Tag Archives: Happy New Year

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If Adventures Will Not Befall a Young Lady in Her Own Village, She Must Seek Them Abroad

Happy New Year!

So even though this year is the 210th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice.

I went with a Northanger Abbey quote because I am going abroad to Ireland in the fall!!! I’m so excited!

But even though I am deciding to make this my “Catherine Morland” year (I’m coming for you Mr. Tilney)-I do plan to try and review/post something Pride and Prejudice related every month. Now I know I failed in reviewing Emma (1972)-but I’m really going to try and do my best!

Now on to the year in review!

The Views

This year I had over 56,000 views! That might not seem like a lot to some but I’m thankful for each and every one.

Thank you!

The Top Five Posts

Here are the top five most viewed posts of the year, although again none were posted this year. I guess whatever I post in the actual year is never popular enough? Who knows.

5) I Ran Out of Milk So I Put Buttermilk in My Tea from 2019

This was just a silly post, I’m surprised it was so popular this year.

4) A Real Man from 2014

Why is this post so popular? I don’t know, but once again it’s in my top 5.

3) Which Husband Ran Off With Addie Ross?: A Letter to Three Wives (1949) from Horrorfest VII from 2018

This is a fantastic film and I know it is one of the top viewed as people are always trying to find out which husband ran off with Addie Ross. The answer lies in my review.

2) What Happened to Ally Palmer?: The Good Student (2006) from Horrorfest VII from 2018

When I first saw this film with my friend I was confused. Ever since I have reviewed it, the review has been read by fellow confused viewers.

1) Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002) from I Only Want To Be With You: Romance is in the Air from 2013

Ever since I have posted this it has been my number one viewed post. For 10 years nothing has been able to knock it out of first place. I’m extremely surprised.

First of all I celebrated my 10th Blogiversary! I’ve been doing this for 10 years! Can you believe that?!

Jane Austen Posts

It’s the name of the blog, of course there will be posts on Jane Austen or her works!

Pride and Prejudice:

Sense and Sensibility:

Emma:

Northanger Abbey:

Persuasion:

Jane Austen and the Regency Era:

Non-Austen Films for Austen Fans

Have you watched every version of Jane Austen’s works in film and TV and now wonder what to watch next? That’s why I started making a list of films that have components similar to Jane Austen’s works but not an exact retelling or a variation.

Spill the Tea, Tea Reviews

Reviews of tea shops, cafes, & more!

Recipes:

Who doesn’t love having a nice teatime snack to eat while reading or watching Jane Austen?

Crafts:

I’m going to try and share any regency, Jane Austen, or tea related crafts!

Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers:

What do you read after you’ve read all of Jane Austen’s works? That’s why I started making a list of books that have components similar to Jane Austen’s works but are not an exact retelling or a variation.

Giveaway Reviews:

Who doesn’t like free things?

Catherine Morland’s Viewing List

Similar to Catherine Morland’s Reading List, this is a list of gothic films I recommend for the Henry Tilneys and Catherine Morlands out there who are looking for something spooky to watch.

Catherine Morland’s Reading List

Similar to Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers this is a list of gothic books I recommend for the Henry Tilneys and Catherine Morlands who are looking for something spooky to read.

Horrorfest XI

31 reviews of horror films, mysteries, monsters, etc; and of course Northanger Abbey.

Instagram Stuff

On Instagram (@janeaustenrunsmylife) I try to achieve a Bookish Bingo every month. I usually read whatever I like and then see which slot it fills. I write how it fits the categories in my stories and save them for the month and the one after, replacing it with the new month’s selections. It is a lot of fun, and I recommend trying it out.

I also did a countdown to Halloween by reading a chapter of Northanger Abbey everyday, created 31 Days of Hallotean countdown to Halloween, and a countdown to Christmas with my Advent calendar the 25 Teas of Christmas.

July Blogiversary

I celebrated my 10th Blogiversary this year, my niece and I reviewing Austenland. Thank you to all who have been a part these past 10 years. Also on my Instagram I asked a series of questions and posted the results. I asked the following questions this year:

  • If Austen characters could have any food we have today, which one do you think they would go the most crazy over?
  • If the Jane Austen characters were alive today, what jobs would they have?
  • If you could cast any actor/actress in a Jane Austen production, who would it b
  • If you could cast any actor (alive or dead) as Mr. Darcy, who would
  • If you couldn’t marry one of Jane Austen’s Main Characters/love interests, which character would you marry?
  • If you were to make a modern adaption of Jane Austen, which book would you pick and what changes would you make to have it be ‘modern’
  • Jane Austen opinion you will never be talked out of?
  • What are your top 5 Jane Austen adaptions/retellings?
  • What is a Jane Austen themed tradition, oddity, or eccentricity you have/have in your family?
  • What is the best Austen themed product you have purchased or been gifted?
  • What is your favorite Jane Austen book cover?
  • What Pop Culture thing would the Austen characters be into?
  • What’s your favorite costume/outfit from a Jane Austen film.
  • Which Austen parent is the worst?
  • Which character in Austen’s works do you dislike/hate
  • Which Jane Austen character deserves a novel showcasing them?
  • Which is the worst film or TV adaption of Jane Austen’s work

25 Films of Christmas

I like to watch a Christmas film every day in December. Theses are the ones I watched this year.

That’s it for 2022, here’s hoping 2023 will be better!

For 2021 in review, go to I Always Deserve the Best Treatment, Because I Never Put Up With Any Other

For 2020 in review, go to I Will Be Calm. I Will Be Mistress of Myself

For 2019 in review, go to The Mysterious Affair at Jane Austen Runs My Life

For 2018 in review, go to The Future is Bulletproof

For 2017 in review, go to Life Seems But a Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

For 2016 in review, go to A New Hope

For 2015 in review, go to To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

For 2014 in review, go to Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads

For 2013 in review, go to Looking at the Past, Focusing on the Future

For 2012 in review, go to Looking Back, Moving Forward

by

I Always Deserve the Best Treatment, Because I Never Put Up With Any Other.

Happy New Year!

I had a hard time trying to decide what to entitle this year’s post,was there something I cared for that was having a special anniversary? After looking through the years the only thing I found was Emma (1972) is turning 50. Of course that mean I will be reviewing it (as soon as I finish the last episode of Austentatious.

With that it means a very Emma year, which has already started. I don’t know about you all but lately I tend to waffle between these two thoughts, getting ready for things and having plans fall apart due to some new COVID related issue:

And trying to maintain a good attitude in these trying times:

But no matter how bad it gets, there is always Jane Austen to make you feel better.

Or Read

I’m going to try and carry on with the attitude of Emma. Whether you love her or hate her-she knows what she deserves.

Now on to the year in review!

The Views

This year I had over 100,000 views! That might not seem like a lot to some but I’m thankful for every one.

Wow!

The Top Five Posts

Here are the top five most viewed posts of the year, although again none were posted this year. I guess whatever I post in the actual year is never popular enough? Who knows.

5) Being Friends is Good Enough: Catching Fire (2013) from Romance is in the Air II from 2014

4) Time is the Most Important Thing from 2015

3) A Real Man from 2014

2) What Happened to Ally Palmer?: The Good Student (2006) from Horrorfest VII 2018

1) Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002) from Romance is in the Air 2013

Recipes

Who doesn’t love having a nice teatime snack to read or watch Jane Austen with?

Jane Austen Posts

It’s the name of the blog, of course we need posts on Jane Austen or her works!

Jane Austen and the Regency Era:

Sense and Sensibility:

Pride and Prejudice:

Emma:

Northanger Abbey:

Persuasion:

Tea Time Posts:

Jane Austen Birthday Tea Party

Last year I turned 29 and decided to throw myself a Jane Austen themed birthday party!

Jane Austen Runs My Life Collaboration with Madsen Creations

This year I collaborated with Madsen Creations and made some Jane Austen themed clothing and household items!

JARML collab with Madsen Creations recreating the Selena top:

JARML Spooky collab with Madsen Creations

Catherine Morland’s Viewing List

Similar to Catherine Morland’s Reading List, this is a list of gothic films I recommend for the Henry Tilneys and Catherine Morlands who are looking for something spooky to watch.

Spill the Tea, Tea Reviews

I’ve wanted to do this for a while and last year I started reviewing tea places, more to come soon!

Horrorfest X

31 reviews of horror films, mysteries, monsters, etc; and of course Northanger Abbey.

BookishFirst Bingo

On Instagram (@janeaustenrunsmylife) I try to achieve a Bookish Bingo every month. I usually read whatever I like and then see which slot it fills. I write how it fits the categories in my stories and save them for the moth and the one after, replacing it with the new month’s selections. It is a lot of fun, and I recommend trying it out.

July Blogiversary

For my Blogiversary this year my niece reviewed Northanger Abbey (2007) and on my Instagram I asked a series of questions and posted the results. I asked the following questions this year:

  • Unpopular Jane Austen Opinions
  • What Pop Culture book/film/movie/idea do you think the Jane Austen characters would be obsessed with?
  • If there was a company that allowed you to hire Jane Austen cosplayers would you? Who would you want to hire?
  • Which Jane Austen Character is the most annoying
  • What is a Jane Austen adaption you like to watch or read over and over again
  • If you could cast any actor (alive or dead) as Mr. Darcy who would it be?
  • If you could cast any actresses (alive or dead) as Elizabeth Bennet who would it be?
  • Which Jane Austen adaption needs to be turned into a film, TV show, or needs to be remade?
  • If the characters from Jane Austen lived today, what would their fashion style be?
  • Should I make some Jane Austen Runs My Life stickers?
  • Which Jane Austen hero is actually the worst? And why?
  • Who is more desperate to marry off their children: Mrs. Bennet or General Tilney?
  • If you could cast Aiden Turner, Lee Pace, Kit Harrington, or James Frain in a Jane Austen adaption, which one and which character?
  • Which Jane Austen Parent is the worst?
  • If you could cast Emily Mortimer, Natalie Dormer, Rachel Weisz, or Michelle Dockery in a Jane Austen adaption, which one and which character?
  • Which Jane Austen adaption is the worst?
  • What Jane Austen opinion will you not be talked out of and believe until the day you die

MadsenCreations Noirvember

I assisted MadsenCreations in her Noirvember and posted my reviews of the films on my tiktok. We reviewed the following films (although I still need to post the remaining few reviews). Don’t be surprised if some of these pop up during this year’s Horrorfest.

25 Films of Christmas

  • The Thin Man (1934)
  • The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
  • The Lady in the Lake (1947)
  • Backfire (1950)
  • Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
  • Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
  • Die Hard (1988)
  • Batman Returns (1992)
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
  • The Santa Clause (1994)
  • Jingle All The Way (1996)
  • You’ve Got Mail (1998)
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
  • The Santa Claus 2 (2002)
  • Love Actually (2003)
  • The Polar Express (2004)
  • 12 Men of Christmas (2009)
  • A Christmas Wedding Date (2012)
  • The Christmas Candle (2013)
  • A Cinderella Christmas (2016)
  • The Mistletoe Promise (2016)
  • Marry Me at Christmas (2017)
  • Love Hard (2021)
  • Spider-man: No Way Home (2021)

That’s it for 2021, here’s hoping 2022 will be better!

For 2020 in review, go to I Will Be Calm. I Will Be Mistress of Myself

For 2019 in review, go to The Mysterious Affair at Jane Austen Runs My Life

For 2018 in review, go to The Future is Bulletproof

For 2017 in review, go to Life Seems But a Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

For 2016 in review, go to A New Hope

For 2015 in review, go to To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

For 2014 in review, go to Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads

For 2013 in review, go to Looking at the Past, Focusing on the Future

For 2012 in review, go to Looking Back, Moving Forward

by

I Will Be Calm. I Will Be Mistress of Myself

Happy New Year!

So to say 2020 didn’t go as expected is an understatement. Most people spent the year like this:

I know whenever I am troubled, there is always something I turn to:

Or her other works. Or read her books.

That lead me to this year’s theme. There is no better book to help you get over 2020 and move forward than Sense and Sensibility. I mean the Dashwoods encountered grief, hardships, huge changes, etc.

As this year marks the 210th anniversary of its publication, of course it will be the theme of the year.

I’m not quite sure how I will work it in, will it be an Sense and Sensibility post every month or just more Sense and Sensibility? I reviewed the 1995 film this year, maybe I’ll do the miniseries? I guess we will just wait and see.

Now on to the year in review!

Let’s go!

The Views

From Clueless

This year I had over 118,200 views!

Wow! from The Blob

The most viewed day of the year was November 7th with 6225 views! That was the day I posted nothing, but the number one post viewed that day was What Happened to Ally Palmer?: The Good Student (2006) from Horrorfest VII. That doesn’t surprise me as the end is confusing and I’m sure many google and read it to try to find out the answer.

The Top Five Posts

Here are the top five most viewed posts of the year, although again none were posted this year. I guess whatever I post in the actual year is never popular enough? Who knows.

5) A Real Man from 2014

4) I Ran Out of Milk So I Put Buttermilk in My Tea from 2019

3) Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002) from Romance is in the Air 2013

2) What Happened to Ally Palmer?: The Good Student (2006) from Horrorfest VII 2018

1) Being Friends is Good Enough: Catching Fire (2013) from Romance is in the Air II from 2014

The Followers!

So this community has really grown in numbers and I can not describe how pleased I am about that. We have gone from 14 followers in 2012, to 439 in 2015, to 1021 in 2017, and now 1714 in 2020.

Jane Austen Posts:

Of course there will be quite a bit of these as Jane Austen is the name of the blog.

Jane Austen

Jane Austen Products

Sense and Sensibility

Pride and Prejudice

Mansfield Park

Emma:

Northanger Abbey

Persuasion:

Recipes:

Nothing goes better with reading than something yummy to snack on!

Modesto Jane Con:

This year my book club and sister attended JaneCon in Modesto. I took copious notes which I transcribed into the following posts:

 

Mystery Posts:

From Knives Out

This year’s theme was mysteries in honor of the 100th anniversary of The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie being published. I tried to post at least one mystery a month. I also received a mysterious package every few months and detailed what was in it.

Mysteries:

Mysterious Packages in the Mail:

Romance is in the Air Part VII:

Every year I do 14 posts on a romantic moment in TV and film, below are this year’s picks.

 

Giveaways:

I love giveaways! Every time I win something I try to post a review of what I received.

Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers:

There comes a time when you have read all the Austen books and quite a few adaptions and are searching for something else. Something like Jane Austen, but not a direct retellings. That’s why I created the Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers and here are the ones I reviewed this year.

Catherine Morland’s Reading List:

Any Gothic novel lovers out there? Catherine Morland’s Reading List is a review of Gothic novels I know Catherine would love (if she were alive today).

Horrorfest IX:

Every year I let my Catherine Morland spooky girl side out and have 31 posts of different horror films or TV shows to countdown to Halloween.

BookishFirst Bingo:

On Instagram (@janeaustenrunsmylife) I try to achieve a Bookish Bingo every month. I usually read whatever I like and then see which slot it fills. I write how it fits the categories in my stories and save them for the moth and the one after, replacing it with the new month’s selections. It is a lot of fun, and I recommend trying it out.

Jane Austen Bingo:

So Jane Austen bingo is when you spot a Jane Austen actor in a non-Jane Austen film or TV show. Before I just snapped/shared a picture, now I post a picture on my Instagram (@janeaustenrunsmylife) that has the actor in their Jane Austen media alongside their other work. It’s a lot of fun and this year I determine the film with the most Jane Austen actors in a non-Jane Austen film is Love Actually as it has 8: Bill Nighly (Mr. Woodhouse in Emma 2020) as Billy Mack, Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice (1995) & Mark Darcy in the Bridget Jones’ Diary series) as Jamie, Emma Thompson (Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility (1995) as Karen, Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (2005) as Juliet, Julia Davis (Elizabeth Elliot in Persuasion (2007) as Nancy the caterer, Alan Rickman (Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility (1995) as Harry, Hugh Grant (Edward Ferrars in Sense and Sensibility (1995) & as Mark Cleaver/Mr. Wickham in the Bridget Jones’ Diary series) as the Prime Minister Davis, and Kris Marshall (Tom Parker in Sanditon) as Colin Frissell.

Period Drama Saturdays

With COVID19 my sister and I have started a new tradition, Period Drama Saturdays. Every Saturday we make a pot of tea and watch a period drama, alternating who gets to pick. Quite a few of these I plan to review for Non-Austen Films for Austen Fans, but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Here are the ones we have watched this year:

  • Poldark (1996)
  • Drover’s Gold (1997)
  • Ever After (1998)
  • Turn of the Screw (1999)
  • Lorna Doone (2000)
  • Under the Greenwood Tree (2005)
  • Little Dorrit (2008)
  • The Young Victoria (2009)
  • Titanic: Blood and Steel (2012)
  • Poldark (2015-2019)
  • Dr. Thorne (2016)
  • The Moonstone (2016)
  • Victoria (2016-)
  • Selena: The Series (2020-)

Instagram Photo Challenges

From Clueless

So I have only done a few photo challenges in the past but this year I decided to try a few others. All are on my Instagram (@janeaustenrunsmylife) if you are interested in seeing the pics, and if any interest you-join me this year.

  • 30 Days of Jane Photo Challenge from Jane Austen Festival Kentucky
  • 30 Day Literacy Challenge from Jane Austen Literacy Foundation
  • Sip Down September 30 Day Photo Challenge
  • 31 Days of Hallotean
  • Tea Advent Calendar Swap on Instagram: This year I did another tea advent calendar swap and posted a photo every day leading up to Christmas on the tea. I will be doing a full review later.

Blogiversary Jane Austen July

My blogiversary is in July and alongside a post, I also like to do a series of questions on Instagram (@janeaustenrunsmylife) and post the results. This year I asked the following questions with the results on my Instagram if you are interested.

  • If you were going to match up Georgiana Darcy with one of Jane Austen’s remaining bachelors (Colonel Fitzwilliam, William Price, Thomas Bertram, or James Morland) who would you pair her up with, and why?
  • Who was the worst of Jane Austen?
  • Which Jane Austen character has the best clothes?
  • Which Jane Austen character needs their own story?
  • Which actor/actress would you love to cast in a Jane Austen film or miniseries?
  • What period drama would you love to see a crossover with a Jane Austen story (time period and country doesn’t matter)?
  • Who is the worst Mr. Darcy?
  • If the Jane Austen characters lived today what jobs would they have?
  • Do we need more Virtual Jane Austen festivals/events that run on PST?
  • What Jane Austen mashup do I need to do next?
  • If you had to wait in line with a Jane Austen character, who would be the worst one and why?
  • If you could live in any Jane Austen home or estate which one would you want to live in?
  • What Jane Austen adaption needs to be turned into a TV show or film?
  • What is something from the Regency Era you wished we had today?
  • If the Jane Austen characters could eat any food we have today, which one would they be going crazy over?
  • If you could cast any actor as Mr. Darcy (alive or passed on) in a Regency or modern adaption, who would you pick?
  • If you could cast any actress as Elizabeth Bennet (alive or passed on) in a Regency or modern adaption, who would you pick?

25 Films of Christmas

So I started a few years ago on Instagram (@janeaustenrunsmylife), watching and posting a Christmas movie everyday in December. This year I actually ended up watching 29, but the original 25 were:

  • A Christmas Carol (1954)
  • Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  • Mickey’s Christmas Carol (1983)
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1988)
  • Goodfellas (1990)
  • Home Alone (1990)
  • The Santa Clause (1994)
  • Jingle All the Way (1996)
  • Borrowed Hearts (1997)
  • Eloise at Christmas (2003)
  • Love Actually (2003)
  • Christmas Child (2004)
  • Deck the Halls (2006)
  • Christmas in Wonderland (2007)
  • 12 Men of Christmas (2009)
  • RED (2010)
  • Rise of the Guardians (2012)
  • The Christmas Candle (2013)
  • Christmas in the City (2013)
  • A Christmas Mystery (2014)
  • The Holiday Calendar (2018)
  • Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe (2018)
  • A Very Nutty Christmas (2018)
  • A Kiss on Candy Cane Lane (2019)
  • A Recipe for Seduction (2020)

Other Posts:

Here are the others who don’t fit a theme (or I didn’t have enough similar posts to give them their own):

That’s it for 2020, here’s hoping 2021 will be better!

For 2019 in review, go to The Mysterious Affair at Jane Austen Runs My Life

For 2018 in review, go to The Future is Bulletproof

For 2017 in review, go to Life Seems But a Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

For 2016 in review, go to A New Hope

For 2015 in review, go to To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

For 2014 in review, go to Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads

For 2013 in review, go to Looking at the Past, Focusing on the Future

For 2012 in review, go to Looking Back, Moving Forward

 

by

The Mysterious Affair at Jane Austen Runs My Life

Happy New Year!

It’s 2020, you know what that means! 1920s style is coming back!

So throw on your glad rags and let’s go putting on the ritz!

Love Me or Leave Me

So the past few years, I have done “theme” years. 2015 was Back to the Future, 2016 Star Trek: The Original Series, 2017 Star Wars: A New Hope, 2018 Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, and 2019 Dystopian future with The Running Man and Blade Runner. This year I’m all about the 1920s, especially one particular thing that came out:

For those of you who don’t know, 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of The Mysterious Affair at Styles, the first mystery that Agatha Christie wrote and introduced one of the greatest detectives: Hercule Poirot.

So that is where this post’s title comes from, I will be reviewing a Poirot or other Agatha Christie movie for Horrorfest IX, and will attempt to work in mysteries somehow and sometime throughout the year.

You know how I love mysteries!

Mystery, you say?

But enough of that. Let’s move on to the year in review!

Let’s get started!

The Views

 

This year I had over 74,700 views!

Wow!

The most viewed day of the year was August 12th with 752 views! That was the day I posted I Wrote Mr. Darcy a Letter

 

Although the number one post viewed that day was from Horrorfest VII Which Husband Ran Off With Addie Ross?: A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

The Top Five Posts

Here are the top five most viewed posts of the year, although strangely none were posted this year-and amazingly my number one post for the past six years was knocked down to number 2. I know why too, the number one post is a confusing movie that I and my friend googled to figure it out-so I’m sure that’s what bumped the numbers.

5) A Real Man from 2014

4) Tea Time from 2015

 

3)Which Husband Ran Off With Addie Ross?: A Letter to Three Wives (1949) from Horrorfest VII, 31 Days of Horror Films from Halloween 2018

I don’t know who to trust!

2) Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002), from Romance is in the Air, 14 days of my favorite romantic moments (2013)

1)What Happened to Ally Palmer?: The Good Student (2006)from Horrorfest VII, 31 Days of Horror Films from Halloween 2018

The Followers!

So this community has really grown in numbers and I can not describe how pleased I am about that. We have gone from 14 followers in 2012, to 439 in 2015, to 1021 in 2017, and now 1,647 in 2019.

Book Club Picks

My book club read:

I am actually 11 books behind, but I will catch up in this new year…at least I hope!

Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers

So in 2018 I started a series on books to read after you have read all the Jane Austen novels and want elements of Jane Austen, but something fresher than another adaption or retelling. The following books I recommended for Austen fans last year are:

Dangerous to Know

So I was given the book Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen’s Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues edited by Christina Boyd, in exchange for an honest review, and started reviewing it in 2018-but as I broke it up into multiple posts I didn’t finish it until 2019. We had:

Jane Austen

So of course there will be Jane Austen posts, that’s the name of the blog! I reviewed the following:

On Jane Austen & her works:

Sense and Sensibility:

 

Pride and Prejudice:

 

Mansfield Park:

 

Emma:

 

Northanger Abbey:

 

Persuasion:

 

Lady Susan:

Recipes

As C.S. Lewis says

“Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.”

And sometimes you want something to nibble on when you read Jane Austen or watch the films. This year we had the following recipes:

Books, Books, Books!

I love books and reading:

Holiday, Celebrate, Holiday, Celebrate…

I LOVE holidays, and love to celebrate. Here are the holiday posts:

Tea Time

What goes better with Jane Austen than tea? I love tea and we have the following posts on it:

Non-Austen Films for Austen Fans

So as I enjoyed doing the Non-Austen Reads for Austen Readers, that I decided to expand to another series- Non-Austen Films for Austen Fans. This has films that are not based on Jane Austen, but have elements we love from the films in a fresher source. I recommend Austen fans to watch:

Desire & Decorum 

So Jane Austen has entered the 21st Century with Pixelberry creating a video game based on Jane Austen’s works and set in the Regency time period. I started playing in 2018 year and continued last year:

Catherine Morland’s Reading List

Another series? Yes…I know, I just can’t help it. Yes, this series will be on gothic novels that Catherine Morland would totally love to read, if she existed:

Painted Portrayals of Christ

For Easter I discussed different artworks of Christ, (have to put that Art History degree to work). Last year I chose:

Jane Austen Stuff

Last year I reviewed a few companies’ Jane Austen stuff:

Austentatious (2015)

Last year I decided to review one episode from Austentatious (2015) every month. After I finish it, I’ll be picking another one to do this to. I really, really, really hate this show-so be prepared for the sarcasm and the hate.

Giveaways!

Last year I won five giveaways. The ones I have reviewed:

Rational Creatures

So like Dangerous to Know, this book was given to me by Christina Boyd in exchange for a honest review. Rational Creatures has stories by Elizabeth Adams, Nicole Clarkston, Karen M. Cox, J. Marie Croft, Amy D’Orazio, Jenetta James, Jessie Lewis, KaraLynne Mackrory, Lona Manning, Christina Morland, Beau North, Sophia Rose, Anngela Schroeder, Joana Starnes, Brooke West, and Caitlin Williams-all on the women of Jane Austen:

 

Horrorfest VIII

25 Films of Christmas

Christmas is hard to do posts on as it is so busy! However, in 2018 I watched a Christmas film every day and posted it on Instagram. Last year I decided to do it again (and ended up watching 29 films). Here are the 25:

  • The Thin Man (1934)
  • Somewhere in Dreamland (1936)
  • The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
  • It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
  • Frosty the Snowman (1969)
  • Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970)
  • Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) (In my family it counts as a Christmas movie)
  • Jack Frost (1979)
  • Babes in Toyland (1986)
  • A Garfield Christmas (1987)
  • Die Hard (1988)
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1988)
  • Die Hard II (1990)
  • Home Alone (1990) I watched it twice!
  • Batman Returns (1992) It was my Friday the 13th pick
  • Jumanji (1995)
  • Jingle All the Way (1996)
  • The Christmas Card (2006)
  • The Christmas Candle (2013) I watched it twice!
  • Christmas in the City (2013)
  • Dashing Through the Snow (2015)
  • The Mistletoe Promise (2016)
  • Once Upon a Christmas Miracle (2018) Recommended to me by martha.leith on instagram
  • Klaus (2019)

Other Posts:

Other posts that don’t fit a theme:

For 2018 in review, go to The Future is Bulletproof

For 2017 in review, go to Life Seems But a Quick Succession of Busy Nothings

For 2016 in review, go to A New Hope

For 2015 in review, go to To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

For 2014 in review, go to Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads

For 2013 in review, go to Looking at the Past, Focusing on the Future

For 2012 in review, go to Looking Back, Moving Forward

by

A New Hope

40 years ago a film came out in May that changed the culture and the history of movie making. It had amazing characters and figures, and as I honored Star Trek last year, I decided this year will be all about that film. And what film?

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Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Yes I am a humongous fan and I could not let the year go by without talking about it.

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As we have also lost Carrie Fisher last year, I also want to honor her in this post. Her performance as Princess Leia impacted me in so many ways as I just wanted to be her.

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So this is a time to reflect on what the past year held for us, the big posts, what’s new, and what you all seemed to like the most.

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This post will only cover a few things, you really should check out the year for yourself. To start at the beginning go here.

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The Views

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This year I had over 52,000 views!

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The most viewed day of the year was October 24th, in which I posted We’ve Seen Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein’s Monster: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

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The Top Five Posts

Here are the top five most viewed posts of the year, although strangely non were posted this year.

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I mean you like what you like. I’m just happy people are reading my blog.

5) A Monster Race: Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf (1988) part of Horrorfest’s 31 Days of Horror films (2012)

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4) Being Friends is Good Enough: Catching Fire (2013) from Romance is in the Air: Part II‘s 14 days of my favorite romantic moments (2014)

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3) A Real Man, quotable post on what it means to be a real man (2014)

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2) I Saw Goody Osburn With the Devil: The Crucible (1996), part of Horrorfest II’s 31 Days of Horror films (2013)

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1) Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002), from Romance is in the Air‘s 14 days of my favorite romantic moments (2013)

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The Followers!

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So this community has really grown in numbers and I can not describe how pleased I am about that. We have gone from 14 followers in 2012 to 42 followers in 2013, 169 followers in 2014, to 439 in 2015, and now 616

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So enough about the statistics and numbers! Let’s move on to what was covered this year and what changes I have made to the blog

1) Star Trek

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So as Star Trek turned fifty last year I tried to have it influence the posts. I didn’t do as much as I did the year before with Back to the Future, but I tried.

For Star Trek we have my taste in fashion, A Fashion Statement; my Saint Patrick’s Day post, Wearing of the Green: 17 More Irish Heroes; my Horrorfest V post, “Charlie X” from Star Trek (1966); and ending with my Christmas post Trek the Halls with Bones and Scotty

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2) Story of My Life

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So every year I like to incorporate posts on just scenes or experiences from my everyday life. This year I shared how I hated traffic court in Runaround Suesanville; how I almost killed myself with my alarm clock in Death By an Alarming Rate; when I heard a strange bumping noise while being home alone in A Bump in the Night; my totally awesome ’80s party in Back to the ’80s; fleeing the stress of finals by my Escape to Alcatraz; dying my hands green in My Favorite Martian; running into the ex in When You Least Expect It, my trip to Nerd Con in Revenge of the Nerds, my bad eye-perience at the eye doctor in Eye Guess I Won’t Be Seeing You

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3) Honoring Special People

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So every year I try to honor special people who have made an impact in my life, passed away, or are celebrating a birthday. I never get to do everyone I care about, but here are the ones I did: David Bowie with Changes, Turn and Face the Strange; Alan Rickman with A Man of Great Worth and Respectability; Michael Ende and his novel The Neverending Story in A Book Only a Reader Could Write; Roald Dahl’s 100th birthday in Come With Me and You’ll Be in a World of Pure Imagination;

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4) You Can’t Keep a Fangirl Down

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So these fangirl posts just keep coming. I’m trying to finish them, but we still have a few more things I’m obsessed with to finish.

Last year I reviewed the ABBA, Alias, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Gossip Girl, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, Ned and Stacey, One Tree Hill, The Patridge Family, Queen, Ringer, The Rocky Series, Sarah Dessen, Saved by the Bell, Scooby-Doo, 7th Heaven, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, Sleeping Beauty, Spider-man, Star Wars, Star Trek, Step by Step, Sweet Valley High, Supernatural, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Thorn Birds, Touched by an Angel, Twin Peaks, Xena: Warrior Princess

To read, go to Fan-do or Fan-don’t. There is No Fan-try, The Fan, The Girl, The FANtom Menance, A Study in Fandoms, To Kill a Fangirl, Return of the Fandom, The Strange Case of a Fangirl and Her Fandoms, We Will Fandom You

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5) My Marvelous Music

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I reviewed less this year than the previous ones, but still took some time out to about some tunes I love. We had: Back in Black by AC/DC; Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen; Crocodile Rock by Elton John; December, 1963 (Oh What A Night) by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons; Hail to the King by Avenged Sevenfold; Old Time Rock & Roll by Bob Seger; Summertime by My Chemical Romance;  T.N.T by AC/DC; You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC

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6) Jane, Jane, Jane, Janey, Janey, Janey, Janey, Janey Book Reviews

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I love Jane Austen, after all its is in the name! This year I reviewed a number of books that were related to or a retelling of her books.

I reviewed a collection of essays in The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen compiled by editors Edward Copeland and Juliet McMaster; then the baby versions of Emma, Pride & Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility by Jennifer Adams

I then went over the following retellings: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies #1) by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron, Captain Wentworth’s Diary (Jane Austen’s Heroes #3) by Amanda Grange; Austenland and Midnight in Austenland (Austenland #2) by Shannon Hale, Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James; The Dashwood Sisters Tell All: A Modern Day Novel of Jane Austen by Beth Pattillo, Amanda (The Austen Series) by Debra White Smith Daring Chloe (Getaway Girls #1) by Laura Jensen Walker,

I also reviewed the Emma film starring Kate Beckinsale in Emma (1996) AKA the Kate Beckinsale Version, “Episode One” from Death Comes to Pemberley (2013), and Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade (2012)

And of course continuing to talk about the book Emma; in When You Shockingly Relate to Mr. Woodhouse

And my Jane Austen mashup in Candy Girls

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7) Now Gimme That Good Good Lovin’

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So we brought back Romance is in the Air, the fourth countdown to Valentine’s Day I’ve done on this blog. Every day I posted a different romantic moment.

The moments I choose this year came from the films: Psycho (1960), How to Steal a Million (1966), Grease (1978), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Casual Sex (1988), Pocahontas (1995), Sense and Sensibility (1995), Borrowed Hearts (1997), and War Room (2015).

I also added in TV show romantic moments this year with “Episode Four” from North & South (2004), “A Trip to the Dentist” from Veronica Mars (2005), “Fateful” from Awkward (2011), “The Bikini in the Soup” from Bones (2011), and “Playing Heart to Get” from Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse (2013).

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8) May the Calendar Keep Bringing Happy Holidays to You

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So I like holidays…I really, really do. But I can’t always do huge countdowns to honor them, sometimes I have to do one day posts. So here we go.

This year I celebrated Superbowl 50 with a mashup of what teams Jane Austen’s characters would be a fan of. To read, go to Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose: Superbowl 50.

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I also celebrated the Chinese New Year’s Year of the Monkey by listing off nine of my favorite primates or primate moments from The Jungle Book, to Aladdin, to Jumanji, The Wizard of Oz, and more. To read, go to A Little Monkey Business: Chinese New Year.

Feb

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In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day I listed off 17 more Irish heroes in The Wearing of the Green

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For Easter I reviewed the following art featuring Jesus and his path to the cross; Entry into Jerusalem by Duccio di Buoninsegna or Duccio, The Last Supper by Freddy Fabris, The Betrayal of Jesus by Albrecht Dürer, and Pietá by Michelangelo.

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Honoring Star Wars on May the Fourth with This Day in History

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9) Happy Anniversary to You!

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This year I celebrated many anniversaries of films or books. This year my blog turned four in Here’s to Another Year; Star Trek turned 50 in Live Long and Prosper; the Grinch turned 60 in Maybe Christmas, He Thought, Doesn’t Come from a Store. Maybe Christmas…Perhaps…Means a Little Bit More: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Ten Commandments turned 60 in Oh, Moses, Moses; 

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10) It’s Always Tea Time

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I love tea, I really, really, really do. I’ve talked about it in the past, but really focused on the topic this year. First my mistake in being extra-caffeinated tea in The Dark, Dark, Dark Side; how I can’t stop drinking in My Teaddiction (Tea Addiction); how tea always makes me feel better in Better Than Asprin, where I became a loose-leaf tea drinker in My Trip to Teavana; my tea trip around the world in A World of Teas; and my tea party decorations in It’s Always Tea Time.

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11) Way to a Person’s Heart is Through their Stomach

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We all like to eat right? Well this year I partnered with my sister blog MysteriousEats.wordpress.com and shared some tea time treats, or ones best paired with Jane Austen’s work.

I included the recipe for Crasins Scones, Harlem Tea Room Baking Powder Scones, Harlem Tea Room Cheddar-Thyme Scones, Harvest Pumpkin Scones, and Lemon Scones.

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12) Horrors of Horrors, Monsters and Ghouls

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This year’s Horrorfest covered movies, TV shows, and more.

I reviewed Blackmail (1929), White Zombie (1932), Night on Bald Mountain (1940), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Backfire (1950), Dial 1119 (1950), House on Haunted Hill (1959), Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966), When a Stranger Calls (1979), Thriller (1983), Ghostbusters (1984), Clue (1985), Once Bitten (1985), Teen Wolf (1985), Cat’s Eye (1987), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze (1991); Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1997), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Dracula 2000 (2000), Jeepers Creepers (2001), Corpse Bride (2005), TMNT (2007), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014), The Cheerleader Murders (2016), The Girl On the Train (2016)

And the TV episodes: “Charlie X” from Star Trek (1966); “A Matter of Loaf and Death” from Wallace and Gromit (2008); “The Death of the Queen Bee” from Bones (2010); “Episode One” from Death Comes to Pemberley (2013)

I also did 31 tips on how to survive a horror film.

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13) 30 Day Challenge: Literature Loves

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So let’s just get it out there, I failed.

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I didn’t finish the 30 day challenge. I only did 21 posts.

Aw, man.

Aw, man.

But I’m going to keep going until I do finish it. And until it is finished, I won’t be posting anything else on this blog.

But so far, I have reviewed the following books: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies #1) by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, O Pioneers! (Great Plains Trilogy #1) by Willa Cather, The Secret of Chimneys (Superindendent Battle#1) by Agatha Christie, The Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark, Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, A Christmas Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Five Were Missing by Lois Duncan, Beastly (Kendra Chronicles #1) by Alex Flinn, Book of a Thousand Days and Midnight in Austenland (Austenland #2) by Shannon Hale, Real Murders (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries #1) by Charlaine Harris, Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables #1)  by L. M. Montgomery, Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan, How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss, Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

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So what will this year hold? I don’t know. I guess you will have to join follow me to find out.

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And remember:

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For 2015 in review, go to To Boldy Go Where No Man Has Gone Before

For 2014 in review, go to Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads

For 2013 in review, go to Looking at the Past, Focusing on the Future

For 2012 in review, go to Looking Back, Moving Forward

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For more on Star Wars, go to Black is Best