The winners of my Summer Recommendation Contest are:Kalia from Twilight-ForeverLadyTink from The Movieholic and Bibliophile's Blog
Murder on the Bride's Side by Tracy Kiely is due out August 31, 2010.While Murder at Longbourn is very Pride and Prejudice, Murder on the Bride's Side promises to be very Sense and Sensibility.Murder, intrigue, and Jane Austen? Sawwweeet!
"I looked down and saw the mermaid, her hand gripping Marcus' leg as he fought madly to escape." - Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Nielson
The Whimsys are moving house. Mr. Whimsy has been offered a better job (in one of the smaller cities we've been wishing and praying for) so we are officially packing.The down side? I'm usually packing when I should be reading. *insert pout* Consequently, please forgive me if it is slim pickings until August and the dust has settled.
The winner of my Ciao Baby Contest is: Miss Cindy from Oodles of BooksCongratulations Miss Cindy! You have won my brand new paperback copies of Perfect Chemistry and Rules of Attraction! I will be contacting you via email for your mailing address.
Any reader would know that.Vamps have an exceptional sense of smell.Never ever underestimate their noses.That's like Vamp 101.
This simple sweet cover totally caught my eye. Sure the title harkens autumn, but the jar makes me think of summer and fireflies.
One (1) USA resident will receive a $20.00 eGift card to Amazon.comOne (1) International resident will get to pick $20.00 (U.S. dollars) worth of merchandise from the BookDepository.com.
"When I was yet a very young woman I threw my heart away. I fashioned a wee coracle of leaf and willow twig and reed, a coracle that sat in the hollow of my two palms. In this I placed my wounded, wretched heart, and I set it adrift on the rain-misted wavelets of the Fey river, and I watched it bob and whirl, sail and sink. Ever since then I have lived heartless, or almost heartless, cold as spring rain, the way Humans think all Fey live."
Under the recommendation of the lovely Ruth (from Booktalk & More) I just finished the SyFy mini-series Alice. Alice is a wild modernized hodge-podge of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass. It starts with a kick, hits a bit of a lull in the center, and then ends with a bang. The best part of the bang? The super cute Hatter played by Andrew-Lee Potts.
Good morning my lovelies! Thank goodness it is almost Friday. Today, I am proud to announce the winner of my gently used signed copy of English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack is Janet Ruth of Along the Way. Way to go Janet!!! I will be contacting you via email.
My whodunit verdict: This mellow light mystery is perfect for cozy fans. It will charm you and keep you guessing all the way through.
The Emma Masterpiece BBC Mini-Series (2009) is utter perfection. While the story is slightly altered, there is no doubt the changes are seamless. The actors are almost exactly as I had pictured them. Johnny Lee Miller (a fellow I have secretly crushed on since Hackers 1995) and Michael Gambon are flawless. Romola Garai (with her acting prowess) manages to make Emma more likable and accessible. Even knowing the ending, I still got the chills. 5 out of 5 stars
Rewatching Clueless (1995), now that I know Emma, was like being let in on a private joke. All the similarities and nuances suddenly became vivid and unmistakable. I loved it. It was such a delight to see the late Brittney Murphy do such good job as Tai (Harriet). Paul Rudd won me over with his sweet vulnerable Mr. Knightley. However, for me the best part was the flashback to my youth with pagers, saggy pants, grunge, Real World, cassette tapes, 90210, and even Beavis & Butt-head. 4 out of 5 stars.
Do you have any words that you trip on or battle regularly?Sure I know the rules. But often times my fingers move quicker than my internal grammar monitor and I end up typing the wrong ones. My constant nemesis?
"When fate's got it in for you,there's no limit to what you may have to put up with."- Georgette Heyer"The trouble with trouble is that it always starts out like fun."- Anonymous
I finally saw Alice in Wonderland.Of course, my favorite part was the part most people disliked; I loved the White Queen.In fact, I even looked over at Mr. Whimsy and declared, "I love pink and white rococo White Queen Land. I want to live there."I'm such an odd duck.What is the hatter with me?Perhaps, I have too much muchness.
"It would be dramatic to say that as soon as I saw Aunt Winnie's letter I had a premonition of danger - a shiver of apprehension, perhaps, or even a sudden feeling of dread. In reality, the only thing I felt was mild amusement, not so much at the message but at the mode of its delivery. I'm not so romantic as to expect correspondence from elderly spinsters to be limited to lavender-scented paper, but by this same token, I certainly didn't expect a hastily scrawled note on a yellow Post-it, cheerfully inviting me to a murder."
Have you ever had the pleasure of exploring The Folio Society's menagerie of books? They literally exist solely to "create beautiful editions of the world's greatest books". Personally, I am coveting The Complete Miss Marple Short Stories by Agatha Christie. Isn't the art fun and quirky?
"A nectarous engaging story that is like a leisurely walk on the beach. It is a sweet soft slow moving tale of how Miranda unravels herself and her pain. Do not read it expecting giant revelations or tons of actions. Read it expecting beautiful writing and a slow steady but lovely pace."
.jpg)
My say: Emma (the character) is difficult to love. She is stubborn, pampered, self-centered, and capricious. I agree with Jane Austen's repeated take on Emma, "I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like." However, her misadventures in love and miscommunication are downright comical. When she is not tripping over her self-induced romantic mayhem, she is word fencing Mr. Knightley. I found my self waiting on bated breath for Emma's scenes with him. I love how he is the only one with enough gall to openly question her motives, tactics, and behavior. Their witty banter was by far my favorite part and what made Emma an instant favorite for me.
I'm back! And I'm totally and utterly pooped...While I adore traveling, there is nothing in the world like coming home. I can't wait to get in bed and finish Emma. The last scene I read was so good and so romantic it gave me the chills. *le sigh* What is the last book you read that gave you goosebumps?
Doesn't Lost in Austen sound a like Choose Your Adventure for grown-ups?So my darlings, what did you find this week?Please have a beautiful weekend.
My darlings if for some reason you find you are bored, vexed, missing your daily dose of whimsy, or simply in need of a pick-me-up, consider playing a Jane Austen crossword. Not a fan of the Sense & Sensibility puzzle? Do not fret! There is also Mansfield Park, Emma, Pride & Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey.
