I forgot when I did my book haul post yesterday, about the book sale one of the local churches was putting on today.  This is the second of their sales I've been to, and I am now a fan - not a big selection, but lots of quality.

 

Books I've never heard of before but looked good:

The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things - Paula Byrne 

A Small Unsigned Painting - Stephen Scheding 

A Thousand Days in Tuscany: A Bittersweet Adventure - Marlena De Blasi 

O Christmas Three: O. Henry, Tolstoy, and Dickens - Leo Tolstoy,Charles Dickens,O. Henry 

 

Books I've seen/heard of before and have been moderately interested in reading:

The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco 

Brother Cadfael's Penance - Ellis Peters 

At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie 

Murder on the Links - Agatha Christie 

 

That last one, I bought not only because I'm eventually going to read all of Christie's work, but because the pulpy cover just called to me - I love it!

 

I'll admit, I got a bit mercenary this morning.  On one of the tables was a cache of 5 Ian Fleming James Bond paperbacks.  Old 60's editions in good condition, for .50 each.  I've read a few book articles lately about people searching for the old paperback editions, so I grabbed them.  Then, I had a fit of conscience, because I have no desire to read James Bond.  So I put them back and about 10 seconds later, a guy grabbed all of them and walked away, which made me feel both better about myself and like I wanted to kick myself too.  

 

I moved on, and on my last run of the tables (to make sure I hadn't missed anything), I found all 5 of the books again - the guy had changed his mind and put them back.  So this time, I grabbed them.  I'm not sure what the heck I'm going to do with them, but one of them is a first edition.  I am going to try to put my conservation lessons to the test and gently clean them up - then decide what to do from there.

 

          

This was such a fun _and accurate _ romp of a retelling!

As a proud fan of all Austen things, I am happy to inform that the authors did an amazing job with this novel, re-adapting a most loved classic into a contemporary romance, while maintaining a most necessary consistency with Austen's work.

 

If you still haven't read Austen's Pride and Prejudice, please do, because if not, the little things, the words that may seem casually thrown once in a while, in this one, will be lost in you.

As it is, and not ignoring the fact that this work will also have it audience on the people who have watched the videos on youtube _that I still haven't watched! _, I can't help feeling that this book will have a welcoming niche on Austen nerds! Like MYSELF!! lol

It was so good, to see Lizzie in a modern habitat, not longer confined to Nineteen century society and its restrict rules!

To see Charlotte, achieving her full potential without having to_______you know!! Although the unforgettable Mr. Collins do appears on the novel...and yes, he is he's same old self!

 

Mrs Bennet, continues as loud and persistent as ever, when it comes to all things related to her daughters love lives.

Mr. Bennet continues to be the sane voice in the household, although he continues to be his clueless self when it comes to money!

Lydia aka a force of nature, has in Kitty (her cat...no, I AM NOT kidding! lol) a loving pet, and in Mary (the cousin) a strong support.

Jane, good old Jane, and happy "old" Bing, couldn't help but appear...and I kept hoping that she would give him the boot. I knowwww!

I am such a romantic person! ;)

And then there's Darcy... *.*

(who definitely isn't a Colin Firth :(

 

I loved the fact that these character's personalities were so respected in this novel.

I would have loved however, if the authors hadn't resorted so much to the telling _with the occasional letter inserted _ instead of showing, because there were some scenes _like Darcy's proposal _ that would have been stronger had we "seen them" live and direct, if you know what I mean.

 

And, since this was a retelling, I would have liked to have been given a little more Darcy time!

Mostly because the interactions between Lizzie and him are so few, _and being most of them told _ that if they weren't Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet, we would be a little surprised at where their love had come from...

But besides this small nitpick, I really enjoyed reading this story, and I think that everyone with a small sense of humour will love it as well.

 

Bernie Su' Tumblr

 

Kate Rorick' Official Site

 

Buy "The Secret Diary Of Lizzie Bennet"

@Bookdepository.com

Well, this was one of those that was less than expected. Longer review to come soon.

In my book, Jane, Actually,1 one of the characters writes a biography with the title, The Real Jane Austen, that “examines the personality of Jane Austen with the tools of modern-day medicine, forensic psychiatry and textual analysis.” Fortunately, Paula Byrne’s The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things, takes a far more relaxed and charming approach to telling Austen’s story.Rather than starting with her birth and ending with her death, Byrnes focuses on objects—jewelry, paintings, notebooks, etc.—with which Austen might or might not have been familiar. All the objects were from Austen’s times and some were owned by Austen or her family. Some items are pedestrian: a card of lace similar to the lace Austen’s aunt was accused of stealing; and some are touching: an ad for the auction of household items from the Steventon parsonage; and some are calculating: a royalty check Jane received for sales of Emma.The first item tells us that Jane lived in a world very different from us. Her Aunt Leigh-Perrot might have been executed or transported to Australia if convicted of the crime; and Mrs. Austen offered to send Jane and Cassandra as companions to her aunt while she was being held over for trial (in other words to stay with their aunt in jail).2 The second item hints at how much of a shock it must have been for Jane to leave Steventon for Bath after her father retired as rector. And the third reminds us that Jane was no naif when it came to business. She made some hard-headed business decisions and worked hard at developing her career and reputation (although in this instance, her decision to reprint Mansfield Park at the same time she was publishing Emma backfired).Byrne chooses several illustrations to tell her stories, including a watercolor of Lyme Regis, two paintings of sisters, another of a pair of women also shown on the book cover, and of course the sketch Byrne champions as being a representation of Austen drawn from life. It’s understandable that Byrne should include it—her husband gave it to her as a present, thinking it was an “imaginary portrait” (an idealized portrait). And she concludes the book (the epilogue) with another “portrait” of Austen. This watercolor, painted by Cassandra Austen, shows her sister from behind (seen right). Byrne calls it the only “irrefutably authentic image of the real Jane Austen.”I have to wonder at this last statement because the National Portrait Gallery seems to recognize that the unfinished pencil sketch/watercolor portrait seen left, also created by Cassandra, portrays Jane. I’ve also heard it called the only authentic image of Jane Austen. It doesn’t matter that many people dislike the image it offers of our favorite author.I definitely would have included this portrait were I to write a biography told by objects. I’ve said several times in this blog how affected I was by seeing it in the National Portrait Gallery.This oversight, however, is my only complaint about The Real Jane Austen, and I had to work hard to find it. You will probably not find anything that displeases in this delightful alternative to the traditional biography of Jane Austen, especially if like me you‘ve already read several such biographies. After all, there are few facts about Austen’s life that you don’t already know. The joy of The Real Jane Austen is discovering Jane through the context of time in which she lived, without all the forensic psychiatry and textual analysis.1 Sorry to sneak in a plug for my book.2 Byrne thinks Jane’s wealthy Aunt Leigh-Perrott was guilty of shoplifting.

A fascinating and well-written book about the life of Jane Austen as seen through a collection of objects that she used. There are writing books, a writing slope, a card of lace, a shawl from India, and the like. I really enjoyed reading this method of writing, and the end result was a deeper look at what and where and who Jane Austen used to create her novels. Along with the narrative, there are drawings and photographs of the objects, along with extensive notes and a bibliography. Five stars overall and a very enthusiastic recommendation from me.

For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Paula_Byrne_The_Real_Jane_Austen_A_Life_in_Small_Things_epi/content_618130935428