Twelve years ago, in my last months before graduating with my English degree, I finally read Jane Austen for the first time. Somehow I had never read any of her books in high school nor in my earlier English major classes, but in my penultimate quarter, my introduction to her work was with Persuasion. I... Continue Reading →
Jane Austen’s Little Book of Wisdom: Words on Love, Life, Society, and Literature
Any avid reader will agree that much wisdom can be gleaned from the novels we read. Whether it's from morally upright characters or the lessons they learn along the way, there are kernels of truth worth taking to heart. Such is especially true of the great Jane Austen. Her quotes—from novels and personal letters alike—appear... Continue Reading →
The Late Mrs. Willoughby
Last year, Claudia Gray began a new Regency mystery series with The Murder of Mr. Wickham. As you may have surmised from that title, the story is inspired by Jane Austen and indeed features characters from all six of her novels. It also introduced several new characters, including our sleuthing protagonists, the respective children the Darcys... Continue Reading →
Godmersham Park
I always enjoy reading historical fiction about real-life figures, and especially about the people adjacent to someone more famous, so I was excited to read Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby. It follows the years that Anne Sharp worked as a governess for the Austen family at their home in Kent. While there, she met her... Continue Reading →
The Murder of Mr. Wickham
One of my most anticipated books this month was The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray. It's the Jane Austen-inspired cozy mystery I never knew I needed, featuring some of her best-known characters as well as brand new faces. I was thrilled to get an early copy of the book, and now that it's... Continue Reading →
Pride and Prejudice
Despite never having read Pride and Prejudice before, I’ve long known the plot and characters. I enjoyed the 2005 movie adaptation and some other retellings, but this year I decided it was high time I finally read the beloved novel. This is only my third time reading Jane Austen: In college I adored Persuasion, and... Continue Reading →
Emma
Living in Lima, Peru, the books available in English have been limited. Much as I’m trying to improve my Spanish, I’m not quite good enough to read a whole novel yet! Luckily, I found a nice selection of English language books at a local bookstore, and Jane Auten’s Emma is what captured my interest. Until... Continue Reading →

