Happy 2015 dear Austenesque friends! I hope the new year is treating you very well and that your holidays were filled with happiness, joy, and love! We had a very quiet and calm holiday over here. Mr. Bingley and I stayed home and spent our time together enjoying various pursuits:
We celebrated the new release of The Hobbit: The Battle for the Five Armies with Hobbit re-watching parties and seeing the movie in the theatre with friends. We give it two thumbs up – I adore Bilbo, the dwarves, and the elves! Sad the trilogy is over though!
We assembled one of Mr. Bingley’s Christmas presents (from last year!) and now have a set of Star Trek: The Next Generation clothespin doll ornaments!
Which go very nicely with the Bennet sisters, don’t you think?
And we enjoyed a lot of game time with our family and friends!
Thanks to my lovely family, I was spoiled rotten with some lovely Austenesque gifts!
and because my hand mixer overheated and died, Mr. Bingley was extra sneaky and bought me a lovely new stand mixer (that he saw on Master Chef!) – such a cutie!
What kind of lovely gifts were you spoiled with this holiday season?
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Want to know what Austenesque fun I’m getting into this month?
…here is what’s on this month’s
Austenesque Agenda:
~ TO REVIEW ~
~ TO READ AND REVIEW ~
~ TO READ IF TIME ~
My dear blogging bud, Ceri, and I are attempting to read one non-Pride and Prejudice Austenesque novel a month. I’m going to try and squeeze reading this one in for January! And since 2015 marks the Bicentenary of Emma, I’m going to try and read at least 5 Emma-related Austenesque books in 2015 (I’m inspired by Ceri who paid particular attention to Mansfield Park last year)! Wish us luck!
~ YOU CHOOSE! ~
Pride and Prejudice Variations by NEW authors! These two lovely books popped onto my radar awhile back and they landed on my wishlist because of the interesting premises and large quantity of favorable reviews! I’ve never read anything by Elizabeth Adams or Lara Ormiston, either one will be completely new for me! Which one do you want to see me read: Unequal Affection by Lara S. Ormison or The Houseguest by Elizabeth Adams? To vote, leave a comment below!
~ FEATURED AUTHORS VISITING THIS MONTH ~
Rose Fairbanks – January 9th
Monica Fairview – January 14th
Wendi Sotis – January 21st
Woot woot! I’m excited for January! How about you, what are your plans?
Hi Meredith,
Happy New Year to you and Mr. Bingley. Christmas day was v hectic but after that quiet and relaxing. I also received Tea with the Bennets. My daughter visited Bath and saw this and knew I would like it. I am actually going to attempt to make the lemon drizzle cake on Sunday for after lunch!!! I am also learning to crochet too and have made a hat for when I go running.
Loved seeing all your photographs and the Christmas tree looks fab with the Bennet sisters and Star Trek. I too, am a huge Star Trek fan but I like the original series with William Shatner et al.
I choose for you to read The Houseguest. I have both books actually on my TBR list but my family bought 10 new P & P variation books for me for Christmas so I will have to get through all those first!!!
Happy 2015 to you and Mr. Bingley X
Hi Michelle! Tea with the Bennets looks wonderful doesn’t? It wasn’t one I knew of, my mom found it though! Let us know how the cake comes out! We plan on trying something out soon! 😉 I love to crochet! That’s great that you made a hat! I am planning to make myself a new scarf this month.
Haven’t been exposed to much Star Trek yet. Hubby was into NG as a kid, so we started with that. Haven’t finished them yet! Too much other geeky things keeping us busy!
That’s awesome that your family knew what to get you! 10 P&P variations! Woot woot! Can’t wait to hear all your thoughts on them!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 1 / UA – 0
Happy New Year, Meredith! It looks like Santa was good to the Bingleys. Enjoy that stand mixer. I looove mine! You can’t go back to a hand mixer after using one of those babies! DH bought me Jane Austen Cover to Cover and What Matters in Jane Austen. He did good 🙂
I heart David Shapard Annotated anything, so I hope you like his Persuasion. I’ll save my gushing for your review post.
I’ll try to read a few Emma inspired Austenesque books this year, too. Please tell us when you find some good ones to try.
I’ve actually read both of the new books you’re considering (why, yes, pigs ARE flying outside and hell IS freezing over). I think you should ultimately read both because they’re very enjoyable. I think Unequal Affections might have been a little better written, but I liked the plot if the Houseguest better. So read the Houseguest first, but don’t wait too long to read the other 🙂
Happy 2015, Heather! Thank you! I didn’t think I would ever want one or need one (I can be very minimalist sometimes!) but it makes making things so much easier!! Your hubby did very well! Those look like wonderful reads! I hope to read Jane Austen Cover to Cover in February!
I’ll have my review up for The Annotated Persuasion on Wed. It was a fabulous read! Love reading Jane Austen annotated…such a new experience!
I’m hoping the bicentennial inspires some new Austenesque Emma!
LOL! I am all astonishment! You are making me wish I could read both this month! Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 2 / UA – 0
Hello Meredith!!,
You have had a charming year, and this began restless; I see that your agenda is interesting and funny. I have read the most them, and only I will said you that you are going to need her hand many hankies con «Lizzy & Jane» 😛
“About you choose” I have read both and they like so much but «The Houseguest» is the best, it has a delighted plot, the Author moved me to that epoch, so you will enjoyed that book.
Best wishes!!
Happy read!!
Thank you! I hope your year is off to a wonderful start! Oh dear, I think I knew that about Lizzy and Jane! You have been quite busy reading, must look for your reviews!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 3 / UA – 0
Happy New Year!
I’ve read both The Houseguest and Unequal Affections and they’re both very good, but I absolutely loved Unequal Affections. Very well written!
Hi Arjanne! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed both!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 4 / UA – 0
Your household looks like a lot of fun at the holidays! Especially the games and the Hobbit binge-watching. Jackson’s whole Tolkien opus is such a labor of love. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see the last installment in 3-D in a great theater, George Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic screening room; the 3-D was worth it, which it rarely is!
My only Austenesque gift this year on the receiving end was a pillow with the message, “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” Hear, hear!
I’d put in a vote for Unequal Affections.
Thank you, Abigail! We are fans of our little gatherings, which always include food, games, and laughs! That sounds like a majorly cool way to watch the movie! What an awesome experience!
Ohh! What a great gift to give you! I love that quote!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 4 / UA – 1
Christmas break was absolutely insane so I’m looking forward to a nice structured day-to-day routine for awhile. LOL Love that you got to spend some of yours on a Hobbit binge and some togetherness! I haven’t read most of the books on your Jan agenda, so I will watch for your reviews. As for the choices, well, I have both in sample form on my Nook and the premise of “Houseguest” looks different so I’ll vote for that one. Here’s to a fab 2015 Meredith!! Thanks for all you do!!
Side Note: My mom got my nephew a MineCraft something or another and he nearly had a fit. Apparently I need to read up on MineCraft…. =D
I know what you mean, Stephanie! We started back up with lessons and business as usual today and I’m kind of glad for the normalcy (plus I like seeing my students!) I tend to overdue on time off with a million and three projects that are usually in various states of progress. 😉 Hope you are enjoying a great 2015 so far!
LOL! That’s funny, your mom did really well! She is probably his favorite!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 5 / UA – 1
How nice to have other Hobbit lovers in the family. I haven’t seen the movie yet and will probably see it alone. I loved viewing your pictures.
I did get a JA gift for Christmas; a set of JA drinking glasses
Hi Bev, We are newly converted Hobbit fans! 😉 About 14 months ago none of us saw any Hobbit or LOTR movies. Now Mr. Bingley have seen them all and have converted my brother this last month so we could come to movies with us! Maybe you can convert someone! I hope enjoy seeing the latest!
Ooh! What do the glasses look like! I’ve only seen Jane Austen mugs before! Very nice gift!
Yes, I am sure I will find someone to watch The Hobbit with me:). The JA glasses came from Booksamillion. You can go to the website and type in Jane Austen pint glass set.
Your book reviews have been very helpful to me, thank you for keeping your blog current
Oh, I would like to read Unequal Affection
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 5 / UA – 2
We need an emoticon that shows me rubbing my hands together and gleefully exclaiming: ‘Goody goody gumdrops.’ 😀 Woo Hoo, monthly agenda time. I love it.
Seriously, Happy New Year to you Meredith and Mr. Bingley. Good luck finding your dream house in 2015!! Blessings for all your year through!
I am voting for ‘Unequal Affections’ because I have already read ‘The Houseguest,’ and loved it. I am looking forward to the visiting authors, and really really looking forward to your review of the annotated ‘Persuasion’ by David Shapard. No doubt you are a faster reader, but I am definitely not. That said, I take even longer to read his annotated works because even though I already know what a word or phrase means from my Regency and Austen history/and/or fiction reading….I still want to know what he has to say about it. Of course, you are rereading Austen and don’t need to review her for us. 🙂 You just have to share your opinion of the annotations. What was I thinking? No worries…you WILL have time for those extra books, after all.
LOL! Yes, I would use that emoticon a lot! Love it! Thank you so much for the kind wishes! I hope your 2015 is off to a brilliant start!
I don’t think I read particularly fast, I wish I did! 😉 I do try to read every day for at least an hour though. The Annotated Persuasion took me nearly two weeks though, but that was also the holidays and Mr. Bingley being free a lot! 😉 I imagine you are like me and read every annotation, right? I do that – I don’t want to assume anything, so I read every single one! Very true, though. My review will focus on Shapard and not Austen, although through Mr. Shapard I feel like I’ve learned a lot more about Jane Austen. 🙂
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 5 / UA – 3
Your reading list looks great this month, Meredith! Looking forward to your review of At Home with Jane Austen. 🙂
We love playing Pit too, and we occasionally play Phase 10, but have never tried the “twist” version. Is it more fun?
Love your gifts! How thoughtful!! =)
Thank you, Jakki! I’m very excited about all these new reads! Looking forward to it!
That’s awesome that you know Pit! It is one of our favorites…although this time we played it the Bear seemed to magnetically attached to me. The Phase 10 Twist is way more fun than the regular card game! I definitely would recommend it, Mr. Bingley and my brother love it! Thanks for paying us a visit, my friend!
Voting for the Houseguest – would love to read your review on it, as I’ve already read Unequal Affections!
Great! Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 6 / UA – 3
Hi Meredith!
I saw the Hobbit and enjoyed a lot ( there were tears too…). Bilbo is a great character and I also liked Bardo and Tauriel. Pity, there are no more movies about Tolkien’ s world. Can you imagine a P&P version set in the Middle Earth? Wow!. And, wow, the star trek clothespin dolls are awesome!.
Good luck to Ceri and you with your challenge, sure you get your goals.
Coming to the subject of the books to choose, I haven’t read neither Adams nor Ormiston, so I’ll choose thinking in others aspects like covers or titles… I vote for ” The houseguest” because of the mysterious atmosphere it evokes with such a cover and title…
Happy January 😉
Hi Teresa! Yes, same here with the tears. I love Tauriel and my favorite dwarf is Bofur. Mr. Bingley’s favorite ins Bombur! LOL! I hope we will once again travel back to Middle Earth! I sincerely hope this isn’t the end!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 7 / UA – 3
Ah, we went and saw the last Hobbit film too, but our home movie fest were Poirot and Miss Fisher episodes accompanied by each of us tackling a home-made dip to go with crackers. So our holidays were relatively quiet too.
Lovely presents! I got a few Austenesque books too that ought to keep me busy this year.
I love your plans to read some non-P&P throughout the year particularly Emma. It will be fun to celebrate that anniversary in December. I have a few of those on my list too, but first I’m listening to my first Austenesque audio, Jane and Austen and I have the newest CP Odom, Pride, Prejudice and Secrets to tackle for my reviews. Good luck on your January list of reads.
Both your vote books are equally interesting to me and I’ve read neither so I’ll just go alphabetical and say The Houseguest.
Hi Sophia! That sounds like a lot of fun! I love home movie fests! We are thinking about doing some more – maybe for Sherlock or a re-watch of The Iron Man trilogy (that was the boys idea!) Glad to hear you enjoyed time with friends and good shows!
How do you like the audiobook? I’ve never listened to one, I feel like it might be harder to concentrate? Hope you like Jane and Austen! I thought it was so much fun!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 8 / UA – 3
Well, I have read The Houseguest (liked it) so would like a review of Unequal Affections. I am currently reading The Highbury Murders: A Mystery Set in the Village of Jane Austen’s Emma. It is very well written and continues to capture the characters’ tones perfectly. I recommend that you put it on our list of Emma inspired novels.
Thanks, Eva! I actually did read it in 2014, I’m glad to hear you are enjoying it. 🙂
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 8 / UA – 4
Hi again!
I gave some days off to my blog because of the holidays and now, I’ve check out my email and have seen you’ve visited my blog and answered! Thanks so much for reading it so soon! 🙂
I’m so glad that I’ve wanted to answer you here before doing it in my blog!. You’re very generous and yes, we have a shared hobbie with “the hobbit” LOL. I haven’t read “the hobbit” so I was “blind” when I saw the films and, of course, I didn’t expected some unfortunate events. It’s wonderful the way Peter Jackson has to take us to this magic world but I have to confess I would have liked to see more of the elves’ world and less of the orcs.
A big hug, Meredith!
You are so sweet, Teresa! I’m very happy to visit your blog! It is the least I could do after you are so kind to visit mine!! 🙂 LOL! Love that we share another hobby! I agree about Peter Jackson, he truly did create a magnificent world! Yes, the elves are awesome! I wouldn’t mind more tales about dwarves! They are such a wonderful company! Hugs to you! xx
What an exciting month you have planned! I will vote for The Houseguest. I think it is going to be great for you to focus on some Emma variations this year.
Your pictures are wonderful! Everyone needs Bennet sisters ornaments!
Thanks, Paige! I’m so glad you like the Emma focus! I love Highbury – would live there if I could! Yes, the ornaments are so sweet! I love them!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 9 / UA – 4
I love your agenda for the month. I have read half the books on your agenda and I am looking forward to see what you think of Monica’s book. As for the 2 books to choose from, I’ve read and enjoyed both, so it is very hard to choose….since Unequal Affections is the underdog, I have to go with that one.
Thank you, Deborah! I always root for the underdog too! 😉 Happy reading to you this month!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 9 / UA – 5
Meredith, I LOVE the Bennet sisters!!! They’re so cute! Looking forward to your reviews, as usual 🙂 I’m very curious to read your thoughts on Lizzy and Jane and The Annotated Persuasion. It looks like a great month, though! Hope you enjoy all of those books 😉 As soon as I finish Holidays with Jane, I’ll start reading Jane Austen & the Archangel. Sounds definitely an original read! Then… probably I’ll get to The Secret of Pembrooke Park! Woot woot!
I’ll vote for Unequal Affection 🙂
Hi Maria! They are cute, I adore them! Think I might need to get some couples next year – maybe Emma and Knightley? Darcy and Elizabeth? Hope you enjoyed Holidays with Jane! Jane Austen and the Archangel does sound original! Happy reading!!!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 9 / UA – 6
What a lovely post! So glad you had such an amazing Christmas! The Bennet sisters are absolutely adorable, I really must get some too! Loved your pressies, hope you get to make many delicious muffins with that new mixer and my, what a fabulous bag of Austen goodies you got!
It was so sweet to see that you played Pit, I didn’t know you had it. I first heard of it at New Year 2013, when a friend of ours brought it to the annual gathering of hubby’s mates from his Uni years. It’s so sweet, they’ve been meeting like that ever since they finished University and they keep meeting & now bringing spouses and kids along. So this guy brought Pit, we all played, and one of them who came in too late to take part sat down to read next to us and after a while said ‘You realise you all sound like gabbling turkeys, don’t you?’ I guess he had a point 😉
Have a wonderful New Year and enjoy the great books on your TBR list. For the vote, I’d go with The Houseguest, I’ve heard wonderful things about it.
Hi Joana! Yes, making muffins will be so much easier now! 😉 I’m so happy to hear you know Pit! It is such a fun game, isn’t it? How lovely that your hubby’s mates stay in touch and get together, that’s wonderful! LOL! It does sound like a bunch a birds squawking, doesn’t it? haha!
Thank you for the kind wishes! I hope 2015 brings you much joy and love!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 10 / UA – 6
I am so glad you had such a wonderful Christmas! I am looking forward to your review of Lizzy and Jane. Some of the Amazon reviews were very intriguing. Not that it is needed but add in another vote for the Houseguest. I have read both and I really enjoyed both of them but I liked the premise of the Houseguest more. I just finished Lucky 13 thanks to your review and I loved it as well!
Thanks, Shannon! I hope yours was lovely as well! I should have my review up on Monday! 🙂 That’s great that you enjoyed The Houseguest, and I’m thrilled to learn you loved Lucky 13! I’m always very happy to hear that people liked a book I recommended – would hate to steer you wrong!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 11 / UA – 6
Happy New Year Meredith! Looks like the Bingley family and friends had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s! We are huge fans of The Hobbit and LOTR but haven’t seen the last movie yet. Once the boxed set comes out, we’ll do a marathon of both series! Loved your Christmas gifts especially the Bennet sister ornaments (where do you get them?). I too got the JA action figure along with a subscription to Jane Austen’s Regency Magazine! I should be getting my first copy at the end of this month.
I am currently reading ‘The House Guest’ so I will vote for that one. Can’t wait for your review on it!
Good Luck house hunting and with your reading goals!
Hi Carole! I hope you enjoy the last Hobbit film when you see it! 🙂 The Bennet sisters came from Regency Austentation on etsy. I don’t see them listed right now, but the other doll kits are there. She might be out of stock? Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/86323278/jane-austen-clothespin-doll-ornament-kit?ref=shop_home_active_20
Those are some great gifts you received! Have fun reading the magazine! 🙂 Thanks for kinds words and wishes!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 12 / UA – 6
Went to see The Hobbit: Battle of the 5 Armies yesterday with my daughter and S-I-L from Seattle. Saw preview of Colin Firth in Kingsmen: the Secret Service. It comes out on 2/13/15 so I am definitely going to see that. He plays a 007 type – martial arts skills and wears glasses. Cool. Now that my house is empty I can get back to reading. It has been a month during which little serious reading got done and I have to post a review on Holidays with Jane. I have read The House Guest but not Unequal Affections so I am going to vote for the latter one and at the same time pick it up to read after the one I am now reading (one of Kara Louise’s books). Love the clothes pin ornaments – and would also like to know where you got them. I read The Hobbit and the trilogy of the Lord of the Rings when I was about 22 years old and it was a new genre for me – LOVED IT. Have the DVDs of all the other movies so when this goes public will add it to my collections. This is one thing I have in common with my adult children. Looking forward to your continued blogs with reviews, Meredith.
What did you think of The Hobbit: Battle of the 5 Armies? That’s great that you share the same interest with your children! The CF film looks interesting – very classy! You can find the clothespin dolls here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/regencyaustentation?section_id=11826648&ref=shopsection_leftnav_8
I felt the same way about my reading time in December! Hope you get some time to read to your heart’s content!
Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 12 / UA – 7
Meredith, I, my daughter and son-in-law enjoyed this film a lot although my daughter does not like the style of writing in the books. And she is a big fan of sci-fi fantasy. She does not like Darcy – not of my blood~LOL! We read Terry Brooks books also…which she likes.
We all agreed that it was difficult to make Orlando Bloom look younger than the LOTR’s portrayal. They did something to the eyes (contacts) which also threw the image off.
Oh, and I posted 3 reviews today – one of which is Unequal Affections. Now reading Sharon Latham’s Darcy’s Christmas one…even tho the holiday is over.
I love your Bennet sisters ornaments! Your house does look like a lot of fun. I like board games, too, but my family doesn’t play them much these days.
You have a lovely lineup for the month! I read Unequal Affections and The Houseguest when they were online. TH is a more easy-going storyline, while UA is definitely more weighty. Incredibly written, but more angsty. I’m casting my vote for UA. I think TH would be a quick read for you if you decided to do both 😉 Just sayin’. lol
Happy January!
Thank you, Monica! We like are small gatherings, not a lot of family nearby so we make do with each other! 🙂
LOL! Thanks for voting! 🙂 TH – 12 / UA – 8 I don’t know if I will be able to do both, but so happy to hear you enjoyed them a lot!
I just finished reading Unequal Affections and really loved it. Both UA and TH earned 5 stars with me although I have not yet posted my review on this one. So your reading of either one is sure to be a plus for those of us who look to your reviews for our next read. I read The House Guest twice and will be re-reading UA more than once also.
Great to hear, Sheila! I’m glad they are such worthy reads! Looking forward to reading your reviews!
I just finished The Houseguest this morning and enjoyed it. I found it to be light, easy reading where it was easy to see the HEA coming. It was just my cup of tea the past few days. It has been many months since I read Unequal Affections and I remember that I didn’t really like this Darcy and Elizabeth. Maybe it was just me! So…. my vote is for The Houseguest.
Sheila – my phone batteries were out and I just saw your message when I plugged it in. What a hoot you are!!! I can’t wait to read your review of Unequal Affections and think it’s awesome that you text book recommendations. Maybe Meredith ought to try that too. What do you think? YOU SAW THORIN OAKINSHIELD? Did I spell that correctly? JEALOUS of you and Meredith.
Yes, Joy, but Richard Armitage was a dark character for most of the film. He does “wake up” nearer to the end and is a hero. I am so amazed at the art work/technical work that goes into these films. We stayed until all the credits rolled and there were hundreds of people working on various parts. And then the scenery in New Zealand is awesome. There is so much action (and much of the film is war/fight scenes) that it is hard to take in all the costumes and who is doing what. But I do buy these DVDs when they come out so I can pause if I miss something. It was snowing with freezing rain here that day and there was only one other couple in the theater plus it was $2 for everything on a Tuesday so that was a treat.
For some reason, when I tried to enter a comment earlier in the month, it would not post! :- (
You asked about any spectacular gifts we received this year. Get your handkerchief out!! I received the most surprising and touching gifts this Christmas. My twelve-year-old granddaughter got me an “I (heart) Mr. Darcy” tote bag from The Jane Austen Centre. She’s the only person who has ever given me a Jane Austen gift. Isn’t that sweet?
Sorry your comment didn’t post! Glad you tried again! 🙂 That is such a lovely present for your granddaughter to give you! She knows! That is the sweetest!!!
Wow, I can only hope that as my granddaughter grows up she will be so thoughtful!