happy birthday, miss austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged...
that a single woman in possession of a biting wit was born two hundred and thirty-five years ago today! Forgive my silliness; the world certainly needs no more parodies of the infamous sentence that welcomed us all into Jane Austen's heretofore most revered novel, Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn't resist. Everyone is celebrating Jane's birthday - even Google who designed a special birthday logo for the day. It continues to amaze me that the strong, independent authoress who rocked the literary and feminist worlds experienced only modest recognition in her lifetime. Imagine what she'd say now if she could see how the world of Pride and Prejudice has seen life in so many mediums. (I imagine she'd be rather amused by the zombies. And vampires. And sea monsters. Oh my.) While she had many contemporaries who penned equally memorable literature, I consider Jane to be a master of social satire and human emotion. Her characters are among the most vivid and delightful I've come to know through the vast world of reading. Their interactions, quarrels and romances highlight the strange and beautiful journey we all embark on in life, making them eternally easy to relate to.



A watercolor of Jane by her sister, Cassandra.

"Here's harmony!" said she; "here’s repose! Here's what may leave all painting and all music behind, and what poetry only can attempt to describe! Here's what may tranquillise every care, and lift the heart to rapture! When I look out on such a night as this, I feel as if there could be neither wickedness nor sorrow in the world; and there certainly would be less of both if the sublimity of Nature were more attended to, and people were carried more out of themselves by contemplating such a scene."

- Mansfield Park, Chaprter XI

While my favorite of Austen's work is Persuasion as I've mentioned before, there's something in each novel that draws me into the Regency world with unhindered delight. I think Mansfield Park, Jane's third novel, is a vastly underrated piece of fiction. The heroine, Fanny Price, is very unlike the traditional heroine of feminist literature: she's shy, demure, poor and sensitive. Unlike other quiet heroines, such as Persuasion's Anne Elliot and Sense & Sensibility's Elinor Dashwood, Fanny lacks the gentle sparkle of pride and dignity that makes the others so substantial. But my favorite thing about Fanny is how human she is. I think it was brave of Jane to take an unconventional character and center an entire novel around her. This particular piece of dialogue from the novel struck me with just how passionate Fanny is, although she doesn't get many opportunities to show it throughout the story. On the list of Jane Austen characters I relate to the most, Fanny is quite near the top.


In the spirit of the day here's a great recipe for Jane Austen teapot cookies from Mischief Mari Cookies. My perfect day of celebrating Jane would involve making these little delights before settling in with a cup of tea and a novel or a film adaptation with a group of friends. How would you celebrate Jane?

Barnes & Noble is also celebrating by offering linda Berdoll's Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife free in e-book form! You can read it on your nook if you have one, or on one of their free nook applications. Enjoy!

Jane Austen watercolor from Wikipedia

festive fictions: holiday book reviews

After finishing NaNoWriMo a week early (yay!) I decided that it was high time to dive into a few holiday novels. I read three darling festive fictions over the holiday weekend and thought I'd share my opinions on them with you. I've also got a few other recommendations that I read last year and plan to dig out again for a reread if I have time before the holidays are over...

Call Me Mrs. Miracle Debbie Macomber This Christmas, Emily Merkle (call her Mrs. Miracle!) is working in the toy department at Finley's, the last family-owned department store in New York City. And her boss is none other than…Jake Finley, the owner's son. For Jake, holiday memories of brightly wrapped gifts, decorated trees and family were destroyed in a Christmas Eve tragedy years before. Now Christmas means just one thing to him—and to his father. Profit. Because they need a Christmas miracle to keep the business afloat. Holly Larson needs a miracle, too. She wants to give her eight-year-old nephew, Gabe, the holiday he deserves. Holly's widowed brother is in the army and won't be home for Christmas, but at least she can get Gabe that toy robot from Finley's, the one gift he desperately wants. If she can figure out how to afford it. Fortunately, it's Mrs. Miracle to the rescue. Next to making children happy, she likes nothing better than helping others—and that includes doing a bit of matchmaking! This Christmas will be different. For all of them.

Debbie Macomber is, as it says on the back of this book, the official storyteller of Christmas. A multiple New York Times bestselling author, Debbie weaves tales of family, friendship, romance and the simple things in life. If you ever thought your Happy Place could be inside of a book, chances are you'll find it in a Debbie Macomber novel. This is a stand-alone sequel to her previous holiday story, Mrs. Miracle, which follows the delightful elderly spitfire Emily Merkle - nicknamed Mrs. Miracle - as she waltzes into the lives of others and drastically alters their Christmas plans. I actually enjoyed this story a bit more than the previous one, perhaps because it takes place amidst the bustling streets of New York City (it's Mrs. Miracle on 34th Street!) and there's no place more magical than Manhattan at Christmastime. This year circumstances brought me a very unconventional Thanksgiving, but curling up with this book made for a memorable and very festive holiday. It was such a joy to read. Call Me Mrs. Miracle was also made into a television movie for the Hallmark channel this year! It premiered on Saturday night and it was completely adorable, although quite different from the book. It will be airing throughout the month on Hallmark so keep your eyes open for it!

A Christmas Promise Mary Balogh Weddings are supposed to be joyous occasions—especially when a couple seems as well matched as Randolph Pierce, Earl of Falloden, and his bride-to-be, Eleanor Transome. Ellie brings to the marriage a vast dowry, while Falloden, though distant, is handsome, tremendously desirable, and possessed of a title most young ladies can only dream of sharing. Yet Ellie is not most young ladies. She knows that she must honor her dear father’s dying wish for her to wed the proud earl, but she dreads a lifetime in a union without love—and how can Falloden claim to love her when he married her only for her fortune? As Christmas descends upon the Falloden manor, the warmth of the season may yet melt away the trappings of duty and wealth, leaving behind only a man and a woman destined for each other’s arms.

I first heard about this novel through Gabrielle of Pink Tuesdays - thanks, Gabbie! - and you can check out her review of it over here. Like Gabbie, I had never read anything by Mary Balogh before this and now I'm wondering just why that was. This was a terrifically charming book with a very cozy winter setting. The verbal sparring between the two main characters reminded me of Darcy and Lizzy, sparking with chemistry and obstinacy on both sides. In a way similar to Pride and Prejudice the main characters of this book spend a lot of time at odds with each other and the misunderstandings seem to pile higher and higher as the story goes on...but the way the characters are able to overcome so much is quite endearing. I think if it had been a longer read the misunderstandings could have led to a good deal of frustration for the reader, but as it is it's a perfect read for a cozy weekend by the fire.

A Wallflower Christmas Lisa Kleypas It's Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady-in-waiting, and if it weren't for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.

I loved this book! I think I read it in a day's time, staying up until the wee small hours (3am, to be exact) to finish because I simply couldn't leave these lovely characters for a moment. I've never read Lisa Kleypas before, and I intend to read much more right away. This is the fifth and final book in Lisa's Wallflower series, but it stands on its own. To my understanding, the previous Wallflower books must be read in order, but here the previous four heroines - The Wallflowers, as they call themselves - are secondary characters and it actually served as a fun introduction to all of them. I'm quite excited to go back and read each girl's individual story now, but here they all had me biting my lip to keep from laughing outright. I was reminded of the spunky villagers from Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford in a few scenes. The romantic leads - Rafe and Hannah - were strong characters with fantastic chemistry. There were readings of A Christmas Carol, a holiday ball, a Christmas tree decorating party (complete with an incident involving a toupee and a catapult - you must read this book!), sleigh rides, match-making, love letters, a rendezvous in the library...all manner of things that come together to make for a delightful holiday Regency romance.


Other recommendations...

Mrs. Miracle Debbie Macomber Seth Webster's heart never healed after he lost his adored wife. Now, with Christmas approaching, wild twin boys to raise alone, a home in chaos, and the latest in a long line of exasperated housekeepers quitting in disgust, Seth needs more than help to keep his family togethe...he needs a miracle. And then a miracle arrives on his doorstep. Her name is Mrs. Merkle, but the kids call her "Mrs. Miracle"—and from the moment the warm, knowing, and very patient nanny appears, everything is different. Her sassy spirit is infectious, and it gives Seth the courage to approach Reba, a beautiful travel agent who's been hurt and betrayed, and is afraid to ever love again. Through the magic of faith—and with a little help from a children's Christmas pageant and a lot of encouragement from Mrs. Miracle—Seth and Reba might just be able to find a Christmas miracle of their very own: true love.

The Perfect Christmas Debbie Macomber What would make your Christmas perfect? For Cassie Beaumont, it’s meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far, nothing’s worked. Not blind dates, not the Internet and certainly not leaving love to chance. What’s left? A professional matchmaker. He’s Simon Dodson, and he’s very choosy about the clients he takes on. Cassie finds Simon a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she’s astonished when he accepts her as a client. Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets him. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell ringer, dressing up as Santa’s elf at a children’s party and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all—and she’s finally ready to meet her match. But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise!

The original Mrs. Miracle - which was also made into a Hallmark movie, and I should add that Emily Merkle is portrayed in both films by the wonderful Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond - is a heartwarming little Christmas story. It's a "You'll laugh, you'll cry" sort of novel, as many are that we label "heartwarming", but it maintains a light feel, due I'm sure to the bouncy Emily Merkle and the shenanigans of two young twin boys.
The Perfect Christmas is a romantic comedy of a novel. It was my introduction to Debbie Macomber and remains my favorite of her books. The main characters and their budding romance are all so unconventional, which makes for a fun and refreshing read. Although I read it last December I can still recall some scenes with perfect clarity; the whole thing played out much in the way of a Lifetime (or, dare I say it, a Hallmark) movie. It's lovely, festive and - as with any Debbie Macomber novel - full of warm wishes, valuable lessons and happy endings.

And there you have it, a rather lengthy compilation of books that will undoubtedly warm your heart and surround you with the delight of the holiday season. If anyone happens to read any of these on my recommendation do let me know what you think!

I Heart Dujour

Happy Thanksgiving to all my lovely Stateside friends! I hope you're all having a beautiful holiday. And to everyone else in the world, I hope you're having a beautiful Thursday! If you can stand a little more beauty check out this grand, free preview of the new Handmade Issue from Dujour Magazine! I especially love the interview with Katrina of Pugly Pixel. I adore this girl, her blog, her dogs and her stellar freebies. Learning that she's self-taught in all of her graphic design endeavors was quite a surprise to me. Proof that determination and hard work can help you achieve truly great things, huh?

Be sure to check out the Dujour blog as well, where you'll find all manner of lovely and beautiful things!

for the love of frankie

A peak through Frankie Magazine, Issue #28 (March/April 2009). I bought this issue on eBay and it arrived yesterday - my very first issue of Frankie! I love it so much. It's incredibly fun to flip through a magazine and see names like Greg Kurstin (of The Bird and the Bee), Ben Kweller, Ben Lee and Josh Pyke. These are all musicians that I've known and loved for years, but somehow (aside from, say, a TV promo for Grey's Anatomy) they just don't seem to be talked about in the States. It also has lots of beautiful illustrations by Sarah McNeil (flickr, blog), whose work I also adore - including a pull-out poster which will certainly be making my walls a little more whimsical very soon. And of course there's the little bit on Audrey, which is one of the reasons I wanted this particular back issue. It's really for the reader who happens to be uneducated in Audrey Hepburn films, but it's still a charming little bit and the artwork is completely adorable!

If you didn't already know, Frankie is a bi-monthly Australian magazine dedicated to fashion, art, photography, music, crafts, culture and all things vintage. Learn more about it at frankie.com.au.

the gentle art of domesticity

I've been wishing for Jane Brocket's beautiful book, The Gentle Art of Domesticity, ever since its Stateside publication in 2008 and last week I finally bought it! Up to my ears in NaNoWriMo as I am, I haven't had the chance to entirely dive into the book, but I'll be sure to post a proper review when I have. Flipping through it proved what I had previously suspected: J.B. is my soul sister. Her love of the cozy comforts of home and her ceaseless admiration for Cary Grant are only a few of the things we have in common. She even decorated the book's cover with French macarons! She loves popping in a DVD of Friends, a nightly ritual for me. She lists some of her favorite domesticated books, two of which happen to be some of my own loves (Jane Eyre and Cranford). Isn't it fun to find a kindred spirit? And a kindred spirit in such a beautiful book, no less!

The Gentle Art of Domesticity, a charming foray into art, nature, sewing, cooking, style and the comforts of home is still available from Barnes & Noble at the bargain price of $8.98 - a whopping 74% off the cover price! Check it out over here.

Other places to visit:
Jane Brocket's Official Site
Yarnstorm, Jane Brocket's Blog

thirty days and nights of literary abandon

(image credit)
It's November 1st, and that means NaNoWriMo has officially begun! I mentioned in an older post that I became an official novelist last year after taking part in the event known to many as NaNoWriMo, and after much deliberation I've decided to participate again this year. I thought I'd do a post to fully explain what NaNoWriMo is, just in case some of my readers haven't heard about it. (And trust me, you will be hearing about it again. I'm sure I'll be here all month complaining, panicking and basking in the passionate adventure that is novel-writing. Are you excited?)


NaNoWriMo, which is short for National Novel Writing Month, takes place every year for the full month of November. Beginning on November 1st and ending on November 30th, participants work to create a 50,000 word novel entirely from scratch. Why? Because we can! You don't have to be a published writer - you don't even have to be a writer at all - to join this challenge. In fact, there are a lot of participants who have never written a novel before. Folks with all sorts of careers, stay-at-home parents, college students, all sorts of people living all sorts of lives join together each year for the love of novel writing.

50,000 words sounds like a lot - and it is a lot, when you've only a month to write it - but in the literary world 50,000 words is just above the length of a novella. This makes the NaNoWriMo process no less special, however, because it's all about you. The novels written during NaNoWriMo are not meant to be rushed off to a publisher on December 1st, they're meant to be a very great step in the direction of a novelist's dream. People will write the most unusual, outrageous stories in the month of November simply because they can.

It's easy to join NaNoWriMo - simply sign up at NaNoWriMo.org, open up a word processor (or grab a notebook, if you prefer) and write! You can update your word count on the NaNoWriMo web site as you go along, and if you succeed in writing 50,000 words before the end of the month CreateSpace is offering all the winning participants a free published copy of their manuscript! It's not easy; last year it nearly took over my life and I told myself I would never do it again. But in retrospect, I don't know that I've ever been as passionate about anything before as I was in that month with my elusive, magical little novel. There are all manner of resources on the NaNoWriMo site to help you on your way, pep talks from such great authors as Neil Gaiman and you can even join the region where you live to find other WriMos in your area. Bookstores, libraries and coffee houses will often have Write-Ins where WriMos can meet up and write in a collective environment. (I imagine this is to get us all out of the house and to have some fresh air and social activity in the midst of the reclusive process.)

Last year I wrote a literary fiction that was something of a character study. It took place around a few city streets and in one tiny apartment strewn with twinkle lights, fine wine and deep, profound (I hope) conversations between the six characters who became my best friends and greatest enemies over that month. It was an exhausting, wonderful experience. As difficult as it might be, there's something so thrilling about being able to tell people you're a novelist! This year I wanted to write a holiday story that was quite light and cheerful, maybe a little romantic comedy, but somehow at 12:30am last night it transformed into a 19th century holiday story about a wealthy nobleman, a small village and an annual Christmas ball. Rather like something out of Jane Austen or Elizabeth Gaskell, perhaps. I'm quite excited!

Have any of my fellow writers ever participated in NaNoWriMo? I'd love to hear about your experiences. And if anyone has decided to undertake it this year, let me know!

get back in your book

Get Back in Your Book, a set of photographs in which characters from beloved novels escape into our world (by Lissy Elle). This is one of my favorite Flickr sets. Can you guess who the characters are? If not, a simple mouse-over should reveal their names - or just click each image to be taken to the Flickr page for all of Lissy's commentary and info. I love the idea of characters from books coming to life, it reminds me of Cornelia Funke's wonderful Inkheart and its sequels. Which characters from your favorite novels would you like to see come to life?

Anyway, I'm back from visiting my sister (who, by the way, happens to have dazzling footwork). After a small holiday from blogging I've found myself to be quite inspired with lots of new ideas for themes and a post series or two that I'm excited to start soon. I even have a very thrilling something-something coming up with one of my favorite bloggers - it's going to be amazing! I can't wait to share these things with you all. Stay tuned!

wishpot wednesday: frankie, frills and forever 21

Frankie Magazine 12 Month (6 Issue) Subscription; $112.07, magnation.com
I've been in love with this magazine for about two years now, and I've never read an issue. It's difficult to justify that price for only six issues, however magical I'm sure they are. I'd like to begin a mission of trolling eBay for old issues and start building up a collection, but to have new issues delivered to my door would be sunshine, too. I love that they, for the most part, use unknown models on their covers (which also aren't riddled with ridiculous text) and that the contents seem to be a delightful, positive, lovely concoction of all things vintage, silly, romantic and whimsical. What's not to love?


Frankie Diary 2011; #33, magnation.com
In proper Frankie fan fashion, how can I not want the new 2011 Frankie diary as well? (And the cookbook, and the photo book, but we'll save those for another Wishpot Wednesday.)


Quilted Drawstring Shoulder Bag; $25.80, Forever 21
I owe this and the following find to Jen's wonderful Fabulous Finds: Accessories post on SHE last week. I'm obsessing over quilted bags right now, and this one seems a bit reminiscent of Alexander Wang, doesn't it? Love the color, love the style, love the studs. So much fun!


Lace Gloves; $3.80, Forever 21
I don't know that I would actually use these, but obviously they play to my inner Austen heroine. How is an old-fashioned girl supposed to pass up something like that? Do any of you have suggestions on how to - pardon the Tim Gunnism - make it work?


Fan Ring; $5.80, Forever 21
At first I thought this looked like a mermaid's tail, which would be pretty cool in its own right. But when I took a good look and realized it was a replica of a classic fan - - hello again, dear old rococo/Marie Antoinette obsession!


Large Faceted Ring; $3.80, Forever 21
I really don't have a statement ring like this. I love the detailing on the side of this one.



Sweet Hair Pins; $2.50, Forever 21
How cute are these?! I think I'd want two sets so I could use them as matching bows either on each side or the same side of my hair. Wouldn't they be cute stuck into a braid?

That's all for this week's Wishpot Wednesday. What have you all been wishing for lately?

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Wishpot.com is an easy-to-use site that lets you create an online wishlist from products you find all over the web. A button added on to your browser lets you add to your Wishpot as you shop. Check it out, and feel free to add me as a friend!