Thursday, February 4, 2010

Apologies and Plans

Many of you are aware that I am in the first trimester of pregnancy and those of you who have been here before will perfectly understand what I mean when I say my brain just isn't working right. The image to the left (snagged it from the Early Signs of Pregnancy website) is not me, but aptly demonstrates how I feel right now. I've started several posts this week but just can't finish them - my thoughts are incoherent and rambling. Plus, the doctors have been treating me like a pincushion, taking tons of blood and administering all kinds of injections. I have a lifelong phobia of needles, resulting in my feeling very out of sorts this week. I apologize for my current, totally unproductive state.

I just want to make a few announcements in hope that putting my intentions in writing will force me to act on them. I have several half written posts on Emma that I hope to finish, in particular a two parter on the function of letters in the story. I also have a few books in need of review - I have finished George Knightley, Esquire Volume One: Charity Envieth Not by Barbara Cornthwaite and Rainy Days by Lory Lillian, both of which I greatly enjoyed.

Yesterday I received a shipment from Amazon containing Relations Such as These by Sara O'Brien, A Noteworthy Courtship by Laura Sanchez, and Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler. It would behoove me to get busy reading. Observant followers will notice the accumulation of non-fiction titles in my "I'm Currently Reading" sidebar posting. Honestly, I just don't have the concentration right now to complete these books, so be prepared for them to sit there for a while. Be assured that I will, eventually, finish them.

I also have a few non-Austen reviews to complete. I am very excited to have joined the Classics Circuit's Georgette Heyer Tour, which will be taking place in March. Ms. Heyer will be here on March 9th for my review of Black Sheep. I have not yet read this book but my husband and I have read several of her novels out loud to each other over the past several months, laughing rather hysterically all the way through them, and I look forward to enjoying sharing this one with him as well. Here is the Amazon description:
Abigail Wendover, on the shelf at 28, is kept busy when her niece falls head over heels in love with a handsome fortune hunter and Abbie is forced into a confrontation with his scandalous uncle.

Miles Calvery is the black sheep of his family- enormously rich from a long sojourn in India, disconcertingly blunt and brash. But he turns out to be Abbie's most important ally in keeping her niece out of trouble.

But how can he possibly be considered eligible when she has worked so hard to rebuff his own nephew's suit for her niece? And how can she possibly detach from an ailing sister who needs her? This is a heroine who has to be, literally, swept off her feet . . .
My other non-Austen review will be for the All About the Bronte's Challenge I am participating in, hosted by Laura's Reviews. It has been my intention to complete one book a month and for February I plan to read The Professor by Charlotte Bronte. I first read this book in high school but barely recall it, so look forward to rediscovering Charlotte's least-known work.

Most exciting, from my perspective, is that I should shortly have a release date for my novel First Impressions: A Tale of Less Pride and Prejudice! If you are interested in reading the first three chapters, please refer the the listing in the sidebar.

February is a short month and I feel like I am dreadfully behind on all this. I'll keep praying for a burst of energy that will see me through it all but, in the meantime, I'm off to take a nap.

17 comments:

  1. I know how you feel. Take your time and do what you can. Good luck :)

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  2. Thanks. The reminder that most women know exactly what this is like is a great comfort and keeps me from feeling quite as worthless as I am inclined to.

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  3. Feel better! I think some women call this "pregnancy brain." I am really excited to read your post about the role of letters in Emma because I just started Lady Susan, a novel entirely in letters!

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  4. Hi Maire. I adore Lady Susan. Well - I adore everything Austen wrote, but Lady Susan is a personal favorite because she is the only blatant villainess Austen ever created. I am almost finished rereading Emma and noticed that it is the only one of Austen's novels that has no letters quoted in it, though they still play a major role in the plot development. If my "pregnancy brain" will cooperate, I'll finish the post this weekend.

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  5. The first trimester is one of the most exhausting. If you get bouts of morning sickness, I found that putting a dab of ground ginger under the tongue works wonders.

    As for needles, I have a phobia of those as well. It was only the thought of the baby that kept me from going bonkers.

    Take your time and rest up as much as you need to. :-)

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  6. Dear Alexa, feel better and take your time with everything else... My daughter is 14 and a half, but I still can remember the pregnancy times LOL.

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  7. Thank you Ruth, Lory, and everyone else who has been so supportive. Unfortunately, I had an ultrasound yesterday and we learned that the baby doesn't have a heart beat and will eventually miscarry. I don't have the heart to write a proper post about it so hopefully this will suffice to get the word out. We'll try again when we can.

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  8. Alexa, I'm sorry. I went through that with my first pregnancy. It was a rough time. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

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  9. Thank you Ruth. So did my mom and three months later she was pregnant with me. I truly believe that what is meant to be will be - a very useful credo at moments like this. We're disappointed but still positive. We have a lot of exciting things to look forward to (new house, new book, trying again). Life is too good to dwell on the bad stuff and I'm too appreciative of all my many blessings to let this get me down.

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  10. Congratulations, and I hope you feel better soon, having two children, i've been there as well. It will pass :)
    I loved Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, and the sequel, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict was fun also.
    Heyers writing is fantastic.

    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/

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  11. Thanks Naida but, unfortunately, I just learned yesterday that the baby doesn't have a heartbeat and will miscarry. On the bright side, my brain should resume normal functionality in the not too distant future. I'm looking forward to getting some reading done, this oh so very snowy weekend. I've read some very compelling reviews of Confessions of a Jane Austen addict and look forward to delving in.

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  12. Alexa, I am so sorry. Keep thinking positive like you are already doing. There is a reason for everything, my husband and I will be praying for you and yours.

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  13. Thanks Meredith. I really appreciate all the good wishes from everyone. I'm pretty accepting of adversity when I experience it. It's an opportunity to remember all the wonderful things in my life, of which there are many.

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  14. Praying for you here, too...I'm so sorry.

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  15. Hi Barbara. Thank you so much for the kind thoughts - and the comment! I hope to hear more from you in the future.

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  16. Dear Alexa,

    I know words have little meaning in such a moments... so I can only say I am sorry for your loss.

    All the best to you and your husband.

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  17. Thanks Lory. I attribute great meaning to words, especially when they come from sincere people, like yourself.

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