Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
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:  Jane Austen and period drama fans take heed. Miss Austen, the new 4-part TV drama adapted from Gill Hornby’s eponymous bestselling novel, premiered in the UK last weekend. UK residents can view it on BBC One and their iPlayer. Its US premiere will be on Masterpiece PBS on... 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: Do you read genres by season? I do! When the temperature drops and the leaves begin to fall, I can be found inside tucked up in a throw blanket with a cup of tea and a murder mystery in hand. My first up for the season is The... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Â My summer reading took me down under to Australia with a new-to-me author, Paula J. Beavan. I was encouraged by the glowing reviews of her debut 2021 novel Daughter of the Hunter Valley and wanted to start with her latest book Among the Grey Gums as an... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:   Do you enjoy reading novels that are homages to classic stories? They are quite popular. I have read dozens paying tribute to Jane Austen’s novels. And then there are books inspired by Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, and the enormous universe of... 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: As summer winds down, it was time for me to embrace my seriously neglected good reading habits. I have many books calling to me on my TBR pile, yet they got pushed back when a favorite Australian author’s forthcoming novel dropped on US NetGalley! With one click and... 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 →
