April’s prompt for the Canterbury Classics Jane Austen Reading Challenge is “Shop for Regency Romance at a Local Bookstore.” Since I never need a reason to visit a bookstore, and the first of my biannual trips to Barnes & Noble fell within the Challenge window … it was a match made in heaven. If you don’t have trips to the bookstore penciled into your agenda, Independent Bookstore Day will be celebrated on the 26th, which would be a great way to complete this challenge.
The further expansion of the prompt includes “If you already have all six of Jane Austen’s novels, consider picking up a contemporary read inspired by Jane […].” Having picked up a copy of my “missing” Jane Austen novel earlier this year, I gave myself flexibility in fulfilling this prompt. Even though I deviated from my list a bit, I did manage to work both “Jane Austen” and “romance” into my selections, and am rather pleased with the trip on the whole.
I find myself wondering what Jane would think wandering the aisles of a bookstore today. While shopping definitely happened in Jane’s day, and is even featured in her novels, there’s so much available now – especially books. Novels have taken society by storm, and I think Jane would have opinions about things {especially romantasy, ha}. I like to think she’d be pleased at her own novels’ continued successes: being collected, read, and loved still.
When you go to bookstores, do you go with a shopping list to guide your rambles or do you browse freely? I’ve discovered it works better when I have a list and/or predetermined idea {and a budget!}, but again – I deviated this time {a few things I went for, I could not find; but I saw others from my TBR and snatched them instead}. It’s about balance, after all.
Now I just need to find time to curl up and read these new books – and the ones I’ve snagged earlier this year! It’s such a delightful problem when there’s so many good books to pick from. How do you decide what to read next, when you want to read so many books?
How fun! I never take a list to the book store unless there is a new release I just HAVE to have! Mostly I browse the aisles and see what grabs me in the moment 🙂 I have been doing a lot of shopping online, Book Bub sends me an email with their bargains each week, but unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, my Kindle froze up and there doesn’t seem to be a way to unfreeze it so I am back to my first love — hardcover books 🙂
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Online bargain book shopping is SO much fun 😀 Yikes to the frozen Kindle 😦 But I’m glad you’re able to return to the hardback books – I definitely go in spells which format I pick up the most.
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I hardly make it to the book store these days. Maybe when the kids will be a little older. I take my 5 year old with me sometimes. I am a mood reader so that takes away a lot of the decision making on what to read next! I’ll start something and then have to jump to something else that fits my mood. lol
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I think that’s my problem 🙃 I’m having a hard time finding the right book(s) for my mood at the moment 😂
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I understand how that goes. I’m kind of feeling the same!
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[…] addition to the “Jane Austen” bookstore visit, I also “hauled” BOTM books and a couple really exciting additions by way of Instagram. […]
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I hadn’t considered it before but I agree it would certainly be interesting to see what some historical authors thought of bookstores and their selections nowadays. I’m glad you had an excuse – not that ones needed – to treat yourself to some books too. I hope you enjoy them all 🥰
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It’s a fascinating “what if” to consider 🙂 And thank you, I hope to start diving in soon! They all look and sound so lovely.
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