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30 Austen books (nonfiction)

Journey to Jane Austen's England with historian Lucy Worsley as she tells the story of Jane's life through the rooms and spaces that shaped the author's worldview. If you enjoy books with a strong sense of place, or imagining exactly where Jane wrote her famous novels, then this biography is for you. Worsely connects Jane's possessions and homes with the author's life, work, and values.
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Nick Hornby calls Claire Tomalin the U.K.'s favorite literary biographer: "she's clever, thoughtful, sympathetic, and has a sense of the reader's attention span." For two hundred years Austen has remained one of the most popular novelists in English literature. Devoted readers keep picking her up again and again.
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I had the pleasure of participating in a virtual Jane Austen Festival, and read this book that had been languishing on my TBR for too long in order to prepare for my sessions. I found this deep dive into Janeite subculture to be insightful, entertaining, and surprisingly humorous. Yaffe's sense of humor shines when she discusses Jane Austen's Poisonous Bitches (two words: Lucy Steele), the history and intricacies of Austen fanfiction, and Darcy in the lake. Part journalism, part memoir, and recommended reading for Austen lovers everywhere.
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If you really want an immersive Austen experience, go straight to the source: her letters. This collection of correspondence reveals insights into Jane's daily life, her friends and family, her witty musings, and her thoughts on the writing life. You don't need to be a scholar in order to enjoy Jane's untempered sass and strong opinions. Read the letters in order or flip to a random page when you need a dose of Austen.
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I haven't read this one yet, but I hope to remedy that soon. I enjoyed Cohen's essay on <a href="https://lithub.com/on-jane-austens-politics-of-walking/">Jane Austen's Politics of Walking</a>. In her memoir, she writes, "About seven years ago, not too long before our daughter was born, and a year before my father died, Jane Austen became my only author." For Cohen, Austen's novels were both a comfort and a catalyst for working through her grief, grappling with life's hard questions, and living a literary life. Part memoir, part history, part love letter to Austen.
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From the publisher: "Just as letters and tokens in Jane Austen's novels often signal key turning points in the narrative, Byrne explores the small things – a scrap of paper, a gold chain, an ivory miniature – that held significance in Austen's personal and creative life. Byrne transports us to different worlds, from the East Indies to revolutionary Paris, and to different events, from a high society scandal to a case of petty shoplifting." Add Audible Narration for $7.49.
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