Miranda's Musings

Darlings, there’s a crispness in the air at last... Such welcome relief from the heat we’ve been having down under! All the more reason to snuggle down in a chair with a tea (or wine) and read, read, read...

What did I love to love this month?

It’s all Jane Austen. How could we possibly not pay homage to this marvellous author? She is the source of all our Mr Darcy fantasies – and Mr Knightley and Captain Wentworth, and, and – well, you get the gist. The distinguished lady will shortly grace the British ten pound note, replacing Charles Darwin. All writers should be so lucky!

December 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of 'Emma', and the novel is still as fresh today as it was then.
I think Emma herself has the strongest character arc of all Jane Austen heroines: at the beginning of the book she is annoying and immature but oh, how she changes! I have to say, darlings, I stood on that infamous Box Hill last year (see pic), where Emma was so incredibly rude to poor Miss Bates, and I *immersed* myself in the scene. Especially where Mr Knightley tells her how badly she behaved. Such seething emotion, such tears, such drama! I think that was a real turning point in the book. What about you? Do you love 'Emma'?

What did I love to laugh at?

Not exactly laugh AT, but I did laugh along with the new Manga Classics version of 'Pride and Prejudice'. This was blissfully So! Much! Fun! to read! There are little bits in this version that (ahem) aren't in the original Jane Austen, but who cares? Not I. The overall story line and all the angst, drama, simmering tensions and divinely overblown and wonderfully drawn characters (with big, big, big eyes and long, long legs) are oh so very delicious. Mr Collins was particularly funny: he looked like a cowlick on a stick. And don't think the book is insubstantial because of the manga - it's 376 pages long! I loved the handy ‘how to read this book’ at the beginning – you read it like a traditional manga: backwards. My dears, the proposal scenes were to die for... And yes, there were a few sneaky (...romantic...) kisses. I’m sure Jane Austen would excuse them.

Do you enjoy manga? Which Jane Austen would you most like to read in manga?


And lastly, what did I love to learn this month?

The divine Suzi Love has written a series of books about Regency life, so in keeping with my Jane Austen theme, I romped through her lavishly illustrated 'Regency Overview: Book 1' from the Regency Life Series. Everything you want to know about the Regency period but didn’t know who to ask! I loved this titbit of gossip from a newspaper: ‘The fashionable Mrs Hog has taken No. 11 Manchester Place, where she will receive her numerous list of elegant friends, as soon as her little drawing-room has got the new paper.’ How very droll!


Suzi, oh my goodness, has generously offered three – yes, THREE – people the chance to win a complete set of her Regency Life e-series! This includes the above, plus 'Young Gentleman's Day', 'Older Gentleman's Day', 'Young Lady's Day' and 'Older Lady's Day'. Lucky, lucky you!

Leave a comment and you will be in the running for this fabulous set of books. Thanks so much, Suzi.

The three winners will be announced on next week's blog (with guest blogger, the lovely Suzi Love) so please check back then to see if you are among them.

Can’t wait to hear from you.

Everything Jane Austen! Hoorah!

Miranda xx