Austen in August

So all this month, there has been a party over at the Roofbeam Reader blog. A party with a Jane Austen theme. Adam is hosting Austen in August and I’ve been wanting to join in all month. But it’s now August 25 and it’s not until now that I get everything enough together to actually proclaim my interest in the event and show the blogging world that I want to participate.
And I do! Very much so!
And I have already finished one novel by Austen, Northanger Abbey. I bought Mansfield Park earlier this year and when I discovered a read-along of it, I decided to join in. I was actually ready to start it a few days before the official start but then I read the review of Northanger Abbey at Estella’s Revenge and thought that I definitely wanted to read that one. And when I went to add it to my wish list, I discovered that I already owned it…! (Don’t tell anybody that I had forgotten about buying it!) And then I thought that I could easily manage to read that short novel before the read-along of Mansfield Park. Well, I couldn’t. I finished Northanger Abbey last night and am now ready to start Mansfield Park – and even though I really liked Northanger Abbey, I kind of regret the decision of reading two Austen novels right after each other. But too late to change that now.

After finishing Mansfield Park, I’ll only have one of Austen’s finished novels left, Persuasion. I have liked them all with Pride and Prejudice being my favorite (and not just because of Colin Firth…!) and Sense and Sensibility my least favorite. I am really looking forward to rereading, well actually all of these. I kind of feel like I missed something in Sense and Sensibility since I didn’t like it all that much – and I really want to read about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy again!
Maybe for next year’s Austen in August event.
(Actually I’m a bit confused about whether there are two Austen in August events – one at Roofbeam Reader and another at The Book Rat? Or if they are co-hosting? Whatever the deal, I’m reading Austen in the second half of August and I’m enjoying it. I plan on posting my review of Northanger Abbey tomorrow! Fingers crossed!)