Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Walter Scott, and George McFly (that’s right–from Back to the Future!) all figure into this week’s Friday Favorite: 42 idiom origins from the lovely people at Mental Floss.
Category: Friday Favorites
Friday Favorite: David Tennant Reads…Everything
If you are a fan of audiobooks–or David Tennant–then this week’s Favorite is a special treat.
Best know as The Doctor in the British television series Doctor Who, David Tennant has had an extensive audio career as well. He’s read everything from children’s books to Shakespeare’s sonnets to James Bond, in a variety of accents. Don’t believe me? Check out the list of his performances, complete with synopses and audio clips!
Here’s a sampling:
Excerpt from The Beast of Clawstone Castle, in which we hear David’s best American accent–not bad, except for his pronunciation of “Potomac” 🙂
Excerpt from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, in a very English Bond voice.
Excerpt from From Shakespeare With Love (Sonnets 154 and 18) in David’s natural Scottish accent.
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If you’re interested in other sexy voices reading audiobooks, check out my post about Richard Armitage and his foray into Georgette Heyer novels.
Friday Favorite: Jane Austen’s World Pinterest Boards
Pinterest perusers, Austenites, and Regency romance lovers, prepare to be wowed.
If Jane Austen’s World doesn’t have the largest Pinterest collection of Georgian/Regency information, it’s pretty darn close. There are also boards for more modern pursuits and fashion. Get a cup of coffee and find an hour–or four–to browse. It will totally be time well spent!
http://www.pinterest.com/janeaustenworld/
Friday Favorite: Syllabub
From The Regency Reader (September 2013), the monthly newsletter of the Beau Monde Chapter of the RWA. Want to subscribe? Send a blank e-mail to TheRegencyReader-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Syllabub was a popular dessert throughout our period and remains a posh English favorite for dinner parties and special occasions. It is found in the 1861 version of “Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management”. According to Larousse Gastronomique, the recipe can be traced back to the time of the period. In its early variations, syllabub was a drink made of new milk and cider, with the cows milked directly into an ale pot.
Ingredients
¼ pint cream
2oz powdered sugar
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
5 fl oz Sherry or Madeira
Preparation
Warm the sugar, lemon juice and zest until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the Sherry or Madeira.
Whip the cream to soft peaks. Fold in the wine mixture.
Pour into tall-stemmed glasses and chill well.
Friday Favorite: Having a Ball
I mentioned this video a couple of weeks ago in my Austen in August post, but it was so much fun (and so informative) that it deserves its own day.
Produced by the BBC and aired in May 2013, “Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball” attempts to re-create a Regency-era ball. Using Bingley’s ball at Netherfield as a guide experts in the clothing, food, and even dancing use their knowledge and skill to bring history to life.
That sounds cliched, I know, but it’s truly what they do–not only do you see the finished product, but you experience the chaos of the kitchen as supper approaches, the energy and precision required for each of the dances, the realities of wearing Regency dress. The participants are interviewed throughout, so you also get a modern perspective: what is this like compared to what you’re used to?
Grab a cup of tea, put your feet up, and enjoy 😀
Friday Favorite: Sabrage
Sabrage is the art of opening bottles of champagne with a sabre.
That’s right, an actual sword.
The story goes that this technique was developed by Napoleon’s Hussars (light cavalry), who were given bottles of champagne as they traveled through the region of Champagne after a victory. Since they were on horseback, removing the cork from the bottle conventionally proved troublesome. Popping off the top of the bottle with a cavalry sabre was much easier.
Want to see how it’s done? In this video, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan uses a knife-like instrument.
And in this video, Captain Rupert Campbell-Jones uses a ceremonial sword.
This is one of those activities that definitely falls in the don’t-try-this-at-home category, but you can hire professionals for you next party or gathering 🙂
Friday Favorite: Daily Cheap Reads
Books for your Kindle for $5 or less!
DailyCheapReads.com is a website run by two ladies who are very interested in filling up their Kindles for as little money as possible. They mostly post books published by mainstream publishers in all kinds of genres: mystery, romance, history, how-to, cookbooks, YA, etc. There are occasional indie book posts, too.
Saturdays are Savings by the Bundle days, featuring an electronic “boxed set”, where the price per book comes out significantly less than buying the books individually. Nook users: Barnes & Nobel sales are often mentioned as well, as Amazon has a policy of price matching. There is also a book club you can join at will, and lots of places to leave comments.
You can find them on Facebook and Twitter, in addition to their website.
If you’re looking specifically for Young Adult books, there is a Daily Cheap Reads, Jr.
And lest my British friends feel left out, there’s also a Daily Cheap Reads UK, for Kindle books under 6 pounds.
Friday Favorite: Regency-esque Hairstyle
Have you ever marveled at hairstyles of Regency ladies? Wondered if you could get your hair to do something similar? In this week’s Friday Favorite, Joanna Haughton shows you how.
Friday Favorite: Jonny Lee Miller
He currently stars as a modern-day, just-out-of-rehab Sherlock Holmes in the TV series Elementary. He’s had a variety of roles in shows like Dexter and East Enders. He even appeared in a Brother Cadfael mystery.
So what does actor Jonny Lee Miller have to do with Regency romance? He seems to have a knack for playing an Austen gentleman–which is why he’s our Friday Favorite this week 😀
He’s been in two different adaptations of Mansfield Park, in 1983 as Charles Price and in 1999 as Edmund Bertram.
In 2003, he played the title role in the movie Byron.
And in 2006, he played Mr. Knightly in the BBC miniseries Emma. The clip below is one of my favorite parts of the series, with Romola Garai as Emma Woodhouse.
Friday Favorite: When You Give a Duke an Indecent Proposal on Christmas Eve
Shana Galen fans, this one’s for you! Just before Christmas 2012, Shana released a short story featuring the hero and heroine from the first novel in her Jewels of the Ton series. Juliette was a former courtesan, while Will was the Duke of Pelham. They found their HEA in When You Give a Duke a Diamond, and continued the fun in When You Give a Duke an Indecent Proposal on Christmas Eve.
When You Give a Duke an Indecent Proposal on Christmas Eve:
A Jewels of the Ton Holiday Story
Christmas Eve, Rothingham Manor, Yorkshire
“Your Grace, have you considered all of the ramifications of this scheme?” Richards asked in his dry, monotone voice.
Juliette refrained from rolling her eyes. Duchesses did not roll their eyes, or so Will had told her several weeks ago. She had responded by noting that duchesses also did not tickle dukes, and then proceeded to tickle him until his sober expression broke and he laughed despite himself. “It is not a scheme, Richards,” she told the butler. “It is a gift, and I want it to remain a surprise.”
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Find the rest of the story here.
Cora Lee, Regency Romance Author 