Jane Austen Spinoffs

If one way to measure the popularity of an author is to note the number of spinoffs that his or her work has created, then Jane Austen is high on the popularity list!

longbourn Longbourn by Jo Baker
This is the story of Sarah, the Bennet’s housemaid in Pride and Prejudice, as she serves in their household while the events of the classic unfold. However, the downstairs is just as eventful as the upstairs, especially when a new footman arrives.

 

prideandprejudiceandzombiesPride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice during a zombie apocalypse. Elizabeth Bennett is fighting off the zombie infestation after a plague has settled on the village. However, she also finds herself fighting Mr. Darcy after his arrival.

 

scargravemanorJane Austen and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
This is the first book in a mystery series about Jane Austen as a detective. In this book, Jane’s friend Isobel is newly wed to a man who is many years her senior. Then, during the night, her new husband dies. Soon after his death, Isobel’s maid accuses Isobel of murdering her husband and committing adultery with her late husband’s nephew.

anassemblysuchasthisAn Assembly Such as This by Pamela Aidan
This is the story of Pride and Prejudice, told from the point of view of Fitzwilliam Darcy. This is the book to read if you wish to know more about the mysterious man and his view of the events in the classic novel.

 

janeaustenThe Mysterious Death of Miss Jane Austen by Lindsay Ashford
Anne Sharp was Jane Austen’s governess. Ever since Jane’s death twenty-six years earlier, Anne has held onto a lock of Jane’s hair. However, Anne is following up on a suspicion that she has carried with her all this time. Jane may have been murdered, and the lock of hair may prove it.

 

missingmanuscriptofjaneaustenThe Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James
Samantha McDonough finds a letter that laments a missing manuscript at an estate in Devonshire. The author of both the letter and the manuscript is thought to be none other than Jane Austen. All that that Samantha needs to do is figure out a way of working with Anthony Whitaker, the handsome owner of the estate.

 

emmaEmma: A Modern Retelling by Alexander McCall Smith
As the title describes, this is the modern version of the classic novel about a young woman who interferes in the lives of those around her. Fresh from college, Emma is kept busy by running her own business, caring for her father, and playing matchmaker.

 

northangerabbeyNorthanger Abbey by Val McDermid
This is a modern retelling of Northanger Abbey. Cat Morland, who loves to read novels, constantly fantasizes about experiencing adventures. So, when she travels to Edinburgh to attend a festival, she begins to wonder about the mysterious Northanger Abbey and its seemingly perfect residents, one of whom is very handsome.

 

 

New Fiction Coming Soon! September/October

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Want a little heads up on when your favorite author is publishing a new book?  Here are some of the new fiction hardcover books coming out in September and October.  Clicking on the title will bring you to our catalog where you can place a hold if you’d like.   For a more extensive list, please see the ‘Coming Soon’ poster in our lobby.

September

pushing up daisiesBeaton, M.C.Pushing Up Daisies –  When a wealthy land developer who had been planning to turn a community garden into a housing estate winds up dead, Agatha Raisin is hired by the victim’s accused son to clear him of suspicion and identify the real killer among numerous suspects.    

homeCoben, HarlanHomeWhen one of two boys kidnapped from their wealthy families resurfaces a decade later, the young survivor is observed by two peers who would discover the fate of the other missing boy.

 

pirateCussler, ClivePirateConfronted by a determined adversary, husband-and-wife treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo embark on an international quest involving an 800-year-old relic and a brutal murder.

 

christmas caramelFluke, JoanneChristmas Caramel Murder  Preparing for the town’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” Hannah supports her friend, Lisa, who is implicated in the murder of her husband’s ex-girlfriend.

 

darkest journeyGraham, HeatherDarkest JourneyLooking to clear her father from suspicion in the murder of two Civil War reenactors, Charlie reunites with Krewe of Hunters agent Ethan Delaney on a cruise to get close to the reenactors and identify who has a motive to kill.

 

razor girlHiaasen, CarlRazor Girl Involved in a car accident with a young scam artist, a man helplessly watches his life spiral out of control in the wake of a sand-stealing company, a Hawaiian-shirt-clad NYC mafia capo, a reality show accordionist and other eccentric characters.

 

downfallJance, J.A.DownfallJuggling her pregnancy, family deaths, her daughter’s imminent departure for college and a reelection campaign, Cochise County Sheriff Joanna Brady investigates two suspicious falling deaths that may be the work of a serial killer.

 

the wishLewis, BeverlyThe WishYears after her best friend’s seemingly devout family is expelled from the Amish church for reasons no one will discuss, a heartbroken Leona receives a letter from her friend and leaves Lancaster Counter at the risk of her own shunning in the hopes of persuading her friend to return to Amish ways.

denim and lacePalmer, DianaDenim and LaceRough-and-tough Texas rancher Cade Hollister worries that lovely rich-girl Bess Samson will prove to be his downfall, so he suppresses his passion, leaving her to follow her heart and uncover the real reasons for their incompatibility.

 

woman of godPatterson, JamesWoman of GodScrutinized as the world’s first woman papal candidate, Brigid Fitzgerald, a doctor on the front lines in Sudan, reflects on her difficult childhood and a series of trials that have tested her faith before a high-stakes battle compels her to convert her enemies to a cause that threatens the Church and her life.

revenge in aPerry, AnneRevenge in a Cold RiverUnable to remember anything before the carriage accident he suffered years earlier, Commander William Monk is framed for murder by a man from his past and must rely on the help of his wife and close friend to prove his innocence.

 

apprenticeRobb, J.D.Apprentice in DeathInvestigating a Central Park sniper attack that has left three dead, Eve Dallas discovers that the killer was potentially miles away from the victims and may be the protegee of an even more deranged shooter.

 

October

cakewalkBrown, Rita Mae Cakewalk A post-World War I tale set in the Maryland community of Six of One finds residents split between belief systems on the Mason Dixon line, where free-thinking sisters Louise and Julia Hunsenmier and their indelible friends explore small-town sins and rivalries.

undeadDavidson, MaryjaniceUndead and DoneA conclusion to the best-selling series finds the PR team of Queen Betsy scrambling to contain the fallout of her first press conference, the Devil’s escape, the arrival of the werewolves and the assistance of the mermaids.

 

order to killFlynn, VinceOrder to KillA follow-up to the best-selling The Survivor finds anti-terrorism operative Mitch Rapp chasing false leads throughout the world to prevent nuclear weapons from falling into terrorist hands before posing as an American ISIS recruit in Russia, where he uncovers a catastrophic plot.

the whistlerGrisham, JohnThe Whistler A follow-up to the highly successful Rogue Lawyer combines the author’s signature legal savvy and high-suspense storytelling, in a latest thriller that pits an unforgettable cast of characters against unexpected twists and turns.

 

all the littleHarris, CharlaineAll the Little LiarsWhen four kids including her brother go missing from school and a dead body is found where they were last seen, a pregnant Aurora organizes a personal investigation that exposes the activities of a gang of bullies and her brother’s gambling debts.

 

winter stormHilderbrand, ElinWinter StormsA conclusion to the best-selling trilogy finds the Quinn family’s efforts to reunite and prepare for a long-anticipated wedding during the Christmas season overshadowed by a health scare, addiction problems and commitment issues.

night watchJohansen, IrisNight Watch When the surgeon who made it possible for her to see goes missing, Kendra Michaels recruits government agent Adam Lynch to accompany her on a trail that leads to the snowy California mountains, where the discovery of one of the doctor’s brutally murdered colleagues reveals the work of a killer.

kill or be killedPatterson, JamesKill or Be KilledAn anthology of four faced-paced thrillers collects four BookShots suspense stories”The Trial,” “Little Black Dress” “Heist,” and “The Women’s War by the author of the best-selling Women’s Murder Club series and such regular Patterson co-authors Emily Raymond and Shan Serafin.

 

missingPatterson, JamesMissingCraig Gisto and his elite team at Private Sydney are tasked with finding Eric Mossùthe, CEO of a high-profile research company, who has had all trace of his existence wiped away.

 

 

small greatPicoult, JodiSmall Great Things Hesitating to treat the newborn of a white supremacist couple who has demanded that a white nurse assist them, a black nurse is placed on trial in the tragic aftermath and is aided by a white public defender with whom she begins questioning their beliefs as the case becomes more racially charged.

excape clauseSandford, JohnEscape ClauseVirgil Flowers’ investigation into the theft of two rare Siberian tigers from the Minnesota zoo is complicated by a summer visit from his girlfriend’s sister, who would seduce him.

 

sex, liesWoods, StuartSex, Lies, and Serious Money New York City cop-turned-Manhattan law firm rainmaker Stone Barrington tackles a high-suspense case.

 

 

For more favorite authors’ titles, see our ‘Coming Soon’ poster in our lobby.

Whale of a Tail

whole-body-of-a-sperm-whaleThe Book of Lists – a wonderful book of eclectic knowledge by David Wallechinsky – lists Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, as the Number One Most Boring Classic of all time.

I can’t disagree.

It’s not an easy read, combining flowery Miltonian prose, poems, sea shanties, Shakespearean asides, and some detailed exposition on whaling. The only way I made it through at all was by looking for the thematic and quote references used in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan for a term paper (and there are a long list of them).

Don’t judge me. An easy English credit with an A is still an English credit.51K5TZOIvtL._SX318_BO1,204,203,200_

Moby Dick, the story of Captain Ahab’s obsessive pursuit to revenge the loss of his leg to a white whale, was based on a number of true stories – an actual white whale named Mocha-Dick, and the sinking of the whaling ship Essex in the Southern Pacific in 1820. The book was first published in 1851, but never gained ground. By the time of Melville’s death more than 30 years later, only 3,000 copies had been sold.

When cut up and rehashed to a sensible, modern vernacular, Moby Dick is a good, straight adventure novel at heart, the story of a man who feels wronged by a whale and will do anything, risk anything or anyone, to have his revenge, and a giant marine mammal who’s been around enough not to fear a wooden fish filled with pesky mariners. And there have been a number of decent movie adaptions to capture that fatal showdown.

imagesThe most recent, and most intriguing, is In the Heart of the Sea. This one gives the story a twist by going back further, to tell the tale of the Essex, as Melville is learning the facts and trying to write Moby Dick. Starring Chris Hemsworth, current action-hero, it’s a worthy film that covers all the points without getting bogged down in Melville. It’s the story behind the story, so to speak.

The “classic” Moby Dick tale comes from 1956, starring Gregory Peck, with a screenplay by Ray Bradbury. A masterpiece of its time, it’s dated for today’s audiences.0027616862945_p0_v1_s192x300

A longer but more modern version is 1998’s Miniseries, starring Patrick Stewart as Ahab (and Gregory Peck as Father Mapple, originally played by Orson Welles). Running four hours, it won Gregory Peck an Emmy award for Best Supporting Actor.

If you’ve hacked through Moby Dick, or enjoyed watching one of the films, there are similar books and films certain to keep your whaling interest. Leviathan, by Eric Jay Dolin, will give you a history of whaling in America. In the Heart of the Sea began as a book by detailed historian Nathaniel Philbrick.  War of the Whales by Joshua Horwitz uncovers the true story of an ultrasonic submarine detection program run by the US Navy that was causing whales to beach themselves. To learn more about several different types of whales, try The Grandest of Lives : Eye to Eye with Whales by Douglas H. Chadwick. For stories that mimic Moby Dick but aren’t about whales, try Ray Bradbury’s Leviathan 99, or, of course, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. If you want to go for the thematic stretch, you could include the musical Sweeney Todd here, too. “To seek revenge may lead to Hell/ but everyone does it and seldom as well.” Of course, the perfect summer trip is to recreated whaling village Mystic Seaport, where you can walk the decks of the whaler Charles W. Morgan and feel the wind of the sea in your hair.

Whales Charles_W_Morgan_2008aren’t fish. They’re aquatic mammals: they breathe air, give birth to live young (ones that weigh a full ton), and feed them off milk just like any other mammal. They are known to be intelligent, and the scenario of Moby Dick, of such a mammal remembering who may have harmed it and seeking out revenge of its own, is entirely in the realm of possibility.

Classic Spinoffs

Have you read any classic books? Even if you haven’t, you can still enjoy the books on this list. These are inspired by classics as they tell the stories of supporting characters, are prequels or sequels to the classic stories, or even retell the classics themselves. Read them all!

gertrudeandclaudius Gertrude and Claudius by John Updike  
This prequel to Hamlet tells the story of Gertrude Queen of Denmark before the action of Shakespeare’s Hamlet begins. Updike brings to life Gertrude’s girlhood as the daughter of King Rorik, her arranged marriage to the man who becomes King Hamlet, and her middle-aged affair with her husband’s younger brother.

 

MadameBovarysDaughter Madame Bovary’s Daughter by Linda Urbach
This continuation of Flaubert’s classic Madame Bovary finds twelve-year-old Berthe cast off by society in the aftermath of her mother’s suicide and sent to live with her impoverished grandmother, from where she eventually rises through the ranks of Charles Worth’s famed fashion empire.

 

thebeekeepersapprentice The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, or, On the Segregation of the Queen by Laurie R. King   
In 1914, a young woman named Mary Russell meets a retired beekeeper on the Sussex Downs. His name is Sherlock Holmes. The Great Detective is no fool, and can spot a fellow intellect even in a fifteen-year-old woman. So, at first informally, then consciously, he takes Mary as his apprentice.

 

julietsnurseJuliet’s Nurse by Lois Leveen   
A new telling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, from the perspective of Juliet’s nurse. In Verona, a city ravaged by plague and political rivalries, a mother mourning the death of her day-old infant enters the household of the powerful Cappelletti family to become the wet-nurse to their newborn baby. As she serves her beloved Juliet over the next fourteen years, the nurse learns the Cappelletti’s darkest secrets.

ruthsjourney Ruth’s Journey by Donald McCaig
A prequel to one of the most beloved and bestselling novels of all time, Gone with the Wind. The critically acclaimed author of Rhett Butler’s People magnificently recounts the life of Mammy, one of literature’s greatest supporting characters, from her days as a slave girl to the outbreak of the Civil War.

 

revenge Revenge by Stephen Fry  
This brilliant recasting of the classic story The Count of Monte Cristo centers on Ned Maddstone, a happy, charismatic, Oxford-bound seventeen-year-old whose rosy future is virtually pre-ordained. Handsome, confident, and talented, newly in love with bright, beautiful Portia, his father an influential MP, Ned leads a charmed life. But privilege makes him an easy target for envy, and in the course of one day Ned’s destiny is forever altered.

thehistorian The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
A woman discovers that the past of her family is connected to the stories of Vlad the Impaler, the man who inspired Dracula and must decide whether to follow her father in a hunt that nearly brought him to ruin years ago, when he was a vibrant young scholar and her mother was still alive.

 

deankoontzfrankenstein Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein: Prodigal Son
This is a retelling of Frankenstein set in New Orleans. In the 19th century, Dr. Victor Frankenstein brought his first creation to life, but a horrible turn of events forced him to abandon his creation and fall away from the public eye. Now, two centuries later, a serial killer is on the loose in New Orleans, and he’s salvaging body parts from each of his victims, as if he’s trying to create the perfect person. But the two detectives assigned to the case are about to discover that something far more sinister is going on…

widesargassosea Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys  
Jean Rhys brings into the light one of fiction’s most mysterious characters: the madwoman in the attic from Charlotte Brontë’s Jane EyreSet in the Caribbean, its heroine is Antoinette Cosway, a sensual and protected young woman who is sold into marriage to the prideful Rochester. In this best-selling novel, Rhys portrays a society so driven by hatred, so skewed in its sexual relations, that it can literally drive a woman out of her mind.

monsignorquixote Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene
When Father Quixote, a local priest of the Spanish village of El Toboso who claims ancestry to Cervantes’ fictional Don Quixote, is elevated to the rank of monsignor through a clerical error, he sets out on a journey to Madrid to purchase purple socks appropriate to his new station. Accompanying him on his mission is his best friend, Sancho, the Communist ex-mayor of the village who argues politics and religion with Quixote and rescues him from the various troubles his innocence lands him in along the way.

There are many, many more books that are inspired by the classics. Sometimes even classics are inspired by other classics! What are your favorite classic spinoffs?

Young Adult and Children’s Books by Young Writers

Everyone likes to see a little bit of themselves in the books they read, or the shows or movies they watch, whether it is relating to the author or to pieces of a character’s personality or circumstances. This is especially true for children and teens. One way to easily find some common ground is by reading material written by people of the same age range as the reader. As a bonus, young readers and teens might find inspiration or encouragement in knowing some of the books they love are written by people their age or younger.

bykidsjakeThe Just Jake series for middle grade readers is by Jake Marcionette. He started writing, prompted by his mother, when he was in elementary school. Now in middle school, Jake has three books published and more are sure to be on the way. The three books he currently has are Just Jake, Dog Eat Dog, and Camp Wild Survival. If you want to know more bykidsswordabout Jake and his books, visit his website.

Nancy Yi Fan started writing her first now published book when she was only eleven years old. Now there are three books in her Swordbird series; Swordbird, Sword Mountain, and Sword Quest which takes place 100 years before Swordbird).

bykidseragonChristopher Paolini might not be a teen anymore, but he started writing his first book when he was only 15. Eragon (the first book in his series) was published when he was 18. Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance soon followed. In 2007 Eragon was even made into a movie. For more information on Christopher and his series you can explore his website.

bykidsforestAmelia Atwater-Rhodes was writing her first young adult novel at the age of 13. In the Forests of the Night was the first of her books published, though she now has a pretty extensive list of published books. Her other books include;  Demon in my View,  Shattered Mirror,  Midnight Predator, Persistence of Memory, Token of Darkness, All Just Glass, Poison Tree, Hawksong,  Snakecharm, Falcondance, Wolfcry, Wyvernhail, and most recently Bloodkin. Fans and those interested in the author can stay up to date with her by reading her blog; The Den of Shadows.

bykidsschoolAlec Greven wrote his first book at 9! He writes self-help books for other kids. Rules for School is the most recent publication, but he also has written How to Talk to Girls, How to Talk to Dads, and How to Talk to Moms.

 

Still looking for more? Did you know that a now 52 year old author of over eighty bykidskormanbooks for children and teens wrote his first book at 12, and had it published when he was just 14? Check out Gordon Korman‘s tween age writing in This Can’t be Happening at Macdonald Hall! to see how his first book rates in comparison to his many more current and very popular titles.

Alexandra Adornetto wrote her first book at the age of 13. The start of her second series, Halo was published when she was the ripe old age of 17 in 2010 and has been translated into a variety of languages. She is still writing and publishing steadily. S.E. Hilton‘s well known book, The Outsiders, was published when she was only 18.  Age is no obstacle, it all comes down to talent, determination, and luck!