.... is this thing on?

Hey ladies! It's been a loooong while. I'm just wondering if anyone is still interested in a book group? We can do it however, whenever you want. Any input? If I don't here from anyone, I'm going to delete this blog site July 1st.

Happy reading :)

Miranda

Meet Me At The Pump Room.

Hey Ladies,

It's that time of the month... we need to set up a meeting time. Like Catherine and Isabella, we'll meet up, dish all our gossip and share our personal commentaries to our joyful delight. (ha ha, that's why the club is called hot book GEEKS) I'm looking at October 24th which is a Saturday. Would it be easier to coordinate on a weekday? Please give me your thoughts for a day and time.

Also, here are some other discussion questions and ideas to ponder:

1) Compared to Austen's other works, and considering that Northanger Abbey was the first novel she sold (not the first published, just the first sold), how do you think it rates? Compared to Austen's older novels (Emma, Pride and Prejudice) is the plot as riveting? The romance as intriguing? The heroine and hero as like-able or as irritating?

2) Northanger Abbey was Austen's parody of sorts on the plethora of gothic novels popular at the time. The question is, is it anything deeper? In other words, what else is Austen trying to say or make a statement about?

3) Side stories: The love triangle of Isabella, James and Captain Tilney; Elanor's marriage to a viscount.

Ok, please leave comments as to the day and time that you think would be best.

Cheers,

Miranda

Memorable Words and the Lure of Escapist Fiction

Hello beautiful ladies!

Week one of October is down; how's Northanger Abbey coming? I know a few that are finished reading already, so I thought to keep everyone interested and involved we'd try something new.*

To get us started, I wanted to share one to my favorite lines from the book:

"Provided that nothing like useful knowledge could be gained from them, provided they were all story and no reflection, she had never any objection to books at all."**

So for our first discussion this month, I've picked two topics to start with:

1) Your favorite line from Northanger Abbey (or fav line so far). If you don't have one you could share a fav line from another Austen book.

2) The idea of this quote- Escapist Fiction. Does that mean sparkly vampires to anyone else? I love me some sparkly vampires and shape-shifting wolves, don't get me wrong. I adore escapist fiction, but it does have a bad reputation in the literary world, and society in general too. Is there anything to gain from it? Is it deserving of a bad connotation? Does it have any value? What are your thoughts; inquiring minds want to know.

*To anyone that is interested and finishing Northanger early on in the month, there are at least two of us reading And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie if you want to read along on that one too.

**Sorry I don't know what page that's on as my copy is a full works copy and thus it's on page 818, but I think it should be on or around page 2.

October's Book

Ok this was a hard call, but this months book is:

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Hope everyone is happy with this. Happy reading.

Miranda

ps For any of you that are new to this book group we usually try to coordinate an online chat/conference call via skype near the end of the month to discuss the book. If you don't have a skype account it is free and super easy to download. For details and to download, simply go to:

www.Skype.com/download

However, there will also be a blog post about the book and questions relating to it that you can comment on and discuss with us that way too. Looking forward to reading with all of you beautiful ladies!

Revival: an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again; a restoration to bodily or mental vigor, to life or consciousness

Yes, it is time for another REVIVAL!

I'd like to kick things off in October with something to get our blood pumping, something reminiscent of the season (sorry Mel, I know you hate Halloween), something autumn, something suspenseful... maybe even a little spooky?

How about Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen? or To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee? or MacBeth by Shakespeare? or And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie? (ok, we're not going too spooky, I want Mel to participate!)

Cast your votes, ladies.... let it begin!

April's Book

After watching "Amazing Grace"  I wanted to read the book The Life of Olaudah Equiano.  It's a narration of life on a slave ship and slavery.  I hope it will be a good read.

Shannon Hale Books

Most of us read Book of a Thousand Days for this last month's book group...well I liked the book so well I read "Princess Academy." I thought it was very well written as well. They are like old fashioned fairy tales with a twist. Onto Austenland, Enna Burning, etc., etc.....Any one else read any of Hale's books?