I’m reading The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods right now. I’m about halfway through him so far I like it. I’m finding it a little unpredictable, which I like.
The Lost Bookshop: The most charming and uplifting novel for 2025 and the perfect gift for book lovers! https://a.co/d/ay1IWED
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab was recently recommended to me. I wouldn’t mind reading it with you guys.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue -https://a.co/d/iA4OVGl
I’m game for a Austen-Heyer duet. That would be light reading and thoroughly enjoyable.
I’m busy catching up on reading the books I missed during my six month break. Books that were previously discussed here so nothing to add to the choices.
One thought about the duet is that we could pair a regency novel with a historical book of the same time frame. There are quite a few good historical writers but the ones coming to my mind are earlier than the regency period. I need to do some research before I can come up with a book or a name.
@Caraid I read The Lost Bookshop last year and liked it.
@ignatius , thanks for remembering How to Read a Book. I liked it because of unusual characters, a plot we don’t see every day, and happy endings too! I think there’s enough meat there for discussion.
I’m not against “happy,” especially in these anxious days, but I fear that happy can veer into sappy. I trust @Mary13 and the collective wisdom of the group to give us something with substance.
There certainly are a zillion nonfiction books on the Regency era, from Austen to Heyer to Bridgerton. Not sure if any of them are truly general, or more riff off the authors and books.
These both look very interesting - and not grim!
I can’t remember if we’ve talked about The Frozen River. Several friends recommended it to me, and I enjoyed. A midwife in the late 1700s gets caught up in a murder case. (It’s loosely based on the diaries of a real woman.) There’s love and romance, too, and lots to talk about!
I’m 1/4 of the way through The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, reading it for a real-life book group. Two out of eight said we MUST read it, so … we are. Also different from my usual fare, and I anticipate a great discussion.
Of course I’m up for something I haven’t read! The bliss of retiree life is time to read.
I reread Persuasion last fall because we were hiking along England’s southwest coast and our final stop was Lyme Regis. I think it’s Austen’s best novel, and while rereading it might not be my first choice, if there are people here who haven’t read it, it might be good to choose it anyway. I could try rereading Sense and Sensibility which I didn’t care for until I saw the film and I was so much less annoyed by the “sensibility” character! One of the few instances when I might think the movie was better than the book. (The French Lieutenant’s Woman being another for sure.)
Great choices, everyone! I’m going to veto a non-fiction book about the Regency period. If the Regency duet gets chosen, I’m sure we’ll dip into some of that research as part of our discussion. I’m not keen on reading an entire book on the subject.
Before I list our choices for RCV, I need some input on what Georgette Heyer book to choose for the duet. What are some of her better, more substantial works? Looking online, popular titles (some of which are mentioned above) include Venetia, A Civil Contract, The Devil’s Cub, and The Grand Sophy. Thoughts from Heyer fans?
Honestly, I love all four books so much I would be hard pressed to choose. Much of Venetia and Devil’s Cub take place outside of London, if that makes a difference. A Civil Contract is a different relationship than the norm; not the classic romance. I guess The Grand Sophy would be the most complete representation of Regency life in London.
I haven’t read any of Heyer books recently, but would be happy with any of her romances.
Some others that haven’t been mentioned yet: Sylvester, Cotillion, Arabella, Friday’s Child
My recommendation is to pair Emma by Austen and The Grand Sophy by Heyer as the Regency option on the ballot. They both star strong female characters trying to control their lives and those of others about them. No spoilers, but there would be opportunity to compare and contrast. They both include plenty of details about family life of the era and character growth. And lots of humor and romance 
.
Here’s someone who thinks Persuasion and A Civil Contract go together if there’s a strong interest in the former. Heyer for Austenites: If You Love Persuasion… – The International Heyer Society
Aha! They also like Emma with The Grand Sophy. Heyer for Austenites: If You Love Emma… – The International Heyer Society
And for all the rest…Heyer for Austenites – The International Heyer Society
We visited London for the first time last October. So the idea about that setting (current and/or historic) sounds interesting.
Both of Marilyn’s pairs would work well in my opinion. However I think The Grand Sophy pairing gives you a more typical GH experience.
What would you pair with Venetia my personal favorite?
Not Emma – I find her intolerable. Poor Mr. Knightley.
Let’s stick with Persuasion and match it with A Civil Contract. It may be atypical Heyer, but Persuasion is atypical Austen. The link Marilyn posted is a good argument for the match. The emotional depth of both stories, each describing a nuanced, slow-growing attachment, seems like a good pairing.
I’m going to drop The Lost Bookshop because per the Amazon review summary, “Some readers found the story sad and tragic at times.”
And I won’t include The Frozen River for this round because the opening paragraph begins with a description of a dead body. Of course, that’s par for the course when dealing with a murder case, but I will honor earlier requests for minimal to no death for our next selection.
So our choices are:
Duet: Persuasion by Jane Austen and A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard
I will create the RCV link and post shortly. I think I know how this vote is going to go, but I’ve been surprised before! The above are all excellent choices and I’d be happy with any of them.
Please rank all four choices rather than just choose a favorite – it makes for more accurate voting. Okay, here we go:
Thanks for keeping us focused as always, @Mary13 !
I love Venetia; perhaps my favorite Heyer heroine. She is delightful and rereading the book is always a pleasure. I’m not sure if the book actually pairs well with any Austen books per se, but the character certainly does. A deserving, smart, attractive young woman stuck caring for home and family with no easy way to spread her wings. But not any similar plots to Austen, I don’t think.
You are all so much better at keeping the heroines of the books straight than I—impressive!
Darn you for your suggestions!!! This is the hardest ballot that I think that we have ever had. They all sound wonderful!! Persuasion is one of my favorites. The others all sound fabulous. So, darn you all.