Being a Jane Austen Mystery Reading Challenge 2011



It's January, or as I prefer to call it, Janeuary.  It's cold outside. It's the perfect time to read Austen. 

I've taken on another Jane Austen reading challenge - Jane Austen mystery books by Stephanie Barron. By the end of the year, there will be 11 books in the series published. It is my hope that I will take one book a month and write a review of the book. 

January - Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor (1996)

February -  Jane and the Man of the Cloth (1997)

March - Jane and the Wandering Eye (1998)

April -  Jane and the Genius of the Place (1999)

May - Jane and the Stillroom Maid (2000)

June - Jane and the Prisoner of the Wool House (2001)

July - Jane and the Ghosts of Netley (2003)

August - Jane and His Lordship’s Legacy (2005)

September - Jane and the Barque of Frailty (2006)

October - Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron (2010)

November - Jane and the Canterbury Tale (2011)

Updated:  Due to an unforseen schedule change in my time, I will not be able to do a review.  However, I do hope to read each of the books listed during this year.

The Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge 2011

With 2011 being the bicentennial year for Sense and Sensibility and the fact that my JASNA book club is reading this title now, participating in the Sense and Sensibility Bicentenary Challenge just seemed natural. Below is a list of movies, spin offs and a sequel  to Sense and Sensibility that I plan on reading and watching.  Each month I'll write a review on the following titles:

January - The Sense and Sensibility Screenplay and Diaries : Bringing Jane Austen's Novel to Film by Emma Thompson

February - Elinor and Marianne : a Sequel to Sense and Sensibility by Emma Tennant

March - Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange

April - Dashwood Sisters Tell All by Beth Pattilo

May - The Annotated Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen and David M. Shapard

June - Sense and Sensibility 2008

July -Sense and Sensibility 1995

August - Suspense and Sensibility, or First Impression Revisited : a Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mystery by Carrie Bebris

Updated:  Due to an unforseen schedule change in my time, I will not be able to do a review of each book.  I will try to read one book per month.

Summer Reading

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. ~Francis Bacon

Every summer I like to revisit some of my old friends - Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte or Elizabeth Gaskell. This year it is Jane Austen. I just love her wit. I've recently read Emma and now I'm beginning Persuasion.

I'm also revisting some homeschooling books to stoke the fires again. Real Learning is my favorite. It is so practical and chock full of ideas from moms who have been there and done that. There is also a wonderful picture book list too.

I love books about books. Two new homeschooling books that I've read through earlier in the year, Maureen Witmann's For the Love of Literature and Cay Gibson's A Picture Perfect Childhood deserve another read through. This time, I'll be taking notes.

I'll be reading through some of Charlotte Mason's Original Homeschooling Series as well as The Advanced Montessori Method and Teaching Montessori in the Home: The School Years. These last three will be the ones that I have to "chew" and "digest" as I try to see how to implement these ideas in our home.

I've also have gotten involved with a Charlotte Mason Summer Study of three books: Education Is..., Laying Down the Rails and Hours in the Out-of-Doors: A Charlotte Mason Nature Study Handbook. I think these books will fill my need for learning.