Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
🎉HUZZAH! Today marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. I am honored to be included among a list of amazing Austen fans who are collaborating on a cyber party in her honor December 16 – 19, 2025 on Instagram. There will be discussion and a chance to win fabulous Austen-inspired books & gift items.... Continue Reading →
🎉 Happy book birthday to - To Mark the Occassion: Birthday Tales for Jane Austen's 250th, by Zarilda Belle Frost, Melissa Anne, Christina Boyd, P. O. Dixon, Cathleen Earle, Harry Frost, Susan Kaye, Melanie Rachel, Denise Stout, Bethany R Tolson, foreword by Caroline Jane Knight, published today by VVS Arts. The perfect read for Jane Austen's... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Today we are celebrating the release of Austen at Sea, by Natalie Jenner from St. Martin’s Press. BOOK DESCRIPTION Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Today is the official start of the Christmas Season. While we have been seeing retailers advertising seasonal gifts and decorations since July, I am a traditionalist. When I was a child growing up in the US, the season did not start until the day after Thanksgiving. I am... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Have you ever wondered what Emma Woodhouse’s life would have been like after she married Mr. Knightley at the conclusion of Jane Austen’s novel? Would she continue to be the misapplying matchmaker we saw in Emma, or would her husband’s influence send her in a new direction? Since... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Big news this week in Austenland! The BBC announced a new ten-part drama series adapted from Janice Hadlow’s bestselling novel, The Other Bennet Sister. The new period drama is inspired by Mary Bennet, one of Jane Austen’s most unassuming and puzzling characters from Pride and Prejudice. Mary is... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Happy autumn equinox dear readers. It’s time for all the fall feels—pumpkin lattes, fall leaves, and cozy-up reading. In celebration, I present the best historical novels of the new season; a curated list of my favorites for fall 2024. As always, I scoured the publisher’s sales catalogues and... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Happy news, Janeites! Natalie Jenner, the author of the international bestselling novel, The Jane Austen Society, has just revealed the cover of her new novel, Austen at Sea. It is a stunner, and I am pleased to share it with you here today along with the description of... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Austenesque books are aplenty lately! Releasing this week is The Comeback, a contemporary romance with Persuasion vibes, by Ranee S. Clark. I found it witty and charming. Here are the details and my thoughts: BOOK DESCRIPTION Eight years ago, he asked me to marry him, and I said... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Next year we celebrate a milestone in Jane Austen’s life — the 250th anniversary of her birth on December 16, 1775, at Steventon Rectory in Hampshire. There will be many events and books throughout the year to commemorate her special year. I am thrilled to present to you... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: We are heading into the busiest book publishing months of the year in preparation for the holidays. Adding to my growing list of Jane Austen-inspired novels is, In Want of a Suspect, the first book in a new young adult duology releasing on November 12th by bestselling author... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Summer is waning here in the Pacific Northwest, none-the-less, there is still some time for fun beach reading before the chilly fall air sends us all inside for months. I am currently reading Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding. This modern retelling of Jane... Continue Reading →
