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• You’ve arrived at Week Eight and the end of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ in the Austen Connection’s Great Jane Austen Read-Along. Congratulations!

• Check out all the schedules and info for the Read-Along here:

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• You’ve arrived at Week Seven of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ in the Austen Connection’s Jane Austen Read-Along.

• Check out all the schedules and info for the Read-Along here:

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Check out all the schedules and info for the Read-Along here:

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We’re at Week Four of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ in the Great Jane Austen Read-Along!

This week:

• Discussing chapters …

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Happy Sunday, friends -

Glad to have you here with us reading along. This week is all about disappearing and reap…

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Week Two of ‘Sense and Sensibility’ in the Great Jane Austen Read-Along.

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We’ve reached the countr…

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We’…

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We’ve arrived at Week Four and the finale of Northanger Abbey in our Great Jane Austen Read-Along of 2026. Congratulations!

Our week-4 archive post is below, with updated questions, links, and discussion. This week also features Read-Along Librarian Tabrizia Jones specially-curated list of read-alikes and What to Read After Reading Nort…

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We’re at Week Three in the 2026 Great Jane Austen Read-Along. It’s a wonderful time to be reading together, in community. So few opportunities to come together! We even had separate Super Bowl half-times this year, what is the world coming to?! But come together we did, and we will, and we do!

And one of the best ways to come together i…

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Here’s where you’ll find a complete archive of weekly discussion topics for the Great Jane Austen Read-Along 2026, starting with Northanger Abbey through all six novels to Persuasion in December. Along the way you’ll find discussion questions, guest posts from the Read-Along all-stars, curated read-alike lists for every novel from Rea…

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This is Week Two of the 2026 Great Jane Austen Read-Along, on Northanger Abbey. Here’s the Week 2 read-along archive post with updated discussion, questions, and insights into chapters 9-16. You can see the full schedule and info about the read-along here, with more info below. Enjoy!

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Hello, readers -

The 2026 Great …

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Hello, friends -

Welcome to our second annual read-along! Here’s where you’ll find the complete schedules and dates for the 2026 Great Jane Austen Read-Along. We’re reading All of Austen this year, taking about eight weeks for every novel, which comes out to roughly a chapter a day. We take some weeks off to catch up, and you can jump on or off the read-along train as you wish! Here we go - and cheers!

The 2026 Great Jane Austen Read-Along

Each novel cycle of 4-8 weeks includes a Week 1 welcome/announcement and check-in, a guest post from one of our Read-Along Allstars, usually on week four, a download of read-alikes in a reading list for each novel curated by Read-Along Librarian Tabrizia Jones, and a celebration conversation/video, on the last week of each novel.

Highlights:

• Weekly essay posts - you’ll get the essays, the discussions, and the links every Sunday, in time for your morning or afternoon coffee. These are archive read-along posts with close textual reads on the themes from the week’s reading, with new discussions, prompts, links and readers shaping it.

  Plus:

• Discussion and dialogue - you’ll also see regular prompts on the reading topics with an invitation to talk back, share your insights and questions, and hold conversation with each other. This is the best part!

• Guest Posts featuring Austen scholars, authors, creators, and community, one for each novel in this year’s cycle. Some will be our amazing Read-Along all-stars1 from 2025, with some new contributors in the mix.

• Celebration Videos featuring discussions of each novel with curators, scholars, and creators, at the end of each novel cycle - which we’ll take from behind the paywall and make free for all.

• Curated lists of read-alikes for each novel from Read-Along Librarian Jones who draws from historical and contemporary novels for an expert list of novel pairings that go well with each novel. These are always free and accessible, and are featured at the end of each novel cycle.

• Curated links to go with each week’s discussions - linking to podcasts, journalism, and videos connecting to history, pop culture, and the world we’re in.

• We hope to add Substack Live chats and more guest posts and fun features as the year rolls out - so stay tuned for more details, and also let us know your ideas for what might make this read-along fun and support your reading as we go!

Who’s in? Grab a book and climb aboard!

All you need to do to ride this read-along train is two things: Grab a book, and get subscribed at the button below, and all the conversations will come right to your inbox:

• Get the book! You can get Northanger Abbey from your local library for free, or your local independent bookshop. Other great places to order online include Jane Austen Books, dedicated to Austen and related books, or bookshop.org to support independent book stores. I’ll be reading the Norton Critical edition of each novel, and they come with contextual essays. Any edition is fine, because we won’t refer to pages so much as chapters, so use any edition you adore.

• And - subscribe! All the read-along content and discussion will roll out each week, for free the first week, on the Read-Along channel of this Substack. All you a suggested-donation $25 for a “read-along ticket” - below. And if you need to read for free, just Reply to this email and let me know and we’ll sign you up, no questions asked! And - however you’re supporting and reading, thank you! Hi!

Get your $25 Read-Along ticket!

The 2026 Read-Along Schedule:

Let’s get in to it: Northanger Abbey is a shorter novel, so we’re going to hit the ground running and do this first novel in one month, reading about eight chapters per week, or about a chapter a day. But no need to rush - you can jump on and off this read-along train any time.

Here’s the full schedule for Northanger Abbey, followed by a snapshot of the dates for the full year of six novels. Each novel cycle is eight weeks, with the exception of the first and last, which are the shortest: Northanger Abbey we’ll do in four weeks, and Persuasion we’ll do in six weeks. The discussions and posts will always drop into your inbox on Sundays throughout the year.

Mark your calendars, here we go!

Northanger Abbey: Sunday, February 1 - Sunday, February 22

• Week 1: Chapters 1-8 - by Feb. 1

  • Welcome, announcement, schedule!

• Week 2: Chapters 9-16 - by Feb. 8

• Week 3: Chapters 17-24 - by Feb. 15

  • Guest Post with Bruja Professor Maria DeBlassie

• Week 4: Chapters 25-31 - by Feb. 22 - We did it!

  • Read-Alikes with Read-Along Librarian Tabrizia Jones, and Celebration Video

Sense and Sensibility: Sunday, March 1 - Sunday, April 19

• Week 1: Chapters 1-5, Volume 1 - by Sunday, March 1

  • Welcome, announcement, schedule!

• Week 2: Chapters 6-10, Volume 1 - by Sunday, March 8

• Week 3: Chapters 11-16, Volume 1 - by Sunday, March 15

• Week 4: Chapters 17-22, end of Volume 1 - by Sunday, March 22

  • Guest Post - Reclaiming Jane’s Lauren Wethers and Emily Davis-Hale!

• Week 5: Chapters 1-7, Volume 2 | or Chapters 23-29 - by Sunday, March 29

• Week 6: Chapters 8-14, Volume 2 | or Chapters 30-36 - by Sunday, April 5

• Week 7: Chapters 1-7, Volume 3 | or Chapters 37-43 - by Sunday, April 12

  • The Read-Along Read-Alikes List for S&S - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Week 8: Chapters 8-14, Volume 3 | or Chapters 44-50 to end - Sunday, April 19

  • We did it - Celebration Video!

Pride and Prejudice: Sunday, May 3 - Sunday, June 21

• Week 1: Chapters 1-8, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 3

  • Welcome, announcement, schedule!

• Week 2: Chapters 9-16, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 10

• Week 3: Chapters 17-23, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 17

• Week 4: Chapters 1-7, Volume 2 | or Chapters 24-30 - by Sunday, May 24

• Week 5: Chapters 8-13, Volume 2 | or Chapters 31-36 - by Sunday, May 31

  • Guest post - Professor and Author Devoney Looser!

• Week 6: Chapters 14-19, Volume 2 | or Chapters 37-42 - by Sunday, June 7

• Week 7: Chapters 1-10, Volume 3 | or Chapters 43-53 - by Sunday, June 14

  • The Read-Along Read-Alikes List for P&P - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Week 8: Chapters 11-19, Volume 3 | or Chapters 54-61 - by Sunday, June 21

  • We did it - Celebration Video!

Mansfield Park: Sunday, July 12 - Sunday, Aug. 30

• Week 1: Kick-off - Sunday, July 5

  • Welcome, announcement, schedule!

• Week 2: Chapters 1-6, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 12

• Week 3: Chapters 7-12, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 19

• Week 4: Chapters 13-18, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 26

  • Guest post - Jane Austen Society of North America’s Renata Dennis!

• Week 5: Chapters 1-6, Volume 2 | or Chapters 19-24 - by Sunday, August 2

• Week 6: Chapters 7-13, Volume 2 | or Chapters 25-31 - by Sunday, August 9

• Week 7: Chapter 1-6, Volume 3 | or Chapters 32-37 - by Sunday, August 16

• Week 8: Chapters 7-12, Volume 3 | or Chapters 38-43 - by Sunday, August 23

  • The Read-Along Read-Alikes List for MP - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Week 9: Chapter 13-17, Volume 3 | or Chapters 44-48 - by Sunday, August 30

  • Celebration Video - We did it!

Emma: Sunday, Sept. 6 - Sunday, Oct. 25

• Week 1: Kick-off and Chapters 1-6, Volume 1 - Sunday, Sept. 6

  • Welcome, announcement, schedule!

• Week 2: Chapters 7-12, Volume 1 - by Sunday, Sept. 13

• Week 3: Chapters 13-18, Volume 1 - by Sunday, Sept. 20

• Week 4: Chapters 1-6, Volume 2 or Chapters 19-24- by Sunday, Sept 27

• Week 5: Chapters 7-12, Volume 2 | or Chapters 25-30 - by Sunday, Oct. 4

• Week 6: Chapter 13-18, Volume 2 | or Chapters 31-36 - by Sunday, Oct. 11

  • Guest post with special guest Georgie Castilla, with Duniath Comics!

• Week 7: Chapter 1-10, Volume 3 | or Chapters 37-46 - by Sunday, Oct. 18

  • The Read-Along Read-Alikes List for Emma - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Week 8: Chapters 11-19, Volume 3 | or Chapters 47-55 - by Sunday, Oct. 25

  • Celebration video - We did it!

Persuasion: Sunday, Nov. 1 - Sunday, Dec. 13

• Week 1: Chapters 1-4 - by Sunday, Nov. 8

  • Welcome, announcement, schedule!

• Week 2: Chapters 5-8 - by Sunday, Nov. 15

• Week 3: Chapters 9-12 - by Sunday, Nov. 22

• Week 4: Chapters 13-16 - by Sunday, Nov. 29

  • Guest post with author Noreen Mughees!

• Week 5: Chapters 17-20 - by Sunday, Dec. 6

  • The Read-Along Read-alikes for Persuasion - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Week 6: Chapters 21-24 - by Sunday, Dec. 13

  • Celebration video - We did it!

You did it! Celebration Zoom!

✨ Your read-along dreams ✨

Let us know, friends - tell us all your read-along dreams, your ideas and inspirations, and any questions you have about the Read-Along.

Are you planning to join for all or part of this read-along? Did you do any part of the read-along in 2025? Are there any Austen novels you’re tackling for the first time, or a favorite you can’t wait to live through again?! Or is there a novel you’re dreading?!

And, what insights or questions do you have about reading Classics in general. If you’re new to this, let us know your questions or concerns. And if you are a devourer of classics, or fall somewhere in between, let us know: What helps you tackle a classic and get into the world and language of a classic novel? I’ll be thinking about this too, and sharing thoughts as we go - but first, let us know your quesitons and insights! Please share here:

Leave a comment

Friends and readers, hope you are having a safe and splendid new year so far. The world outside is challenging, changing, and sometimes heartbreaking. Let’s find time to read fiction, drink tea, and join in conversation and communion with others - along with everything else you are facing right now. Let’s do the things that keep us strong and connect us. And, most importantly, let’s stay well and stay in touch.

Yours so very affectionately,

Plain Jane | PJ

—-

Again, here’s how to join!

Here are links to the various ways you can join and support the Austen Connection read-along and project - thank you!

📚 Join the read-along by turning on the “read-along” notification - content rolls out free and stays free for one week, here.

📚 Support for $25 - and get a read-along ticket for a suggested donation of $25, and get access to all read-along content all the time, here.

📚 Support as an Austen Connection Member, at $5 per month or $50 per year, for access to all content at all times, here.

If you would like full access but can’t afford to support, simply let us know and you’re in, no questions asked. And in whatever way you choose to join, thank you!

Cool links and community

• Heartbreaking Joachim Trier - has anyone else here discovered this director and his trilogy of films that are stunning, visually poetic meditations on family, pain and loss, and the art of film? His latest, Sentimental Values, is winning Golden Globe and Oscar attention, and it’s worth taking a deeper dive into his other works like The Worst Person in the World and the heartbreaking Oslo, August 31. Not sure there are any overt Austen connections to report, but one thing that is striking about Oslo and Sentimental Values is Trier’s intense sense of place, and how the structures of a home can lift us, support us, and envelop us - but yet these beautiful houses that hold us are not enough to contain the pain of our lives. Perhaps there is an Austen connection to this sense of solidity and precarity in a place. And also to the stories about young people navigating their families and their world. Share any thoughts you have if you are watching Trier’s work and his rise. It’s an interesting time to watch films connected to Denmark and Norway.

• My dear Cassy, happy new year - backwards! Our esteemed author once wrote to one of her youngest nieces, Cassy Esten Austen, an entire letter, backwards. You can see it at the Morgan Library’s Jane Austen collection. And, thanks, JASNA St. Louis for reminding me that one of my favorite Austen epistolary samples is actually a new-year letter.

• What to read after reading Persuasion - here’s the finale of our 2025 read-alikes series from read-along Librarian and Substack writer - thank you, Tabrizia for the thoughtful, insightful, amazing recommendations specially curated for this community. You can also find Tabrizia’s community and conversations at the Substack and here:

Cup of Tea With That Book, Please

Recommended Persuasion Readalikes

I am here once again to give the final readalikes for The Austen Connection’s The Great Jane Austen Read Along as the Read-Along librarian, giving you great book recommendations that perfectly match with the Austen novels you read during this read-along! I had so much fun coming up with these book lists, and I hope you…

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3 months ago · 41 likes · 4 comments · Cup of Tea With That Book and Plain Jane

• “This is what community looks like” - it’s a chant from citizens, clergy, and community members in Minneapolis coming out in below-freezing temperatures to come together, pack and deliver food for each other, and express the will for safe community. Here’s what that looks like, from AP livestream yesterday, below. There is no real Austen connection here, but it’s on everyone’s minds I know - and perhaps there is the fact that Austen is writing at a time when life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and how these rights and aspirations get structured, upheld, and enforced in society, are all being decided - and it’s all in the background of these six classic novels. We’ll explore this year, in the 250th year of these United States such as we are.

  

  And here’s who they’re saying this to - masked, armed federal agents on the streets of an upper Midwest city:

  

  More Shakespeare discussions:

• Shakespeare and Hamnet - Chloé Zhao once sent a 58-minute WhatsApp voice-note to Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell when they were collaborating through WhatsApp on the film adaptation. They talk about it in the Folger Library’s Shakespeare Unlimited podcast, here.

• And, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? At the end of an extremely emotional final scene on a set that replicates Shakespeare’s Old Globe and is full of film extras, everyone puts on Rihanna, cranks the volume up, and busts out the dance moves. Cannot get enough of this - the sound of the extras roaring like they’re in a dance club heals the trauma that is the experience of this film and is the world right now. Turn it up and enjoy:

• The grumpiest review ever - and it’s on Substack by a legendary historian who is also on Substack, AN Wilson - and grumpy as he is, he’s not necessarily wrong:

A.N. Wilson

HAMNET

It is a very beautiful film, and the star is the wood - the Forest of Arden, I suppose. The soughing of the green trees in the pure Warwickshire breeze, the great skies, the verdant purity… I had expected all this to be somehow reflected in the Shakespeare which is depicted in Chloe Zhao’s highly-acclaimed work - perhaps with depictions of Rosalind in…

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3 months ago · 277 likes · 6 comments · A.N. Wilson

• Shakespeare and second chances - a new book from the always-compelling Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt2 explores how so much of Shakespeare is about a second chance, after all hope is lost. Sound familiar? One of literary history’s greatest Shakespeare fans, Jane Austen, explores this in her last published novel, Persuasion. And we’re hoping to explore the connection between Shakespeare, Austen, and second chances this spring - a great season for second chances. Stay tuned! And meanwhile, here’s the conversation with Greenblatt on the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast.

• Also, Folger’s Shakespeare Unlimited podcast talked with Professor Patricia Matthew, director of The Race and Regency Lab, in this episode about the Regency, race, and Jane Austen. Enjoy.

The book retreat!

• And we’re also hitting the road for a retreat in England - there are just a couple more spaces before this group is finalized, if you want to join us at a grand house in England for a restful reading and discussion retreat. Info below!

  

  Reach out with any questions!

  Wayward Readers

  Join us for a Mansfield Park Retreat

  You’re invited - join us for a literary retreat with fellow readers and convivial travelers. We’ll gather in a beautiful place for reading, reflection, and discussion around a classic story. Our Mansfield Park Retreat takes place August 18-22, 2026…

  Read more

  7 months ago · 6 likes · Wayward Readers

• Here are more highlights about what we’re looking forward to in this community in 2026, including some cool screen adaptations! Here we come, 2026!

Have a wonderful week, readers! -PJ

If you enjoy this community - or know of someone who might like to join The Great Jane Austen Read-Along - invite a friend by sharing this post!

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And - Join us! Our next Zoom meetup is for our Persuasion Celebration Zoom, happening Sunday, December 14, 2pm central US time/12pm PST/3pm EST - and you can register for our Live Persuasion Zoom Meetup!, for free here. We begin our last novel of the year-long read-along with Persuasion, on Sunday, November 9th.

Again, you can see the videos of the Zoom meetups so far in the posts below - just click on the title, and then scroll through the post and you’ll see the video. Enjoy!

Mansfield Park Celebration Meetup post

Scroll down the posts to find the Video link!

Sense and Sensibility Celebration Meetup

Pride and Prejudice Celebration Meetup post

Emma Celebration Zoom post

The Persuasion Celebration meetup video

This was the last Zoom celebration meetup of the year - below. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed these videos, feel free to share them!

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We’re thrilled and honored that an amazing lineup of creative scholars, authors, podcasters, leaders, and readers - all of whom make an incredible contribution to Jane Austen studies - have signed up to co-host and guest-post with us during this amazing Read-Along year.

Below are their bios - with more information and updates to come as we progress through this read-along year.

Here’s the lineup with bios of the co-hosts and guest-writers for our Great Jane Austen Read-Along - in order of appearance throughout the read-along:

• New York City Librarian Tabrizia Jones joins us as the Read-Along Librarian - Tabrizia is also a writer, blogger, and curator of great books and community. Her media project is Cup of Tea With That Book, Please, a resource for librarians, educators, and readers providing diverse reading lists, reviews, and author interviews. Stay tuned for Tabrizia’s curated books lists of additional books to read with each one of our Austen novels this year.

• Professor Maria DeBlassie - Dr. DeBlassie is an English professor who teaches Austen and gothic literature and romance, and is also a bruja who serves up everyday magic, pleasure, and joy through her nourishing blog and newsletter. Maria joined us in February, with a guest-post on Northanger Abbey - both the book and the 2007 film adapted by Andrew Davies.

• Playwright Sarah Rose Kearns - Sarah Rose Kearns hosts the Substack An Imaginist LIke Herself. She’s a co-regional coordinator with Jane Austen Society’s New Metro region who has written the plays Manydown, The Austens, and Persuasion, which was produced in an Off-Broadway production in 2021. She runs the NYC-based Holy Theatre community arts nonprofit. Rose will join us for our first two Zoom celebrations, and guest-post on Persuasion in November.

• Podcaster Emily Davis-Hale - Dr. Emily Davis-Hale is a linguistic anthropologist and co-host and co-producer of the podcast Reclaiming Jane, “a Jane Austen podcast for fans on the margins.” Emily will co-host the first two Zooms celebrations with us and guest-post on Sense and Sensibility, in March.

• Podcaster Lauren Wethers - Lauren is a pop-culture writer, fiction writer, and co-producer and co-host of the Reclaiming Jane podcast along with Emily, and she’ll also contribute both our guest post on Sense and Sensibility, with co-host Emily, in March, and join us to co-host our zoom celebration meetup.

• Author and scholar Devoney Looser - Devoney is the author of the amazing Sister Novelists, The Making of Jane Austen, and the forthcoming Wild About Austen. We’re thrilled that Devoney will be our guest post in May for Pride and Prejudice.

• Renata Dennis is a board member with the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and is chair of JASNA’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee. She is also a co-Regional Director of JASNA’s Georgia region. Renata will guest-post our Mansfield Park read-along in July.

• Artist Georgie Castilla - Artist Georgie Castilla is with the project Duniath Comics combining themes of Georgian England and Jane Austen with joyful celebrations of diversity. Georgie will be our Guest Post for Emma in September - one of Georgie’s latest pieces is a retelling of the novel.

• Writer Noreen Mughees is the author of The Mis-Arrangement of Sana Saeed. a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. She’ll join us with a guest post in November for the Persuasion reading.

Also, thanks to YOU for being here and reading along with us! We’re looking forward to the conversation and community we’ll create with this all-star lineup and with this community. Happy reading!

If you’re reading along with us, invite a friend to join!

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Schedules

Next up - Persuasion

Kick-off - today/Sunday, November 9th - Celebration, December 14th

• Chapters 1-4 - by today/Sunday, Nov. 9th - Kick-off! - 3 things we’re watching for

• Chapters 5-8 - by Sunday, Nov. 16th - Your Takes!

• Chapters 9-12 - by Sunday, Nov. 23rd - Plain Jane, Your Takes, and archive post

• Chapters 13-16 - by Sunday, Nov. 30th - Guest Post 1

• Chapters 17-20 - by Sunday, Dec. 7th - Guest Post 2

• Chapters 21-24 - by Sunday, Dec. 14th - Celebration Zoom Meetup

• Celebration Zoom Meetup! December 14th - Register for the Persuasion Celebration and a Toast to Jane Austen’s 250th here!

How to join:

It’s easy to join this party! You only need to do two things:

• 1-Grab a copy of the book - I’ll be reading a Norton Critical Edition, but any copy you can find at your library or at an independent bookstore works great!

2-And Subscribe to the Austen Connection, below, and you’ll see all of the conversations, posts, and meetup-invites dropping right into your inbox.

Subscribe now

• You can see the schedules and info on the Great Jane Austen Read-Along here.

Previous Schedules from the Great Jane Austen Read-Along Year

Northanger Abbey

Kick-off, Feb. 2 - Celebration, March 2

• Chapters 1-8 - by Feb. 9 - today’s chat and check-in

• Chapters 9-16 - Feb. 16 - Five Things to Watch for in Northanger Abbey

• Chapters 17-24 - Feb. 23 - Guest Post with Bruja Professor Maria DeBlassie

• Chapters 25-31 - March 2 - Celebration Zoom Meetup! With co-hosts Sarah Rose Kearns, Emily Davis-Hale and Plain Jane - Register here for Zoom meetup!

Here’s the rest of the Read-Along schedule for 2025:

Sense and Sensibility

Sunday, March 9 - Sunday, April 27

• Chapters 1-5 (Volume 1) - by today/Sunday, March 9

  • Welcome, announcement, and schedule

• Chapters 6-10 (Volume 1) - by Sunday, March 16

  • Discussion post -we’ll get your takes on the first 10 chapters.

• Chapters 11-16 (Volume 1) - by Sunday, March 23

  • More discussion from Plain Jane as we read

• Chapter 17-22 (end of Volume 1) - Sunday, March 30

  • Guest Post - Reclaiming Jane’s Lauren Wethers and Emily Davis-Hale!

• Chapters 1-7 (Volume 2) or Chapters 23-29 - by Sunday, April 6

  • Plain Jane takes and archive edition from the Austen Connection

• Chapters 8-14 (Volume 2) or Chapters 30-36 - by Sunday, April 13

  • Discussion post 2: Your takes - how’s it going?

• Chapters 1-7 (Volume 3) or Chapters 37-43- by Sunday, April 20

  • The Read-Along Reading List Download - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Chapters 8-14 (Volume 3) or Chapters 44-50³ to the end - Sunday, April 27

  • Zoom meetup and celebration! We did it!

Pride and Prejudice

Sunday, May 4 - Sunday, June 22

• Chapters 1-8, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 4

  • Welcome, announcement, and schedule!

• Chapters 9-16, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 11

  • Discussion Post 1- Your takes on the first section of the novel

• Chapters 17-23, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 18

  • Check-in and archive post from Plain Jane and also your takes as we read

• Chapters 1-7, Volume 2 | or Chapters 24-30 - by Sunday, May 25

  • Takeaways from Plain Jane - and your takes as we read

• Chapters 8-13, Volume 2 | or Chapters 31-36 - by Sunday, June 1

  • Guest post - Professor and Author Devoney Looser!

• Chapters 14-19, Volume 2 | or Chapters 37-42 - by Sunday, June 8

  • Discussion Post 2 - Your takes on this week’s reading

• Chapters 1-10, Volume 3 | or Chapters 43-53 - by Sunday, June 15

  • The Read-Along Reading List Download - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Chapters 11-19, Volume 3 | or Chapters 54-61 - by Sunday, June 22

  • Zoom Celebration - We did it!

Mansfield Park

Sunday, July 6 - Sunday, Aug. 31

• Kick-off - Sunday, July 6

  • Welcome, announcement, and schedule!

• Chapters 1-6, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 13

  • Discussion Post 1- Your takes on the first section of the novel

• Chapters 7-12, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 20

  • Takeaways from Plain Jane - and your takes as we read

• Chapters 13-18, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 27

  • Check-in and archive post from Plain Jane

• Chapters 1-6, Volume 2 | or Chapters 19-24 - by Sunday, Aug. 3

  • Guest post - Jane Austen Society of North America’s Renata Dennis!

• Chapter 7-13, Volume 2 | or Chapters 25-31 - by Sunday, Aug. 10

  • Takeaways from Plain Jane - and your takes as we read

• Chapter 1-6, Volume 3 | or Chapters 32-37 - by Sunday, Aug. 17

  • Discussion Post 2 - Your takes on this week’s reading

• Chapters 7-12, Volume 3 | or Chapters 38-43 - by Sunday, Aug. 24

  • The Read-Along Reading List Download - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Chapter 13-17, Volume 3 | or Chapters 44-48 - by Sunday, Aug. 31

  • Zoom Celebration - We did it!

Emma

Sunday, Sept. 7 - Sunday, Oct. 26

• Kick-off and Chapters 1-6, Volume 1 - Sunday, Sept. 7

  • Welcome, announcement, schedule, and the First Six Chapters!

• Chapters 7-12, Volume 1 - by Sunday, Sept. 14

  • Discussion Post 1- Your takes on the first section of the novel

• Chapters 13-18, Volume 1 - by Sunday, Sept. 21

  • Takeaways from Plain Jane - and your takes as we read

• Chapters 1-6, Volume 2 or Chapters 19-24- by Sunday, Sept. 28

  • Check-in and archive post from Plain Jane

• Chapters 7-12, Volume 2 | or Chapters 25-30 - by Sunday, Oct 5

  • Guest post with special guest Georgie Castilla, with Duniath Comics

• Chapter 13-18, Volume 2 | or Chapters 31-36 - by Sunday, Oct. 12

  • Discussion Post 2 your takes as we read

• Chapter 1-10, Volume 3 | or Chapters 37-46 - by Sunday, Oct. 19

  • The Read-Along Reading List Download - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Chapters 11-19, Volume 3 | or Chapters 47-55 - by Sunday, Oct. 26

  • Zoom Celebration - We did it! With co-hosts and special guests!

Persuasion

Sunday, Nov. 9 - Sunday, Dec. 14

Full schedule coming soon! If you’re Subscribed, it’ll come to your inbox!

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Final Blow-out Celebration Zoom - Sunday, Dec. 14th at 2pm US cst!

If you’re joining and/or enjoying the read-along, invite a friend!

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Welcome to the Great Jane Austen Read-Along here at the Austen Connection for Jane Austen’s spectacular 250th year! It’s wonderful that you’re all here - and it’s wonderful to see so much enthusiasm for reading together!

Here’s what’s coming up!

Ready, Set, Go: Northanger Abbey

Today is the day! We’re diving in to Northanger Abbey. We’re ready for flirting and talk of muslin, the crowded Bath balls, the talk of horrid novels, the frenemies and the Thorpes, and wandering the corridors while making cringey accusations in an ancient abbey. It’s all coming - along with the in-jokes, the memes, the themes, and the swoony romance. We’re embracing the darkness and oppressions and confusions and finding hope and humor - and of course, love - in our path to: Northanger Abbey.

We’re embracing the darkness and oppressions and confusions and finding hope and humor - and of course, love - in our path to: Northanger Abbey.

Here’s the schedule over the next four weeks and beyond:

Northanger Abbey

Today/Sunday, Feb. 2 - Sunday, March 2

• Chapters 1-8 - by Feb. 9

• Chapters 9-16 - Feb. 16 - Chat and Five Things to Watch for in Northanger Abbey

• Chapters 17-24 - Feb. 23 - Guest Post with Bruja Professor Maria DeBlassie

• Chapters 25-31 - March 2 - Celebration Zoom Meetup! With co-hosts Sarah Rose Kearns, Emily Davis-Hale and Plain Jane

You’ll see updates, chats, and check-ins right here and landing in your inbox every Sunday, with a recap of what we’re doing and what’s ahead, invitations to engage, and discussions. All you have to do is Subscribe, and watch your inbox!

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Mark your calendars!

Sense and Sensibility

Sunday, March 9 - Sunday, April; 27

Pride and Prejudice

Sunday, May 4 - Sunday, June 23/29

Mansfield Park

Sunday, July 6 - Sunday, Aug. 31

Emma

Sunday, Sept. 7 - Sunday, Oct. 26

Persuasion

Sunday, Nov. 2 - Sunday, Dec. 15

Celebration - Week of Dec. 15!

Join us!

Again - to join, all you need to do is:

• Make sure you’re signed up - by Subscribing here - and it all comes to your inbox:

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• And then … Read! Starting today with Northanger Abbey - and you can jump on and off the Read-Along any time.

The Read-Along Rotation

Each novel reading cycle will involve an eight-week rotation going something like this:

Week 1 - Introduction and encouragement: Let’s go!

Week 2- Chat - we’ll kick off a discussion about how it’s going and what to watch for.

Week 3 - Plain Jane POST - our own take on the reading so far

Week 4 - Guest Post - a post from one of our amazing Read-Along guests - see below for the roster so far.

Week 5 - POST/Archive - another hot-take from Plain Jane, perhaps freeing an archive edition from the paywall.

Week 6 - CHAT - another check-in from YOU on how it’s going as we wrap.

Week 7 - Zoom invites and closing thoughts on the novel

Week 8 - Zoom meetup and celebration with co-hosts

Note: The cycle-plan might change as we go depending on your feedback on the various elements of the Read-Along. If there’s something you like more, or less, of - let us know and we’ll adjust! Note that the cycle for Northanger Abbey is sped up to one month, looking, again, like this:

• We’ll have a kick-off Chat next week, Feb. 9th

• A Plain Jane Post the next week, Feb. 16th

• A Guest Post featuring the marvelous Bruja Professor Maria DeBlassie in week three, Feb. 23rd

• And our Celebration Zoom co-hosted with playwright Sarah Rose Kearns and Reclaiming Jane’s Emily Davis-Hale on Sunday, March 2nd.

Introducing the Read-Along Guest-Stars!

Here’s our roster of co-hosts and guests for the Read-Along so far!

Playwright Sarah Rose Kearns - hosts the Substack An Imaginist LIke Herself. She’s a co-regional coordinator with Jane Austen Society’s New Metro region who has written the plays Manydown, The Austens, and Persuasion, which was produced in an Off-Broadway production in 2021. She runs the NYC-based Holy Theatre community arts nonprofit.

Professor Maria DeBlassie - Dr. DeBlassie is an English professor who teaches Austen and gothic literature and romance, and is also a bruja who serves up everyday magic, pleasure, and joy through her nourishing blog and newsletter.

Podcaster Emily Davis-Hale - Dr. Emily Davis-Hale is a linguistic anthropologist and co-host and co-producer of the podcast Reclaiming Jane, “a podcast for fans on the margins.”

Podcaster Lauren Wethers - Lauren is a pop-culture writer, fiction writer, and co-producer and co-host of the Reclaiming Jane podcast along with Emily.

Artist Georgie Castilla - And our latest addition to the Read-Along guest roster is Artist Georgie Castilla, whose books and work with Duniath Comics combine themes of Georgian England and Jane Austen with joyful celebrations of diversity. Georgie will be our Guest Post for Emma - one of his latest pieces is a retelling of the novel - in the autumn.

We’re honored to have these podcasters and creators joining us, and we’re adding more co-hosts and guests as we go - stay tuned!

Thank you, friends - we’re so excited that you’re here and joining us. Let us know - if you’re planning to read along, what are you looking forward to about Northanger Abbey? Have you read it before or is this a re-read? How does Northanger Abbey rank in your list of classic novels and Austen novels? Have you watched the 2007 film and if so give us your takes on Felicity Jones as Catherine and JJ Feild as charming, lively Henry Tilney, resident expert on muslin? And - what are you hoping to get out of this Read-Along and how can we make this the best read-along ever? Let us know all your thoughts/ideas/questions as we dive into this novel!

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And, a huge thank-you to all of you who have responded so enthusiastically to this read-along. I cannot wait to read with you! And a huge shout-out and heaps of gratitude to those who have signed on not only as free subscribers - thank you - but also to those who decided that they were able to support this work by signing up for a paid subscription. You keep this project going. Thank you and we see you!

And if you would like to support the work of this project and the read-along, you can subscribe as free or paid here:

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Meanwhile, happy reading! Wishing you lots of cuppas, coziness, and curling up with your copy of Northanger Abbey on these winter days as our pages take us into the crowded balls of Bath - see you there.

Your truly,

Plain Jane

Cool links and community - Northanger Abbey

• A Northanger vibe: First up - this 2007 Andrew Davis-adapted movie stars Felicity Jones and JJ Feild - have you seen it and is it already a favorite? Let us know! This is great to watch as we’re finishing the novel to celebrate. For now, watch this trailer to get in the Northanger mood:

• Here’s an article by JASNA’s Persuasions editor Susan Allen Ford that we’ve shared before and it’s about what we’ve called the Smartest Mom in Jane Austen, Mrs. Morland, conduct literature, and more. We’ll share this again along with many other research links as we progress through the novel.

• Check out Dr. Maria DeBlassie’s blog and newsletter and watch for her guest post on Northanger Abbey coming up in three weeks.

• The marvelous podcast Reclaiming Jane and co-hostos Lauren Wethers and Emily Davis-Hale have done an entire series on Northanger Abbey - so much fun to listen to while reading.

• You’ll love ’ Substack An Imaginist LIke Herself - and stay tuned as Rose will co-host with us on our first Zoom meetups in the next few weeks. She’ll also provide our guest-post in November for our last read-along novel, Persuasion.

• Also, check out the series by our Read-Along guests artist Georgie Castilla and Sarah Rose Kearns in collaboration with Duniath Comics, the Global Mosaic Foundation and The Holy Theatre who are co-hosting the year-long events series Perfect Felicity celebrating the 250th year of Jane Austen.

• Here’s Octavia Cox on Austen’s defense of the novel - a big theme in Northanger Abbey:

• The Notes feature on Substack is another way you can engage in discussion while reading along - you can find Notes and threads on the Substack app here:

Get more from Plain Jane in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

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• If you enjoyed this post and are looking forward to the read-along, invite a friend!

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Hello friends,

It’s a new year. It’s 2025. It’s the 250th year of Jane Austen in this world. There is so much to celebrate!

The actual birthday is December 16th, and for this entire year, in the run-up to the December 250th birthday, the world is going to go truly Austen Mad.

And here at the Austen Connection, we’ve got plans!

The big thing is the thing that we promised a while back and can now finally give some details: The Great Jane Austen Read-Along.

Yes, let’s read All of Austen this year. And let’s do it together!

We’re going to host a read-along with chats, posts, guests, and conversation here at the Austen Connection that will tackle all six full published novels throughout this year, beginning on Feb. 2 with Northanger Abbey and continuing through each novel to end with Persuasion on Sunday, Dec. 15th.

Obviously you can read ahead. Obviously you can lag behind. Obviously you can jump on this reading train any time. And obvs you can just hitch a ride for the essays, and posts, and discussions, and conversations as usual, and that will all still be happening here too.

Let’s do this!

The Great Jane Austen Read-Along

It all starts February 2. Here are a few things we’re planning - with a schedule below:

• Regular posts as we go - the hot takes, the posts, the essays as usual for those who just want things to stay the same. We see you. These will be close textual reads connecting Austen themes to everything, as usual. Plus:

• Regular chats - these will come right to your inbox - just Subscribe:

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• Guest Posts featuring Austen scholars, authors, creators, and community

• Celebration Zoom/Live Video meetups

• A Project Barista! We hope to have a mixologist designing drinks and NA fare in honor of Austen all year long, for this community. Cheers!

• Play lists - Music to go with each novel. Perhaps we will crowdsource this! Let us know your ideas!

• More details and confirmation of these plans to come - stay tuned.

Meanwhile, again, all you have to do to join this 250th Jane Austen Read-Along is to Subscribe to the Austen Connection - and if you’re already subscribed, you’re in.

It’s all free - and if you can afford to contribute something to the curation and labor involved in producing this project, become a paid subscriber to help us make it accessible to all. Thank you!

Now, let’s get into it:

Here’s the schedule for Northanger Abbey, with an overview of start and end dates for each novel. You’re roughly tackling one novel every two months, with about a week between novels, and with just one month for Northanger Abbey. We can do this!

Read-Along schedule:

Northanger Abbey: Sunday, Feb. 2 - Sunday, March 2

• Chapters 1-8 - by Feb. 9

• Chapters 9-16 - by Feb. 16

• Chapters 17-24 - by Feb. 23

• Chapters 25-32 - by March 2 - We did it - Celebration Sunday!

Sense and Sensibility

Sunday, March 9 - Sunday, April 27

• Chapters 1-5 (Volume 1) - by today/Sunday, March 9

  • Welcome, announcement, and schedule

• Chapters 6-10 (Volume 1) - by Sunday, March 16

  • Discussion post -we’ll get your takes on the first 10 chapters.

• Chapters 11-16 (Volume 1) - by Sunday, March 23

  • More discussion from Plain Jane as we read

• Chapter 17-22 (end of Volume 1) - Sunday, March 30

  • Guest Post - Reclaiming Jane’s Lauren Wethers and Emily Davis-Hale!

• Chapters 1-7 (Volume 2) or Chapters 23-29 - by Sunday, April 6

  • Plain Jane takes and archive edition from the Austen Connection

• Chapters 8-14 (Volume 2) or Chapters 30-36 - by Sunday, April 13

  • Discussion post 2: Your takes - how’s it going?

• Chapters 1-7 (Volume 3) or Chapters 37-43- by Sunday, April 20

  • The Read-Along Reading List Download - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Chapters 8-14 (Volume 3) or Chapters 44-50³ to the end - Sunday, April 27

  • Zoom meetup and celebration! We did it!

Pride and Prejudice

Sunday, May 4 - Sunday, June 22

• Chapters 1-8, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 4

  • Welcome, announcement, and schedule!

• Chapters 9-16, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 11

  • Discussion Post 1- Your takes on the first section of the novel

• Chapters 17-23, Volume 1 - by Sunday, May 18

  • Check-in and archive post from Plain Jane and also your takes as we read

• Chapters 1-7, Volume 2 | or Chapters 24-30 - by Sunday, May 25

  • Takeaways from Plain Jane - and your takes as we read

• Chapters 8-13, Volume 2 | or Chapters 31-36 - by Sunday, June 1

  • Guest post - Professor and Author Devoney Looser!

• Chapters 14-19, Volume 2 | or Chapters 37-42 - by Sunday, June 8

  • Discussion Post 2 - Your takes on this week’s reading

• Chapters 1-10, Volume 3 | or Chapters 43-53 - by Sunday, June 15

  • The Read-Along Reading List Download - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Chapters 11-19, Volume 3 | or Chapters 54-61 - by Sunday, June 22

  • Zoom Celebration - We did it!

Mansfield Park

Sunday, July 6 - Sunday, Aug. 31

• Kick-off - Sunday, July 6

  • Welcome, announcement, and schedule!

• Chapters 1-6, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 13

  • Discussion Post 1- Your takes on the first section of the novel

• Chapters 7-12, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 20

  • Takeaways from Plain Jane - and your takes as we read

• Chapters 13-18, Volume 1 - by Sunday, July 27

  • Check-in and archive post from Plain Jane

• Chapters 1-6, Volume 2 | or Chapters 19-24 - by Sunday, Aug. 3

  • Guest post - Jane Austen Society of North America’s Renata Dennis!

• Chapter 7-13, Volume 2 | or Chapters 25-31 - by Sunday, Aug. 10

  • Takeaways from Plain Jane - and your takes as we read

• Chapter 1-6, Volume 3 | or Chapters 32-37 - by Sunday, Aug. 17

  • Discussion Post 2 - Your takes on this week’s reading

• Chapters 7-12, Volume 3 | or Chapters 38-43 - by Sunday, Aug. 24

  • The Read-Along Reading List Download - from Librarian Tabrizia Jones

• Chapter 13-17, Volume 3 | or Chapters 44-48 - by Sunday, Aug. 31

  • Zoom Celebration - We did it!

Emma

Sunday, Sept. 7 - Sunday, Oct. 26

Persuasion

Sunday, Nov. 2 - Sunday, Dec. 15

You did it! Celebration - Week of Dec. 15!

You’re in? Grab a book!

All you need to do to get started is:

• Again, subscribe, below, and all the conversations, chats, meetups and posts come right to your inbox:

  Subscribe now

• And - get the book! Beginning with Northanger Abbey. Get it from your local library for free, or your local independent bookshop. Other great places to order online include Jane Austen Books, dedicated to Austen and related books, or bookshop.org to support independent book stores. I’ll be reading the Norton Critical edition of each novel, and they come with contextual essays. But you can use any edition you love. We’ll refer not to page numbers as much as chapters so that we’re all on the same page, whatever edition we have.

Let us know, friends - what ideas/questions/inspirations do you have about the Read-Along? Let us know your thoughts! Have you ever done a read-along before? What did you love about it, and did you get to the finish line? Do you plan to join us to read Jane Austen this year? What novel are you most looking forward to? What are you dreading?! (That may seem like a strange question - but back in 2021 when the Austen Connection started, I had not re-read Persuasion for a long time, and knowing the sense of loss and regret that pervades that novel I was dreading it! And it was difficult! But we’ll be in this together, and it will be awesome.)

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An exciting thing

Another exciting thing happening that has developed over the holiday period is that just in time for Jane Austen’s 250th actual birthday a little special-edition book will drop, celebrating the life, the work, and the romance of Jane Austen. I’m super excited about it and in fact I’m so excited about it … I’m writing it! Yes, the Austen Connection and the themes and discussions we have enjoyed in this community will be reflected - along with lots of new ideas and discussion - into a wonderful celebration book coming out with Simon & Schuster imprint Adams Media in late autumn. It’s a lot of fun and I can’t wait to share more details with you in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile friends, hope you are staying warm and cozy wherever you are and whatever season you are in, may it be filled with joy, love, and celebration as always. And if you’re reading Jane Austen, a lot of good things are just a few pages away. We can’t wait to read along with you all (including those of you along for the ride without reading, you’re great too).

Warmly,

Plain Jane

Cool links and community

Friends, some amazing television much of it with a lot of Austen Connectedness is coming up in 2025. Some highlights:

• Coming in May 2025: ‘Miss Austen’ from PBS Masterpiece. We’re all about to know a lot more about the Austen family, friends, and neighbors in Hampshire.

Netflix appears to be adapting author Ibi Zoboi’s novel Pride - with an adaptation by Karen Joseph Adcock. Netflix is reporting that the project is in early development with Alloy Entertainment and the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions.

• Premiering tonight! The new season of All Creatures Great and Small on PBS Masterpiece. This show is pure light & bright & sparkling and needs no shade or anything else. Here’s the preview trailer:

• The Other Bennet Sister - the BBC may be looking at a production based on the book by Janice Hadlow and acquired by the BBC.

• Also reportedly and possibly coming from Netflix - an upcoming Pride and Prejudice series co-created by Dolly Alderton. And here’s a link to Dolly Alderton’s interesting take on Mr. Darcy in The Guardian. “Mr. Darcy’s reputation as romantic hero trashed …”!

• Riot Women - created by the marvelous Sally Wainwright, creator of Gentleman Jack, and starring Tamsin Greig who is Miss Bates to us - due out from the BBC and Bribox sometime this year.

• Michaela Coel’s First Day on Earth - a series created, written, produced, and starring the ultra-talented Michaela Coel, creator of the heartbreaking and beautiful I May Destroy You. This new project is in partnership with HBO, the BBC, and A24. No reported timeline or air dates yet.

• The Walsh Sisters is a new project acquired by the BBC, based on the novels by Marian Keyes featuring five Irish sisters and their lives and loves. Keyes is a beloved novelist in the UK - I’ve read every single one of the novels and especially love Rachel’s Holiday. And there are lots of Austen Connections to these stories, beginning with: five sisters.

If you enjoy this community - or know of someone who might like to join The Great Jane Austen Read-Along - invite a friend by sharing this post!

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