Me and Mr. Darcy

....Yep, sure. Wishful dreaming... Seriously why is it that Mr. Darcy is so beloved by Jane Austen fans? Is it the character in the pages of Pride and Prejudice or maybe it's more the portrayal of Colin Firth's or Matthew McFadyen's Darcy that set hearts a flutter... What do you think?

I first fell in "love" with Mr. Darcy when I was fifteen. I was going through those awful teenage years, ignored by those awful creatures known as teenage boys. I read the book and to me Mr. Darcy was what my dream man was supposed to be, strong, opinionated, rich with a heart of gold. Well, I grew out of it... sort of...


Then Mr. Darcy sparked my curiosity again with the help of the BBC's miniseries P&P, ok, it was Colin Firth that did it for me. I'm not afraid to admit it, here's this gorgeous creature walking across a wonderful estate wet and oh so yummy. Ladies, you know which scene I'm talking about.


And just recently, alright not really recently, two years or so, we had another Darcy sighting, this time portrayed by Matthew McFadyen. Here he's walking across the morning mist and looking oh so yummy, as well.

Personally I think that it's the character itself that women love so much, and the actors are just the bonus. Now which actor do I see "my" Mr. Darcy as, well, I think I have to go with Matthew McFadyen, there's something about him...his eyes...

And all this thanks to Me And Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter.

Here's the blurb:

Dreams come true in this hilarious, feel-good fairy tale about life, love, and dating literature’s most eligible bachelor!

After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she’s had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen’s classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead. Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.

The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest. But that’s exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Suddenly, every woman’s fantasy becomes one woman’s reality. . . .

I really enjoyed this book, I thought that the it was funny, witty, great dialog and fast paced. All my favs! The characters were very good, Emily the book store manager very much like Elizabeth Bennet and Spike very much like Mr. Darcy. I enjoyed how the author made Emily realize the error of her ways through reading P&P, and her resolve in apologizing for her prejudice.

I read this book through the library, but I'm adding it to my shopping list. I would love to have a copy on my keeper shelf.

Rate: 4/5

The Guy Not Taken

The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

Here's the blurb:

We meet Marlie Davidow, home alone with her new baby late one night, when she wanders onto her ex's online wedding registry and wonders what if she had wound up with the guy not taken. We find Jessica Norton listing her beloved river-view apartment in the hope of winning her broker's heart. And we follow an unlikely friendship between two very different new mothers, and the choices that bring them together -- and pull them apart.

The Guy Not Taken demonstrates Weiner's amazing ability to create characters who "feel like they could be your best friend" (Janet Maslin) and to find hope and humor, longing and love in the hidden corners of our common experiences.

I'm not a huge fan of short stories, but I'm a fan of Jennifer Weiner, so I gave it my best shot. There were several stories that I enjoyed and others that I didn't care for, but overall it was pretty good. I think that my biggest complaint about short stories is that I want to know more, it just seems that story is not finished, loose ends that need to be tied. I need more...

Rate: 2.5/5, Library book

Quick Book Meme

I've been tagged by Ana. Here it goes:

1. Total number of books I own:

I can tell you that I have 116 books in my keeper shelf, but I also have lots (I haven't counted) books in my TBR pit.

2. Last book I bought:

The last book I bought was Julia Quinn's latest book, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

3. Last Book I read:

I last book I read was Austenland by Shannon Hale.

4. Five books that mean a lot to me:

OMGosh, this one is a hard one...

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

5. Tag 5 people:

Janelle from Eclectic Closet: Random Thoughts & Ponderings
Debbie from ~debbie's~ Crazy Mixed Up Life Stories
Wendy from The Misadventures of Super Librarian
Kristie (J) from Ramblings on Romance
Fatin from Mad's House

Quote of the Day

"I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life."
Rita Rudner

How Normal Are You?

You Are 60% Normal

Otherwise known as the normal amount of normal You're like most people most of the time But you've got those quirks that make you endearing You're unique, yes... but not frighteningly so!

How Normal Are You?

Quote of the Day

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow; Don't walk behind me, I may not lead; Walk beside me, and just be my friend."
Albert Camus

Austenland

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Here's the blurb:

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen—or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It’s all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

Jane a graphic artist, has an obsession with Mr. Darcy, yummy Colin Firth. She compares all her boyfriends to Mr. Darcy, and unfortunately they do not measure up. When her great aunt Carolyn leaves her a non-refundable ticket to resort who cater to Austen/regency enthusiasts, she takes it hoping that she'll be rid of her obsession once and for all.

I can understand the whole obsession with Mr. Darcy. The character must be the most desired man in the world of fiction. Here's a man that is proud and judgmental, but he falls in love with a woman that some feel isn't an appropriate match. But he pursues her and professes his love, but she refuses him. Soon after Miss Bennett, she learns the truth about Mr. Darcy. He helps her, shows her that she important to him, all that matters is making her happy. Who doesn't want to be treated that way?

I wasn't too sure if I would enjoy this book, I have read some of the Austen type companions to the novels, some I've enjoyed and some I haven't, but this one was the first that is set in a Regency reenactment resort. But I was pleasantly surprised. It started off a little slow to me, but we learn that Jane is Darcy obsessed and is somewhat ashamed of it, and then we learn about Aunt Carolyn's gift, and then it goes on to the trip, and it just takes off. Jane adjusting to the costumes, time, the speech and keeping her act together. The characters were very well written, the dialog was quick and funny. I loved it.

I really don't want to give too much info, I don't want to ruin the experience for someone else.

I highly recommend the book.

Rate: 4.5/5, Library book

Her Royal Spyness

The first book of a new series by one of my favorite authors, Rhys Bowen, Her Royal Spyness: solves her first case.

Here's the blurb:

Her ridiculously long name is Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, daughter to the Duke of Atholt and Rannoch. And she is flat broke. As the thirty-fourth in line for the throne, she has been taught only a few things, among them, the perfect curtsey. But when her brother cuts off her allowance, she leaves Scotland, and her fiancŽ Fish-Face, for London, where she has:

a) worked behind a cosmetics counter-and gotten sacked after five hours
b) started to fall for a quite unsuitable minor royal
c) made some money housekeeping (incognita, of course), and
d) been summoned by the Queen to spy on her playboy son.

Then an arrogant Frenchman, who wants her family's 800-year-old estate for himself, winds up dead in her bathtub. Now her most important job is to clear her very long family name.

As usual I cannot go wrong with a Rhys Bowen book. I absolutely adore her books. I was first introduced to her books by my friend Carol Ann, who gave me Evans Above. After reading it, I just HAD to get my hands on her others. So far I'm up to date with the Molly Murphy series, and I'm half way through with the Constable Evan Evans series.

And now there's another series to look forward to... I loved the book. I enjoyed heroine, Georgie,she seemed so down to earth (considering she was 34th in line for the throne), I loved that she wasn't afraid to work, I loved the way she cared for her granddad and looked out for her older brother. I also enjoyed that she was clumsy at times and not afraid to admit. There were also other characters that I enjoyed Belinda, Darcy (yep, it has a Darcy!), Fig, Binky and her grandfather. I think what I enjoyed mostly of the story was quickly it happened, but it didn't seemed rushed.

Rate: 4.5/5, Library Book

Quote of the Day

"Do you love me because I am beautiful, or am I beautiful because you love me?"
Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella

Trip to the library....

Had to pick some books that were on hold for me. Here's what came home with me:

Going Dutch by Katie Fforde
An English Murder by Louise Doughty
The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner
Until The Final Hour: Hitler's Last Secretary by Traudl Junge
The Class Menagerie by Jill Churchill
Not Quite A Lady by Loretta Chase
Me ANd Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Hmm, choices...

Quote of the Day

""Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where --" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"--so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation."
Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Another One Bites The Dust...

This one I saw coming...

All the best Tara!