Nineteenth Century Christmas Wish List, 2018 Edition

Almost done with my Christmas shopping (don’t hate me, and don’t tell me you finished in October). 😊 As we have in past years, I thought I’d alert you to presents that any aficionado of the nineteenth century and avid bookworm might enjoy.

Let’s start with books. Fabric a la Romantic Regency appears to be a lovely glossary of fabric terms from the early nineteenth century. Ever want to know the difference between sarsnet and lustring? This ought to tell you.  

There’s also an interesting tome, Jane Austen’s England, that promises to look closer at the places and situations depicted in Jane Austen’s novels.

And this one tickled my fancy: How Jane Austen Kept Cool, all about Georgian ice cream!

Perhaps your more in the mood to make sure your favorite books remain in the family. Check out this embosser, which will tastefully mark the books with your name.

Mugs always seem a popular gift. This one has a unique slant. 

Or, for the more athletically inclined:

Need something to put that new mug on? Try these coasters of Jane Austen books.

Or perhaps you’d like to step up your organization approach. Love these file folders from the Victorian Trading Company.

Finally, you can be reminded of all your favorite British authors, from Shakespeare to Tolkien, with this decorative plate. There’s only one, I’m afraid. 

Good luck, and Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Pride and Prejudice!

Next week marks the official 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s classic. Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy have spawned a cottage industry, with everything from books that retell and extend the original story to stamps and custom dolls.

You may have seen some of the ways people are celebrating, such as the Netherfield Ball I mentioned last week. Here are a few more ways you can commemorate Pride and Prejudice’s 200th:

• The Royal Mail is issuing a series of stamps, which will be available for use in February, but you can order them now. They're lovely pastels with scenes from Jane's work.

• The Dolls House Emporium is introducing a pair of beautiful porcelain hand-crafted dolls, portraying Elizabeth and Darcy in all their finery on their wedding day. With a minimum purchase, the company will throw in supporting gifts until May, including a pretty heart cushion, complete with lace edging and "E and F" embroidery-design transfer; a watercolour painting of Darcy’s Pemberley estate; a pair of coat hangers with E and F initials; a pair of silhouette portraits; and a beautiful floral wedding garland. Note that the dolls may not be available until the end of the month--the emporium provided this sneak peek for Nineteen Teen readers.
• If you’ll be in the Baltimore area before July 31, stop by Goucher College Libraryto view its special exhibit. The college is supposed to have the largest collection of items related to Jane Austen and her times of any in the U.S.

• If you’ll be in Suffolk, Virginia, on March 9, you may want to attend a day of events at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts.
• If you’re lucky enough to be in the UK, Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge is hosting a conference on the book June 21-23 to discuss the history behind it and, as they call it, its "literary afterlife."
• And the Jane Austen House Museum has its own Facebook page with information on events as well as a special page online. Pride and Prejudice, live. Be still my heart!

I’d love to keep a running list here. Anyone else seen ways that Pride and Prejudice is being celebrated? Tell us with a comment!

Then go read the book or watch one of the film adaptations one more time. You know you want to. Oh, Colin!

Books That Currently Go Bump in the Night

Thanks so much for your comments about Gothic novels! From Mysteries of Udolpho to Northanger Abbey, Frankenstein to Dracula, the nineteenth century was blessed with some awe-inspiring novels of terror, adventure, and romance.

And they inspired a whole slew of current novels too!

It’s no secret that Fitzwilliam Darcy from Pride and Prejudice stands as the prototype for many a romantic hero. Now his story is being taken to a whole new level, blending with the terrifying, in no less than two novels! Mr. Darcy Vampyre by Amanda Grange was out this August from Sourcebooks. According to its publisher, the story “starts where Pride and Prejudice ends and introduces a dark family curse so perfectly that the result is a delightfully thrilling, spine-chilling, breathtaking read.” Sounds intriguing, eh? (Well, maybe to some of you. Full confession time—I overdosed on horror novels in the third grade, and I haven’t been able to force myself to read one since! I write YA, and I can’t convince myself to read Twilight.)

Regina Jeffer’s Vampire Darcy’s Desire, out from Ulysses Press just this month, also sees the dangerous Mr. Darcy as a vampire. The teaser is “Two lovers trying to overcome that which separates them: their pride, their prejudice, Darcy's vampirism and the evil workings of master vampire George Wickham.” Hm, maybe I might bite, er try this one.

But wait, there’s more!

Jane Austen’s novels seem to scream paranormal to a whole bunch of folks. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, anyone? No? What about Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters? I haven’t read either, but supposedly they are wildly popular. Not sure they’re my cup of tea, er blood, er sea water.





Still want more? The end of December, Ballantine will release Michael Thomas Ford’s Jane Bites Back. The teaser? “Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen is still surrounded by the literature she loves—but now it's because she's the owner of Flyleaf Books in a sleepy college town in Upstate New York. Every day she watches her novels fly off the shelves—along with dozens of unauthorized sequels, spin-offs, and adaptations. Jane may be undead, but her books have taken on a life of their own.

"To make matters worse, the manuscript she finished just before being turned into a vampire has been rejected by publishers—116 times. Jane longs to let the world know who she is, but when a sudden twist of fate thrusts her back into the spotlight, she must hide her real identity—and fend off a dark man from her past while juggling two modern suitors. Will the inimitable Jane Austen be able to keep her cool in this comedy of manners, or will she show everyone what a woman with a sharp wit and an even sharper set of fangs can do?” Okay, you may get me to read this one!

If you truly want the feelings of a nineteenth century novel, with the spice of the Gothic, I definitely recommend Carrie Bebris’ series. In these the married Darcys take on paranormal mysteries. With such lovely titles as Pride and Prescience, Suspense and Sensibility, North by Northanger, and The Matters at Mansfield, you know Carrie has some of Jane Austen’s wit along with her own imagination and impressive writing skills.

Have you seen others? Or is there a Jane Austen character you’d love to see taken to Gothic extremes? Let us know, and happy Halloween!