Book Club Girl - Book Group Recommendations, Reading Group Guides, Audio Book Club Podcasts

I'm Accepting the Everything Austen Challenge!

Perhaps it's the new resolve brought on by the Game On! Diet, but I'm ready to sign up for another challenge -- this one set forth by Stephanie of Stephanie's Written Word--The Everything Austen Challenge. This is my first blog challenge, and I think it's fitting that I do one posted by the person who helped me so much in putting together the Book Blogger Panel at BEA. I love Stephanie and I love this challenge! How to participate? Well, check out the introductory post over on Stephanie's Written Word but the basic gist of it is that you commit to watching or reading six Austen themed movies, tv shows or books between July 1st and January 1, 2010. So, to that end, here are the six Austen themed things I'm going to do!

Read Laurie Viera Rigler's Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict (the sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict which I loved, just listen to my interview with Rigler)

Watch Lost in Austen-- I never read the book, but watching the trailer on Stephanie's blog made me realize I've really missed something, can't wait

Re-watch Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow with my daughter - I absolutely love this movie (Jeremy Northam as "My Mr. Knightley!") and have been wanting to share it with my 14 yo ever since we watched Shakespeare in Love together

Read Mansfield Park -- it's the only Austen novel I've not read, or not read in its entirety, though I've read the others multiple times

Read Darcy's Story -- because seriously, we can't get enough of him

Watch The Jane Austen Book Club -- loved the book, missed the movie and have been interested to see how it was adapted

OK, that's it, I'll keep you posted as to my progress, and if I've inspired you, you can sign up to fill yourself full of Austen (and win fabulous prizes!) over at  Stephanie's Written Word!

Jane Austen: A Birthday, Some Holiday Cheer and a Book Giveaway -- Guest Post by Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

I'm so pleased to have today's guest post from BCG favorite Laurie Viera Rigler, author of one of the most fun books I read this past year, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. If you missed our Book Club Girl on Air show with Laurie, give a listen here. Enjoy the below on the merits of giving Jane for the holidays, and raise a glass to our friend Jane at some point today as she celebrates her birthday!

Much has been said on this blog in favor of giving books as holiday gifts, and I couldn't agree more. The only thing I'd like to add is this: Consider giving a book by Jane Austen.

Austen's six novels are some of the most discussible stories you’ll ever read. Pride and Prejudice is about how we make snap judgments about others but don't have a clue. Emma is also about cluelessness, but in the form of a comically misguided matchmaker. Persuasion is all about getting a second chance at life and love. Sense and Sensibility explores the battle between head and heart. Northanger Abbey is about growing up and becoming self-reliant. And Mansfield Park is about standing firm to what you believe despite pressure from everyone you know.

Even if you're not in a book group, Austen will give you plenty to delight in and ponder on your own. Or how about trying a read-aloud with your significant other, best friend, or teenage daughter? Sort of like taking a trip back to a time to Austen's day, when friends and family would sit around the fire and read out the best stories, installment by installment. A time before there were shopping malls and online stores and credit cards to max out.

Speaking of not maxing out your credit cards: If you'd like to get the most out of your book-buying dollars, consider how many times the average avid Austen reader returns to each of those novels. A lot of us re-read all six yearly or every couple of years. That's a lot of bang for your buck.

So what's so extraordinary about Austen that people like me can't stop reading her and talking about her? How about masterful storytelling, a killer sense of humor, an unflinching look at human nature—the good, the bad, and the ludicrous—and yeah, there's also a really satisfying love story wrapped up inside. Every time I read Austen, I learn something new about myself, and I see something new in the characters and the stories. Every time I turn the last page, I am filled with happiness and hope. And in times like these, we could all use a lot of that.

By the way, December 16 (that's today!) is Jane Austen's birthday. She's only 233.

In honor of my favorite author's birthday and the holiday season, I'll be giving away two signed copies of my novel, Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Which is also about taking a trip back to Austen's time.

Just leave a comment here by midnight, Thursday, December 18th and you'll be eligible for a random drawing.

Happy holidays to all, and happy birthday, Jane Austen!

Laurie Viera Rigler Recommends Keeping the House -- and Your Book Club Could Win Cookies to Enjoy With It!

Those of you who listened to my book club show with Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, may remember that when she was asked which authors and books she enjoyed, she mentioned Ellen Baker's Keeping the House. Says Rigler "I loved Keeping the House. It's a beautiful, moving novel that is tremendously relevant for our times. It's a multi-generational story that spans two World Wars and post-WWII, and it's about family secrets and what war does to us. I found myself completely engaged in the lives of the various characters." That recommendation is good enough for me and Keeping the House is out in paperback today.

And as if that weren't enough enticement, Baker is currently offering book clubs who adopt Keeping the House in August, September or October the chance to win two dozen Lacy Raisin Wafers to be shipped to your house in time for your meeting! Cookie details here. Baker is also available to call in to reading groups, time permitting, and you can make that request when you enter the cookie contest.

Read the first chapter of Keeping the House here, find discussion questions here and learn more about Baker's inspiration for the story here.

Listen to the Book Club Chat with Laurie Viera Rigler Now!

Listen here to tonight's wonderful book club chat with Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Thank you Laurie for talking to us and thank you so much to everyone who called in and sent questions in to the show! Do check out Laurie's site, where you can not only see her dancing at a ball, but you can also watch a great campaign ad for Jane Austen running for president!

The next Book Club Girl On Air show is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23rd, with Victoria Lustbader, author of Stone Creek. Set your reminder here. The first 25 people to comment on today's show with Laurie will receive a copy of Stone Creek to read before the show!

Reminder! Our Book Club Chat with Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is this Wednesday Night!

Those of you who received copies of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict for this Wednesday's Blog Talk Radio show with author Laurie Viera Rigler will have just received a reminder via email. But the show and conversation are not limited to the people who received books. Anyone who has already read Confessions or is simply interested in the fabulous story of a modern-day thirty-something woman suddenly transplanted into 1813 England is welcome to participate!

Set a reminder for the show here and that night you can call in at this number --(347) 945-6149. I'll identify callers by the last four digits of their phone number. You can also send questions for Laurie by commenting on this post prior to Wednesday night or while you're listening to the show live via the Chat section of the show's page (be sure to register on the website first if you want to use Chat and be sure to enter questions in "Chat," and not in "Comments").

If you're not sure what to ask, you might get some ideas with the reading group guide to the book. We hope to hear from some of you on Wednesday night at 7 pm EST! And stay tuned till the end of the show to hear which author we'll be talking with in July!

Announcing My Next Blog Talk Radio Show with Laurie Viera Rigler, Author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict

As those of you who listened to my show with Thrity Umrigar last week know, my next show will be with Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. The show is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25th at 7 pm EST. Set your reminder here. The first ten people to post a comment that they'd like to participate in the show will receive a free copy of the paperback edition of the book. To learn more about Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, visit Laurie's website. You can also check out her guest posts on this blog here and here. I just loved this book when I first read it and can't wait to have this talk. And I know we have many Jane fans on the blog as well, so I hope you'll all be able to join in!