For a reader who’s looking for smart, irreverent contemporary fiction…

Eligible is one of my favourite adaptations – of anything! – I’ve ever read. Curtis Sittenfeld (who wrote the bestselling novel Prep) has a sharp tongue, a keen ability for crafting cutting social commentary and a snarky sense of humour – all perfectly suited to a modern adaptation of Austen. Set in suburban Cincinnati, her depiction of the story includes cross-fit, reality TV stars, hate sex, and more.

For the crime reader…

Death Comes to Pemberley is the kind of Austen adaptation that my grandmother enjoyed along with me. P.D. James is a classic crime novelist and delivers a story that is very British and very satisfying. Elizabeth and Darcy, now married and with a son, are preparing for the lavish annual ball at their magnificent Pemberley home. Festivities are brought to an abrupt halt by a murder and the family becomes caught up the ensuing investigation.

For the reluctant teenage reader…

I’m a big fan of “But, what if [insert supernatural elements]?” scenarios and had extremely high expectations for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I wanted to see the whole world turned upside down by this deadly (and let’s face it, gross) addition. Alas, Seth Grahame-Smith’s book is more of a gimmick than satisfying reimagining and I was disappointed. This said, here is perhaps an excellent way of tricking the most reluctant of teenage readers into reading your favourite novel. Especially if they’re fans of The Walking Dead.

For a perfect holiday read..

You’ve probably seen the film adaptation of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jone’s Diary starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. I concede, it is very good, but the book is arguably even better – and I’m not just saying this because I’m contractually obligated to say so as a bookseller. These frank and funny diaries would make excellent reading material for a holiday. Fielding has openly acknowledged that Austen’s classic story inspired her own and Bridget Jone’s Diary has plenty of smart, knowing nods to the original.

For Mr Darcy’s most loyal defender…

Pamela Aidan gives readers the other side of the story in her trilogy which reveals that Fitzwilliam Darcy had a lot more going on inside his head than just brooding and pining. The series includes An Assembly Such as This, Duty and Desire and These Three Remain. Set vividly against the colorful historical and political background of Regency England, Aidan shows how Darcy’s complicated past shaped him and his view of the world.

For anyone who thinks there was much more to Mary Bennet than met the eye…

While I haven’t read Colleen McCullough’s tale of The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet yet, I’ve always been interested Mary and what direction her life may have taken. This story is set 20 years after the events of Pride and Prejudice and envisions Mary as an eccentric, well-educated single lady. Be warned – you might find the future posited by McCullough quite bleak. Lydia has a drinking problem, Jane has given birth to no less than 12 children (:O) and – perhaps most distressing of all, Elizabeth and Darcy’s marriage is reputedly on the rocks.

For the Downton Abbey obsessive…

If you’ve ever wondered about what’s going on ‘downstairs’ in the Bennet household, then Jo Baker’s Longbourn is for you. Here she reimagines the same narrative from the point of view of the servants hall. Readers can expect plenty of intrigue – a mysterious footman, longheld secrets, an even more devious Wickham. And housemaid Sarah is a wonderfully feisty protagonist with a keen sense of humour that will delight: “If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.”

And finally, just because…

Yes. A Guinea Pig Pride & Prejudice is exactly what it sounds like: Pride & Prejudice with all the characters being depicted as fluffy rat-like creatures that many people find adorable. I suspect this may be a perfect gift for some very specific people you may or may not know.

Bronte Coates