Jane Austen July 2023 planning and recommendations

This is my second year joining Jane Austen July. In this video, I’m going to share my planning process and the possible titles for myself. I’ll also recommend some titles for you according to each challenge. I’m adding a theatre focus on top of the challenges as a twist, because of my fascination into everything theatre at the moment.

Here are the challenges and the titles mentioned in the video:
1. Read one of Jane Austen’s main six novels
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

2. Read something by Jane Austen that is not one of her main six novels
The History of England by Jane Austen

3. Read a non-fiction work about Jane Austen or her time
‘A Note on Jane Austen’ by C. S. Lewis
The Genius of Jane Austen by Paula Byrne
'How Jane Austen Created a Shakespearean World in Pride and Prejudice' by Harold Bloom
What Matters in Jane Austen by John Mullan
Our Tempestuous Day: A History of Regency England by Carolly Erickson

4. Read a retelling of a Jane Austen book OR a work of historical fiction set in Jane Austen’s time
The Dynasts by Thomas Hardy
The Passion by Jeanette Winterson
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

5. Read a book by a contemporary of Jane Austen (published between 1775–1817)
Lovers’ Vow (1798) by Elizabeth Inchbald

6. Watch a direct screen adaptation of a Jane Austen book
7. Watch a modern screen retelling of a Jane Austen book

Thank you to the hosts:
@katiejlumsden
@BlatantlyBookish
@SpinstersLibrary

#janeaustenjuly

[darrylfriesen]

The second time I read through all of the six main novels a few years ago, Mansfield Park ended up being my favourite! Fanny’s character really spoke to me that time around, and I really admired her for uncompromising moral strength and convictions, rather than being off-put by them.

I’m also currently 9 chapters from the end of my first reading of Vanity Fair—and it is possibly in my top-ten novels of all time, and without question in my top-ten favourite Victorian novels! It has completely blown me away!!

[bethieandbooks]

The Genius of Jane Austen is brilliant. I read it last year and planning to read it again this year! Paula Byrne is also married to Jonathan Bate, fun fact

[marywong]

I did not know CS Lewis wrote an essay on Austen. This is like a dream come true, bringing 2 of my favourite writers in 1 work! Thank you for amazing recommendations once again!

[autumnscott]

Hey! So excited for your thoughts on the books you’re able to squeeze in July for Jane Austen. I too have considered reading Genius of Jane Austen. I think I will try it once I hear your thoughts. Also, super excited to hear what you think about Tempestuous Day! I loved it and was thrilled to see it in your video, thanks! Mansfield Park is one of my favorite Austen books, have read it as many times as I’ve read Pride and Prejudice. It’s slower but so worth the wait. It differs from her other works as you can imagine that there was a push and pull between two endings by the author. Plus I like how close the other characters feel through Fanny’s eyes, you really know them.

[katiejlumsden]

I think you’ll really love The Genius of Jane Austen. What a fun focus for the readathon!

[jentan]

So many great suggestions!
I'm thinking of reading Mansfield Park as well. It's been a while

[denisadellinger]

I just read What Matters in Jane Austen for my Jane Austen Book Club. Our Jane Austen Society reads a different kind of book revolving around Jane Austen every three months. We had the Author as a guest speaker last month. He was so good. You have some good books that I'd like to get to. I read Lovers Vows this past year. I can't remember whether it was during Febregency or Jane July. I just finished rereading Pride and Prejudice. My very favorite book. I'm also doing a deep dive into Maria Edgeworth. I've read several of her books for the past few months. Nothing like Austen but good. I'm reading Harrington now. I love your concentration on the theater. The family wrote plays and acted them out. Just about all the Austens wrote. Even Mrs Austen. It's so neat that we Austen lovers can spend a whole month concentrating on just her. But I can do that all year. It's just fun to do it together.

[KellyannMitchell]

I'm currently reading Jane Austin’s work in Publication Order. It’s going to flow over into July so I will also be doing Jane Austin July because of it🤭 Thanks for sharing these recs, between you and Katie’s video I think I will have a wide range of selections to pick from. I'm so excited about this, and happy readings 💕

[donaldkelly]

For other Austen related media, try Jane Austen in Manhattan, about two directors staging a play Austen wrote at age 12.

In addition, for Shakespeare fanatics see Shakespeare Wallah. It shows a traveling theater group, performing Shakespeare in India.


Both movies are Merchant - Ivory productions, done before the pair discovered E.M. Forster and Henry James.

[TheBookishLand]

Happy Jane Austen July! I have some other reading plans so I will just try to read the group book :D But I am adding some of your book recommendations for future reads <3

[fernandamurari]

Hi there! I am on mission to promote Jane Austen, the Secret Radical by Helena Kelly! I have been reading critical essays and books and things about Jane Austen for a long time. This one managed to move me and give me some food for thought as well it inspired me to re-read all Jane Austen's books. All of them. One after the other. Her book just convinced me that we get Jane Austen all wrong... Paula Byrne is quite good too. Thank you! I like your videos very much!

[ArtBookshelfOdyssey]

I'm going to be reading The Genius of Jane Austen this year too! I'm also going to be reading a book called "Camp Austen: My Life as an Accidental Jane Austen Superfan" which sounds like a book I'd really enjoy.

[spreadbookjoy]

So much fun! I loved John Mullen’s book and may dip into it this year again to supplement my reading. I’m also hoping to read Paula Byrne’s book The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things. Last year, I read Kindred by Octavia Butler for the historical fiction challenge - highly recommend though you may have already read it. I am hoping to read The Trumpet Major by Hardy for that challenge this year.

[beatrixscudeler]

'A Note on Jane Austen' is one of my favourite short pieces on Austen. C S Lewis never misses. Have you read Gilbert Ryle's essay called 'Jane Austen and the Moralists'? I think it's a fascinating pairing with Lewis's essay.

[Mkayreadsandvlogs]

I’m excited to finally read Jane Austin 😊

[LanaCelebic]

I'm also reading 'The Genius of Jane Austen' this year for Jane Austen July. I think a lot of people are reading it (it's on many people's TBR lists in the Goodreads group), probably based on Katie's recommendation. I've also started reading Shakespeare again this year, so I think it will be very interesting to read about theatre. That Bloom article also sounds very interesting.
I read 'Lovers' Wovs' last year I think, but I didn't enjoy it much. Hope you'll find in it something that I didn't and maybe talk about it in some future video. However, it was interesting to read it alongside 'Mansfield Park' and I'm glad I read it.
Thanks for the recommendations. I think I might read 'Vanity Fair' later in Victober, I've always been very interested in it, but never read it.
Have a great JAJ! 😊

[lisainbookland]

I’m also hoping to read The Genius of Jane Austen this year! And then decide what play(s) I’ll read from it — after reading The Ballad of Lord Edward and Citizen Small earlier this year I said I’d have to try reading some Georgian plays 😊

[cassandraclavesaint]

Mansfield park is my least favorite because of the relationship between Fanny and Edmund. It made me so uncomfortable. And sometimes i wanted to shake Fanny lol