Jane Austen, But Make It a Plot Twist with Jananie K. Velu | Book Lounge by Libby

Today, Joe is joined by returning guest Jananie K. Velu for a deep dive into classic femme-driven literature, modern retellings and the authors who are taking familiar stories in exciting new directions. We're talking Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, gothic fiction, feminist reimaginings, romance, queer adaptations and everything in between. How do we relate to the classics today? What makes a retelling feel fresh? And why do these stories continue to inspire authors and readers generations later? Plus, we're bringing you a HUGE stack of recommendations inspired by the classics, from contemporary romance and historical fiction to gothic horror, graphic novels and fantasy. Whether you love the classics or prefer a modern twist, we've got your next read covered! Join the conversation! What's a classic you'd love to see reimagined? And are you a read-the-original-first person or a jump-straight-into-the-retelling reader? Tell us in the comments! Powered by libraries. Made for readers. Find your next read with Libby: https://libbyapp.com Who’s in this episode: Joe – (https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/) Jananie K. Velu – (https://linktr.ee/jananie) Book recommendations: Jananie's picks: Much Ado About Nada – Uzma Jalaluddin (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/9240699) Ayesha At Last – Uzma Jalaluddin (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/4455394) The Earl That Got Away – Diana Quincy (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/10059906) These Violent Delights – Chloe Gong (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/5274796) The Daughter of Doctor Moreau – Silvia Moreno-Garcia (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/7457149) Local Heavens – K. M. Fajardo (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/11804062) The Secret World of Briar Rose – Cindy Pham (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/12347409) A Dowry of Blood – S. T. Gibson (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/8837686) Hungerstone – Kat Dunn (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/10715633) Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrel (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/5067286) The Beautiful Ones – Silvia Moreno-Garcia (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/5704687) Sonali Dev’s The Rajes series Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/4230391) Recipe for Persuasion (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/4907056) Incense and Sensibility (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/5773028) The Emma Project (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/6491097) Nisha Sharma’s If Shakespeare Were an Auntie Series Dating Dr. Dil (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/6056247) Tastes Like Shakkar (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/9255746) Marriage & Masti (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/10295259) Joe's picks: Jane Steele – Lyndsay Faye (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/2462024) The Winters – Lisa Gabriele (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/3802037) Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – Rey Terciero (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/3889480) Dan in Green Gables – Rey Terciero (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/11138536) Northranger – Rey Terciero (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/9160744) The Secret Garden on 81st Street – Ivy Noelle Weir (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/5997138) Recommended Reading – Paul Coccia (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/10576879) Behind Five Willows – June Hur (https://share.libbyapp.com/title/12050172) Time stamps: 00:00:00 Title 00:00:19 Intro 00:01:04 Catching up with Jananie 00:01:30 Talking about classics and reimaginings 00:16:16 Pride, Prejudice & Plot Twists recommendations 00:52:16 Comment Question 00:52:45 Thanks and Outro Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us at (https://www.instagram.com/bookloungepod/) Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at bookloungebylibby@overdrive.com. Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads. Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace. Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: (https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378) Today's featured books: (https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/42363) Happy Reading!