Well, many of those joining the read are old hands at this, but we are also delighted to have among us some who are doing their first ever group read, and even some who have de-lurked and introduced themselves at the Newbie board just to participate! Welcome everyone!

The guidelines for group reads are to be found on the page with the schedule if you keep scrolling down. I thought I'd bring a few of them forward here, though.

• If you are making a post pertaining to the group read, please designate it with GR in your subject line--whether it is the first post in a new thread or a response in the thread.

• Please stick to the schedule and do not jump ahead and begin discussing or refering to events or plot points that occur later in the story. One of the intentions of a group read is to read the novel slowly and closely, really focussing on one section at a time.

  There will be opportunity for discussion that covers a wider scope and wrap-up discussion as we progress into the story. You can always refer back to things that happened before the section we are on. For example, if something in next week's reading makes you want to refer back to, quote, or reference something in Ch. 1-12, please do. But don't talk about anything that happens after Ch. 12 in this week's discussion.

• Although this is not a strict rule as such, I prefer the discussion each week to progress through the chapters, discussing the earlier ones first if possible, then the later ones from that week's selection, rather than everything all in a jumble at once. Again, this is a guideline and a preference rather than a rule.

• If something in the the reading makes you want to compare the situation to another of JA's novels, please start a thread on Austenuations. There are any number of situations that could do this (comparing Darcy's situation of being Georgiana's guardian to Colonel Brandon and Eliza, for example, or the effects of a silly wife on a man's temper, for another). This would make for very interesting discussion at Austenuations, but will be redirected if it is posted here.

• The Life and Times board is going to 'back up' the group read with S&S as its monthly topic. Therefore, if you have questions about something that relates more to the factual and how things were in that time--such as being elected to parliament, serving in the military, the difference between the way the property is left to John Dashwood compared to an entailment, etc. Life and Times is better equipped to answer those kinds of questions.

• I have some topics I plan to bring up, but by all means start a thread if you have something you want to discuss. I'm leading the read, but you need not wait for me to post about something in order to discuss it!

• Have fun! If you're good, I'll have lots of pretty pictures for you...