Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2017 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 Nov. 19th. This is earlier than usual due to the fact that I want to give us a little extra time to get started on the December book with the holidays and all so take note of the date, please. Don't want anyone to miss out. :)

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 20th. Please pick books by November 26th so reading can commence on November 26th.

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.

I'm making my list... checking it twice... LOL, sorry, carols are popping into my head lately.
But here's what I've got. Pick me a good one. :)

1. A Darcy Christmas by Sharon Lathan
2. Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition by Erin Butler
3. Courage Rises: A Pride and Prejudice Continuation by Melanie Rachel
4. The Deception at Lyme: Or, The Peril of Persuasionby Carrie Bebris
5. Mr Darcy's Christmas Calendar by Jane Odiwe
6. Anne Elliot, A New Beginning by Mary Lydon Simonsen
7. That Girl, Darcy: A Pride and Prejudice Story by James Ramos
8. Murder Most Persuasive by Tracy Kiely
9. Darcy's Christmas Wish: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Penelope Swan
10. Rest and Restlessness: Mary Crawford, The Second Heroine of Mansfield Park by CM Mitchell

I'm in, this is always so much fun. I don't have to choose. Woohoo!! So without any fanfare, yeah, like that is possible... here is my:

J. W. Garrett’s 2017 Someone Else Pick It For Me - Month

1) The Cousins Series [3-Book Box-set] by Jennifer Joy
2) Leaving Bennet Behind Series [Books 1-3] by Sarah Johnson
3) Memory [Books 1-3] by Linda Wells
4) Another Darcy [4-book Bundle] by Jane Grix
5) Darcy and Elizabeth What If? [4-Book Bundles: 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, & 10-12] by Jennifer Lang
6) A Fair Prospect [Volume l, ll, & lll] by Cassandra Grafton
7) Dearest Friends Collection [2-Books] by Pamela Lynne
8) Elizabeth, Darcy and Me Series [3-Books] by Georgina Young-Ellis
9) Progression [Vol. 1, 2, 3 & ?]: by Jodi L. Covey
10) Jane Austen’s Dragons [1, 2 & ?] Maria Grace

There are several series, bundles, box-sets, or collections located in the deepest, darkest depths of my TBR pile. When you choose for me, I am obligating myself to read the set. Here is the best part… I’ll just keep submitting this list each ‘Someone Else Pick It For Me’ month, until I clear them out. I am tired of freezing up every time I try to decide where I want to start. This has been fun, so far, and it doesn’t matter where we start… in a few months this list… ‘will be back’… sorry, I love saying that.

I still haven't gotten around to reading my October pick so I believe I need to sit out December. I'll miss participating!

heres mine:

1. A Very Austen Christmas
2. Dangerous to Know: Jane Austen's Rakes & Gentlemen Rogues
3. Longbourn's Songbird
4. Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe
5. Darcy vs Bingley
6. Mr. Darcy's Vow: A Pride and Prejudice Story
7. Darcy's Christmas Wish: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
8. The True Darcy Spirit
9. You Had Me At Hello
10. Snowbound - a P&P Novelette

We'll miss you Abigail... I loved your last pick for me. Whew!! I am still reeling from Cat Gardiner's fast paced adventure. Enjoy your Oct read... no matter when you get to read it. It is the voyage... not the time frame that counts. Remember to have fun.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Cat Gardiner book! I haven't read any of hers yet but have heard such good things. I'll try to keep your injunction to remember to have fun front and center in my mind. Had to laugh at myself this week: I had a long-awaited couple of days off and went to a lovely beach hotel, only to come down with the flu. Instead of bemoaning my bad luck, I was actually grateful that I could be sick in a place where I didn't have to take care of everybody else! Made me realize how pathetic my life has become. So I will take your pep talk to heart!

Thank you,Sophia,for organising this again.

May I also take this opportunity to thank you for everything that you do to make this such a lovely group to participate in! ☺️

My list is as follows-
1. These Dreams. N.Clarkston.
2. Miss Darcy's Beau. E.Shearer.
3. Conceit and Concealment.A.Reynolds.
4. Darcy in Wonderland. A.Adams.
5. Love's a funny thing. S.Bell.
6. According to Jane. M.Brant.
7. Villa Fortuna. C.Gardiner.
8. Unleashing Mr Darcy. T.Wilson.

Cheers! ☺️

I have read several from my previous list, so basically I'm starting again. I'm grouping several as a commitment to read all:

Finish the Leenie Brown Choices series:
No Other Choice: A Pride and Prejudice Novella
His Inconvenient Choice: A Pride and Prejudice Novella
Her Heart's Choice: A Pride and Prejudice Novella


Finish Leenie Brown's Willow Hall series:
Better Than She Deserved: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Novelette
At All Costs: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Novel
So Very Unexpected: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Novel

And to round out the choices:
Mr. Darcy's Christmas Joy: A Pride and Prejudice Holiday Tale
A Very Austen Christmas
Mr. Darcy's Christmas Present: The Madness of Mr. Darcy Continues
Christmas at Longbourn

Abigail wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed the Cat Gardiner book! I haven't read any of hers yet but have heard such good things. I'll try to keep your injunction to remember to have fun front and center in my mind. Had..."

Abigail... I have a New Year's Resolution for you. For 2018 you cannot use the word pathetic in reference to yourself, your performance, your person, place or whatever. Nope, nada, can't happen. There is absolutely nothing pathetic about you and it hurts my heart and soul every-time you say it. We love you and can no longer allow it. If you say it often enough you will actually believe it... even though you are brilliant and so far above me in intellect, courage and just [as grandma said] just plain old smarts. You think about that my dear between now and Dec 31... just saying.

Guys I've thrown in the towel with my Anne Elliot challenge this year so I won't participate this month either. I'm in a slump, or as Mary put it, I have reading-slumpitis:):) I have a lot of books to get through. I have a quiet Christmas this year as my usual guests are not coming so I'm hoping to settle down for the hols and read lots!! Hoping to do better in 2018. I have a list of Austenesque books I want to read, ready to go.

Teresa, although your holidays will be smaller... consider that your Christmas gift to yourself... reading time. Woohoo!! Enjoy Teresa!!

Abigail,

I agree with Jeanne.
You are a fantastic,vibrant and intelligent person,with so much to offer to each of us here on GR and to the people that inhabit your home life. We value your opinion,your perspective and your friendship.
Yes,life and its myriad difficulties eat into the time you spend here with your book friends, leaving you little time each day for yourself,let alone enough of that precious commodity to afford the luxury of reading.
Regardless of what or how many books you've read,we value your contribution for you.

Teresa,
You've thrown in the towel?? I don't even have a towel! I'd great hopes of reading loads of JAFF this year,but instead I've before incredibly lucky to read some fantastic books in a wide variety of genres.
I know how hard it can be to get rid of book-slumpitis,being a sufferer of it myself,however, it is possible!!
Take a break,a few weeks off and give yourself time to feel like reading again. 😌

Abigail wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed the Cat Gardiner book! I haven't read any of hers yet but have heard such good things. I'll try to keep your injunction to remember to have fun front and center in my mind. Had..."

I didn't finish my August book or my June book. I've decided to go with a reboot for December and finish the others as I can.

The small blessings, indeed, Abigail. You needed your time away to recharge and re-energize your spirits. Even with a nasty flu bug tying you down, I'm glad you are at the beach and seeing new views. Take care, dear friend.

Teresa wrote: "Guys I've thrown in the towel with my Anne Elliot challenge this year so I won't participate this month either. I'm in a slump, or as Mary put it, I have reading-slumpitis:):) I have a lot of books..."

LOL, Teresa. I'm not going to make it to the next level, either. Quite a year. No pressure. Glad you get a quiet Christmas after the strain of this last year for you. Enjoy a few good books and we'll hit those challenges hard in the new year. :)

Yay, glad to see several join up and whew, a couple of you with your boxed sets challenges. You go, girls! :)

Chaos Comes to Longbourn: A Pride and Prejudice

Thank you, Jeanne, Mary, and Sophia, for the kind words and pep talks! I just use the p word when it’s time for me to laugh at myself for being too much of a gloomy Gus. But with all you wonderful ladies in my corner, gloom is dispelled!

Yea, Abigail... just know we care for you and there will be no gloom while we are around. I carry sunshine and giggles in my backpack. Not sure what Mary and Sophia have stashed away in theirs... but I am sure it is something wonderful and uplifting, if not spirited. Wait... not spirits... that is... em, I mean spirited... Oh, lawd, there I go again.

Now the truth about you comes out, Jeanne—we know what you’ve got in that water bottle may not be water!

Bwahaha! :-)

Thank you Sophia!!!!

A Perpetual Estrangement -Alice B Ryder
Parked at the Mansfields' -Sandy Ward Bell
Holidays with Jane-Christmas Cheer(reread)-various
A Very Austen Christmas-various
Mr Darcy's Christmas Calendar- Jane Odiwe(another reread..which helps the pile 0.0....who cares!)

I’m in!
1. A Contrary Wind, Lona Manning
2. Chance and Circumstance, Kara Louise
3. Compromised, J. Dawn King
4. The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen, Shannon Winslow
5. Three Dates with Mr Darcy, Elizabeth Ann West
6. Colonel Darcy, Timothy Underwood
7. Twelve Days if Christmas, Darcy & Elizabeth what if, Jennifer Lang

Here is the list of drawn names, everyone! Remember the name on the left picks for the name on the write. Pick from your person's list above and leave a comment no later than Nov. 26th so they can start their book and don't forget to check which book was picked for you.

Sophia > wosedwew
JW > Patricia
Kristin > Kirk
Mary > Kim
wosedwew > Mary
Patricia > Kristin
Kirk > JW
Kim > Sophia

Come on back after you've read your book and leave a note of your impressions if you'd like. Happy reading, all!

Howdy, wosedwew!

I'm picking A Very Austen Christmas for you. I adore these authors and hope you love the variety of their tales. :)

Kim,for you I pick Kara Louise's Chance & Circumstance,simply because I'd love to read it too!! Hope you enjoy it! Happy reading! 😊

Hi JW! #10...🐉 it is! Happy reading!

Hi Kirk,
I'm going to go for A very Austen Christmas for you. Hope you enjoy it :)

Patricia... good morning. You have given us a dandy list to choose from. So, I am picking Believing in Darcy for you and I hope you enjoy it. Have a blessed day.

Kirk wrote: "Hi JW! #10...🐉 it is! Happy reading!"

There be dragons... thanks Kirk. I look forward to reading this. Blessings my friend.

Mary -- you've given me some really good choices!

I'm going with Miss Darcy's Beaux: A Persuasion, Mansfield Park and Pride and Prejudice Continuation

Hope you enjoy it.

Sophia -- thanks for the pick!

I'll get started on my Christmas reading.

Kristin wrote: "Hi Kirk,
I'm going to go for A very Austen Christmas for you. Hope you enjoy it :)"

Thanks!!!!

Cheers,Wosedwew!!!

Enjoy the reads guys. I've opted out this time due to my 'slumpitis'!
Hopefully I'll be back on track for the next one.

I'm hoping I can overcome my slumpitis....!!☺️

Well you invented the word Mary!!!!

I did,didn't I?!! Easier to invent than to get rid of!

Ha ha ha!! I think it's cool:)

The name is.....not so sure I'd say the same about the condition itself! 😉

Kristin for you I choose

it looks interesting and am curious what you think

Patricia wrote: "Kristin for you I choose

it looks interesting and am curious what you think"

Thanks for the pick :)

Hi Sophia, sorry it’s taken me so long to choose, you have a lot of books listed that I’ve not heard of, so I chose one that I’ve read and enjoyed, The Deception at Lyme by Carrie Bebris. And I’d like to thank Mary for the excellent pick, I just won a copy of that book from a blog and can’t wait to read it!

Kim wrote: "Hi Sophia, sorry it’s taken me so long to choose, you have a lot of books listed that I’ve not heard of, so I chose one that I’ve read and enjoyed, The Deception at Lyme by Carrie Bebris. And I’d l..."

You're just on time, Kim. :) Oh, nice pick. I've enjoyed this series, too.

Kristin wrote: "Hi Kirk,
I'm going to go for A very Austen Christmas for you. Hope you enjoy it :)"

Thanks, I did! There are 4 stories. The first three were generally good...and I wildly love the 4th(Debbie mentions "stirring the emotions" in a review today, 4th story did!) It is the shortest and the only non-P&P story. Cheers!

Thanks, Kim!

Deception at Lyme was right up my alley. Loved it! :) Favorite of the series, for sure.

Sophia wrote: "Howdy, wosedwew!

I'm picking A Very Austen Christmas for you. I adore these authors and hope you love the variety of their tales. :)"

I just finished this -- 4 Great Short Stories. Easily Read and Enjoyable!

In fact, of the Christmas books I listed, I have only one left!
GOD BLESS US, EVERY ONE!

wosedwew wrote: "Sophia wrote: "Howdy, wosedwew!

I'm picking A Very Austen Christmas for you. I adore these authors and hope you love the variety of their tales. :)"

I just finished this -- 4 Great Short Stories...."

Yay, I'm glad! I got to read it too and thought it was just lovely. Woohoo on getting through your Christmas stack. :)

Kirk, I have finished books 1&2 of the dragon series by Maria Grace. They were awesome. Thanks for the pick.