Like many, I enjoy a book that challenges me, makes me rethink my position on life's biggest questions, and also often requires a dictionary. It's important to be able to participate in intelligent conversation and to understand the references made so as to not make a fool of oneself. Indeed these things are mucho importante.
But, I also have times where all I want to do is read something that's easy and fun. In other words, guilty pleasure books. For me, these books range from Twilight to updated fairy tales to my most recent obsession of Jane Austen fan fiction. I know, right?! Who even knew there was such a thing as Jane Austen fan fiction. All of these books basically have the same plot: a woman who has been unlucky in love travels to England to lick her wounds and forever swear off men in favor of an Austen seminar/festival/walking tour/ reenactment/ etc. There is some merit to these books in that they all have authors who inject quite a bit of history. See, my brain won't turn to mush just yet on this diet of fan fiction!
I enjoy these stories so much because they combine all of my very favorite things together: traveling, England, self-discovery, Jane Austen, history, happy endings, and of course, love stories. To feed my obsession I went to my local library and ordered about 12 books that fall in this category. That's the joy of a library, you can order up as many books as you like, read them, and then return them for free. Glorious! Whoever thought up the idea of a library is truly a nerd's best friend :)
The first of these "fan fictions" that I read were written by
Beth Pattillo. Her books provide a really fun twist by way of a mystery wrapped up in history. These were the gateway drug to the others you see above. Thus far I've read my way through three of these gems and rather than finding myself bored, I only want more! So, it's off to the library once more as soon as I've finished
My Jane Austen Summer.
What books are on your nightstand?
