Hi readers! Happy Christmas! I hope you all are enjoying a very happy and special holiday season! 🎄
I just wanted to share a little wrap-up post of our first celebration of Austenesque Jolabokaflod! 📚
*If you haven’t heard of Jolabokaflod, it is an Icelandic Christmas Eve tradition of exchanging books and reading! 🎁
This was our second time celebrating this holiday and I got to celebrate with 3️⃣5️⃣ Austenesque friends who live in 1️⃣1️⃣ different countries! (Thank you BookDepository for making free worldwide shipping possible!) 📦
I set the mood for opening my Austenesque Jolabokaflod gift with candles, a crackling fireplace (on TV), and my favorite instrumental Christmas music. 🕯
Here is the book I received from my lovely Austenesque Jolabokaflod sender, Janalyn! 🎁
Have you read Dating Mr. Darcy by Kate O’Keeffe? I am loving it so far! It is about a not there ‘for the right reasons’ contestant participating in a Jane Austen themed Bachelor style dating show. 😍
And following Icelandic tradition, I enjoyed my new read with some chocolate! 🍫
This moment was perfect. ❣️
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And it felt like the magic and joy of Austsenesque Jolabokaflod continued into the next two days as many participants started sharing pictures and posts about the books they received. I loved seeing the books, the smiles, and the ways you celebrated Jolabokaflod! 😍
Thank you so much, dear friends, for taking part in Austenesque Jolabokaflod! 🥰 Sharing the experience together makes it even more dear to me. ❣️
Just in case you were wondering, Austenesque Jolabokaflod is definitely happening again next year! It has become one of my favorite traditions to observe. 🎄
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Last couple of days to vote!
Would you help me recognize some fantastic Austenesque books that were released in 2021? (There aren’t as many votes at the moment…😔)
All you have to do is fill out the form below!
- You can pick up to 10 favorites (picking 3 is just too impossible, right!)
- Remember in order for your vote to count the book has to have been released in 2021.
- If you need help remembering which books came out in 2021, check out these lists!
Thanks for sharing – love seeing all the photos. Christmas is when we have our family “Christmas” dinner so the small grandchildren can stay home and play with their new toys on Christmas rather than riding in cars two or more hours to get together with grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins. Happy New Year to all.
Hope you had an enjoyable Christmas with your family, Sheila!
Thank you, Meredith, for putting this together. Hope your new year is joyful!
It is my pleasure! Thank you so much for taking part!
What delightful pictures. Thanks for sharing. It made me smile. What fun. I’ll have to consider this next year.
Please do! You are very welcome to join!
So much fun! I look forward to next year!!!
Wonderful! I’m so happy to have you join us!
I wanted to thank Robin G. most fervently for sending me exactly the book I most wanted for my Jolabokaflod! In vain did I struggle to hold off on my reading: I cheated–started reading on Christmas Eve Eve–and by Christmas Day’s afternoon had published my five-star review. I loved An Independent Heart most ardently from beginning to end! Along with some Lillie Belle Farms chocolates sent by my beloved sister-in-law (if you haven’t tried them, you should).
I’m afraid we made a lot of holiday work for you, Meredith, with 35 participants!! But I enjoyed the event enormously.
This makes me so happy, Abigail! I’m so glad to hear how thoroughly you enjoyed your new book! Thank you so much for taking part, friend!
I want to thank Katie for The Forgotten Betrothal that I have wanted to read since it was released.
And Meredith, for arranging the Jolabokaflod that I hope will become a tradition. I participated last year and will certainly do so again (hint, hint, Meredith 😉
It is so fun to have a surprise book to unwrap on Christmas Eve!
That’s excellent, Elin!
I’m so happy you want to do it again next year.
I looked forward the the Austenesque Jolabokaflod, and it was one of my favourite parts of Christmas this year. Thanks for hosting, Meredith. All those smiles mean we all had fun. I especially like that Christina’s chocolate is a pup.
Your enjoyment in this event makes me so happy, Suzan! Thank you so much for sharing!
Merry Christmas and a VERY Happy New Year to you, Meredith and this entire community – your place looks so warm and cozy and inviting – glad you can snuggle up for a good read!
Thank you, dear Jean! It was a warm and cozy evening for sure! I hope you are enjoying a very happy 2022!
What fun!
Hi Meredith!
I love this post and the collage you have done with the pictures. We all look so glad! Thank you so much for hosting, again, this sweet and fun tradition. I have been looking forward to this Jolabokaflod since November and, then, I had to hide the BookDepository parcel so as not to be tempted to read it before Christmas Eve LOL
I want to thank Kirsten for sending me “Love unsought”: I started reading it and I’m enjoying a lot! And I liked very much the Christmas Card and the bookmark 😉
I’m also glad to see that the book I sent, “Midnight in Austenland”, has found its way to her owner 😉
Happy New Year to all of you!
Hi Teresa! I’m so glad you commented so I can thank you for the wonderful book! Midnight in Austenland is keeping me entertained and and turning pages during a colder-than-usual Canadian winter. Merry Christmas! Samantha
Sounds like a perfect time for a cozy mystery! I hope you continue to enjoy!
Thank you so much for taking part, my friend1 It makes me so happy to hear that you were looking forward to this event and that you are enjoying the book you received! What a great choice, Kirsten!
Also, excellent choice for you with Midnight in Austenland!
Feliz Año Nuevo!!
I get such a kick out of seeing the results; photos, participants with their smiles, the books and the Christmasy backgrounds. Happy reading to you all. I loved your own photos with Fezzy and your tree in the background, those bookshelves I sigh over, 😀 and the Nativity pyramid. Oh my, dark choc w/caramel and sea salt…absolute fave.
Happy New Year to you and all of this big sweet family of Austenesque Reviews followers.
Haha! Thank you, Michelle! I appreciate your lovely enthusiasm for our photos!
Your last sentence made me smile big. It really does feel like that to me. You all are wonderfully dear to me.
Looks like fun!
i hope so!
Love seeing everyone’s festive reading and chocolate gifts. Great event you hosted, Meredith!
Thank you, Sophia!
Love all your pictures, Meredith! Thank you for hosting and introducing us to this tradition! I loved it and couldn’t wait to open my gift! Thank you so much Melissa for my book! Can’t wait for next year! Have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year’s everyone!
I’m so thrilled you joined us, my friend! And I’m so happy with Melissa’s choice! Happy reading and Happy 2022!
Thank you for all of your time and effort on our behalf, Meredith! I enjoyed giving a book as much as I enjoyed receiving one. It was an uplifting way to celebrate our shared pleasure in Austenesque books. Looking forward to Austenesque Jolabokaflod 2022!
My pleasure, Katie! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed both sides of it and found it to be an uplifting experience!!
Thank you, Meredith, for hosting the fantastic Austenesque Jolabokaflod and many thanks to Samantha Adkins, who not only sent me a book from my wish list but also sent me one of her own, which I look forward to diving into!
Happy New Year, all!
That’s so wonderful, Lori! What a special and thoughtful bonus! Happy reading!!!