Period Drama Week Tag Post 2

 

Well, I was originally planning only two posts. But on finishing the first one, I decided it needed to be split into at least three posts total. So, here we go, from question #6!

6. Which author do you like the adaptions of their work best? I can't stay away from Jane Austen anymore. It's her. Totally.

7. Which period drama characters are the funniest to you (keep it under three)? Ha, good question. Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice. He always makes me laugh.

Ummm...Mrs. Jennings from Sense and Sensiblity. Her bumbling ways can be hilarious!

And then...I'm struggling...I'm at a total loss. Maybe I will think of another when I see other people's answers!

8. Which period drama characters are the most annoying (keep it under three)? Chauvelin from Scarlet Pimpernel is not only annoying, but also wicked.

Then Willoughby from Sense and Sensiblity is annoying. And self-centered.

Finally, Estella from Great Expectations. I have never seen a movie adaption of this (though I know there's at least one I want to watch), but in the book (sorry, I know this was supposed to be all movies!) she's really annoying.

9. Which period drama characters are in your top three? I wish it specified male or female. AH! I guess I have to do both!!!! We'll start with the girls. Naturally, Elizabeth Bennet. I admire her humor and wit, and she's also very pretty.

Then I admire Jo March, from Little Women. She's another one of those strong and independent women, yet kind and friendly and loving too.

Finally, Emma from Emma. She's also funny, witty, and a fully lovable character!

As to males, this may be harder than it looks! Naturally, Mr. Darcy. He's handsome, and proud, but learns to change.

Then Gilbert Blythe. You didn't expect that, did you? He becomes better as the books go on. Though I still abhor that name. Oh, and I'm doing my best not to do Jane Austen characters.

And since I'm avoiding Jane Austen, Percy Blakeney from Scarlet Pimpernel. Yes, he appears a hopeless fop. But underneath... *smile*

10. When you watch period dramas, what is it that you pay closest attention to? Hmmm. Everything? I don't concentrate on the dresses...or the music...or the scenery...or the story, well, maybe the story. It all kinda blends together for me, as it were.

Part three coming soon!

75 Followers! And Another Event?

Thank you so much to each of my 75 followers! I am honored that you enjoy this blog enough to follow it. Each of you is special to me, and your comments always make my day!

Now I know some of you just clicked on this post because of the mention of an event. I believe I mentioned in passing a while ago that I was considering doing an "Event of Musicals." That's what it is called until I think of a better title...if I do. Anyway. It would be similar to my Book Bash, but probably shorter in most respects. My question: would you participate? Probably all there would be to do would be a shorter tag. And, of course, comment on my posts. Thoughts, anyone? Tag question suggestions? I'm open to it all!

But before you get too excited, I should mention this is in the formative stage...and may not ever happen. We'll see what response I get.

I'm putting up a poll on the left for you to leave your answer about participating! But please do comment too, and tell me your thoughts!

The Harvest of Grace

Author: Cindy Woodsmall

Genre: Romance, life, Amish

Series: Ada's House series

Number in series: 3rd

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 352

Time period: Present

Main characters: Aaron, Sylvia, characters/couples from previous books

My overall opinion: I enjoyed it! I would have liked it even more, I think, had I read the first book first, but this book was certainly worth the read. A very sweet story.

Each character of the book was one that I could fully empathize with. Each was described enough that I really got to know them. I loved how strong Sylvia was and how determined both Sylvia and Aaron were. Their trust in God was clearly evident by the end of the book.

While I wish that it had been possible for me to read the first two books first, this one was a book that I greatly enjoyed, despite not having read the others yet. I think that especially anyone who's read those first two (namely, The Hope of Refuge and The Bridge of Peace) would love this one, since you get a little continuation of the stories in those books.

I recommend this book to anyone with a love for Amish romance and sweet love stories.

To read a short synopsis, and see the Cover Focus, click here!

**I received a free copy of the book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in return for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions here expressed are my own.**

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE rank my review!

Cover Focus: A Sound Among the Trees

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner

Book blurb from goodreads.com : As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter, Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn't believe that Susannah's ghost haunts the antebelllum mansion looking for a pardon but rather the house itself bears a grudge towards its tragic past.

When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband's home, it isn't long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.

With Adelaide's richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak -- and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.

**A Sound Among the Trees comes out October 4, 2011**

What I like about the cover: I think I like it because the colors are stunning. The pink/orange color is something that really makes it stand out. The dress that is on the front is beautiful...and see the roses that I think she's holding? And the house shown in the skirt is a house I'd love to live in. Wouldn't you? I love the upstairs porch. Then the brick walk-way and green grass add the perfect touch, so that the orangeish color isn't overpowering.

**Whether or not this book is good...I don't know. But though I liked the cover, I can't yet say whether the story is okay or not.**

A Voice in the Wilderness

Author: Grace Livingston Hill

Genre: Romance

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 318

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Margaret, a rough but amazing cowboy

Exciting events: Getting lost in the desert! A young elegant lady, at that!

Passage from book: With a lurch, the train came to a dead stop and Margaret Earle, hastily gathering up her belongings, hurried down the aisle and out into the night.

My overall opinion: What a fun book! I loved the story. A young girl who gets lost in the desert, is rescued by a rugged and handsome cowboy, much more. It was different from many other GLH's!

Movie: Pride and Prejudice

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 6.5

Main characters: Jane, Elizabeth, Darcy, Bingley, and many more

Genre: Romance

Primary actors: Elizabeth Garvie, David Rintoul, Sabina Franklyn

Length: About 4 1/2 hours

Based on: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Time period: 1800's

Year it came out: 1980

My overall opinion: Well, truth be told, I only saw the fifth episode, but that was enough. It was nearly laughable. The 1995 version is so much better, it's amazing. The actors seemed all wrong to me (Darcy wasn't Darcyish, Jane wasn't Jane), and then the lighting and sound...ouch. Though the old Sense and Sensibility may have been worse, I can't recall. Anyway, watch the 1995 one for the best story, this one for the most groans/laughs.

Movie: Little Women

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Main characters: Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy

Genre: Family, life

Primary actors: Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne

Length: 2 hours

Based on: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Time period: 1800's

Exciting events: Life in general for them. :)

Quote(s): Go here to read some. :)

Year it came out: 1994

My overall opinion: I like this version a lot. It sticks to the book fairly closely. I don't really like Laurie or Mr. Bhaer, but the girls are all about right...with the possible exception of the older Amy. It's a pretty timeless story, and definitely a good movie version.

Kilmeny of the Orchard

Author: L. M. Montgomery

Genre: Romance

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 144

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Kilmeny, Eric, Neil

Exciting events: A few, but not a ton

My overall opinion: I liked this one a lot! It's become one of my favorite Montgomery's. Yes, it's a bit sentimental, but it's also very sweet. Includes a girl who can't speak but is beautiful, a dashing young man, a sullen young man, and a good dose of family intrigue. :)

My Antonia

Author: Willa Cather

Genre: Life

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction, classic

Number of pages: 336 or so

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Antonia (say An-ton-ee-uh), Jim, and others

Passage from book: I first heard of Antonia on what seemed to me an interminable journey across the great midland plain of North America. I was ten years old then; I had lost both my father and mother within a year, and my Virginia relatives were sending me out to my grandparents, who lived in Nebraska.

My overall opinion: Didn't love it, didn't hate it. I'm glad I read it, if only so I can say I did. Not a book I will own. A few faintly inappropriate things, but overall, clean.

Period Drama Week Advice Column

I am participating Period Drama Week at Elegance of Fashion you no doubt all know. :)


 
One of the things we could do was a Period Drama Advice Column, similar to the Jane Austen one I did here (to wet your interest...it's John Brooke asking, responded to by Mr. Collins and Lydia Wickham :). Read all about this "assignment" here. Oh, and stop by here to play an awesome trivia game! I enjoyed it, and I think you will too. :) Anyway, here we go on the Period Drama Advice Column!

Dear Period Drama Advice Column,
Oh, I am crying a vale of tears! How am I to survive? It was like this, you see. I, not so very long ago, borrowed Marilla's brooch. Marilla is sometimes hard to be friends with, and she's almost like a mother. And the brooch! Oh my dear reader, it was beautiful! Marilla says it's amethyst and worth a great deal. Purple and sparkling and so beautiful. I did nothing with it but hold it up to myself, just to see how it would look. It was simply dazzling. Then I laid it back, as I though, on Marilla's dresser. Unfortunately, when she next went to look for it, she could not find it, and knew it was my fault. There was a picnic at the end of the week, and oh, what a beautiful picnic it was to have been! Ice cream, which I have never tasted!! But now, Marilla has locked me in my room, and I am not to be allowed to go! I have wept, and tried to explain why I must go (for when else is a girl to taste ice-cream?) but she is certain I may not go. What am I to do? Have you an idea of how I might convince Marilla that I did not harm her brooch, and that I absolutely must go? Please help me before I die of grief!
With much hope,
~Cordelia (except everybody calls me Anne, with an "e"...Marilla says Cordelia is a terrible name, but I have always wished to be called that)

Response 1:

Anne,
You must go to Marilla with solemnity and explain it all to her. You know that truthfulness is always the best way, and it most certainly is in this instance. Tell her that you put it back, and help her search for it. But if you are still not allowed to go to the picnic, know that I think it entirely your own fault. Had you not played with what was not yours, this sorrow would not now happen. Ice cream is frivolous, and not to be endured. All great writers have written that being truthful is a great virtue. Go now, and explain to Marilla.
Sincerely,
Miss Mary Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)

Response 2:

Dear Anne,
I do not know what to say! It is obviously most important that you go to the picnic. I love having picnics with each of my friends! And ice-cream is an essential. Perhaps you may tell Marilla a made-up story so that she will let you out? Only make sure you make it seem real to her. Do write and tell me what you do!
Before I go, I must ask, have you a nice nose? Mine is dreadful and flat. Quite the bane of my life. It is a great disappointment to me.
Hoping you get ice-cream,
Miss Amy March (isn't that elegant?) (Little Women)

Giveaway on Reviews by Jane!

Another favorite blog is giving away a book that I've heard is awesome. :) It's Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren...and every review I've read is highly positive. I desperately want to read it.

It's the first in a series of at least three, the third of which (Torrent) just came out this month. So go here to Reviews by Jane and enter! No, don't enter. Just read this post and exit...it'll improve my chances of winning. ;) JK.

One Lovely Blog Award!

Yes, another blog award going around already! And I have been awarded twice! Thank you SO much, Jemimah and Abby! Most of you have heard me mention Jemimah's blog, Beautiful Blank Pages, quite recently. Remember, I did three guest posts there. Abby's blog, Newly Impassioned Soul, is another delightful blog full of books, reviews, and tags. :) I encourage you to check them both out! Thanks again, ladies. :)

Now, this one is quite uncomplicated, in some ways, because I only have to follow two rules! Mind you, if I award you, you have to do this too! The first is to tell seven facts about yourself. (Preferably, I think they should be things that we might not know about you...but that's optional. :) Secondly, you pass on the award to 15 other blogs! Before I tell you seven things about me, I'll present...the AWARD!

Now, seven random things about me.

1. I enjoy discussing theology with my dad. Most of the time.
2. I love Chinese food. And Dairy Queen. :)
3. I have four best friends.
4. This is fun. :) I abhor oysters.
5. My birthday is in November.
6. I am in love with goodreads.com . Yes, still.
7. And finally...I am 5'5 1/2 ". :)

Learn something about me? :)

Now, 15 bloggers are going to receive this award from me! Make sure you check out all these lovely blogs.

1. All Things Jane Austen
2. Best Reads
3. Black 'n Gold Girl's Bookspot
4. Beautiful Blank Pages
5. A Few More Pages
6. But when a young lady is to be a heroine
7. Libri
8. Legacy of a Writer
9. Elegance of Fashion
10. Miss Georgiana Darcy
11. Newly Impassioned Soul
12. Old-Fashioned Charm
13. Regency Delight ~Jane Austen Etc~
14. Reviews by Jane
15. Thoughts on Books

Ta-da! I love all your blogs...and a bunch more besides. If I didn't mention you, it's not that I don't love your blog...it just means I ran out of room. :(

So, pass it on!

Period Drama Week Tag Post 1

 

Yay! Period Drama Week is finally here! Make sure you go to Elegance of Fashion to see all the festivities! Naturally, when I saw there was a tag, I knew I'd have to participate. :) And since there are a total of 20 questions, I'm splitting it into two posts.

1. How did you get into period dramas? Well, let's see here. I suppose it was when I first watched (and totally fell in love with) Pride and Prejudice, the 1995 version. Next came Sense and Sensibility, also the 1995 version. Between those two, I became a true period drama addict!

2. What is it that you like about period dramas? Just about everything. The dresses are generally pretty cool, don't you think? Not necessarily very modest, but overall, I think they look quite comfortable.

Then, often, their hair is so pretty!

{{yes, you remembered right...I dislike that version. HOWEVER, I'm trying to be impartial...and isn't her hair cool? Definitely not his though...}}

Generally, the story is good and sometimes a classic. And then the music is sometimes breath-taking, especially the soundtrack for Emma 2009 and, yes, I admit it, Pride and Prejudice 2005.

3. Do you usually read a book and then watch the adaption or do you watch the adaption and then read the book? Usually, adaption first. Many of the books they're adapted from were too hard for me to read, but I still greatly enjoyed the movie. The books are then easier to read. However, I recommend that you read the book a lot, so that you know when a movie strays from it.

4. What are your top three period dramas and why? I KNEW this question was coming. It's hard, because I haven't seen a lot of period dramas other than Jane Austen's, so you already kinda know my answers here. For a change, I'm going to say three that aren't Jane Austen. (FYI, with JA, it would include P&P 95, and Emma 09) I think all of these are, since some are included on the buttons for this wonderful event. :) First: Wives and Daughters, because the story is fun, Cynthia's hair is quite amazing, and the dresses are cool. :)

Then, Scarlet Pimpernel, the 1985 version. The story is one of my favorites, a beautiful mix of romance and high adventure. I recommend it! Oh, and? Marguerite's hair and costumes are a.m.a.z.i.n.g. And really neat. :)

Finally, Little Women. I believe this version came out in 1994, though the 1949 version is also fun. :) I like it because...it's mostly true to the book. The characters acting the girls are perfect, IMHO. I don't really like Laurie or Mr. Bhaer in this version, though.

5. From those three period dramas that you picked, who are your favorite characters in each one? Oooo, awesome. They are, firstly, Molly. She's really the only girl to like in Wives and Daughters.

Next, Marguerite. I like her because she's loving, strong, brave. And her hair's awesome. :)

Finally, Jo. Or Beth. I'm most like Jo, and I've always loved Beth.

Well, I was planning to do the whole thing in two posts, but my plans have been changed for me. :) I had the whole first 10 questions written up here...but it was so long, I moved them to yet another post. Don't worry, you'll see them soon!



A Final Guest Post

At Beatiful Blank Pages! Again, thank so much for having me, Jemimah! It's a movie spotlight for another of my favorite movies series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Check it out here. I hope you enjoy it! And even if you aren't into Narnia, I'm sure you'll enjoy the other wonderful things on Jemimah's blog. Click here to go right now!

Giveaway WINNERS!

Yes, plural! It was so wonderful to host all these giveaways...they all had quite a few entries! I'm so happy about that. :) Thank you so much to all who entered! Now, without further words...

The winner of Pearl in the Sand is...

His Handmaiden!!!

I will need you to leave your email address and I'll email you! And don't worry, I won't publish the comment you leave it in. :)

The winner of A Reluctant Queen is...

Rebecca (agent_beckster@....)!!!

Rebecca, you should receive an email from me within 24 hours. Please let me know if you don't!

Finally,

the winner of Love Comes Softly and Silas Marner is...

Miss Laurie (oldfashionedcharm@....)!!!

Miss Laurie, you should also receive an email within 24 hours. Let me know if you don't!

WINNERS: you have one week to respond to the email I'll send you! Or, in His Handmaiden's case, one week to leave a comment with your email. :) If I don't hear from you within that week, I will re-draw the number and choose a new winner!

Finally -- Congratulations, ladies! And those of you who didn't win yet...don't give up! I know there will be more giveaways in the future. :) Even later this month!

A Most Unsuitable Match

Author: Stephanie Grace Whitson

Genre: Romance, life

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 334

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Fannie, Samuel, Lamar, Edmund, Eddie

Exciting events: Life in wild Montana!

My overall opinion: I enjoyed this book so much! Stephanie Grace Whitson is definitely one of my favorite authors. The book was fun and amazing, and you should certainly read it! I'm sure you'd enjoy it. :)

Giveaways Closed!

Yup, all the giveaways are closed! Winners coming tomorrow! Good luck, y'all. :)

Blog Birthday Party!

Not mine, but Renee's! Black 'n' Gold Girl's Book Spot is a blog that I discovered fairly recently...and muchly because of the button below. Doesn't it look awesome? She's having a birthday party, and it's going to include giveaways. I know I love giveaways, so I have to get in on this! Also note the button on my sidebar. :)

P.S. I'm reading A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman right now, and boy, it's fun, funny, and very romantic! Awesome book. :)