Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin

 

Title:  Jane Austen:  A Life

Author:  Claire Tomalin

Narrated by:  Danielle Cohen

Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Length: Approximately 13 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.

What person would you like to read a biography about?

Claire Tomalin writes a complete biography of famous author Jane Austen.  This biography shows that contrary to what the family published after her death, Austen did have a lot going on with her life with constantly moving.  She also interacted with a variety of interesting family members, neighbors, and family friends.  She was able to take her study of humanity to write wonderful novels that still delight the masses today.

My thoughts on this book:

·       This was an August pick for the JASNA Northwoods Book Club.

·       Tomalin suggested that Henry Austen may have been an inspiration for both Wickham and Henry Tilney.  It was interesting to think about.

·       This was very interesting to listen to on audiobook.

·       I had read this great biography of Jane Austen twenty plus years ago.  It was great to reread it again after all of this time.

·       I would classify this read as nonfiction, biography, Jane Austen, and audiobook.

·       There was more detail on Austen’s neighbors in this book than I needed.

·       This is a great book for readers who want to know more about Austen.  It gives a good understanding of Jane Austen’s world which I find helpful when reading her works.

·       I was sad again that most of Austen’s letters were destroyed.  We could learn so much more about her life if they still existed.

·       I liked the literary analysis of Austen’s works.

·       The author does speculate on parts of Austen’s life, especially her younger years.

Overall, Jane Austen:  A Life by Claire Tomalin is a very readable biography that gives a great overview of a beloved author and her world.

 

The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau

What classic novel do you think needs a sequel?

Thank you to @tudorscribe, #admiralroadbooks, and @greatreadsbookpromo for the gift copy of The Heiress of Northanger Abbey.

Twenty-two years after the events in Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland is a respectable pastor’s wife, married to Henry Tilney.  Catherine and Henry live a happy life with their two daughters in a small village near the family estate of Northanger Abbey.  Henry’s brother Frederick and his wife Aurelia are childless and Henry and Catherine’s oldest daughter Phoebe, is presumed to be their heiress.  When Phoebe runs across the Thorpe family in Bath, Catherine is afraid that history is repeating itself.  When Catherine chaperones Phoebe on a trip to Isabella Thorpe’s estate, is her imagination playing havoc with her again or are they in danger?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is one of the October book club picks for the JASNA Northwoods Book Club.  I look forward to discussing it.

·       I loved that this was a sequel to a Jane Austen novel that does not often get sequels, Northanger Abbey.  I love the original book and it’s fun to see what happened to its characters after the end of the original novel.

·       Author Nancy Bilyeau did a great job of capturing the spirit and characters from the original novel.

·       I felt for Catherine and her trials trying to parent a strong-willed teenage daughter having one myself.

·       The story is told through the first-person point of view of Catherine.

·       I loved seeing that Catherine and Henry have a long and happy marriage.

·       I don’t want to spoil the story, but I also loved the Gothic elements.  It’s a perfect read for the fall.

·       I have enjoyed author Nancy Bilyeau’s novels in the past and have been greatly looking forward to this book. It did not disappoint.

·       Now I want to read The Vampyre by John Polidori as it is part of the plot. It’s an interesting look into how Gothic novels were changing during that time period.

·       Catherine and Phoebe like to discuss books together and I loved their discussion on Mary Shelley.

·       I would classify this book as a sequel, historical fiction, suspense, Gothic, and Regency.

Overall, The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau is an enjoyable Regency Gothic historical fiction novel that is a sequel to Northanger Abbey.  It’s got great historical elements a well as a good look into the Gothic fiction of that time. 

Ladies in Waiting by Adriana Trigiani, Sarah MacLean, Eloisa James, Elinor Lipman, Audrey Bellezza, Karen Dukess, Emily Harding, Nikki Payne, Diana Quincy

Title:  Ladies in Waiting

Author:  Adriana Trigiani, Sarah MacLean, Eloisa James, Elinor Lipman, Audrey Bellezza, Karen Dukess, Emily Harding, Nikki Payne, Diana Quincy

Narrated by:  Shiromi Arserio, Billie Fulford-Brown, Fiona Hardingham, Angel Pean

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 11 hour and 14 minutes

Source: Audiobook Review copy from Simon & Schuster.  Thank-you!

What secondary character in fiction would you like to see get a happy ending?

Ladies in Waiting is a short story anthology celebrating Jane Austen and her classic novels. Written by a variety of best-selling authors, it was put together to honor her for her 250th birthday.

My thoughts on this book:

• I read this in June for a selection for the JASNA Northwoods book club.  Sadly, I missed the club due to an illness.

• This was a great collection of stories featuring Austen’s secondary characters finally getting their chance in the sunlight.  

• This is a perfect read for those that loved the Other Miss Bennett and are looking for something new.

• Characters such as Margaret Dashwood from Sense & Sensibility, Lydia Bennet from Pride & Prejudice, Miss Bates from Emma, and Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice get second changes.

• I loved the story of the widowed Lydia finding a chance for love and redemption with a local clergyman.

• I also enjoyed the story of Margaret Dashwood realizing her childhood friend Hugh may be more than a friend.

• Another favorite story was about Miss Hetty Bates and learning about her scandalous past and one true love.

• The worst part was that I wanted more stories, especially secondary characters Jane Austen’s other novels.

• I liked how it focused on lesser-known characters in the stories, but wish it would have included characters from all six Austen books rather than just Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and Emma.

• Why were there two stories on Miss Bates?  I enjoyed the second Miss Bates story much more than the first story.

• The stories were sometimes set in different time period and places.

• Each story started with a quotes from the original novel, a brief description of the character and a preview of the short story from the author.

• I thought the last half of the stories were the best of the bunch!

• This was great on audiobook.  I enjoyed the narrators and music between each stories.

Overall, Ladies in Waiting was an entertaining mix of stories on intriguing Jane Austen characters who deserve their own day in the spotlight.

The Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull

 

What fictional or real-life person do you think would make a great detective?  I don’t know why, but I would love to see a book with Eleanor Roosevelt solving crimes.

Young Jane Austen is enjoying a ball when a milliner’s dead body is found locked inside a cupboard during the middle of the ball.  Jane instantly becomes a part of the case as she identifies the victim.  When her brother George becomes the prime suspect, Jane works tirelessly to solve the case and free her brother.

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the June pick for the JASNA Northwoods book club.  I finished it before book club, but unfortunately had to miss the meeting due to a lingering illness.

·       This was a fun story and is the first book in the new series, “Miss Austen Investigates.”  I enjoyed the second book in the series, which I read before the first.

·       It felt like Jane Austen as a character was flightier or more apt to go against convention (secretly meeting with Tom LeFroy) than I always imagined.  It might be because I was an avid reader of the “Being A Jane Austen Mystery” series by Stephanie Barron for twenty years and I loved the characterization of a more serious Jane in that series.

·       I did love that it felt like the book was firmly set in Jane Austen’s world with her family and neighbors as fully formed characters.  I did miss some of Barron’s characterizations.

·       This was a cozy mystery that also included romance.

·       Jane had a bad habit of gossiping and speculation.

·       I did enjoy the final resolution of the mystery even thought I had guessed the ending earlier.

Overall, The Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull is a fun new cozy mystery series for lovers of historical mystery and Jane Austen.

Book Source:  Purchased at Barnes & Noble

Wild for Austen by Devoney Looser

 

Title:  Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane

Author:  Devoney Looser

Narrated by:  Marisa Calin

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 12 hours and 6 minutes

Source: Thank you @Netgalley for the review copy.

If you could meet your favorite author, would you want to?  I get nervous meeting authors myself, but I do like to imagine that it would be fun to time travel and meet Jane Austen.

Jane Austen’s nephew wrote an autobiography of his aunt long after her death that described her as a quiet, pious spinster.  Author Devoney Looser argues that Austen was wilder for her time than we think.  This book examines her life, legacy, and works.

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       Wild for Austen by Devoney Looser was one of the March reads for the JASNA Northwood book club.  We found this book to be interesting to read and discuss.

·       The first section of the novel when through each Austen novel as well as her unfinished works and juvenilia and described the plot and “wildness” of the characters.  It really showed how original she was in her writing.  Lady Susan was picked out as a particular wild character.

·       I never thought of Persuasion before as a cliffhanger.  It was interesting to think that Napoleon would soon escape after the end of the novel, and our characters would be back at work in the Navy defending the country.  This would make a great sequel!

·       The second park of the book discussed Austen’s family, friend, and potential inspirations.  Some of these people, like Cousin Eliza, were in her life, while others were conjectured or brief acquaintances she may have met at a party.  I wasn’t convinced that they all inspired Austen.

·       Austen’s mother’s Leigh family was quite large and have many writers in it.

·       The audiobook was engaging with a good narrator.

·       I enjoyed that this book showed that Austen traveled and had a wide array of acquaintances, which was more than the few country families she wrote of in her fiction.

·       There was a very interesting piece on the Austen family’s involvement in the abolition movement.  Three brothers were activity and publicly involved after Austen’s death according to new research from the author.  She found information in newspaper articles from the day.

·       Great Aunt Leigh-Perrot’s shoplifting episode and trial was explained in much detail, more than I had read previously.  I thought it was very interesting.  I still wonder if she was a kleptomaniac or was being scammed by the shop.

·       The third section of the book was not as interesting to me.  It discussed Austen erotica but didn’t sadly discuss regular retellings or continuations.  It also spent time on films that weren’t made, which didn’t really interest me.

·       I did like that the author stated that one can keep Austen alive by talking to others about Jane Austen, reading her books, and watching her Austen inspired movies.

Overall, Wild for Austen by Devoney Looser was an interesting and unique look into Austen’s life and works.

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

 

Title:  The Austen Affair

Author:  Madeline Bell

Narrated by:  Stephanie Németh-Parker

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 31 minutes

Source: Review copy from NetGalley.  Thank-you!

If you could time travel to any era in a book, what era would you pick?  Regency England is one of my top picks.

American actress Tess Bright has gotten her dream part to play Catherine Morland in a new production of Northanger Abbey (based on the book by Jane Austen).  Unfortunately, her co-star, Hugh Belfour, is a method actor and very unpleasant to work with.  He does not appreciate her teen choice award or her improvisational acting style.  An electrical accident puts them back in the past to Regency England. Will they be able to find their way back to the future and will they find true love?

My thoughts on this audiobook:

·       This was a March selection for my JASNA Northwoods Book Club.  We are meeting this upcoming weekend to discuss it.

·       This was a fun and engaging novel.  It was good escapism reading.

·       The audiobook narrator was fantastic and did a wonderful job of different voices for each character.

·       I love that they met the real Jane Austen while in the past.

·       Tropes included enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, and slow burn.

·       The romance was open door at the end.

·       This was a fun romantic comedy and would make a great movie.

·       Tess is dealing with grief at the loss of her mother and has been having a hard time dealing with the world after her passing.  Hugh is also dealing with grief which Tess does not realize until later in the novel.

·       I loved that Hugh and Tess had to use their knowledge of Regency England to make it in the past, although they do make mistakes which are pretty funny. 

·       I liked how minor Austen character names pop up in the text and I also enjoyed how Tess would use Austen quotes in her dialogue.

·       There was good banter between Tess and Hugh.  I loved the buildup of their romance and I could believe they would make a great couple.

·       I was sad that Hugh Belfour takes the place of his distant relative who died at Waterloo.  The real Hugh’s father, family, and fiancé all believe that Hugh has come back with a head injury.  This was an ethical quandary for me as I wanted Tess and Hugh to go back to the future, but I also wanted them to stay so that everyone wouldn’t have the pain of losing Hugh again.

·       It’s hard to believe that Madeline Bell is a debut author!  I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Overall, The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell was an enjoyable time travel romantic comedy with great characters and an Austenesque storyline.

Evelina: Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World by Frances Burney

 

Title:  Evelina: Or, the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World

Author:  Frances Burney

Narrated by:  Orson Scott Card, Emily Rankin, Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Length: Approximately 18 hours and 16 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

What is the oldest published book you’ve read (not counting the Bible)? Pamela by Samuel Richardson (published in 1740) is one of the oldest I’ve read, besides the Iliad and the Odyssey.  But do the Iliad and Odyssey count?

Evelina Anville has left her secluded county home to visit London for the first time. While there, she discovers there is a lot she doesn’t know about proper behavior at dances and in society.  She also finds she has feelings for the handsome and very nice Lord Orville, but she is also pursued by others she finds despicable such as Sir Clement Willoughby.

Evelina has a tragic past as her mother married Sir John Belmont who then cast her pregnant mother off when they returned to England.  She has been raised by Reverand Aurthur Villars per her mother’s request.  Will Evelina ever get her birthright and be recognized by her father?  Will she find love?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel was the JASNA Northwoods read for January.  The book club enjoyed it, and it prompted a good discussion.

·       This novel was published in 1778 and was a best seller.

·       It is an epistolatory novel, or a novel written as letters.

·       It is a true comedy of manners novel.  It was interesting how Evelina tried to navigate the social rules in London.  I was confused on why no one taught her these rules and left her on her own to figure it out.

·       I think we all feel like Evelina at times, trying to figure out how to not dance with the creepy guy.

·       This novel had romance, comedy, and some melodrama.  It was a “sentimental” novel at times, but it really shone more in the everyday exchanges.

·       Evelina meets her Grandma (mother’s mother), Madame Duvall, who was over the top with her behavior.

·       The characters in this novel were real-world three-dimensional characters with real problems, especially Evelina.  This is in stark contrast to other 18^th century authors such as Samuel Richardson and his novel Pamela.  Pamela is more discussed and exalted in our modern age, but I felt it was an inferior book with cardboard characters and slapstick situations.

·       Evelina by Frances Burney was one of Jane Austen’s favorite novels and our book club first read about it in Jane Austen’s Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney.  We are hoping to read more of the books mentioned in Romney’s intriguing nonfiction investigation the books that Austen read.

·       I felt like I could see inspirations for Austen in this novel including a villain named Willoughby, eccentric relations, a young girl going to the big city for the first time, etc.

·       I enjoyed this book and would like to read more by the author.

·       The audiobook was great with a different narrator matching the author of the letters, typically letters between Evelina and Rv. Villars.  I did get confused about the different characters at times and had to stop and look them up.

·       There was a great note at the end of Orson Scott Card read by the author himself.  He described his love and admiration for Jane Austen and how that led him to Fanny Burney and Evelina as Burney was Austen’s favorite author.  He said she wrote the best epistolary novel he had ever read.  One that read like real letters with an authentic voice.  He said it is too bad Burney isn’t read on her own merits as she is an excellent author who deserves to be remembered.

Overall, Evelina by Frances Burney is a classic that deserves to be remembered.  If you enjoy Jane Austen’s novel, I highly recommend reading Evelina by Frances Burney.

 

Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker

 

Title:  Mr. Rochester

Author:  Sarah Shoemaker

Narrated by:  Simon Shepherd

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Length: Approximately 16 hours and 43 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com

Who is your favorite literary hero? 

Edward Fairfax Rochester is a second son.  His mother dies when he is young, and his absentee father sends him off to school at the age of eight.  He has to make his way in the world and learn what he can.  Will he ever return to his beloved Thornfield Hall?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker for the October JASNA Book Club meeting. All of book club seemed to enjoy this well written novel and it provided good discussion comparing it to our other read, the original Jane Eyre.  Mr. Mason’s characterization seemed to be the main difference between the two books.

·       This novel was the story of Mr. Rochester’s life from childhood through adulthood.  It reminded me of Jane Eyre or a Dickens novel.

·       I kept wondering would a father really send a very young son away and not see him for a decade?  I know Victorian times were different, but it seemed odd.  Rochester was an unloved child just like Jane Eyre.

·       I thought his work at the mill had shades of Bronte’s novel, Shirley.

·       He had a lonely life when so many people died young in the Victorian age.

·       Mr. Rochester is astonished by slavery, but still used it to make a profit.

·       I liked that this wasn’t just a retelling of Jane Eyre through Mr. Rochester’s POV.  Most of the novel is his life before he meets Jane and then events of the novel through Mr. Rochester’s time.

·       I didn’t like that the mind games he played with Jane.

·       I did enjoy that a new character, Gerald, who was not in the original novel, was seamlessly added to the story in a way that adds to the drama and furthered the action.

·       Rochester was a good guy in this novel and his actions for locking Bertha away are explained.

 

Overall, Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker was an excellent retelling and a must read for any fans of Jane Eyre.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

 

Title:  Jane Eyre

Author:  Charlotte Bronte

Narrated by:  Thandiwe Newton

Publisher: Audible Studios

Length: Approximately 19 hours and 10 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.com

What classic have you read more than once?

Jane Eyre is the story of a young woman in Victorian times; from her unloved childhood, time in a boarding school and first job outside the school as a governess at the mysterious Thornfield Hall.  Will she find herself and love?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read this book in October for the JASNA Northwoods Book Club.  We had a great discussion on this book.

·       I first read this as a teen and have read it multiple times since then.  It is a classic book.  I will continue to reread and love it throughout my life.

·       This was a great audiobook version.  Thandiwe Newton had good characterization for all the characters.

·       Poor Jane.  Her childhood and the complete lack at love make me so sad.  Her parents died when she was an infant.  Her uncle took her in and loved her, but he died when she was one.  His widow could not love Jane and treated her terribly.

·       I did not like the way Mr. Rochester treated Jane and played games with her.

·       I do like how independent Jane is and how by the time she returns to Mr. Rocester, she has her own independent means.

·       I’ll admit, I always forget how much of the book is set with the Rivers family.  I like that she split her inheritance fairly.

·       Why is St. John pronounced Sin-Gin?  I have wandered this through many adaptations and this audiobook.

·       I love Gothic romance and all the mysterious happenings at Thornfield Hall. 

·       Mr. Rochester for all his faults, does treat Jane like an equal and usually talks honestly to her.

·       It is horrible when St. John proposes to her with absolutely no love for Jane, but the want for a useful partner for his missionary trip.  I’m glad Jane said no!

·       What is your favorite adaptation? One of my favorites is the 2006 miniseries starring Toby Stephens.  Why is Rochester always hot in adaptations even though he is described as not good looking in the novel?

Favorite Quotes:

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.”

“Reader, I married him.”

“Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you!”

Overall, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is a masterfully written classic with one of the best heroines in literature.

 

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman

 

What is one of your favorite books you’ve read so far this year?  The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman was my favorite read of August and is sure to be in my top ten books for 2025.

Lady Augusta (Gus) Colebrook and her twin sister Julia are in their forties and firmly on the shelf in Regency England.  They put their minds and hearts to good use by protecting vulnerable women and children.  When Lord Evan, a highwayman that captured Gus’s heart in Book 1 needs help hiding his sister Hester from his evil brother, Gus and Julia are on the case. Will they be able to hide both Lord Evan and Hester from those that pursue them?  Will they be able to clear Lord Evan’s name?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I loved this book and couldn’t put it down!

·       This was one of the JASNA Northwoods Book Club selections for August.  We all enjoyed it!

·       This novel picks up right where the first book ended.

·       There was a great romance between Lady Augusta and Lord Evan.  It was a kisses only romance but looks between them mean everything.

·       There was a great look at social issues of the day.  It had a feminist spin on historical fiction.

·       There was a lot of action and adventure.

·       It most have been very hard for educated and ambitious women to live during such a time and to be under the control of men who didn’t appreciate them and unable to challenge themselves intellectually.

·       I would recommend reading this series in order as I think you are missing a lot if you just pick up book 2 without reading book 1.

·       Gus and Julia make an excellent pair of twin sisters to work through their adventures.  Gus is more than flamboyant and ready to plunge into adventures.  She does not care much for the feelings of others.  Julia is quieter and much more in tune with people’s feelings.  I like how they both have slow burn romance in this novel.

·       This novel has both humor and suspense.

·       I loved the character of Beau Brummel.  It’s fun to have a real person as a character in a novel.  I like how he used his societal power for good and was an ally.  I liked the silent conversations between characters.

·       I enjoyed the detailed authors note at the end of the novel.

·       I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Overall, The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman is an excellent novel with great characters, romance, and adventure all with a feminist spin.

Book Source:  Purchased from Amazon.com.