What I’m reading

This is something of a roundup post because I’ve recently taken advantage of some free Kindle editions and also repaired an embarrassing oversight. I never knew that a fellow Janeite in my local JASNA chapter was the author of Intimations of Austen because unlike me she does not bore people to death with her accomplishments.

I’ve corrected this error and look forward to reading her “nine short stories includ[ing] backstories, sequels and what-ifs to Jane Austen’s beloved novels.” It’s available at Lulu.com and Amazon.

The two free Kindle editions I recently “bought” are His Good Opinion and Caroline Bingley: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Jennifer Becton. The description of Caroline Bingley follows:

When Charles Bingley and Mr. Darcy made proposals of marriage to the Bennet sisters at the end of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Caroline Bingley was both distressed by her brother’s choice of bride and humiliated by Mr. Darcy’s rejection of her. And she made her objections known.

Now banished from her brother’s household, Caroline must return to her mother’s home in the north of England until she can make amends with both Bennet sisters. Desperate though Caroline may be to return to polite company, she absolutely refuses to apologize to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and instead, she seeks an alternative route back into society in the form of Mr. William Charlton, heir to a barony.

Nancy Kelley’s His Good Opinion take a different approach to the events of Pride and Prejudice:

Mr. Darcy speaks from his heart: Pride and Prejudice from Darcy’s point of view Though tired of Society’s manipulations, Darcy never thought to be enchanted by a country maiden. However, on a visit to rural Hertfordshire, Elizabeth Bennet captivates him. Lovely and vivacious, she is everything he is not, and everything he longs to have. Unfortunately, her connections put her decidedly beneath him, and the improprieties he observes in her family do not win his favor. Putting her firmly out of his mind, Darcy returns to London, but Elizabeth is not so easily forgotten. When chance throws them together, Darcy can no longer deny his love, but Elizabeth, put off by his manners, refuses him. To change her mind, he must set aside his proud ways and learn how to please a woman worthy of being pleased. It takes a serious incident for his true character to shine, and for Elizabeth to learn just how valuable is … His Good Opinion.