Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Everything Austen II Challenge - I'm Joining! What's Wrong with Me???


Yes, I swore I would not ever, ever, EVER join two challenges at the same time, again, in my life. I did. Not like on a stack of tomatoes or anything (that would be serious). But, I just happen to have just finished reading Emma and I just happen to plan to watch the A & E movie version of Emma soon. And, I just happen to have already started a Jane biography -- but at the rate I'm reading, undoubtedly won't finish it until well after the starting date of the challenge.

I've also been eyeing my copy of Scones & Sensibility for months. It's like . . . fate. The Austen waves have built up, leading to a massive earthquake and a tidal wave that tossed my soul into Hampshire (a shire which we once accidentally drove into, incidentally -- there was this sign that said, "Jane Austen Country" that my husband, his co-worker and I took as a subtle hint that we'd gone too far . . . it was dark and England's totally confusing at night, you see, and we were actually supposed to be in Surrey, not Hampshire).

So, I'm in. The Everything Austen II Challenge (<---click there to read Stephanie's post and sign up) officially begins on July 1, 2010 and runs through January 1, 2011. I'm cheating just a little by adding my current biography to my list because I'm reading so slowly that I don't think the few pages I've already read make me look too awfully guilty, but in the end I hope to read or view more than the 6 required, anyway.

Here's what I intend to read and view, at this point:

1. Jane's Fame by Claire Harman - a biography

2. Emma on DVD - the A & E version with Kate Beckinsale

3. Scones & Sensibility by Lindsay Eland (YA)

4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - a book I've wanted to read for quite some time

5. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo (pretty sure I own a copy of this - must search)

6. ?? Maybe the A & E biography of Jane Austen - another that I'm pretty sure I own; I think it's included in my extra Pride & Prejudice set from A & E (I own 2 copies because the second set had a book and extra features and it was so pretty and on sale, and, and --).

As I perused the list at Stephanie's blog, I realized I'm already more of a Jane Fan than I imagined. I've read 4 of Austen's novels and 3 novellas (bound together as Lesley Castle), watched the Colin Firth Pride & Prejudice a squillion times and Sense & Sensibility almost as many. I've seen that stupid movie, Becoming Jane (sorry, that one just did not do it for me) and both read and watched Bridget Jones's Diary. I've read all of Marsha Altman's Pride & Prejudice sequels, Just Jane by Nancy Moser, and Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. I could probably go on. I think I will try to hush, though.

You should join this challenge. Really, you should. We'll have such a grand time. There should be a ball at the end, don't you think? We shall all wear gloves and pin our hair up in twisty little curls with sparkly things shimmering in our coiffures. We'll don beaded slippers and dance! The men will look terribly uncomfortable but shockingly handsome in those high collars and tails.

Oh, oh, oh. I must stop before I swoon!!!

My heart is in England, now.

Bookfool, Jane Fan and Utter WeaklingAdd Image

Updates on what I've read/viewed:

1 & 2. Emma - the book and the A & E movie

3. Emma & the Vampires by Jane Austen & Wayne Josephson

4. Mr. Darcy's Obsession by Abigail Reynolds

5. Persuasion - the 1995 BBC movie on DVD

6. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

7. Jane Austen Biography on DVD

8. The Making of Pride & Prejudice (Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version)

9. Persuasion - the Rupert Penry-Jones movie version on DVD

21 comments:

  1. Gah!! You've talked me into it! I'm joining as well.

    Gah! haha last year was so fun but I wasn't going to do it again this year until this post!

    Good luck!

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  2. Have fun with the challenge!

    I'm not sure if the header photo is new or I'm slow, but I love it!!

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  3. Miss Remmers,

    Just call me troublemaker. :) It was the idea of a ball that did it, right? The problem would be, "Is Hampshire ready for hundreds of Jane-loving bloggers to descend upon them in ball gowns? Are there enough British men to go around? All worthy of consideration, if you ask me. ;)

    Kathy,

    Thank you!

    I'm not sure when I changed my header, but it's only been a few days. That's a Costa Rican hummingbird. Isn't he pretty?

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  4. Have you ever read Pamela Aiden's Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series? It's a trilogy of books about Pride and Prejudice told from Darcy's point of view and is actually very good. Well...the first and third books are really good. I don't really get the second one. It's Gothic and doesn't quite fit with the other two in addition to having very little to do with P&P or the other books. But the first and third books are the best P&P spin-offs that I've read.

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  5. Hey Miss Sassy!

    Long time no see! No, I haven't read any of those books, although I'm pretty sure I have a copy of the first book in the series. I'll have to dig for it. I'd forgotten all about that series. Thanks for the reminder!

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  6. Anonymous11:57 AM

    Glad to see you signed up. This puts my challenge total at 3 and I like to do no more than 2, but Austen (and the sequels, etc.) is my guilty pleasure so I couldn't resist! Have fun!

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  7. I am going to join, I found Persuasion and A Rude Awakining of a Jane Austen Addict now I just need to find Bridget Jones' Diary. :)

    Krista

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  8. Uh oh, this looks like something I'm gonna have to do too ... you are an enabler!

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  9. I looooove Jane Austen. I have read all of her books. I need to read her short stories. There is no way I can handle another reading challenge right now. I am failing them right and left. Ack. :)

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  10. Anna,

    That's exactly how I got sucked in; Jane Austen is definitely a guilty pleasure. I try to do no more than one challenge at a time because I'm terrible at challenges! I already had some plans to watch and read more Jane, though, so what the heck. Thanks, you too! :)

    Krista,

    I think you might want to avoid Bridget Jones, actually (just judging by what you've been reading and avoiding, this year). It has a lot of bad language and can be a tad racy. Have you read Lesley Castle? I highly recommend that, if you haven't.

    Bridget,

    I know! I live to enable. LOL I hope you will join in. I always have such fun reading your posts.

    Brittanie,

    You've read all her books? Cool. I love Jane Austen, too, but I've been slow to get to know her writing. You're in just about every challenge under the sun, aren't you? Even if you're failing challenges, you could never be called a failure at reading, that's for sure! Maybe it's just time for you to give challenges a rest, for a while. I joined too many, early on, and now I pretty much know my limits, which helps. :)

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  11. Can I just say that is the most awesome header/photograph I've seen in a long while?!!!!!! Kuddos to you, Bookfool!

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  12. Les,

    Thank you! I took that photo in Costa Rica, last year. Isn't he pretty?

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  13. You're going to look so cute in an Empire gown!

    Yay, Team Austen!

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  14. Woo-hoo! Glad to see you are joining. I am really excited and hope to read P&P, finally! I'll watch the Colin Firth version again just because he's so dreamy :)

    Enjoy it!

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  15. Goodness gracious! You have me wanting to join and I don't happen to be the biggest Austen fan. I think the P&P miniseries with Firth is AWFUL (have we had discussions about Firth before? Seems I'm experiencing déjà vu (nice accent marks, huh?).

    Northanger Abbey is a pretty quick one and fun. Not as developed as the longer novels and the heroine isn't as fun and perky as Emma but it's short.

    Enjoy!!

    Oh, and Happy Friday. Fiona is looking mighty lovely in her picture today!

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  16. Sounds like fun -- I love everything Jane Austen! I just saw the movie The Jane Austen Book Club, and thoroughly enjoyed it!

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  17. YAY, glad you've decided to join up (and yes, a ball would be PERFECT, but only if there were MANY british men available to attend - specifically ones that look like Jeremy Northam and Richard Armitage).

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  18. Bybee,

    Heh. Time for the Jane Austen Diet plan. :)

    Iliana,

    Yay! You will love P & P. And, any excuse to see wet Colin Firth is a good one, IMHO. ;)

    Trish,

    Yes, we've had that discussion and I think the correct word for the occasion is "SACRILEGE". But, you're entitled to your opinion. :)

    I can't wait to read Northanger Abbey! Emma will likely stay my favorite heroine, though. I just can't imagine anyone surpassing her.

    Fiona says thank you! And, Happy Monday (obviously, we're having a busy week!). :)

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  19. Coffee Chick,

    Me, too! Jane is all kinds of awesome. I haven't seen that movie, yet. Oh, boy! One more thing to look for!!

    Stephanie,

    And Colin Firth. Don't forget good old Colin. Thanks for hosting the challenge, again. I was kind of green with envy during last year's challenge!

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  20. Oh, but this challenge is MADE for YOU! It'll be fun, I'm proud you've committed to it. :)

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  21. Care,

    I do believe you're right about that. I was a tad envious of people who joined the Everything Austen challenge in 2009. I'm really looking forward to it! :)

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