Just Jane

So you all know that I love Jane Austen, she’s the best.

So whenever I find anything that has to do with Austen I snag it.

So one day I was perusing the local bookstore on my day off. The day before had been an extremely hard day so I wanted something to help me feel better.

You know nothing makes me happier than reading.

As I was perusing the shelves, I spotted a book about Jane Austen and just had to purchase it and read it.

I then put it on my to-read pile and forgot all about it.

But as I was moving, I went through my to-read pile and had to read it.

Just Jane (Ladies of History #2) by Nancy Moser

So the book begins with Jane Austen as a young lady at a ball and her infatuation with Tom Lefroy, the man she based Mr. Darcy and Captain Fredrick Wentworth, going all the way to her death, following the completion of Persuasion. 

The book is an intense delight and I recommend it for any Austen fan. Moser is able to blend the historical context, the quotes from her letters, and out it all together in a fun and intriguing narrative that I couldn’t stop reading.

We get to see inside Austen’s head, and view her process and take the path of her life and creation of her amazing books.

We get to experience her heartache, sadness, grief, etc. I love how Moser captures her essence as a girl trying to figure out her future, try to find love, find her place in her family, and worry about what she can do to help her household along with her as an author-the creative struggles, the pains and long journey of bringing an idea into a real novel, and the sorrows and joy of printing process.

We also get a great view of her family, the research done well and bringing certain things I had not known to my attention, and blogging of course.

Like her aunt being thrown in jail for shoplifting.

Moser never claims that one fictional character is solely based on Austen or those she knows-instead she leaves it open to the reader as there is a delight in spotting what real life situations or people could be different characters or events that occur in the book.

It beautifully shows the Regency period, the things we see in films that makes us want to go back, along with detailing the realities that we are happy we no longer have to face.

There will be many posts that have come or will be coming in the future that have to do with something that caught my eye in the reading.

So once again, let me say-if you love Jane Austen and you want something that has life over just the facts, this book is for you. It was a great read and kept you wanting to see what happened next and read more about Jane’s real life and her family.

“Four, five people have been so honoured?’ She shook her head. ‘Tis deplorable, Jane. Hundred, yea even thousands, must enjoy your work.” pg 117

For more on Jane Austen’s life, go to Jane, Jane, Jane: A Jane Austen Biography

For something interesting from Just Jane, go to By the Sea

For more Regency Era, go to Desire & Decorum: Chapter 2, The Ties That Bind

When I Get Into a Novel

It’s true, they are my home away from home; sucking me into different lives, worlds, people, and experiences.

Yep:

For more book filled posts, go to Rainy Days & Rainy Nights

For more on Colin Firth, go to Always There for You

For more quotes, go to Keep Moving Forward

Yesterday I went to a Christmas party, and everyone there was saying how wonderful Christmas is. There is just something so special about it, how it can truly change attitudes from the miserly Scrooges and grumpy Grinches to love, compassion, giving, etc. It is truly the most wonderful time of the year, just like today’s Christmas Carol says.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year was written in 1963 and first performed by Andy Williams, being covered many times by others. It was also named by Billboard as one of the top 10 holiday songs. I know I love it!

For more Andy Williams, go to It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

For more Christmas Carols, go to A Cowboy’s Christmas

The Many Reincarnations of Me

One of the best things about books is that they not only take you to far off places, on exciting adventures, and introduce you to amazing characters; but they help you live many lives.

In reading we can live in any time we want, have any profession we want, etc.

And I will continue reading and living!

For more on my love of books, go to An Assembly Such As This

For more posts on George R. R. Martin, go to What a Fanatic!

For more of my favorite quotes, go to 25 More Films of Christmas

I’ve Got a Hangover

Yep, I have some big issues. I’ve got a:

I hate/love it when that happens. You have an amazing book that you just absolutely love and are involved with. You want to get to the end, the conclusion of the story, but at the same time you don’t want it to be over.

When you’re done, it’s like what do I do now?

You kind of stumble around until you find another great book and then the cycle starts all over again. Such is the life of a book lover.

 

And you know what, I don’t want help for my addiction.

For more book lover posts, go to When in Doubt

For more on Shawn Hunter, go to Simply Fantastic

For more on being a fangirl, go to Fantastic Fantasies