Time to announce the May Book Club Pick! I know, it's not May yet, but it's close enough, right?
The May book club pick is: Austenland by Shannon Hale!
Summary? But of course;
Jane is a young New York woman who can never seem to find the right man-perhaps because of her secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Predjudice. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, however, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become more real than she ever could have imagined. Is this total immersion in a fake Austenland enough to make Jane kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?
I honestly thought this book was not going to work for me, but after listening to it then reading parts of it, I SO enjoyed it. It's a curious combination of a comfort read and a contemporary/historical romp, and I so hope you enjoy it.
As always, All Romance eBooks is offering the 50% eBook Buck rebate if you use code SBTBARE at checkout. The rebate is good from April 29-May 12, 2013.
Because I listened to the audiobook version before re-reading parts, I want to let you audiophiles know that the narrator of the audio, Katherine Kellgren, is amazing.
Plus, since the movie based on this book comes out in August, you can read the book, then see the movie this summer – and if you'd like, we can have another chat about the movie version, too. I am seriously excited about the movie, especially because Jennifer Coolidge cast as Miss Charming is so perfect I cannot even tell you.
I hope you give this book a try. It's different, but it's very, well, charming.
I'll be announcing the book club chat soon – so stay tuned.
Oh! I read this book a few years ago and loved it! Time for a re-read I guess.
Oh this one looks good! When is the bookclub meeting again? Is it the last Thursday of the month or something different…
Perfect! I own, but have not yet read, this book, and it will hopefully be the perfect thing to break me out of my reading slump (very timely post, by the way). I haven’t felt like opening a book in weeks, despite having over 300 titles on my TBR list. I’m looking forward to participating in the chat. It’s been a little difficult to join lately because I have a wonky work schedule. Hopefully I can make it home in time for this chat, though.
Great pick! I LOVED this book and am so excited about the movie!
I’m going to sit this one out, because I can tell from the description that Austenland isn’t for me. Nonetheless I really enjoyed joining in your chats the three times I did. I had to miss the one for Sorcery & Cecilia (stranded someplace without an internet connection) and was bummed when reading through it afterward—every single chatter loved that book, whereas I hated it, and it would have been a lot of fun arguing with you guys!
Totally agree with you about the audio version. This has to be one of the best audio books I’ve heard in a long, long time.
I read this book several years ago and this is the perfect opportunity for a re-read. It was such a charming and quirky story!
Really want to read this book!
But I’m unable to purchase it from All Romance Ebooks because they don’t have the rights to sell it in my territory. Dang it.
Must check my local library!
@Jules: I try to schedule the chat the last week of each month. As soon as I have a chat date for this book, I’ll let you know!
This book has one of my favorite lines of all time:
“…it took Jane three months of inept kisses and conversations poking at subjects of minimal philosophical depth (‘But really Jane, think about it—if libraries close at nine p.m., how will the nocturnal underprivileged ever advance. …)’”
Still makes me giggle. The last part of that line was my email signature for YEARS!
@Jennifer Lohmann, you convinced me to try this one with your favorite line! Plus I just got it for my Kindle from my library – Thanks Nashville Public Library!!
This sounds like a cute, fun read which I could certainly use in my minimal spare time while keeping our house immaculate in anticipation of showings while we are trying to sell it. Ugh!
Have so wanted to read this book, so this is perfect. Thanks! Looking forward to the chat.
I just finished reading the book and I have very mixed feelings about it. It was cute and fun at times, but part of me was a bit creeped out about the host club vibe of Austenland.
Hi, I just noticed this review and wondered if you would like to link it in to the current monthly collection of books that people loved on Carole’s Chatter. This is the link There are already over 25 books linked in that you might be interested in. It would be great if you came on over. Cheers