Austenalia panelist, left to right: Diana Birchall, Syrie James, Laurie Viera Rigler and Karen Joy Fowler Last February, (on a whim, because that is the only way to live, right?), I flew from Seattle to Los Angeles to attend an Austen-inspired event that I just could not pass up. Authors Syrie James, Laurie Viera Rigler... Continue Reading →
Jane and the Prisoner of the Wool House: Being a Jane Austen Mystery (Book 6), by Stephanie Barron – A Review
In the winter of 1807, we find Jane Austen in the seaport of Southampton living in hired lodgings while her brother Francis Austen’s new residence is made ready for them at Castle Square. The Austen women (Jane, sister Cassandra, their widowed mother, and a dear family friend Martha Lloyd), will all be residing together under... Continue Reading →
On the Block! ~ A Jane Austen Portrait? (via Jane Austen in Vermont)
Another Jane Austen related item up for auction in London. We may never know if this watercolor portrait is of Jane Austen - but my Marianne-ish sensibilities want it to be so. Christie’s Sale 8021: Valuable Printed Books and Manuscripts 8 June 2011 London, King Street [Jane Austen? by James Stanier Clarke] James Stanier Clarke’s... Continue Reading →
Mr. Darcy Goes Overboard Blog Tour with Author Belinda Roberts, and a Giveaway
Please join us today in welcoming Austenesque author Belinda Roberts for the official launch of her book blog tour of Mr. Darcy Goes Overboard: A Tale of Tide & Prejudice, a new Pride and Prejudice contemporary retelling that was released on June 1, 2011 by Sourcebooks. GUEST BLOG Salcombe is a lively, fashionable seaside town... Continue Reading →
Shades of Milk and Honey, by Mary Robinette Kowal – A Review
From the desk of Shelley DeWees: “Of his younger daughter, Melody, he had no concerns, for she had a face made for fortune. His older daughter, Jane, made up for her deficit of beauty with rare taste and talent in the womanly arts. Her skill with glamour, music, and painting was surpassed by none in... Continue Reading →
Preview of Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell (Oxford World’s Classics) New Edition
We have several of Oxford World’s Classics editions in our library and are quite partial to their expanded editions. From Austen to Radcliffe to Burney to Gaskell, whatever they take on, their introductions and supplemental material are excellent. The news of this new revised paperback edition of Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford is quite exciting. Due out... Continue Reading →
Group Read of Evelina by Frances Burney Begins Today at The Duchess of Devonshire’s Gossip Guide
Head's up for literature lovers. The Duchess of Devonshire's Gossip Guide to the 18th Century Blog is hosting a group read of Evelina or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World, by Frances Burney during the month of June, 2011. Evelina is an epistolary novel in three volumes written by English novelist,... Continue Reading →
Jane Austen: A Life Revealed, by Catherine Reef
Little is known of the life Jane Austen (1775-1817), but amazingly there are some hefty, scholarly biographies in print. Two of my favorites were both published in 1997 and confusingly share the same title. Jane Austen: A Life, by Claire Tomalin and David Nokes are both detailed and far-reaching in scope, elaborating on Austen’s life,... Continue Reading →