Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2016 discussion

If you are willing to place one of your December reading choices in the hands of another person, leave a comment here with at least five books and no more than ten from your TBR shelf. Participants need to leave comments no later than November 17th.

Here's how it will work:
Sophia will match people up and leave a comment with a list of who will choose for whom.
When you see the person you are to pick for, then just look at their list in the above comments and leave a new comment with their name and the book you chose for them by November 24th.

You also need to watch and see what book your person chose from your list for you.
You have the rest of the month to read the book.

So if this sounds like something you would like to do, just comment below leaving your name and list of book choices for someone to pick your December book.

Here's my list. Looking forward to whatever strikes your fancy. :)

1. Disappointed Hopes by Cassandra Grafton
2. A Darcy Christmas by Sharon Lathan
3. Christmas Cheer by Jennifer Becton
4. Mr. Darcy's Present by Regina Jeffers
5. Persuasion: A Latter Day story by Rebecca Jamison
6. Intrigue at Highbury by Carrie Bebris
7. Undressing Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos
8. Mrs. Dashwood Returns by Lucia Edgerton
9. The Secret Betrothal by Jan Hahn
10. Anne Elliot: A New Beginning by Mary Lydon Simonsen

I'm in:
1.)
2.)
3.) Darcy Revealed: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
4.) To Love Mr Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation
5.) Mr. Darcy's Christmas Carol
6.) Christmas at Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday
Sequel
7.) Desires: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
8.) Foundation of Love: The Gypsy Blessing 2
9.)
10.) Mr. Darcy's Christmas

I had to take 3 books off this list as I have now read them.

I’ll give it a go, although December is often a busy work month for me.
1. Sherwood Smith, Rondo Allegro
2. Don Jacobson, The Keeper: Mary Bennet's Extraordinary Journey
3. Trevor Yorke, Georgian & Regency Houses Explained
4. Jack Caldwell, Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner
5. Robert Rodi, Edgar and Emma: A Novel After Jane Austen
6. John Mullan, What Matters in Jane Austen?: Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved

Thanks again*1000000...
1)Aerendgast by Rachel Berman
2)Pen and Prejudice
3) The Journal of Miss Jane Fairfax by Ronald McGowan
4)Don Jacobson, The Keeper: Mary Bennet's Extraordinary Journey
5)Intrigue at Highbury by Carrie Bebris

You should read Pen and Prejudice even if it isn’t selected for you, Kirk—it’s a very well written novel! I’ve been fangirling on the author for a while, and now she has joined my Jane Austen reading group! Psyched to get to know her.

OK, I'm in. This will be my first time letting someone else pick a book for me. So be gentle. LOL!

1) The Last Adventure of the Scarlet Pimpernel
2) Win, Lose, or Darcy: A Pride & Prejudice Variation
3) Mr. Darcy's Vow: A Pride and Prejudice Story
4) Love's Fool: The Taming of Lydia Bennet: What Happened After Mr. Darcy's Persistent Pursuit
5) A Change of Legacies: A Pride & Prejudice Continuation

count me in

1. Mr. Darcy's Christmas Dilemma: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Novella
2. Condescension and Condemnation
3. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's First Christmas at Pemberley
4. Assumed Engagement
5. New Illustrated Darcy's Story

Abigail wrote: "You should read Pen and Prejudice even if it isn’t selected for you, Kirk—it’s a very well written novel! I’ve been fangirling on the author for a while, and now she has joined my Jane Austen readi..."

Abigail, you convinced me to add Pen & Prejudice to my TBR pile. I hopped over to Amazon and it was $1.50 so I grabbed it up. Looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the suggestion. Sorry Kirk to jump into your conversation.

Abigail wrote: "You should read Pen and Prejudice even if it isn’t selected for you, Kirk—it’s a very well written novel! I’ve been fangirling on the author for a while, and now she has joined my Jane Austen readi..."

Thx...it on my list because of your praise of it! :)

J. W. wrote: "Abigail wrote: "You should read Pen and Prejudice even if it isn’t selected for you, Kirk—it’s a very well written novel! I’ve been fangirling on the author for a while, and now she has joined my J..."
Lol....no worries and we do have multiple conversations at once on these pages. :)

And it is also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Pen and Prejudice

A small list from me this time:

1) And Then Love: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Prequel
2) Jane by the Sea: Jane Austen's Love Story
3) Captain Wentworth Home from the Sea
4) Second Chances: An Amish Retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion

I finally made it to post for one of these!

Here's my list:

1) Longbourn

2) Death Comes to Pemberley

Why so short? Why those two?

Because I've been dragging my feet to read them. I was massively upset at The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet so now anything that was widely promoted to the general public in terms of JAFF makes me wary. Someone pick one for me to force me to read it!

Victoria wrote: "I finally made it to post for one of these!

Here's my list:

1) Longbourn

2) Death Comes to Pemberley

Why so short? Why those two?

Because I've been dragging my..."

Yay! Glad to have you, Victoria. And I understand the wariness for hyped books.

Hmm, Victoria, I’m not sure either of those two will reduce your massive upset with widely promoted Austenesque fiction! They’re both pretty tough for a true believer to love.

Abigail wrote: "Hmm, Victoria, I’m not sure either of those two will reduce your massive upset with widely promoted Austenesque fiction! They’re both pretty tough for a true believer to love."

They're both still sitting on my bookshelf, too. One day I guess I'll get around to them. Glad I didn't pay full price though - got them both from a charity shop for about £1 each!

Sadly, I'm not joining in again. I still haven't finished your book Abigail, that was picked for me in August. It's no reflection on your writing at all, just that other things I'm asked to read turn up in my Inbox from time to time and they have deadlines to keep. I'm back on it tonight though! It's the same with Cat Gardiner's Villa Fortuna on my Kindle, which I started at about the same time. I'm getting more reading time in now though, thank goodness!

No worries, Anji!

That's okay, Anji! I think it's great that you're trying to finish up books you've already started first. I feel embarrassed, but I stopped and started From This Day Forward three times and it took me that many months to finish b/c of all the reviews and commitment reads. Glad I did though b/c it's good and the books you are working on are pretty good, too. :)

I've read Longbourn Victoria and I have to agree with Abigail. I didn't like it at all. Just didn't sit right with me.

I started that book Longbourn about three times and finally forced myself to push through it especially as it was a gift from Claudine.

Yeah, if you can get past the first chapter (the washing) you can probably get through the whole thing—but what a mess of a plot!

I am home from Europe and ready to pick for someone for December. I promise I will meet the deadline this time! I am going to pick some that have been on my reading list for a very, very long time, as I have been naughtily adding new books to my list and reading them right away. So, here are five I have been leaving on my list for too long:

Jane Fairfax
Persuade Me
Pen and Prejudice
Second Glances: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice Continues
Young Mr. Darcy in Love

Welcome back to GR Barb!! Hope you enjoyed your trip (apart from the illness).

Great idea, Barb! Good to go back and knock out some of the older ones that have been languishing.

Welcome back Barb... hope the jet-lag wasn't too bad.

Teresa wrote: "Welcome back to GR Barb!! Hope you enjoyed your trip (apart from the illness)."

Feeling better! Thanks...

Abigail wrote: "Great idea, Barb! Good to go back and knock out some of the older ones that have been languishing."

Yes, I really need to get back to the spirit of this challenge! LOL The idea was to get books off the tbr list, not to add more to it! Although, both work for me, Abigail...

J. W. wrote: "Welcome back Barb... hope the jet-lag wasn't too bad."

Thank you! It was a bear, but I am doing well now.

Glad to hear you are home but it does sound like it may have been a bit of a hardship?

Sheila wrote: "Glad to hear you are home but it does sound like it may have been a bit of a hardship?"
Sheila, it was like any kind of month away from home - some good, some bad, some great. Now that I have been home a few days I am just awed by the fabulous experiences I had. But, while in the process I was tired, caught a cold, and missed my husband. Coming home I was tired, jet-lagged, and missed Europe. LOL! I think I will never regret a second of it. And, I am looking forward to my next adventure. I just need to figure out what it will be....

Ye're all so adventurous here, sometimes it makes me jealous. Even though I was in Bath in September, it was thirteen years since I was away before that. I notice the guys in the States hope around here there and everywhere at the drop of a hat. Ye must lead very interesting lives.

I wish that were true for all of us, Teresa! I didn’t travel for fifteen years at one point—I had a dog who wouldn’t eat when I was away from home. Then I enjoyed about three years of liberty, and now I have a demented partner who can’t be left alone evenings or weekends (daytime he has a caregiver, at least). I am required to negotiate with his children, who could care less about me, for even a few days off! But all that means more time to read Austenesque fiction, I suppose . . .

Yes, but as I have aged I like home much more than traveling and living out of a suitcase.

Sheila wrote: "Yes, but as I have aged I like home much more than traveling and living out of a suitcase."
I was getting like that, Sheila, before this trip. But, now I have the bug again...

I hear you Abigail. Dementia must be one of the worse diseases of all. I've spent the last six years caring for my daughter who has mental health problems. But at least this year she has picked up a lot and is even doing a course at the moment which was an unthinkable thing this time last year. At least there's some light at the end of the trouble.
As for family, I have three brothers but yet I'm the one who's expected to do all the running with my elderly mother. I don't think there's anyone here without problems and it helps when people share and you know you're not alone.
Thank God for books!!!

Thank you, Teresa, it sounds as if we have a lot of the same dynamics working in our lives. One way or another, I’ve already put in 28 years of helping family elders in failing physical or mental health, with my male relatives going their merry way all the while. It has thrown me a bit to be back in that life when I least expected it.

Dealing with mental illness is incredibly baffling and frustrating—heartbreaking too, I imagine, when it’s a child. Rooting for you to find those peaceful moments of escape, in books or wherever it may be found!

I think the best and most remarkable thing about this group is that we are so supportive of each other.
Yes,we all love books and urge each other on,make recommendations and post opinions but sometimes the little exchanges we make about life,mixed with a pinch of good humour,a cheeky laugh and the odd bit of 'silliness', makes what we are all individually going through (forI believe we are all going through different things and all have a burden of some sort to bear),a little easier to bear.
They say laughter is the best medicine,that, and simply reading posts on this forum bring a smile to my face and lighten my step. For that,I'm extremely grateful!

Most excellent Mary. Most excellent!!

Thank you,Jeanne.

Abigail wrote: "Thank you, Teresa, it sounds as if we have a lot of the same dynamics working in our lives. One way or another, I’ve already put in 28 years of helping family elders in failing physical or mental h..."

Abigail if you ever feel like a chat or letting off steam or even a good moan, you're welcome to PM me and I'll be there to listen. And I sincerely mean that because sometimes it's easier to let go to a stranger. Hang in there!

Abigail and Teresa, the very best friend is a like deep dark hole in space. It is like those 'black holes' scientist are always talking about. It is where information goes in and does not come out. How kind Teresa to reach out and offer a shoulder. I love this site as we try to be there for each other. Words cannot express the feelings of comradery that is expressed within our group. It is a good thing. How beautiful.

I don't really have what you'd call friends. Probably my own fault. My husband and kids and I are quite a tight unit. We spend a lot of time together. Also having to care for my daughter did cut me off a bit. That's why I enjoy this site so much. It's just like meeting up with friends every evening when I log on. Long may it continue!

We are here for you Teresa. Many of us are in a similar boat... you are not alone.

I love that we are one soul talking to another soul: we don't see how one looks, or how one dresses, race, house, car one drives, even the gray hair and wrinkles. And it doesn't matter time of day as someone is usually there with feedback. Yes, laughter is the best and I do hope, Abigail and Teresa, that although not all of us share the details of our lives, you realize there are others of us who do know from first hand experience what devastation MH or other medical and emotional needs can place on lives. Know you have friends.

Isn't it amazing that books,words on a page, squiggles on paper have brought us all here together on this forum,as friends,yes,friends.

Regardless of the time difference or the many hundreds or thousands of miles that lie between us,we seem to be pretty good at looking out for each other,sharing a laugh in the good times and offering a shoulder to cry on or an opportunity to chat in the bleaker times.

To think that we all met here,as relative strangers,extended the hand of friendship over the pages of a book and leave each night a little bit happier for having exchanged an opinion,read a witty post or simply commented on life and its many facets.

I too sincerely hope that this tradition continues long into the future,as even though we are all in our own personal headspace,it's good to be reminded that we are not alone.

Well said,Sheila.

Thank you all, you’re so very kind. And I agree with what you say about Goodreads groups, Teresa! Really a lifeline for the isolated mind.

Yes it is. Thanks guys for all the kind comments.

Victoria wrote: "I finally made it to post for one of these!

Here's my list:

1) Longbourn

2) Death Comes to Pemberley

Why so short? Why those two?

Because I've been dragging my..."

LOL...I guess this is one way to get it done. Both of these books came off my TBR.

I will give it a go this month. Though like everyone else the Holidays are crazy for me, but one must make time for guilty pleasures!

-Pen and Prejudice (I promise Abigail I will read it anyway eventually!)
-Suspiciously Reserved: A Twist on Jane Austen's Emma
-Epic Fail
-First (Wrong) Impressions
-Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field
-Undercover - An Austen Noir
-Sanditon: Jane Austen's Last Novel Completed
-Then Comes Winter

Nice list, Ahnya! (And sorry I’m proving so predictable!!) I liked Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field quite a bit too, if I recall correctly—I read it when it first came out.