Hello readers!

I have a reader's confession to make to you all. I have never read Jane Austen. Not until last year anyway. I still haven't read them all (there are only six), but I started with the one I was most familiar with, the one you are probably the most familiar with, Pride and Prejudice. Like most women my age, I had seen the BBC mini series with Colin Firth as the almost dashing hero; then, Keira Knightley took a turn on the silver screen as Elizabeth. Both of the films left me wondering, what is the big deal about these two characters? Britain voted it the top book in British literature. (I have always been partial to Jane Eyre). So, I finally went to the source, and I must say it lived up to the hype. Amazingly enough, the characters were much richer and deeper and the story much more complete. This is why we read after all.

I then stumbled upon a wonderful trilogy written by Pamela Aidan telling the story from Darcy's point of view starting with An Assembly Such as This. I loved this almost as much as Pride itself. I bought my own personal copies. Recommendations don't come much higher than that from me! Aidan does a fantastic job of hitting the touchstones in the novel and not altering the plot. She does wander a bit off the mark in the second book, but the others make up for it easily.

Aidan's series is just the tip of the iceberg however when it comes to Austen sequels and an abundant overall culture. Many writers have been inspired to continue the story of Darcy and Elizabeth. Jane Dawkins continues the story in letters between Elizabeth and Jane in the first year of their marriages in Letters from Pemberley; Emma Tennant imagines them twenty years later in An Unequal Marriage. Julia Barrett draws the focus to Darcy's sister in Presumption. Linda Berdoll has several, rather spicer, novels imagining their growing relationship. Elizabeth Aston has four that follow the Darcy children. Some of these titles are older than others, some are better imagined than others, some the library has, and others are out of print. (which just means the librarians will look other places to help you find them)

Shannon Hale has created an entire Austen-immersion experience for the modern day Janeites in the novel set around a young New Yorker visiting Austenland. Karen Joy Fowler's novel The Jane Austen Book Club, demonstrates the effects Austen has on her readers, not all of whom are women, by the way. My favorite retelling of Pride and Prejudice is the cheeky modern day version, Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding which helped launch the chick-lit boom of recent years. Splendid job getting Firth back in the film as the modern Darcy - nice to see him out of the lace and frills of the era.

Austen is everywhere at the moment. PBS has recently run an entire season of Masterpiece Theater based on the works of Austen. Jane Austen herself gets to become the lead sleuth in a series of mystery novels by Stephanie Barron. Anne Hathaway brings her to life in Becoming Jane with James McAvoy. If you, like myself, have not gotten to these classics in print or even on DVD, call the library to request them. I have only scratched the surface of sequels, prequels, and inspired-by Austen works that are out there. There is a reason for the celebration of all things Austen! Check out pemberley.com for more Austen than any one reader can stand and know that we at the library will happily help you get your fill!

Other non-Austen titles new this week at your library include:

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben - He deserves a column all his own; a Book Banter group favorite -- get in line for

this page turner!

Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank - SC favorite is back with another Lowcountry novel.

Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark - Team Clark offers a double dose this month.

Zapped by Carol Higgins Clark

Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith -- ninth installment of #1 Ladies Detective Agency

The library now maintains a Coming Soon list on the website, so check it out! www.pickens.lib.sc.us . Email me or call with any book related thoughts or comments jenniferc@pickens.lib.sc.us . Also, if you access the column online at www.pickenssentinel.com the Austen titles in the column are all linked to the catalog for easy requesting!

Until next week, happy reading! (more exclamations!!!)

Jennifer Crenshaw