Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2017 discussion

As this is the anniversary year of Jane Austen's death, I particularly wished for us to have the opportunity to farewell her once again as only booklovers can, by appreciating her works and those derived from her and her work.

I wish to do it in two parts since Henry Austen post-humously published two of her novels. This first part, we will focus on Northanger Abbey for our September Group Read.

So! For this read, choose to read/re-read/listen to Northanger Abbey, a gothic tale Jane Austen mentioned in the book or read herself, a JAFF focused on Northanger Abbey, or a discussion non-fic on Jane and her writing.

When you've made your choice (hopefully by September 1, LOL), leave a comment here and share what book you chose and, why if you wish. Then as you read, share thoughts on it, and questions if you have any. At the end, give us your final thoughts.

*mash-ups involving charcters/settings from Northanger Abbey and others of her novels do count. If you need suggestions for whatever direction you wish to take- NA editions, JAFF, bios/discussion books- shout out and others might be able to give you some recommends here.

As NA is AiB's October book, this works very well for me!!!

I always enjoy reading NA... again and again... so I will choose that and perhaps look in my TBR pile and see if I have any NA alternatives. This sounds like fun.

Kirk wrote: "As NA is AiB's October book, this works very well for me!!!"

Serendipity. Kill two birds with one stone. :)

J. W. wrote: "I always enjoy reading NA... again and again... so I will choose that and perhaps look in my TBR pile and see if I have any NA alternatives. This sounds like fun."

Me, too. I've already did a re-read of it this year, but I will love delving right back in, Jeanne! :)

I'm definitely in! I love NA and am due a reread. I haven't come across any variations on this novel and would be glad of any recommendations.

Teresa wrote: "I'm definitely in! I love NA and am due a reread. I haven't come across any variations on this novel and would be glad of any recommendations."

Great, Teresa! Glad to have you join.

Here's a list from Meredith's Austenesque Reviews blog for JAFF associated with NA: http://austenesquereviews.com/2009/10...

There isn't as much, you're right about that.

Thanks for the list Sophia. Very kind.

I will be reading NA because I don't recall reading it before. I am sure I have but sure can't place it so I am due to a reread or read

Lenora wrote: "I will be reading NA because I don't recall reading it before. I am sure I have but sure can't place it so I am due to a reread or read"

Great news, Lenora! It will be fun to revisit this story, I hope. :)

I think I will read Northanger Abbey. I appreciate the list of variations, Sophia!

Paige wrote: "I think I will read Northanger Abbey. I appreciate the list of variations, Sophia!"

Glad to have you join, Paige.

Yay, Meredith does a great job with her lists so I push them every chance I get. ;)

Well, last time I read NA was over a year ago, so I'm ready for a reread. I'm in!

Debbie wrote: "Well, last time I read NA was over a year ago, so I'm ready for a reread. I'm in!"

Glad to have you, Debbie!

OK. Hello me out here. For a September group read, does that mean we start and finish the book in September and make comments throughout the month?

That was supposed to be HELP rather than HELLO!

Marlene wrote: "OK. Hello me out here. For a September group read, does that mean we start and finish the book in September and make comments throughout the month?"

That's exactly right, Marlene.

I'm in! I reread NA last year and had a total blast reading it. I've also got it on audio, so I'll listen to that on my commutes in September.

My husband just alerted me to an audible orginal with Emma Thompson and three others reading NA!

As NA is my favorite Austen I'm in. I will have to check out that audible. I love audiobooks!

@Marlene, yes I believe it was just released this month. I look forward to seeing what you think of it. I love Emma Thompson. I listened to her narrate the Turn of the Screw, and she was mesmerizing

Marlene wrote: "My husband just alerted me to an audible orginal with Emma Thompson and three others reading NA!"

I've also seen that on Audible. Looks really good, doesn't it? Might just listen to that one instead of, or possibly as well as, the unabridged narration.

Is the Emma Thompson one abridged?

Emma Thompson is my favorite actress ever!!! Nanny McPhee! Sybil Trelawney! Emma!

NONONO! Elinor, I mean!

Marlene wrote: "Is the Emma Thompson one abridged?"

It's a dramatization, so I believe so.

Interesting! Thanks! I don't know if it can legitimately count, but I'll be going ahead with it. I appreciate knowing. :-)

It has been quite a while since I read NA, so I think I am going to listen to it this time.

Marlene wrote: "Emma Thompson is my favorite actress ever!!! Nanny McPhee! Sybil Trelawney! Emma!"

LOVED her as Nanny McPhee! AND Sybil Trelawney! (and, naturally, Elinor!)

When I was listening to Emma and Sense and Sensibility narrated by Juliet Stevenson, at times I felt that I was listening to Emma Thompson, which was fun!

Marlene wrote: "When I was listening to Emma and Sense and Sensibility narrated by Juliet Stevenson, at times I felt that I was listening to Emma Thompson, which was fun!"

Oh I liked her reading the Magician's Elephant.

@Debbie - I think Emma Thompson is the greatest actress ever! :-)

@Chelsea - What a very strange title!

I LOVE Emma Thompson!! I think she's a fantastic actress. She's great as Elinor but oh my her stint in Love Actually!!! When she's in the bedroom and she's realised her husband is having a thing with someone else!!!! I cried with her. She was fantastic.

Does that movie stay out of the bedroom? I haven't seen it.

It does Marlene. She's there on her own, crying, Joni Mitchell playing in the back round. The most moving scene ever in a movie. Fabulous.

Teresa,wasn't that scene heartbreaking?
And when they exchanged presents,she got the same sized box but without the jewellery that he'd given to his secretary. I love Alan Rickman but as this character,he was despicable! He certainly didn't deserve to be married to Emma's character!

Oh my Lord when she took the box from under the tree and was so excited and then opened it!!!!! I nearly cried with her. A brilliant performance.

I think her scene in Sense and Sensibility when she finds out Edward is not married and starts sobbing is my favorite. It slays me every single time. She really is the queen of emotional scenes and crying.

Alan Rickman!! :-). OK! Is there a happy ending? Because I really don't want to watch it if it doesn't have one. Yes, Elinor. crying is awesome. We recently watched her in a movie with Dustin Hoffman (she's a flight attendant) and my DH and I both really loved that one.

I'm going to re-read NA and the modern retelling by Val McDermid that's been on my TBR list for ages.

Kim wrote: "I'm going to re-read NA and the modern retelling by Val McDermid that's been on my TBR list for ages."

That sounds like a great idea pairing the classic with a modern retelling.

Marlene wrote: "Does that movie stay out of the bedroom? I haven't seen it."

Love Actually doesn't exactly stay out of the bedroom, Marlene. Some of the other story lines (aside from Emma Thompson's) have brief nudity (and adult situations), if you watch the DVD rather than the version they usually show on TV.

I'm going to try for NA. Like Lenora, I can't remember reading it, though I'm sure I did.

Reina, thank you for the movie discolsure!

I started Northanger Abbey a few days ago because my library audio book expired and I needed something to listen to while waiting for the current holder of the library book was finished with it. I figured that I'd start NA a little bit early and then get interrupted and then finish it in September Well, I got all the way up to the end of chapter 25 (out of 31!) before my library book became available. :-/ However, I can say that the Emma Thompson dramatization of this book is lovely, and I've been enjoying it very much.

Marlene wrote: "Reina, thank you for the movie discolsure!"

Of course! Love Emma Thompson too. Much Ado About Nothing with her is a favorite (aside from the movies already mentioned), and I also liked Saving Mr. Banks. She and Alan Rickman also did a TV movie called The Song of Lunch which was good.

I have to look that up. I like Alan Rickman. I've seen both of the others you mentioned and thought they were great.

Have you seen her in Nanny McPhee? Pretty awesome. :-D

Marlene wrote: "I have to look that up. I like Alan Rickman. I've seen both of the others you mentioned and thought they were great.

Have you seen her in Nanny McPhee? Pretty awesome. :-D"

He's a favorite of mine. :) Yes, I enjoyed Nanny McPhee--a fun movie.

I'm a very bad Austenite and have yet to read NA. I'm going to read this annotated version of the book!