Here we are at the close of another year!
2013 – you were completely amazing, thrilling, and one of the best years of my life so far! After years and years of not traveling very much, Mr. Bingley and I were able to go on many memorable trips during 2013 – Colombia, Seattle, Orlando, and New York. We also enjoyed another happy year pursuing our own interests (me with my blog, and Mr. Bingley with his Youtube channel). We are so thankful for all the blessings the Lord has given us this past year!
Speaking of my blog…it has been a very exciting year for Austenesque Reviews, we packed our bags in Bloggerville and moved on over to WordPresston where many other exciting things took place!
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Let’s see a summary, shall we?
Total Blog Posts for 2013 – 146
Total Reviews Posted in 2013 – 55
Total Authors Who Stopped by Austenesque Reviews in 2013 – 20 (Wow! Thank you, authors!)
- (Interviews – 8, Guest Posts – 8, Excerpts – 4)
Events – 2
Reading Challenge – 1
- The Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge hosted by Austenprose
- Goal: 30 Pride and Prejudice books reviewed
- Completed: 36 Pride and Prejudice books reviewed
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And because you know I love my lists and charts, here are some breakdowns:
Reviews Breakdown
Not a bad mix, I actually read 4 more non-Austenesque books but didn’t review them on the blog.
Ratings Breakdown
Now, you may look at this and say I’m too “kind” a reviewer and give out too many 5 star ratings. But the reason you see so many 4, 4.5, and 5 stars reviews here is because I don’t accept every book I’m offered for review. If I did, maybe you’d see more 3 or even 2 star ratings. There are a lot of Austenesque novels being published every month, and through the course of these last 4 years, I have grown more selective with what ones I read (I know what I like!)
But let’s also recognize the reason that 1/3 of my reviews were 5 stars is because there were some truly exceptional and praiseworthy novels published this past year! What a great year! Thank you, author for sharing our love of Jane Austen and giving us such enjoyment through your talent! I loved soooo many of the books I’ve read this past year, but there are some that I thought deserved to receive a little bit more recognition and praise…
~(drumroll)~
…and the awards go to…
Congratulations, Jennifer! Thank you for inventing such a fun, fantasy world were Jane Austen can communicate with us!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
Congratulations, Karen! You truly do have another winner with this book!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
Congratulations, Shannon! So happy that Mary receives her happily-ever-after!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
Congratulations, Abigail! I loved the new directions you took with this novel!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads 
Congratulations, Kara! What a fabulous adventure you brought us on with this novel!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
Congratulations, Stanley! I can not wait to read the rest of your thoughtful and reflective series!!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
Congratulations, KaraLynne! I’m so excited to hear more about your new novel! Love your stories!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads 
Congratulations, Abigail! (again!) Please write more short stories! This anthology was perfect!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
Congratulations, Colette! I loved this thrilling, dark, and emotional melodrama! Definitely a favorite!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
Congratulations, Julie! Loved this tale with all its secrets, mysteries, and romance!
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
Congratulations, Jessica! This was such a feast for the eyes! I loved learning more about the filming, characters, and real-life servants.
Buy the Book I Read my Review I Add to Goodreads
How about you? What are some of your Austenesque favorites from 2013?
~ Past Awards ~
*The amazing award graphics used in this post were made by the über-talented and wonderfully generous Angie Kroll! Thank you, Angie!
***Shout out to Joana Starnes, Suzan Schafer, Sophia Rose, Anna Horner, and Monica Perry – according to WordPress you 5 are my most active commenters!!!! 🙂 *hugs* Thanks for all the conversation and support! Bloggers love comments! 😉
Dear Meredith,
I am honored to have been mentioned in this select group; thank you so much for your notice and approbation. Your site is a wonderful resource to Janeites the world over, and a tremendous boon to authors such as myself, who hope and struggle to be visible amongst the throngs of Austen devotees who have put pen to their passion.
May you and your Mr. Bingley enjoy the happiest of New Years, and be healthy and prosperous in the coming twelvemonth.
Ok, I slipped into Regency there a little, but truly, thank you so much, Meredith, both for your site and your support; they mean more than you may realize.
Best,
stan
Thank you, Stan, for all the kind words! Your book is most deserving of praise and recognition! Thank you for the happy wishes for 2014! Mr Bingley and I wish you and yours a healthful and happy year! 🙂
I have always loved your graphs and charts and lists. I read several of the books from the winners pictured above. Love me. I have read several samples I am dying to read the rest of. I am especially glad you liked klassen as a non Austen author. I enjoy all her works and looking forward to the next. I was so glad to meet you also. I hope you have another very successful blog year.
Thank you, Suzan! This was my first time trying to make pie charts – I thought it’d be more fun to provide a visual graph over a list! You, my friend, were definitely one of the little birdies in my ear, urging me to read Julie Klassen! I’m so happy I did! I can’t wait to read her new release coming out this month! It was such a pleasure to meet you and your husband! I hope we can do it again someday!
Thank you for being such a wonderful supporter of my blog! Hope you and your lovely family are enjoying a happy start to 2014!!
I love seeing the tangibles from your past year of blogging so I guess I like charts and visuals too. I get accused of being too generous with my reviews too, but I think it is for the same reason you do. I read what I love. Hope your new year is filled with more memorable activities with your Mr. Bingley and more good reading and visiting with fun authors on the blog. Love visiting your blog!
Congrats to all the authors who made Meredith’s list. I haven’t read all these books, but I do at the very least have them on my wish list.
My favorites this year though none of them were newly published were Maria Grace’s Darcy’s Decision, Jennifer Becton’s Charlotte Collins, Nancy Kelley’s His Good Opinion, Vera Nazarin’s Pride and Platypus, Jack Caldwell’s Three Colonels and Heather Vogel Frederick’s Pies and Prejudice.
Thanks, Sophia Rose! Glad to hear you feel the same way about ratings/reviews! Thank you for all your wonderfully kind wishes for 2014! I’m so glad you enjoy my blog and come to visit! Thank YOU for being such an active reader! I’m always so happy to hear your thoughts!
You have great taste! I think in previous years, Maria Grace, Jennifer Becton, and Jack Caldwell have all made my lists! I would like to read Pies and Prejudice, it looks like fun! 😉 Hope you have a lovely and prosperous 2014 filled with many entertaining reads, Sophia Rose!
Thank you so much for the honor! I love the graphs for sure – you are such a creative blogger. 🙂
Thank you, KaraLynne! I’m definitely a list/chart kind of person, if you haven’t already guessed!
Thank YOU for such lovely stories! I greatly enjoyed both your stories this year, I truly enjoyed seeing the amazing effects and changes that took place in Bluebells in the Morning as a result of someone’s death. Such a wonderful and plausible variation! Hope you are enjoying a lovely start to 2014!
Ooh charts! I love them too 🙂 It’s great to see your list, since so many of them I have waiting for me on my kindle, nice to know I have some treats in store. Julie Klassen books have been on sale here, so I’ve picked up a few, not read them yet though.
My top reads in 2013 were 1) Mansfield park – I had only read this once before, thought it was fantastic, there was so much to this book that I didn’t appreciate when I read it the first time, many years ago. 2) The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds – wonderful variation with angst a-plenty. 3) Bluebells in the Mourning by Karalynne Mackrory which was so romantic, really gorgeous.
Yay for charts! 😉 I hope you enjoy your treats and I’m so glad to hear that Julie Klassen’s books when on sale!
Excellent choices for your top reads!!! The Last Man in the World is my favorite novel by Abigail Reynolds!!! Always have been! Love the “angst a-plenty!” and so happy to see we both really enjoyed Bluebells in the Mourning! 🙂
Thank you, Meredith! I am honoured to be included in such elite company, but I am even more gratified that you enjoyed ‘All My Tomorrows’!
Maybe someday you will read my non-Austen novels as well. 😉
Thanks so much!
Ever yours,
Colette
You are most welcome, Colette! You deserve all the praise you receive – I’m not the only one who as awarded All My Tomorrows, I believe! 🙂 I do occasionally dip into non-Austen reads! 😉
So honored you included ‘Pirates and Prejudice!’ It was so much fun for me to write and my greatest hope was that others would have fun reading it! Thanks so much, Meredith!
It was a blast to read, Kara! Your sea voyage stories are my favorite!! I hope you take us out to sea again! 🙂
Meredith, I just saw this today! A surprise and an honor for At the Edge of the Sea – to be included on your year-end list 🙂 Thank you again for all you do for us – kind and honest reviews that readers trust and authors are proud of. Best wishes for 2014!
Thank you for your kind words, Karen! I believe this is the second year in a row you have made my “favorites” list! Congrats!!
Meredith, I’m honored! I’m thrilled you enjoyed TWO of my books enough to put them on your award list. How exciting! Thanks so much, and Happy New Year!
🙂 Thank you for such lovely novels and short stories, Abigail! I hope you are enjoying a happy start to 2014!!
Thank you, Meredith! I am truly thrilled and honored to be recognized for “Return to Longbourn.” And what fun it was to meet you when you came to Seattle! Congratulations on another good year of keeping Janeites up to speed on what’s happening in the wonderful world of Austen!
It was such a lovely treat to meet you in person, Shannon! I hope that we will meet again soon someday! Thank you for your kind words! 🙂
Oh yeah, I’m commenting the heck out of your blog again this year! lol 😉
So many great reads. I’m sitting here looking at my list and trying to narrow down my Austenesque favorites and it’s so hard! I can’t do it. Reason # 27b why I cant have a blog. (Reason #27a is that I dont know how to make graphs and charts! Yours are gorgeous btw).
Some of my favorites were The Passions of Dr Darcy, Mr Darcy’s Cousin, Mr Darcy’s Noble Connections, My Dear Sophy, Pride Prejudice & the Perfect Match, Pirates & Prejudice, and The Mysterious Death of Mr Darcy.
LOL! YES! Please do! It is hard to pick my favorites! For some categories I let myself pick 2, but even then, I would have a hard time! 🙂 Love reason #27a – I’d be happy to share my limited knowledge!
Thank you for sharing your favorites, Monica!! I’m so happy to see we share some. 🙂
Great list…you certainly had a wonderful year in books! The only one I’ve read is A Pemberley Medley, which I thought was pretty good. You’ve made me really excited about Jane, Actually and Mr. Darcy’s Noble Connections. Happy New Year!
Thank you, Anna! I enjoyed your list too – I’ll have to check back to it when I want to pick up something other than Austenesque. 🙂 I hope you get a chance to read Jane, Actually and Mr. Darcy’s Noble Connections!
So lovely to see so many of the authors responses. I read “Bluebells” in Latvia while on vacation…loved it. I have “Pirates” and hoping to read it soon. So many of my favorite authors and they have lovely comments. Klassen on sale….hmmm
Next time we hope to meet Mr. Bingley..smiles.
I hope you enjoy Pirates and Prejudice, Suzan! It is a lot of fun! Be on the look out for The Dancing Master coming out this month! 🙂
Congratulations to the winners, and to you, Meredith, for a great 2013!
Thank you, sweet friend!! Thank you for all your support and wonderful talent that you share with us! I hope you have a wonderful 2014!
Great list Meredith! Some of my favorites from this year were on it. I loved At the Edge of the Sea, Pirates and Prejudice, and The World of Downton Abbey. I just downloaded the Silent Governess and I am really excited to start reading it!!
Thank you, Kelli! So happy to hear you enjoyed At the Edge of the Sea!! And Pirates and Prejudice and The World of Downton Abbey! I hope you love The Silent Governess just as much! 🙂
They have been winners so many of my favorite authors. Although there are many books in your list that I have not read, so far.
Congratulations to winners!! 😀
Happy new year Meredith and all the best for you. 😉
Thank you so much for such lovely warm wishes!! I hope you get to enjoy some of these lovely books soon! Wishing you a very happy 2014!!