Mr. Darcy's Diary

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During my week of rest, one of my goals was to spend more time reading in the evenings in an effort to finish a few books that have been on my to-read list for far too long.  As a result, I finished my fifth book for the Sisters Book Challenge.  This time I read Mr. Darcy's Diary: A Novel by Amanda Grange. 

I'll admit, I got majorly burned out on all things Jane Austen when I was in high school.  My friends and I watched a few too many Jane Austen movies, and I overdosed.  (Granted, we also had an Anne of Green Gables marathon where we watched the entirety of both movies--8 hours!--but I had a deeper affection for Anne to start with.)  Anyway, it took me many years...yes, years... to ease back into Jane Austen. 

About four years ago I was going through a dry spell in my reading.  I had four children under seven and not a lot of time or motivation to read.  Something made me attempt Pride and Prejudice, an interesting choice for a frazzled brain, but once I acclimated to the style of the dialogue, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It took me a month to complete, but who's counting?  I recognized much of the plot and conversation from the 2005 movie which I had tentatively watched (and also liked). 

Last year, I read Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James after reading a magazine review.  Set after Pride and Prejudice closes, it was a fun take on a murder mystery involving the characters from the original classic. 

Which brings me back to the beginning where I was talking about the book I read last week.  Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange is another spin-off of the original classic, this time retelling the love story of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett from Darcy's perspective.  It was a quick summer read-- not something I might have chosen on my own, but a book I enjoyed nonetheless.  

The fun part of this book challenge is that it has pushed me to read books out of my normal range.  I tend to get stuck in a reading rut and read the same genre and style every time.  This year, I have been challenged to read more historical fiction and sample of few more classics. 

The challenge was to choose at least five books from the list of ten to complete during the year.  I've read five, officially completing the challenge, but since it is only July, I plan to keep going, though I'm not sure what to choose next.  I already downloaded The Scarlet Pimpernel for free for my Kindle, but I've heard that Bride of Thistleloch Castle is a can't-put-it-down kind of book!

What would you choose?