Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: The new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion aired on Netflix on Friday, July 15, 2022. It takes a creative approach to the Regency-era second chance love story, adding contemporary language, an American actress Dakota Johnson in the key role of heroine Anne Elliot, and breaking the fourth wall... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Sophia Rose: ‘Murder’ and ‘Wickham’ in the same title makes any Jane Austen lover worth their salt sit up and take notice. Now, add that with an author name long associated with young adult sci-fi and fantasy, and that makes Claudia Gray’s The Murder of Mr. Wickham well-nigh irresistible. The Murder... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Few who have read Pride and Prejudice can forget Mary Bennet. The middle sister among five daughters, she is a minor character in Jane Austen’s classic with only a few scenes, and fewer lines of dialogue. Her unaccomplished pianoforte playing and singing at the Netherfield ball were an... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: My tulips are sprouting! Spring is on its way here in the Pacific Northwest along with a great selection of new historical novels. Here is a curated list of my favorites for March, April, and May. The range of stories and settings are diverse: Georgian, Regency, WWII, and... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Sophia Rose: A journey from unattractive and least wanted sister to unlikely heroine is the basis for many a classic suspenseful adventure. Relatable and easily cheered on, Pride & Prejudice’s Mary Bennet gets her time to shine in Katherine Cowley’s first in a series of historical mysteries launching as a sequel... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Katie Jackson: Jane Austen—that lauded, shrewd observer and chronicler of humanity—was also a skillful sleuth. Or so readers are thoroughly convinced in the fourteenth book of acclaimed historical mystery author Stephanie Barron’s Being a Jane Austen Mystery series, Jane and the Year Without a Summer. Off to the Less-Celebrated Watering Hole... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Today is Pride and Prejudice’s 209th birthday. Many happy returns of the day to Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen’s second novel was published in a three-volume set by Thomas Egerton, Whitehall, London in 1813. She sold the copyright for £110. Ouch! One can only imagine how... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Happy news for historical book lovers. The selection of new novels available in the next two months is so exciting. From forgotten events in history, to deep dives into the social machinations of Gilded Age New York, to feisty heroines and swoon-worthy heroes, the selection is deep and... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Happy New Year's Eve dear readers! 2021 proved to be a fabulous year in the historical book arena. From creative Austenesque variations, to Regency romances upending tropes, to reimagined gender-switched classics, to compelling historical fiction and mystery, we have been duly entertained and enchanted. A big thank you... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Merry Christmas Eve to one and all. Are you ready for the big day? Can you image how the Christmas holiday season was celebrated in England in the early 1700s? Featured today is an exclusive excerpt from Austens of Broadford, by Carole Penfield, sharing a New Year’s Day... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Happy Friday, dear readers. There was a time when I could count the number of Northanger Abbey sequels on one hand. Admitting that may date me and my Austenesque reading terribly, however, it is true. Only in the last few years has there been an uptick of new... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Sophia Rose: What if Lady Catherine never makes her infamous visit at Longbourn? What if Mr. Darcy never returns to the neighborhood? Can Jane Austen’s most iconic pair still discover a way to ‘only remember the past’ with pleasure together? It might take a bit of yuletide mischief and interference orchestrated... Continue Reading →
