BOOK REVIEW: Tea with Jane Austen by Kim Wilson

“…what is one of the supreme honours Mr Collins can envision Lady Catherine bestowing on Elizabeth Bennet and her friends? Why, drinking tea with her, naturally.” – Introduction

Tea is a hot topic for all Janeites, and I’d be a liar for saying I don’t conform to the earl grey-loving, tea leaf snipping stereotype in some way (even if my daily drink is coffee). I also spend a sickening amount of time looking at beautiful vintage tea cups on Etsy and lusting over them.

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BOOK REVIEW: Cooking with Jane Austen & Friends by Laura Boyle

“Period recipes used in the Austen household, updated for modern kitchens” – Cooking with Jane Austen & Friends by Laura Boyle cover

I received this delightful book for Christmas, ordered for me from the Jane Austen Centre in bath, and as a fan of both cooking and Jane Austen I could not have been more excited – I was even excited over the brochure from the JACentre!  I rightly assumed I would be able to easily create a number of the dishes depicted and would learn quite a bit at the same time.

Another Book Club Meet, Mansfield Park vs Pride and Prejudice

The girls came to mine for our Mansfield Park meet.  Which, due to a mutual hatred of Fanny Price, turned into an eating, laughing, Lost In Austen re-watching, Mr.Darcy ogling session.  As is the rest of my life.  The entire night had me coming back to that discussion in The Jane Austen Book Club (film) where it is said that if it was 21st Century highschool politics- Fanny Price would be the unpopular one, while Elizabeth Bennet would be homecoming Queen.  Too Damn Right. 

Luckily enough, we had a lot of tea on hand to make these sorts of discussions less crude and more of the sipping, 18th Century observational style. (And yes, that would happen to be my hand pointing).

Pride and Prejudice discussions at Book Group

If you’re a regular reader of The Bennet Sisters, you’ll know that once a month I go to a Jane Austen Book Group with four other girls from all over Sydney (to a backdrop of my slightly younger brother calling me a ‘nerd’.  Nice).  We have met three times and covered two books (Sense and Sensibility and now Pride and Prejudice), attempting to read them in order of publication.  On Friday, it was the Pride and Prejudice meet up- and so, armed with my Vintage Austen copy of P&P, I spent the entire month re-reading and re-analysing the book.  It has been quite an experience.  Also, luckily, this book meet just about coincided with Austenprose’s ‘Pride and Prejudice without Zombies- Reclaiming the Classic’ event (a re-reading of the original novel), which I have been following with a lot of interest (and has some excellent giveaways you should keep your eyes peeled for on the Austenprose site!).

Tea with the Bennet sisters?

You have to love sitting down with a good book, and a nice cup of tea (or coffee if, y’know, you haven’t had much sleep or something).  So why not do this proper Pride and Prejudice style?  It seems as though the latest literary trend is related crockery… so I’m bringing to you here the best dressed of the Pride and Prejudice themed cups and tea-related goodies so you too can enjoy your Earl Gray or your English Breakfast in true Regency-fan comfort!  (Perhaps even treat your Mum for Mother’s Day?)