Love Jane Austen? Ever wondered who she was reading? We start with Rebecca Romney's Jane Austen's Bookshelf — a rare-book dealer's search for the eight forgotten women writers who shaped Austen — then read those writers themselves, asking each time: what did Austen borrow, and what did she leave behind? All Austen fans welcome — just bring your curiosity. No prerequisites. Newcomers welcome at any meeting.

We meet in person in Tampa, Florida, at Jimmie B. Keel Regional Library, Community Room C, 2902 W Bearss Ave, Tampa, FL 33618.

First event — meet & greet: Monday, November 30, 2026, 6:00–7:30 PM. No book to finish, no homework — come meet fellow Austen fans and hear the plan for the year.

Regular meetings: second Tuesday of each month, 6:30–8:00 PM, starting Tuesday, January 12, 2027, same venue.

Reading list: January — Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney; February — Evelina by Frances Burney; March — The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe; April — The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox; May — Emmeline by Charlotte Smith; June — Coelebs in Search of a Wife by Hannah More; July — A Simple Story by Elizabeth Inchbald; August — Anecdotes of Samuel Johnson by Hester Piozzi; September — Belinda by Maria Edgeworth.

Contact: alextherese7@gmail.com. Our room holds 25 — please email to save your spot. The club is open to new members.

Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend Discussion

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