Welcome to Austenesque Extravaganza, a month-long celebration of Austenesque novels and authors! My name is Meredith Esparza, and I’m an ardent admirer of Austenesque novels and your host for this month-long tribute to Austenesque novels and authors.
Today’s Austenesuqe Event is: MY RECOMMENDATION MONDAY
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For this event, readers are given a scenario and are asked to recommend their favorite Austenesque novels in the comment section below. The purpose of this event is for readers to voice their opinions, exchange ideas, and maybe receive some book recommendations. Just read the scenario below and share your thoughts!
*Remember, each time you comment during this event it counts as an entry for the Amazing Austenesque Giveaway! Don’t forget to fill out this form so I can contact you if you win! (You only need to fill this out one time for the whole month.)
THE SCENARIO: While browsing at your favorite bookstore’s Fiction and Literature Section a woman approaches you and asks if you know of any good Women’s Fiction titles. When she lists Jane Austen as one of her authors and comments on how she is just looking for some light and fun summer reading, you know immediately what to recommend to her!
Can you help our friend from the bookstore? Sounds like she would enjoy some Jane Austen Chick- Lit or Contemporary Austen-Inspired Novels. What would you recommend she read? What are some of Your Favorite Contemporary Austen-Inspired Novels?
- Answers CAN include:
- Contemporary Fiction
- Austen-Inspired Novels
- Answers CANNOT include:
- Modern Adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, or Northanger Abbey
- Sequels
Need help thinking of some titles? This list of Austen-Inspired novels might help!
*The fantastic graphics you are seeing for Austenesque Extravaganza were created by the wonderfully talented Lady Turner! Thank you, Lady Turner!
Bridget Jones is a classic and it would be a great start for her!
Searching for Pemberley or Austenland it depends on the age of the woman…smiles. Laurie viera Rigler’s book and Beth Patillo.
Suzan
Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict and Confessions of a Jane Austen addict by Lauri Viera Rigler. These were my random (browsing the fiction section of a bookstore) introduction to the Jane Austen fan fiction world. Loved them! highly recommended.
My favourites are:
– Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict both by Laurie Viera Rigler
– Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen
– Jane Austen Ruined My Life and The Dashwood Sisters Tell All by Beth Pattillo
– Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter
– Writing Jane Austen by Elizabeth Aston
I reiterate Emilia: I’d say definitely Bridget Jones because you can say as you read to imagine a Firth-like Mark Darcy… 😛 And you know it doesn’t take itself seriously as a novel, or at least I believe so. I know when I read it for the first time I snorted with laughter and enjoyed myself.
And Cheryl Cory’s ‘Must’ve Done Something Good’ which is a sweet ‘feelgood’ novel with some references to Austen, and is a lovely read, set in a teaching environment.
I love Drive and Determination by Kara Louise. I don’t think it qualifies as a modern adaptation since the names and characters are so different.
I also love any of the period variations by Kara, Abigail Reynolds, and Lory Lillian.
And I love Jack Caldwell’s Pemberley Ranch and anything by Mary Simonsen and Katie Baxley.
Outside Austen, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series is outstanding, especially the first three or four novels.
I would recommend Marsha Altman’s series, Abigail Reynolds or Sharon Lathan.
I love A Weekend with Mr Darcy by Victoria Connelly. I also loved Mr Darcy Broke My Heart and Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo. These three books are wonderful and you also get to enjoy a little trip through Jane Austen country while your reading!!
A Weekend With Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly and My Jane Austen Summer by Cindy Jones are two I enjoyed recently.
Austenland by Shannon Hale. It’s a fun and amusing book.
I confess it’d have to be Bridget Jones for me!
I’m afraid I’ll add to the growing list recommending Bridget ones!
I do love Bridget Jones so that would be my pick for her 🙂
I recommend Austenland, Seducing Mr Darcy, I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend, Jane Austen Stole My Boyfriend and A weekend With Mr Darcy 🙂
I would tell her about some of my favorites:
Jane Austen Ruined My Life and Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo
A Weekend With Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly
and The Importance of Being Emma by Juliet Archer
I’d recommend “Murder at Longbourn” by Tracy Kiely. It’s a cozy mystery meets chick-lit with a heroine who quotes Pride and Prejudice.
Austenland by Shannon Hale — it was the first novel I read that wasn’t a direct retelling, and it was so fun! Plus, it’s going to be a movie soon, haha…
I’d recommend the time-traveling Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler. I liked the second book better, because it was fun seeing a Regency-era woman deal with the challenges — and discover the conveniences — of modern life.
For a racier read, I’d recommend Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready, which also involves a bit of time traveling.
I have read Austenland by Shannon Hale and enjoyed it. My daughter enjoyed other writings of Shannon Hale and so it was fun to “share” an author. Must add Bridget Jones to my reading list. Not sure it qualifies but I just finished reading “Darcy’s Voyage” (because of other My Recommendation Mondays…) by Kara Louise and just loved it! Serious family “neglect” while I was reading it! Always a sign of a good book! Jennifer G.
Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter is a fun read.
Did someone say Austenland is gonna be made into a movie? That’s awesome, it’s a great book as well.
I loved Bridget Jones Diary- that would be my pick!
I would recommend Austenland. I’ve actually read it first of all, and I think that’s a big deal if you’re gonna recommend something. It’s shorter so it won’t look too intimidating to her since she just wants something light, it’s funny and leaves you with a good feeling when your done, and there’s not too much in the way of questionable content. Maybe a little cussing, but nothing racy. Can’t wait to read Midnight in Austenland!
Jennifer – I love that you read something from a MY RECOMMENDATION MONDAY and that you LOVED it! Yay!
I love this genre – the Jane Austen Chick Lit genre is what I like to call it! My new favorite from this summer is According Jane by Marilyn Brant – a perfect beach read, excellently executed and with a satisfyingly happy ending!
I also love Tracy Kiely Myseries – she has 3 out right now (the third will be released in a few days!) Can’t wait!
I’d recommend A Weekend With Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly or Austenland by Shannon Hale. Austenland I’ve read, A Weekend with Mr. Darcy is on my TBR. Both are exactly the kind of book this woman would enjoy.
For something light and fun I would recommend Jane Bites Back and it’s sequel Jane Goes Batty by Michael Thomas Ford.
I would recommend Austenland, According to Jane, and The Man who Loved P&P! All are great modern variations!
I’d recommend Amanda Elyot’s Austen-y novel … which for the life of me, I can’t remember! Eeek!
I’d recommend Bridget Jones and Finding Grace. Finding Grace is not as light as Bridget Jones but still makes some references to Jane’s novels and is a wonderful woman’s novel to read.
Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com
welcome to a kindred spirit!
for JA ‘lite’? i would recommend Victoria Connelly as not only lite but de-liteful!!
LUV these reads “))
A Weekend with Mr Darcy, and
The Perfect Hero
from Debra White Smith, The Austen Series ~
First Impressions 1
Reason and Romance 2
Central Park 3
Northpointe Chalet 4
Amanda 5
Possibilities 6
i haven’t yet read, but just picked up a contemporary P&P YA from the library –
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
enjoy “))
I would recommend Austenland and According to Jane, both great books!
I would have to go with the Bridget Jones books, and also “Searching for Pemberley” and “Jane Austen ruined my life”
Scones and Sensibility is very sweet and funny. I also liked the YA novel Enthusiast which references Austen quite a bit. Both Bridget Jones books are fun. While not directly related to Austen, Meg Cabot’s Every Boy’s Got One is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice.
I haven’t read any of Tracy Kiely’s books yet, but hope to. I didn’t think Drive and Determination fit this category but I’d put it in there as well if it does fit. I’m also hoping to read some of Stephanie Barron’s myself I’ve only read reviews of people I trust. The Man Who Loves Jane Austen is very good in my opinion. And yes Shannon Hale’s book is being made into a movie as we speak and if you read her blogs on Goodreads or her personal site it gives a rundown of what she’s doing over in the UK right now on the filming. It’s great to read about her experiences. And how exciting to have her novel turned into a movie. Suzan
Oh, I loved Austenland, or The Man Who Loved Jane Austen…Both are good. 🙂
I have not read any that I can think of– I’m sorry!
I agree about ‘A Weekend with Mr. Darcy’…what a fun read. I also recently read and liked ‘The Importance of Being Emma’ by Juliet Archer. Then, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict was quite fun too! You know that is how you would feel if you woke up in Regency England!?!
I enjoyed Austenland by Shannon Hale, and both of Reigler’s Jane Austen books were fun.
just have to let you know about a FaB contemporary read i’m sure you’ll love! The Dashwood Sisters Tell ALL by Beth Patillo ~ downed it in one afternoon/evening ~ too good to set down even while i ate my dinner ”) EnJoy!!