Addicted to Austen

Addicted to Austen

Dec 19, 2014

Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret Sullivan

Release Date: November 11, 2014
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 224 pages
Source & Format: Publisher; Hardcover
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Summary (from Goodreads)

Jane Austen’s six novels are true classics, still immensely popular some 200 years after their first publication. But although the celebrated stories never change, the covers are always different. Jane Austen Cover to Cover compiles two centuries of design, from elegant Victorian hardcovers and the famed 1894 “Peacock” edition to 1950s pulp, movie tie-in editions, graphic novels, foreign-language translations, and many, many others. Filled with beautiful artwork and insightful commentary, this fascinating and visually intriguing collection is a must for Janeites, design geeks, and book lovers of every stripe.

Thoughts on Jane Austen Cover to Cover

When I was doing research for BEA, I came across a reference to Jane Austen Cover to Cover. I didn't investigate any further, but a few months later I saw the gorgeous cover highlighted on Austenprose. I knew immediately that I had to read it! I started out collecting copies of Pride and Prejudice, but I realized recently that I've bought multiple editions of Austen's other novels, too. So, basically, I'm just an all-around Austen fangirl.

As you can probably imagine, a book about the history of Austen book covers is right up my alley. While I think it might appeal to other types of readers, it has to be said that I'm the IDEAL AUDIENCE for this kind of book. I'm already a casual collector of Austen's works, but I'm also an avid reader of everything about Austen. Spin-offs, sequels, retellings, biographies, literary criticism... You name it, I want to read it. When Quirk tweeted asking for people interested in reading it, I jumped at the chance. And then I laughed as a handful of bloggers tagged me to make sure I'd seen it. They know me too well!

Starting with the original covers and moving forward to the present day, Jane Austen Cover to Cover compiles two centuries of cover designs. I started this book expecting to learn because I've never read anything about Austen from a design / book cover angle. What I did not expect, but was pleasantly surprised to discover, was the absolutely loveliness of the book itself. Quirk put so much time and attention into the design, layout and details of this book. It's evident on every page! Everything about this book is gorgeous... and just begging to be given to an Austen lover.

Jane Austen Cover to Cover doesn't depict every Austen cover that's been published, but Sullivan does a wonderful job curating the highlights. The first four chapters are divided based on the year: 1811-1818, 1832-1920, 1920-1989 and 1990-2015. Within these chapters, especially the one covering the most recent Austen covers, are subsections that discuss e-book editions, Austen for little readers, complete volumes and more! There are two additional chapters - one focused on movie editions and another on foreign editions. Finally, the Appendix provides helpful additional resources: advice on collecting Austen and summaries of each of her books. I thought the flow of the book made perfect sense, and it made it easier to notice different trends or details that were likely influenced by the time period in which each edition was published.

Sullivan hasn't just curated the covers - she's also done extensive research into the subject. I loved how she put each book into context, and her commentary was both scholarly and seriously delightful. She managed to make the text totally approachable while still conveying her authority on the subject matter. And she throws in some witty quips that I have no doubt would make Austen herself proud! It didn't take me long to read through the book, but I still felt like I was able to savor the experience. I adored seeing editions that I already have on my shelves and had serious envy over the editions I don't.

I'm so happy that I get to add this book to my shelves. It fits in quite nicely with my growing collection of Austen-related books! I had high expectations going into it, but it still managed to surpass them all. It's the perfect kind of coffee-table book: interesting, informative, and visually appealing! It's a niche read, yes, but the Austen lovers in your life will just adore it!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review.

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Consider This Classic: Rachel Recommends

Consider This Classic: Rachel Recommends

Dec 18, 2014

Consider This Classic is a monthly feature where bloggers highlight and recommend their favorite classic. They'll tell you when they first read it, why they love it and where to go from there. If you'd like to participate in Consider This Classic, click here to sign up.

Rachel from Hello, Chelly wanted to know if anyone had talked about a certain classic yet, and I was bursting at the seams when she told me what book she wanted to recommend. It's one of my absolute, all-time favorite books! I'd been wishing and hoping that someone would highlight this book, and I couldn't be happier that it's Rachel. Her blog is one of my favorites - the design is gorgeous, her reviews are thoughtful and her content is so unique. That's a winning combination right there! I'll turn it over to her now, but just know that I heartily second the recommendation for this book.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Publication Year: 1908
Originally Published In: United States
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary (from Goodreads)

Redheaded orphan Anne Shirley longs for a real home, somewhere she can truly belong. When she first arrives at the Green Gables house on Prince Edward Island, it's everything she ever imagined. But to stay, she'll first have to convince Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert to adopt her. And that means controlling her temper (even when Gilbert Blythe calls her "Carrots"), staying out of trouble (and away from hair dye), and not getting too carried away with her daydreams (though she would make the perfect Lady of Shallot floating down the river). Anne might not always get it quite right, but she does keep things interesting...

Through Anne's eyes, the ordinary world becomes magical and every day is an adventure. She inspires the dreamer in all of us, never hesitates to say the things we wish we could get away with, and makes us cherish every kindred spirit we meet. It's no surprise Anne is loved around the world by generations of readers.

This is so sad but I can’t remember exactly when or why I read it. I’m pretty sure it was towards the end of middle school, probably 8th grade. Most of my teachers had little collections of books in their classrooms and I was the only person who regularly borrowed books (because obviously the school library and town library were not enough for me!). Once I read Anne of Green Gables, I slowly but surely began reading the rest of them when I realized there were more. By the time I got through the series, it was probably early high school. Then soon after that I watched the movies featuring Megan Follows and the series (books and film) have been a favorite of mine ever since.

There is so much to love in this book. Anne was the perfect heroine for me at the age that I read it and I saw a lot of myself in her. The love of books, the constant daydreaming, wanting to write. I loved watching Anne grow from a young girl into a beautiful woman and seeing all the decisions and mistakes she made in between. I loved her relationship with Gilbert that started on a memorable teasing note (“Carrots!”) and turned into a one true soulmate type of love. I loved that Anne and her best friend Diana referred to themselves as kindred spirits (my childhood BFF and fellow Anne fan did the same thing for years!). I loved Marilla and Matthew, her adopted “parents”, and just everything about this world. I know I’m starting to talk about the series as a whole and it is amazing but the first book will always be my favorite and holds a very special place in my heart. Just a month ago when I bought my 7th copy of the book (no joke!), I randomly opened it to a scene with Matthew and I immediately teared up. If that’s not proof of its timelessness, I don’t know what is!

Classic: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin 

Contemporary: Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan. I even surprised myself by thinking of this book but I do see some parallels. Mostly both protagonists speak the truth in a way that seems to shock or exasperate the people in their lives. Both have trouble seeing what’s right in front of them. Also, both are amazing books!

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The Wonders of Whale Watching

The Wonders of Whale Watching

Dec 17, 2014

Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes

Release Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: Penguin | Penguin Books
Pages: 338 pages
Source & Format: Bought; Paperback
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Summary (from Goodreads)

Liza McCullen will never fully escape her past. But the unspoiled beaches and tight-knit community of Silver Bay offer the freedom and safety she craves—if not for herself, then for her young daughter, Hannah. That is, until Mike Dormer arrives as a guest in her aunt’s hotel. 

For his part, Mike Dormer is expecting just another business deal—an easy job kick-starting a resort in a small seaside town ripe for development. But he finds that he doesn’t quite know what to make of the eccentric inhabitants of the ramshackle Silver Bay Hotel, especially not enigmatic Liza McCullen, and their claim to the surrounding waters.

As the development begins to take on a momentum of its own, Mike’s and Liza’s worlds collide in this hugely affecting and irresistible tale full of Jojo Moyes’s signature humor and generosity.

Thoughts on Silver Bay

Cassie and I were originally going to read Silver Bay for Favorite Factor, but we've decided to make a few fun changes to the feature. We'll be doing a special edition of the post in December, but you can expect to see the new and improved version of this adult fiction feature in 2015. While we aren't jointly reviewing this book, I've still got thoughts to share!

Silver Bay is set in a small beach community in Australia, and I think the setting might have been my favorite part of the book. I could totally picture this tight-knit group and their love for the water, the animals that called it home and their way of life. The place came alive while I was reading! And it serves as one of the most important aspects of the story because it drives the main conflict of the book: the threat people pose to nature. It made me more aware of the impact people have on the environment, so I liked it in that regard.

However, Silver Bay didn't really live up to my expectations overall. I've loved everything I've read so far by Jojo Moyes, and this just didn't hold a candle to her more recent books. The pace of this book is much slower than anything else I've read from her, and it took me a long time to get hooked on the story. Things pick up near the ending, but it was a little too late for me to change my overall feelings on the book.

I wonder if part of my problem is just that I didn't really connect to the premise. There's the big corporation looking to uproot a beach town and threatening the marine life, and I think I might have enjoyed the book more if I was concerned for the animals and felt strongly about the outcome of the proposed hotel. As it was, I needed something else to reel me in... and I never really got it.

Everything I've read from Jojo Moyes before has been very character-driven, which totally appeals to me as a reader. While that's somewhat true in Silver Bay, I didn't form the same connection with these characters. There are a lot of characters in Silver Bay, and I think my biggest issue is that they're all given a place in the narrative. While multiple POVs can work, I think it became too disjointed for me in this one. I think there were six different perspectives, and only three (maybe four) of them seemed important. It was just overwhelming! 

I wish that I'd gotten to spend more time with a few specific characters rather than flit between so many of them. I think that contributed to the slower pace, too. And, unfortunately, I didn't like most of the characters. I had issues with both Liza and Mike - the main characters - and was never invested in them. I didn't care very much about Liza's past, Mike's present or their possible future. With another writer, I may have felt differently. But for Jojo, the characters were a total letdown.

As you can probably guess, this wasn't an emotional read for me. At one point, things finally started to pick up and I did find myself a bit more invested. But I still felt mostly "meh" on what was happening overall. The romance was so underdeveloped and lackluster... I can't even pinpoint why these people liked each other. And some of the twists felt a bit too dramatic (maybe even melodramatic) and completely changed the pace of the book. Some of the tension in Silver Bay hinges on some pretty big secrets, which is never my favorite plot device.

I wanted to love this book, and I was so sad when I had to remind myself to pick it up and just finish it already. The one plus? I liked some of the familial relationships and the way those were explored. I don't regret reading this book, but I don't think it holds a candle to everything else I've read from Jojo so far.

So Quotable

"Look out at the sea for long enough, at its moods and frenzies, at its beauties and terrors, and you’ll have all the stories you need— of love and danger, and about what life lands in your nets. And the fact that sometimes it’s not your hand on the tiller, and you can do no more than trust that it’ll all work out okay.”

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Obsessing Over in 2014

Obsessing Over in 2014

Dec 16, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/top ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists - so it makes perfect sense that I'd love this feature!

Top Books I Read in 2014 

Young Adult Fiction

1. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

"I closed this book with a huge grin on my face, and I immediately wanted to read it again. I haven't re-read it yet, but I totally will before the end of the year. The Sea of Tranquility is emotional, romantic, heartbreaking, infuriating, hilarious, amazing, intense and just downright wonderful. Adjective overload? Maybe. But it's totally deserving!" | My Thoughts

2. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

"In Open Road Summer, Emery Lord has written a story about loyalty, love and loss... and all the complicated things in between. This book has so much heart, and you don't want to miss it! I was enchanted by the characters and their stories, and I can't wait for more readers to discover this talented author in her incredible debut." | My Thoughts

3. Unspoken, Untold and Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan 

"Having finished these books, I can now say that I'm shocked I don't hear more about them. Seriously, why isn't everyone raving about this series?! I don't often book push, but I feel like it's necessary at this point... These books will break you, but in the best way possible. This series will try to steal your heart, your time and your tears. And you'll surrender all of those things willingly and with no regrets." | My Thoughts

4. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

"I almost didn't write a review for The Winner's Curse because it's already gotten so much buzz, and I'm not sure if I can even do it justice. But I do want to put my two cents in and tell you something very important: for me, this book absolutely surpassed all of my expectations for it." | My Thoughts

6. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

"I love every single thing about the world Maas has created - it's rich, complex, and feels real to me. There's a depth to it, and I think Heir of Fire is when you really begin to see that come to fruition. Don't get me wrong - every book leading up to this has revealed important things about this world. I just think this book is where you're really seeing all the pieces fall into place. And man, those pieces are just outstanding." | My Thoughts

5. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

"With evocative writing, a richly imagined world and epic characters, there's so much to fall in love with in these pages. Seriously, I can't even do Taylor's writing justice - it's so gorgeous! Be prepared to lose yourself in this world and fall head over heels in love with these characters as the battle between good and evil divides friends and foes." | My Thoughts

Adult Fiction

7. After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid

"This is going to be one of those books that becomes a staple recommendation for me. It's not often that I read a book and feel so invested in and emotionally attached to the characters and their story. I've written so many words, but have I really said enough about how much I loved this one or even why I did? This book solidified Reid as an auto-buy author for me. I don't care what she writes in the future - I know I want to read it." | My Thoughts

8. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

"I will heartily and happily recommend Station Eleven to anyone looking to try something new. It was smart and moving without being pretentious or too 'literary' for me to fall in love the story and its characters. It paints a gorgeous, evocative picture of people once everything has been stripped away... Quite simply, Station Eleven has stayed with me." | My Thoughts

9. One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

"Honestly, these characters absolutely made this book. I was an emotional basketcase the entire time I was reading, and that only happened because I was so invested in these characters. The multiple narrators worked perfectly, and I had no trouble telling them apart. And I loved the way their different voices and perspectives added so much to the story!" | My Thoughts

10. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

"I didn't expect to love this one as much as I did, and it's one of the best bookish surprises when a book totally surpasses your expectations. I cannot wait for the next book in this series, and I just have to note that the finished copy of this book is GORGEOUS. Seriously." | My Thoughts

11. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

I am, quite literally, SO OBSESSED WITH this book. Marillier has skyrocketed to the top of my favorite "new-to-me" authors, and I cannot wait to binge her entire backlist... I'll be spending quite a bit of time in Sevenwaters, and I already have no regrets. I've loved the Fall Into Fantasy event for so many reasons, but the biggest one is the discovery of this author and this book. It's gorgeous, moving and just begging to be read again and again. I have no doubt this will be a forever favorite for me! | My Thoughts

12. I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

"Rosetta became one of my all-time favorite characters by the time I closed the book. I could imagine all the real, flesh-and-blood women like her who risked it all. And it's the biggest compliment I can give this book to tell you that it made the past come alive for me. This book is exactly why I love historical fiction. I can't recommend I Shall Be Near to You enough!" | My Thoughts

Bonus: Pre-Order These 2015 Releases
Reviews Coming Soon!

Girl Before a Mirror by Liza Palmer

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Before I Go Colleen Oakley

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Introducing: You Make Me Feel So Young!

Introducing: You Make Me Feel So Young!

Dec 15, 2014

Earlier this year, I wrote a Top Ten Tuesday post about books I wanted to re-read but didn't own anymore. When I was growing up, I was a major book purger. I was constantly cleaning out my shelves and giving books away. Honestly, I'm still a little mad I gave so many away. The day that post went up, my mom dropped by my house with a surprise: she'd bought me all of the books on my list. It was one of the best and sweetest gifts!

Within a few days, I'd added them all to Goodreads. Then, I got a fun email from Estelle from Rather Be Reading proposing an idea: a new feature revisiting some of our favorite books from childhood! I'd been wanting to pair up with Estelle for a while, but we could never think of what exactly we wanted to do together. But as soon as I read her email, I knew it was the perfect fit.

We want to celebrate the books that turned us into readers - the ones we stayed up late reading under the covers, the ones we stuffed in backpacks because we couldn't leave them at home, the ones that immediately make us feel nostalgic for the past, the ones we dogeared, highlighted, memorized and clutched to our chests. It's time to remember what it was like to fall in love with reading! So, today we're introducing:

You Make Me Feel So Young

Each quarter, Estelle and I will be highlighting three books: one joint read that we both loved growing up and then we'll each pick a book for one another - something we loved that the other one hasn't read yet. We'll officially be kicking it off in January, but we wanted to go ahead and introduce all that fun that is to come.

During the months when we aren't publishing a related blog post, you can look forward to other fun things: book-inspired activities, movie adaptation re-watches and more. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to see what we're sharing with #SoRatherBeYoung. We hope it will inspire you to return to some of your childhood favorites... or maybe even try one of ours. And feel free to join us as we take a trip down memory lane!

To celebrate, we're giving away two copies of our first joint read: 

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

The 50th Anniversary Edition

This special 50th Anniversary Edition of the classic and ground-breaking coming-of-age novel, Harriet the Spy, includes tributes by Judy Blume, Meg Cabot, Lois Lowry, Rebecca Stead, and many more, as well as a map of Harriet's New York City neighborhood and spy route and original author/editor correspondence.

Using her keen observation skills, 11-year-old Harriet M. Welsch writes down in her notebook what she considers the truth about everyone in and around her New York City neighborhood. When she loses track of her notebook, it ends up in the wrong hands, and before she can stop them, her friends read the sometimes awful things she's observed and written about each of them. How can Harriet find a way to keep her integrity and also put her life and her friendships back together?

“I don’t know of a better novel about the costs and rewards of being a truth teller, nor of any book that made more readers of my generation want to become fiction writers. I love the story of Harriet so much I feel as if I lived it.” — Jonathan Franzen, author of Freedom and The Corrections

Don't forget to check out Estelle's post, too!

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