Boston Austen Book Club

The Boston Austen Book Club (BABC) is a book club dedicated to reading Jane Austen, work inspired by her books, reference works to enhance understanding of Austen’s novels, biographies of the author, and other related work. 

Get info on the most current Boston Austen Book Club meeting by clicking the BABC Event Info:

babc event info

BABC FAQ

How Do I Join the Online Meeting that Is Occurring Right Now?

When there is a scheduled meeting, click that “BABC Event Info” button up there and it will take you to the latest blog post with the meeting info.

What Is the Boston Austen Book Club?

The mission of the BABC is to bring together Greater-Boston-area* fans of Jane Austen for lively discussions about her work and those works inspired by Jane. It is “Book Nerd Nirvana!”  

*For the time being, we are meeting remotely, so if you are not in the area and interested in joining us, you are welcome to do so!

When Do You Meet?

We meet once a season (not monthly). Local members come from Boston, Metrowest, North Shore, South Shore, Cape Cod, South Coast, and Rhode Island. Since we switched to meeting via Zoom or Webex, people from all over have joined us.

How Do You Join the Book Club?

Membership is open to anyone interested. All you have to do is read the books and join the meeting. So feel free to join us any time! If you’re on Facebook, follow the “Boston Austen Book Club” page to get the latest information.

Where Do You Meet?

For the time being, we meet over Zoom or Webex.

When there wasn’t a global plague, our meetings were at the Pleasant Cafe in the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, MA, where you can eat the official Best Pizza in Pizza. (Yes, it’s better than Santarpio’s!) Parking is available in the lot across the street from the Pleasant. The Pleasant is also accessible by Commuter Rail (Roslindale stop), Orange Line (when it’s actually running, take the Forest Hills then a walk), and several bus lines with varying walking distances depending on the number bus you take. 

Who Runs the Boston Austen Book Club? 

Bridget Eileen runs the Boston Austen Book Club. Contact me via email at thenotebookwitch@gmail.com. (Please use “Boston Austen Book Club” or similar in the title, so I know you are not phishing!)

How Do I Get More Information about the Boston Austen Book Club?

I Am a Published Jane Austen Author and I Would Like to Recommend My Book

Neat-o! We love meeting authors and discussing their work! Send an email to Bridget Eileen with info about yourself and your book and we will look into adding it to one of our upcoming titles for discussion. Thank YOU for your interest in us.

What does Jane Austen have to do with modern witchcraft and modern paganism?

Hmmmm. Let me consult my Jane Austen Tarot Deck for an answer to this one…

The cards say: nothing intrinsically! It’s just that this is my website and so this is where I am housing all my literary endeavors as a result.

I’ll tell you what though, there is something magic about the work of Jane Austen and the centuries-long-lasting community her legacy has built throughout the years. And personally, the insights I gain from reading Austen and work related to her are spiritually meaningful to me. So there’s that.

Boston Austen Book Club Titles to Date

  • Fall 2017 – Shapard’s Annotated Sense and Sensibility
  • Winter 2018 – Longbourn by Jo Baker
  • Spring 2018 – Annotated Persuasion ed Robert Morrison
  • Summer 2018 – Dancing with Mr Darcy, introduction by Sarah Waters
  • Fall 2018 – Jane Austen the Secret Radical by Dr Helena Kelly
  • Winter 2019 – Shapard’s Annotated Mansfield Park
  • Spring 2019 – A Year of Pride and Prejudice: Annotated Pride and Prejudice, edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks (and compiled by my friend Heather Hughes, who said these Harvard University Press annotations were a pain to put together but I assured her that her work was quite beloved by Janeites!)
  • Summer 2019 – A Year of Pride and Prejudice: Bridget Jones’s Diary and Bridge Jones: the Edge of Reason
  • Fall 2019 – A Year of Pride and Prejudice: Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal
  • Winter 2019/Spring 2020 – A Year of Pride and Prejudice, series finale – ‘P&P Comes to Young America’ Double Feature: Pride by Ibi Zoboi and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube
  • Summer/Fall 2020 – Emma (any version)
  • Winter 2020 – Jane Austen Birthday Bash, Dec 16 – Jane Austen, A Life by Claire Tomalin
  • Spring 2021 – Jane Austen for Dummies
  • Summer 2021 (makeup session; took place in October) – The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet WITH Author Katherine Cowley
  • Fall 2021 – Northanger Abbey (any edition)
  • Winter 2021 – Jane Austen Birthday Bash, Dec 16 – A Darcy Christmas, various authors
  • Spring 2022 – Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev
  • Spring 2022 Special Event – Author Talk with Sonali Dev and BABC’s Bridget Eileen, sponsored by Ashland Public Library and MassBay Library
  • Summer 2022 – Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners by Therese O’Neill
  • Fall 2022 – Lady Susan, any edition
  • Winter 2022 – Jane Austen Birthday Bash, Dec 16 – Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron
  • Spring 2023 June 3- Jane Austen’s Letter’s edited by Deirdre LaFaye (either newest or second newest edition)
  • Summer 2023 (early-mid September) – Sense and Sensibility: An Annotated Edition, edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks (and formatted by my friend, poet Heather Hughes; thanks, Heather!!!)

Bridget Eileen runs the Boston Austen Book Club.