jane austen

Book Review: Jane and the Ghosts of Netley

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Jane and the Ghosts of Netley by Stephanie Barron

Jane and the Ghosts of Netley (Jane Austen Mysteries, #7)
by Stephanie Barron

3.5 out of 5 stars

Lord Harold asks Jane Austen to keep an eye on Netley Lodge near the ruins of the ancient Netley Abbey. He fears there are French spies plotting mischief in the area. Jane takes her paint box and pretends to sketch the abbey ruins while keeping a close watch on all the comings and goings at the Lodge. But her watchfulness is in vain. A ship in the dockyards is set on fire and the shipwright is murdered. It is definitely the work of spies and traitors against the British crown.

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Classic Book Review: Lady Susan

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Lady Susan by Jane Austen

Lady Susan
by Jane Austen

4 out of 5 stars

Lady Susan is charming and vivacious. Lady Susan lies to everyone. Lady Susan flirts with anything in pants! Lady Susan tries to persuade her daughter, Frederica, to marry. Frederica doesn’t like the gentlemen, so Lady Susan manipulates and schemes. Lady Susan is greedy and immoral, but… she is not boring.

The epistolary style is my favorite thing about this little book. It was so fun to see from all the different perspectives of the characters. They all have a strong opinion of Lady Susan, and they aren’t afraid to express it in their letters! Lady Susan’s letters to her friend, Alicia, are so full of malice and deceit. Ooh, it’s thrilling!

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Classic Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

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Pride and Prejudice with Related Readings by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice with Related Readings
by Jane Austen

5 out of 5 stars

Elizabeth Bennett and her sisters are eager to make the acquaintance of their new neighbors, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. They meet and dance together at various country balls and events. However, Elizabeth is frequently embarrassed by her mother’s vulgar manners and her little sisters flirtations with army officers. Elizabeth must navigate the social criticism of her sisters’ romances, while fending off a few proposals of her own.

I just love the witty dialogue between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. There is so much sparkling dialogue in the whole book, and it is a delight to read. The entire writing style is so polished and easy to read! The plot flows along so naturally and with so much energy that you barely notice all the little genius sub-plots that are happening.

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Manga Review: Sense and Sensibility

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Sense and Sensibility by Stacy King

Sense and Sensibility
by Stacy King (Goodreads Author) (Adaptor), Po Tse (Illustrator), Jane Austen (Original Author)

5 out of 5 stars

I loved this manga adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic story! The manga follows the original story pretty closely, and the artwork is beautiful.

There’s a lot of crying in this book! I mean, I suppose there’s a lot of crying in the original story too, but seeing almost all the characters constantly collapsing into violent tears, hysterics, and/or fits of depression was over-the-top dramatic. Then again, Marianne Dashwood is the epitome of drama! haha!

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Classic Review: Persuasion

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Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion
by Jane Austen
5 out of 5 stars
Anne Elliot meets Captain Wentworth again after breaking off their engagement eight years before. She is filled with doubt and anxiety, and wonders how she should behave and whether or not his feelings have changed. Captain Wentworth tries to ignore her without actually being rude, and flirts with other young ladies of their acquaintance. It is impossible to tell if he is trying to hide a broken heart or if he has truly left behind his old feelings for Anne, but a few little words and looks might tell the true story.

A perfect masterpiece! Every time I reread this book I love it more and more, and see more depth in the characters, and more humor in the sarcastic writing style.

There are so many sweet little moments between Anne and Captain Wentworth! A glance, a small gesture, a chance word; all these things create such a suspense and make the story exciting. It’s the little undercurrents of emotion behind everyday scenes that make this book so special. On the surface, the plot doesn’t have much going on; but we get such an intimate look into Anne’s heart, and so much depth from each of the supporting characters, that it shows that there is quite a lot happening under the surface.

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Book Review: Jane and the Genius of the Place

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Jane and the Genius of the Place by Stephanie Barron
Jane and the Genius of the Place (Jane Austen Mysteries, #4)
by Stephanie Barron

3 out of 5 stars


Jane Austen is visiting her brother and sister-in-law at Godmersham Park, when a mysterious lady is murdered at the Canterbury Races. As Justice of the Peace, Jane’s brother, Edward, must investigate the murder, and Jane is all eagerness to help solve the puzzle.

I really liked this story and the history behind it. There is quite a lot of real history woven into the story with Jane’s family and her acquaintances, but of course the murder mystery and Jane’s involvement in the investigation are entirely fictional.

The best part of this book is the close look at Jane’s day to day interactions with her family, her nieces and nephews, and especially her sister Cassandra. It’s fun to imagine what their family dynamic might have been like. Continue reading →