Kindle :0)

 

Currently watching:
                   Pride and Prejudice

Anyone remember Xanga?  I loved it how they had “Currently watching” and “Currently Listening to” at the top of every entry!  :0) I kept up with my Xanga for quite a few years!  Before Xanga, I had an Open Diary.  Since then, I’ve gone back and made all of my entries private, and I also printed everything (which has since led to two HUGE 3 ring binders full of journal entries)!  I poured out my heart and soul to those journals and it’s neat being able to go back and read things that I wrote! :0)  I forgot about a LOT of the stupid things I did with friends!  I’ve cracked myself up PLENTY of times going back and reading those old entries! :0)  Ah the good old days!

Ok I got WAY off on a tangent there!  Going back to my REAL reason for this post, my KINDLE!! :0)

I received this amazing piece of machinery for Christmas and ever since, it’s been glued to my side!  It’s also a reason I was a huge slacker on blog comments for a couple of weeks.  I’m the kind of person that gets so caught up in a book I’m reading that I can’t think of much else when I’m away from my book.  I get so wrapped up in the characters lives that I’m living the story myself!  I love how Amazon changes up their free books on a frequent basis and I REALLY love how they always include Christian Fiction books in their lineup!  I’m a huge sucker for clean historical romance books.  Some of the recent freebies even led me to purchasing other books by those authors.  I’ve probably bought more Kindle books since December than I’ve bought real books in years!  Hah!

A few of my recent favorites are:

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

Taken from the author’s website:

“For a young society woman seeking a favorable marriage, so much depends on her social season debut. Clara Carter has been given one goal: secure the affections of the city's most eligible bachelor. Debuting means plenty of work--there are corsets to be fitted, dances to master, manners to perfect. Her training soon pays off, however, as celebrity's spotlight turns Clara into a society-page darling. Yet Clara soon wonders if this is the life she really wants. Especially when she learns her best friend has also set her sights on Franklin De Vries. When a man appears who seems to love her simply for who she is and gossip backlash turns ugly, Clara realizes it's not just her marriage at stake--the future of her family depends on how she plays the game.”

Since reading “She Walks in Beauty”, I also purchased and read Siri Mitchell’s “A Heart Most Worthy” and “A Constant Heart”. I couldn’t put ANY of the three books down!

Heart of Stone by Jill Marie Landis

Taken from the author’s website:

“Finally free to pursue her dreams, Laura Foster is trying hard not to fall in love. She knows that the Reverend Brand McCormick’s reputation would be shattered if her former life is discovered. But it’s not only Laura’s history that threatens to bring Brand down—it’s his own.
Description:
She had the darkest of pasts. And he had everything to lose by loving her. Laura Foster, free from the bondage of an unspeakable childhood, has struggled to make a new life for herself. Now the owner of an elegant boardinghouse in Glory, Texas, she is known as a wealthy, respectable widow. But Laura never forgets that she is always just one step ahead of her past. When Reverend Brand McCormick comes calling, Laura does all she can to discourage him as a suitor. She knows that if her past were discovered, Brand’s reputation would be ruined. But it’s not only Laura’s past that threatens to bring Brand down—it’s also his own. When a stranger in town threatens to reveal too many secrets, Laura is faced with a heartbreaking choice: Should she leave Glory forever and save Brand’s future? Or is it worth risking his name—and her heart—by telling him the truth?”

Since reading Heart of Stone, I also purchased and read Jill Marie Landis’ Heart of Lies.  Also another incredibly good book!!!

Last but not least:

Darcy’s Voyage by Kara Louise

When I downloaded Darcy’s Voyage, I remembered reading that it was a spin off Pride and Prejudice. OH MY GOODNESS this book was incredible. Seriously, I couldn’t put it down.  I had NO idea that Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice had such a HUGE following and I really had no idea that P&P fan fiction was everywhere!

Taken from the author’s website:

“A Tale of Uncharted Love on the Open Seas - In this enchanting and highly original retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet sets out for the new world aboard the grand ship Pemberley's Promise. She's prepared for an uneventful voyage until a chance encounter with the handsome, taciturn Mr. Darcy turns her world upside down.
When Elizabeth falls ill, Darcy throws convention overboard in a plan that will bind them to each other more deeply than he ever could have imagined. But the perils of their ocean voyage pale in comparison to the harsh reality of society's rules that threaten their chance at happiness. When they return to the lavish halls of England, will their love survive?”

Seriously LOVED this book!  Kara has other P&P renditions out there and I plan to purchase them in the upcoming weeks.  I know Kara probably will never read this, but I have to thank her for opening my eyes to the wonderful world of Jane Austen.  I know that sounds silly, but it’s true.  Since reading Darcy’s Voyage, I have downloaded every single Jane Austen book on my Kindle, I’ve read half of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and I’ve watched as many Jane Austen rendition movies as I can get my hands on through Netflix (so far, Emma and Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightly).  I also purchased Pride and Prejudice (the Kiera Knightly version) on DVD because I LOVED it so much.  It’s not very often that you come across a book/move that make your heart sigh (cheesy, I know) but both Darcy’s Voyage and Pride and Prejudice (the book and the movie) have done just that.

I think having a healthy balance of things in life is good and I’d forgotten how good it feels to curl up with a book and read for hours.  It’s the simple things in life that make me happy! :0)

Now you know what I do when I’m not running!

Speaking of running, I’m planning on running my long run tomorrow.  I have ideas in my head of running the 3 mile trek to my parent’s house and back.  Not sure if I’m going to do it or not, but the thought is there! Hah!  We’ll see how far I make it!  I’m doing my long run tomorrow instead of Saturday since I’m going Bridesmaid Dress Shopping with a friend for her wedding in December!  Yay!

Hope everyone has an awesome and blessed Good Friday!  Don’t forget the reason why we celebrate this weekend! :0)