From time to time, being a lover of all things Jane Austen can cause some minor difficulties in my life. Let explain what I mean. I’ve listed a few as examples.
Problem #1 The Lone Austen lover for miles around.
On the job, I’ve discovered that quoting Jane or sharing my raptures over the book that kept me up until two in the morning gain me really odd looks and people who hang a louie for the closest door.
At home, there is the embarrassed tribe member who shoves my pile of lovelies from Meryton Press under the precarious stack of mags and papers on the coffee table when his friends come by. “And if you love me, don’t talk to my friend about Jane Austen even if there is a question of favorite books which there won’t be if you don’t bring it up.” And to make the agitated one happy I so do swear. Sigh…literary heathens! And this is why I have my on-line support group of other Austen lovers.
Problem #2 Scheduling Family Trips.
How is it that the tribe doesn’t get the need to consult the calendar for the regional Jane Austen conventions before purchasing plane tickets to the other side of the country? I ask you? So what if it was the deal of the century and I agreed to the trek for the annual family campout a year ago? JASNA hasn’t been in my neck of the woods for five years. Okay, but at least I’m reading Sunkissed: Effusions of Summer in my beach chair by a breathtaking mountain lake. There are small compensations.
Problem #3 Finding the privacy to read.
Did you know, I can do all my chores without a single person wishing to interact with me? However, the moment I park it in the lounger to read the latest, I get the ‘where is my… or you gotta hear this…’. I really need to work on my stink eye expression because it doesn’t even make the joe interrupting the good part pause for a second thought about the danger to his life if he doesn’t walk away now.
Problem #4 Wishlist Choice Overload.
I have a gift card. Hip hip hoorah and doing the Snoopy Dance! I now have to decide which book/s from my twenty page Amazon wishlist that I’ll be purchasing. Do I get that latest that my GoodReads buddies are all raving over? You know that Then Comes Winter one? Or maybe… But what about… Oh man, I’m starting to crack under the strain. It’s been an hour. For the love of Dove Dark Chocolate, I just need to make a choice. Eenie, Meenie, Minie…
Problem #5 Reading in public places.
I am a compulsive reader. Yep. No cure and trust me it’s been tried. I have a book tucked along for the ride no matter where I’m going. And, see, this leads to issues because I’m a very interactive reader. I laugh, snort, sigh, snarl, groan, bawl, mutter, and make faces that probably would scare the chainsaw guy in that horror show. It definitely has an effect on the folks at the dental office. I had this young buffed dude just get up and move across the room while never taking his eyes off me. How rude! I wasn’t going to do him violence and I certainly wasn’t going to hurt my precious Kindle. Yeesh, Wickham would bring out that response in most readers. This is why I make an effort to choose my public reading book wisely.
Now, tell me I’m not alone on this sort of thing. What type of reader issues have you encountered as an Austen lover or a reader in general?
Then Comes Winter is on blog tour right now and you can catch up with all the posts from this schedule:
https://merytonpress.com/then-comes-winter-blog-tour/
It’s also taking a world tour to visit each author before finding its way to one lucky winner. Want to check out TCW’s travelogue or enter for a chance to win the authors’ signed copy and souvenirs?
Go here: https://merytonpress.com/a-then-comes-winter-road-trip/
Purchase links:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Then-Comes-Winter-Lory-Lilian-ebook/dp/B017V7XKDS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449119991&sr=8-1&keywords=then+comes+winter
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/then-comes-winter-christina-boyd/1122964167?ean=9781681310039
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Ginna
What the heck is “hang a louie”? Where did you ever get that?
My reader issue? The earnest query, when they see me with my Kindle, “Whatcha reading?” Me, not wanting to go in to the long explanation of the concept of JAFF, with someone who most likely isn’t interested: “Smut.”
sophiarose
LOL! Ginna! You’re a card. I love your comeback. That would send your disturber packing.
Oh, and ‘hang a louie’ is doing a u-turn or a one-eighty turn. Sorry, local talk. 🙂
Denise
I hate when someone (a stranger) feels the need to talk to me when I’m obviously reading. Just because we’re the only two in the waiting room, it doesn’t mean I need to entertain you.
sophiarose
Oh yeah, that bugs me, too. I get that some folks are nervous about silence when they aren’t alone, but hey, I’m good. See my book? LOL
Sheila L. M.
My family knows that I read JAFF and I have explained it to them. BUT they love to make jokes about it being porn or about it having lots of hot sex scenes! I don’t even fight it b/c I know I can get “turned on” by simply great descriptions of the sexual chemistry going on without a couple even touching…those looks, the raised eyebrow, the downcast vision, the electricity from a touch on the arm/waist/cheek, or Darcy circling his thumb on the back of Elizabeth’s hand, etc. So I do relate to all of the above, except the response of “smut” when asked what i am reading! That is a little like asking for strange looks…LOL I think that as a gray haired grandmother I might be looking for a commitment/a lock up, if I gave that answer.
Sophia Rose
That is funny, Sheila! But I agree about it not taking much to turn me on like ‘smoldering looks’. 🙂