Jessi

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Claire, I will have to keep an eye on how your year with Austen goes! I think it might encourage me to get through a few as well! I'm about a third of the way through Northanger Abbey on my kindle at the moment and need to go back to Sense and Senseibility having begun it in the summer. Totally agree with what you said about Elinor!

Behind Closed Doors - Amanda Vickery (4.5/5) I read this book as I am doing the course it accompanies at uni this semester and I am so, so glad I picked it. I spend a lot of my day every day it seems, thinking about history but until lately I never though about the history of the home, about the way the homes we live in today developed. This book opened up part of that story to me and as I said, I am thrilled it did. Threaded throughout this book which takes us in to the homes of days gone past were references to Jane Austens wonderful novels, due to the way the literature shows the Georgiana home to us. Looking across the social barriers and studies across Britian, I leanrt a lot and found my basis. It felt like reading a novel - pick up a copy if you can!

I am trying to get through Tommy for uni at the moment

NTAs

I read Fiennders Abbey last year which was a great read and quite Downtonish. Its by Jean Marsh who I think wrote Upstairs Downstairs too.

I think about 200 pages so.

Qudditch Through the Ages - a good qucik read, much like The Tales of Beedle the Bard Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (4/5) I don't think I had ever read this classic childrens book, but I am so glad I did. It was so charming and interesting to read - I learnt quite a lot about victorian London while I read it too. Beautiful tale about a beautiful animal!

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Awesome - going to download them on to my kindle

I was considering getting the Holmes books anyway - I think you may have just convinced me Ben!

The Fellowship of the Ring by J R R Tolkien(4.5/5) I read this book for the first time in years and found I still love it just as much as I did when I was little, as I read it for the first time 10 years ago ( ) when I was 11. Just like J K Rowling, Tolkien's imagination never fails to wow me. The world he creates just engulfs me when I am reading. Of all the 'made up' worlds, I think middle earth is the one I would most like to go to - in fact, there is not a lot I wouldn't do to be able to live in the Shire. Sam has always been, and will always be, one of my favourite fictional characters in the world. He is just so loyal and loving. Whenever he comes on to the page, I just smile.

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Little Mother of Russia by Coryne Hill (4/5) This biography was wonderful! It told the story of Alexander III’s Tsarina, Empress Marie, the mother of the last Tsar, Nicholas II. Inevitably, that made this a very sad story to read at times, especially as Marie fought against the influence of Rasputin to try and save her son to no avail. The story spanned eighty years and follows the Empress from her youth as Princess Dagmar of Denmark ; as a young mother in her years as Empress in waiting; as a popular Tsarina; a distraught young widow (Alexander died before she was fifty); a dominate mother in law and then finally to her years as dowager empress in exile. The exploration of the relationships with the key people in her life is what I will take away from this book most. From youth, all the way to old age she was incredibly close to her elder, beautiful sister, Queen Alexandra of Great Britain. Letters flew between England and Russia for over half a century weekly. In spite of their clashing temperaments, Marie had a loving and happy marriage to her bear like husband, despite having initially been betrothed to his elder brother who tragically died with Marie by his beside before they married. She had difficult relationships with the majority of her children at one time or another for various reasons. She suffered the hearting breaking loss of all four of her sons, even if she did not accept it. Marie always maintain Nicholas was alive to others, though it was implied after Anna Anderson affair she had to admit the truth about what happened in July 1917 to herself, even if she wouldn’t to anyone else. It was overall a story of incredible highs and of devastating lows, and well worth reading.

I am reading Amanda Vickery's Behind Closed Doors for uni today

Mrs Brown - I love that film!

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Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling (4/5) Even without Harry Potter, I just love this little book. I am sure I have reviewed it before here, but I had to do it again. It is when reading this book as well as Quidditch Through the Ages and Magical Beasts that you realise just how boundless Rowling’s imagination is. A very quick read, but a brilliant one; these are the Fairy Tales my kids will be brought up on.

Two books read already this year, with a third to be added soon - thats the good news. The bad news is my lap top has died - and I'll have to do my TBR list all over again

Wish List: Clare, Cassandra: The Infernal Devices Clare, Cassandra: City of Bones Davis, Peter Ho: The Welsh Girl Dexter, Colin: Last Bus to Woodstock Downer, Lesley: The Last Concubine Fraser, Antonia: Charles II Flanders, Judith: The Victorian House Follett, Ken: Fall of Giants George, Margaret: The Autobiography of Henry VIII Gullan, Harold: Faith of Our Mothers Harper, Karen: The First Princess of Wales Horn, Pamela: Life in a Victorian Household Horn, Pamela: Life as a Victorian Lady Kiste, John Van Der: Childhood at Court Maloney, Alison: Life Below Stairs Maloney, Alison: Bright Young Things Malcolmson, Robert: The Diaries of Nella Last Massie, Robert: Catherine the Great Mead, Richelle: Vampire Academy Osbourne, Frances: Park Lane Piercy, Rohase: My Dearest Holmes Ridley, Jane: Bertie Sim, Alison: The Tudor Housewife Sparks, Nicholas: The Lucky One Vicery, Tim: A Game of Proof Ok done

Gained in 2012: Addison, Paul: Churchill Anthony, Carl Sferrazza: Nellie Taft Bailey, Jenna: Can Any Mother Help Me? Bagwell Gillian: The Darling Strumpet Barrett, Duncan: The Sugar Girls Bond, Brian: The Unquiet Western Front Brown, Kate Lord: The Beauty Chorus Cast, PC and Kristen: Hidden Cast, PC and Kristen: Lenobia's Vow Carnarvon, Countess of: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey Carter, Aimee: The Goddess Test Castor, Helen: She Wolves Calhoun, Chrissy: Love You To Death Calhoun, Chrissy: Love You To Death 2 Chbosky, Stephen: The Perks of Being a Wallflower Clare, Cassandra: City of Bones Clare, Cassandra: Clockwork Angel Cogman, Bryan: Inside Games of Thrones Collins, Suzanne: The Hunger Games Clark, Steve: Only Fools and Horses Dickens, Charles: Great Expectations Doyle, Arthur Canon: The Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection Douglas, Donna: The Nightingale Girls Dunn, Dot May: Twelve Babies on a Bike Edward. Anne: Matriarch Harvey, Greg: The Origins of Tolkien's Middle Earth Fellowes, Jessica: The Chronicles of Downton Abbey Fisher. Jude: The Hobbit: Visual Companion Follett, Ken: Winter of the Worlds Foster, RF: Randolph Churchill Goldman, Lisa: The No Rules Handbook for Writers Haeger, Diane: I, Jane Hardy, Thomas: The Mayor of Casterbridge Harrison, Cora: Debuntantes Hancock, Sheila: The Two of Us Haworth, Eileen: Faded Dreams Holmes, Richard: Tommy Holt, Maggie: A Nurse at War Huth, Angela: Land Girls Hunt, Tristram: The Frock Coated Communist Hynes, Samuel: A War Imagined Jackson, Nancy: The Cook's Tale Jones, Nigel: Tower Kelly, Robin, DC: To Make Our World Anew: Vol I Kelly, Robin, DC: To Make Our World Anew: Vol II King, Stephen: 11.22.63 Kerr, John: A Dangerous Method Ledgin, NM: Sally of Monticello Marr, Andrew: The Diamond Queen Magorian, Michelle: A Little Love Song Magorian, Michelle: A Spoonful of Jam Magorian, Michelle: Cuckoo in the Nest Martin, George. R. R: A Dance with Dragons: Dreams and Dust Martin, George. R. R: A Dance with Dragons: After the Feast McInerney, Monica: Those Faraday Girls McKay, Sinclair: The Secret Life of Bletchley Park McKissack, Patricia C: Slave Girl Messenger, Charles: Call to Arms Meyer, G J: The Tudors Moyes, Jojo: The Girl You Left Behind Newman, Michael: Socialism Oldfield, Pamela: Workhouse O'Brien, Anne: The King's Concubine O'Brien, Anne: The Uncrowned Queen Plaidy, Jean: The Loves of Charles II Plaidy, Jean: The Merry Monarchs Wife Plummer, Rosemary: The Maids Tale Powell, Margaret: Below Stairs Prentis, Evelyn: A Nurse and Mother Prentis, Evelyn: A Nurse in Time Purcell, Jennifer: Domestic Soldiers Rhodes, Chloe: One For Sorrow Rice, Anne: Interview with the Vampire Richards, Susan: Chosen by a Horse Scarsbrook, M G: Poison in the Blood Sibley, Brian: Offical Movie Guide Singer, Peter: Marx Smith, LJ: The Awakening and The Struggle Smith, LJ: The Fury and The Return Smith, LJ: Nightfall Smith, LJ: Stefan Diaries I: Origins Smith, LJ: Stefan Diaries II: Bloodlust Smith, LJ: Stefan Diaries III: The Craving Smith, LJ: Stefan Diaries IV: The Ripper Smith, LJ: Stefan Diaries V: The Asylum Soames, Mary: A Daughters Tale Stachniak, Eva: The Winter Palace Stockett, Kathryn: The Help Thomas, Heidi: Call the Midwife Townsend, Sue: The Secret Diary of Afrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 Tsaraidze, Alexandre: Wife Before God Vickery, Amanda: The Gentlemans Daughter Wilcock, Penelope: The Hawk and the Dove Wilding, Valerie: Wartime Princess Wolff, Jurgen: Your Writing Coach Worth, Jennifer: Call The Midwife Worth, Jennifer: Farewell to the East End Worth, Jennifer: In the Shadow of the Workhouse

1 - 52: gained in 2009 or before 53 - 108 gained in 2010 109 - 155: gained in 2011 TBR List: 1. Campbell, Christy: Band of Brigands 2. Foreman, Amanda: The Duchess 3. Fraser, Antonia: Marie Antoinette 4. Garfield, Simon: Our Hidden Lives 5. Gristwood, Sarah: Elizabeth and Leicester 6. Guy, John: My Heart Is My Own 7. Massie, Robert: Nicholas and Alexandra 8. McCullough, David: 1776 9. Rees, Laurence: Behind Closed Doors 10. Soames, Mary: Clementine Churchill 11. Williams, Stephanie: Olga’s Story 12. Weir, Alison: Henry VIII 13. Anderson, Hans Christian: Anderson’s Fairy Tales 14. Alcott, Louisa May: Little Women 15. Austen, Jane: Emma 16. Austen, Jane: Mansfield Park 17. Austen, Jane: Northanger Abbey 18. Austen, Jane: Persuasion 19. Austen, Jane: Sense and Sensibility 20. Bronte, Charlotte: Jane Eyre 21. Boyne, John: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas 22. Burnett, Frances Hodgson: The Secret Garden 23. Dunant, Sarah: In the Company of the Courtesan 24. Fforde, Jasper: The Eyre Affair 25. Furnivall, Kate: The Russian Concubine 26. Gaskell, Elizabeth: North and South 27. George, Margaret: Helen of Troy 28. Gee, Sophie: The Scandal of the Season 29. Gregory, Philippa: The Other Queen 30. Gregory, Philippa: The Queens Fool 31. Gregory, Philippa: The Favoured Child 32. Gilbert, Henry: Robin Hood 33. Grahame: The Wind in the Willows 34. Hardy, Thomas: Tess of the D’Urbervilles 35. Lawrence, D. H: Lady Chatterley’s Lover 36. Lee, Harper: To Kill A Mocking Bird 37. Lewis, Hilda: I, Jacqueline 38. McIntosh, Fiona: Royal Exile 39. Montefiore, Santa: The Swallow and the Hummingbird 40. Montefiore, Santa: The Butterfly Box 41. Montgomery, L.M : Anne of Green Gables 42. Nesbit, E: The Railway Children 43. Ryan, Robert: Early One Morning 44. Sewell, Anna: Black Beauty 45. Sheers, Owen: Resistance 46. Sittenfeld, Curtis: American Wife 47. Steel, Danielle: Silent Honour 48. Stevenson, Robert Louis: Kidnapped 49. Thomes, Rosie: Isis and Ruby 50. Tolkien, J.R.R: The Silmarillion 51. Tolkien, J.R.R: Unfinished Tales 52. Zusak, Markus: The Book Thief 53. Adams: The Letters of John and Abigail Adams 54. Brands: Traitor to his Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 55. Byatt, AS: The Children's Book 56. Burstein, Andrew: Jefferson’s Secrets 57. Campion, Emma: The King's Mistress 58. Cast, PC: Divine by Blood 59. Cheek, Mavis: Amenable Women 60. Clark, Mary Higgins: The Christmas collection 61. Clarke, Stephen: 1000 Years of Annoying the French 62. Deighton, Len: SS – GB 63. Dickens, Charles: Oliver Twist 64. Didion, Joan: The Year of Magical Thinking 65. Duff, David: Alexandra: Princess and Queen 66. Dunant, Sarah: Sacred Hearts 67. Erikson, Carolly: Great Catherine 68. Erickson, Carolly: The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette 69. Figes, Orlando: Natasha’s Dance 70. Follett, Ken: The Pillars of the Earth 71. Furnivall, Kate: Under A Blood Red Sky 72. Gill, Gillian: We Two 73. Gregory, Philippa: The Red Queen 74. Gordon Reed, Annette: The Hemingses of Montecello 75. Hall, Coryne: Little Mother Of Russia 76. Harrods-Eagles, Cynitha: Anna 77. Hibbert, Christopher: Victoria – a Personal History 78. Hosseini, Khaled: The Kite Runner 79. James, Eloisa: Desperate Duchesses 80. Kerr, Judith: Out of Hitler Time 81. Leroux, Gaston: The Phantom of the Opera 82. Lieven, Dominic: Russia Against Napoleon 83. Lovell, Mary S: The Mitford Girls 84. Lukyanenko, Sergei: The Day Watch 85. Mantel, Hilary: Wolf Hall 86. McCullough, David: Mornings On Horseback 87. Mitchell, Margaret: Gone With The Wind 88. Morris, Theodore: Colonel Roosevelt 89. Morrow, James: The Last Witchfinder 90. Motley, Annette: Men on White Horses 91. Norton, Elizabeth: Jane Seymour 92. O’Brien, Stacey: Wesley 93. O’ Grady, Paul: At My Mothers Knee 94. O’Toole, Patricia: When Trumpets Call 95. Pakula, Hannah: An Uncommon Woman 96. Plaidy, Jean: Madame Du Barry 97. Plaidy, Jean: Plantagenet Prelude 98. Quinn, Kate: Mistress of Rome 99. Romanov, Olga Alexandrovna: 25 Chapters Of My Life 100. Schlink, Bernhard: The Reader 101. Smith, Douglas: Love and Conquest 102: Smith, L.J: The Night World 103. Snyder, Maria V: Storm Glass 104. Tolstoy, Leo: Anna Karenina 105. Van Der Kiste, John: Queen Victoria’s children 106. Weir, Alison: Katherine Sywnford 107. Weir, Alison: The Captive Queen 108. Weir, Alison: The Lady in the Tower 109. Withey, Lynne: Dearest Friend 110. Adornetto , Alexandra: Halo 111. Atkins, Dixie: Humble and Loyal 112. Atkinson, Kate: Case Histories 113. Cast, PC And Kristin: Destined 114. Chamberlin, E. R: Everyday Life In Renaissance Times 115. Darwin, Charles: On Origin Of The Spices 116. Darwin, Francis and Charles: The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin 117. Dickens, Monica: One Pair of Hands 118. Fraser, Antonia: Love and Louis XVI 119. Graham, Laurie: The Importance of Being Kennedy 120. Gilbert, Elizabeth: Eat, Pray, Love 121. Gray, Sarah: Wuthering Bites 122. Greene, Graham: Brighton Rock 123. Harris, Charlaine: Dead Reckoning 124. Harris, Charlaine: The Sookie Stackhouse Guide 125. Healey, Edna: Emma Darwin 126. Hibbert, Christopher: The Borgias 127. Hyams, Jacky: The Real Downton Abbey 128. Lewis, CS: Mere Christianity 129. Lovell, Mary S: The Churchill’s 130. Keynes, Randal: Creation 131. Magorian, Michelle: Just Henry 132. Martin, George R R: A Feast For Crows 133. Montefiore, Santa: The French Gardener 134. Morpurgo, Michael: War Horse 135. Morpurgo, Michael: Peaceful Private 136. Newman, Janis Cooke: Mrs Lincoln 137. Nicholas, Katie: William and Harry 138. Obama, Barack: Dreams of My Father 139. O’Connell, Tyne: A Royal Match 140. Orzel, Chad: How To Teach Quantum Physics To Your Dog 141. Patch, Harry: The Last Fighting Tommy 142. Parsons, Tony: Starting Over 143. Pasternak, Boris: Doctor Zhivago 144. Perry, Tasmina: Kiss Heaven Goodbye 145. Richman, Alyson: The Lost Wife 146. Rose, Norman: Churchill 147. Sanderson, Jane: Netherwood 148. Sebba, Anne: That Women 149. Shawcross, William: The Queen Mother 150. Sibley, Brain: Peter Jackson 151. Toye, Richard: Lloyd George and Churchill: Rivals for Greatness 152. Tremlett, Giles: Catherine of Aragon 153. Trotter, Janet MacLeod: Never Stand Alone 154. Vickery, Amanda: Behind Closed Doors 155. Wead, Doug: The Raising of a President