Once Upon a Summer, by Janette Oke

From the Back Cover:
Sure it's unusual to have a 18 year old mother when you're twelve. But when you're an orphan and she's your aunt- and the only mother you've ever had- well, as I explained, it had worked out real well.

Where do I even start with this book... It was one of the first books by Janette Oke I had ever read, and I was skeptical at first. I mean, there can't be many books from a twelve year old boy's viewpoint, right? But I totally changed my mind after reading it. I could hardly wait to read the other three books! But, before I start on them, let me get back to the book I'm supposed to be talking about.
Joshua Jones is a typical twelve year old. He has friends, gets into trouble with these friends, does his chores and suffers through his grandfather insisting he goes to church each Sunday. When his grandfather and great uncle decide its time to start surveying prospects for his pretty aunt before she chooses a husband for herself, Josh's world is pretty much torn apart. The thought of his aunt leaving the family isn't welcome, especially since she's been his mother and best friend since he lost his own parents.
This book made me cry and, more often than not, laugh. When a spry great-grandfather shows up and teams with Josh to ruin his grandfather and great-uncle's plans, you can expect a lot of comical moments! The story does have it's touching moments; like I said, I cried. Auntie Lou's attempts to help Josh remove his bitterness towards God over losing his parents, and feeling the hurt that Josh feels when he loses his brand new puppy... be ready with some tissues.
And the ending- well, I won't give it away, but if you're like me, you won't stop grinning for days. I've read this book probably a hundred times, and I still can't stop smiling when I get to the end. I definitely give this book five stars, and highly recommend if you like it, read the next three books in the series that go through the rest of Joshua Jones' life!

PRIDE & PREJUDICE by Jane Austen | A Regency Tale of True Love & Social Standards

{Source.}

★★★☆☆

(3-4 stars)

The BBC miniseries remain, to this day, some of my favourite Jane Austen adaptions. Thus I was rather saddened when I first cracked open Emma to find it not at all to my liking, and soon after began Pride & Prejudice to find it much better, but still with its dull bits.

For those of you who are unacquainted with Pride & Prejudice, it follows a year in the life of Elizabeth Bennet, a young woman of marriageable age who hails from a very poor (and rather silly) family. Determined to marry a man who is both sensible and wealthy, she finds herself turning down proposal after proposal from unwelcome suitors... but very soon learns a lesson in love and understanding.

I had hoped to fall head-over-heels-in-love with this book... But alas, it was not meant to be.

Austen's prose was witty and poetic, but not quite to my liking. I found myself lost at times between the pools of words and stray commas.

The love story and the characters, however, surely made for a legend. Pride & Prejudice certainly has the structure of a classic, with all its silly, wonderful, and romantic parts. Mr. Darcy (though the portrayal of his character at the beginning did him no justice) was such a gentleman, and Elizabeth was absolutely perfect for him.

For those who enjoy classics, I would recommend this. For those who do not... Well, I'd still recommend it, even if just for the sake of reading it. 😉

You may want to know: There is very mild kissing, as well as a few stray swear words and uses of God's name in vain. There are also some implications that hint at indecency between an unmarried couple.

~Liv
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