Welcome to Litsy!

This was a real treat. I just loved Deresiewicz‘ views on Austen and how he made me see her work in a new light. He talked about topics I never thought about regarding Austen‘s novels. Like how the theater in Mansfield Park is a reflection on the entire novel on who‘s in and who‘s out.

#PemberLittens

That the novel expended so much energy on a play - one that its golden youth put on by themselves, for themselves - made perfect sense to me now. The episode simply made visible what had always been true, that Fanny was and only ever could be a spectator. She may have chosen to sit out the play, but the larger drama of money and status that was being enacted around her all the time - the balls and the games, the flirtation and the matchmaking-

Another friend had become involved with a woman who‘d been raised on Upper East Side and gone to a fancy Manhattan private school. Her prep-school crowd was back in the city after college [...] This was the upper crust, the world of Edith Wharton or F. Scott Fitzgerald updated for the nineties: posh, polished young people who gave off a glow of glamour and sophisticated that drew me a like a moth.

Her genius began with the recognition that such lives as hers were very eventful indeed - that every life is eventful, if only you know how to look at it. She did not think that her existence was quiet or trivial or boring; she thought it was delightful and enthralling, and she wanted us to see that our own are, too. She understood that what fills our days should fill our hearts, and what fills our hearts should fill our novels.

I have picked this book up two other times and didn't feel it so I put it down. This time, I chose it as the book pick for our bookstore's Jane Austen book club and finally got into it. I'm glad I gave it another chance because I really enjoyed looking at my favorite books from someone else's perspective. The author and I have widely different world views, but I learned new things about books that I've read every year since I was 17 (23 times!)

Look what has finally made its way to me. Just a month too late. Too late for the buddy read, but I hope to get to it next month and join in the conversation then

#PemberLittens
@sprainedbrain

😥❤️

#PemberLittens

This quote! 😘

#PemberLittens

Love this observation by the author... mainly because I agree with it. Jane Austen‘s heroines are each incredible in their own way. ❤️

#PemberLittens

The last chapters pushed it from a so-so to a pick for me. I still don‘t think I like the guy much, nor do I agree with some of his thoughts on Austen and her work, but I enjoyed his observations on books that I love, and that last page even made me tear up a little.

I finished last night while also finishing some peach moscato, so now that I‘ve edited my drunken kindle-clippings down a bit, I will share some quotes I loved. 🥴🤣

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

#Pemberlittens ##BingleyandDarcy #memoir
Wonderful metaphors/comparisons. Now that I am only reading the chapters discussing the Austen books that I have, I am thoroughly enjoying the author‘s close reading. He comes across as rather immature & spoiled though.

I feel bad being a grouch about this, but I had high hopes & was let down by the banal inanity of an Ivy League (I've already forgotten chunks of his life because I skimmed through it, lol, so I hope I'm right) male grad student learning about life via Jane Austen novels. His textual analyses are the parts I enjoyed best, but even that got annoying. Austen taught him that his gf's POV was valid? Dude, it took you how long to learn to be a person?

• Litsy #AJaneAustenEducationBuddyRead — Read December 11-31, 2020

#PemberLittens @SprainedBrain

So far, this is the best book that I‘ve read about Jane Austen‘s literature. If you‘re a fan of hers you really need to read this memoir by another Austen lover.

#Pemberlittens

Decided to take my own,non-sequential approach to reading this memoir, because I have only read 3 of Austen‘s novels so far. As I began reading ch 1, “Emma, Everyday Matters” it quickly became apparent to me that I would get more out of this chapter if I had read the book! Consequently,I am only going to read the chapters covering Austen novels that I have read, and return to this book as I read each new one.

#wintersolstice #dashingdecember readathon wrap up. I finished the 4 checked books and a couple of short Christmas audio books as well: Christmas 1914 which was good and Snow Day which was ok. Still plugging away at JA Education. He has occasional insights that I am glad to ponder but his personal journey as he relates to Jane‘s books is not that interesting. He comes off as pretty pompous. I will finish but continue with small doses at a time.

I‘m late! With the holiday, then my need to binge all of Bridgerton, I missed the Thursday post.😬

I quite enjoyed the author‘s thoughts on Northanger, but agree with @suvata that he struggled with Mansfield Park.😅 Not as much highlighting in these chapters, and I‘m not sure I would actually *like* this guy if I met him, but I do like this:

‘Love, I saw, is a verb, not just a noun—an effort, not just another precious feeling.‘

#PemberLittens

Man, this guy really struggled with Mansfield Park. LOL

“Fanny was already eighteen by then, but she still seemed like a child, willfully stuck in the same place she had been when she‘d first arrived at Mansfield Park ... the rest of the household was mainly different flavors of awful.”

@SprainedBrain #PemberLittens

Aiming for lots of reading over this holiday, including a few chapters of this for the #ajaneausteneducationbuddyread with some #pemberlittens.

#BookReport A week of Christmas reading for #Wintergames. Really enjoyed Christmas Days on audio and think it will become a yearly read.

#WeeklyForecast Hope to finish all 3 books in progress early this week and tuck in to more Christmas reads.

It‘s Friday night after a VERY LONG week & I am about done in. So it‘s veggie potstickers for dinner & an attempt to start this for the #AJaneAustenEducationBuddyRead with some of my fellow #PemberLittens 📚Not sure how long I‘ll be able to stay awake but I‘m going to try to at least get a chapter in. 😵😴 💤

#AJaneAustenEducationBuddyRead

Hey, buddy readers! How is everyone liking the book so far? After a diversion to read Kipling‘s ‘The Janeites,‘ I settled right in to Deresiewicz‘s stories.

I‘m highlighting so many passages on my Kindle... there‘s something very satisfying in reading other Janeites talk about Austen and verbalize the way I feel so well.

‘You are born with a whole novel‘s worth of errors ahead of you.‘ ❤️❤️❤️

#PemberLittens

#Pemberlittens #AJaneAustenEducationbuddyread #catsoflitsy

Plan on reading tagged book tomorrow while enjoying a snow day.
My sister sent this article imagining what Austen‘s characters‘ attitude toward wearing a mask would be.

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/which-jane-austen-characters-would-wear-face...

Hope you all enjoy it this bit of fun! 😷

I started this one today!

#AJaneAustenEducationBuddyRead
#Pemberlittens

Started this today, loving chapter one! Recalled here that I still have not read Kipling's short story, The Janeites, so I will do so this weekend! Text here: http://www.telelib.com/authors/K/KiplingRudyard/prose/DebtsandCredits/janeites.h...
#AJaneAustenEducationBuddyRead
#pemberlittens

Reminder that #AJaneAustenEducationBuddyRead starts tomorrow!

Discussion dates about just mean that I will post something to get us going those days... I realize that we have holidays coming, so please join in when you can. ❤️

Tagging those who have said they were joining, but everyone is welcome!

#PemberLittens

Here is my very loose December TBR for #WinterGames2020 I‘ve been contemplating this and I‘m keeping it very open for mood reading.
🎄I put a few holiday reads + a #teamreadnosedreindeer buddy read, the tagged book for a #PemberLittens buddy read, and A Memory Called Empire for #bbbbc on hold at the library yesterday.
📚 The stack is TBR books from my shelves that I‘d like to get to soonish. I‘ll pull from this stack as needed to fit my mood. ⬇️

Tagging everyone (I hope) who has said so far they want to #buddyread this book in December.

How do you all want to do this? Read at your own pace and tag others in discussion, or should we set up a schedule and have a post for each section to talk about it? There are 7 chapters, so they may be a bit long for chapter-a-day... I‘m open to anything!

#AJaneAustenEducation #PemberLittens

Hiya, #PemberLittens!

The chapter-a-day readers are nearly finished with Northanger, but we won‘t start NA-related books and watch parties until January. Here are some potential bonus activities for those interested:

Buddy read: tagged nonfiction/memoir. Comment if you‘re reading with us!

Watch parties: Lost in Austen and/or The Jane Austen Book Club. Fill out the form if interested.

https://forms.gle/e4EvX36vUpMigYRNA

Open to other ideas!😊

People's stories are the most personal thing they have, and paying attention to those stories is just about the most important thing you can do for them.

Last few hours up north with hot apple cider and one of my very favorite Austen-adjacent books. I highly recommend this one, #PemberLittens! #currentlyreading

I‘m going to try to get this next week

#MMD modernmrsdarcy.com 2013 Summer Reading Guide, 2014 Summer Reading Guide

This was absolutely the best book I have read about Jane Austen and her works. It truly changed my perspective on many aspects of Austen‘s writings. Now I am anxious to re-read all six books with new eyes. Recommended to any Janeite.

I'm embarrassed to be posting these so late, but I was FINALLY able to pick up my packages at the apartment office and get my Litsy Christmas gifts. First up is the perfect #jolabokaflodswap pairing from @iread2much - I can't believe we love the same chocolate! I'm so excited for this book, and I'll have to set aside a fake Christmas Eve night to pretend I'm indulging in the correct way. Thank you!!!!! @MaleficentBookDragon

Calendar changes from Aug to Sep and suddenly I'm super busy. This book was my constant companion this week. Took a break to enjoy Ricotta Pancakes w/ Banana Pecan syrup and a London Fog. Last of my #austeninaugust2019 reads. I'm actually glad I was so busy because it forced me to slow down & savor book. The most insightful book on Austen I have ever read. Glad I bought a Print copy because it's definitely a keeper. 📚🍌🤓
#austeninaugustextras

Thank you all for indulging me in my love of Jane Austen.
While officially #austeninaugust2019 is over; I'm not quite ready to let go. Finishing tagged book this Holiday Weekend. It's quite delightful. "Her genius began with the recognition that such lives as hers were very eventful indeed—that every life is eventful, if only you know how to look at it." ?
#austeninaugustextras

2. Chillin By the Pool w/ Book and Umbrella drink. 🍹
3. Bluebell Strawberries and Homemade Vanilla. 🍦
4. I might still remember Middle C from long ago lessons. 🎹
5. #friyayintro 🙋‍♀️
@howjessreads

Willoughby or Wickham??? Which is the worst? 🤔
#yousirareacad #whichisworst
#willoughby #wickham
#austeninaugust2019

May‘s #bookclub pick from my favorite local bookstore. I wasn‘t so sure of this book for the first few chapters, even though they were about the two Jane Austen books I‘ve read. It was a bit pretentious, but as it progressed I thought it got better. Less pretension, more honesty. I liked the last two chapters the best. Overall 3.5 ⭐️

Welp. I got comfy and so did the kittehs - only to realize that my book is on the other end of the sofa. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😂 at least I can read on my phone for a bit thanks to the kindle app (silver lining it) 😄 #catsoflitsy

I love this account of an arrogant, self-important young man discovering Jane Austen. In examining her work and sometimes asking himself #whatwouldjanedo, he begins to see his life transform. #austeninaugust

2. Deciding on a favorite JA character was hard. I think I have to go with Mr. Knightley. His kindness, sharp wit, and down-to-earth nature make him a great character. And he could somehow see the goodness deep within Emma despite her silly, spoiled exterior.

#JaneAustenGiveaway

1. Emma is my favorite Jane Austen novel. I‘ve always loved the hilarity of Emma‘s matchmaking skills, or lack thereof, and the constant switching of mismatched couples when one doesn‘t work out.

#JaneAustenGiveaway

I‘m starting the year off right and devoting my January #tbr to Jane Austen in both nonfictional and fictional terms (not pictured are some of the ‘continuations‘ of her novels I‘ve amassed over the years). I will also reread a few of her novels as I received or purchased new editions last year. This should cover a good chunk of my #mounttbr goals, to be sure. 😄

Happy New Year!

Austen did not see that growing up had anything to do with knowledge or skills but everything to do with character

#nationalsistersday

I've gotten very lucky with my thrift shop and cheap Amazon used book finds lately! 😀 Paired with a nice glass of Chardonnay. (Can't use a conventional wine glass—the kitties would knock it over! 😹)

#signedcopies #booksandbooze #booksacrossoceans #backtoreading

#booksacrossoceans #backtoreading

"You don't 'fix' your mistakes, Austen was telling me, as if they somehow existed outside you, and you can't prevent them from happening, either. You aren't born perfect and only need to develop the self-confidence and self-esteem with which to express your wondrous perfection. You are born with a whole novel's worth of errors ahead of you."

More #bookmail today!

The author in his 20s and 30s was kind of a pompous ass -- but he knew it, and he admits to it here. He begins reading Jane Austen as part of his college education and becomes endeared towards her works and realizes Austen is informing him of his shortcomings and how to overcome them. An enjoyable read with interesting insights. Now I want to re-read my Austens!

Stepping away from my favorite inside reading spot in order to show you all our #outside weather today. Rain. All our non-Pennsylvania friends/family envision us in a state of constant snow. Not true for this area...it's actually milder in these parts. #riotgrams