Season’s Greetings, Janeites!
This time of year is filled with such bustle and excitement, is it not? Mr. Bingley and I just finished decking our little halls with our baby tree and personal ornaments – if you look closely you will see some Jane Austen, Wizard of Oz, and loads of music ornaments!
We have the lovely manger my mom gave us for our very first Christmas after we married.
And my grandmother’s nativity carousel which I have seen grace the table Christmas Eve and Day for as long as I can remember! It is always so fun to see it move with the candles all lit! (Note to self: buy red candles!)
At the studio, we got a jump start (not as early as some retailers) celebrating the holiday season! Our students have been enjoying learning everything from classic carols such as “Silent Night” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” to more contemporary favorites such as “Wonderful Christmastime” and “White Christmas.” I can’t tell you how much I love being able to teach and listen to Christmas music all day! <3 my job!!
In the blog world, and Austenesque blog world, December is an extra busy and special month as well! I look forward to working on and sharing many of my favorite annual posts this year!
- A Jane Austen Holiday Wishlist 2013
- Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!
- The Austenesque Reviews End of the Year Summary and Awards
- …and perhaps a little musical holiday treat for you if you are good!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Speaking of holidays and Jane Austen…Here is what’s on this month’s
Austenesque Agenda:
~ TO REVIEW ~
~ TO READ AND REVIEW ~
~ TO READ (I’m long overdue for a reread – first time reading an annotated edition!) ~
~ TO RE-READ (may post mini-review on Goodreads) ~
~ FEATURED AUTHORS VISITING THIS MONTH ~
Stanley Hurd – December 9th
Suzan Lauder – December 18th
~~~
So very excited for December!
What will you be reading this month (when you aren’t busy running around, shopping, decorating, and merrymaking?)
It´s a pleasure to read your Christmas posts!. You´re lucky: teaching and listening to carols is a beautiful job! LOL 🙂
I hope to decorate my home this weekend. The Wizard of Oz things are cozy, as well the Jane Austen little dolls. And I´ve seen your Nutcracker score: it´s a magic music and a sweet way of preparing yourself for the spirit of Christmas.
Speaking of reading books these weeks, well… it´s a crazy thing with so many things to do but I´ll try to re-read some excerpts of “Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens (I adore the part of the Present Spirit) and, well, I´m looking forward to reading your Longbourn review because this book is in my wish-list for Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men (Los Reyes Magos). By the way, Congratulations! you got your goal of 30 books and you´re keeping reading!
Thank you so much, Teresa! The Wizard of Oz ornaments have been with me since my childhood – love them! They have a string you pull that makes their legs and arms fly up. 😉 The Jane Austen ornaments are relatively new – just last year. Elizabeth isn’t on my tree just yet though…needs some glue repair!
Yes, The Nutcracker music is a big favorite with the students! They love Trepak (Russian Dance) and March. It has been a lot of fun to teach them such great and magical music!
Rereading The Christmas Carol sounds like a lovely way to celebrate Christmas this month!
Thank you for your kind congrats! My reading goal on Goodreads,com may not be completed this year (again) I said I would read 60 books – I’m at 53 right now. Hope I make it!
You are way ahead of me with the decorating. I love what you have coming up for your reading. I just finished Dear Mr. Knightley and I’ll be fitting in Steampunk Darcy if I can.
Thank you, Sophia Rose! We keep it pretty simple with the decorations, nothing outside. 🙂 Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Dear Mr. Knightley and Steampunk Darcy!!
Hi Meredith! I’m just starting to get out my Christmas decorations! It has really helped me get into the Christmas spirit!
For December, I have “The Holiday Gig” by Erin Brady and “Unleashing Mr. Darcy” by Teri Wilson. I should be getting “Alias Thomas Bennet” to read too.
*waves* Hi Candy! I’ve been enjoying your Christmas decoration pics! Listening to Christmas music as I do my computer work – love this season! How nice that you are reading a holiday story! Can’t wait to see what you think of Unleashing Mr. Darcy!
Well, last month I followed your good example and wrote a TBR, which I didn’t follow too closely, I’m not used to it! So funnily enough I wrote another one yesterday, I’ll see how I do this month. I hope to read some. Christmassy stories amongst my other reads.
Your reads for the month look interesting. What is the Yultide one about, is it the traditions in Ireland and Wales? If so, let me know if there’s anything interesting in there, I could be doing Christmas wrong 🙂
LOL! It does take some getting used to. I think there is always something I add that I didn’t plan on reading and something that I was planning on reading that gets pushed back. Sometimes you can’t predict what mood you will be in or what new book will find its way into your home, right?
The three Christmasy books are all Historical Christian romances I read back before 2008 and the great boom in Austenesque literature. Thought I’d reread them and imagine myself spending Christmas in your neck of the woods several hundred years ago! 😉 I may be asking you some questions about traditions and such! 😀
I’ll be reading a few of those books, too, so I’m anxious to see what you think. I love how Austen is on your tree! The closest I come to a literary ornament is a Scarlett O’Hara one a friend bought me back in high school. 🙂
Always enjoying comparing our thoughts and reactions, Anna! The Austen ornaments came my way recently and I quite adore them! I love having Jane Austen with my beloved childhood ornaments. She is in good company with all my Disney character ornaments! 😉
Hey, we have the EXACT same Christmas carousel 😀 I remember sitting next to it as a child and watching the shephards and Kings twirl round and round! So cool to see yours.
Hi, Meredith! Thanks for sharing your lovely pics with us! Your tree looks great, and the manger and carousel are not just beautiful but so full of lovely memories! We have a few ornaments from my gran and my husband’s dad (not many left, they did it all in glass and other breakable stuff in those days), and it’s lovely to still use them every year!
Looking forward to your holiday posts [and *happy sqweee* got to see my book up there too 🙂 ].
Thanks for everything and have a fab Xmas time xxx