The Golden Peacock Award: Favorite Austenesque Books of 2009

Another year – another plethora of Austen inspired sequels, re-tellings, mash-ups and nonfiction fare. In 2009 we saw zombies invade Pride and Prejudice looking for brains and hitting the best sellers lists for months, Mr. Darcy go paranormal with Mr. Darcy Vampyre, and Jane Austen get some payback for everyone else making money off her name for 200 years in Jane Bites Back. Here are some on favorites from a year so diverse in reading adventures that Catherine Morland and Isabella Thorpe would have been delighted. And the Golden Peacocks go to… 

Sequel, prequel or retelling 

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler

Willoughby’s Return, by Jane Odiwe

The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy, by Maya Slater

Jane Austen Ruined my Life, by Beth Pattillo

Mr. Darcy’s Dream, by Elizabeth Aston 

Regency inspired 

The Grand Sophy, by Georgette Heyer

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, by Lauren Willig

Ransome’s Honor, by Kaye Dacus

Nonfiction: 

A Truth Universally Acknowledged, edited by Susannah Carson

Remarkably Jane: Notable Quotations on Jane Austen, by Jennifer Adams

Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury, by Rebecca Dickson

All Things Austen, by Kristin Olsen 

Paranormal: 

Jane Bites Back, by Michael Thomas Ford

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by, Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Mr. Darcy Vampyre, by Amanda Grange 

Debut authors: 

Monica Fairview – The Other Mr. Darcy

Tracy Kiely – Murder at Longbourn

Marilyn Brant – According to Jane

Kathryn L. Nelson – Pemberley Manor

Mandy Hubbard – Prada and Prejudice 

I would love to hear which Austenesque books you enjoyed in 2009 and which new author really blew your bonnet off. Great job by all of the author’s and here’s to another great year of Austen inspired reading in 2010. 

Cheers, Laurel Ann

[Via http://austenprose.wordpress.com]

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