All right all, August is the best month of the year! Why, you ask? Well, in case the title of this post didn’t make it abundantly clear, it’s my birthday month!!! In celebration of this momentous event in history, I decided to take a look back at the books that brought me the most joy growing up.
Born into the wrong era
Like many fans of historical fiction, I was drawn to the classics from an early age, and would frequently get books for my birthday. One of my most memorable birthdays actually involved a shopping spree at the local book store, where I picked up a ton of those pretty novelty editions of works from authors like Mark Twain, Alexandre Dumas, the Bronte sisters, etc.
These were the books I devoured as a child, so in memory of that I’ve decided to go back to basics, focusing on two classic Romance authors for my reading list in the month of August. Namely, Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer.
The ulterior motive
In selecting these authors I am actually snagging two birds with one stone where good old Jane is concerned since I recently picked up a multi-author collection at the library titled “Bespelling Jane Austen” (review to come, probably closer to October) in which contemporary romance authors re-imagine Austen’s most famous works with a paranormal twist.
While I enjoyed the retellings for the most part, I wondered at the interpretation of a couple of the characters and decided I should go back and either read or re-read those stories to decide how true to form the remake was.
A couple of the big titles (Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion) didn’t make it to this month’s list, but rest assured they’re on my radar.
Trying something new
Also this month, I’ve been in conversation with a couple other authors/book bloggers on the topic of promoting each other’s reviews in order to help get new or lesser known authors introduced to a wider audience. As an experiment in that vein, I’m going to be linking to Karen Sommer’s review of one of the books rather than writing my own. Please let me know if you wind up liking that format.
OK, on to the books!
Georgette Heyer
Sylvester, Duke of Salford, has exacting requirements for a bride. Then he meets Phoebe Marlow, a young lady with literary aspirations, and suddenly life becomes very complicated. She meets none of his criteria, and even worse, she has written a novel that is sweeping through the ton and causing all kinds of gossip… and he’s the main character!
Returning to his family seat from Waterloo, Gervase Frant, seventh Earl of St Erth, could have expected more enthusiasm for his homecoming. His quiet cousin, stepmother, and young half-brother seem openly disappointed that he survived the wars. And when he begins to fall for his half-brother’s sweetheart, his chilly reception goes from unfriendly to positively murderous.
One of Heyer’s most suspenseful Regency romances, The Quiet Gentleman combines an ingenious mystery plot with her signature witty style and effervescently engaging characters.
Jane Austen
Charming, rich, and clever, heiress Emma Woodhouse has no need for an occupation—or a husband. Still, she considers herself quite skilled at matchmaking. Although her dear friend Mr. Knightley advises against it, there is nothing that she enjoys more than entangling herself in the romantic lives of others. But when one of her well-intentioned plans goes awry—as Mr. Knightley rightly predicted—Emma must face the consequences of her meddling.
The delightfully imperfect Emma and her Mr. Knightley have captured the hearts of generations of readers. A lively comedy of manners that has been adapted several times for the screen, Emma is the last work Jane Austen lived to see published.
Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland excitedly accepts an offer to accompany family friends on a trip to Bath. There, Catherine makes new acquaintances who invite her to Northanger Abbey, and she encounters a world she’d only glimpsed in the pages of her beloved gothic novels. Through Catherine’s eyes, the Abbey is full of mystery, suspense, and adventure; and she is the heroine at the center of it all. As her imagination begins to run wild, she imperils her summer, her new friendships, and her burgeoning relationship with the charming Henry Tilney.
Both a satire of gothic fiction and a coming-of-age story, Northanger Abbey is widely regarded as one of Jane Austen’s most comedic works.
