Queen Engaging the Age of Jane Austen by Bridget Draxler and Danielle Spratt My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Engaging the Age of Jane Austen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Engaging the Age of Jane Austen by Bridget Draxler and Danielle Spratt is a captivating exploration of the cultural, social, and literary context of Jane Austen’s era. Through a series of insightful essays, Draxler and Spratt shed light on the key themes, influences, and historical events that shaped Austen’s work and continue to resonate with readers today. The…
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Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life
Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life by Lucy Worsley My rating: 4 of 5 stars Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist Queen Victoria: Twenty-Four Days That Changed Her Life by Lucy Worsley is a captivating and insightful biography that offers a fresh perspective on one of history’s most iconic figures. Rather than providing a comprehensive overview of Victoria’s entire reign, Worsley focuses on twenty-four pivotal days that shaped the course of her life and reign, offering readers a deeper…
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Book Love
Book Love by Debbie Tung My rating: 5 of 5 stars Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an ARC of Book Love in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Gist The time stamp on my NetGalley profile says I downloaded this book in November of 2018 and schoolwork promptly buried me in 6 feet of assignments and projects. I had to put all recreational activities on hold while I dealt with a rather nasty professor, who demanded his students always be at least one week ahead with their course work. Sure, why not! Anyway, I was really excited to read…
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Searching for Jane Austen
Searching for Jane Austen by Emily Auerbach My rating: 1 of 5 stars I added this book to my required reading list for my research while preparing to write my graduate thesis on Jane Austen and her works. I just closed the book and I am half agony, half frustrated for having read it. The first chapter takes a great stab at Jane’s nephew’s biography on his aunt titled Memoir, attempting to dispel the image of “dear Aunt Jane”; a timid, sweet-tempered little woman, whose main calling in life was the keeping of her house. The tone of this first chapter is that of anger with more than a hint…
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The Art of Fact
The Art of Fact: A Historical Anthology of Literary Journalism by Kevin Kerrane My rating: 1 of 5 stars There is disappointment after having finished a book that didn’t live up to one’s expectations, nay, hope. And then there is whatever I’m feeling right now, which is probably the cause for that big blue vein inside my head throbbing with increasing pain. It isn’t even noon yet, but I have had my day’s share of caffeine, been prowling the kitchen for more chocolate and I think I’m starting to get heartburn. Enough stereotypes for you yet? Well, let me take you on a journey of even greater gender stereotypes, lack…
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99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style
99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style by Matt Madden My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was a required reading for my digital storytelling course. I think I can see why it’s listed as mandatory, primarily to provide an overview of the various artistic styles of comic strip drawing, but beyond that it doesn’t hold much importance to most students in this class, since most assignments do not require the submission of comics. If that was the case, my limited skills would have me fail the course miserably.The book was informative and explained many various styles of drawing comics/frames, which can be beneficial for the improved enjoyment…
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The Simplicity of Cozy
The Simplicity of Cozy: Hygge, Lagom & the Energy of Everyday Pleasures by Melissa Alvarez My rating: 1 of 5 stars I was given this ARC by the publisher in return for an honest review.The biggest difficulty I had with this book was the formatting of the file I was given; the entire text was just one big blob of words, starting with the publisher’s information. I kept flipping back and forth, trying to find the start of the actual book part. It was very confusing.The book itself begins with a description of the various ideas of “cozy” in different cultures, then it switches abruptly to an exercise for the…
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Satire
Satire by Matthew John Caldwell Hodgart My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another book I used as a resource for my term paper, this one had a very distinct amusing and comedic tone to it, which was a refreshing break from the serious research and note taking I had done up until that point.It had some very good points on structure and composition of the genre and what distinguishes it from comedy.
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Anatomy of Satire
Anatomy of Satire by Gilbert Highet My rating: 4 of 5 stars A resource I used for my term paper, I was glad I stumbled upon this in my local reference library. It provides useful information on the genre of satire; what it is and how it’s constructed.There isn’t much more to say without providing a thorough summary of the book, but I would recommend it to gain an understanding of the genre.
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The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen
The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen by Edward Copeland My rating: 3 of 5 stars A good enough collection of articles that discuss all of Austen’s works and affords the reader with enough material to engage in further research and discussions about the novels and the author.
