How did you survive the first month of 2018, readers? Did you have any snow? We did!!
It happened at the beginning of the month, which was a little weird because we went back to work after Christmas break for 1 day and then the snow came and we had 3 more days of break because our town shuts down when it snows! (We live in the south and don’t get snow often.)
Other than recovering from the holidays and the snow, we’ve been having a pretty low-key month. We went on some muddy trails, beachy trails, and everything in between with Mr. Bingley’s truck – we are over-landing everywhere!
And when Mr. Bingley went out of town I had some dates with my brother and dad. 🙂
I never say this, but the month didn’t seem like it flew by, it actually felt more leisurely-paced. Was that true for you? What did you do this past month?
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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 ~
First review (+giveaway) already posted!
~ TO READ AND REVIEW ~
~ AND IF TIME ~
I always like to read something Brontë-esque during the winter months, it just seems the appropriate time of year for it!
~ FEATURED AUTHORS VISITING THIS MONTH ~
Don Jacobson – February 14th
Ginger Monette – February 19th
Amy D’Orazaio – TBD
I’m looking forward to February! Should be a great month!
What do you have planned this month? <3
Hi Meredith, The UK has had snow too and more is forecast tonight where I live in the North East of England. My daughter has visited from London and we visited Housesteads Roman Fort and Bamburgh Castle which is on the beautiful Northumberland Coast. Doing some decorating at home at the moment so the house is in a bit of a mess at the moment which is driving me crazy! Look forward to all your reviews in 2018. Thank you again for your hard work and wonderful blog.
Oooh! I hope you are enjoying the snow and staying warm! That’s great that you had so much fun with your daughter when she came to visit. Hope the decorating goes well, I know how you feel about the mess, but I’m sure it will amazing when it is all done!
I read a couple JAFF from my TBR pile and a couple ChickLit — but mostly I edited. The month flew by and unfortunately it rained everyday. But that’s January in the Paciifc Northwest so I have no reason to grumble about it. Because it is what it is… Loved your snow on the beach photos!
I hope the rain lets up soon, but it looks like you have been keeping yourself plenty busy indoors! 🙂 Can’t wait to learn more about the lovely books you are editing! 🙂
We haven’t had much snow here near Pemberley! Although we may wake up to it tomorrow. I do like to see it if it would just fall on the grass and in the parks 🙂
I’ve just finished reading the three Christmas books by Maria Grace – Christmas 1811, First Christmas and From Admiration to Love. I really enjoyed those. I also read Sophie Lynbrook An Odd Situation after seeing it on your list. Most unusual but I enjoyed that as well. However these were February reads.
I like to read a couple off my TBR then I ‘re read a favourite so I’m now ‘re reading Linda Wells Fate and Consequence 🙂 🙂
I look forward to your review of Folly and Forgiveness as I have that on my TBR. And I must say I loved These Dreams and Teaching Eliza. You may need to lay in the tissues for Nicole’s gorgeous book, I certainly did.
Happy reading and I hope you managed to clean the truck!
That’s exciting, Glynis! It is always fun to wake up to snow that came overnight, isn’t it? Sounds like you have gotten some wonderful reading done so far! Great goals for February. I’ll be posting my review of Folly and Forgiveness tomorrow, it was a great read!
LOL! It took Mr. Bingley 3 and a quarter carwashes to get all the mud out/off. It was mostly in the undercarriage that the mud was hard to remove. We may not do as much mudding in the future, but it was definitely fun to experience.
Well this weekend we had over a foot of snow! It started off light and fluffy and went to wet and heavy. Got a good workout shoveling. Looks like you certainly had a lot of fun with Mr. Bingley’s truck! Love your line-up of books and guests this month. I read and reviewed Don’s book and it was one of my favourite series/sagas ever! Nicole’s ‘These Dreams’ is absolutely heartbreaking but absolutely wonderful too! Another all time favourite! Looking forward to Ginger’s visit too as again, this is another favourite series! I do hope she has been writing the next one!!! I’m looking forward to your review of Folly and Forgiveness and Teaching Eliza. The book on the Bronte’s I will have to check out and may add to my wish list! I’m trying to work my way through my TBR list before buying anymore books, but I know I wont be able to resist!
Carole, I already broke the ‘no new books’ rule. More than once, or twice, or …….
I’m sure I will too as I am already writing up a list I would like to buy this month! HaHa!
Wow! That is a lot! I’m sure it was pretty and hopefully to got to snuggle inside and drink something warm after all that work!
I’m really glad to hear your praise over Don’s books and These Dreams! 🙂 I second your hope for Ginger too!
I have around 3-4 Bronte related books in my TBR pile, this one I’ve owned for years (probably more than 3!) I hope this is the year I get to read it! 😉
These Dreams has a lot of angst: I will look forward to your review. I plan to read Don’s book as I have read most in that series (if not all: I would have to check). Looks like you two and the truck have bonded well. We have had snow and near zero temperatures a lot this winter compared to last winter. I read over 30 book in January: some unpublished and one (I think) non-JAFF. I am still trying to read those on my kindle which have been sitting there for a while. Thanks for sharing. Love the photos of you with the other men in your family.
That’s what I’m hearing. It looks like the other reads I have planned this month aren’t, so that may be a good balance. 🙂 What a cold winter it has been! I hope you are staying warm inside! 🙂 30 books is amazing! I wish I could do that! 😉 I bet you are making a dent in your TBR piles!
Nice to see Don Jacobson getting some recognition!
I’m very happy to be taking part in his tour! 😉
That’s awesome! What great pictures.
Thanks for checking them out! 🙂
Here in Southern Ireland we’ve had a small dusting of snow in late December but it’s forecast for tonight and the next few days. We practically close down here too when we get it. We’re not used to it and I for one don’t drive in it. Looks like you have some good reading lined up.
Ooh! It looks like it has been a snowy winter for lots of the world! And it sounds like your town behaves the same way as ours. We had people try to drive in it, but because they weren’t experienced, it was very dangerous and there were a lot of accidents. Hope you have a great month of reading too!
What a great line-up for February. Anticipating some great reviews. Don’t let everyone’s warnings about These Dreams needing boxes of tissues. Think of your most favorite tear-jerking movie ever, and how you willingly inflict it upon yourself again and again. It’s like that. I’m so tempted to reread it before your review, but I’m trying hard to stick to my TBR ’18 challenge. But new books keep calling, and fave rereads are pleading to be reread (darn them all.) 😉
Since the holidays we’ve had some off and on light snow and/or white-out blizzard (once) and some bitterly frigid weather interspersed with nearly mild weather condition. We’re in southeast Nebraska. It’s been kind of a plunky month here getting back to a normal routine after the holiday. And back to unpacking moving boxes.
That very first photo that headlines the email that goes out from each new Austenesque posting, fooled me into thinking it was a warm weather picture of a beach. I totally missed the snow and saw what I wished to see. LOL Love those pics you posted of Mr. Bingley, the other men in your family, and yourself. And all the places you guys went with the truck. 😀
Oh! And I’m very excited about the guest appearances too. YES!
Thanks, Michelle! I will try my best to deliver! 😉 I’m actually not afraid of These Dreams, I love feeling emotional over what I read so I’m glad to hear that this one is so powerful to readers. 🙂 Plus it was one of the Readers’ Choice favorites in 2017, so even if it is a tear-jerker lots of people seem to love it! 🙂
It does take some time to settle after the holidays and I’m sure that is especially true if you are still in the middle of setting up a new home. 😉
I know! The sunlight on the snow makes it look like white sand a little rather than snow! LOL! If I had a theme for January it would be the men I love and Mr. Bingley’s truck! 😉
Yep, January was a quieter month for author visits, but it looks like things are picking up again! 😉
I love the pictures of the beach with snow! I’ve never seen snow on a beach. Snow in my part of the UK is relatively uncommon, some years we get it, others not. We are forecast for some tonight, but I doubt it’ll happen.
You look like you have a busy month ahead. I’m particularly interested to know what you think of the Jude Morgan book. I’ve had it on my wishlist for a few years. Happy reading this month!
Thank you, we don’t get to see it hear too often. We were hoping to drive on the beach in the snow which would have been so cool! But they weren’t opening the beach for that just yet. Probably would have been a little icy.
I hope to get to that book finally. I just checked, I’ve had that book for 5 years and haven’t read it yet! Hopefully it will happen this year! LOL! Hope you enjoy a lovely month, my friend!
Love you pictures Meredith. We too had snow several times and I shoveled a path off the deck. Our mail didn’t run for 4-days since we are on a rural route and it was hard to get to us. I snuggled down with a comforter and read. That is the best part of being retired. I just roll with the punches. Glad you were able to connect with your family. Looks like you have a lot planned so I wish you a blessed rest of the month.
Thank you, Jeanne! I can imagine, we have some rural areas near us and they had to cancel school for more days and not many of the roads were cleared even 4 days after the snow came. I like how you spent your snow days! I did that a bunch too and it was heavenly! Hope you have a lovely February, my friend!
January fly by, and now February seems to be doing the same
denise
**flew by
I hope times slows down a little. I have a funny feeling February will feel a lot short than January, especially since it is short in days! 😉
What a beautiful pictures! Snow at the beach! It´s so different and pleasant… thanks for sharing!.
In my case, I think January went some times fast and some times slow, it was kind of strange LOL.
Oh, how lucky you were, having three days more of break because of the snow, how much time for reading!. Besides, I see both of you had a splendid time living adventures with Mr Bingley´s truck!
In Madrid we had no snow in January but, these very first days of February, WOW, it has been snowing a lot (although not enough to prevent me from going to work and having my wished reading time! LOL). As in Madrid we´re not used to snow, when it happens is like a wonderful and magic world “dressed” in white, I love it.
I´m looking forward to your review of “Teaching Eliza” and your post of Don Jacobson (I didn´t know him).
Happy February, Meredith!
Thank you, Teresa! I didn’t realize I had so many outdoor pics for this month, it looks like we’ve been a out and about a lot! 😉 I know what you meant about it feeling gas and sometimes slow, some months feel that way for me too. 😉 How amazing that you had snow in Madrid! But that’s a bummer you didn’t get days off, especially if snow is something you are not used to! 😉
Looking forward to sharing these reads and authors visits with you. 🙂 Hope you have a great month!
Wow, snow on the beach. Guess you all are getting a bit of everything down there in the south. I had a slower and calm January which was nice. Glad you had some fun dates with your brother and dad.
Oh, looks like a nice reading and guest plans for you. I’m starting Don Jacobson’s Bennet Wardrobe series so I’ll eventually get to the one you’re hosting. And one of these days, I will get caught up on the Holidays with Jane series. Darcy as a racing car driver. LOL sounds fun.
Have a great February, Meredith!
It sounds like snowfall has been popular in lots of different parts of the world. 😉 How nice that you had a slower January, what a great way to recover from the holidays! 🙂
I look forward to seeing your thoughts of The Bennet Wardrobe series, I’m looking forward to participating in the tour. 😉
Happy reading to you, Sophia!
We’ve had a little bit of snow, though it hasn’t settled. It has been very cold the past week or so. I’m not keen on the cold! 🙁 Sounds like you’ve had a lot of fun this past month. My January went by very quickly.
Can’t believe it’s February already! January seemed to whizz by in a flash and don’t even mention last year! We’ve not had much more than the odd sprinkling of snow here in Yorkshire so far this winter and it’s all been gone in a day or two (thank goodness, says she frantically crossing everything she can). I’ve never seen a beach in the snow personally, even though I’ve had family and friends living in various places on the coast for around 25 years. Guess we just don’t travel at the right times in the winter!
You’ve got an amazing line up this month, Meredith. Of the books you’ve listed, I’ve only read the Darcy’s Hope Saga duo, which I loved, although several others are on my TBR List. Looking forward to seeing what you think of all of them.