Austen fans

[DMac]

I think Jane Austen must be the first chick-lit author ever (although she'd probably spin in her grave, I'm sure that's how she'd be marketed today!) -- writing about ordinary young women looking for love and success, very conversational and witty.

There's a collection of essays I discovered on this very point (so I felt so validated! ) -- including some short stories that take a look into the lives of some of the characters (like, "Georgianna") -- it's called "Flirting with Pride & Prejudice" edited by Jennifer Crusie.

There's also a trilogy that tells the whole Pride & Prejudice story from Darcy's POV, which is lots of fun. By Pamela Aidan -- "An Assembly Such as This," "Duty & Desire," and "These Three Remain." She really fills in some gaps to explain one of the most uptight characters in literature and captures the Austen voice remarkably well.