Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
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: 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: 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 →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: How much do book covers impact your reading emotions? This stunning cover of Jane Eyre popped up in my Amazon shopping. It stopped me in my tracks. Charlotte Brontë's classic gothic romance has had 1,000s of book covers grace its pages since its publication in 1847, but there... Continue Reading →
