In between working on my three new projects--four new projects if you count the one that is not a Regency--I am reading some chicklit, some historical fiction and some Regencies from the TBR pile. And I'm enjoying two books with a basis in Jane Austen:
Jane Austen's Guide to Romance: The Regency Rules by Lauren Henderson
Pub. by Headline ISBN 0-7553-1463-8 pbk
I really like this book--if I had read it at eighteen, I would have been a much happier young woman, and I would have made far better choices. It even lives up to its back cover blurb "full of sage advice and wise strategies". But you don't have to be dating to enjoy the book. The author pulls out the relationships of Jane Austen's characters and illuminates modern life through the actions of Elizabeth Bennet, Elinor Dashwood, Darcy, Bingley and the rest. It's a fun read and a good book to give to those young women in your world. I asked my twenty-something daughter to have a look at it, and she liked it. The commonsense, the style, and of course, Jane Austen's great characters all combined have great appeal.
Voices from the World of Jane Austen by Malcolm Day
Pub. by David & Charles, ISBN 0-7153-237902 hc
I came across this book quite by chance when I was browsing ChaptersIndigo for something quite different. I can't believe I haven't heard anywhere about this book--it is great! Essentially social history, it uses "diaries, essay, travelogues, sermons, treatises, journal articles and notices--and Jane's novels themselves..." to show the world of the early 1800's. Day has used chapters such as 'Domestic Life', 'The Rhythm of the Year' and 'Work and Social Rank' to contain excerpts from all kinds of material--wonderfully fascinating stuff for any student of history. This is a research tool not to be missed by any author of Regency era fiction. I'm so glad I found it.
I still haven't had time to watch the version of "Northanger Abbey" put out by BBC in January! And now I have on order the BBC 'Beau Brummell' which has been unavailable in North America until recently. I will be watching it immediately it arrives, and hopefully NA soon after. Now if I could only get a copy of 'Byron', also a release by the BBC unavailable here!
Talk to you soon...
Lesley-Anne
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