Austenesque Lovers TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2016 discussion
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Mr. Bennet's Library 101+ Books
Love seeing everyone getting all these books read. You gals are amazing and pulling me right along in your wake with the enthusiasm to tackle more off my shelf. :)
I'll have to check out the fan fic you linked for us, Sheila.
I'll have to check out the fan fic you linked for us, Sheila.

Another wonderful choice! I'm so glad you ended up liking To Conquer Mr. Darcy. I know you had reservations about reading it.


This followed the plot of the original very closely, except that widowed Elizabeth was previously married to an Earl. It was very well written (except for a rash of misplaced commas that were sometimes distracting), but I didn't love that it was so much of a rehash. It was cute when lines from the original were given to different characters, but perhaps overused. My biggest complaint, though, was that the whole premise was Elizabeth being negatively affected by her first marriage, but I didn't really feel like she acted any differently. Darcy mentions her having a sort of downtrodden look sometimes, but her conversations and actions were much the same as before--with the one notable exception being how she perceives Wickham. If you like low conflict stories where Elizabeth and Darcy are on relatively equal footing, though, I'd say give this a read. It's almost worth it just for the changes with Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine. :-)

I'm glad, too! I've also downloaded The Rule Of Reason to try that one.


1.Elizabeth: Mistress of Pemberley
2.Lost Along the Way
3.Darcy's Deliverance: A Pride and Prejudice variation
4.Accusing Elizabeth: A Pride & Prejudice Variation
5.A Respectable Man: A Pride and Prejudice Variation
6.When Mary Met the Colonel: A Pride and Prejudice
[book:Elizabeth & Van Gogh: A Pride and Prejudice 7.Reimagining Novella|29270231]
8.Pride & Prejudice... & Shakespeare
9.The Improvement of Her Mind
10.Fragments
11.A Searing Acquaintance
12. The Madness of Mr. Darcy
13. Jane and the Waterloo Map
14. Undeceived: Pride & Prejudice in the Spy Game
15. A Sensual Retelling: Pride and Prejudice
16. Obsession
17. An Heir for Pemberley: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Short Story
18. Austen in Austin, Volume 1
19. A Little Whimsical in His Civilities
It's been another amazing year so far in my reading life. Thanks for all the support GR friends!!!



*whistles appreciatively* Way to go, Claudine!
Impressive list especially (as Sheila referenced) for a blogger who does fantastic themed events and extras with the posts. ;)
Impressive list especially (as Sheila referenced) for a blogger who does fantastic themed events and extras with the posts. ;)

Truly a pleasure as you know since you are supportive of so many.
BTW- got the copy of Mary and the Colonel today. Looking forward to it. Thanks!
BTW- got the copy of Mary and the Colonel today. Looking forward to it. Thanks!

I'm glad, too! I've also downloaded [book:The Rule Of..."
I found with the Rule of Reason/To Conquer Mr Darcy that I liked part of one better and part of the other better, so I preferred the first half of RoR and the second half of TCMD. I'd be interested to know what you think of RoR and how it compares :)

I'm glad, too! I've also downloaded [bo..."
I'm definitely curious to see the differences, which is why I really want to read it sooner rather than later. Another couple of variations and I will have completely forgotten which plots were which.

I'm glad, too! I've also downloaded The Rule Of..."</i>
Where do you get [book:The Rule Of Reason? It looks like it's online somewhere, but I don't know where. It's not available on kindle directly, is it?


Thank you so much, Erika. Just got it.

I'm glad, too! I've also downloaded [bo..."
Ceri, have you also read:Impulse and Initiative ? That also shares much of the same plot as To Conquer Mr. Darcy but ends up going in a different direction. Is The Rule Of Reason similar, with shared segments of the other two?


Per Author:
The Rule of Reason is a variation on Impulse & Initiative, aka To Conquer Mr. Darcy, and should not be considered a completely separate novel. The first third of the books are close to identical, but after that the plots diverge substantially. In my opinion, Impulse & Initiative is a stronger book, but The Rule of Reason has segments I particularly like, and some readers prefer it. It has the same premise as Impulse & Initiative, but in the library scene at Pemberley, Darcy and Elizabeth make a different decision, leading to very different outcome. Unlike Impulse & Intiative/To Conquer Mr. Darcy, this book contains no graphic scenes.



The Rule of Reason has the same beginning, but the the plot turns out differently. And it's cleaner.
If you've read Impulse and Initiative/To Conquer Mr. Darcy you can read the second half of The Rule of Reason reading just the short story Reason's Rule, on the collection A Pemberley Medley. ;)
Reynolds proposed both the novels to Sourcebooks, and they chose Impulse and Initiative (I preferred The Rule of Reason, though). :)


It took me a while to appreciate moderns, too, Talia. I was quite prejudiced against them, actually. After I found a couple that I loved, though, I realized how wonderfully ODC translates to modern times as well as other eras. Sometimes, though, it's just a matter of preference. What have you read?

Safekeeping by Wendy Sotis, The Perfect Fit, one where there is a coffee company involved, Green Card... actually, I can barely remember any of them except that most take place in the USA and usually Elizabeth is some kind of genius and was a victim of some kind of trauma. All the sweetness doesn't seem to translate. Darcy is usually some snobby rich guy.

Try Compulsively Mr. Darcy or Pride and All This Prejudice or Sway. Those are all moderns that I gave 5 stars to and enjoy re-reading.

I keep trying but they are so hard for me to get through. I have trouble relating to the genius Elizabeths and the super snobby Darcys are also not attractive.

My favorite moderns are by Cat Gardiner (of course :)), My BFF by Ruth Phillips Oakland and Fitzwilliam Darcy Rock Star by Heather Lynn Rigaurd. There are more but these are the ones I go back to time and again.

Pamela wrote: "Talia wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Talia wrote: "I realized today that none of my favorite JAFF books are modern variations. I have read a fair share of them but I don't tend to reread them or treasure t..."
I will give it a go though I think I have read one of them before. I have to look at my bookshelf. Thank you!

Yes, I have read My BFF and Rockstar. I will try some of Cat G's.

All of Cat's are in the USA. Are there any in the UK that anyone knows of?


Longbourn's Songbird by Beau North
Boots and Backpacks by K.C. Kahler
Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star by Heather Lynn Rigaud
The Muse by Jessica Evans
Lucky 13 by Cat Gardiner
1932 by Karen M. Cox
Undeceived by Karen M. Cox
Denial of Conscience by Cat Gardiner



Then there's the ones that Ceri has already mentioned: The Importance of Being Emma and Persuade Me both by Juliet Archer and are modern retellings of Emma and Persuasion.
Some books by Jane Odiwe are at least partially set in the UK in modern times. They may have elements of time slip/other time periods mixed in with the modern setting.
The various novels of The Austen Project, which have met with mixed reviews:
Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope
Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid
Emma by Alexander McCall Smith
Right now I'm reading Aerendgast by Rachel Berman and so far, all of the action has taken place in the UK.
There must be more. I'm sure my friends out there will be able to add to this list.
Books mentioned in this topic
North and South (other topics)My Pride, His Prejudice (other topics)
Dear Father Christmas: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (other topics)
From This Day Forward - The Darcys of Pemberley (other topics)
An Inconvenient Courtship (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Michele Paige Holmes (other topics)Penelope Hughes-Hallett (other topics)
Penelope Hughes-Hallett (other topics)
Juliet Archer (other topics)
Jane Odiwe (other topics)
More...
47. Anne de Bourgh Manages - 3 stars
48. A Fine Stout Love and Other Stories - 5 stars
49. http://www.meryton.com/ellens..."
We'll have to consider it for sure. I had the idea that if this group read does well that maybe we could do one every other month with Someone Else Pick It on the off month. I had an idea for a book for the next group read, Lady Susan, to get everyone ready for the new movie release, but we can take a poll. :) I do love Persuasion retellings and what you said about In the Past Imperfect intrigues me.