Journal Entry 1 by karendawn from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Friday, August 29, 2003

This was a delightful retelling of the Jane Eyre story - set in a science fiction universe. Even though the basic plot was known and there were few large surprises, it was a good story with a satisfying ending. And I loved the use of Reeder (the recorder Jenna used to tell her story) for Bronte's Reader.

This bookray is closed. After you read the book, Virgulina, you may do whatever you would like with it.

Participants:
1. kymberlie - Texas
2. digitaltempest - Alabama
3. krin511 - Maryland
4. certainlily - Michigan
5. caligula03 - California
6. Eskielover - Washington
7. LaurieS - New Hampshire
8. Lorelei03 - New York
9. nefertari - UK
10. Scrawler - Poland
11. WritinReader - Kentucky
12. MollyGrue - Washington
13. catsalive - Australia
14. Virgulina - Portugal 

Journal Entry 2 by karendawn at Mailed to another BookCrosser in College Station, Texas USA on Tuesday, September 02, 2003

Released on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 at Mailed to another BookCrosser in College Station, Texas USA.

Starting this bookring. 

Journal Entry 3 by kymberlie from Spring, Texas USA on Wednesday, September 03, 2003

Received today. Going to be next on my reading list. 

Journal Entry 4 by kymberlie from Spring, Texas USA on Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Since the story is a basic retelling of Jane Eyre, it was never hard to tell exactly what was going to happen next since I’d read the book years ago. However, Shinn has created a very believable future and characters that I could sympathize with. I really liked Jenna and wanted to see good things happen to her, though I knew some very painful experiences awaited her future.

All in all, it was a very satisfying read and I enjoyed my time in Jenna’s world. Incidentally, this novel is classified as science fiction, but that’s mostly due to it taking place in the future in outer space. 

Journal Entry 5 by kymberlie from Spring, Texas USA on Wednesday, September 10, 2003

Mailed today to digitaltempest. 

Journal Entry 6 by digitaltempest from Montgomery, Alabama USA on Saturday, September 13, 2003

Received today. Going on the top my TBR pile. I'll have it off soon. 

Journal Entry 7 by digitaltempest from Montgomery, Alabama USA on Monday, October 06, 2003

I didn't think this was Shinn's strongest work, but I gave it chance because I really love the book "Jane Eyre". I won't say this book totally blew me away, but it was a decent read. I would have been more impressed had she introduced a couple of plot twists on her own, but ah well...

Sent off to the next bookcrosser today. 

Journal Entry 8 by krin511 from Olney, Maryland USA on Thursday, October 16, 2003

Received in today's mail 

Journal Entry 9 by krin511 from Olney, Maryland USA on Saturday, October 18, 2003

Decided not to read this book after all. I'm sure it's very good, but having read Jane Eyre, I found myself anticipating exactly what would happen next in the story.

Mailing it today to certainlily 

Journal Entry 10 by certainlily from Somerville, Massachusetts USA on Tuesday, November 04, 2003

Recived this in the mail toay. I'll read it ASAP! 

Journal Entry 11 by certainlily from Somerville, Massachusetts USA on Friday, December 05, 2003

I read a good portion of this book and found that I had to force myself to read to the next page. I just wasn't enjoying it. I'll send the book on to the next person on the list asap. 

Journal Entry 12 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Tuesday, December 16, 2003

The book has arrived safe and sound. I will read it as soon as I can. 

Journal Entry 13 by caligula03 from Hayward, California USA on Monday, February 23, 2004

Jenna Starborn is heavily influenced by the sisters Brontë. As I have enjoyed their books, I loved the way this book stiched together the plot points of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights and yet created a fully realized futuristic world. 

Journal Entry 14 by caligula03 at on Monday, February 23, 2004

Release planned for Saturday, February 28, 2004 at Eskielover in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Mailing to Eskielover. 

Journal Entry 15 by Eskielover from Olympia, Washington USA on Thursday, March 04, 2004

Journal Entry 16 by Eskielover from Olympia, Washington USA on Monday, March 22, 2004

I finished this book last night and completly enjoyed it! I'm a real sci-fi fan to begin with and for years that's mostly what I read.

I read Jane Eyre years ago and then just again last year, and it was one of my favorites. So, I pretty much knew where this story was going.

However the different setting, on a different world with different types of "classes", "poverty" and "origins" made this book an exciting read for me.

I kept finding myself wondering how the author was going to handle the upcoming "plot" in this futuristic world. I especially liked the treatment of the "mad" wife.

I will try to get this in the mail this coming week. 

Journal Entry 17 by Eskielover from Olympia, Washington USA on Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Journal Entry 18 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Monday, April 12, 2004

Journal Entry 19 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Journal Entry 20 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Monday, May 31, 2004

Update 5/22/04 Obviously my plans went awry! I ended up starting this last night & immediately fell into it. Dare I admit I haven't read Jane Eyre? There I said it ;) Despite that fact I am finding the story completely fascinating, imaginative & heartwrenching.

5/31/04: I made it through 50% of this story before giving it up. The beginning held much promise but somewhere around page 90 things began to rapidly slow down and I found it very easy to put the book down. This may be my current mood (too busy to read & too stressed to relax with a book) but I'm very disappointed with myself and my inability to finish this. I loved Shinn's "The Shapechanger's Wife" & "Archangel" is still one of my all time favorites so I'm very sad that this one just didn't have the same magic for me and that the characters just seemed a little too bland to hold my attention. Maybe I'll try it again at some other point in my life when things are quieter. Thanks everyone for sharing! I'll be sending it along to the next in line as soon as I hear back with an address. 

Journal Entry 21 by BarkLessWagMore at Bookray in Bookray, A Bookray -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, June 03, 2004

Released on Thursday, June 03, 2004 at Bookray in Bookray, A Bookray Controlled Releases.

Just sent off to Lorelei03  

Journal Entry 22 by Lorelei03 from Flushing, New York USA on Thursday, June 17, 2004

I liked this one and luckily I didn't have the problem that some folks had with the readability of this book. I read this book, not just with Jane Eyre in mind, but also with Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair (an absolutely fabulous book, as are all of Fforde's). I would really reccommend that these books be read together! 

Journal Entry 23 by nefertari on Friday, July 16, 2004

This arrived in the post this morning :-) 

Journal Entry 24 by nefertari on Tuesday, September 28, 2004

I finished this today. I did enjoy this, with Jane Eyre being one of my favourite books, but I still much prefer Shinn's Samaria series to her other novels. I will send this on asap. 

Journal Entry 25 by nefertari on Tuesday, November 16, 2004

The book is on its way to Scrawler in Poland (sent a few days ago). I apologise for the delay. 

Journal Entry 26 by Scrawler on Thursday, December 09, 2004

Never fear, karendawn, Jenna Starborn has arrived safe and sound in Poland! Now, I'm gonna have to ask that you all be a little patient with me now, I'm very far behind and currently have two schoolbooks I have to be reading, so I'll try to get around to this one as soon as I can... 

Journal Entry 27 by Scrawler on Sunday, March 06, 2005

I don't know...I was a little disappointed with this book. I have actually never read Jane Eyre, but of course I know the story and I ahve read The Eyre Affair, so I kind of knew what to expect. I loved the setting because I too am a big sci-fi fan. But other than that I didn't really enjoy it, which is strange because I usually love Shinn's work. I didn't really like Jenna as a character, she seemed very flat. And her relationship with Mr. Ravenbeck was to my mind completely mismatched and not handled very well.
But it was a pretty god read, nonetheless. I especially enjoyed the last part, once she'd left. Thanks for sharing, karendawn! Off to WritinReader! 

Journal Entry 28 by WritinReader on Wednesday, June 01, 2005

My apologies to everyone for the delay in making a journal entry. I'll read and get this moving again asap. Thanks for sharing it! 

Journal Entry 29 by WritinReader on Tuesday, June 07, 2005

I found this to be a decent read but it in my opinion it doesn't compare to Archangel. Jenna could have been such a strong and interesting character but instead I found her lacking. Shinn is an outstanding writer so I was surprised that I felt some disappointment in this book. Thanks for sharing it. It will be on the way to MollyGrue tomorrow morning. 

Journal Entry 30 by MollyGrue from Tacoma, Washington USA on Wednesday, June 15, 2005

I do have a few rings ahead of this, but I should get to this soon. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 31 by MollyGrue from Tacoma, Washington USA on Wednesday, June 29, 2005

I thought that this was both somewhat disappointing and extremely excellent. :)

I guess when I heard "Jane Eyre in space" I did not expect literally Jane Eyre in space...which is why I was somewhat disappointed. However, I was extremely pleased to see how much and how well the story translated to that setting. :)

Thanks for giving me the chance to read this! Reserved for the next reader. 

Journal Entry 32 by MollyGrue at in the mail in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, July 02, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (7/2/2005 UTC) at in the mail in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent surface to Catsalive. Happy reading! 

Journal Entry 33 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Friday, September 02, 2005

Aha! Return of the prodigal book. It arrived today. 

Journal Entry 34 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, September 13, 2005

I'm afraid I was disappointed in this book. I knew from the front that it was a futuristic retelling of Jane Eyre but I didn't expect it to be exactly the same story with all its dated conventions and moralities. Why, in such an advanced state would a woman have to be married to the man she loved? Why would a man only be able to have one wife? Or vice versa?

I agree with LaurieS that the beginning showed promise but in the end I had to just skim through, only dipping in to see how Sharon Shinn handled the significant events. I think the author wasted an opportunity with this work.

I'll send this off to Virgulina once I receive an address. 

Journal Entry 35 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Journal Entry 36 by catsalive from Rooty Hill, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Posted to Virgulina via surface mail this morning. 

Journal Entry 37 by usedtobe on Monday, December 12, 2005

This book is finally here, three months after its departure from Australia, it's safe and sound! :o) I'm curious to read it as I'm such a fan of Jane Eyre. Thanks everyone! 

Journal Entry 38 by usedtobe on Sunday, August 27, 2006

I got another copy of this book so this one is going to DreamSE22 in the USA, as part of the What's in a name? BookRelay. Enjoy! :o) 

Journal Entry 39 by DreamworldBooks from The skies above us, -- Airports & Planes -- USA on Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Thank you so much for sending me this book, Virgulina! It looks awesome, and I'm psyched to have it in my possession for now. Thanks again! :) 

Journal Entry 40 by DreamworldBooks at PBS in PBS, PaperBackSwap.com -- Controlled Releases on Monday, March 03, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (3/3/2008 UTC) at PBS in PBS, PaperBackSwap.com -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 

Journal Entry 41 by IzzyCat1223 from Jersey City, New Jersey USA on Monday, May 19, 2008

Received from book swap club. 

Journal Entry 42 by AnonymousFinder on Sunday, August 31, 2008

I enjoyed the book, which I received from book trading site Paperback Swap, and it is going on to another reader.

CAUGHT IN ALBANY NY USA