Everyone welcome avid Austenesque reader, Anji! It was just about a year ago that Anji found her way to Austenesque Reviews and started to participate in our conversation! So happy to know Anji through our mutual love of Austenesque literature!
You: Tell us about yourself
I’ve been a pharmacist for 37 years, the last 21 working as a locum; married, also for 37 years and we have one son. Like you, Meredith, my husband is much more Bingley than Darcy. It’s me that has the “Darcy” moments! We’ve been living in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, for most of that time. Where we live, we’re only a few minutes’ drive away from the most glorious countryside possible. We have a very old house (250+ years old, two one-up one-down farm workers’ cottages that were knocked into one in the 1850s we think) which means it was almost new in Jane Austen’s time. It’s been in my husband’s family for nearly a century. It has a large garden, too. So, when I’m not working, helping with property maintenance or gardening, I love to read, always have, right from, I guess, when I first learned. I’m an unapologetic sci-fi geek as well as a Jane Austen fan. This also includes what I like to watch in the way of TV and films as well as books. I’m also quite good at cross-stitch and crochet work. In the kitchen, my great love (and reasonable talent) is bread making and I’m currently trying to get to grips with the mysterious alchemy that is sourdough bread.
Your Induction:
- When and how did you discover the Austenesque/JAFF genre? I’ve had an Audible subscription for just over six years now and stumbled across Pamela Aidan’s trilogy in early 2011. I downloaded all three and thoroughly enjoyed them. Then I found they had Amanda Grange’s Darcy’s Diary and Maya Slater’s as well. Got them, too. Then, for some reason, I didn’t pursue the genre any further until January this year. Oh, I read, and re-read my copies of Jane Austen’s works in the interim, of course. One day, I was surfing the internet, clicking away on one link after another, as you do, when somehow (can’t remember how) I found myself on Abigail Reynolds’ blog. There was a link to the newly formed Austen Variations site and the rest, as they say, is history. I had NO idea that this community of such lovely, friendly people existed till then.
Your Habits:
- About how many Austenesque novels do you read a month? A year? I don’t quite have a complete year as a proper JAFF addict yet but so far this year I’ve read approximately 11 physical, 35 ebooks and listened to 33 audiobooks. I love audiobooks – they’re great for getting a fix of my addiction when I’m driving, cooking, gardening or decorating. If I’m kneading bread dough and slapping it around, I can imagine it’s Lydia, or Wickham, or Willoughby, or Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot….insert the name of your favourite Austen baddie here! I was listening to Jane Austen Made Me Do It, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress, whilst re-decorating my study recently. The ceiling and each of the walls now have a different story linked with them in my mind, so I guess you could say I have a truly Austenesque study.
- Where/how do you obtain the Austenesque books you read? Mainly from the Kindle Store and Audible, plus I’ve been fortunate to win some of the giveaways from our extremely generous Austenesque/JAFF authors. Then there’s sites like Austen Variations and A Happy Assembly. I’ve bought a few real books as well.
- Around what percentage of your total reads a year are Austenesque novels? Right now, it’s a very high proportion as I have a lot of catching up to do! It’s probably about 90% but I try to intersperse them with other genres from time to time. I recently discovered Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books (thanks to Marilyn Brant) and, as I’ve been a huge sci-fi geek, probably since birth, I have loads of actual and audiobooks in that genre as well; Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, John Wyndham, Anne McCaffrey to name my favourites. Oh, and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin.
- What is your favorite time of day to read? Anytime I can devote a decent amount of time to read. Five minutes here and there just doesn’t cut it! ~It tends to be last thing at night or over breakfast. First thing in the morning, I’m just as Elizabeth Bennet states; “of an unsocial, taciturn disposition” so, a cup of tea (or preferably two), a glass of orange juice, something to eat and a good book are necessary to make me into something approaching a reasonably normal human being.
- What is your favorite place to read? Either in my extremely comfy recliner chair or in bed.
- What do you like to listen to when you read if anything? Doesn’t matter really, as I tend to lose myself in books and tune everything else out. Even when I was young, my parents often had to speak to me several times to get my attention when I was reading. My husband still has to do it.
- What do you like to drink or eat when you read if anything? Daytime – a cup of Lady Grey tea (like Earl Grey but with extra citrus) with a slice of lemon, no milk or sugar. Evenings – a glass of well-chilled Australian Chardonnay or a cup of hot chocolate. Breakfast is usually the only time I eat whilst reading, the one exception being if there’s chocolate around. I can eat that any time!
- Do you read more than one book at a time ever? I always have a book and an audiobook on the go at the same time as I often have a drive of 45 minutes to an hour to a locum engagement, so it helps pass the time. Sometimes I’ll have an ebook and a real book going in tandem.
- Do you ever read the ending of a book first? NO!!!! I thought there was a law against it. If there isn’t, there jolly well ought to be.
- Do you ever reread? Not had time to reread (or re-listen to) any Austenesque books yet. Still so much new stuff to discover and how am I ever going to reduce my TBR list if I start re-reading? That doesn’t include Jane Austen’s own works, of course. I can see myself reading Jane Odiwe’s book, Mr. Darcy’s Christmas Calendar, every December, though.
Your Collection:
- Collectively around how many Austenesque works do you own? 48 audiobooks, over 90 ebooks, 17 real books, and the totals are always going up, never down. There’s a small amount of duplication between audio and ebooks, but not a lot.
- Where do you store your Austenesque collection? Mostly on my Kindle (you
can guess which is my favourite lock screen – see photo!) but I have a bookshelf devoted to Jane Austen related books, which is slowly growing. The bookcase was converted from a bureau with a drop down front by my lovely (and very handy) Mr. Bingley. The bureau had seen better days (legs broken, drop front very cranky) and he took note of my cries for a new bookcase for my newly decorated study. He presented me with it a few days later. Then there’s the audiobooks on my iPod.
- What format are most of your Austenesque books in – paperback, ebook, or audiobook? Mostly e-book form, then audiobook, then a relatively small collection of paperbacks.
- How many Austenesque books are currently in your TBR at this moment? 10 audiobooks, over 60 ebooks (quite a few of them free downloads, following tip off seen on Facebook, some are duplicates of audiobooks I’ve already listened to) and 6 real books, again these numbers keep going up, not down. That makes over 70 – help!
Your Faves:
- Pride and Prejudice Variation:
AUDIO – The Gypsy Blessing by Wendi Sotis was such a different, but really enjoyable look at the story. More than once I was annoyed when I arrived at work and had to turn it off!
BOOK – The three volumes of A Fair Prospect by Cassandra Grafton
- Pride and Prejudice Sequel:
AUDIO – Christmas at Pemberley by Regina Jeffers
BOOK – From This Day Forward by Joana Starnes
- Pride and Prejudice Modern Adaptation:
AUDIO – The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice by Abigail Reynolds.
BOOK – Boots and Backpacks by KC Kahler
- Minor Character Story:
AUDIO – Return to Longbourn by Shannon Winslow
BOOK – The Three Colonels by Jack Caldwell
- Non-Pride and Prejudice Sequel:
BOOK – Captain Wentworth’s Persuasion by Regina Jeffers. I know it tells the events of Persuasion as well, but it contains a lot which tells what happened afterwards.
- Non-Pride and Prejudice Modern Adaptation:
I have Emma, Mr. Knightley and Chili-Slaw Dogs on audio but haven’t listened to it yet. I have listened to Morning Light by Abigail Reynolds, which has a touch of Persuasion about it.
- Reference/Nonfiction Work:
BOOK – Dinner with Mr. Darcy by Pen Vogler – about the food of Jane Austen’s time and loads of recipes. Hey, it’s Austen related and food all in one book
- Austen-Inspired Original:
AUDIO – The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James.
BOOK – The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen by Shannon Winslow
- Original Character:
Darcy’s valet Fletcher from Pamela Aiden’s trilogy. He’s just wonderful. I love the way he connives to further Darcy’s relationship with Elizabeth and sabotage Miss Bingley’s efforts.
- Austenesque Genre:
As a sci-fi geek, I love ones that feature some sort of time slip such as Jane Odiwe and Mary Lydon Simonsen have written. A hint of the paranormal also goes down well. I recently finished Mary’s werewolf books and would love to read Haunting Mr. Darcy by KaraLynne MacKrory (it’s on my TBR list). I also like books where characters from more than one Austen novel come together (such as Joana Starnes’ The Subsequent Proposal and The Second Chance, Jack Caldwell’s The Three Colonels).
Your Desert Island 5: (You are about to be stranded on a desert island for unspecified amount of time you must select what you will bring)
- Five Austenesque/Jane Austen Movies
- Pride and Prejudice 1995
- Persuasion 1995
- Emma (the Kate Beckinsale/Mark Strong version) 1996
- Sense and Sensibility 2008
- Bride and Prejudice – just love the big song and dance numbers and this from someone who doesn’t like musicals!
- Five Austenesque Books This is very tough!! But after some (OK, a lot of) thought:
- A Fair Prospect (all three volumes) by Cassandra Grafton
- Darcy’s Tale (all three volumes) by Stanley Hurd
- The Falmouth Connection by Joana Starnes
- Mr. Darcy’s Pledge & Mr. Darcy’s Challenge (same story over two volumes) by Monica Fairview
- The Gypsy Blessing by Wendi Sotis
See what I did there? Cheating a bit, I know, having multiple volume works, but then Jane Austen herself published in more than one volume, didn’t she? So, I don’t feel too guilty! They are some of my favourites, honestly. If I can have audiobooks as well, I’m not sure what I’d choose. Probably an assortment of Abigail Reynolds’ books as I haven’t properly managed to fit any of hers into the other categories and am feeling rather guilty about it!
Would You Rather?:
- Have Lady Catherine or Mrs. Norris as a mother. Do I really have to choose? If you twist my arm up between my shoulders, then I’d say Lady C. but only just. I think she really does care for Anne but Mrs. Norris comes across as just plain nasty to me.
- Live in Bath or live in London. Bath, definitely. London is a great place to visit but I’m just not a big city kind of person.
- Marry Edmund Bertram or Edward Ferrars. Again, do I have to choose? Maybe Edward (especially the Dan Stevens version), because he was willing to do the honourable thing and marry Lucy Steele, but if I’d been Elinor I wouldn’t half have given him what for with all the attention he’d paid me whilst still promised to Lucy. Edmund fell for the false charms of Mary Crawford and only realised later what a fool he’d been. What if Fanny had married Henry Crawford before Edmund came to his senses?
- Dance every set at a ball or go horseback riding through the countryside with friends. My dancing skills make Mr. Collins look like Fred Astaire! So it would have to be the horse riding. I did learn when I was a teenager but a back injury has put paid to that now.
- Be besties with Eleanor Tilney or Georgiana Darcy. Georgiana. When I was 16, I was very much like her (apart from the planned elopement with a caddish military chap!). I chose to leave home to go to University at 18 because I knew I needed to become more outgoing. It did the trick, though I still have “Darcy” moments when faced with a room full of people I don’t know. Maybe I could teach Georgiana some of the lessons I’ve learned.
- Attend a strawberry-picking party at Donwell Abbey or attend the theatre with the Gardiners. I can pick strawberries at home as we have quite a lot of them in our garden, so as I absolutely adore the Gardiners and don’t get to the theatre anywhere near as often as I would like, it’d have to be the latter.
- Go shopping with Lydia Bennet or have tea with Mrs. Elton. Could I do both? Go shopping with Lydia then take her to tea with Mrs. Elton and bang both their heads together when they get too much?
- Discover and read the finished manuscript (by Jane Austen) of The WatsonsSanditon. Sanditon. I think it had the potential to be rather comic. The Watsons sounds as though it might have been rather downbeat but I do have a copy of Anne Mychal’s Emma and Elizabeth sitting in my TBR pile of real books.
You Right Now:
- What Austenesque novel(s) are you currently reading at the moment?
AUDIO – The Phantom of Pemberley by Regina Jeffers
BOOK – It’s a non-fiction book lent to me by a friend: Jane Austen – The World of Her Novels by Deidre Le Faye.
- What Austenesque novels are on your wish-list? So many! KaraLynne MacKrory’s books, Lory Lilian’s, Carrie Bebris’ to name but a few.
- What Austenesque novel do you wish someone would write?
I’d love to see more non-P&P stories. I can understand why there are so many but I (and quite a lot of others, I think) love Persuasion almost as much. We could do with more variations/sequels/cross-overs for all of Jane Austen’s works.
Putting my sci-fi geek hat back on, I’d love to see some Austen/Doctor Who cross-overs! Sense and Sensibility and the Sea Devils; Pride and Prejudice and Gas Mask Zombies; Emma and the Autons; Cybermen at Mansfield Park; The Weeping Angels take Northanger Abbey (nice Gothic one, that and whatever Catherine Morland did, she mustn’t blink!); The Persuasion of the Daleks (I like the idea of CFW as a spaceship captain). They won’t happen, of course, but it’s nice to dream. All the creatures mentioned in these proposed, never to be written tales, are genuine Doctor Who creatures.
Besides, it’s way past time that The Doctor met up with Jane Austen in one of his adventures. After all, Christopher Ecclestone’s Doctor met Charles Dickens (The Doctor had to explain what a fan, as in fandom, was to him). Peter Capaldi’s irascible Scottish Doctor and Jane Austen together might be quite a pairing. What would she make of the whole “bigger on the inside” aspect of the TARDIS? Just occurred to me that Matt Smith, the most recent past incarnation of The Doctor, is playing Mr. Collins in the upcoming film of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
- What do you love most about Austenesque novels?
All the possibilities and what ifs. Just one tiny little alternative choice in the story can take it off in a totally different direction. Jane Austen left us with a glorious legacy and it’s a shame there isn’t more. Thank goodness for our lovely talented authors willing to write such enchanting and enthralling works.
I’ve been very bad about writing reviews since I joined this community but promise that I will do better this year. Not sure when I’ll have time to go back and review the 2014 ones as I may have to read them again, first.
- Where can we find you?
I’d love to have time to blog as well but Life, The Universe, and Everything (we miss you Douglas Adams!) just don’t allow me the time. I’ve even thought of a name for a blog – “Ramblings of a Roaming Apothecary” – but I think I’d have to retire from being the Roaming Apothecary to make the time! Especially as this submission alone has taken several months and numerous drafts/edits to get it to this stage. Unless, of course, I can bag Hermione Granger’s time turner from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, or The Doctor’s TARDIS. How many times can a person use the word “time” in one paragraph?
Thank you so much, Anji for sharing your clever answers and thoughts with us! I’m so happy to get to know you better and have you participate in this series!
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GIVEAWAY TIME!!!
Because she is so kind and lovely, Anji would like to hold a $20 Amazon gift card giveaway for one lucky reader to win!
To enter this giveaway, leave a question, a comment, or some love for Anji below!
- This giveaway is open worldwide!! Thank you, Anji!
- This giveaway ends February 13th!
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Want to see some more Ardent Austenesqe Admirers? CLICK HERE!
I like your decision to go shopping with Lydia and then take her to tea with Mrs. Elton. One wouldn’t spend any money with Lydia (except she would borrow money from you, promise to pay it back but of course won’t) and one would never need to speak at tea as the two of them would be speaking at once and no one would be listening anyway. Truthfully, you could slip away, and they would not even notice! Thank you for the giveaway. Your home sounds lovely.
Hi Eva. I think one would have to “accidentally” forget to take a purse or wallet along when shopping with Lydia. Then, at tea, just tune out the chatter and sneak away under the cover of the noise when they both got into their stride.
We’re very to live where we do but old houses and big gardens do take up a lot of time. And I’ve just realised I totally forgot to mention our two gorgeous dogs! We take them out for walks in the glorious Yorkshire Dales whenever we can. You’ll often see photos of the places we visit on my Facebook page.
Hi Anji,
You are so lucky to live where you do. Harrogate and Yorkshire are my favouite places to visit. I live “just down the road” in Newcastle upon Tyne. We have just booked a cottage for Christmas at Fountain’s Abbey with the National Trust. Have you visited “Betty’s” and had a “fat rascal” they are my favourtie. Thank you for telling us all about yourself, it was lovely to read your answers and to get to know you. Thank you also for the giveaway.
Hello there, Michelle. I managed a pharmacy in Gateshead for a couple of years in the early 80s and got to lnow Newcastle quite well during that time. In fact, the Metro train system actuall opened during my time there. We lived in the centre of the beautiful city of Durham at the time as my Mr. Bingley was working at the University. I hope you enjoy your holiday at Fountains Abbey. It’s one of our favourite places to visit and as members of the National Trust, we don’t have to pay to get in. We’ve not been into Betty’s for years. We see the queues outside, especially as lunchtime, and go elsewhere, I’m afraid!
I also have a daily commute of about an hour each way, and the Whispersync feature on my kindle has been a great thing for me. Being a pharmacist sounds interesting. I am not familiar with what a locum is. This was nice to get to meet you. 🙂
I know what you mean about Whispersync, Paige, but I don’t use it a lot, as I don’t have a great deal of overlap between audio and Kindle books.
As a pharmacist, I work in community pharmacies. Before I became a Mum, I managed several different pharmacies, depending on where we were living. Afterwards, I didn’t want to return to full time work and it would be difficult to be a manager on part time hours. So, I became a locum, which means I stand in for the regular pharmacist (so does that make me an “irregular” one?) at holiday times, odd days off, or due to illness. That’s what I did today – cover for someone who’s ill as a pharmacy here in the UK can’t operate without a registered pharmacist on the premises.
It was lovely to meet you, Anji.
Nice to know there are other sci-fi/Austen fans out there. I love your ideas about Austen-Dr Who mash ups….
Your home sounds wonderful..my dream is someday to travel to England/Ireland an soak up the beauty.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Thanks, Stephanie. I know the Austen/Who mash-up will never happen unless the BBC do it themselves as they’re VERY protective about their copyright.
I really hope you get over here sometime. There’s so many beautiful places to see, and not just here in Yorkshire. You’ll have to go to some of the places associated with Jane Austen, of course. I’ve only recently managed my first visit to Chawton and it was a very special day indeed.
Hi, Anji, from the epicenter of sourdough, the San Francisco Bay Area! I very much enjoyed your impish sense of humor and excellent way with words. Hope you will take it upon yourself to write those Austen/Dr Who stories! I’ll be your first reader.
Abigail, I think that’s the first time in my life I’ve had the word “impish” used to describe me!
We’ve been to your part of the world only once, sadly. It was in 2008 and only for two days as part of a whistle-stop journey acroos the USA from coast to coast in a week, after five weeks visiting family in Australia. I love sourdough bread but my efforts still need work and I think my starter culture hasn’t fully matured yet. I gather these things take time.
I’m not good at writing fiction, though, and the aforementioned copyright issues would get in the way big time!
I’m always enchanted to read of the daily lives of someone who actually LIVES in Britain. Very much enjoyed your details about your home, gardening, bread baking, and voracious appetite for JAFF!
Good morning, Ginger (well, it’s morning here right now – 7am as I type). Having lived here all my life, it’s sometimes hard to see why people from overseas (are you in the USA?) think of Britain as special. Then I went to York last Wednesday to work and walked past the remains of buildings that go back to Roman and Medieval times. That’s quite special, I think. I guess a lot of it is due to the recorded history we have in Europe as a whole and the influence that Europe has had on world history.
Anji, I am in line right behind Abigail for a story combining Jane Austen and Dr. Who. The only thing is, I’m not quite sure who Dr. Who is? We didn’t have him in Ecuador. I will have to look for him now that I’m back in the US. I am a Jules Verne fan. I would love to read a Bingley/Darcy trip around the world in 80 days with the various other characters spread around the globe to taunt and tantalize the boys.
It is lovely to get to know you better. I thoroughly enjoy your comments on the various JAFF blogs. In fact, I look for them. They are always positive and encouraging. I loved your response about Lydia and Mrs. Elton. I might have to do some head-banging myself. Well stated.
Thanks so much for your participation and thank you Meredith for this feature.
Hello Joy, lovely to see you here and thank you for your kind comments. I gather from something that popped up on my Facebook feed late last night that you’ve discovered Lego Doctor Who! I’ve also (hopefully) got a link here to the official BBC page about the programme:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0
It was first broadcast in 1963, the day after the assassination of JFK, and yes, I am old enough not just to have seen it but to remember it quite well, as well. Black and white TV! There was a major celebration in 2013 for the 50th anniversary, especialy as it fell on a Saturday, the day the programme is was broadcast originally and also nowadays.
I love your idea about a Jules Verne/Austen mash-up! Would there be coyright issues with that? You’re a much better writer than I could ever be. Fancy the challenge?
Thanks, Anji, for the link. I’ve now discovered just how popular this show is amongst my friends and family. I’m a bit shocked that I’m clueless, however I’m not much of a TV watcher. Too much reading.
I don’t think there would be a copyright issue, so GO FOR IT! I’ve got too much on my plate right now. I will put it on my projects list though. I believe that it might be a hoot! Meredith? Would you ever read a Jane Austen/Jules Verne mash up?
Sorry to be a spoilsport, but regarding copyright, Joy, I’ve just checked on the BBC Doctor Who website. They have a specific answer to a question about DWFF:
“Can I create Doctor Who fan fiction?
You are welcome to write Doctor Who fiction for your own enjoyment, but we should remind you that it is not permitted for you to publish this work either in print or online.”
So, I think that means an Austen/Who mash-up is out of the question, sadly.
I’m very selective in what I watch on TV and often go back to the favourites I have on DVD or Blu-Ray. For instance, having talked about P&P 1995 in our conversation on Facebook recently, I’m now re-watching that. Elizabeth and the Gardiners have just arrived in Derbyshire but I had to break off mid-episode last night – one of our dogs started throwing up and by the time we’d cleaned up and settled him down, it was rather late. He’s OK now, thank goodness.
Then it will have to be Jules Verne. Thanks for checking and sorry about your dog. Yucky!
Thank you, Joy! I’m so glad you enjoy this feature! 🙂 To answer your question, I’ve never read Jules Verne (eek!), but I really love the idea of Jane Austen mixed with other literary classical! Mash-ups (that aren’t full of zombies and vampires) are super interesting to me! 😉 I think Jane Austen’s works and characters easily lend themselves to a these different types of genres and stories. 🙂
Hi Anji!
It’s a pleasure to read your comments, and how lucky you are, living in Yorkshire!. This is the place of “Downton Abbey” isn’t it?. It’s a great idea to have audiobooks because you can do other things while listening to the stories.
I finished reading “Emma and Elizabeth” by Ann Mychal and I liked it very much, I recommend it to you. I am, too, some kind of sci-fi geek and I can imagine CFW as a spaceship captain LOL!.
Thanks for the giveaway but, in my case, don’t put me for it as I’m used to buying books directly from the bookstores.
Yes, Teresa, Yorkshire is a fantastic place to live. I wasn’t born here but came here for the first time when I went to University in the 70s. At Uni, I met my Mr. Bingley, sadly not at an Assembly (or even a disco) but in the more prosaic surroundings of a University laboratory. I’ve now lived a great proportion of my life here, apart from work related moves. But we’ve always come back. I honestly believe I was always meant to come here.
However, I do have some bad news for you. Although “Downton Abbey” is supposed to be set in Yorkshire, the house that “plays” the Abbey is in fact Highclere Castle, situated in Berkshire, quite a lot further south:
http://www.highclerecastle.co.uk
Emma and Elizabeth is next up on my real book TBR list and it’ll be a step into the relative Austen unknown as it’s been quite a while since I read the original.
Are you sure you don’t want to be included in the giveaway? You’ve got until Friday to change your mind. Just post another comment if you do.
Anji, I do recognize your name from so many posts on various blogs. So lovely to read about your world.
I make a delicious Finish Vipiiri Twist that uses nutmeg and cardamon and which the family requests for every family event so I too have that interest. And many of your favorite books are on my kindle or on my shelves, i.e., George RR Martin, Tolkien, the Outlander series. My daughter loves Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony and other Sci-Fi authors. She has tried to get me to watch Dr. Who but I am so far behind in that series that I doubt I will catch up. I did watch one episode but it didn’t draw me in and then shehad me watch another one which was better. Diana Gabaldon says Dr. Who gave her the idea for Outlander. Have you read any books by Terry Brooks?
You do sound so very busy and I can understand how the audio books are a must to keep up with your reading needs.
Lucky you to have so much to visit nearby in England. Hadn’t heard about the zombie movie but then I didn’t read that book either. It was a stretch for me to read the werewolf ones (Mr. Darcy’s Bite, etc.), which I did love, but not into those creature ones usually.
Meredith, thank you for introducing us all to Anji. Don’t know where you get the time or energy in all you do either.
Sheila, I recognise your name too. Although I read quite a few of the Austenesque blogs, I’m sometimes more of a lurker than a commenter. Again, it’s a time thing, so even if you don’t see my name around, I AM still there in the background!
I’d love to have your recipe for the Finnish Vilpiiri Twist. Nutmeg and cardamom are two of my favourite flavourings. In the days when we pharmacists still used to physically mix medicines in our dispensaries, one mixture had Tincture of Cardamom in it. I always had to have a sniff of the bottle beofre pouring it out!
I have to confess not having read any of Terry Brooks’ work yet, I’ll have to look into that. I haven’t read P&P&Zombies, either but I do have. Copy of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monster which I picked up for 50p in a charity bookshop last year. Haven’t been able to bring myself to read it yet, though! Mary Lydon Simonsen’s werewolf books were a good read, I thought, but I haven’t read any vampire Austenesque as I’m really not keen on the whole “undead” thing. Same goes for zombies. See you around!
Does Meredith have your e-mail address? Could she share it with me so I can send you a copy of the recipe? I don’t know if you want to publish your e-mail address here for all or not. The recipe makes 3 loaves and is so good toasted the next day!
No no NO! You must just publish that recipe HERE!!. Nutmeg and Cardamom!! Sigh….
OK, you asked for it (Although Meredith did connect me with Anji so she has the recipe.)
Finnish Vipurii Twist – makes 3 loaves
5 ½ to 5 ¾ (I use more) cups all-purpose flour, 2 pkg. active dry yeast, ½ tsp. ground cardamom, ½ tsp. gr. nutmeg, 2 c. milk, ¾ c. sugar, ¼ cup of butter, 1 tsp. salt, 2 eggs.
Combing 2 ½ c. flour, yeast, cardamom and nutmeg in mixer bowl. Heat together milk, sugar, butter, salt till just until warm (115 degrees to 120 degrees – use thermometer), stirring constantly. Add to dry mixture; add 1 egg. Beat at low speed ½ minute and scrape bowl. Beat 3 minutes at high. By hand, stir in enough flour to make moderately stiff. Knead on floured surface, adding flour, till smooth (5 minutes). Place in greased bowl. Turn once. Cover. Let rise until double (1 to 1 ½ hours). Punch down. Divide in thirds. Cover and let rest 10 min. On floured surface, shape one-third (at a time) into rope 36” long, form dough into circle, leaving both ends extended 6” at bottom. Holding ends towards center, twist together. Press ends together and tuck under center at top of circle forming a pretzel shaped roll. Place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise until double. (30 to 45 min.) Bake at 375 20 min. Beat remaining egg white with 1 Tbsp. water. Brush on warm bread surface.
This is very good toasted the next day.
Thanks for sharing, Sheila! I’m with Michelle, and Anji – I love those spices! I’ll have to try this out! 😉 LOL, Anji! I’d do the same as you with the cardamom! 🙂
Terry Brooks was/is an attorney and his first book was “Sword of Shannara” – very much like the whole Hobbit thing. But he has two other series going also. I believe he lives in Seattle WA and I see he is going to have a series on TV. http://www.terrybrooks.net/ (MTV Officially Orders First Season Of SHANNARA TV Series!)
I’ll email Meredith and ask her to pass mine on to you, Sheila.
Now you mention The Sword of Shannara, I do know Terry Brooks’ name after all, but I haven’t read any of the books. I’ll definitely have to have a look at them now. If they make a TV series, it could turn out to be the next Game of Thrones, who knows?
Thanks for the recipe, Sheila. I got your email and copied it to my recipe folder. One day, Hopefully in the not too distant future, I’ll send you a photo of my attempt!
Nice to meet you, Anji! I enjoyed all the life details you shared and books you enjoy. The bit about each wall of your study reminding you of a different book is neat. I haven’t listened to books at all until this past fall and now I’ve enjoyed two Austen books. Definitely makes chores go by easier.
I caught that about sneaking multi-volume sets into your desert five. 😉
Hello there, Sophia Rose. Thanks for stopping by.
Just like to say I registered with your Goodread TBR group last month but haven’t got around to posting in it yet. It’s the lack of time thing again, I’m afraid. I do have a question for you, though. Do my audiobooks count towards my total?
When it comes to sneaking multi-volume books into my Desert Island Five, I don’t think I’m the first one to do it but I freely admit to shamelessly borrowing the idea and using it!
I’ll go back and answer everyone individually later but first I’d like to thank Meredith for hosting my waffle on this section of her lovely blog. It would have happened sooner but I had a late call yesterday to do some emergency locum cover today out of town. It’s been a long day (12 hours door-to-door) including a car breakdown which thankfully turned out to be not nearly as serious as it seemed at first. Stiil, with an hour’s drive each way, at least I got another good chunk of The Phantom of Pemberley under my belt whilst travelling.
It has been such a pleasure, Anji! I’m so glad you found my blog and so very thankful for your lovely comments and discussions! 🙂 Oh my goodness! So sorry to hear about the car breakdown! Hope all is well!
So nice to meet you. I especially loved the blog name “ramblings of a roaming apothecary”. It was so funny. You have great wit and sense of humor. The life you describe sounds very busy and interesting. It’s tough when you have so many on the tbr. I hope you get many completed in the coming months.
Lovely to meet you too, Suzan and thank you for your kind comments. I’m not sure when, or even, if I’ll ever get a blog going but it’s something I’d love to day one day but it may have to be titled Ramblings of a Former Roaming Apothecary!
The TBR list is still growing (aaagh!) as I seem to be adding to it faster than I can read or listen. So far this year, I’ve finished listening to The Phantom of Pemberley by Regina Jeffers, which I mentioned above. Next up on my playlist are two of Pam Dixon’s short stories Pride and Sensuality and Expecting His Proposal, followed by Maria Grace’s Remember the Past. I’ve also four real and ebooks under my belt and currently just started The Muse by Jessica Evans.
Anji, I bought The Muse yesterday and finished it today….stayed up until 1 AM and forced myself to go to bed then. Great story. Glad you mentioned it. I don’t read a lot of modern day variations but this one was well done.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sheila. I had a couple of 1am bedtimes while I was reading it. Well, I was actually IN bed when I was reading and kept saying to myself, “I’ll put the light out at the end of this chapter”. You know how it goes!
Nice to ‘meet’ you! You mentioned several authors that I’ve not heard of, so I’m off to Amazon…
Hi Leslie. These posts have been a great way to discover new authors, haven’t they? They’re one reason why my TBR lists are growing, not shrinking!
Hi there Anji, I have enjoyed getting to know you over the past year online and I really enjoyed learning more here. I am interested to see that so many of the books you highlighted are ones I haven’t read yet so I’ll have to try and catch some of those. I love your potential blog name too!
Hi Ceri. It’s been fantastic getting to know so many like-minded people this past year, including your good self, of course. I’d never expected myself to become a social media person either. OK, I don’t do much with my Twitter or Goodreads accounts but Facebook has become part of my life. It’s so easy to keep up with friends and family all over the world. As to the blog, well, time will tell!
I was so sorry to hear about your accident and hope very much that you’ll be a fast healer. Take care and look after yourself.
Hi Anji and Meredith!
I do love these Ardent Austenesque Admirer posts, and this was no exception. I had no idea you loved your audio books so much, Anji. I haven’t gone down that road as a reader (I do have a copy of Persuasion on audio from years ago). I’ve only just started getting the occasional JAFF eBook (I’m a dinosaur, I love my paperbacks!)
I loved your method of getting the best out of your bread kneading, thinking of Austen characters who are less than palatable! Excellent! lol
Austen and Dr. Who? Now there’s a thought! Two huge genres colliding in space and time! Wow! I’d be in a front row seat for that one!
It was really lovely to learn all about you. I miss Harrogate so much so I love when you post photos of where you have been in North Yorkshire. I hope we get to meet there again soon!
Cassandra
Forgot to say, I love Dinner with Mr Darcy! I had it as a gift for the Christmas before last (actually was given two copies). Not only is it beautifully presented and has some lovely recipes but it’s also a really good read!
Hi Cassandra, I confess I do think of you when I post my photos on Facebook, knowing how much you miss living in this part of the world.
I’ve been into audiobooks for a goodly number of years now. I used to rent them from the library and then I discovered Audible. I’ve got loads of sci-fi audiobooks and now, in the past year, loads of JAFF, too, as you can see from the screen shot I included in my post. There’s even more now!
Although I love my Kindle, like you, I still prefer the feel of a real book in my hands and get ridiculously excited when a book parcel arrives in the post or I come across an Austen or JAFF “find” in a charity shop. The local Oxfam bookshop has been a great source for those recently.
Looking forward to when we meet again.
Anji, I loved reading all about your Austenesque experiences—I’m definitely going to have to check out some of the books you mentioned! Although I never seem to have enough time for my TBR list either…
I’ve always felt a strong kinship with Georgiana, too 🙂 .
NovEllaandBanannaBelle – what an unusual name! I assume it has a special meaning for you?
Yes, I used to be very shy and retiring. I haven’t totally overcome it and will never be the life and soul of a party but I can at least walk into a room full of strangers now, even if I do sometimes come over all “Darcy-ish” and just stand in a corner and watch people!
TBR lists – it’s a love/hate relationship we have with them, isn’t it?
Hi, Anji
Thanks for this great post, it’s lovely to get to know you better!
Loved the bit about what drew you into JAFF, it was Pamela Aidan who got me hooked too.
Thanks ever so much for including my books amongst your favourites! I’m so happy you liked them!
I agree with everyone, you’re so lucky to live in Yorkshire!!! My husband and I spent many happy weekends there when we had no kids, more time and energy to climb up hill and down dale. So please please please post more photos and looking forward to the ‘Ramblings of the Roaming Apothecary’ 🙂
Hello, Joana. I love reading about what you get up to as well, especially when you and Sophie get together! The stories of your trip to Bath and the Festival last September were particularly enjoyable.
It was an easy choice to put your books in my lists. I still melt into a gooey puddle when I think of the “garden scene” in The Falmouth Connection!
My son has said that I only seem to post on FB about Jane Austen and photos of where we’ve been. Not entirely true, of course, but quite a large proportion I have to admit, and the pictures of Chawton combined the two into one!
Not sure if the blog will ever get off the ground, however, but I have to admit I thought the proposed title was a good one.
If you ever get back up to this part of the world, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Hello Anji,
I have ended up on this blog while going from other pages that I follow about Austen´s world ^^
We hve a lot of things in common, regarding the questions that you answer (and I imagine I am not the only one). I like to read them, it has been very entertaining!
I have just read thi morning “A mother’s love”, a short story that I think you will like it. I found it in smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/97479
If you have not read it, I recommend it. Short but very nice 🙂
Ana
Hi Ana! I’m so happy you found your way here to Austenesque Reviews! I hope feel inclined to visit again! 🙂 We love talking about Austenesque books here! 🙂 Thanks for sharing a recommendation, too! With so many works out there it is good to know which ones others have really enjoyed! 🙂
Good evening Ana.
Thanks for the Smashwords link. I’ve just downloaded it to read later. I don’t know if you’re a visitor to Austen Variations but last year, just after they got going, a short story written by Abigail Reynold was posted, called “Pemberley 1845”. It also features the wedding of one of Darcy and Elizabeth’s children, a son this time. Here’s the link:
http://austenvariations.com/pemberley-1845/
If you haven’t been on Meredith’s blog before, take a look around. She has a wealth of information and reviews about JAFF and the other Ardent Austenesque posts are great fun too.
It is so wonderful getting to know more about you, Anji. I too am a sci/fi Austen fan. About a year ago I remember seeing that the Doctor Who community was talking about having Doctor Who meet Jane Austen as a part of the series. I think they were getting people’s opinions, so perhaps we may see it ass part of the series.
I have never seen Bride and Prejudice, but may give it a try. I do have Stanley Hurd’s books and they are pretty much next on my TBR. I too love Joana Starnes’ Falmoth Connection and Monica’s series. There’s a third book coming out in it. I love your idea of Lydia and Mrs. Elton together. That had me chuckling. Loved it. I look forward to your comments and miss it when you don’t post.
Thank you for the generous give away as well. Look forward to ‘seeing’ you .around.
Good evening, Debbie (well, it’s 7pm here, anyway).
Yes, it’s well past time The Doctor met Jane Austen, especially when you think of all the other historical figures he’s met and even married one! (Queen Elizabeth I). My sci-fi/Austen geekiness even shows up on my mobile phone, as it’s just reminded me. My general ringtone is the theme from P&P 1995 and my wallpaper screen is a photo of Jane Austen’s little writing table that I took at Chawton. But my email alert (which has just gone off in my pocket) is the TARDIS engine groan/wheeze sound and my voicemail alert is the Doctor Who theme from the 1960s. I get some strange looks at times but I don’t care!
Bride and Prejudice is such a fun film. The story we know translates really well to Bollywood. Just wait till you see the Bollywood version of Mary’s “performance”!
Stanley Hurd’s series is great and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I read them more or less as they were published but I really ought to make time to go and read them again, this time back-to-back. I love all of Joana’s books and yes, I’d heard that Monica is writing a third volume in her series. Maybe I can sneak that into my Desert Island Five, too!
The SNAKE DANCE – hilarious!
Ah yes! I made the mistake of re-watching it this time last year when I’d just fallen and broken a couple of ribs. Quite a painful experience. I was laughing so much (again) that I had to hold myself together, or so it seemed!
How awesome that you live there! What fun!
Thank you, Michelle. We are indeed lucky where we live. For instance, this afternoon we’ve been to Fountains Abbey, which is a World Heritage Site only about 20 minutes drive away. It’s an abbey that was ruined during the Dissolution of the Monasteries back in Henry VIII’s time and then there are Roman ruins in York, so we’ve so much history round about.
I love that there are enough Austen-inspired books out there that we can all have our favourites – I haven’t read most of the ones Anji lists as favs! Anji, based on your fav genre, if you’ve not read it already Attempting Elizabeth by Jessica Grey is a fun adaptation with a small paranormal twist in it! Good luck with your long tbr!
This part of Meredith’s blog has been great for finding new authors and books, hasn’t it, Nicole? I think I’ve heard of Becoming Elizabeth somewhere in the past but it wasn’t on my list. It is now! Thank you for pointing it out. I do love a bit of paranormal with my JAFF.
Ooh! Just wanted to chime in, because I think there might be 2 Austenesque books being crossed here. 🙂 Attempting Elizabeth by Jessica Grey and Becoming Elizabeth Darcy by Mary Simonsen, both involve traveling into the pages of Jane Austen’s P&P and embodying one of her characters. 🙂
Oops, think that was my mistake, Meredith. It’s probably because I’ve heard of both and then got them mixed up in what passes for my brain! In fact, I’ve just checked and Mary’s book is in the TBR collection on my Kindle.
I have just finished Boots & Packpacks and absolutly loved it! Brilliant book! And The Three Colonels is also one of my favourites! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by Katrin. I loved Boots and Backpacks, especially as other Austen characters put in an appearance. Won’t say more, just in case anyone who hasn’t read it pops by. As one of my favourite recurrent minor (in a fairly major way) characters (River Song) from Doctor Who was fond of saying: “Spoilers!”
If you like modern retellings, have you read The Muse by Jessica Evans yet? I finished it just last night, or should I say, this morning. It’s been 1am the past two nights before I’ve been able to put it down. Good job I’ve got a few days off work!
The Three Colonels has an interesting story for Caroline Bingley, doesn’t it? Again, “Spoilers!”
P.S. just in case anyone doesn’t understand, River Song and The Doctor are both time travellers and don’t necessarily meet each other in what you might call linear time. Hence why she was always saying that to him when he wanted to know something from his future but it’s in her past.
Hi Anji! Nice to meet you! 🙂 I loved reading your interview and I absolutely loved the picture of your Kindle!! It’s very difficult to pick our favourite Austenesque reads, isn’t it? Here’s my top five so far (in no particular order): Captain Wentworth’s Diary, Holidays with Jane, Searching for Captain Wentworth, Dear Mr. Knightley, Persuade Me. Thanks for the generous giveaway 🙂
Hello, Maria. Good to meet you, too. My favourites are always changing, depending on what I’ve just read or listened to. Having said that, my Desert Island Five books probably won’t change anytime soon. There’s two of your top five I haven’t either read or have on my TBR/L lists; Dear Mr. Knightley and Holidays with Jane. More for my Wish List!
I think my Top Five won’t change anytime soon either. I’ve just checked my Austenesque list on Goodreads and those are the only ones that got 5 stars from me!! I thought I had given more 5, but apparently I’m a little picky! Haha! Though I loved other books as well that for some reasons didn’t get the highest rating. 🙂
Dear Mr. Knightley and Holidays with Jane are both wonderful, but maybe my absolute favourite is the former, though is an Austen-Inspired Original to quote Meredith’s words! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! 😉 I will add some of your choices to my list, too, like The Falmouth Connection, The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen and The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen.
I like Jane Odiwe’s books. The time slip is something that interests me. I sometimes do cross-stitch, but only the stamped kind with the X’s. Couldn’t figure out how to do the other kind. I had Lady Grey tea before (Twinings), but I think I liked Earl Grey better. I am one of those readers who peeks at the book’s ending (no rule against it yet!), and I also read mysteries. I can’t stand not knowing how things end. I agree that there’s not enough time to re-read books, only for those people who read really fast. Never been to England, but I’d choose London over Bath. I’m a city girl. Might be hard to figure out the transportation system in a huge city, though! I’ve been watching the latest season of Downton Abbey and I did know that it was filmed at Highclere Castle. There was a special about that on T.V. Thanks for the great giveaway.
I also will sometimes read the ending…I like to then look for clues as to solving a mystery or as to with whom she/he will fall in love. It does not spoil it for me.
Hi Michelle. Jane Odiwe’s books are brilliant, aren’t they? Project Darcy was the first one that I read and it was the very first book I won in a giveaway! I haven’t read them all yet but I think Searching dor Captain Wentworth is my favourite, with Mr. Darcy’s Christmas Calendar a close second.
I do the other sort of cross stitch, where you have a chart and have to count the stitches. The gift shop at Chawton sells Jane Austen themed cross stitch kits. I had to talk to myself severely so that I only bought one! It’s a picture of the cottage at Chawton and is on my TBS (to be stitched!) list next.
I nearly went to Univerisity in Bath, but, despite the charms of the city itself, I preferred the course and University at Bradford in Yorkshire. Good choice, as that’s where I met my Mr. Bingley.
I enjoyed your interview and agree that it is very hard to pick just one favorite book. I’m not a regular sci-fi lover but I do love the few Austenesque books with sci-fi/paranormal included. It adds a sense of mystery, which I love.
Good day, Gabriela. Mmm, favourite books are so difficult, aren’t they? I’ll let you into a secret; my favourite book of all time ISN’T Jane Austen (shock horror!). It has to be The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, but then Jane Austen probably occupies at least the next four places for me.
In 2003, we had a TV series and phone vote here in the UK about our favourite books. It was called The Big Read.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml
LotR came out top, with P&P second. I rarely vote in TV phone votes but this is one of the few where I did. I was very torn but in the end voted for LotRnot P&P. Persuasion came in at 38 and Emma 40. As far as I can see none of the other three made it into the top 200. There are some interesting books on the list, too if you have a look at it.
Great getting to know you better Anji! I’m amazed at how many audio books you have. I have not tried listening to any P&P or JAFF books. I usually listen to leadership & motivations books on tape when driving. I might just try a few…
I love Boots & Backpack as well! It’s one of my favorite modernization. I’m always impressed how an author can adapt the story line into modern occupations and story lines. It makes me love P&P even more. Looking forward to reading a few books you mentioned that are on my TBR pile.
Meredith, thank you for hosting another Ardent Austenesque Admirer. Love these blogs!
Hello, Dung, good to “meet” you at last as I’ve seen your name around on various blogs. Boots and Backpacks has to be my favourite “modern” so far, but there are a lot of good ones around and it was really hard to choose. What with Marilyn Brant’s Perfect Pair, Abigail Reynolds’ Woods Hole series, Lucky 13 by Cat Gardiner and The Muse by Jessica Evans to name only a few we’re spoilt for choice aren’t we?
I’ve been a fan of audiobooks for a long time, even before the Audible days. I used to rent them on cassette (yes, I’m THAT old) from the local library and play them in the car even before CDs came along. Then when we got a car with a CD player, I started renting them out too. We didn’t get internet access in our house until around 2005 (dial-up, remember that?) and broadband until 2007, so Audible is a relatively recent thing for me. I think all my Audible credits have gone on JAFF this past year!
My pleasure, Dung! I’m so thankful to have lovely and gracious guests like Anji share their stories with us!
Hi Anji, I’m so very glad to “meet” you. Wish it was in person! I’m late in commenting because a very bad virus infected my computer and it took days and days to get rid of it. Not by me, of course, but my daughter and friend got rid of the horrid thing!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading about you.
Sorry I’m missing out on the giveaway (selfish me), but so it goes….
Ahh, Cat, so sorry to hear about your problems. Computer viruses are a real pain in the *$€%#! aren’t they? My Mr. Bingley calls it the “beggaration factor”. It’s one we’ve both experienced professionally and personally, despite what’s supposed to be state-of-the-art anti-virus software.
Thanks for stopping by.
Anji, it was so lovely reading your Ardent Admirer interview and all the responses to the comments. You have shown us so much of yourself it has almost been like making a new friend. I went to your Facebook page and saw some of the nice pictures you posted.
I have put some of your faves on my TBR list. I have read and share your enthusiasm for a few of your list entries, especially The Falmouth Connection. It’s so neat to read someone’s desert 5 lists, even though I think it is cruel and unusual to keep it to F I V E !!! I soooo agree that it’s illegal to read the ending, although I have been sorely tempted to break that unwritten law myself.
I am going to try and get MY Mr. Darcy, who is the family bread baker, to make your cardamom/nutmeg bread. Cardamom is for me like the bergamot in Earl Grey tea….pure aroma therapy. I must try Lady Grey for the extra citrus.
I think you will love Haunting Mr. Darcy, at least I hope so. And I am hoping you will like the Outlander books, which I have re-read so many times I’ve lost count. And I was never a re-reader before I read all of Jane Austen for the first time about a decade ago.
Now when I see your name on one of future comments I will know just who you are, and that is so charming!
I believe you COULD have that blog. Don’t give up on the idea. 🙂
Thank you for the gift card, Anji. It will go to very good use as I have a long Wish List.