I hopped on the BannedWagon this month with @Jadams89 and crew to revisit one of the most important books in my own personal journey. If I read it for the first time now, I'm sure I'd think it's a perfectly fine coming-of age-story. But I read it as a teenager and so have no objectivity whatsoever; I still find it close to perfect. I'd never read anything at that age which captured in words the feelings I always thought were inexpressible. ⬇️⬇️

The first book from these authors, an adaptation of Emma, was an unexpectedly fun and enjoyable read for me and I'd really been looking forward to this P&P companion. I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint! I loved the characterization of the Bennet sisters here and the Lydia/Wickham twist was a fun play on the original. The potential for both a Persuasion and S&S set in the same world is teased here, and i hope we get them- I'd read eagerly!

Littens! My husband and I are taking a kind of impromptu trip to the Poconos next week and I'd love any recommendations from those who have visited! What can't we miss, and most importantly....what bookstores should we look out for? #TravelTips #TravelisJustReadingInAnotherPlace

This is not book-related (although his musical Falsettos won Best Book at the 1992 Tonys!) but I had to take a moment to mourn William Finn, one of the greatest musical theatre composers to ever do it. If you're a theatre kid, join me in listening to Falsettos, A New Brain, Spelling Bee, and Elegies on repeat today. If you're not a theatre kid, can I interest you in discovering some damn good music and poignant stories? #SeeMoreTheatre

This one is a YA mystery rooted in online fan culture and oh my Lord...! I've only ever dipped my toes into fandom but even with my limited experience, there is so much about this story that rings scarily, hilariously true. I didn't love the resolution but the journey was a quick and wild ride. Recommended in spite of the implausible coincidences and deep need to suspend disbelief; it's a lot of fun anyway, and you'll get just what you came for.

Hello from Deep Valley and Betsy Ray's house! Planning for the #BetsyTacyConvention has kicked into overdrive and your fearless committee has gathered in Mankato to finalize some details for our event this fall. Having attended multiple conventions in the past, I can't stress how incredible it is to be in these spaces and see the real-life inspiration for some of my favorite books. Will I see you in October? Registration link is in the comments!

Childhood dolls coming in clutch for the photo op! 😂 American Girl held a HUGE part of my early years - the stories were so foundational, highlighting common experiences across culture and time. The tagged book is an extension of the authors' podcast and while the humor and reflections translate well enough to the page, I highly recommend that AG fans seek out the real thing. And now the important question - which girl do YOU most identify with?

Keeping it reasonable for my April #PemberLittens reading! I've never read Longbourn (!) so it's time, and I can't wait for Jane Austen's Bookshelf. I loved Price's funny S&S mystery so I'm glad to be reading what came before it and Bellezza/Harding's Emma adaptation was so clever that I bought the tagged book the instant it was released. I waited a long time to read it but now seems like the perfect moment, as a kickoff to a month of adaptations.

Winding down a quiet, rainy Sunday with some low light and the P&P chapter of this book. In it, the author reflects on how Lizzy taught him what it means to grow up- not through advanced degrees or important jobs, but rather reflecting on your own mistakes and putting in the hard work to change for the better: "For [Austen], growing up has nothing to do with knowledge or skills... it has everything to do with character and conduct." Truer words!

Closing out P&P with ch.3 of Kelly's book and Jane's views on "polite society". Much is made of the importance of proper introductions as well as the many clashes of class throughout the novel, but Kelly also points to the presence of the militia and the undercurrent of war and violence lurking beyond our story. But she still needs to throw in an outlandish claim, so brace yourselves- is Wickham actually...Darcy's illegitimate half-brother?! (?)

Whoops, I accidentally finished the rest of this in one fell swoop! Not surprising, since it's one of the best books ever written and I never stop delighting in it- witty and sparkling with depth and soul. Miss me with any accusations of "cringe" - this book is endlessly beautiful and I am so much better for loving it. #PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow

Ch. 43/44: To Pemberly, therefore, they went and the housekeeper raves about Darcy, singing his praises like she's in church. Suddenly the man himself appears and Lizzy is *mortified*. But he's...chill about it? And also civil and solicitous and generous, and he wants Lizzy to meet Georgiana?!?! Lizzy can't make sense of it, and the next day he does show up with Georgie in tow, offering more kindness and a dinner invitation. Could it be...love?

"To Pemberly, therefore, they were to go."

Is there any better cliffhanger?! The excitement always rushes up for me at this moment; this line, placed on its own after all the conversation and activity of the last two chapters, sets the stage with so much anticipation. I don't care if it's hyperbole, I still find it thrilling. #PemberLittens #JaneAustenThenAndNow

Calling all #BetsyTacy fanatics! All #MaudHartLovelace diehards! All of you #DeepValley devotees! The time has come! Registration is now OPEN for the 2025 #BetsyTacyConvention! I'll put the link in the comments, and will hope to see you in Mankato!

Ch.37-40: OK, I know this meme is about shit that went down several chapters ago but it's just too good! Plus, much of the action since has centered on the fallout: how Elizabeth reconciles Darcy's side of the story, how and when she tells Jane about it, and how it affects her conduct with Wickham when they inevitably meet again. Also, Lydia is on a tear about how badly she wishes she could follow the regiment to Brighton (foreshadowing!).

Ch.35/36: A letter from Darcy to Elizabeth! He comes clean about his role in the Bingley/Jane affair and gives the other side of the story on Wickham- and it's *full* of high drama. Lizzy is reeling upon reading Darcy's side of things but admits to herself that she was wrong on both counts. Here's my question for you, #PemberLittens: now that the Wickham backstory has come out, who do you think is the worse Austen rogue- Wickham or Willoughby?

Ch. 33/34: After running into Darcy repeatedly during walks at Rosings, Lizzy finally runs into Col. Fitzwilliam instead. He brags about Darcy having saved a friend (Bingley) from a marriage to some trash lady (Jane), and Elizabeth is rightfully incensed. Then Darcy barges in with one of the worst proposals ever written. Every time I read it, I marvel that he ever redeems himself because this proposal is St-John-from-Jane-Eyre levels of offensive.

Ch.31/32: One of my favorite chapters ever! Lizzy is full of mouthy snark and dishes it out to Darcy- calling him out on his anti-social behavior and refusing to be intimidated by his grand manner. We get the quote that appears on all the t-shirts and totes and pins and artful prints, and deservedly! What a fucking banger. Then Darcy starts his weird routine of coming over every day with absolutely nothing to say, leaving the ladies like "wtf?".

Ch. 29/30: Lady Catherine invites the crew to dinner and is intrusive af with all of her questions. Lizzy handles it as gracefully as possible but Lady C is appalled by her. We soon learn that in addition to being a judgemental bitch, she constantly inserts herself into everyone's business throughout the entire village. She also unleashes a terrible surprise when she invites her nephews to come and stay. Mr. Darcy is back and unpleasant as ever!

Ch.27/28: Lizzy is in her traveling era, with a trip to Hunsford and an invitation from her aunt to visit Derbyshire and the Lakes once summer hits. At the Parsonage, Elizabeth can see how Charlotte manages to make the best of her less-than-perfect situation, e.g. encouraging Collins to be in the garden at all times and selecting a room at the back of the house (out of his way!) to be her personal parlor. Charlotte Collins, making it work!

Ch.25/26: The review of P&P that says, "Just a bunch of people going to each other's houses" is spot-on today: the Gardiners visit! The officers come to dine! Jane goes to London! Miss Bingley (grudgingly) pays her a call! In the midst of it, her aunt warns Lizzy not to fall in love with Wickham and she's all, "Ehhh, can't make any promises." Then Charlotte asks her to come visit Hunsford and again she's like, "Yeah, no." (But of course she does.)

Ch. 23/24: Sir William announces Charlotte's engagement to Collins and the Bennet women just about lose their minds. Lydia is a total dick about it and Lizzy has to tactfully interject some well-wishes, and Mrs. B is livid. Then Caroline writes that their party won't return to Netherfield, and btw, Miss Darcy is just SO amazing. Jane tries to be calm but Mr. Bennet turns the whole thing into a joke (see the Reddit user below who clocked his ass).

Ch. 19/20: "Mr. Collins" and "marriage" are terrifying words when taken together but our chapters today are all about the man's quest for a wife. First he corners Elizabeth to render the worst proposal ever (at least until her next one) and she firmly turns him down- so he gets *really* petty and proposes to her best friend. Sure he's kind of the worst, but Charlotte will live in comfort and her children will eventually inherit Longbourn so ?‍♀️

Ch. 17/18: Oof, today's chapter's hits a real low point. Mr. Wickham is not at the ball which puts a damper on Lizzy's whole night, and then Mr. Darcy asks her to dance?! Totally flustered, she has no choice but to accept and the whole thing is awkward and passive aggressive as she tries to make sense of what Wickham has told her and he stonewalls her at every turn. Then the rest of the Bennets conspicuously act the fool, leaving Lizzy mortified.

Ch. 15/16: The ladies meet up in town with Denny and his hot-as-hell friend, Wickham. Elizabeth clocks some weird vibes between him and Darcy when the latter rolls up, but doesn't get the scoop until the next night. Wickham pours out the whole sordid tale in some very pretty language, all deference and faux-humility. You've to give it to him, he does a clever job of getting ahead of what Elizabeth knows and spinning the story to his advantage.

Ch. 13/14. Everyone's favorite pompous prig has arrived! Mr. Collins is here to drone on about his esteemed patroness, read a book of patronizing sermons at the ladies, and generally be a living, breathing reminder that they'll all be homeless someday. He also relays some of Lady C's best life advice, including, "Put some shelves in your closet" and "marry as soon as possible.” Mr. Bennet and I love to hate him but the Bennet women aren't charmed.

The days run on and Elizabeth is still sequestered at Netherfield, and girl just can't wait to pack up Jane and get home. She does get to engage in some solid verbal sparring with Darcy, though, and he begins to realize just how hard he's falling for her. Caroline continues her whole "look at me, pay attention to meeee!" game with Darcy and it's pretty satisfying to watch how he shuts her down. Finally, at last, the Bennets make their way home.

Ch. 9/10: Lots of personality showing out today! The narrative focus sharpens as Lizzy, Darcy, all the Bingleys, and Mrs. Bennet banter and bounce off one another. Such strong personalities so smartly contrasted put me in an Enneagram frame of mind. What do you think, #PemberLittens? Is Darcy a 1 or a 5? Is Lizzy a 7? I think Caroline exhibits some classic 3 tendencies and Bingley is the 9-est 9 that ever 9'd. I'd love to hear your thoughts! ⬇️⬇️

Ch.7&8: The Bingley Sisters are bringing their best shit-talking game tonight, folks! Mrs. B pulled the ol' "make Jane go to dinner on horseback in the rain so she'll get sick" schtick and it worked like a charm. Lizzy walked three miles in the mud to check on her sister and while Bingley and Darcy felt pleased and horny, respectively, about the whole endeavour, the ladies had a good laugh at her wild, untidy, blowsy ways. Haters gonna hate. ?‍♀️

Ch. 5&6: Today's two chapters are in large part given over to the people of Meryton being in sheer disbelief that Mr. Darcy doesn't like to dance. The Bennet and Lucas ladies gossip about his pride and vanity while Sir William just can't wrap his mind around it and keeps pushing the matter, catching Lizzy in the crossfire. Darcy relents but she walks off like a badass and he's left to daydream about her fine eyes. Man is catching feelings!

Ch.3&4: Warning! Bingley may be sensible, good-humoured, lively, and happy-mannered, but he comes as a package deal with some stone cold assholes. His two sisters are proud and conceited and his friend Mr. Darcy is, according to everyone at the Meryton Assembly, the most disagreeable man in the world. We know this must be true because he drags Lizzy loudly and publicly. She's able to laugh it off, but seriously, someone needs to deck him for that.

Ch. 1&2: Jane's iconic opening line gets me psyched to go every single time and the opening chapters always start me off laughing, even as I know Mr. Bennet's dry humor is a conscious redirect from the withering contempt he holds for the women in his life. Yeah, I said it. After all, here's the first thing he says about his daughters: "They have none of them much to recommend them...they are all silly and ignorant." AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT, BRO??

I'm SO excited to be kicking off the March P&P read with the #PemberLittens! I'm pulling out the Chiltern edition that a friend brought back for me when she visited Chatsworth House; such a lovely gift and a gorgeous edition. Are we all ready for this?! #JaneAustenThenAndNow

Finished my final Sense and Sensibility adaptation late last night, just in the nick of time! This one is S&S as a spicy romance novel with a dash of HGTV property overhaul and an overwhelming amount of Ferrars' Sense of Duty. I liked the world of this update, and each of the characters had a great modern spin. Brandon was my favorite, even though his role felt greatly reduced. Special shout-out to the Middletons' cameo. NGL I laughed out loud. 😂

I will love this book till the end of time. I've read a lot of bad reviews of it online and they make me want to weep. So many point to Esther's relative privilege, asking, "How could she be depressed?” As if mental illness cares about circumstance! As if being an ambitious woman in the '50s wasn't stultifying and stifling! Anyway, I'll be over here with Kat Stratford, relishing the gorgeous prose and feeling deeply understood. Thank you, Sylvia.

Three chapters in one day and I'm feeling grateful for Dr. Nolan. She may not have given Esther enough of a heads-up on the shock treatment, but true to her word, she was there every step of the way. She also starts to debunk some of Esther's deeply ingrained beliefs about sexual purity and sends her to get fitted for a diaphragm. Considering the time period, I think this practicing female psychiatrist is a total badass and I say, "Hail, hail."

What an utterly ludicrous and yet completely amusing, addictive (heh) read. There was just enough of our original characters in here to represent the world we know and love, but I was all-in in the author's changes. If Austen ever needed Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret to solve a murder, I have no doubt it would go down just like this. 😂 I finished it in my usual cafe with some rose lemonade - a perfect way to pass a relaxing Sunday.

It's Philomena Guinea to the rescue again, this time paying for Esther to stay in a private hospital. She meets Dr. Nolan (a female doctor!) who seems miles better than Dr. Gordon, though Esther's illness is still in full effect, paranoia on high as she reads deep meaning and connection into random things (the matchbook, anyone?). She receives a now-debunked treatment, Insulin Shock Therapy, and meets up with her former maybe-nemesis Joan Gilling.

Russ Tamblyn was one of my early loves- I grew up on movie musicals and his Riff in West Side Story is one for the ages, along with his role in the laughably sexist (but brilliantly choreographed) Seven Brides. Later as a teen, I re-discovered him in Twin Peaks. His autobiography details his incredible life and career as a dancer, choreographer, visual artist and actor. It's a pretty straightforward autobiography but one worth the telling.

Caught up on two bleak chapters and all I can think of is the White House plan to "asses the threat" of life-saving mental health care. We've always failed people with mental illness- when we locked them away and then kicked them back out into the streets, when we shoved them in overcrowded AFC homes, when we correlate mental illness with violence, and now this. There are countless Esthers today who need care; what are we doing to see they get it?

I apologize in advance for being flip. Today's chapter is a really hard read and yet all I could think of was my very first pop culture exposure to ECT, the terrifying movie Return to Oz. Somehow a bunch of adults thought that making a movie where Dorothy undergoes shock therapy would be GREAT for kids! Anyway, all this to say, ECT is a horror no matter where you meet it- in a movie theatre age 5 or in a beautiful novel at the age of 17 or 40+.

Obviously Esther eventually has a HUGE effing reason to dislike Dr. Gordon, but at first, it's all about the vibes (ok, ok, and a large helping of mental illness). We see her negative symptoms become more intense, neglecting her own self-care and experiencing an uptick in suspicion of people around her. It's a tough chapter made worse by Dr. Gordon's prescription of shock treatment. Hold onto your hats, folks...

Some of these feel pretty spot on, and others? Well, I'm flattered! 🤣 These have been so fun to see from everyone who's posted. #LiterallyMyCharacter Thanks @TheBookHippie !

I really enjoyed this book, but calling it even a loose adaptation of S&S is a stretch. True, it centers on two sisters with a deceased father (the elder sister is the oddest Elinor/Marianne hybrid and the younger is vaguely Elinorish) but that's pretty much it on the similarities. I wound up liking it a lot, and if YA is your bag, this one is a lovely coming-of-age story. But #PemberLittens, beware! There's not much of the Dashwood about it.

At home, Esther learns she didn't make the summer writing course she applied for. Her mental health is really starting to deteriorate as she both spies on and hides from her neighbours and vacillates rapidly between summer plans (I'll write a novel! No, I'll learn shorthand! No, I'll read Finnegan's Wake!). None of that happens, but she does manage to break up with Buddy and inadvertently wind up with a referral to a psychiatrist. Both wins, tbh.

The image I've concocted in my head of Esther throwing her clothes off the rooftop is so concrete and vivid that nothing I can find online even approximates it. But here's an image of two women on the roof of the real Barbizon Hotel so you get a sense of what her view may have been. This chapter is so intense and so profoundly sad, from Hilda's cold indifference to Marco's assault to the clothes floating into the city like "a loved one's ashes".

A chapter full of disaster- an awkward, post-Christmas drive to the Adirondacks with Mr. Willard, Buddy making Esther read a terrible poem he wrote, an unwanted marriage proposal, and finally skiing lessons from Buddy *who has never gone skiing himself*?! All leading up to a broken leg on the slopes, and no wonder. Wish Esther had refused to ski full-stop because all of this is nonsense.

This chapter is chock-full of so much beautiful writing. It might feel a little cliche and obvious today but I stand by the fig tree metaphor as being a perfect encapsulation of being young and staring down an uncertain future. And calling out the hypocrisy of sexual standards for women and the stultifying expectations of marriage at the time still feels so truthful and powerful. Hey young wannabe trad-wives, I've got a chapter for you to read....

Saw this posted by an acquaintance on Instagram, and I am once again begging the world to stop romanticizing this story of generational abuse, trauma, and revenge. #WanderingThroughWutheringHeights

So, I know that Esther is actually angry and frustrated with the restrictive and hypocritical double standards of her time and is taking it out on Buddy but the guy still pisses me off. My rational brain knows that he didn't lie to her - he came clean about the waitress as soon as she asked - but I still can't stand his smug, mansplain-y vibe and I don't blame Esther for feeling relieved when he's shipped off to the Adirondacks.