Love Jane Austen? Books You Shouldn’t Miss

If you love Jane Austen, you’ve got lots of company. Jane’s books are classics. They’ve sold for a couple of centuries. A blog reader, who’s new to Jane Austen, asked me whether I could recommend some fiction and nonfiction she would enjoy.

Fiction and nonfiction

On the fiction side, you have her own novels, of course. I reread Pride and Prejudice every few years and always manage to find something new in the book.

More fiction: the 2019 Sanditon TV series is on my download list, so I want to reread Sanditon again before I view the series.

In nonfiction, if you love the Regency period, you’ll enjoy Ian Kelly’s immensely readable Beau Brummell: The Ultimate Man of Style. Also fun: I’m listening to Lucy Worsley’s Jane Austen at Home: A Biography as an audio book while I sew. (BTW, if you sew, check out the article Sew Like Jane Austen.)

The “variations”: fan fiction

Her fan fiction has become a fiction genre of its own. Check out the Goodreads shelf for this genre if you’re unfamiliar with it.

The wonderful P.D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley is in my To Be Read pile; I’ve dipped into it, but haven’t read it yet. Austenland: A Novel, is also in my TBR pile—I want to read it before I watch the movie.

My current reads

Firstly, there’s Gill Hornby’s brilliant Miss Austen, which is on my bedside table. It’s the story of Cassandra Austen, Jane’s sister, who returns to the Fowles’ home at Kintbury, 20 years after Jane’s death, to find Jane’s letters and protect her reputation.

I’m looking forward to reading The Jane Austen Society: A Novel, which is due to be released in a few days.

For Jane Austen fans: more reads

Here’s an excellent list, 10 Must-Reads for Die-Hard Jane Austen Fans, which includes:

• Barbara Pym’s Jane and Prudence, inspired by Emma;
• Curtis Sittenfeld’s Eligible, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice; and
• Kathryn Nelson’s Pemberley Manor, a follow up to Pride and Prejudice.

Have fun reading. 🙂

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