Ok, this is tough…  the Jane Austen in Vermont blog has been honored with the Excessively Diverting Blog Award by TWO other blogs:  Catherine Delors at her Versailles and More blog and Jane Odiwe at her Jane Austen Sequels blog.  So does this mean we need to come up with FOURTEEN blogs to honor in kind??  I am afraid that SEVEN will be a task, largely because all my favorite blogs have already been chosen by all my favorite blogs! 

The Excessively Diverting Award, created by Ms. Place and Laurel Ann at Jane Austen Today,  is described thusly:

The aim of the Excessively Diverting Blog Award is to acknowledge writing excellence in the spirit of Jane Austen’s genius in amusing and delighting readers with her irony, humor, wit, and talent for keen observation. Recipients will uphold the highest standards in the art of the sparkling banter, witty repartee, and gentle reprove. This award was created by the blogging team of Jane Austen Today to acknowledge superior writing over the Internet and promote Jane Austen’s brilliance.

So I shall begin by breaking all the rules and listing my favorite blogs that have already been so honored: [in random order]

• Austenprose
• Jane Austen’s World
• Jane Austen Today
• Jane Austen Sequels [Jane Odiwe]
• Austenblog
• The Duchess of Devonshire Gossip Guide to the 18th Century
• Versailles and More
• Factual Imagining
• Becoming Jane
• Ripple Effects
• Idolizing Jane
• History Undressed
• Scandalous Women
• Regency Ramble
• Central New Jersey JASNA Chapter blog [now with music!]

etc,. etc, … endless really…so much out there!

So with those thoughts on the above, I pass the baton to the following, albeit not all Jane Austen related, but some of the blogs that I can always depend upon to be thoughtful and interesting, i.e “excessively diverting”:

 Grey Pony – beautiful

The Art of Clothes – lovely [also now with music!]

Two Teens in the Time of Austen – [Kelly’s blog, always interesting!]

Dove Grey Reader scribbles – insightful

New York Public Library blog – a daily surprise

Fabulous Covers – fabulous

Books Please – books!

and one more for good measure:

Bronte Blog – deserving

Recipients, please claim your award by copying the HTML code of the Excessively Diverting Blog Award badge, posting it on your blog, listing the name of the person who nominated you, and linking to their blog. Then nominate seven (7) other blogs that you feel meet or exceed the standards set forth. Nominees may place the Excessively Diverting badge in their side bar and enjoy the appreciation of their fellow blogger for recognition of their talent.

[Posted by Deb]