My Love for Jane Austen

The Austenesque scout is delighted to share some wonderful news with her dear readers. There are a few giveaways posted this week from around the blogosphere. First up is a book giveaway offered by Vic Sanborn, the blog mistress of Jane Austen's World . I always visit her blog for my daily dose of Regency period posts and Austen-related information. Since setting up her blog in 2006, it has already reached 2 million visitors this week. To celebrate this milestone, she will be giving away a copy of Fashion: A History from the 18th to the 19th Century by Taschen featuring costumes from the Kyoto Costume Institute. I can personally attest to this beautifully illustrated treasure for I am a proud owner of it. In order to win this gorgeous looking book, you need to leave a comment here and state the topics that you would like to read in the future or which topics you would like to revisit. However, she can only ship to US or Canadian address. Giveaway ends next Wednesday, 10 ...

After viewing Emma (2009) and Persuasion (2007), I was on a roll and decided to re-watch Sense and Sensibility mini-series as one of my tasks to complete for the Everything Austen II challenge. Adapted by Andrew Davies ( Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Little Dorrit, Bleak House, Wives & Daughters, Bridget Jones's Diary ), this BBC production of the three part mini-series was broadcast in January 2008 to British audiences before it was shown 2 months later in the US as part of Masterpiece Classic's The Complete Jane Austen . The lead actresses are Hattie Morahan and Charity Wakefield who play the two Dashwood sisters (Elinor and Marianne) with a host of heavyweights and newcomers alike such as Janet McTeer (Mrs. Dashwood), Mark Williams (Sir John Middleton), Linda Bassett (Mrs. Jennings), Jean Marsh (Mrs. Ferrars), David Morrissey (Colonel Brandon), Dan Steven (Edward Ferrars), Dominic Cooper (Willoughby), Claire Skinner (Fanny Dashwood), Anna Madeley (Lucy...

The Austenesque scout is delighted to inform readers that there are two giveaway with a total of four books up for grabs this week. Firstly, Jane Greensmith, blog mistress of Reading, Writing, Working, Playing is organizing a giveaway of all three books in the Mercy's Embrace series written by Laura Hile. This series is a sequel to Persuasion and is about Elizabeth Elliot on her quest for true love. However, this contest is only open to US readers and books are generously donated by the author. To be entered into the drawing to win this lovely set of books, just leave your comments here and also include your email address . Contest will end next Thursday, 28 October 2010 at 12.00 midnight Mountain time . Results will be known the next day. Maria Grazia recently interviewed author, Elisabeth Storrs at her blog, Fly High! . Ms Storrs' debut novel, The Wedding Shroud , was released last September by Murdock Books in Australia and New Zealand. After reading the i...

Rating: ★★★★★/★★★★★ You might recall I mentioned in this post that I really enjoy reading history books especially on British Monarchy history. A quick glance at the new arrival shelf at my workplace and I knew that this will be my next read. Although it took about six weeks to complete it, I am truly satisfied and thrilled that I managed to complete the task of reading this hardcover book. I promise that I will not go into great details but simply state my thoughts about it. Unlike the previous book that I reviewed here which is Victoria: Her Life, Her People, Her Empire , this book contains very few pages of illustrations but luxurious details of her life. However, I must point out that the main title is not aptly named because it not only contains Queen Victoria's story but also that of her first cousin, Princess Charlotte of Wales. If you read the subtitle, you can guess which direction the author is heading to without even looking at table of contents. However I prefer...

The Austenesque scout is delighted to inform readers that there are three giveaways for this week. Maria Grazia of My Jane Austen Book Club is featuring a weekly interview with Austenesque authors as previously mentioned. This week, she has posted a wonderful interview with Monica Fairview, author of two Jane Austen-inspired novels, The Other Mr. Darcy and The Darcy Cousins . Click here to read the full transcript of the interview. There is a giveaway for a copy of The Darcy Cousins awarded to one lucky participant but he/she must live in US or Canada only because the publisher, Sourcebooks will be delivering this book. As usual, please comment on this post together with your email address . Contest ends next Wednesday, 20 October 2010 . Sarah Pawley, who wrote The Tempest: A Guy of Gisborne Story using Charlotte Hawkins as her pen name (which I won), is offering a copy of her novel, Oh, That I had Wings for free at her blog . For your information, this book was publis...

Watching this 90 minutes ITV movie adaptation of Jane Austen's last novel, Persuasion is a time well spent and I am glad that I chose it as one of my task to complete for the Everything Austen II challenge hosted by Stephanie's Written Word . Initially broadcast in the UK in March 2007 as part of ITV's The Jane Austen Season line-up, it was aired a year later on PBS channel for US viewers as part of the line-up in Masterpiece Classic's The Complete Jane Austen . Actually I re-watch this made-for-television movie right after re-watching Emma mini-series and like Emma, I did not immediately write a review because there was too much things going on in my life. Now that I have the opportunity to write it, I hope I will be able to do it justice. Helmed by Adrian Shergold with the screenplay by Simon Burke, it stars Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot and Rupert Penry-Jones (of Spooks fame) as Captain Frederick Wentworth in the leading roles. I love how the actors have bel...

Abigail Reynolds' latest novel titled Mr. Darcy's Obsession is released on 1 October 2010 by Sourcebooks (which is the same date as Sharon Lathan's In the Arms of Mr. Darcy ). This is the sixth book that she is writing on Pride and Prejudice variation series after being encouraged by Austen fans to continue asking "What if…?". Like Ms Lathan, Abigail will be virtually touring some blogs to promote and discuss her new book. To coincide with this joyous occasion, Sourcebooks is donating one or two copies of Mr. Darcy's Obsession when she tour the blogs. However since Sourcebooks is base in US, giveaways are only open to US and Canadian residents. Please note that contest rules and deadlines differ from each other so please visit individual posts for more details. Some of the contests are already closed. This is because I did not initially plan to streamline Mr. Darcy's Obsession giveaways but posted them in weekly contests. Below is the informa...

This BBC produced mini-series was first broadcasted in UK last autumn and early this year in US on PBS channel. I really enjoyed watching all 4 episodes based on adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name. Therefore I selected this series adapted by BAFTA award winning screenwriter Sandy Welch ( North and South , Jane Eyre , Our Mutual Friend ) to re-watch as part of the Everything Austen II challenge. This was among the first task which I had completed but had not have the opportunity to write a review till now. I'm sure you know the story by now so I just jump right to the heart of things which I love about this show. Starring Romola Garai in the titular role, she exactly embodies the handsome, clever and rich Emma Woodhouse. Although quite a number of reviewers on the net have complained that there was very little of Austen's witty language in it, I feel that it attracts modern viewers to watch period dramas. If this is Sandy Welch's intention, then I sa...