Sophia's Sofa Chat- A Visit With Ceri

My guest will arrive shortly and I am eager for her arrival. I have chosen something special to serve her. I was gifted a box of Bingley’s Teas’ Emma’s Perfect Match and I believe this is just the right occasion and I dusted off my scrumptious apple-cinnamon scone recipe gifted from a pal living in Aberdeen that I practiced with twice before I got them right.

Why so much flutter? Because my book friend, Ceri, is coming all the way from Wales to relax in my living room and chat with me today.

I’m not even sure when I first encountered Ceri whether it was during a Jane Austen blog event or post, but I was excited to exchange friendings here on GoodReads a bit more than two years ago. Ceri is a long-time Jane Austen fan and JAFF reader through hosting authors and posting reviews on her Babblings of a Bookworm blog and participating in several on-line locations where JAFF readers and writers congregate. I’ve found Ceri’s positive and insightful opinions on books to be a great guide to my own reading pleasure.

And here she is right on time even though it’s somewhat stormy and the air is muggy, but I’ve kept it cool and dry inside so we can be comfortable.

Howdy, Ceri!
Come in before you drown out there. We are really getting a lot of rain around here. I keep expecting to see Noah’s Ark float by.
How are things back home?
Hi Sophia, it’s lovely to be joining you today. We have been having our fair share of rain in Wales too. It’s just about the rainiest part of the UK, which is known for getting quite a bit of rain. In fact, some people say that you only know it’s summer in Wales because the rain is warmer than usual!

Haha, now that is saying something about your weather.
Have you ever taken a trip out of Wales before?
As you may know, Wales is pretty small, and the part where I live is about 30 minutes’ drive from England so it’s no trouble to get out of Wales, although I don’t do it often. I can actually see a part of England from the top of my road, the coast of the county of Somerset (where Anne Eliot hails from!) is just across the Bristol Channel from South Wales. It takes about an hour on the train to get to Bath, so I’ve had some lovely days there, walking in Jane Austen’s steps.

How lovely to be so close! That is nice to have Bath and the coast within easy distance (I reason more like Darcy than Elizabeth with travel distance).
What is a dream trip you would like to make?
I’ve only been abroad a few times as we spent years saving and renovating our home and then had children so the budget has never allowed for much travelling, so there are LOADS of places that I’d like to go.
I’ve always wanted to see geysers in Iceland, the Northern Lights, the Black Forest in Bavaria, the Amalfi coast in Italy, New York, my list can go on and on! Added to these, I haven’t seen all the best literary places in the UK yet; I’ve been to Stratford upon Avon but I’d like to go to the Jane Austen museum, Winchester, Brontë country, Mrs Gaskell’s house, etc.
Oh yes! I do like that list. Indeed I do.


The West Welsh Coastline

I have only ever seen Wales on TV or in movies, but I would love to see it in person. What are some places and things I must see and do if I come to Wales? Best time of the year to visit?
My favourite part of Wales to show you would be the coast in West Wales. It’s seriously beautiful. There are such lovely beaches, and the countryside there is gorgeous too.
I’d also recommend some trips to take in some of the history – there is a museum of Welsh life in Cardiff, the remains of a Roman fortress about 20 miles away and there is another museum where you can take a trip down a coal mine to get better concept of the work place for many Welsh men (and children).


Tintern Abbey
If you’d like to do something with an Austen connection, you could go and see Tintern Abbey, a stunning ruin, which Fanny Price has a picture of on the wall in her little room in Mansfield Park.

If you visit, I’d recommend June or July as the weather would hopefully be better, and the schools don’t finish until the end of July so places are less busy before then.
That will definitely get me started thinking. Oh yes, timing the school breaks is good advice, thanks!

I was pleased that you could accept my invitation for a sofa chat, but then I got super nervous about serving a Brit tea especially since I don’t drink it or prepare it very often for others. But I had a bit of something special put by. This tea is inspired by Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse.
Would you care for a cup? Or if you prefer I have some chilled Cran-Raspberry juice. How about a scone (and yes I warn you now they are made with whole cream and stuffed with cinnamon-apples)?
I think as long as we have a tea pot all will be well.
Scones are one of my favorite baked sweets.
Do you have a particular baked good that is the most sinfully delicious temptation for you?
Unfortunately for my ever-expanding waistline I like practically anything high calorie! I have a particular fondness for scones though, especially in a cream tea style with jam and clotted cream.
I am also very partial for Welsh cakes, which are like a fried scone. They are delicious, but to my shame as a Welsh person, I am no good at making them! I keep saying I will master it, but I never get around to it!
Welsh cakes

Are you one that likes to have food or drink by you when you’re reading? If so, what’s some of your favorite reading snacks and drinks?
I am afraid so. In fact, that’s one of the benefits of reading a kindle, that you have a spare hand for a drink or a snack. My top reading snacks are all unhealthy - chocolate bars, cake or biscuits, and the choice of drink would be tea, coffee or maybe a glass of wine. The only way I can be safe from snacking when I read is if I read in the bath!

Now, just because I’m nosy, I’m curious about your bookshelves. What book/s hold place of honor?


Place of honour goes to my collection of Georgette Heyer books. I got most of these in the days before e-readers. I particularly like the older copies, most of which I picked up in a day trip to Hay-on-Wye, a picturesque little town on the border of Wales and England, which has a huge number of second hand book shops. I would have included this in my suggestions of places to visit in Wales but I don’t know whether it’s suffered from the move to online book buying habits.
Oh yes, a day at the second hand shop would set me up nicely.

I love paper copies of books and am one of those odd types who like the scent of book paper and I even pet over an intriguing or pretty cover.
Now tell the truth, are you influenced by cover art? Have you ever bought a book because of the cover?
I really like good cover art, it grabs the attention, even for e-books. I have bought a few books based on their covers – I have a set of clothbound classics of Austen’s stories because they bring me joy. I also have a Peacock Pride & Prejudice, but sadly all of these books are tucked away safely. I need to think of a way to display them, because they are all too beautiful to hide.




Okay, but really, if it’s not the cover what key words or phrases are going to instantly grab your attention toward a book?
I’ve discovered that ‘spies’, ‘dragons’, ‘mystery’, ‘gothic’, ‘atmospheric’, ‘quirky small town characters’, and of course ‘Austen’ will hook me in.
‘Austen’ is always a good one, or if something is described as being like Heyer or Agatha Christie I’ll also be interested. I am sometimes a sucker for a bit of comfort reading – mention ‘marriage of convenience’ or ‘fake fiancée’ and I will be very tempted to have a closer look!

What was the last book to make you want to read it all at once or that stuck with you for days?

The last book I read in one go was ‘Side by Side, Apart’ by Ann Galvia, a sequel to ‘Pride & Prejudice’ that sees Elizabeth struck by amnesia, and losing 11 years of memory in one fell swoop. Her memories of her husband end with him walking away from Hunsford Parsonage after having his proposal of marriage rejected and she has no idea why she would have accepted him.
Oh, yeah, this one had a similar effect on me.

What made you decide to start a book blog and how did you happen on Babblings of a Bookworm for the name?
I really enjoy reading Pride & Prejudice variations, and by their very nature there are some similarities between the stories. I once read a book and only realised when I was a third of the way in that I’d read it about 6 months before! So I started to write short reviews to remind myself of what each book was about, which I posted on Amazon.
Then the lovely Jakki of Leatherbound Reviews offered me the opportunity to review a book for her blog, which set the wheels turning that maybe I could start my own blog to have a place to put my thoughts on things. I didn’t think that anybody would be interested in my blog posts, and I was very surprised and touched at the amount of support and encouragement that I received from the lovely JAFF community.

As for the name, I would have liked ‘So Little Time’ but Candy already had that one, so I had to think of something else. I didn’t feel that my meanderings would be good enough to have a very official sounding title. Being a fan of alliteration I thought of ‘Babblings Books’, a pun on a babbling brook, but then I decided on ‘Babblings of a Bookworm’. If anybody rates my posts as better than just some babbling I am always very pleased. This blog name also has a hidden ‘sofa’ in it, which is something that is always lovely for reading .

What was one of your favorite blog posts? And what kind of post is your hardest to write/format?
I think my favourite posts are the ones where I’ve been brave enough to review Austen. I don’t feel worthy, so I have been pleased when I’ve managed to review one of her books. My favourite posts to write are the ones where I plan my reading or give my top reads of the year.

As for the posts that are hardest to write, I struggle sometimes to write reviews. Sometimes I just don’t have the words, but I don’t like to start a new book before reviewing the last in case I forget any details. As for formatting, general blog posts are ok to format, but I wish I had more expertise with graphics! You see some wonderful graphics on blogs, like awards rosettes and logos and I not only have no clue how to make them but I also am very limited on time to learn!

Now that we are on the doorstep of summer, do you have any summer plans?
Not really. I am hoping to do some nice things with my children but that is the extent of my plans so far.
Well, I'm sure they'll have some ideas for you. Haha!

Sofa Starter Questions
Art or Music?
Music… but when I say ‘music’ I use the term loosely. If I can’t sing along to it loudly in the car then I probably won’t enjoy it! I particularly enjoy singing along to disco and 80s music.
Seaside or Mountains?
Seaside. I just love the sea. The way the light sparkles on it, the sound of it, the smell, the air; it’s just soul-cleansing.
Lucy Steele or Mary Crawford?
I can’t bear Lucy Steele, sly thing that she is! Mary on the other hand is entertaining and witty and is generous enough to value Fanny Price’s good qualities. Her morality and principles are doubtful, but I blame that mostly on her bad upbringing. I wouldn’t trust Mary, but I am sure she’d make a delightful companion for dinner.
Rugby or Football (soccer in the US)?
Although the national game in Wales is rugby I really don’t understand the rules! I never have a clue what is happening, but I can enjoy watching football.
Butterscotch or Caramel?
Yes please, Either. *big smile*

Thank you, Ceri, for coming by my home to chat. Hwyl fawr am nawr!
Diolch yn Fawr Sophia. Thanks for inviting me to your sofa. Hwyl fawr!

When Ceri’s not over at her blog, Babblings of a Bookworm, here are some places you can find her on-line:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Frawli1978
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/34855...
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...