June 25 Meeting Recap

The Book-to-Fork Cooking Club met at Nitty’s Cider in Sacramento.  On a beautiful Sunday afternoon with just enough heat and breeze, attendees (Lynn, Bronwyn, Louise, Megan, Anne, Kathy, Christi, Lanni, Janet, Shirley, Richard, and Joy) enjoyed cider and company. The table was set with apples (cider is made from apples) and quotes from Emma which mentions apples a dozen times. Joy presented on cider and its history in the world and in America (with “few dates”), the making of, uses of, and the connection with Jane Austen. With everyone selecting their own tasting flights, we must have drank our way through the whole menu. There was a cider called The Cider That Jane Likes which had a lovely lemon and lavender flavor. However, the Jane was not our Jane, but a beloved friend of the cider maker. Along with the cider, we had Ploughman’s Lunch grazing trays with home-made breads and home-grown pickled vegetables, cheese, meat, fruit, and more.  The Cider Loaf which contained Nitty’s Cider was a huge hit and its recipe (from Tea with the Bennets Anthology of Recipes by Margaret Vaughn) was included in the handout. Raffle prizes of apples and a cookbook closed the meeting.  Enjoy the photos!

Jane Austen Book-to-Fork Club

April 22, 2023 Meeting Recap

The Book-to-Fork Cooking Club met at Touch of Britain in North Highlands, which is a British grocery and restaurant.  The table was set with Jane Austen cookies and bookmarks. We enjoyed conversations about trips to England, gardening, and royalty, and worked on trivia questions (thank you JASNA somewhere in Washington state). Our menu selections ranged from steak and ale pie with mushy peas to fish and chips with malt vinegar. Dessert was an array of British biscuits and the Jane Austen cookies if you dared to eat her face!  Susan and Nancy each won a Harrod’s bag with goodies (tea, shortbread, Austentacious pin, framed quote).

April 30, 2023 Recap

The meeting took place at Streets of London in West Sacramento, which is a British pub. To brighten up the pub setting, the table was set with doilies and of course, Jane Austen cookies! Though the menu was plentiful of food other than pub food, we enjoyed our selections and the discussion of Jane Austen in London and tried our hand at the trivia questions.  We were also multi-tasking by watching the Sac Kings v. Warriors game. This time Janet and Lanni each won a Harrod’s goodie bag.  Part of the discussion was the movie “Chevalier” which tells the story of real-life violin virtuoso and composer Joseph Bologne. Some of us had learned of him at a previous AGM and were very interested in learning about this bi-racial prodigy who was somewhat lost in history due to the tumultuous French revolutions. This turned into an impromptu trip to Tower Theater to watch “Chevalier” which had excellent acting, music, costumes, and production.

Mead Tasting

September 18, 2022

The Book-to-Fork Cooking Club had a successful outing in Rancho Cordova. Surprisingly it was a blustery wind, but we were cozy at Strad Meadery.  Joy presented her paper on Jane Austen and Mead before we indulged in the tasting.  The mead flight consisted of original honey, dragonfruit, peach, passionfruit, and yuzu flavors.  Alongside our delicious mead, we had grazing boxes filled with meats, cheeses, nuts, fruit, and other sweets and savories. A delightful afternoon enjoying Jane Austen’s favorite drink. May your mouth water looking at these photos.

Jane Austen Book Bingo Rules

Jane Austen 2022 Book Bingo Challenge Rules

  1. Choose a square and read a book that fits the category of that square. You win a bingo by forming a line of finished squares either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.
  2. The “Free Jane” square is won by partaking in a non-book form of media relating to Jane Austen or her works. (See the next section for examples).
  3. One book can only count towards one square even if that book could conceivably belong to several categories.
  4. For a book to count it must be read after January 1st 2022.
  5. After you complete a bingo send an email to me with the subject line “BINGO!” at nkleinert@sbcglobal.net with a list of the categories and the books you read and/or what you chose for the “Free Jane’ space. I will contact you with information on how to claim you prize.
  6. Everyone who completes a bingo wins a prize. (One BINGO prize per person).
  7. GRAND PRIZE goes to the FIRST person to obtain a BLACK-OUT.  In
  8. other words- one must read one book from each category for a total of 24 books plus “Free Jane” space.
  9. You must be a member of JASNA to receive a prize.

Explanations of Categories & Book Examples

The following is an explanation of the types of books that fit each category along with some book suggestions. The examples given are by no means exhaustive; there are a multitude of books that could fit a single category. It is very possible that a single book could fit more than one category, but it may only be used once on the BINGO board.

B

An Annotated Version of a JA Novel- Read an annotated version of one of Jane Austen’s six finished novels. There are many out there, but I would recommend any edited by David M. Shepard.

Poetry or Book mentioned in JA Novel- Read a book by a poet or author mentioned in a Jane Austen novel, for example William Cowper, Sir Walter Scott, or Lord Byron OR a novel or play mentioned directly, for example The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe or “Lovers’ Vow” by Elizabeth Inchbald.

Multicultural Retelling of JA Novel- Read a novel based on Jane Austen’s work in which the characters come from culturally diverse backgrounds. e.g.: Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal, Pride by Ibi Zoboi, and Sensei and Sensibility by Karen Tei Yamashita

“Jane Austen” Mystery- Read a book in which characters based on Jane Austen or her works solve a mystery. e.g.: Death Comes to Pemberley* by P. D. James, The Phantom of Pemberley* by Regina Jeffers, and any of Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen mysteries*

History Book about the Georgian or Regency Era- Read a book of history that takes place during the Georgian or Regency Era. e.g.: The Regency Years* by Robert Morrison, An Elegant Madness: High Society in Regency England* by Venetia Murray, and Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune by Rory Muir

I

Jane Austen Life Coach- The books that fit this category tend to be memoirs whose authors found meaning and inspiration from Jane Austen’s life and works. e.g.: A Jane Austen Education* by William Deresiewicz, Austen Years by Rachel Cohen, and Growing Older with Jane Austen* by Maggie Lane

Literary Analysis of JA’s Work- Read a book of nonfiction that analyzes Jane Austen’s works. e.g.: Jane Austen’s Women* by Kathleen Anderson, Jane on the Brain* by Wendy Jones, and Jane Austen: Literary Critiques* by Norman Sherry

Jane Austen’s Juvenilia- Read a book of Jane Austen’s Juvenilia including “Lady Susan”

Mash-up with Monster, Fantasy, or Time Travel– Read a retelling of a Jane Austen novel that adds elements of fantasy, monsters, or time-travel. e.g.: Pride and Prometheus* by John Kessel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies* by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith, and Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict* by Laurie Viera Rigler

Continuation or Variation of a JA Novel- Read a novel that either tweaks the events or continues the story of one of Jane Austen’s works. e.g.: A Life Worth Choosing* by Anngela Schroeder, Mr. Darcy’s Daughters* by Elizabeth Aston, and Old Friends and New Fancies* by Sibil G. Brinton

N

Retelling that is NOT Pride & Prejudice- Read a book based on the characters or events of one of Jane Austen’s novels EXCEPT Pride and Prejudice. e.g.: Later Days at Highbury* by Joan Austen-Leigh, Murder at Mansfield Park* by Lynn Shepherd, and By the Book* by Julia Sonneborn

Jane Austen as a character in a Novel- Read a book in which Jane Austen herself becomes a fictional heroine in a novel. e.g.: The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen* by Syrie James, Jane and the Damned* by Janet Mullany, or any of the Jane Austen Mysteries* by Stephanie Barron.

Free Jane- To win this square you need not read a book. You need only to participate or interact with some other form of media pertaining to Jane Austen. For Example, watch a movie based on a Jane Austen novel, attend a Zoom lecture about a subject relating to Jane Austen, or attend one of the JASNA book group discussions. The choice is yours.

Book about Social Customs during Regency Era- Read a nonfiction book that describes what life was like during the lifetime of Jane Austen. e.g.: Jane Austen’s England* by Roy & Lesley Adkins, Jane Austen: The World of her Novels* by Deirdre Le Faye, and What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool

Jane Austen’s Letters- Read a book of Jane Austen’s Letters.

G

Biography of a Person living at the same time as JA- Read a biography of a person living in England at the same time as Jane Austen. e.g.: L.E.L.: The Lost Life and Scandalous Death of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the Celebrated “Female Byron” by Lucasta Miller and Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon

One of the Six Original JA Novels- Read or Re-read one of Jane Austen’s six completed novels.

Historical Fiction that takes place during the Regency Era- Read a book of historical fiction that takes place in the Regency Period that is NOT directly related to Jane Austen. e.g.: Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer, Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian, and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Retelling from a Different Character’s Point of View- Read a retelling of one of Jane Austen’s novels from a different character’s point of view. e.g.: Jane Fairfax* by Joan Aiken, Longbourn* by Jo Baker, and Captain Wentworth’s Diary* by Amanda Grange

Book of Proper Conduct written in JA’s Era- Read a book of proper conduct written during Jane Austen’s Lifetime. e.g.: The Mirror of the Graces* by A Lady of Distinction and Sermons to Young Women by James Fordyce

O

Non-JA Novel published during the Georgian or Regency Era- Read a novel published just before or during Jane Austen’s lifetime. e.g.: Evelina* by Fanny Burney, A Gossip’s Story* by Jane West, and Belinda by Maria Edgeworth

A Modern Retelling of one of JA’s Novels- Read a novel in which the events of a Jane Austen novel are rewritten to take place in the modern day. e.g.: Emma* by Alexander McCall Smith, Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe* by Mellissa de la Cruz, and Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

Biography of Jane Austen- Read a biography of Jane Austen. e.g.: Jane Austen: A Life* by Park Honan, Young Jane Austen, Becoming a Writer* by Lisa Pliscou, and Jane Austen* by Carol Shields

Jane Austen’s Unfinished Novels- Read BOTH of Jane Austen’s unfinished works: Sanditon and The Watsons.

A Novel in which the Characters are Inspired by JA or her works- Read a novel in which the characters are inspired by Jane Austen’s life or works.e.g.:The Jane Austen Book Club* by Karen Joy Fowler, Austenland* by Shannon Hale, and The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

Note about the BINGO board: The board is the same for everyone, but it’s up to each person, individually, to choose which books they wish to read to complete a bingo. However, I have designed the board in such a way that to do so you must read books from several different genres.

Books that are marked with an “*” indicate books that are available through our JASNA Greater Sacramento Circulating Library.

Jane Austen Movie Fan Club

Past Discussions (last updated 5.16.21)

Movie/Program DiscussedDateNot Open Fan RatingSlightly Open Fan RatingHalf Open Fan RatingMore Open Fan RatingFully Open Fan RatingNotes
Clueless 4/27/2019  111 
Becoming Jane6/21/2019 1495 
The Jane Austen Book Club7/20/2019  161 
Pride and Prejudice (2005)8/3/2019   78with ASG
Northanger Abbey (1987)9/14/2019  112  
Emma-A New Musical (2018)11/9/2019    6 
Emma (2020)3/1/2020  1112 
Sense and Sensibility (1995)3/7/2020    11with ASG
North and South-Episode 15/6/2020  227 
North and South-Episode 25/13/2020    10 
North and South-Episode 35/16/2020   27 
North and South-Episode 45/20/2020    9 
From Prada to Nada6/3/2020   44 
Jane Austen in Manhattan7/1/2020 422  
Kandukondain Kandukondain7/13/2020  165 
Emma (2020)8/1/2020  1415with ASG
Emma (2020) with commentary8/5/2020  2210with ASG
Pride and Prejudice (1940)8/26/2020  376 
Austenland9/23/2020  133 
Metropolitan11/11/2020  431 
Persuasion (1995)12/5/2020   325with ASG
Mansfield Park (1983)-Episodes 1-21/13/2021  183 
Mansfield Park (1983)-Episodes 3-41/20/2021   54 
Mansfield Park (1983)-Episodes 5-61/27/2021   325 
Crazy Rich Asians2/24/2021   46 
Bride and Prejudice3/24/2021   46 
Stoneleigh Abbey (Royal Upstairs Downstairs)4/21/2021  255with B-F CC
My Friend Jane (2017)5/1/2021    30with B-F CC

Austentacious Study Group News

California, Greater Sacramento

Angela Schroeder

Have you wondered how to start a special interest group?  Read on and discover the story of the first 10 months of the Austentacious Study Group that meets in Elk Grove.  It began with an organizational meeting on February 23, 2019, and the first book discussion on April 6.  The new group is organized and led by Mary Adams-Wiley who has been strongly supported by Program Chair Bonnie Mischo-Allinger, Movie Adaptation Expert,Joy Prevost, Regional Coordinator, Lynn Ossolinski, and Elsie Mak, a Librarian at the Elk Grove Library. 

Judy Bukowski

“I couldn’t have done it without Bonnie, Joy, Lynn, and Elsie” says Mary Adams-Wiley.  Bonnie’s recommendations took the group from Jane Austen for Dummies, byformer JASNA President, Joan Klingel Ray, on the first Saturday in April, through 2 sessions on Pride and Prejudice and a movie adaptation, before a July break.  August through October were especially busy with 2 sessions on Northanger Abbey, plus the movie, and a stage play (organized by Lanni Butterworth).  In November the Greater Sacramento Region did a special program with 2 speakers on Northanger Abbey, and the study group discussed William Deresiewicz’s_A Jane Austen Education

Bonnie  leads all the book discussions; Joy introduces the movies, tells the group what to watch for, leads the movie discussions afterwards and takes a fan rating.  Lynn keeps the group updated on all JASNA and regional activities and supports it’s efforts in every way she can.  Her energy and enthusiasm are contagious.  Elsie makes the meeting space a welcoming place and assists with the logistics and publicity.  Mary keeps organizing, reporting via email on the last meeting, reminding members about the next one, preparing agendas and sticking to them for the business session after the discussions.

Mary Adams-Wiley (left), Lynn Ossolinski (right)

On the first Saturday in December a special holiday-themed session focused on A Jane Austen Christmas: Regency Christmas Traditions, by Maria Grace, as well as the first book review for the group.  Judy Bukowski reported on An Unexpected Merry Gentleman: A Pride and Prejudice Christmas Novella.  The author of the book and member of the group, Anngela Schroeder, explained how she came to write it, and read a few brief passages.  A holiday party followed, not only celebrating the joyous season, but also the end of the first year together, and the friendships being built while learning more about Jane Austen.  Several members brought food and beverages, the room decor featured a Christmas tree of Jane Austen buttons, and holiday cookie favors underneath the tree.

Attendance averaged 12 from February through November, but the Holiday program and party drew a larger group — 18 members and 5 guests.  About 35% of the members were already part of the Sacramento Reading Group and now attend both meetings.  The distance between the two meeting sites is 16 miles.  Of the other 65%, most are either new to Austen or haven’t read her books in several years.  This mix works well, and membership is still growing.

A Royal-tea Celebrating Jane Austen

The program will include “George III: Sovereign of a Lifetime” From Jane Austen’s birth in 1775 until her death in 1817, she knew only one sovereign: George III, who was king from 1760 to 1820. He ruled during times of world-changing events: the Seven Years War, the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, and the Napoleonic wars. Despite that, most Americans only know him for two things: what was said about him in the Declaration of Independence and the fact that he went mad. James Nagle will explain the man, his impact, and his tragic end.

Local costumer and owner of Etsy store, Thither, Anna Morton will present on what Jane Austen might have worn upon visiting Carlton House, the Prince Regent’s London residence to visit his Library on November 13, 1815. Expect to see Regency fashions on live models!

We will also hear “Jane and Kate—Austen’s Royal Relation”, partake in a basket drawing , a tribute and camaraderie.

Tea is served by Sacramento tea purveyors, The Novel Tea. 3-tiers of delicious delights and a custom–blended tea honoring the glorious, Jane Austen.

Please feel free to come in Georgian or Regency-style apparel to add to the splendor and grandeur of the day. Arrive early to check-in and find a seat at a table beautifully set by member hosts.

Payment Options

Preferred payment method, return form with check to avoid processing fee:

https://jasnasac.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2020-Tea-Registration-Form.pdf

Online payment, extra $2.00 processing fee:

https://jasnasacregion.ticketspice.com/a-royal-tea-celebrating-jane-austen

Chawton House Bench Campaign 2019

Dear Greater Sacramento Region,

This year at the AGM, the NAFCH (North American Friends of Chawton House) was showcasing the Bench Campaign 2019.   The Austen Trail and its quotation markers have become very popular.  Right now there are not enough benches in the garden for visitors to linger.  As more visitors come to Chawton House, these new benches will help them to enjoy their visit in comfort, with time to sit and enjoy the views that Austen, too, admired.  The benches are large durable Lutyens benches, which should last for many years and fit the style of the gardens.  The benches are designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who also designed some terraces at Chawton House.  Several members of our Region thought this would be a good campaign for our region to support.   Each bench donation cost is $2,000.

We selected Bench #20, Walled Garden, Orchard View.   So now there are two items left that our Region needs to do to complete this sponsorship.   First we need to raise the Donation Fee: $2,000.   Secondly we need to select a quote.   The quotations are to be from any book that Austen may have read from among the titles in the collections of Chawton House.

So I hope you will consider making a donation toward this worthy campaign.

Respectfully,
Kathy Stephens

JASNA Sacramento Region