Austenesque Lovers TBR Challenge 2020 discussion

Austen Gold Group Read is another two part activity that will wrap up our year of activities and hopefully give readers more books to consider while fitting in one last book for the year.

Time to award your GOLD winners!
The first section of the challenge is easy. LIST your favorite Austenesque books read during 2020- release year does not matter and try to keep it under ten. Makes sure both title and author are listed because we definitely want others to peruse and maybe find their next favorite, too. You're welcome to share why the book made your list, if you like. Leave your lists any time between now and the end of the year.

Read another GOLD Winner!
Once you leave your list, you may choose to read a book from your own TBR pile or, better yet, discover a book from someone else's list that you think sounds good. Even better if it's already on your own pile.

Because it's the holiday season, feel free to start reading early. Happy Reading, fellow challengers!

These books made my favorites list for 2020:
1. Mr. Darcy's Perfect Match: A Pride & Prejudice Variation by Kelly Miller. Clever Variation, Characters.
2. Netherfield: Rogue Dragon: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Maria Grace, narrated by Benjamin Fife. Worldbuilding, plot, and narration work.
3. Fortune and Felicity by Monica Fairview. Emotional impact and plot.
4. The Pilgrim: Lydia Bennet and a Soldier's Portion: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Don Jacobson, narrated by Amanda Berry. Emotional Impact, plot, and narration work.
5. All Stirred Up by Brianne Moore. Modernisation, Setting, Characters
6. Persuaded to Sail: Jane Austen's Fighting Men by Jack Caldwell. Strong sequel-continuation plot, worldbuilding
7. The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner, narrated by Richard Armitage. Characters, Writing, Narration Work
8. Rebellion at Longbourn: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Victoria Kincaid. Plot, Characters
9. Elizabeth: Obstinate, Headstrong Girl edited by Christina Boyd and written by various authors. Well-developed short story, Characters
10. Murder at Northanger Abbey: Sequel to Jane Austen's Spoof on the Gothic Novel by Shannon Winslow, strong sequel, characters, writing

And, I'm cheating at my own activity, but I'm also including my favorite new edition of an old favorite is 1932 by Karen M. Cox

I'm going to wait and see what shows up on other lists before picking my group read book.

I’ll play!

1. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev. Okay, I read it in 2019, but I read it again in 2020 and enjoyed it if anything even more. Gender swap, modern setting, interesting characters and storyline, original and vivid writing.

2. The Clergyman's Wife: A Pride & Prejudice Novel by Molly Greeley. A very thoughtful look at Charlotte Collins’s marriage, well written and moving.

3. The Persuasion of Miss Jane Austen by Shannon Winslow. Touching alternative history.

4. Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev, the second in her JA-based series about the Raje clan of San Francisco. I didn’t think this one was as good as the first, but she is such a skilled storyteller and I love reading about this Indian American family.

5. Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin. P&P among the Muslim immigrants of Canada. I think the P&P story translates really well into Muslim contexts, and that made for a lively and original story. I like Darcy as a religiously devout person!

Because my list is so short I will stretch the rules to the snapping point:

Favorite Austen-related book of scholarship: Laughing Feminism: Subversive Comedy in Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth, and Jane Austen by Audrey Bilger. Hard to get but worth seeking out if you want to enhance your understanding of Jane Austen’s work in the context of her era.

Favorite other fiction (for those of you who like to read outside the genre): The Overstory by Richard Powers, truly the best novel I have ever read, ambitious and life-changing; Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin, a beautiful novel about resilience and embracing life; The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham, a masterful British mystery.

Favorite nonfiction: The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot by Robert Macfarlane, lovely essays about walking the public rights-of-way in England, both an outer and an inner journey; and Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir by Rebecca Solnit, one of the best things I’ve ever read about the female existence in twentieth-century (and a bit twenty-first) USA.

Okay, the rules are now well and truly broken, but I like to share my enthusiasms!

Oh yes, some splendid ones there, Abigail. I'm adding the Laughing Feminism book to my list. Haha, I can't say a thing about stretching the rules since I broke them entirely. :)

Abigail wrote: "I’ll play!

1. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev. Okay, I read it in 2019, but I read it again in 2020 and enjoyed it if anything even more. Gender swap, modern sett..."

I too loved The Old Ways. Macfarlane could easily fit into the great Cape Cod writers such as Robert Finch, John Hay, etc

Quite an interesting challenge! I'll have to dig out the laptop to think about my choices.

Parson Austen's Daughter by Helen Ashton
Sweet slow old-fashioned in the best sort of way.

Georgiana Darcy, Matchmaker by Bronwen Chisholm
I love her instant friendship with Kitty, her "Uncle" relationship with Mr Bennet, and her facing down her foe(not Wickham).

Missing Jane by Bronwen Chisholm
Team Jane!!!
Missing Jane

Miss Dashwood's Dilemma by Ronald McGowan
Miss Dashwood's Dilemma: Margaret's Mission
Margaret gets her chance to shine.

The Next Great Jane by K.L. Going
The Next Great Jane
YA Jane in Maine...yes please!!!!

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
The Jane Austen Society
As Sophia mentioned, Richard Armitage's reading!!!(and I didn't like audio books). I was sooo pleased to hear that Natalie Jenner's next book will involve an important character from this book.

Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things by Jacqueline Firkins
Hearts, Strings, and Other Breakable Things
Fanny Price in MA....yes please. I just noticed one important JAFF blog questioned some of the modern things this Fanny Price does. I found them amusing.

By The Book by Amanda Sellet
YA Jane continues to deliver for me.
By the Book

The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin
Persuasion in Japan. And an ending.....oh my!
The Little Teashop in Tokyo

The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne
The Stars We Steal
YA Persuasion in.....SPACE!!!!

Given looming bookclubs' deadlines, I hope to pick one from someone's list some time before or by Jane's Bday. Or reread a seasonal one I meant to reread last year. Or something! :)

Glad you could join, Kirk!

Parson Austen's Daughter has caught my eye from your list. :)

Sophia wrote: "Glad you could join, Kirk!
Thanks!!!

Parson Austen's Daughter has caught my eye from your list. :)"
Great! If you decide to read it I hope you can get it. There was just one copy locally.

“Sweet slow old-fashioned” sounds good to me too!

Loved this. Made me feel homesick for Bath, related so much to how fans of austen feel . need to read sequel still
Time travel , modern time

Could relate so much to this, Modern Austen

Felt like reading an austen novel

loved this. especially how relationship was formed over a common interest.

modern persuasion, wish author will write more.

Loved a lot of the wording/sentences in this story. Enjoyed Lydia a bit more in this version.

Interesting take on marriage life of charlotte and Mr. Collins. Also like how you see POV from both of them.

Love how we see characters from my favorite austen books, P and P and Persuasion collide and how they would interact. Definitely my favorite of the series (just need to reread first couple books. Been so long )

Abigail wrote: "I’ll play!

1. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev. Okay, I read it in 2019, but I read it again in 2020 and enjoyed it if anything even more. Gender swap, modern sett..."

Persuasion of Jane Austen is my #1 favorite by Shannon Winslow! Also enjoyed Ayesha at Last. With Sonali Davis, I was the opposite, I liked recipe for Persuasion better than the first book.

Sounds as if we’re on a similar track with our preferences, Patricia! I get it about the first Sonali Dev novel—I liked it better on my second reading, when I knew the answer to the mystery, than on my first. And I can see that the heroine isn’t for everyone.

Patricia wrote: "
Loved this. Made me feel homesick for Bath, related so much to how fans of austen feel . need to read sequel still
Time travel , moder..."

Loved the Julie Klassen and Carrie Bebris, too. I didn't know Rachel John released her Persuasion one. Must read that.
Great list, Patricia!

personally i feel i liked her 2 previous books better. probably because i didn't understand some of the things they were taking about (spoilers). would like to know what you think

My golden 2020 list:
Poldark https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Obstacles https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
Being Mrs Darcy https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Mr. Darcy - A Man of Honour https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
If I Never Knew Myself: A Pride and Prejudice Variation https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Find Wonder in All Things https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
No Strings Attached https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
My BFF https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
And Grace Will Lead Me Home https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Great idea Sophia..
A few coming to mind though not all 2020 releases...
Dec fav Add ons - The Other Bennet Sister + Miss Austen

The Jane Austen Society especially audio narration of Richard Armitage
Walking Jane Austen’s London
I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend
A Jane Austen Encounter great Bath mystery

Fun seeing your lists, Elin and Writer!

@Elin I loved If I Never Knew Myself and Find Wonder in All Things, too. I guess I need to read Obstacles. :)

@Writer Yay for another Jane Austen Society Lover and I like the idea of the Walking Jane Austen's London.

1. The mystery of the missing heiress - Riana Everly
Great mystery solving. Intereating new character.
2. Longbourn's songbird - Beau North
Heart touching story
3. The events at Branxbourne - Caitlin Williams
Unusual premise and beautiful sequences.
4. Brother dearest - Elin Eriksen
Loved how Elizabeth breaks down Darcy.
5. When the sun sleeps - Alix James
Good emotional novella
6. The Rogue's widow - Nicole Clarkston
Impertinent Elizabeth and taciturn Darcy, what's not to like?
7. Mischief and Mayhem - Christie Capps
Very light hearted story. Loved Master Bennet.
8. These dreams - Nicole Clarkston
Dark themed story with traumatized Darcy with a sigh worthy connection with Elizabeth
9. The subsequent proposal - Joana Starnes
Nice mashup of Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion
10. Pemberley ranch - Jack Caldwell
Good southern story in post civil war era.
11. The secret betrothal - Jan Hahn
Good twist and great plot.
12. 1932 - Karen M. Cox
Loved the premise and the writing.

I know I'm cheating by adding extra but couldn't think of excluding any of these. In fact, I have some more serious contenders I had to leave out.

Oh my! Thank you so much abmom, made my day :)))

LOL, I couldn't do it without cheating, either. Love seeing your list and a ton of ones I loved, too. I must try Elin's book. :)

Elin, actually it's the readers who should thank you writers who weave such beautiful stories and take us to a different world where we could all exist for a few hours connecting with the beloved characters. I really enjoyed your story and its subtle humour. I also mean it when I say I still have so many others which I had to leave out half heartedly. Anyway, thanks to all you writers who gave us such pleasure.

Kirk wrote: "Parson Austen's Daughter by Helen Ashton
Sweet slow old-fashioned in the best sort of way.

Georgiana Darcy, Matchmaker by Bronwen Chisholm
I love her instant friends..."
Lol at myself...with the bookclub reads with most pressing deadlines read...I'm doing to try a JA Encounter. Happy reading!

Okay, I guess I should figure out what I'm reading since the month has started. :)

I am doing A Clergyman's Wife since I see it on Abigail's list and I have it on my TBR pile already. :)

I have finally decided to borrow one of Patricia's favourites which happens to be one of mine as well. I have had it on my reread list for ages:
Friends and Enemies by J. Dawn King.

I am going to go with Mr. Darcy comes to dinner by Jack Caldwell. I hear good things about it.

i began reading Missing Jane. and will hopefully have the next great jane from the library soon!

Kirk wrote: "Kirk wrote: "Parson Austen's Daughter by Helen Ashton
Sweet slow old-fashioned in the best sort of way.

Georgiana Darcy, Matchmaker by Bronwen Chisholm
I love her in..."
Alas...2.5-2.75. Too much violence and melodrama for me.

Hope it turns out well, Patricia, and that the next book is ready at the library when you finish. :)

Ah, man, bummer your book was a dud, Kirk!

Sophia wrote: "Ah, man, bummer your book was a dud, Kirk!"

Thanks! At least the main characters visited interesting Austen places and discussed The Watsons completions.

I completed The Clergyman's Wife: A Pride & Prejudice Novel by Molly Greeley that I pilfered from Abigail's list.

Oh my stars, I was so affected. This one caught at my emotions, but not in an overblown way. I loved this gentle, bittersweet story.

Have just completed Sophia's pick for my Nov read and Must mention my total love for this debut doorstopper... Adding to my December Gold


Thanks for the rec, Sophia 👼

Yay for a last month Gold entry. I loved that one, too, writer. It will definitely be a re-read at some point.

So glad you enjoyed The Clergyman’s Wife, Sophia! One of those novels that rises above the genre. I’m so excited that she has another one coming out (thanks to you for alerting me).

I definitely reaped the reward for our December activity because I was definitely entranced with that book. Yes, her Anne book comes out next month. I got asked to review it, but I couldn't fit it in though that won't stop me from getting it for later. :)