It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 8/20 Austenesque pour Moi!

Another Monday

&

What Am I Reading?

you ask..

{well if not you, then at least Sheila at Book Journey is !}

Being well into Austen in August celebrated at 2 blogs,

I've been having a great time checking into Austenesque books

from various readers I've collected over the past year.

Some from blog Giveaway winnings,

some from the library, kindle offers, and others from charity shops..

Today's current read is a winning from the author ~

Jane and The Canterbury Tale
{updated with review 8/25}

by Stephanie Barron

I am sooo attracted to the book by this Gorgeous cover!

Having read others by Stephanie,

 I also know the writing and plot will be excellent!

Ready to read the first chapter!?

I have listed several more JA reviews of my reads at Goodreads

for these Austen in August Reading Challenges.

If you're interested in more options try ~

Diane Moody's 'Tea With Emma' novella

PO Dixon's 'Bewitched, Body & Soul: Elizabeth Bennet'

Karen Aminadra's 'Charlotte~ Pride & Prejudice Continues'

Kim Izzo's 'The JA Marriage Manual'

Jane Austen's 'Persuasion' novel and Penguin Readers Audio

Jane Austen's 'Emma' Penguin Readers Audio

Victoria Connelly's 'Mr Darcy Forever'

Christina Dudley's 'The Beresfords'

and as MUCH HaPpY Reading 

as you can devour !

*More Austen in August reviews linked at

Roof Beam Reader Adam

and

Misty's Book Rat

Join us Wednesday at Cym's

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Jane 'Austen in August' Q & A for 8/15

It's here!

Our Persuasion Readalong Q&A ~

Here's our host, Misty...

.. it's time for a bit more about the Persuasion Read Along.. 

rather than posting the questions week by week, 

I'm going to give you all of the questions now. 
You are free to answer them as you see fit: blog or vlog them, 

post them all at once or split them up into 3 different posts 

(which is what I'll be doing), etc. 

You can skip any you don't want to answer, 

add in questions and comments for things I didn't cover that you want to talk about -

 the whole point is to get a discussion going and share your perspective on the story 

(even if you hated it! 

Though expect a lot of people to stop by and try to convince you why you should love it... ;P )

get your answers ready (and read the book if you haven't yet);

I'll have a linky up on the 15th where you can post your responses, 

and I really hope you'll stop by some others' posts and get involved 

in the discussion with them (even if you're not "officially" participating!!)

I've split the book roughly into thirds, 

 the questions are divided accordingly; 

I will be posting my responses once a week (on the 15th, 22nd and 29th), 

 feel free to post yours all together, or however works best for you!

***And remember,

if you don't have a copy, there are plenty of places you can read it online for free, 

like Project Gutenberg or the Republic of Pemberley! 

Or you can  download a free audiobook of it here!

YOUR DANCE CARD

Wednesday, the15th

• Welcome & Schedule - you are here
• Participation Linky
• Persuasion Read Along response linky
• Sourcebooks Mega Mystery Prize Pack Giveaway
• Misty's responses to Persuasion, part 1

Quick getting to know you Qs:

1. Was Persuasion the first Austen book you read?
2. No for me ~
3. Is this the first time you've read Persuasion?
4. Yes!
5. How many other Austen books have you read?
6. Four
7. Will you read more of them/reread them?
8. Definitely !

Chapters 1-7

• What are your initial impressions of the story? 
  Do you like the set-up for the world and the conflicts? 
  Did you find any of it hard to understand or relate to?
• What are your impressions of the characters so far?
  Especially in regards to Anne,
  who is considered quite a bit different from other Austen heroines
  (besides being the oldest, she's had love and let it go, 
• and now has had years to reflect on that).
• Do you think Anne was right to have yielded to the pressure of those close to her -
  to have been "persuaded" -
  not to accept Wentworth's first proposal?
• What do you make of Anne's family
  (and extended family, including Lady Russell),
  and her place among them?
  How do the people in Anne's life treat her, and what was your reaction to that?
• Discuss Anne's first few meetings with Wentworth,
  or Wentworth's entry into the story in general.

Chapters 8-18

• Now that we've gotten to know most of them a bit, 
• discuss the side characters: who is your favorite? least favorite?
  Were there things Austen did with these side characters
  that you absolutely loved or hated?
• As Anne and Wentworth are thrown together more and more,
  how do you feel about the fact that they never address their shared history?
  Do you find either to be irrational or unjust in not being open with the other
  and broaching the topic?
  Do you find Anne too self-sacrificing?
• Is there ever a time you dislike Capt. Wentworth?
  Were you put off by his treatment of Anne?
• Discuss the incidents at Lyme;
  consider Louisa's fall from the cob and Wentworth's subsequent praise of Anne,
  the appearance of Mr Elliot and his reaction to Anne
  (and Wentworth's reaction to him), etc.
• Discuss Anne's arrival in Bath,
  considering the continued presence of Mr Elliot,
  Anne's reaction to her family and the way she begins to distance herself
  from them and stand up for herself more than she has been known to do.

Chapters 19-end

• What was your initial reaction to Persuasion as a whole?
  Did you connect with Anne as a heroine, and Wentworth as a hero? 
• Has your perception of Persuasion changed since reading it,
  especially if you've read it more than once?
• The characters are constantly on the move in Persuasion
  (from Kellynch to Uppercross to Lyme to Bath, etc),
  so the reader gets to see a variety of scenes;
  did you like the constant changes of scenery?
  Did you have a favorite?
  Do you think the different locations bring out different aspects of the characters?
• Discuss one of the biggest fangirl-inducing moments in Austen: "The Letter;"
  did you know the ending was originally written without "The Letter" in it?
  Do you think your overall perception of the story would change
  without "The Letter"?
• What do you anticipate for the futures of any of the characters,
  but particularly Anne?
  Will her family ever come to accept Wentworth,
  or is she essentially disowning herself by marrying him?
• On reflection,
  are you ever bothered by the fact that Anne is essentially put in the same position -
  to give up the life she knows and loves for Wentworth,
  and that the same is never expected of him?
  Does this bother your modern sensibilities,
  or do you think the right decision is made regardless?
• What were your favorite parts of the novel?
  Your least favorite? Things you wish were different?
• Any last thoughts on the book?

BONUS:

If you've seen a movie adaptation, feel free to discuss those as well! 

I'm going to have a "Viewing Party" for Persuasion 

so we can discuss them more in-depth, 

feel free to give us your take, 

and whether you think the adaptation worked, etc.!

You're invited to join the discussion and link your thoughts,

responses, reactions

at the linky connection in today's Dance Card section above.

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Austen in August ~ The Beresfords ~ A Mansfield Park contemp by Christina Dudley

Reading a Jane Austen retelling for Austen in August,
from 

Christina Dudley 

The Beresfords by Christina  Dudley


The Beresfords~

With sympathy and humour , Christina Dudley has given us an in depth, contemporary take on Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park.

From the book's cover..

Raised with four older stepcousins in a conservative, churchgoing family, Frannie Price teeters on the brink of adolescence in the summer of 1985. Her timidity and awkwardness make her easy to overlook, yet she has one true friend in her cousin Jonathan. Jonathan, her childhood champion and the best person she knows. But when the Grant twins enter her life, Frannie’s world turns upside down. Not only does the sly and charming Eric Grant set her girl cousins against each other, but his flirtatious sister makes off with Jonathan’s heart.

Only Frannie sees the faults running beneath the family landscape—not that anyone’s asking her opinion. Not her strict Uncle Paul, not her beloved Jonathan, and certainly not the Grants, who, after having their way with the rest of the Beresfords, turn their sights on her. What’s a girl to do? And why does she feel, in this uncharted territory, like God left her at the border?

As the cover concludes, The Beresfords chronicles Frannie’s coming of age, when all around her is coming apart.

As a reader, I continually internally urged Frannie to speak up, tell it like it was.  Unfortunately, she didn't hear me :) She continued on her own path.  I cringed at her hesitancy, at the sidelining of her by her cousins, their 'un'Christian behaviour and attitudes contradicting their stated beliefs, their shallowness, the impotence of Frannie's aunt, and I acknowledged my disgust of uncle Paul's sister who ran roughshod over Frannie.  Then again, aunt Terry met no resistance to her unkindness and bullying!

I cheered for any small act of kindness from the maid or her cousin Jonathan.  When the tables eventually turned, I resonated a huge 'YES!'  The cousins were getting their just reward and Frannie was having her day!

Christina shares her reasons for writing her take on MP at the Calico Critic blogspot.  One reason?  "I wanted to give Fanny her own voice, to make her more sympathetic... Let her tell her side of the story, as my “Frannie” does."

Christina's final reason makes reading investment in The Beresfords bear interest.. "And finally, I was ticked at dear Jane for the ending of Mansfield Park. After all that Fanny has been through, things turn around for her in one sentence?! (And not even a very detailed sentence!) Fanny suffers more than any other Austen heroine, with the possible exception of Anne Elliott in Persuasion, but Anne gets a delicious conclusion, complete with detailed, heartfelt confession by Captain Wentworth. How could Austen so 'phone it in', when it came to Fanny? This absolutely had to be remedied."

Definitely a worthy read for anyone wanting a better outcome for Frannie {or Fannie}!  At least in The Beresfords, Christina has given us the satisfaction of Frannie's triumph and we can partner with her for the concluding HaPpY Dance!

About Christina ~
Blogging for the Bellevue (WA) Farmers Market as the UrbanFarmJunkie, she also edits other writers and served on the Advisory Board for University of Washington's Certificate in Digital Publishing. 
Christina's blog [click to link] HERE


View all my reviews

Don't miss tomorrow's Birthday Party Celebration!

It's Persuasion's, Anne Elliot's 225th Birthday 

and I'll be posting the Party right here !!

You'll find more reviews to whet your Jane Austen reading appetite

 from other participant listings at Austen in August ...

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