LaurelAnn

Past regret, future aspirations, and fate punctuated the dramatic plot of episode six of Downton Abbey season two last night on Masterpiece Classic. The end of World War I should bring peace and normalcy back to the residents of Downton, but the Lord of the manor Robert Crawley struggles to find logic in all the [...] Read Full Story

Guest review by Kimberly Denny-Ryder I’ve often wondered what modern day psychiatric medicine would say about some of my favorite literary characters.  Are they bi-polar?  Do they suffer from ADHD, depression, or a form of autism?  Author Nina Benneton explores what a modern day Darcy would be like, suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder in her [...] Read Full Story

Guest review by Christina Boyd Best-selling author of Austenland, and soon to be motion picture of same, Shannon Hale, takes us on another retreat to England in her latest offering, Midnight in Austenland. When the nice American Charlotte Kinder married a nice man named James in a nice wedding, later giving birth to and raising [...] Read Full Story

Guest review by Br. Paul Byrd, OP Hidden like gems among the pages of [Dickens’] novels are numerous religious images and biblical references: in Great Expectations, Pip praying for the Lord to be merciful to Abel Magwitch, a sinner and formidable criminal; in Bleak House, the image of Christ ‘stooped down, writing with his finger [...] Read Full Story

We are basically a tried and true Janeite, but quietly confess to admiration of another nineteenth-century novelist also born in Hampshire; – Charles Dickens. His style is entirely different than the witty underpinnings of our beloved Miss Austen, but one cannot ignore his fabulous characterizations and amazing plot twists. Today is the bicentenary of Dickens’ [...] Read Full Story

Deception and manipulation were major themes in episode five of Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Classic PBS last night as Downton’s residents battle challenges and conflicts of a personal nature. We were introduced to a mysterious new patient at Downton’s officer convalescent hospital who claims to be related to the Crawleys; ex-housemaid Ethel, now destitute with [...] Read Full Story

Gentle readers: We are happy to add the story of another conversion to Jane to our monthly column, Reading Austen. Today’s guest blog is by Dara Schnuelle, who shares her personal story of how she discovered Jane Austen and why reading her novels is so special for her. Ask almost any high school student his [...] Read Full Story

Jane Austen’s indisputable influence continues, so much so, that she shows up as a character in Alyssa Goodnight’s new, innovative novel Austentatious. Please join us today in welcoming Alyssa as she visits during her blog tour in celebration of the release of Austentatious, published this month by Kensington Books. In this humorous guest blog, Alyssa [...] Read Full Story

43 of you left comments qualifying you for a chance to win one of three copies of a digital edition of Rosedale in Love, by Lev Raphael. The winners drawn at random are: Mary Ann Potter who left a comment on January 24, 2012 Laura’s Reviews who left a comment on January 24, 2012 Evangeline [...] Read Full Story

There are a lot of Mr. Darcy novels out there. Hundreds, in fact. Some are retellings of his side of Pride and Prejudice. Others continue his life at Pemberley after his marriage to Elizabeth Bennet, but, a new Mr. Darcy novel released today has an entirely new twist! Please join us today in welcoming author [...] Read Full Story