Mailbox Monday - From Medieval to Many Austen Sequels!!!

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. And I am adding what I purchased. Here's what I received during the last week:

Happy Monday to everyone!
I got some fun books this week, especially due to Arleigh at Historical-Fiction.com .. Thanks for sharing these with me:


Now Face to Face by Karleen Koen, part of a trilogy which someday I'll remember which one to read first without having to ask Arleigh for the umpteenth time "The beloved heroine from Koen's bestselling Through a Glass Darkly returns in a passionate, unforgettable, romantic tapestry. A widow at age 20, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances, Barbara Devane leaves colonial Virginia for London to confront her enemies and to pursue a deeply satisfying yet dangerous clandestine love."

Mansfield Park Revisited: A Jane Austen Entertainment by Joan Aiken (2008)"In Aiken's sequel to Jane Austen's complex and fascinating novel, after heroine Fanny Price marries Edmund Bertram, they depart for the Caribbean, and Fanny's younger sister Susan moves to Mansfield Park as Lady Bertram's new companion. Surrounded by the familiar cast of characters from Jane Austen's original, and joined by a few charming new characters introduced by the author, Susan finds herself entangled in romance, surprise, scandal, and redemption. Aiken's diverting tale gives the reader interesting speculation on how the Crawfords, whose winning personalities were marred by an amoral upbringing, might have turned out, and Jane Austen's morality tale takes new directions with an unexpected and somewhat controversial ending."

Pemberley Shades by D.A. Bonavia-Hunt (2008) "Originally published in 1949, the unusual plot takes the Darcys into the realm of the Gothic. Mr. Darcy must appoint a new rector at Pemberley, which affords the author the opportunity to introduce a host of new characters to mingle with the beloved and familiar ones of Jane Austen.A delightfully witty plot, full of surprises:"Who could have foretold that Dr. Robinson, who had done nothing of note in all his lifetime should, by the common and natural act of dying, set in motion a train of events so strange, so startling, so far removed from probability as to emulate the riotous fancies of a disordered mind?" "The kind of story Jane Austen would have delighted to tell."-J. Donald Adams"

Mr. Knightley's Diary (2006) by Amanda Grange "Relive Jane Austen's Emma- from Mr. Knightley's point of view. Between managing his estate and visiting his brother in London, Mr. Knightley is both exasperated and amused by his irresistibly beautiful, outrageously mischievous neighbor, Emma Woodhouse, whose misguided attempts at matchmaking are wreaking havoc in the village of Highbury. But when a handsome newcomer arrives and catches Emma's attention, Mr. Knightley is shocked by his reaction. Amusement gives way to another emotion entirely-for his unreasonable dislike of the handsome newcomer seems suspiciously like jealousy."

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, a Novel by Syrie James (2008) "Many rumors abound about a mysterious gentleman said to be the love of Jane's lifefinally, the truth may have been found. . . What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen's memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That's the premise behind this spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen's life, giving us untold insights into her mind and heart. Jane Austen has given up her writing when, on a fateful trip to Lyme, she meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by his faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last. Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen's own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author's romantic tales. It's a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen and to anyone who loves a great story."


From Paperbackswap I received:
An Assembly Such as This (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman: Bk 1) by Pamela Aidan (2006)

"She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me." "So begins the timeless romance of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen's classic novel is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy? In An Assembly Such as This, Pamela Aidan finally answers that long-standing question. In this first book of her Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, she reintroduces us to Darcy during his visit to Hertfordshire with his friend Charles Bingley and reveals Darcy's hidden perspective on the events of Pride and Prejudice. As Darcy spends more time at Netherfield supervising Bingley and fending off Miss Bingley's persistent advances, his unwilling attraction to Elizabeth grows -- as does his concern about her relationship with his nemesis, George Wickham. Setting the story vividly against the colorful historical and political background of the Regency, Aidan writes in a style comfortably at home with Austen but with a wit and humor very much her own. Aidan adds her own cast of fascinating characters to those in Austen's original, weaving a rich tapestry from Darcy's past and present. Austen fans and newcomers alike will love this new chapter of the most famous romance of all time."


The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman, (1991) from the Welsh Trilogy "Here, alive from the pages of history, is the compelling tale of a Celtic society ruled by Llewelyn, Prince of Wales, on a collison course with a feudal realm of Edward I. With this last book in the extraordinary trilogy that began with HERE BE DRAGONS and continued in FALLS THE SHADOW, Sharon Kay Penman has written a beautiful and moving conclusion to her medieval saga. For everyone who has read the earlier books in this incomparable series or ever wanted to experience the rich tapestry of British history and lore, this bold and romantic adventure must be read."

For Review, I received J.W. Nicklaus' collection of short stories "The Light The Dark and Ember Between" (Thank you to the author for sending this):
"The ever fluctuating state of the human condition and our life-long flirtation with Hope. A spectrum of short stories revolving around the very core of what most deeply affects us Love. From the wispy fog of a love lost at sea, to love lost and rediscovered, and the consequences of questionable choices made, each story provides a small glimpse into a commonly faceted emotion. Early reviews have called this collection elegiac and thoughtful, subtly witty, gently tragic, and declaring the stories as masterfully imbued with poignant insight, and a smooth, silky narration."