Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2016 discussion

We are adding something new for this year. As a challenge within the challenge so to speak, there will be the opportunity to enjoy reading a book with a group of other readers.

We'll keep it simple. For this month the book is Barbara Cornthwaite's George Knightley Esquire: Charity Envieth Not.

All you have to do is leave a comment that you plan to join the group read, then take the month of March to read the book.
Feel free to make comments or ask questions here in the Group Read Discussion along the way.
Then at the end of the month or whenever you finish, feel free to leave your final thoughts.

If your thoughts or questions might be spoilerish then just designate the top of your comment as such.


This is not mandatory for the challenge, but just a fun option within the challenge.

I'm in!!!! :)

Love Mr. Knightley!

Great choice! I'm in although I read both books last
Fall. Mr Knightley is my favorite
Austen hero. Mr John Knightley is one of my favorite Austen
minor characters(alas, I'm more like John Knightley than
Mr Knightley).

What a great idea! And conveniently enough, this title is high on my TBR. I’m sooo in.

Oh yay! Glad you guys can join in, Abigail and Kirk. I have a feeling there will be others. Erika gave me the idea so I know she's in. :)

And Kirk! I think you are my first John Knightley fan, but I can't understand why because he's a great edition to the story. I loved his role in that debacle with Emma and Mr. Elton. Hilarious!

I have been meaning to read these books for so long, so count me in too :)

I hadn't pictured you as a John Knightley, Kirk!

Ceri wrote: "I have been meaning to read these books for so long, so count me in too :)

I hadn't pictured you as a John Knightley, Kirk!"

Thanks.....sad but true! Not at all here :) but certainly AiB. There is a Mrs. Elton in AiB...she hasn't attended much recently but just decided to attend the Holiday party...oh yea(grrrrrr).

Sophia wrote: "Oh yay! Glad you guys can join in, Abigail and Kirk. I have a feeling there will be others. Erika gave me the idea so I know she's in. :)

And Kirk! I think you are my first John Knightley fan, but..."

Yes! His scenes are so well done (goodly done indeed?) in Emma 09. I forget if he has much of a role in the 95-96 ones.

I so wish I could do this things, but since I work freelance I never know when I will be able to have free time to do it so I can't.

Enjoy it!

Ah, it is hard to plan ahead sometimes, Teresita. Wish you could join, too. But if your schedule changes even after March starts, do come and join in. :)

I will do my best!

Looks good. Just bought a used copy, so please count me in! Thanks for organizing this group read!

Yay, glad to have you, Claudine.

I have already read both books but it was awhile back and I love to re-read. Can I join even if I have read it already?

Absolutely, Shannon! We would love your input and it's always interesting to see if you pick out something new the second time around.

Count me in :) I've had this book for awhile but haven't got to it yet. A group read will be good.

Super, Brenda!

I am so in. I have already read the first book, so I will read the second. I promise not to give spoilers. I loved the first one.

@Kirk - The way John is written in these books I can see it. I quite enjoyed his character in George Knightley, Esquire: Charity Envieth Not

I'm in! I need to get the book, but it looks great. It'll be nice to do something together.

That's great, Laura! Glad to have you with us.

Sounds fun! Assuming it's available at the library in March, I'm in :)

Great, Chelsea! Hope they have it or maybe they can get it for you through inter-library loan if one of the other district libraries have it.

Ahnya wrote: "I am so in. I have already read the first book, so I will read the second. I promise not to give spoilers. I loved the first one.

@Kirk - The way John is written in these books I can see it. I qu..."

:) I read the books back to back, so I don't remember
what was in each book. I don't think there was a drop-off. Happy
reading the second book! Team Grumpy Knightley!

@Kirk I didn't see John as grumpy. I found him witty and sarcastic. It was a compliment

Sophia, sorry for being late, of course I'm in!!!!! I've had my eye on these books for awhile, they've been itching to be read!!! Thanks for everyone joining Sophia and I in this challenge!!! Yay!!

Ahnya wrote: "@Kirk I didn't see John as grumpy. I found him witty and sarcastic. It was a compliment"

Ok, sorry! TMI warning: Lol...I was projecting myself perhaps...I can be grumpy! I'm not witty but certainly sarcastic. :)

Lol Kirk!!!

Wait a minute, is this the second book? Do I need to read the first one before March? I've never read these so I could use some help here.

Hi Laura!

We're definitely starting with book one in March. Some folks are planning to read both. It's up to you if you have time or can get both, but for sure book one.

Kirk wrote: "Ahnya wrote: "@Kirk I didn't see John as grumpy. I found him witty and sarcastic. It was a compliment"

Ok, sorry! TMI warning: Lol...I was projecting myself perhaps...I can be grumpy! I'm not witt..."

Lol!

Ahnya wrote: "Kirk wrote: "Ahnya wrote: "@Kirk I didn't see John as grumpy. I found him witty and sarcastic. It was a compliment"

Ok, sorry! TMI warning: Lol...I was projecting myself perhaps...I can be grumpy!..."

:)

Erika wrote: "Lol Kirk!!!"

:)

I am in and looking forward to the discussions to follow!

Yeah!!! I'm ready to read George Knightley, Esquire: Charity Envieth Not!!!!!

Woohoo! Me, too! :)

My book just arrived from Amazon today!!! I'm ready to get reading.

Hmm...I'm a bad fan and have not yet actually read Emma. Perhaps I should squeeze that one in before I read a book using it for a basis....

If you can, then I think that's a good idea. :)

I find I have Charity Envieth Not both in hard copy and on my Kindle, so I am if anything overprepared. Does anyone need a hard copy in order to join in? Will happily ship it off.

@Laura- Serendipity! :)

@Eliza- LOL, you're not a bad fan. You just fell in love with the author's books without the need to read them all first. I vote with you and Ceri though about getting Emma then George.

@Abigail- LOL, we're twins. I have a hard copy and an ecopy, too. I've loaned that e-copy twice through Kindle so it's getting around. LOL

I am going to read book 2 of this as well but I wasn't sure if I should wait. Will book 2 be part of another group read?

Shannon wrote: "I am going to read book 2 of this as well but I wasn't sure if I should wait. Will book 2 be part of another group read?"

Probably not, Shannon, so go ahead and read them together if you want. A few others are doing both.

Sophia wrote: "@Eliza- LOL, you're not a bad fan. You just fell in love with the author's books without the need to read them all first. I vote with you and Ceri though about getting Emma..."

I keep intending to read the rest of JA's books, but just haven't gotten around to it. Emma was already the next I planned to tackle, so it doesn't hurt to move it up a little.

Eliza wrote: "Sophia wrote: "@Eliza- LOL, you're not a bad fan. You just fell in love with the author's books without the need to read them all first. I vote with you and Ceri though about getting Emma..."

I ke..."

I'm all for the incentives. :) Definitely won't hurt to move it up. You'll probably have the freshest ideas for the George Knightley book as a result.

Emma is actually the last of JA's books that I've read recently - did so in late October - so it's reasonably fresh in my mind. I just downloaded the kindle version of George Knightley, Esquire: Charity Envieth Not, and now I'm good to go. I've read alternate POV books on Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice, but this will be my first POV based on Emma. Looking forward to it!

Yay! Glad to have you join, Debbie.

This will be my 2nd alternate POV if I count Amanda Grange's Mr. Knightley's Diary.

Is this where we’re discussing Charity Envieth Not? I am about nine chapters in, and really enjoying all the wealth of detail about Knightley’s various duties as a squire—all the parish business, and the magistrate work, etc. The author really seems to have a grasp of how village life was conducted.

Yes, indeed, Abigail!

This is neat that his background and the background of the setting/history has been dealt with so carefully.

I just started it - read the first chapter of this as well as the first chapter of Emma to compare back and forth. His perspective about Emma and her father is interesting compared to Emma's.

Oh boy, that sounds curious. ;)