Jane Austen-ish books

[Baff]

My wife is a huge Austen fan. She has read (or heard on audiobook) all of the Austen books at least a dozen times each, and 100+ for her favorites. That is fine and all, but I still try to encourage her to occasionally read/listen to some other books. I haven't read any of her books yet myself (I have a long list of my own books to read), though I have watched all the Austen movies with her and enjoyed most of them. (She wanted me to be her Mr. Darcy, but she had to make due with a cheap knock-off of Mr. Knightley)

Anyway, onto my point. Does anyone have any recommendations of Jane Austen related books?

I got her to read an Austen-ish book, don't remember the name, and she did enjoy it. I'm looking for some other books to get her to read. The following are the types of books I am looking at. These are pretty much randomly chosen. There seem to be 100s (if not 1000s) of knock-offs, "sequels", and such.

The Man Who Loved Jane Austen
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife
Emma and Knightley
Mr. Darcy's Diary
The Jane Austen Mysteries

[Baff]

We've watched a few Austen biographies and I got her a couple audio biographies. Once you've seen/heard a few, there isn't much new to be gotten from watching/reading more.

What I am looking for now is modern fiction based on Jane Austen or her characters.

What I am leaning toward at the moment is the Jane Austen Mysteries by Stephanie Barron. She has Jane as the heroine in a series of mystery novels. It has the potential to be fun.

I suppose what I would really like to find are a few modern day "sequels" that an Austen fan could read and almost believe that Jane herself had written them. Maybe nothing that good exists, I don't know.

Let us know how the Shields biography turns out. If it is particularly interesting, I will consider getting it for my wife.

[Susan]

I have heard that the Shelds book is really good too. I have a friend who read it and really enjoyed it. Please let me know what your wife thinks because I am looking at reading it also.

[Susan]

Now I do not want to sound like a complete geek, but there is a website that actually rates the spin off novels. You might want to check it out. http://www.pemberley.com/

I am not really big on the spin-offs because I am afraid that they might ruin it. I did really enjoy the movie "Jane Austen Book Club" though.

[Baff]

Cool, I'll check that out.

[Baff]

Yeah, seen it and the Book Club movie too.

To make a link:
1. Copy link
2. Highlight the text in the posting window that you want to be the link
3. Click on the chain icon right above the posting window
4. Paste the link into the window that pups up.

[Baff]

Try this:

Post a response here with just the words Becoming Jane.
Highlight those words and then click the Add Hyperlink button:
Then paste in this link in the pop-up: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Becoming_Jane/70065107
Click OK

[Baff]

I was going to say that we have seen North & South, but I was thinking of a very different show about the civil war.

Your N&S has Richard Armitage, who we have been watching in the new Robin Hood series. Will be nice to see him in a different role.

I assume these movies aren't connected, so we can watch them in any order?

[Baff]

We watched North & South and Wives & Daughters. I enjoyed them, especially N&S. Thank you for the recommendations.

Unfortunately my wife found them too much like Dickens, whom she hates. I will try to slip Cranford in next year after she has forgotten these.