Austenesque Lovers TBR Challenge 2023 discussion
General Introductory Matters
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Introductions
wosedwew wrote: "Hi, I'm Rose and I read Jane Austen Fan Fiction!I read everyone's introduction and notice how many of us have spent lives in so many different areas. Me, I'm not like that.
I now live on the sam..."
I live on the opposite side of town from you. South of Yankee Hill Rd., nearly to Hickman. This entire area used to be farm land. I'm a hypocrite when I say this since I live here now, but it is sad to see SO much farm land disappear.
It is difficult for me to identify just what part of the farmland now holds my neighborhood. I told family members and friends "from where the silo used to be, then north a piece to the hill that has been flattened where the alfalfa field was, but not so far east that you would have crossed the railroad tracks."I wonder if my parents knew the farm where your house sits now. They were pretty well-known to farmers on the north side of town, up to Davey, Waverly, Raymond, Ceresco. A few close friends lived south, near Denton and Hickman.
Foolishly, I go to a dentist close to Yankee Hill and 40th. I use the bypass roads around town instead of crossing Lincoln. I need to see the new bypass (now Hwy 2, I guess), I will have to drive that to get to my next appontment.
Hi JAFF lovers. I'm definitely coming back this year. As Sophia knows, I never set a goal. I was rather pleased (and surprised) I had made it to Emma Watson this year. But my reading goals are going to be a little different in '23. I'm going to try and get out of my comfort zone and read some genres I haven't visited much in the past. I also have a lot of books in my TBR that aren't JAFF and feel the need to whittle those down a bit. But JAFF is my first love. I grew up in the Midwest, moved to NY state after my hubby graduated from university, we were there 18 yrs, then moved to Central TX the year our son graduated from HS to go to college in Houston. We lived there 20 years desperately missing the Seasons..as another reader said above. Now we're back in our home state, NE.
I didn't 'discover' Jane Austen until the mid-90's movies came out, but afterwards was rather unhappy with myself for not having read the books up until then. I bought a boxed set shortly thereafter and made it a New Year's resolution. Was I shocked after so many years of reading modern short stories, and minimalist fiction novels. The language was a slog at first, but I really loved it, loved how snarky Jane could get all the while maintaining the utmost propriety. Loved the social manners and restrictions etc., etc. What we all love about Jane.
We were in a bad accident in '05 and I was injured pretty badly, and very fortunately my husband was not. Knowing my new Jane obsession he went and got me an annotated P&P (David Shaphard) Deirdra Le Faye's Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels, and her Jane Austen's Letters to enjoy while I was recouping. There are so many other histories that have come out since then that are great too. Then, since I really had the monkey on my back I searched the library and found 1 (one!!) JAFF (Abigail Reynolds) for which I had no idea the concept existed, and the rest is history. My JAFF history. I was searching all the book stores (especially used book stores) for others until my first Kindle. Wow. That opened up my exposure considerably. And my husband and son had to talk me into getting it. Now you'd have to pry it out of my cold dead hands. :D
Mod
Woohoo, Michelle! So wonderful you can be back and slowly climbing through the levels even as you work on other books on the TBR shelf, too.
You've lived so many places and that's neat.
Love that you could share your story coming to Jane Austen and then JAFF. LOL, I feel the same way about my Kindle.
MichelleH wrote: "Hi JAFF lovers. I'm definitely coming back this year. As Sophia knows, I never set a goal. I was rather pleased (and surprised) I had made it to Emma Watson this year. But my reading goals are goin..."Found your story very interesting. Happy New Year! We lived in TX while my husband was stationed at Fort Hood in Killeen. I worked in Temple.
Hi all,I’m Mary,from Ireland,and I’m so looking forward to being back in this group. I didn’t join last year and missed the incidental chats and camaraderie,not to mind,of course,the wonderful book recommendations from like minded people! Not sure how many books I’ll read this year but I’m happy to be here,with you all.
waves wildly to Nebraska and beyond to Ireland!
Welcome back Mary.I love that we cover all the corners of the world!!
Hello!I'm excited to be part of this group! My name is Farha and I live in Virginia. After reading North and South, my kindle recommended a Nicole Clarkson variation. I thought ff was cheesy and refused to lower myself until I remembered how much I loved Clueless. I gave it a shot and devoured No Such Thing as Luck and the other few that popped up. I believe London Holiday was the first P&P recommendation and here I am, 700 variations later and obsessed. I'm aiming for 150 books this year and look forward to any and all recommendations! Happy New Year!
I am late to the party. Hello, I am J.W. better known as Jeanne. I’m from a state known for bluegrass, beautiful women, horses, and bourbon. That would be Kentucky located right smack in the middle of the eastern part of the US. I’ve been a member since 2016, thank you Sheila for pointing me in this direction. I LOVE reading all forms of Jane Austen Fan Fiction [JAFF], published, and unpublished, novels, novelettes, shorts, one-shots, etc. Well, I’m not into audio as I can’t walk across the floor and chew gum at the same time. If I was cooking and something climatic happened in the story, I might spill something, burn myself, or worse, cut my finger off. Or, if I was driving, I might run off the road. No, audio and I do not mix. The 1995 movie is my favorite and when I read about Mr. Darcy, I see Colin Firth in my mind’s eye. I have watched that version dozens [dozens] of times. I have all the versions of the DVD including the Anniversary Editions and Special Features Editions. It’s a weakness.
I have set my Goodreads Challenge at 200 books. I nearly missed it this year due to finding a cache of unpublished stories on the fan fiction site that didn’t have a GR link. Authors are having problems with the forum sites due to thefts and many are abandoning them for other safer sites. Bless them. I hate that. My Austenesque Goal is to reach Mr. Darcy’s Library with 200 books. That’s two different goals as the Goodreads Challenge counts everything I've read while my Austenesque Challenge counts Austen and Austen-inspired stories/books.
I am retired and of an age that requires more fingers and toes than I possess [many times over, in fact]. I was so happy to find Goodreads. My first impression was that it allowed me to actually talk about Austen books without an eye roll or a whispered ‘not again’ from my friends and family. Goodness. Have they no taste? What is wrong with them? We are talking about Austen here. Seriously?!? In this sacred sanctum, I am not judged and, in fact, I am embraced as a fellow Janeite. What fun. I can now discuss to my heart’s content all things related to my favorite author.
Goodreads has been a lifesaver for me and others. It has introduced me to readers from all over the world and I have found meaningful friendships. No, we will probably never actually meet; however, everyone is but a click away. We have celebrated marriages, births, anniversaries, birthdays, and major milestones. We have comforted each other during crises, deaths, health issues, difficult times, and long journeys with a shoulder and a listening ear. I have appreciated everyone that walked with me through my own journey.
This Austenesque Group has been so good. We are of various colors, ethnicities, religions, and creeds, and yet, we come together in unity over an author whose work unifies us. It is so much fun to participate in the many discussions and /or disagreements over the number of stars and various opinions on a particular work. However, we respectfully disagree and still hold to our friendships. This is a safe place and trolls are not welcome nor will they be tolerated.
Mary wrote: "Hi all,I’m Mary,from Ireland,and I’m so looking forward to being back in this group. I didn’t join last year and missed the incidental chats and camaraderie,not to mind,of course,the wonderful boo..."
Welcome.
bumbleena wrote: "Hello!I'm excited to be part of this group! My name is Farha and I live in Virginia. After reading North and South, my kindle recommended a Nicole Clarkson variation. I thought ff was cheesy and ..."
Glad you joined us. Welcome.
J. W. wrote: "I am late to the party. Hello, I am J.W. better known as Jeanne. I’m from a state known for bluegrass, beautiful women, horses, and bourbon. That would be Kentucky located right smack in the middle..."Nice reading your short bio again. Enjoyed it and agree with your sentiments.
Thank you, Sheila.I just went back to the beginning of this thread and read all the introductions. I was so happy to see all the returning names in our group. I was even more impressed with the new people joining our group. Welcome, welcome. We are so happy to see more and more people throw their names in the group. You can participate as little or as much as you wish. We are just happy to have you here. Blessings to you all in this new year of reading.
Hello everyone, and happy new year! It is such a delight to embark on another year with this wonderful Austenesque gathering. I stumbled upon this group some years ago, and have found it a pleasant and precious haven ever since. My goals for this year are, again. to simply see how many Austenesque (or even actual Austen!) reads I relish over the year, and to enjoy the community here. As others have mentioned, I tend to be a lurker, quietly relishing the conversation and recommendations, without posting often.
The most delightful gift that I received this holiday season was the blu-ray edition of the 1995 P&P mini-series, which was my original introduction to Jane Austen. When I put on the first episode, and the theme music started to play, all the cares of the world floated away, and I was once again wrapped up in both the story, but also all the cozy, happy memories of watching it for the first time, and each time since. :-) After enjoying the mini-series while visiting relatives, I read P&P itself when I returned home, and then read through the rest of the novels. Of course that was not enough, and soon thereafter I stumbled upon some JAFF titles in our local library.
Welcome back, ladymurmur. It's good to see you are still with us. I may have to get out my DVD of the movie and have a P&P marathon. I agree with what you said about hearing the music. I'm the same. My worries just go somewhere else for a while. Heavy sigh.
Mod
I’m Mary,from Ireland,and I’m so looking forward to being back in this group. I didn’t join last year and missed the incidental chats and camaraderie,not to mind,of course,the wonderful boo..."
Yay, Mary! Glad to have you join back in. I'm so glad you missed us and we'll have a good time chatting about books while getting a few read. :)
I have to say, we are an interest group!
Thank you, J.W.! After finishing watching P&P (and the special features, of course!), I've been enjoying other Austen movies & documentaries that I can find on our various streaming services. This has been a good way to use the last days of my holiday time off to recharge the mental and emotional batteries before diving back into work come Tuesday.
Mod
I'm excited to be part of this group! My name is Farha and I live in Virginia. After reading North and South, my kindle recommended a Nicole Clarkson variation. I thought ff was cheesy and ..."
Welcome Farha! So glad you could join in.
Oh that is too fun how you slipped into Austenesque reading through North and South. We love our Mrs. Gaskell here, too.
Cheering you on to your 150!
Mod
Ahhhh, Jeanne! You say some wonderful, profound things. We are tickled to have your uplifting, encouraging self back. Love your plan to get your Austenesque challenge and GoodReads goal finished!
Mod
Warm welcome back, ladymurmur! We are a wonderful group of Jane friends all together. :)
Enjoy another year of good Austenesque reading.
bumbleena wrote: "My name is Farha and ... believe London Holiday was the first P&P recommendation and here I am, 700 variations later and obsessed. ...Happy New Year!"Wow! :-) Happy New Year, and welcome to the 2023 group!
J. W. wrote: "I am late to the party. Hello, I am J.W. better known as Jeanne. I’m from a state known for bluegrass, beautiful women, horses, and....."Jeanne, you must be a beautiful woman! Happy New Year, and thanks for your good cheer!
Welcome, all! Man, I just can't keep track of you all. I recognize the handles, but I forget who is connected to which country/state... can't retain it! Fortunately, some of you mention it every once in a while. (I'm from upstate New York, by the way.)
Marlene, I made a list as I read through the thread. I know... OCD. I couldn't keep up. I love the fact so many countries and states in the US are represented. Yay!
J. W. wrote: "Marlene, I made a list as I read through the thread. I know... OCD. I couldn't keep up. I love the fact so many countries and states in the US are represented. Yay!"Jeanne, I completely understand that!!!
I have to admit I would never dream of finding myself on the Jane Austen book club. I tend to read darker books, I love the Brontes and Russian litany Agatha Christie are my go to favorites. I've always been annoyed with perfect world of JA. However, last year was super hard for me and I am seeking JOY and beauty for 2023. I think delving into Austen would add to my joy immensely. I love humor and I do remember enjoying that in her books. My plan is to read all six of her works staring with P and P. About me--I am wrapping up decades of homeschooling my kids, I write and my goal is to the a novel published in 2023.
Looking forward to chatting with everyone!
Wishing everyone joy :)
Lisa wrote: "I have to admit I would never dream of finding myself on the Jane Austen book club. I tend to read darker books, I love the Brontes and Russian litany Agatha Christie are my go to favorites. I've a..."Welcome!!! Thank you for coming over to the light side and enjoy!!!! :)
Lisa wrote: "I have to admit I would never dream of finding myself on the Jane Austen book club. I tend to read darker books, I love the Brontes and Russian litany Agatha Christie are my go to favorites. I've a..."Welcome Lisa. No worries, there are highly angsty variation in the JAFFland too!
Welcome, Lisa. Sam is right. We have it all here. So hang around and see what everyone is reading. Jump in any time and comment or quietly stay in the background. All are welcome to participate as much or as little as they want. Enjoy!
Thank you all! I appreciate the encouragement. Finishing up one of my thrillers today and then starting Pride this evening. Curious about the fan fiction books now!
Mod
You are more than welcome, Lisa! We are an eclectic crowd of readers and some of us enjoy darker reading to balance out our lighter. So sorry you had a rough year and hope 2023 is a healing year for you. P&P is a definite source of light and entertainment.
Cheering you on with your publishing goal and to finish your JA novel set.
ladymurmur wrote: "Hello everyone, and happy new year! It is such a delight to embark on another year with this wonderful Austenesque gathering. I stumbled upon this group some years ago, and have found it a pleasant..."Welcome back ladymurmur. Ah, now I gotta watch that movie again real soon.
Lisa wrote: "I have to admit I would never dream of finding myself on the Jane Austen book club. I tend to read darker books, I love the Brontes and Russian litany Agatha Christie are my go to favorites. I've a..." Welcome Lisa. I hope you'll share your opinion of the things in Austen that aren't all perfect and sweet. It's there.
J. W. wrote: "I am late to the party. Hello, I am J.W. better known as Jeanne. I’m from a state known for bluegrass, beautiful women, horses, and bourbon. That would be Kentucky located right smack in the middle..."This group would not be the same without you Jeanne. I agree with you 100% about the unique value of this group, in that there is no other place I can go to freely express my enthusiasm for Jane Austen and its fan fiction. None of my family or friends (real flesh and blood face to face friends--you're all friends too!!!) read what I read.
My pocket book WISHES I didn't do audio books. But I adore them. I do and can multitask with them. We'll see how many years I'm able to keep that up. I don't listen and drive though. But you are a very quick reader compared to me, so you are able to read more.
I loved reading your story, my Lady. Here's to a blessed 2023 for you and for all of us.
Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Hi JAFF lovers. I'm definitely coming back this year. As Sophia knows, I never set a goal. I was rather pleased (and surprised) I had made it to Emma Watson this year. But my read..." We lived in Round Rock from 1997 to 2017, were you in Killeen any of that time?
bumbleena wrote: "Hello!I'm excited to be part of this group! My name is Farha and I live in Virginia. After reading North and South, my kindle recommended a Nicole Clarkson variation. I thought ff was cheesy and ..."
Oh, I adore Nicole's N&S variations. There aren't enough of them! They are wonderful.
Welcome to this group. And you probably will find some cheesy stuff in JAFF. :D Just saying. But feel free to express that opinion here.
MichelleH wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Hi JAFF lovers. I'm definitely coming back this year. As Sophia knows, I never set a goal. I was rather pleased (and surprised) I had made it to Emma Watson this ye..."We lived in Killeen the entire time, near the Fort gates. August of 1969 to July of 1971. Made a point to travel to the major cities to see the sights while we lived there: the Alamo, Six Flags over Texas, Villanova playing in Houston in the basketball championships, etc. Even made a point to cross over into Mexico so we could say we visited there.
Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Hi JAFF lovers. I'm definitely coming back this year. As Sophia knows, I never set a goal. I was rather pleased (and surprised) I had made it to E..."We truly didn't even have the chance to 'miss each other,' then. The twenty years we lived there most of our traveling experiences involved driving back and forth between Austin and Houston to visit our son. We did get to Ft. Worth for the museums, and to Dallas on our way further north to NE. because my husband has family in Dallas. And we made a really out of the way excursion to Palo Duro Canyon on our way north one fall. That was magnificent. Never made it to Big Bend though. And while visiting Houston we made more than several excursions further south to the Gulf for different birding expeditions. Our son and daughter in-law are very big into birding.
MichelleH wrote: "birding expeditions..."Tell me, what's that like?
MichelleH wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Hi JAFF lovers. I'm definitely coming back this year. As Sophia knows, I never set a goal. I was rather pleased (and surprised) I h..."I used to have bird feeders outside my windows and had an Audubon book to help me identify them. Where I live now doesn't allow birdfeeders.
Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Hi JAFF lovers. I'm definitely coming back this year. As Sophia knows, I never set a goal. I was rather pleased (..."How did you keep the squirrels from your feeders? I have never been able to do that, so we no longer have feeders.
We didn't sit near wooded areas so squirrels were not a problem. Birds flying into our windows was a problem. We were in a development which had been open fields on a gently sloping hillside.
Linda, we have two squirrel baffles on top of our bird feeder. One squirrel baffle is not enough. We also have to make sure that nothing is close enough that the squirrel can jump off of onto the birdfeeder. I remember once we had a chair or a garbage can that was within (a squirrel's jumping) reach of the birdfeeder. We learned our lesson. We even had a squirrel get onto a birdfeeder with TWO baffles, so we changed it to two different styles of baffles. Also, our best baffle is sort of shaped like a cone and it looks like it's a slipperier material.
Linda wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Sheila wrote: "MichelleH wrote: "Hi JAFF lovers. I'm definitely coming back this year. As Sophia knows, I never set a goal. I was r..."Keeping squirrels away from bird feeders? Like nailing jello to a tree. We were able to keep our feeders out away from places they could leap from, and had one hanging from a tree with a large wobbly baffle on it. They are devious, and hilarious. They would cling to the screens on the windows of our living room from where we could see the feeders and stare at me like: 'get out here and fill the feeders!' Seriously. And we had to store our seed in a metal can with the lid bungy corded down tight because they literally chew through a Rubbermaid heavy vinyl deck box. Grrrr. But they sometimes were so entertaining, I didn't really begrudge them some food off the ground where there was always spill. One of the ideas we read of was to put dried red pepper flakes mixed in with the bird seed, which we bought in bulk from Costco. The birds don't detect the pepper and the squirrels don't like the taste. Sounds cruel though doesn't it?
My husband puts bird seed on the ground for the squirrels. It's fun to see four or more of them eating at once. We have ours in a rubbermaid bin inside of our shed. No problems so far.
You're fine to announce it here, Sheila!
I like your plan of make provision for the unpub books that aren't on GoodReads toward that challenge.