February 20, 2017

Sunshine Blogger Award


The lovely Hamlette tagged me with this award a few weeks ago and I'm finally getting around to joining in! Considering it's winter right now, it's fun to imagine sunshine and springtime! Although I do suppose that as it's been rather warm for Feb the past week or two, we've had plenty of sunshine for me to enjoy. Still! Winter isn't over and I am SO ready for spring to come and stay.

Anyhoo! I have some fun questions to answer, so let's get to it, shall we?

1.  What's the oldest TV show you've ever watched? 

Probably...I Love Lucy. I think?

2.  What's the newest TV show you've watched?

I don't watch much TV, so I think the last one I was actively keeping track of was Parks and Recreation. I love Leslie and Ben! Plus Ron and Ann and everyone else. :)

Ask me about kdramas or period dramas and I've got a much more recent list I could choose from!

3.  What's the oldest fiction book you've ever read?

Love and Freindship and Other Youthful Writings by Jane Austen, because she wrote these short stories when she was still a teenager.

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4.  What's the newest fiction book you've read?

I received an advanced copy of Life After by Katie Ganshert and read it a couple weeks ago. It's not out until April, but keep your eyes peeled for it, friends! Because it is EXCELLENT.

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5.  What's the oldest movie you've ever watched?

Pride and Prejudice - 1940 (And yes, I had to go look up all the older movies I've watched and see when they came out.)

6.  What's the newest movie you've watched?

Does Hallmark Channel movies count? Because that would be Love at First Glance. It was cute, but sort of forgettable.

7.  What was the first blog you remember following?

That would be Ruth's! Booktalk & More Too (I started following her original blog, this one is a newer one.) I love her book reviews and so often what she loves, I will too! :)

8.  What's the blog you've started following the most recently?

I discovered Based on the Book through Hamlette's I Love Austen Week. :)

9.  What song did you really love when you were 10 years old?

I don't remember? But it must have something in country music because I loved country music back then!!

10.  What song do you really love right now?

Currently I've been listening to Ellie Holcomb's Red Sea Road album. I love several of the songs on it and have been listening on repeat! :) Here's the first song, Find You Here (I couldn't find any of the others from the album on YouTube, sorry.)



I have no idea who to tag for this, so I'm tagging everybody! Please join in if you care to. :)




February 18, 2017

Currently...

Blind Date With a Book table at my library.
Pretty cool! :)
Listening To:  the lovely quiet of the library! Ah, bliss...

Reading:  I've got stacks of books for the INSPYs! But the most recent book I finished was The Secret Ingredient of Wishes. Which was a delightful read, fyi!

Enjoying:  my new glasses! I haven't had a new pair of glasses for at least 8 or 9 years, so I was well past due some new ones. Shopping for new glasses is like shopping for a new car, terrible hard! But I'm pleased with what I picked out, so yay for that. :)

Watching:  I haven't been watching anything much recently. But after posting about my favorite period drama couples earlier this week, I am now eager to watch several period dramas again!

Feeling:  contentment. My emotions seem to go up and down constantly these days and it's just so nice to feel as if "all's right with the world." (Of course, this could change by tomorrow, but I hope not! :)

Craving:  the delicious Lindor Truffles one of my dearest friends gifted me for Valentine's Day. Mmmm...

Loving:  time with friends. A group of us had supper together last night and along with delicious food came great conversation and lots of laughter! Friends truly make life joyful, don't they? I'm so grateful for all of mine, whether online or off!

Anticipating:  spending time with my nephew tonight. He always makes me laugh and his heart is one of the most loving of anyone I know. He greets me with a hug every time we meet and I am so very grateful to have him in my life. Nephews are the best! :)

So how's life for you??


February 17, 2017

More 'I Love Austen Week' Happiness


So the ever lovely and awesome Hamlette's I Love Austen Week is still going on! And as it's caused lots of thoughts of Jane and her stories to stay in my head all week, I've read a few posts that I find particularly worthy of sharing. So! Let's see what I found, shall we? :)


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Here are Charity's thoughts on the Pride & Prejudice & Zombies movie and the pure awesomeness of it. She talks about how it's definitely a modern take on the story, especially with how the characters act out their emotions physically. I love her take on it because she's right! The scene between Lizzie and Darcy during his first proposal and how her emotions are manifested is by far one of my favorite scenes of the movie! Plus Charity's a fan of Matt Smith's Mr. Collins and I completely agree. ;)
"And, of course, there never has been, and never will be, a more hilariously, likable, over-the-top Mr. Collins than Doctor Who! (Matt, I dunno where you get those energy levels, but pass them in my direction! You’re so great, you got your own gag reel on the Blu Ray!"



Y'all know how much I love Persuasion, so when I saw this article titled '"I am half agony, half hope": Jane Austen’s most romantic love scene', naturally I was going to read it! :) The writer puts in better words than I what it is about that letter scene that I love so much. I particularly liked this paragraph:
"That’s part of what makes the emotional arc of Persuasion so effective: Over the course of the book, you watch Anne slowly learn how to express her feelings once again — at first painfully, with her profound mortification over Wentworth’s return, and then more happily, as she and Wentworth gradually fall back in love with each other. And that arc reaches its culmination in the letter scene."



I've linked this before, but I had to showcase it again. I love how Hamlette describes Anne (from Persuasion) in this post!
"Instead of thinking of herself as the unimportant second daughter, the person who rejected love, she can reshape her identity in her own eyes.  She can see herself as a helpful friend, a marriageable woman, an intelligent person who responds clearly and competently to adversities and crises.  Through those realizations, her spirits rise, her happiness returns.  And only then does she find love again."



This is an excellent review of Bride & Prejudice! She perfectly illustrates all the reasons why I love this movie.
"It's a fun, frothy film but true to the feel of the book, and the characters and the clothes really are lovely. Will someone invite me to an Indian wedding please?"




Review: The Secret Ingredient of Wishes by Susan Bishop Crispell

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I randomly picked this one off the shelf at the library one day and the synopsis intrigued me enough to take it home. I am ever so glad I did! The idea behind the story is certainly an interesting one and from the first pages to the final chapter, I was sucked into Rachel's world completely. From Rachel herself, to Ashe, Mary Beth, Everley, and especially Catch, I fell in love with all the characters and the way they interact with one another. As for the town of Nowhere, NC itself, it seems a pretty nice place to be! :)

We get dropped into Rachel's world and immediately I was curious how this wishes-coming-true bit was going to work. With such an unusual premise as that, I wondered if and when I'd get all my answers. Turns out Ms. Crispell gives us just enough information to understand what's happening, yet leaves much up to our imaginations. Which is the perfect combo! It's not really explained how Rachel got her gift, but the focus is on the important bits of how she is reacting to it and using it. She has to learn to trust herself, and trust is never easy when you've been hurt in the past. But that's all part of her journey and the town does its best to make sure she learns what she needs to grow.

I loved all the magical realism presented here actually. Because Rachel's not the only one with a gift. Catch and her pies are a needful influence on Rachel and she becomes a mentor of sorts for her. The two women become close friends and learn to trust in and open up to each other. I loved watching them work in sync in the kitchen making those yummy-sounding pies! I actually spent a great deal of this book salivating over all those delicious smells and wonderful tastes. Ms. Crispell clearly knows her way around pie! :) But Catch isn't the only one who becomes important to Rachel and the circle of friends that she creates around her warmed my heart. She has spent so many years holding herself back and watching her become more confident and less fearful is beautiful to see.

Then there's Ashe. Ah, the chemistry between those two! They are both so incredibly aware of the other any time they're close and watching as they circle around, trying to figure this attraction out, just melted my heart. I will say there are a couple bits that bothered me about their relationship, but it's more a personal preference, so I overlooked it and simply enjoyed their conversations and interactions. They really are pretty adorable together!

Take the quirky characters and the friendships that form between them, add in all the interesting bits about wishes and pies, and you end up with a story that made me laugh several times, swoon over the cute, and ultimately thoroughly enjoy every minute spent in Nowhere.

"Don’t let some stupid what if get in the way of enjoying a little slice of happiness."
"I’ve come to realize that life is much more fun if you think anything’s possible."



February 16, 2017

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Twenty-Six



And we're back for more mini reviews! I've been so happy to enjoy reading again and there's been several wonderful stories I've moved from my TBR to my finished pile. That's always a happy thing! :) Also, who can believe that Feb is already half over? Where on earth does time go anyway?! I could use another hour or two added to my days that's for sure. At least one for reading only? Don't you think that'd be perfect??


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By Your Side by Kasie West
Kasie West has quickly become one of my go-to authors for easy, entertaining, and swoony stories. I loved the idea of characters being locked inside a library for an entire weekend, although I did wonder how she would make it happen in this age of smart phones and whatnot. It worked! Autumn and Dax have a pretty slow burn type of romance, but their friendship was so fun to watch grow. I loved how Autumn basically refused to let Dax's attitude (especially in the beginning) get her down! They actually force each other out of the boxes they were keeping themselves in and see things from a new perspective. They truly do make each other better people. Plus they were simply adorable together! All the moments they spend together just made me love them more and more. I will say that the sort-of-not-really love triangle that happens could've been dialed down a little, but as there really was never any question which guy had her heart, I could overlook it and/or skim over those parts that made me roll my eyes. So yes! This one is all kinds of adorable and fun! :)


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Valentine's Day Collection by Janette Rallison, Heather B. Moore, Jenny Proctor, Annette Lyon, Heather Tullis, & Sarah M. Eden
When I saw that Janette Rallison had a story in this collection, I knew I was going to read it. And hers was by far my favorite of the bunch! But I thoroughly enjoyed all six stories, which were full of fun and laughter. The mix of heroines go through a variety of set ups on their way to falling in love. From getting hauled to jail, getting snowed in at the airport, and practicing for Olympic swimming, to writing advice columns, reigniting old crushes, and even doing the laundry, I giggled and swooned my way through. These stories are very short actually, but sometimes all you want is a quick, easy read guaranteed to make you smile, you know? These were perfect for that! :)


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Rescue Me by Susan May Warren
Those blue eyes! They sucked me in and convinced me to read this story. I'm so glad they didn't steer me wrong! ;) I loved Willow from the start, and wanted to hug her so many times over the course of the book. Sam definitely gives her some mixed signals in the beginning and I wanted to shake him a few times, but as he begins to realize how wonderful Willow is, I forgave him. These two have amazing chemistry together and as they both need a bit of rescuing from themselves, watching them learn to truly trust each other with their most vulnerable sides...ah my heart! It melted again and again. Of course, we get to the action of the story fairly quick and that kept me on my toes as well, wondering when they would be rescued and how it would happen. Ms. Warren has long been on my long list of favorite authors and this story absolutely solidifies her spot there!


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Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer
I love Iko! I had been eagerly anticipating this book for months and ended up anything but disappointed. Iko certainly knows how to hold her own in a fight! I was not expecting her to be quite that great of a fighter, but clearly she's had a lot of practice. And of course I loved catching up with all my other beloved characters as well! Especially Cress and Thorne. It took me a while to warm to them as a couple during the original series, but as I'm fully behind them now, I loved seeing them so adorable together. There are a couple new characters, who I liked, one of whom is a sister to Kinney. I admit it, Kinney and Iko are awfully fun to watch. I remember noticing their chemistry a little bit during Winter, but there's no doubt it exists here! I have to also admit that, while the artwork is excellently drawn with lots of interesting details, it wasn't my favorite. I think my main problem is simply that I had images of my precious characters in my head and they looked nothing like this. Which I figured might happen, being as this is a graphic novel, but it still disappointed me a little bit. But! I loved every minute of getting to spend time with these characters again! And the only thing I didn't like was the fact that my read-through went far to quickly. And now I have to wait another year for the continuation! *cries*




February 15, 2017

I Love Austen Week :: the tag


Hamlette's I Love Austen Week continues with this fun list of questions for us. Y'all know I am always happy to gush over Jane Austen related happiness! :D

{If you'd like to participate, please do! The more the merrier.}

1.  Which did you experience first, a Jane Austen book or a movie based on one?

A movie! The very first time I learned Jane Austen existed was on a plane ride where they had Sense and Sensibility '95 playing. I absolutely fell in love with the story! And knew I wanted more.

2.  What is your favorite Austen book?

Persuasion, of course! I currently own four copies, five actually counting the ebook version.

3.  Favorite heroine?  Why do you like her best?

Anne Elliot, because she resonates with me. {Here's a more indepth explanation if you care to read.} Plus I love her character development over the course of the book. Watching as she "finds herself again. For that's exactly what she does. Find herself. She begins to have confidence that her opinion matters. That she's not just a middle daughter who's always in the background and unimportant. She's a woman with opinions and skills that only she can offer."

Also, her inner strength is very admirable! As Hamlette herself described her, "It takes a lot of inner strength to do something you don't want to do, and Anne does things she dislikes over and over. She gives up the man she loves. She nurses her "sick" sister back to good spirits. She spends time in the company of Captain Wentworth when she'd rather be anywhere but in his presence. She moves to Bath, a city she hates. And she doesn't whine or complain about these things, but does them the way she does everything: quietly and helpfully."

4.  Favorite hero?  Why do you like him best?

Captain Wentworth! Because he loves my beloved Anne. Plus he's an excellent letter writer! ;)

5.  Do you have a favorite film adaptation of Austen's work?

Nope! I like them all, crazy as that may sound. They all have things I love about them and things that I don't like as well. But an absolute only one favorite? Not possible! :) I can, however, try and pick my favorite adaptation of each book.

For Emma, I love the 2009 version best.
For Persuasion, it's a toss up between the 1995 and 2007. I like both for different reasons and neither of them do I absolutely LOVE, sadly.
For Northanger Abbey, I do LOVE the 2007 version!
For Sense & Sensibility, I think I like the 2008 version better than the Emma Thompson version (although it is perfectly wonderful!).
For P&P, I can't pick just one over the others. I love all of them! :)
As for Mansfield Park, well....I don't have a favorite version currently.

{If you're interested in my thoughts on all the adaptations I've seen... :: Emma & Persuasion :: Sense & Sensibility & Northanger Abbey :: Pride & Prejudice & Mansfield Park ::}

6.  Have your Austen tastes changed over the years?  (Did you start out liking one story best, but now like another better?  Did you think she was boring at first, then changed your mind?  Etc.)

Not really. I have loved everything I've read, my favorite book has not changed, and I've never thought she was boring. However, I will say that after trying the horrible '86 version of Northanger Abbey, I was convinced that I wouldn't like the book. But Hamlette convinced me that I would love it, and even though I still haven't finished it (I know), I thoroughly enjoyed the bits I have read! :)

7.  Do you have any cool Austen-themed things (mugs, t-shirts, etc)?  (Feel free to share photos if you want.)

Yes! I own a couple of very cool things! :) I have this quote in a frame: "But for my own part, if a book is well written I always find it too short." Also, these glasses:


and this infinity scarf:



8.  If you could ask Jane Austen one question, what would you ask her?

Rather than simply asking only one question, I'd just love the chance to have an actual conversation with her! To be able to sit down to tea and chat about anything and everything. Perhaps then I might come up with questions to ask, perhaps not. Either way, the chance to talk with her would be amazing! :)

9.  Imagine someone is making a new film of any Jane Austen story you choose, and you get to cast the leads.  What story do you want filmed, and who would you choose to act in it?

I am desperate for an adaptation of Persuasion which keeps all the necessary scenes in the correct order (I'm looking at you, Persuasion '07 *frowny face*) and with actors and actresses that I like (here's a post I wrote about the ones I liked from the '95 and '07 versions). So that's a no brainer. :) But as for what actors and actresses? Whoo boy, I honestly am not sure. Looking back over the comments from that post I mentioned, Kami suggested Richard Armitage as Captain Wentworth and I could really get behind that idea! :D

10.  Share up to five favorite Jane Austen quotations!
"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in
F.W.
I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never."
"Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort."
"She felt that she could so much more depend upon the sincerity of those who sometimes looked or said a careless or a hasty thing, than of those whose presence of mind never varied, whose tongue never slipped."
"If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."
"Let us never underestimate the power of a well-written letter."
"I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible."
"Oh! I am delighted with the book! I should like to spend my whole life in reading it."



February 14, 2017

My {current} Favorite Period Drama Couples



HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! 

Hello, my lovelies! I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with warmth and happiness. And chocolate, of course! ;) Whether it's with dear friends or with your significant other, I hope you have lots of reasons to smile today.

Y'all know I love period dramas, so I figured this was a good day to list a few of my favorite period drama couples that make me swoon. I could've kept going and going, but decided I'd better stop with 15. Have I listed any of your favorites?

1. John Thornton & Margaret Hale 
{North and South} 
Richard Armitage & Daniela Denby-Ashe


2. Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley 
{Anne of Green Gables} 
Jonathan Crombie & Megan Follows

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3. Captain Frederick Wentworth & Anne Elliot 
{Persuasion
Rupert Penry-Jones & Sally Hawkins 
Ciaran Hinds & Amanda Root


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4. George Knightley & Emma Woodhouse 
{Emma
Jonny Lee Miller & Romola Garai (2009)

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5. Fitzwilliam Darcy & Elizabeth Bennet 
{Pride & Prejudice
all adaptations!

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6. Henry Tilney & Catherine Morland 
{Northanger Abbey
JJ Feild & Felicity Jones (2007)

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7. Edward Ferrars & Elinor Dashwood 
{Sense & Sensibility
Dan Stevens & Hattie Morahan (2008)

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8. William Buxton & Peggy Bell 
{Return to Cranford
Tom Hiddleston & Jodie Whittaker

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9. Daniel Parish & Laura Timmons 
{Lark Rise to Candleford
Ben Aldridge & Olivia Hallinan

Image result for lark rise to candleford laura and daniel

10. Detective Inspector Jack Robinson & Phryne Fisher 
{Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Nathan Page & Essie Davis

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11. Roger Hamley & Molly Gibson 
{Wives & Daughters
Anthony Howell & Justine Waddell


12. Matthew Crawley & Lady Mary Crawley 
{Downton Abbey
Dan Stevens & Michelle Dockery

Image result for downton abbey matthew and mary

13. Dick Dewy & Fancy Day 
{Under the Greenwood Tree
James Murray & Keeley Hawes

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14. Captain Thomas Gillan & Kitty Trevelyan 
{The Crimson Field
Richard Rankin & Oona Chaplin

Image result for the crimson field thomas and kitty

15. James Percy & Edith Adelon 
{The Inheritance
Thomas Gibson & Cari Shayne

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February 13, 2017

Captain Wentworth's {famous} Letter

Yes, that is my Persuasion scarf printed
with Wentworth's letter. I love it! :)
It is no secret that Persuasion is my favorite of Jane Austen's books. Of course, I admit that I haven't read all six books yet, but still. There's just something about Anne and Wentworth that keeps me returning to their story again and again! :) While the biggest pull of their story is Anne herself (I happen to think she's pretty awesome!), I cannot deny that Wentworth's glorious letter to her, which changes the course of their romance most wonderfully, is also a big reason why.

So! As part of Hamlette's very cool I Love Jane Austen Week, I am here to talk about this letter and why I love it so much. Y'all know I love to analyze! ;)



"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant. You alone have brought me to Bath. For you alone, I think and plan. Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I had not waited even these ten days, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me. You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too good, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among men. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in
F.W.

I must go, uncertain of my fate; but I shall return hither, or follow your party, as soon as possible. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your father's house this evening or never."
First of all, is that not a beautiful and romantic letter to receive from the love of your life? The feelings he portrays to her, the proof that after these many weeks of frustration and uncertainty, all that she's been dreaming of is actually true! It's no wonder that Ms. Austen follows it up with this: "Such a letter was not to be soon recovered from..." *happy sigh*
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But let's get to the nitty gritty, how about it?

I love that he details his feelings. It's not just that he tells her he still loves her, but that he desires to use these few words to describe to her exactly what he feels and what she does to him, how she affects his heart and every action. He proves that he's now unafraid to make it known precisely how her voice, her opinions, and her very presence nearby all agitate him in the best ways possible.

Up to this point of the story, we have spent almost all of the time with Anne and how she's been viewing Wentworth's actions. Through her eyes, though she loves him dearly, he has seemed detached and angry. It isn't until more recent to this scene that she even begins to have the slightest bit of hope he may return her feelings. And even that bit of hope is pretty minuscule. So to realize that many times when he seemed to be indifferent, he was actually noticing every little thing about her and wanted so badly to tell her so? Talk about melting your heart! I mean, read those words up there again. "I have loved none but you." "You alone have brought me to Bath." "I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me." "...I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others." "...most fervent, most undeviating..." Those are very passionate statements! Even today, I'd think a woman receiving this sort of letter would be hard put to not be moved by it! (I know I would anyway. ;) Plus if you read the context of the scene when he's writing this letter, he's having to write it quickly and sneakily. She has affected him so severely with what she's said, that he's unable to stick with convention and must take action! I love that Anne affects him so.

And then immediately following the receipt of this letter, Anne and Wentworth finally come together and the reader begins to fully realize what Wentworth has been going through over the course of the story. I absolutely love that we get to see into his heart in the end. This letter is the catalyst that brings the two characters to a complete understanding, as well as the reader.

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I've heard others say how much Wentworth's actions in the beginning of the story has frustrated them. Which I get. But once you've gotten to this portion and start to see inside his heart, it changes your perspective on the earlier happenings. (For instance, "...he was obliged to acknowledge that he had been constant unconsciously, nay unintentionally, that he had meant to forget her, and believed it to be done. He had imagined himself indifferent, when he had only been angry...", him realizing that he didn't even understand himself for a while. For me, that knowledge allows me to feel more compassion for the moments when he's so unkind to Anne.) So not only does this letter alter what Anne's been thinking of as true, but it can adjust the reader's thoughts as well! When you go back and reread the book a second (or third, or fourth, or tenth) time, you can see beyond what Ms. Austen has written on the surface into what she hid behind. It puts a different spin on a lot of scenes, especially when the characters are visiting Lyme Regis.

(This is one of the many reasons I love Jane Austen's writing. All the nuances that you find! There is so much going on under the surface, but you have to search for it. Often, it seems a reader has to reread the book with knowledge from the previous read in order for their perspective to shift and all those nuances to truly become apparent.)

As this letter gets written during a crucial conversation Anne has with Captain Harville, I must mention that bit as well. How much do I love that convo! I wrote some of my feelings about this scene in a discussion post during a read-along of Persuasion a couple years ago and want to share a portion of them...

I have to note that awesome conversation that Captain Harville and Anne have just prior to the letter as well. It is such a crucial moment when Wentworth overhears them and is unable to stay silent any longer. I love how they can't fully agree, yet they know they're both a bit biased in their own favor and still completely understand where the other is coming from. It's a mutual admiration and understanding and it's perfectly timed.
Yeeesssss!!:
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Captain Harville and Captain Wentworth are such good friends and I love, love, love that Harville is a part of this moment! Some of the adaptations have shown scenes where Wentworth and Harville have conversations about Wentworth's feelings for Anne. While those aren't in the book, I have grown to like Harville so well that I love imagining those convos actually happening! :) With the perspective change that comes with knowing Wentworth's true feelings, it only stands to reason that his friends would be privy to some of that as well... (At least in my imagination!) Also, I like to picture Anne and Wentworth spending time with Harville and his family after they're married. And Harville, knowing the full story by then, gently teasing them about that moment... :)

Wentworth's letter helps bring about the perfect happiness of my beloved Anne. I could probably continue on for paragraphs more, repeating over and over how very much I love it! But I'll spare you, don't you worry. Only, I must say this in conclusion. It's a beautifully heartfelt letter that makes me swoon a little bit inside every time I read it! And when any (more current) author alludes to it in their work, whether by referencing it specifically or writing a similar letter as a catalyst for two characters to come together, it makes my heart dance with happy! How about you?



February 1, 2017

30 Days of Books :: Day 16


So while I've been procrastinating on finishing these 30 days (I know! It should not be taking me seven months to finish only 30 whole days!), the lovely Jenni Elyse, who had given me the idea, stopped blogging. *cue sadness* She's still around in other places, but I can't exactly link to her blog for this like I had been. Therefore, I simply wanted to do a shoutout to her awesomeness here! And officially state, again, that this idea is hers. Or at least I think it may have began with someone else (I can't remember who now), but she's the one who revived it last year. Cheers to you, Jenni! Thank you for being fabulous. Also for sharing fun ideas. Also, also, I sincerely hope you don't mind if I keep going in an attempt to actually complete this plan some day! :)


Day 16: Favorite female character

Oh my good gracious, do y'all have any idea how hard this one is?! I went looking at all my favorite stories and thinking about which characters I loved more than others and why. All that to narrow down my list to five ladies. FIVE! I know! How do I choose?! (I truly didn't think these questions would be so hard when I started this however long ago. Shows what I know.) So! I'm going to cheat and list all five.

Ha!

And here they are, in no particular order. Five awesome ladies that I recommend you meet if you haven't yet. :)


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Jerusha Abbott - Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
I have long been a fan of Judy. (I even waxed poetic about my love for this book!) I absolutely adore all her letters to Daddy Long Legs. She has a very unique way of looking at the world and her story never ceases to fill me with happiness. I love watching her grow more grown up over the course of the book and, best of all, slowly figure out precisely who she's been writing to that entire time. :)



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Lady Meliara Astiar - Crown Duel/Court Duel by Sherwood Smith
I wrote a post about her a few years ago, talking about all the reasons why I think she's awesome. So I'll just direct you there instead of listing them all again. But I will share one of my favorite quotes and a very apt description of her. :)
"...she flailed bravely into adventure not because she wished to figure as a hero, but because she was determined to battle for right, even if she struggled from day to day to define just what "right" might be."


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Catherine Dougall - The Thorn Keeper by Pepper D. Basham
There was something about Catherine that struck me when I first met her in book one, The Thorn Bearer. I couldn't put my finger precisely on it, but I knew I wanted more time with her. She is a mix of vulnerable sassiness and stubborn strength no matter her circumstances. Her character development from book one to the end of book two is a beautiful story of grace, mercy, and hope.



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Valancy Stirling - The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery
There are many reasons I love this book, but Valancy is definitely at the top of the list! Watching as she begins to find her brave and chooses to live life instead of just existing is wonderful. It's not an easy road for her, but oh what a ride it is! (Especially thanks to Barney! ;)



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Quincy St. Claire - The Q by Beth Brower
Quincy is, hands down, one of the most fascinating and awesome characters I've ever met! She is utterly like no other. The best words I could use to try and describe her are: compelling, stubborn, unique, and loyal. You should read her story and truly get to know her yourself!

"Quincy and Fisher walked through all this in silence. Silence was the most common stock-in-trade between them, and the portfolio of their friendship was thick with it. So, without words, they stepped across the streets, their feet pressing the pavement with the same sounds, their toes turned just so; they knew what life was like at each other's side. Sometimes he would speak, or she would, small offerings on the altar of their joint survival."

And there you have them! Five fascinating ladies I think are pretty amazing. Do you have a favorite female character? If so, tell me who! :)




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