Having a Jane Austen Valentine's Day

For Jane Austen fans,Valentine's Day is naturally a huge deal-it's sort of our Super Bowl of the heart,if you will. Celebrating this special time without a touch of Austen would be like not having a Christmas tree or going to bed at 10:30 on New Year's Eve or...(insert your particularly special holiday tradition here).

So,my plans are definitely Jane inspired with tonight's entertainment spotlight falling on Austenland,which happily arrived from Netflix just before the latest snowstorm hit my particular neck of the woods.

 Yes, I know the reviews for this weren't great but I did enjoy the Shannon Hale novel that is based upon and some of the casting choices are sweet,with Jane Seymour being very bitchy British and several of the gents being rather fetching eye candy.

One particular leading man on board here is JJ Feild,who has played an Austen love interest before and this time,he's the "resident Darcy",a role that suits him well indeed:

Speaking of Feild, I intend to make this a double feature by watching him in the 2007 version of Northanger Abbey(which is part of my permanent video library) and I happen to be rereading the book as well.

It's been some time since I went to Bath with Catherine Morland and it is most refreshing to see it again through her young and eager eyes. Plus, any novel that celebrates the joys of reading is always a welcome sight for world weary eyes.

The other  charms of this book include some very witty passages regarding the social pretensions of the day(some of which are still present even in this social media era) as well as the delights to be had in the company of Henry Tilney. Granted, he's not my instant go-to for an Austen man but spending a bit of Tilney time tonight should melt a good deal of the current chill from this bothersome bout of winter weather away:

Another Austen themed title that is now on my regular reading rotation is Mr. Darcy Forever,the third book in Victoria Connelly's Austen Addicts series. This one has a bit of a Sense & Sensibility vibe,as the plot focuses on a pair of sisters,Mia and Sarah Castle,who both share a love of Austen's books but not the same viewpoints about men.

The girls have not spoken to each other in three years,due to a falling out about a man and yet are bound to run into one another at the Jane Austen Festival in Bath,which they are attending separately.

 I'm mid way through and really hoping for these sisters to reunite as bonds of love that Austen's work showcases is not limited only to the romantic;sisterly devotion is shown to be just as vital to achieving true happiness in life as well:

My Austen Valentine adventures would not be complete without a shameless plug or two for my own JA themed work so here is a gentle reminder that my newest ebook,Fanny Price:Slayer of Vampires,is now on sale and that the giveaway goodness that will win five lucky Austen admirers a pair of Fanny Price pins is under way(just leave a comment either here or here to enter,US residents only).

Also,my other Austenesque ebook,The Austen Avenger,is currently available as a free download and if you like superheroes as well as Jane Austen,this is the surprise inside slice of cake for you! Happy Valentine's Day to one and all and may all of your dreams be Darcy ones: