Winter months bring colder temps, shorter days, and a bevy of holidays. This might mean you find yourself indoors, with more leisure time than usual. If you're in an Austen mood, we can help with that! Here is a sampling of past blog issues and other resources to help you Watch, Play, Read, Listen, and Create in the Austen spirit! Click on the images below to find your way to blog posts, lists of recommendations, how-tos, and playlists.
Watch
If you want to get a jump on some of the material for JASP 2023, you can (re)watch Kate Beckinsale as Lady Susan in Love and Friendship. Click the image for our past post and recommended review.
Of course, Regency and Regency-adjacent fare comes in all sorts of genres! Click the image below for a look back at Zeina Makky's 2019 viewing guide.
For more recent adaptations, check out Mr. Malcolm's List, Sanditon, or Bridgerton. While you're on the Netflix app, you can also check out the most recent, and controversial, Persuasion adaptation or hop over to Hulu to watch Fire Island, the adaptation that really puts the Pride in Pride and Prejudice!
Play
If you're feeling festive, Robin Floyd's 2019 guide to holiday parties, Jenny Abella's 2015 guide to 1815 etiquette, or Mila Mascenik's and Meredith Ammon's recent posts will have you celebrating in (Regency) style! (bonus: Jenny Abella's 2015 card game primer!)
Read
If you have any down time over the holidays, that could be the perfect opportunity to get started on reading Austen's Teenage Writings and Lady Susan for JASP 2023! If you want some company as you read, check out the Austen Curious Reader blog post series!
Zeina Makky's recommended Regency titles from 2019 (right) has great suggestions, as does Jenny Abella's 2021 round-up (left).
More recent recommendations can be found at the School Library Journal website (below and right), or this list from Epic Reads. (As always, we appreciate it when you buy through our Amazon Smile fundraising portal)
Listen
Austen loved music, and it seems Austen fans do too! Here are a few of the playlists we've shared: a General playlist, one for Persuasion, and T-Swift. Or, if you want to be more historic, this list of Austen's actual favorite songs.
Or the Austen Connection's Jane Austen Dance Party!
Create
The crafty among you might enjoy this 2015 DIY roundup from Jenny Abella, or this how-to
post on paper quilling from Robin Floyd. You can make your own filigree basket!
Speaking of paper projects, we have a DIY puppet theatre or paper dolls, also thanks to the superlatively crafty Robin Floyd!
If the kitchen is your creative space, you can indulge your sweet-tooth with a Regency-appropriate Trifle for dessert!
And don't forget to Register!
What better to do in the depths of winter than dream of summer days to come, like those you could spend at JASP 2023, June 15-18? Registration is open now! If you found this collection entertaining and informative, wait till you see what we've got lined up for our in-person Austen extravaganza! Our tenth meeting is going to be better than ever!
Note:
The JASP blog will be on hiatus next week, December 28th. We'll return on January 4th. Happy Holidays from all of the writers!