My Spin book is.......

 

The Classics Club has picked number 10 for the winner of the Spin List. So I will be reading Persuasion by Jane Austen! It should be a fun read, and I think it will be finished before the deadline of Jan. 1st. If you are participating in the Classics Spin, what book will you be reading?

What's on my Nightstand?

I finally decided to start participating in this to share the books that I have been reading every month.

 

I have been doing a lot of reading this month, although unfortunately it is not my type of reading, textbook reading isn't my idea of fun unless it includes history. But here are the books that I have enjoyed reading so far this month:

 

To Kill A Mockingbird-This is part of a read along that I joined, and am currently behind but will end up finishing the book later on this month. Only on chapter 5 so far, but enjoying it a lot better than when I was a kid trying to read it.

 

The Winnowing Season- I need to finish this book and due a review for my copy of the book. So far I am not enjoying it as much as I thought I would.

 

Sunshine: I got this book in a swap, and did not know what book I was getting. I really enjoyed that and while I normally don't read books on vampires and such I really enjoyed this book. I only wish it was either longer or that there was a sequel.

 

 

Here is my goal for the next month for What's on My Nightstand:

 

1. Finish reading Winnowing Season and To Kill A Mockingbird
2. Read Driving with Dead People - I also got this book from a swap
3. Emma - Part of Austen in August read along/classic club book
4. Sense and Sensibility - Part of Austen in August read along/classic club
5. Finish reading Heart of Darkness - Classic Club book
6. Finish reading The Railway Children- Classic Club book

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join me in an Austen Read Along!

Adam over at roofbeamreader.com is holding his annual Austen in August, where the goal is to read anything Austen related during the month. Not sure what all books I will read, but already thinking of those on my classics club list that I need to read; Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. I also have recently gotten a copy of Mansfield Park as well to read. I also have several spin-off related Austen books I might read, such as The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen and others.

Pride and Prejudice Bicentenary Challenge movie review!

 

Finally I am reviewing the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. I had never seen this version and own the Colin Firth version done by A&E. There are pros and cons to both version of the great work by Austen. In regards to the 1995 version, I did like the settings of the house and that they actually showed more of the servants, I felt this lacked in the previous version. They showed them more with the common folk, and I did think this version of a country dance might have been more accurate. Mr. Darcy though was just too nice from the start, which is not how Austen portrayed Mr. Darcy in the book!  The acting itself was good by everyone, I just felt that Mr. Darcy personality never showed an air of aristocracy. One thing I felt spoiled from watching the miniseries from the 80's was that, in the 1995 version it seemed the film was way too short. Not that the Colin Firth version is perfect, as I think sometimes it did have it's issues as well. I do wish I could have taken the things I loved about both versions and put them together.  

Pride and Prejudice Review...

This review is part of my Spin challenge from the Classics Club. I have never read anything by Jane Austen before, although I have seen the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice, along with the 2009 version of Emma. I can see why this is a classic, it had so much going on, and learning about the different rules of society (which I greatly enjoyed, although I did already know some of it). I often found myself seeing the scenes from the movie while reading the book. I enjoyed most of the characters, but of course not all. I do think that Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy, and Mary were all in some way misunderstood. There were all unsure of themselves in society, for a variety of reasons it seemed. Unfortunately, it made them seem aloof, uncaring, etc., but I often wondered if sometimes they hated being unable to show their true feelings and thoughts? Was Austen trying to show that even though they were at the top or somewhat top of society, compared to the normal person, that they in fact were just as human? No matter the type of person, that sometimes we just don't enjoy social situations with lots of people. I was glad in the book it gave more insight into Mr. Darcy's thoughts, as I was previously unaware of them from the movie. I did like Jane's and Elizabeth characters, although thought Elizabeth was sometime's too judgemental. I was not a fan of Miss Bingley, Lydia, Mr. Wickham or Kitty. I thought it was too bad that Mary didn't have a bigger role, and at points throughout the book I would forget she even existed. I wanted to know more about her, and often wondered why Austen put her in, or if perhaps Austen was showing that not everyone fits into the "role" society thinks we should have.

 

Rank: 5 out of 5.

 rewatch the movie!

Challenge:
6th book for Classics Cub. Next book: A Little Princess
1st book for Pride and Prejudice bicentenary challenge. Next: rewatch movie