Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2017 discussion

Our theme for this group read is Anything Goes.

This is literally going to be true. This will be your chance to read whatever book (whether it is Austenesque or JAFF or not) you have on your shelf and count it toward your challenge numbers.

There is one rule. This choice must be either already on your shelf (physical or virtual) or on your library list. No new purchases count. My goal is still to help you deal with your TBR Piles.

And, though this is not a rule, if you go with a non-Austenesque, look for some sort of connection to Austen or her novels and share it with us just for fun.

How it will work:
1. Make a comment below and declare your choice and why you picked this one by July 1st.
2. Once the group read begins, talk about your pre-read impressions, early impressions, and then a wrap-up comment of your final impressions.
3. Feel free to discuss each others books and your own book, ask questions, or leave links for helpful extras if you would like.
4. If you read a book and you wish to discussed what may be spoiler info, mark the beginning of your comment so people will know.

I leave you with a little Cole Porter's Anything Goes to get you in the mood from OperathePhantom's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCFJy...

I’ll go for Stephanie Barron, Jane and the Waterloo Map. It is on my TBR shelf and I just ordered it from Amazon yesterday. I have read and admired the entirety of this Jane-as-sleuth series but have been slow to get around to the latest. And I imagine there will be another out before too long, so I need to get cracking! I know others in the group have read this already, so hopefully they will join me in discussing.

I'm going to go for The Incredible Crime. I have an arc for this and it releases in July. It is written by a relative of Austen's, her nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh's granddaughter Lois Austen-Leigh.
According to family legend it was also supposedly written on Austen's writing desk.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

Yay! Looks like you ladies picked some good ones. Neat tie-in for yours Kristin and Abigail, I read that one so happy to discuss. :)

I need to pick which one I'm going to do now. :)

I'm going to pick "The Jane Austen Project". I bought it on Google Play-Books on my phone and haven't started it yet. I will gladly wait until July!

Amanda wrote: "I'm going to pick "The Jane Austen Project". I bought it on Google Play-Books on my phone and haven't started it yet. I will gladly wait until July!"

Oh... that one's on my list. I think that's a great choice, Amanda. No sweat if you end up reading it early. LOL

I still haven't started my May group read (I'm behind in everything these days. Doctor's appointments, my daughter's softball, freelance projects, you name it, it's on my plate!) but I will get to it!

I'm going to be optimistic and pick a book for July, too. This one has been on my TBR for quite awhile, and July is the perfect time to read it, I think: Holidays with Jane: Summer of Love!

Oh, that's a good one, Anna.

Yeah, you are chasing your tail a bit there. :) But no pressure on getting through reads. You're always welcome to read it a bit at time and come back to leave your comment as you have time. No rush.

Thanks, Sophia!

I haven't participated in a group read in a while so I think I'll jump into the pool here. I won Mansfield Parsonage back in March from Claudine's Just Jane website and plan to read it in tandem with canon MP. That's two books in one. Will that count for this read?

J. W. wrote: "I haven't participated in a group read in a while so I think I'll jump into the pool here. I won Mansfield Parsonage back in March from Claudine's Just Jane website and plan to read it in tandem wi..."

Hey, yes, that would be great, Jeanne. You're welcome to talk about either and both. :)

I'm thinking of a Julia Quinn book. her books takes place in regency Era and I know a couple of her characters read Jane austen in the story.

Patricia wrote: "I'm thinking of a Julia Quinn book. her books takes place in regency Era and I know a couple of her characters read Jane austen in the story."

Nice tie-in find, Patricia. Great idea for your group book. :)

Count me in, Sophia. I'll either go for one of the books that's been sitting on my Kindle for a long time, or possibly join Anna in reading Holidays With Jane: Summer of Love. The weather here in Yorkshire is very hot and sunny right now, so if it holds into July, a summer read sounds perfect!

I've had Holidays [summer] since November. Maybe I can squeeze it in along with Anna and Anji. If nothing else, I can contribute comments. Excellent.

I may have over extended myself.

Over extended yourself,Jeanne??? You? Never!!

Mary, I am so stretched that I can tie my shoes without bending over. Yep... that is over extended.

Oh,dear!!!! A holiday is what's called for,Jeanne!
Far from the madding crowd......!!

Agreed!!!

Only stumbled across this posting now. How am I not getting notifications? Second time it's happened lately!!!

Yay! Good choice for some summer reading fun, Anji.

Oh boy, Jeanne. I'll root you on with slipping in a third one. :)

Yikes, Teresa. Maybe somehow your GoodReads settings reset. Did you get my group message about a week ago or is it just notifications you aren't getting? Bummer its giving you such fits right now.

Got your message but not the notifications. Only found out about the June read by accident!!

Ok I'm going for Newbury Acres by Sarah Price. Had this on pre order just didn't get round to it yet. So I have the perfect excuse now!!

Yes! Perfect excuse, Teresa.

If you want, I can message you each time there is a new activity here so you have that since the notifications are giving grief. No trouble at all.

If it's not too much trouble that would be great Sophia. Can't understand why I'm not getting them. I saw a comment on the home page that someone made about the July read. That's how I found the post.

No trouble at all, friend! :)

I am going to read Affairs of the Heart + the first 12 years. I have owned it for a really long time and have not read it. Now sounds like a good time.

Oh yes, that one is a great pick. Love seeing you get to one on your shelf, Barb.

Abigail wrote: "I’ll go for Stephanie Barron, Jane and the Waterloo Map. It is on my TBR shelf and I just ordered it from Amazon yesterday. I have read and admired the entirety of this Jane-as-sleu..."
Lol, I certainly have a few choice remarks about one part of the story.

Oh, good! I look forward to agreeing with you (or to lively debate, we'll see)!

I'm crossing my fingers and toes that a couple of library list books become available by July. Two very different Austen scholars have books coming out in the end of June...one of which will be speaking at a very large PL 4 hrs south of Boston. Hmmm...

Abigail wrote: "Oh, good! I look forward to agreeing with you (or to lively debate, we'll see)!"

Yes!!! When she spoke at JASNA-MA last May(or was it two Mays ago??), it was all I could do to not complain...err question...the element in question. Grrrr! On a more positive note, I did praise her for her version of Edward Knight and daughter Fanny as well.

Sophia wrote: "Amanda wrote: "I'm going to pick "The Jane Austen Project". I bought it on Google Play-Books on my phone and haven't started it yet. I will gladly wait until July!"

Oh... that one's on my list. I ..."
I just read it. A great choice for July...given the Austen @ 200 events and blizzard of new books...especially the non-fiction ones.

Having just read Meredith's review of Holidays with Jane: Summer of Love, I'm definitely going with that one. Sounds like a lot of fun! I'm particularly intrigued by the Tolkien reference in one of the stories.

Anji wrote: "Having just read Meredith's review of Holidays with Jane: Summer of Love, I'm definitely going with that one. Sounds like a lot of fun! I'm particularly intrigued by the Tolkien reference in one of..."

I am tempted by that one, too. I enjoyed the Christmas one I read last year. I have all the Holidays and really need to read them. I need to make a decision. Lots of books are sounding good right now.

Kirk wrote: "I'm crossing my fingers and toes that a couple of library list books become available by July. Two very different Austen scholars have books coming out in the end of June...one of which will be spe..."

One of the books is in "processing"! The other one has three orders. Which one will arrive first?

A fun mystery for you, Kirk.

This reminds me. I still need to plot out my July group read book. It's coming up quickly.

I started early. Now I remember why I never read it. Affairs of the Heart: The First Twelve Years. I really do not care for this type of writing regarding Darcy and Elizabeth. In this book, they can basically do no wrong. They best every single nay-sayer. Everyone of any value, anywhere, sees their tremendous love for each other and immediately recognizes how fine and wonderful they are. People jump in front of each other to protect them from those who are trying to harm them. Then, there is Elizabeth's Roman Catholicism that she hides but Fitzwilliam does everything to support. Gag, gag, gag. Had to stop reading.....

Barb wrote: "I started early. Now I remember why I never read it. Affairs of the Heart: The First Twelve Years. I really do not care for this type of writing regarding Darcy and Elizabeth. In th..." Note - nothing wrong with Roman Catholicism, but it is written about in a slightly weird and mystic way in this book.

Barb wrote: "I started early. Now I remember why I never read it. Affairs of the Heart: The First Twelve Years. I really do not care for this type of writing regarding Darcy and Elizabeth. In th..."

That is one I never read. I never think of Darcy or Elizabeth as Roman Catholic but as Anglicans/Church of England. Parsons/vicars/curates are allowed to marry. I was a Roman Catholic for time.

Sheila wrote: "Barb wrote: "I started early. Now I remember why I never read it. Affairs of the Heart: The First Twelve Years. I really do not care for this type of writing regarding Darcy and Eli..."
I was raised Roman Catholic, Sheila. In this story there is a kind of mystic awe about Elizabeth's religion and a gift she has. I don't know how to put it except to say it is strange and sort of other worldly, while I think of Roman Catholicism as something a little more straight forward. I would not have expected ODC to be anything but Church of England. And, really, my objection to the book is more the portrayal of Elizabeth and Darcy as almost perfection. If she called him "my Darcy" one more time, I was going to lose my lunch.

Barb wrote: "Sheila wrote: "Barb wrote: "I started early. Now I remember why I never read it. Affairs of the Heart: The First Twelve Years. I really do not care for this type of writing regardin..."

So I have enough on my plate to skip this one.

A really sugary one, eh? Sorry it didn't suit, Barb.

But yeah! One more book done off your shelves and a check next to your July read.

I have finished Mansfield Park and Mansfield Parsonage. I had read them together. I did a review on Mansfield Parsonage.

Two steps further along the path! Congrats!

Thanks Sheila :-)

Kirk wrote: "Kirk wrote: "I'm crossing my fingers and toes that a couple of library list books become available by July. Two very different Austen scholars have books coming out in the end of June...one of whic..."
The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser has arrived!!!! As I might see her "in concert" next week @ the NYC PL, transportation willing, I've started the book. Pre-reading thoughts....while the idea of the book is interesting...will it reach the level of Clare Harman's "Jane's Fame"? The examples posted of the book FB page certainly have been in the ok interest ie 3.5-4 range...rather than 4.5-5. The writing style is enjoyable so far and there are tons of notes(I will save them for after reading the main text).

Kirk, I plan to be there with Claudine but have not yet started reading the book. I want to buy it and get the author to sign it. I am coming into the city by bus.

Hope ye have a great night guys!!!

Have a great trip!! Y'all think about us while you're there... and try to stay out of trouble... OK? Yea, like that's gonna happen. Get a bunch of JAFF people together and you never know what can happen. Still... be safe.