Jane Austen Biographies – Guided by Reason

“I admire the activity of your benevolence,” observed Mary, “but every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason; and, in my opinion, exertion should always be in proportion to what is required.” Mary Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Ch 7 
It is not a surprise to me that there are so many biographies of Jane Austen [...]

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End of Month Austenesque Mini-Review Roundup – September

Waiting for Mr. Darcy, by Chamein Canton 
A contemporary mid-lit novel inspired by every woman’s dream of finding her Mr. Darcy no matter what age. Lauren, Gabby, and Alicia are three forty-something full figured friends who met in adolescence, loved, worked, married, divorced, and everything in-between, but are not quite ready to give up on their [...]

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The Sunday Salon Review: All Things Austen, by Kirstin Olsen

Did you know that a phaeton was one of the most dangerous carriages used in the Georgian and Regency period? Its tall design and overall lightness made it vulnerable to tipping, and may be one of the reasons why Jane Austen chose to use it in the carriage accident scene in her early novel Love [...]

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Sunday Salon Review: Life in the Country: with Quotations by Jane Austen and Silhouettes by Her Nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh

“We are happy to see Edward, it was an unexpected pleasure, & he makes himself as agreeable as ever, sitting in such a quiet comfortable way making his delightful little sketches.” Jane Austen to Caroline Austen, 23 January 1817 
What ‘CAN’ a loyal Janeite begin to say about a book whose creation involved so much Austen [...]

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My Austen Favorites: Review of Jane Austen’s World by Maggie Lane

“I do not know whether it ought to be so, but certainly silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way. Wickedness is always wickedness, but folly is not always folly.” Emma Woodhouse, Emma, Chapter 26
 
Jane Austen’s World: The life and times of England’s most popular [...]

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Review: 101 Things You Didn’t Know About Jane Austen, by Patrice Hannon

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WORLD’S MOST
 INTRIGUING LITERARY HEROINE
 
Knowledge is power. Sir Francis Bacon, Religious Meditations, Of Heresies, 1597
Everything united in him; good understanding, correct opinions, knowledge of the world, and a warm heart. The Narrator on William Elliot, Persuasion, Chapter 16
Most biographies of Jane Austen will reveal the quiet life of maiden Aunt Jane, who [...]

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Review: Jane Austen for Dummies, by Joan Klingel Ray

JANE AUSTEN FOR DUMMIES, OR SMARTIES?  
Ok, who wants to be called a dummy, or heaven forbid, admit that you are a dummy? Show of hands please. Well, not me, and certainly not any of those accomplished, well educated, and urbane literati who call themselves Janeites! Right? So, Jane Austen for Dummies? Let’s be kind folks. [...]

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