The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

 "It is a truth universally acknowledged that women since time immemorial (or at least since 1995) have been obsessed with Colin Firth. My mother was no exception."

The story:

American Tess Bright has just scored the role of Catherine Morland in a new movie production of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, a book her mom loved.

Hugh Balfour is playing Henry Tilney. 

He's a method actor from England who has immersed himself in the Regency era. And he doesn't think much of Tess.

She's all heart and exuberance (and messes), good at improv, and determined to make Hugh like her. Or at least run lines with her.

They're filming in Hampshire, England, near where Austen lived and also near Hugh's ancestral estate.

Then a freak electrical accident sends them both back in time to Jane Austen's era, two hundred years in the past, where they only have each other and their acting skills to rely on. 

My thoughts:

Delightfully witty and utterly charming. It was so much fun to watch Tess and Hugh navigate the courtesies and customs of the Regency Period all while snipping and snarking at each other. I loved how Tess comes to better understand Hugh's quirks and guardedness, and how she draws him out of his introvert shell. And Hugh helps Tess deal with her grief over her mother's passing and learn to smile and love again. They were an entertaining couple. And all their time travel tribulations and trials were very entertaining. I enjoyed their banter and their friendship and romance and that awkward moment when Tess got to meet her hero, Jane Austen herself.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

November's Bookish Art....

 

William Oliver the Younger
Portrait of a Lady Reading a Book

"I think books are like people in the sense that they'll turn up in your life when you most need them."

--Emma Thompson

Flipping the Birdie by S.L. Woeppel

 

The plot:  Birdie Bowden, aka the Chicago Bird, got her superpowers when she was a teen-ager. Her mother shipped her off to a government training facility when she was 18. Now she's Chicago's official super, but things are not going well. Even though she has a perfect save record, her bad attitude, hot temper, and tendency to swear at inappropriate moments has won her the label of Superbitch. And gotten her suspended for the next eleven weeks...with mandatory therapy. It gets even worse when her therapist challenges her not to use her superpowers. Because without them, who is she? 

My thoughts: This book is irreverent, funny and full of quirky characters--Bernadette 'Birdie' Bowden included. I loved her new bestie, Evie, who invites Birdie to come stay with her at her beach cottage, and I also really liked Evie's handsome but very grumpy brother, Aiden. Birdie's journey to find herself was both poignant and humorous. She's snarky and sarcastic but also insecure about her own worth. Her own mother had her sent away after all. And she doesn't believe any man could love her. Not with her superpowers making her so much stronger and faster. But Aiden is determined to prove her wrong. I liked the two of them together--though their romance does get pretty spicy. All in all, this was a very entertaining and fun read. And a nice change of pace.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Patton's Prayer by Alex Kershaw

 December 1944.

Bastogne, Belgium.

The Battle of the Bulge. 

"Perhaps God saved me for this effort."

--Gen. George S. Patton

"Drive like hell!" That was Patton's order for the tankers of his 4th Armored Division who had been tasked with reaching Bastogne. ... "Gentlemen," said Patton," this is a hell of a Christmas present, but it was handed to me and I pass it on to you. Tonight, the Third Army turns and attacks north. I would have much preferred to continue our attack to the east as planned, but I am a soldier. I fight where I'm told, and I win where I fight!"

This is a 5-star book of resilience, courage, faith and victory in World War II. Kershaw does an amazing job of relating the key role Patton's Third Army, and Patton himself, played in the Battle of the Bulge. It's an incredibly compelling narrative told with emotion, honesty and urgency. Though well-researched and full of detail, not once does it bog down. It's informative in the best possible way. I read it in two days and came away with a new appreciation for Patton, the men he commanded like Creighton Abrams and his 37th Tank Battalion, the 4th Armored Division, and the 101st Airborne who held Bastogne against all the odds while waiting for reinforcements to come. What a story! I loved it. 

"Just how important was Bastogne?"

"It was as important as the Battle of Gettysburg was to the Civil War." 

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme:  THE FIRST 10 BOOKS I RANDOMLY GRABBED FROM MY SHELVES.

It's an eclectic mix...but then I am an eclectic reader. 

1. Altar of Eden by James Rollins

2. Soulless by Gail Carriger

3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

4. Highland Fling by Katie Fforde

5. Lost by Sharon Bolton

6. The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

7. Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

8. Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris

9. Wreckers by George Ellis

10. Emily Hudson by Melissa Jones

Bonus book:

The Awkward Age by Henry James

Happy Reading!

Randomness...

 Got this new card game, Zombie Chickens, last month, and it is SO much fun to play. And so easy to learn. During the day, you build up your farm's defenses to then hopefully defeat the zombie chickens that attack each night. There's a collaborative version, a competitive version and even a solo version. I like all three.

A Northern Flicker has been hanging around my backyard all month. They're such captivating birds, and have such plaintive cries.  I hope he sticks around all winter long. 

Some other glad things that have happened lately:

• Had another fun game night with my nephews and nieces; we played a rousing round of the Disney game Villains.
• Got my flu shot.
• A record amount of rain fell in Utah in October...a blessing we very much needed. 
• BYU's football team is on a winning streak. Go cougs!
• I went on a lovely fall hike with my sister.
• Heard from a friend.
• I also went and saw that new movie Springsteen. It's awesome! 
• But my biggest glad thing is all of my blogging friends who bought, downloaded, and read my novella. Your friendship and kindness and support mean the world to me. Thank you!!!

Meet Moose!

 

This Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound was the inspiration for Moose (whose real name is Sigmund), my favorite character in Ghosts of Grayhaven, the novella my sister and I wrote. We hope to write more about Moose in the future, because he's not your ordinary hound. He has supernatural skills. And he's very loyal to both Zeb and Mariah. If you want to read about him, or are looking for a quick story of ghostly suspense to read on Halloween, you can check out our novella at the link above. It's got a warded cemetery, a vengeful ghost, some humor and a little romance. And an amazing dog named Moose. 

Happy Reading!