It’s school holiday time here in the UK which means that I will be taking some time off work to spend some time
shouting at with my children. I always hope for more reading time during the school holidays and usually it doesn’t happen. As ever, it will be one of my aims, along with losing an unrealistic amount of weight and achieving a completely organised home. Never say I am unambitious!
I have a fairly quiet month planned on the blog. Firstly,
Karen M. Cox has a ‘sidequel’ out – a companion book to ‘
1932’ which is a P&P variation set in the US depression. ‘
The Journey Home’ focuses on Georgiana’s story during the same time period. I’ll be bringing you my review of this novella.
Karen has an ‘
Emma’-inspired book
coming out in September, and in the run up to the blog tour I’ll have the pleasure of hosting her for a post here. I was very excited to hear about this book, because not only is it an ‘Emma’ book, which I’ve read very few of, but it’s neither modern nor Regency, which is another unusual touch.
I will also be welcoming author
Meg Kerr. Meg has written a new ‘
Pride & Prejudice’ sequel, ‘
Devotion’, which focuses on Georgiana. She really is a mystery isn’t she? On the one hand she’s shy, very quiet, seemingly lacking in confidence and on the other she was nearly bold enough to elope with somebody that she must have known to be unsuitable. She is certainly an enigma.
As for my reading plans, I just hope to catch up a bit! I have so much that I’ve planned to read in previous months and didn’t get round to. I might struggle as we are planning some home improvements which takes up time. Wish me luck :) What do you plan to read? Let me know in the comments!
I have a fairly quiet month planned on the blog. Firstly, Karen M. Cox has a ‘sidequel’ out – a companion book to ‘1932’ which is a P&P variation set in the US depression. ‘The Journey Home’ focuses on Georgiana’s story during the same time period. I’ll be bringing you my review of this novella.
How I understand you Ceri! I've been in holidays these past 2 weeks and one of my goals was to finally organize my home...it didn't happen! But I did read a little which is good :) I read A quest for Mr.Darcy and When We Are Married and am currently reading Darcy in Wonderland.. after this I think I'll read something non-JAFF :)
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes we expect too much of ourselves, Rita! I have had over a week off work now and actually, have done some good work on the organising front, but now my reading has suffered. It's so hard to strike a balance isn't it!
DeleteI'm laughing at your taking time off from 'shouting at the children'. I remember those years well! :D
ReplyDeleteI've just come back from holiday, but I'm looking forward very much to starting Darcy in Wonderland!
Yes, 'stop fighting' has become my mantra lately, but these years will flash by all too quickly and before I know it I will become nostalgic for them. I hope you enjoyed DiW :)
DeleteI think Karen M Cox's sidequel is a fabulous companion piece for "1932". If you loved "1932" this is a must read.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait for you to read her Emma novel. Cannot wait. It's a brilliant story!
I'm really looking forward to reading Karen's Emma novel too, Christina. I love that she mixes it up. I've read a Persuasion-inspired one by her as well as a NA short story so I'm looking forward to seeing her take on Emma.
DeleteAim high and hit somewhere in the middle is what I always tell myself will happen. LOL. I do hope you have a nice holiday with the kids and your home improvement projects go smoothly. I've got Karen's books for review, too. I do hope to finish reading some review books and starting House of Daughters this month.
ReplyDeleteWell so far so good, Sophia, but the weather has been quite disappointing, which means we aren't doing some of the things I'd planned.
DeleteWhen I am in the midst of a story, I frequently keep my mind in the P&P space by reading other authors. Some take several days. Others are a two day effort (depends on how long my wife allows the light to remain on after bedtime). In the latter is one of your August reads. No spoilers...so no worries.
ReplyDeleteHave to weigh in on one of your planned reads...I found "Devotion" a wonderful extension of the Georgiana storyline. While Miss Darcy does not require redemption for her unconscious trusting a despicable man, "Devotion" grants her the greatest possible redemption in the P&P-verse. And Ms Kerr offers a parallel redemption of a man who found venality to be his solution to the troubles thrown at him by his life's circumstances.
Great work, Ms Kerr! (Don gave 4*.) look forward to your thoughts, Ceri.
That's interesting, Don, that you read other authors while you are writing as so often I hear that authors avoid reading while they are writing. I still haven't got to Devotion yet, hopefully I will enjoy it as much as you did when I get to it :)
DeleteHi Ceri,
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your home improvements!!! They're a bother,your home will probably be covered in dust and look like a bomb site (!) for a few days,but think of the pleasure you'll have when it's finished! You can sit back and admire your new home safe in the knowledge that you won't be undertaking any more 'improvements' for quite some time!!!
Hope you have a lovely time with your kids,that the weather is good and that you all get a chance to make some great memories! 😌
I'm listening to Joana's The Falmouth Connection at the moment and I must admit,I'm really enjoying it! Stevie is a fantastic author,she really brings the story to life!!
I hope to read Caitlin's When We Are Married as I've heard great things about it! Angst filled but unputdownable!!!
Have a lovely August,Ceri!!☺️
Thank you Mary, I am trying my best to enjoy the holidays. It's such a treat to be off work for such a long stretch.
DeleteOur biggest home improvement project will hopefully be on the horizon at some point, we are applying for planning permission for a house extension (gaaaah!)
I hope you're able to enjoy some of your goals. I'm failing miserably with mine.
ReplyDeletedenise
Oh dear, I often find the same, Denise. We are too optimistic with our expectations!
DeleteI am currently trying to catch up on all my blogs and emails! I have had the grandchildren here without mom or dad and we bring them back next Tuesday! I wont be getting any reading done this week! I finished 'Mendacity & Mourning' just before they came so have to do a review on that one! I will say...I absolutely loved it! I also finished Meg Kerr's 'Experience' before that and hope to read 'Devotion' sometime this month. I do have a few others I want to read before the summer ends but I'm a bit tired so the brain isn't functioning! Karen's novella sounds very interesting but I have to read 1932 first!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your time with your children...blackmail works really well! LOL!
Blackmail? I call it 'motivation' here, LOL! I hope your grandchildren's visit went well and that you've managed to find some reading time since Carole!
DeleteI loved both of those books by Karen Cox as well as all the others she has written, even some unpublished ones. I read Experience by Meg Kerr but it was so long ago I must reread it before I venture on to Devotion. I am rereading The Truth About Mr. Darcy, a paperback copy of which I won on a blog raffle. I just finished The Ashes of Longbourn as the author had a number of her books for free on Amazon. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Sheila, I think I've really enjoyed everything I've read by Karen M Cox, so I am looking forward to reading the new book. I don't have 'Experience' so I can't read that before starting on 'Devotion' but I understand it can be read as a stand-alone anyway. I hope you've had some good reads this month.
DeleteI can't wait for Karen's Emma book, I heard so many wonderful things about it! Very excited about reading 1932 too, I love Karen's style!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a lovely holiday with your family, Ceri, and that the home improvements go as planned, you brave lady!! I locked the paintbrushes in a cupboard some years ago and I dread having to get them out :)
Have fun and happy reading!
Hi Joana, if you haven't read 1932 yet, I'd really recommend it, and then listen to some Cole Porter. I particularly like John Barrowman singing 'Night and Day'.
DeleteI have been very lucky with the home improvements, this year my husband was on a mission and he decorated rooms with the help of my in-laws while I was in work! I would recommend this approach if you can manage it :)