Every book blogger and their friend seems to join in the Top Ten Tuesdays over at The Broke and the Bookish (and why not when they're so much fun?). I actually contemplated joining in myself this week, but I couldn't get enthused for the topic. Then I remembered that Misty at The Book Rat has been hosting an Austen in August extravaganza and decided that listing my favorite Austen sequels could be fun. I felt some actual enthusiasm for that topic, hence this post.
So! Here are my Top Ten Favorite Jane Austen Sequels/Retellings:
10 - Pies and Prejudice by Heather Vogel Frederick - It's simply too cute! It's not really an extremely faithful retelling, but it's fun regardless. And one I can recommend to younger teens.
9 - Attempting Elizabeth by Jessica Grey - Who wouldn't want to be able to literally jump inside one of Austen's characters? At least once? To be able to actually meet Captain Wentworth.....*sigh* ;)
8 - The Second Mrs. Darcy by Elizabeth Aston - This one isn't a straight retelling or sequel exactly. It's about Mr. Darcy's extended family. And it's wonderful!
7 - Drive and Determination by Kara Louise - One of the first modern retellings that I ever read, it's still a favorite. Plus the author has an awesome name, don't you think? ;)
6 - Pemberley's Promise by Kara Louise - Imagine Mr. Darcy and Lizzy on the open seas!
5 - Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman series by Pamela Aiden - Yes, technically this is three books. But if you've ever wanted an indepth look into the workings of Mr. Darcy's brain, this is the series for you!
4 - The Pursuit of Mary Bennett by Pamela Mingle - I have been searching for a sequel that would do Mary justice. I always wanted some redemption for her. Having attempted several stories about her, this is the first that I read completely through and really enjoyed!
3 - Captain Wentworth's Diary - by Amanda Grange - As Persuasion is my favorite Austen story, of course I love to read more about Captain Wentworth! Ms. Grange gave me just what I wanted. :D
2 - For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund - Amazing! I'm still blown away by this retelling. Ms. Peterfreund's reimagined scifi world is so well described. I can't count the many times I've reread this book. Highly recommended to everyone!
1 - Sanditon by Jane Austen and "Another Lady" - The first eleven chapters are written by Ms. Austen herself and the transition between writers is very smooth. This remains my absolute favorite sequel to date. Countless rereads of it as well as bent pages will testify to that! ;) Whether the second author takes the story where Austen wanted it to go we will never know. But as for me, I think it's wonderfully written!
So there you have it! Mind you, as much as I love Jane Austen stories, I haven't actually read tons of them. But I sure do enjoy them. Do you have a favorite?
Happy Tuesday everyone!
Still have to read Diana's books because a.) they do sound good and b.) those COVERS. Also, I think I own Attempting Elizabeth because I remember you recommending it. :)
ReplyDeleteAren't her covers amazing?! And the story lives up to the cover! I love it when that happens. :)
DeleteI'm so happy I can cause you to buy a book based on my enthusiasm! I've sure got plenty of that for these books, don't I? ;)
This is a great list! Jane Austen is one of my favorite classical authors. I will definitely have to try some of these books. The scifi one looks especially interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ashley! Ms. Austen is a favorite of mine as well. LOVE her stories! :)
DeleteOh, you definitely need to try FDStS!! It's really wonderful. It started a little slow for me, but I was soon swept up and it had me hooked until the very last page. Let me know if you ever get the chance to read it! :)
I still want to read For Darkness Shows the Stars. August was supposed to be the month that I finally read some REAL Jane Austen, but I still haven't. The month isn't over yet, though! ;) I'm always drawn to re-tellings and sequels, so these are going on my list.
ReplyDeleteYou really should, Bluerose! It's amazing and wonderful. :) So? How did the rest of the month go? Get any more REAL Austen read?
DeleteGreat list! It just shows how big the genre of Austen retellings is, because I've been reading quite some of these, but I only know two from your list! I totally agree with Sanditon. Did you know there are more 'sequels' of this unfinished novel? I haven't read any, but I came across those when I wanted to buy Sanditon on Amazon a few months ago.
ReplyDeleteThanks Birdie! It is a pretty big genre, isn't it? For which I'm glad! I love reading these types of stories. :)
DeleteIsn't Sanditon wonderful?! So glad you agree. I think I have seen at least one other sequel for this novel. But haven't read any others. I'll have to check them out. Thanks!
I've read a whole bunch of Amanda Grange's "Diary" books, and thoroughly liked every one. I'm soon going to start "Pirates and Prejudice" by Kara Louise, and seeing her on your list here makes me quite eager to begin it!
ReplyDeleteME too, Hamlette! Those "Diary" books are great. Ooo! I hope you enjoy that one! I loved Kara Louise's writing, so I hope you do too. I hadn't heard of that one. I'll definitely check it out though! Let me know what you think of it. :)
DeleteI started it over the weekend, and I'm going to be reviewing it for my Piratical Blogathon, so for now I'll just say that although I'm not a huge fan of KL's writing style, she's an engaging storyteller, and I'm definitely enjoying the book :-D
DeleteThat's good to hear! I'll look forward to your review. Which will be coming up before we know it! Crazy how time flies....
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