penalty of growing-up, Paul. You must leave fairyland behind you." 


Not to long ago my niece wanted me to play house with her. I told her alright, but was soon at a lost how could I not remember how to play house? I can remember being at the neighbors playing and using the vacuum cleaner as a microphone and seeing before me a stadium as I did a sound check before my concert.


"In imagination she sailed over storied seas that wash the distant shining shores of "faëry lands forlorn," where lost Atlantis and Elysium lie, with the evening star for pilot, to the land of Heart's Desire. And she was richer in those dreams than in realities; for things seen pass away, but the things that are unseen are eternal."


Returning to Avonlea is returning to my childhood and helped me remember the girl I use to be and the woman I hoped I would some day become. 


"No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond."
— C.S. Lewis


Debbie and I made a promise as young girls that someday we would go to Prince Edward Island, we will wear long skirts and walk to the beach in the tall grass. I even painted a picture of it for Debbie one year. The poor ugly painting, but these pictures are what I wanted it to be. 

The Mean Reds

Have you seen Breakfast at Tiffany's? I remember watching this with my sister Debbie & our neighbor and friend Jennie after we put on this old trench coat my mom had and walked down the street saying things like "step on it darling" & "I'm crazy about Tiffany's."

Lately I have been thinking about the "mean reds" and Holly's cure for the mean reds.

Holly Golightly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?

Paul Varjak: The mean reds, you mean like the blues?
Holly Golightly: No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling?

Paul Varjak: Sure.

Holly Golightly: Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that'd make me feel like Tiffany's, then - then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name!

When I went to New York back when I was a senior in High School I had my best friend Erika take a picture of me standing in front of Tiffany's.

But Tiffany's is not my cure for the mean reds my cure is Jane Austen & anything Austenesque. Although our cures are different the reasons for the cure are the same...

"The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there."

After having a really bad start to my new year I found myself tired & down and desperate for something to lift my spirits when I remembered that Elizabeth Eulberg's new book Prom & Prejudice had come out. I drove straight to Barnes & Noble & got myself a copy.

I read Elizabeth's Eulberg's first novel The Lonely Heart's Club before going to London last year and loved the message of girls staying true to themselves and not doing things because of guys. The Beatles references didn't hurt either. Reading Prom & Prejudice was extremely fun. I loved seeing how Elizabeth made Lizzy & Darcy fit into modern day high school and her twist on things. I only wish I could have gotten more.

Some of my other favorite Austenesque type books are Shannon Hale's Austenland. I don't even know how many times I have read this book or listened to it, yep I also have the audio on my ipod. Not to mention how much I love what Shannon wrote when she signed it...

Another is Enthusiams by Polly Shulman which is a book I have never actually read. I have only listened to it on audio since the library only has it on audio, silly library. I am not one for ordering books online so I was so excited that I found it at Bookmans on Saturday! I gave it to Debbie the Enthusiast in my life. This isn't a modern re-telling it is just about two friend who love Jane Austen & long to find their Mr. Darcy and crash a dance to find one for themselves. 

 Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier, I have not read that the 5 sisters in this fantasy/fairytale retelling are based of the Bennett sisters in Pride & Prejudice but it just seemed obvious. So if you like fairytale retelling & Pride & Prejudice I would check this out.

Ok this is not a Pride & Prejudice-esque book but if you like fantasy/fairytale Shannon Hale type books check out The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal.