Monday, July 09, 2007

Austenphiles, Start YOur Engines

I was visiting with a friend here in the Village the other day and she had a book on the table that was given to her as a birthday gift. It is called Austenland. It was written by an author I've never heard of before, Shannon Hale. She has written a few other books, mostly young adult novels. One of them was even named a Newberry Honor book. Oh, and she is a young Mormon gal from SLC with two little kids. I hate her.

I was watching the movie The Queen while I was rocking my baby at three o'clock in the morning the other day and saw a preview for something else that looks very promising. Becoming Jane is due out in early August. Less novel adaptation and more made up biography about the master herself, but it looks like fun. I'm kind of an Anne Hathaway fan. I don't think I'll talk Plantboy into being at the premier or anything--our summer will be full of Jason Bourne, pirates, Spider Man, and (if I'm lucky) Harry Potter. Jane may have to wait for Netflix to bring her to my mailbox.

And here is a shoutout to Desmama for friendship above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks, girlfriend. May you find a similar good Samaritan on your moving week.

4 comments:

Desmama said...

Aw, thanks, but I wish I could've stayed longer and helped out more, if for no other reason than to stay and talk to you. It's fun to converse with someone who has a lot of depth and interesting things to say.

Did you like The Queen? That movie is on my "to own" list. Edgy just reviewed Austenland and liked it.

FoxyJ said...

I just about fell off my chair when you said you hadn't heard of Shannon Hale. Are you serious? Of course, you aren't married to a creative writer/librarian/fan of YA books. You really should read her book Goose Girl and the other two in that series. They are fabulous. I've never been much into fantasy, but I thoroughly enjoyed them. They're good, light "fun" reading :)

elasticwaistbandlady said...

Yep, my girls read 'The Goose Girl' and Shannon Hale's latest 'The Princess Academy' for our Homeschool Book Club. Neither one gave the books rave reviews, though, and I couldn't make it past the first half of Princess Academy without yawning. We're more into the Artemis Fowl/Lemony Snicket/Golden Compass stuff around here. Literature with snarky wit and caustic bite!

No Harry Potter for us. I recommend you check out Phillip Pullman's Golden Compass series. Fabulous. The movie comes out this Christmas too. Lauren is completely entranced with a new author who has a series called 'Leven Thumps.' The theme seemed vaguely LDS familiar to me and when I looked up Orbert Skye, yes indeed, he's published by a division of Deseret Books.

Science Teacher Mommy said...

I really do need to check her out. I actually like really well-written fantasy, which means you have to be very careful about what you read. Robin McKinley is my favorite. I've even written a fantasy novel, at least most of the way. I think I've been at it for seven years. The fantasy would be actually getting a publisher.

The kids here (Utah) all read Leven Thumps. I haven't tried them; I have had the impression they are just Harry Potter knock-offs, but it is probably a rush to judgment. And I knew they sold them at LDS bookstores.