It's impossible to overstate how much I am obsessed with the book series, "The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion" by the talented and witty Beth Brower.
It feels like I found a long-last kindred spirit in book form. Sometimes I worry that I've read all the best books once I finished with Jane Eyre, all the Jane Austen's, Anne of the Island, Blue Castle, The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I've read some amazing non-fiction as an adult (Hamilton, Boys in the Boat, all of Candace Millard etc) that I have been pretty obsessed over but I sometimes wonder if I'll ever find modern fiction I like as well as the classics I've loved forever. Part of that might be like Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail says,
"When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does."
I'm so grateful to have read so many amazing stories as a child but I've struggled to find that magic as an adult.
But Emma M. Lion has it all! I'm not exaggerating when I say I have read at least a few excerpts from these books almost every day over and over since I read them the first time summer of 2024. The more I read them the more I love them. Anyone who has given it a bad rating didn't get past the first or second book.
Here is my review of the first book from goodreads-
I admit the first book is a little slow as she is introducing the characters and setting. But by book 2-3 I was hooked. St Crispian's is charming, I love the characters- where can I find and Emma, Pierce, Hawkes and Islington for myself? I love the book references- any book/school that has a Jane Eyre and a Currer Bell is for me. It's like if Avonlea met Sherlock Holmes Londen met Stars Hollow. I was charmed and hooked and immediately read them three times in a row. "Read it- I know you'll love it"-(name that movie!)
My only complaint is I wish she would have put a whole year together of the journal. The first two were lacking in substance/plot so it makes it hard for readers to stick with it- even ones used to reading Victorian, Regency etc. I'm hoping she'll do a beautiful Chamber editions with each year at some point! She's planning to write 4 years total- so about 25 books! I am so excited- I could not be more charmed! There are so many sweet, funny, and endearing characters, and situations. It's hard to really say what genre it is- a bit fantasy, magical realism, historical fiction, romance, comedy
When it came time to choose my book for my beloved book club I knew I wanted to host an Emma M Lion night. I talked them into doing Vol 1-4 to avoid the first book being slow problem and it was magical. I already have a few more ideas if I ever do another book club- I can't wait!
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| I used all my grandma's china from Germany! |
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| I lit all the candles and had a jar to throw a gold coin in to vote on your favorite love interest! |
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| I collected all my books that Emma owns and checked out several more from the library to display! |
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| I found this lion and Roman coin chocolate in Savannah Georgia- I had them package it up carefully and brought them home for this book club. Gold coins for our Valentine's fountain and multiple copies of Jane Eyre (which I own since like Emma people keep giving me copies of my favorite book!) |
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| The bird's nest from the drunken duck next to Walt Whitman's Poem "Song of Myself" and books about ferns! |
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| I love my book club so much! I had 3 other friends and my sister Marti join who had been borrowing the books from a bin off my porch all month! |
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| A very Jack, Arabella, Emma, Hawkes tea! 3 kinds of cake! Fruit and homemade hot chocolate since I'm not a tea person! |
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| Even the dirty dishes look charming when they're fancy china! A night well-spent with friends is worth a sink-full of dishes anytime! |
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| My darling friend Andrea often shares her beautiful blooms. Her sweetpeas were just about ready in honor of Lord George West! |
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| Blush pink roses from the Reprobates! |
Emma's dad and friend Saffronia March are artists so I got out my very small art collection to display! |
Emma's friend Mary is an early adopter of the typewriter. I typed one of my favorite Emma/Pierce note exchanges on my typewriter I got from Matt's grandparent's house from the 1930s to display! It still amazes me you can put new ribbon in and something almost 100 years-old still works pretty well! It weighs a ton though!
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I did an embarrassing amount of
stalking research on fan sites and Beth Brower's instagram and made a
power point of pictures and favorite quotes from the books and what different characters might look like according to AI- like I said- I'm obsessed.
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| Real life area for made-up St. Crispian's |
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| My friend Katie came prepared with her "cat" Tybolt and a white feather for her books! |
Like Emma's copy of Jane Eyre I had everyone write their names at the back of my volume 1! I am missing a few here.
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