Around the Web #1

Hi guys! Those of you who follow Zemfirka Blogs on Facebook know that I share a lot of curious links, articles, images, as well as my blog posts. And I thought it would be nice to do a round-up of great webby things over here as well. So, here it is, my new Around the Web post. I’m going to say it will be a regular post, perhaps even a weekly one, but I will try not to get ahead of myself and we will see how it goes. In any case, I’m happy to hear your thoughts regarding this so feel free to chime in!

Book Review: Austenland

Austenland (Austenland #1)
Shannon Hale

Release Date: May 29, 2007

Book Description:
Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen; or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Where is one to start with this? It took me all but 3 nights to finish it – it was certainly a quick read and funny at times, but Bridget Jones’s Diary it was not sadly, although some remnants were certainly there. I found it fun and entertaining at times, and rolled my eyes at our heroine at others, but other than that it was a typical romance novel.

I’m back!

Well… Hello there!

I’m back from my NYC/NJ adventures. Thought I’d pop in for a quick hello. Hope everyone had a great weekend, mine was certainly eventful, and mostly filled with good times spent with friends, which I don’t get to do that often, so it was a treat.

I was on business in NYC this past Thursday and thought I’d visit with a few friends while there, which worked out perfectly. Next on my list was a trip to Jersey to visit yet another friend, and help out with her newly acquired home, so shopping was certainly on our list of to-do(s). Between, catching up, shopping, and surviving the crazy heat, we’ve managed to have plenty of fun.

On recent book & movie news…

Hi guys! Another weekend happened to speed by and all too late I’ve realized that I haven’t managed to do half the things I was planning to do. Does that ever happen to you? If not then you are much better planners than I am my friends. Speaking of plans, yet again I’m NYC bound this week, although this is more of a business trip rather than enjoying the sights. No matter, I just hope the weather is decent that I don’t melt in the city. But let us skip further weather talk and instead talk book-to-movie news. Shall we?

Outlander – Jamie Fraser

As you might’ve heard, especially if you are an Outlander fan, Starz (TV channel) and Sony are partnering up to produce an adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander book series. And, while all the fans have been absolutely excited about the prospect of seeing the characters come to life on TV, the biggest speculation was about one particular character – Jamie Fraser. Is there such an actor that can become our beloved Jamie? Well, the question is now settled, as Sam Heughan has been officially cast for the role. *Squee!*

What do you guys think? After initial hesitation, I am now totally on board with Sam Heughan and think he’ll be wonderful in the role. To his credit, he’s been very generous on Twitter by actively engaging in conversation with both Diana Gabaldon and the numerous Outlander fans who have bombarded him with tweets ever since the announcement, myself included. So, I just wanted to take a moment and say “Thank you Sam!” for being so responsive and understanding – you rock!