Darcy Swipes Left by Jane Austen and Courtney Carbone

Do you remember Macbeth from last year? Well here is the Pride and Prejudice version. 

I assumed I would like this one better than the Macbeth version, (because P&P is so much better than Shakespeare) but I don't. 

Carbone has taken a classic and changed it into a text exchange in modern parlance. 

Shakespeare seemed hilarious in modern parlance and emoji.  

But somehow, Mr. Bennet does not strike me as an emoji kind of fellow. 

Mr. Collins seems to translate well though. 

I do love the little apps scattered throughout though. 

Mary understands the benefit of a good meme. 

And would Mr. Bennet really make family statements on social media? Mrs. Bennet, sure. But... 

I love Lady Catherine de Bourgh ALL CAPS-ing everything and signing her name to each and every text. Clearly she doesn't quite get texting. 

Lizzy is way too intelligent to write forget as 4get. And sry, Darcy shouldn't shorten sorry to sry. 

Clearly I am prejudiced against text speech. Which is pretty legitimate. I am one of those annoying texters who writes ALL THE WORDS. I just do. 

Mrs. Bennet and Trump would understand each other's social media accounts. 

There were definitely some laugh out loud parts, and if you are a Pride and Prejudice junky (that's me!) it is well worth the chuckle. However, it has none of the magic of the original. 

Macbeth #killingit by William Shakespeare and Courtney Carbone

Courtney Carbone takes classic literature and recreates it using text messages and apps. Pretty hilarious! 

Shakespeare in text form is hilarious. At least to me! 

Someone was telling me that it would only be funny if you had already read the book/play and understood it, which might be true. Still, I get a huge kick out of these books! And I can't help but think they get a lot of information across in a less boring way than cliff notes. So I like them!

#battleselfie

#MacbethFTW

There are a lot of good notes

Never shoulda bought those matching BFF kilts...

This slays me! 

Lady Macbeth is evil. With a lot of emojis.

Macbeth is listening to Justin Bieber's "Bad Day."

It was kind of a bad day. 

These witches. 

No spoilers!

Macduff asking about his family--

Ross--They are fine

Ross--ish.

Macduff--What does that mean? TELL ME

Ross--They're all dead. 

KingMD Symptom Checker

Macbeth tells his servant that his is a liar, pants on fire with emojis. 

Yessssss

Great Birnam Wood has checked into Dunsinane

Macbeth creates an online Survey--Were you born of a woman

Life is getting complicated for Macbeth

Macduff scored 0% on Macbeth's quiz. 

Macbeth--Well that's ironic

Macduff--You mean "coincidental."

Macbeth--Either way! I definitely don't want 2 fight u now!

It's over, Macbeth.

Pretty fun, right? I will share the Pride and Prejudice one I read later on. 

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf & Illus by Robert Lawson

Ferdinand the bull is a big deal. In 1938, two years after it was written, it was the best selling book in the United States, edging out Gone With the Wind. (Thanks wikipedia!) Hitler burned it. Gandhi loved it. In 1945 US soldiers handed out 30,000 copies to German children to promote peace.

It has been in continuous print since it was written 80 years ago.

Not bad for a book written in less than an hour as a favor for his friend, Robert Lawson who was looking for a book to illustrate. 

Ferdinand is an inspiration to us all. To not run around like crazy trying to impress everyone, but to be calm and enjoy life. And to smell the flowers. Always smell the summer flowers. 

I am going to assume that at some point in your life, some teacher or parent read you this book. 

We all know about the little bull who would rather sit and smell the flowers...

...than run around acting crazy like the other bulls.

In his flowers

Under the cork tree--his favorite spot to sit and smell the flowers.

His mother worried a little.

But after questioning him-- 

His mother saw that he was not lonesome and because she was an understanding mother, even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy.

Time went by and Ferdinand grew into a big, strong bull that liked to smell the flowers.

All the other bulls had hopes and aspirations to the bull ring.

One day, a group of buyers for the bull ring came to see the bulls. They look a lovely bunch don't they?

The bulls did their thing, showing off as best they could.

Ferdinand was unconcerned. There were flowers to smell.

Unfortunately, as he sat down in his favorite spot, he sat on a bee.

The bee sting pepped him up no end.

He rampaged around the field, impressing the buyers.

So Ferdinand was taken to the bullring. Where all the ladies had flowers in their hair.

The parade into the ring began.

The matador.

Everyone was petrified of the incredible Ferdinand. 

But as Ferdinand came into the ring, he smelled the ladies' flowers and sat down to contemplate them.

Nothing the matador could do would induce Ferdinand to fight.

So they sent him home. 

And for all I know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly. 

He is very happy. 

I love Ferdinand.

 I hope there is some sitting around smelling the flowers in your summer! 

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett illus by Tasha Tudor

As you know, from this post and this post, I love Tasha Tudor. I think she is the bees knees. Although there are probably 50 bazillion different versions and editions of The Secret Garden out there (apparently one of the mostly widely known secrets in the world) this is the one to have on your bookshelf. It is the definitive The Secret Garden. Just ask me. 

This particular copy is my mothers. I crept into her house when she was at work this week and pinched it off the bookshelf. (Stealing books is okay, if you really love the book, right?!) I remember Mom bringing this book home when I was little. It was an important book. We already had several other Tasha Tudor versions of this book, but they were paperback and lacked the full page illustrations. This one was a hardcover, full color edition. In a house where books were everywhere by the thousand, this book stood out. Books were our constant companions. We carried them everywhere, brought them to school, read them outside, left them in bookbags, purses, and the cars. Mom and Dad were mostly okay with that. I say mostly, because Dad couldn't help wincing now and then about where we left our books and how we left our books. Use a bookmark! Do you want to break the spine?! and Why can't you put it back where it belongs? where words we heard once or twice during in our childhood. But there were some books we treated extra carefully. And this was one of them.

   

In my little kid brain, I realized Tasha Tudor must be some important. 

And she is. This is a magical, delicate, and delightful book. We all know the story is marvelous, but these pictures compliment the story and make it sing.  

Little bird nests in the ivy! 

Oh how much I adore this book! Just looking through it again and taking pictures of it makes me want to read it and get lost in Mary's world for the umpteenth time. As a kid, I couldn't imagine anything nicer than having your very own, walled in, abandoned garden that you could save through hard work and a little bit of know how. 

Mary Lennox when she was an orphan in India and "Mary, Mary quite contrary."

Driving back to Craven Hall with Mrs. Medlock after arriving in Yorkshire.

Martha, the chambermaid. Isn't she just the embodiment of the cheerful, hard working Martha? 

(Yes, yes she is.) 

Mary being bored in a house with no other children. Except... what is that cry?

Hearing Colin fuss--"Its the wind wuthering around the house" insists Martha.

The key! Oh the excitement! 

Ohhhh.... Stepping into the garden for the first time. The unimaginable delight!

Dickon. We all love Dickon. What a marvelous fellow!

Dickon charming the animals.

This is one of my favorite phrases in the book. Sometimes phrases get in my head and I repeat them for several days. Like a song, only without music. This phrase gets in my head every time I read it. It is phrased so... old worldly-ish. So stilted and overly proper. And I love it. 

She discovers Colin, her very own cousin.

Getting to know each other without the interference of adults. 

Spring in the secret garden!!

I want a pet fox. And crocuses. (Mine decided not to come up this year.) 

Dickon bringing his animals to entertain the imperious Colin.

Taking Colin out for a ride in the gardens. 

Good old Ben!

The healing properties of garden work.

The nefarious Dr. Craven with his ulterior motives. 

Colin, finally standing!! On his own!!

And finally, Mr. Craven comes home to discover his boy, whole and walking! 

Oh, how marvelous gardens, particularly walled-in, secret gardens are! 

Happy sigh!

Have a lovely Thursday, my friends!