Everything Austen II - Complete!

I've just completed Stephanie's Everything Austen II challenge. I don't think I could ever burn out on Austen and so this was fun. Here's what I completed for the challenge...

1) The Watsons
by Jane Austen

I wish this one was a complete novel, but I'll take what I can get.

2) The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
by Syrie James

Loved it! It's a treat for any Austen lover.

(Lost in Austen)

3) Lost in Austen
(2008 Mini series starring Jemima Rooper)

This one was delightful. It's a bit cheesy but so fun. Amanda Price lives in modern day England and is obsessed with Jane Austen. She ends up magically switching places with Elizabeth Bennet. Chaos ensues as she tries to fit into the Bennet family and their society.

4) Emma
(2009 BBC starring Romola Garai)

This is my new favorite Emma adaptation. Garai is the perfect Emma, blending selfish naivete and sincere kindness.

(Northanger Abbey)

5) Persuasion
(2007 ITV starring Sally Hawkins)

I recognized Sally Hawkins, who plays Anne Elliot, as the exuberant Poppy from the movie Happy-Go-Lucky. It was strange to see her as the quiet and caring Anne, but she was great. Though it's good, it's not my favorite. I loved the 1995 version starring Amanda Root.

6) Northanger Abbey
(2008 starring Felicity Jones)

Jones makes a great Catherine Morland. She's sweet and innocent and she let's her imagination run wild. But I think that it's JJ Feild's Tilney that makes this such a good adaptation. He's perfect!

So what have we learned from this challenge? You can never have too much Austen!

Friday Favorites: And Then There Were None

Ten strangers stranded on a deserted island, each one hiding a dark secret. Could you possibly have a better set up for a mystery? I think not. And Then There Were None was my very first Agatha Christie novel. I was only 11 or so when I read it for the first time, which made the murder and mayhem all the more exciting. The set up is similar to CLUE (the movie), but so much better. It's impossible to put down and at only 200 pages it's easy to read in one sitting.

This excellent mystery has remained one of my all time favorites because it has it all. There is a devious mastermind who remains unknown until the end. There are uncovered dark pasts and delicious suspicions. Christie deftly weaves the back stories together and sucks you in so completely that you can't help wonder if you're next.

Sidenote: When I was in London I saw the stage version and though the show was fantastic, I was so disappointed that they changed the ending. Apparently (I found out later) Christie herself changed it for the play, but I still thought the book's finale was much better.

(RED) Penguin Covers

Penguin has introduced a new line of covers for some classics to raise money to fight AIDS. I love them! Each one has a snippet of text from the book worked into the cover design. Wouldn't you just love to be reading one of these on the subway?

You can read more about the project and see more covers here.