Autumn Reading of a Jane Austen novel: Are you interested???

It's almost fall.

There's nothing I love more than cool, crisp days, warm apple pie, the crackle of fallen leaves, the spicy, smoky scent of an autumn campfire, and evenings snuggled up in a blanket, a mug of hot tea (coffee & hot chocolate work too!) and a good book in hand.

That's how it was growing up in Southeastern PA, but definitely not how it is in Texas. It was 100 degrees yesterday. :( So no autumn to speak of.

Even without fall weather, September is still a great time for starting up fresh on those things we've been meaning to do but haven't. I love that back-to-school-fresh-start feeling of September. Schools and universities open, community arts programs publish their fall and winter programs. The symphony and opera companies start their new seasons of soaring melodies and drama.

So speaking of fresh starts, my friend Andrea suggested that I host an autumn reading of a Jane Austen novel! :-) 

I wonder if Austen ever felt something of this fall-as-a-fresh-start idea. Interestingly, at least four of her novels, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion  and Sense and Sensibility essentially begin in September or October -- or at least that is when the characters and key actions of the plot begin to unfold.

• In Pride and Prejudice, the Bingleys and Mr. Darcy arrive in October; 
• In Emma, Miss Taylor and Mr. Weston get married in September, motivating Emma to start her match-up-Harriet-and-Mr.-Elton project; 
• In Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility, it is in September that the characters move from their stately homes to new, smaller and more uncomfortable places -- Uppercross, Bath and a cottage in Devonshire -- thus introducing them to new characters and environments that will change their destinies.

So if September is a good time for Jane Austen to start her novels, I think it might be a  perfect time to start reading a Jane Austen novel. :-)

Mr. Collins, you have no idea what you're missing! :-)

Are you interested???

     If  back-to-school sales have gotten you in the mood to start a new project...

     If you've always wanted to read a Jane Austen novel but just haven't taken the time to do it...

     If you want to re-read a Jane Austen novel along with some friends and fellow Janeites...

     If you've started reading one once, hated it, but now think you might want to give it another try ...

     Or if you just think this sounds fun....

I hope you'll consider joining us!

We will choose a novel, set a reading schedule together, and then have our discussions in the comments section of this blog. I've never done an online book club before (or a brick-and-mortar one, for that matter), but I am excited to give it a try.

If you are interested, please let me know in the comments below, through email or Facebook (or in person, if you know me! :) You can send me an email through the Contact Form at the bottom of this blog.

Thank you so much for reading! I look forward to hearing from you!