We All Need Friends: A History of the Friends of the Worcester Public Library Part 3

The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of our beloved Friends of the Worcester Public Library. Since the American Library Association and libraries throughout the country are celebrating National Friends of Libraries Week from October 18 - 24, 2026, we would like to take you back in time and share the history of our very own Friends! Today's post is the final one in our three-part series and will focus on the various ways in which the Friends raised money to help the library. Here's part one and part two if you missed reading them.

Fundraising Initiatives

Initially, membership dues entirely made up the income that the Friends earned in a given year. Over a decade after the Friends first organized, dues ranged from $2 for individuals to $100 for benefactors. As mentioned in the second part of this blog series, the Friends created a charitable trust for monetary gifts that was used for items such as a scholarship for library staff, but the Friends needed to come up with new ideas to raise money to help the library for additional funding requests. Today's prospective and current Friends members are still able to annual pay dues ranging from $15 to $100 for benefactors.

The Book Festival

The year 1973 brought a new and exciting endeavor for both the Friends and the Worcester Public Library: the library's first book festival! The first book festival had not only music by Summer's World musicians, poetry readings, exhibitions of local books and documents, workshops, and 22 local authors, but also a large book sale. Sales from the book sale totaled approximately $1,100 (nearly $8,300 today with inflation), which was used to expand the Worcester Collection (at that point in library history, the Worcester Collection wasn't housed in a climate controlled and locked Worcester Room like it is today). For the second book festival in 1974, approximately 5,000 people attended and the Friends sold $2,000 worth of books (Worcester Sunday Telegram, September 15, 1974).

"The First Worcester Book Festival,"
Friends of the Worcester Public Library Newsletter, November 1973

Crochet Pattern for Bookworm Bookmarks to be Sold at the Second Annual Book Festival, 1974

Incidentally, the library's first mascot, a bookworm named WhiPpLe (note the three capital letters), made appearances at several of the festivals.

"Festival '74"

Each year the book festival expanded, especially in terms of how many books were available for purchase at the book sale. By 1975, over 20,000 books were available for sale at prices mostly ranging from $0.10 to $0.50. That year, entertainment included clowns from a local club, a replica of the Isaiah Thomas printing press, the Worcester Colonial Bugle Club, a mime show, dramatic readings, poetry readings, and much more (Among Friends, Summer 1975)!

"20,000 Books for Sale," Worcester Sunday Telegram, September 14, 1975

In 1977, the Friends raised about $4,500 by selling 20,000 books and 300 works of art, making it the most successful festival in its first five years of existence. The 1978 sale raised roughly the same amount, with 200 volunteers helping out at the festival and sale!

Getting into a Good Book, Worcester Sunday Telegram, September 11, 1977

"Rain or Shine... Tomorrow," Worcester Evening Gazette, September 15, 1978

Advertisement for the 7th Annual Book Festival, September 15, 1979

The eighth annual book festival in 1980 was a two day event that took place in the YWCA's gymnasium instead of at the library for a couple of reasons, the main reason being that the library's broken steps and walkways outside the building were finally going to be repaired. The annual festival continued to occur at the YWCA until 1984. By that time, the book festivals had become mostly book sales.

The Eighth Annual Book Festival, Worcester Evening Gazette, August 5, 1980

Classified Ad for the 8th Annual Library Book Festival, Worcester Telegram, September 7, 1980

How to Read a Smile, Worcester Sunday Telegram, September 26, 1982

Community Partnering

Of course, the Friends benefited from generosity of the community and Worcester's businesses and organizations, which in turn benefited the library and its patrons. In 1982, the radio station WSRS FM96 and the Galleria at Worcester Center mall opposite the Main Library in downtown Worcester held a book drive to purchase books from community members, which were then sold for a higher amount to benefit the Friends. 

Advertisement for WSRS FM96 & The Galleria's Promotion, Worcester Telegram, April 25, 1982

"Weighty Volumes Paying Off," Worcester Telegram, May 3, 1983.

Businesses became members of the Friends as well, as seen in the below advertisement from the Friends welcoming 13 businesses as members.

Advertisement Welcoming Businesses as Friends, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, June 27, 1994

More Book Sales

After 12 years of annual Friends book sales, the library board voted to allow the Friends to hold monthly book sales in the Banx Room. The sheer number of books and difficulty of transporting and storing all of the unsold books from the annual sale made it necessary for the library and the Friends to find a way to alleviate the logistical burdens. The first of the monthly book sales took place in October 1985. The book sales would eventually happen a couple of times a year and the Friends recently held their fall book sale in connection with our Harvest in the City 2026 block party! They plan to have another book sale in December.

Bookstore

The Friends opened a Books n' Stuff gift shop in December 1992 that sold books, office supplies, and more. Initially the shop was opened 3 days a week and was staffed by volunteers. After the 2001 renovation of the Main Library, the Friends moved their bookstore to the first floor to the left of the parking lot entrance. The Friends would rename their bookstore a couple of times over the years. This bookstore was further renovated in 2006 and then moved to a new location in on the first floor of the library in 2013, where the Friends renamed the bookstore (again) and added a cafe. The Food for Thought Bookstore and Cafe sold food and beverages from Eric's LaPatisserie. The cafe portion closed when the library further renovated and the bookstore moved into a slightly different area of the library, where it became The Friends Bookstore. The Friends Bookstore still operates Tuesday through Saturday and is staffed by volunteers. They are currently looking for additional volunteers if any of you readers are interested! You can stop by the bookstore when they're open or call 508-799-1686. Plus: volunteers get a discount at the bookstore!  

Raising Money for the Renovation and Expansion of the Main Library

In September 1999, the Friends held their first fundraising event for the Worcester Public Library 2001: The New Edition project. Over 200 people attended the dinner and auction at Tilton Hall at Clark University, including the library's former head librarian from 1970-1991, Joseph S. Hopkins. Attendees could bid at the silent or live auctions for prizes such as artwork, tea for two at the Ritz-Carlton, and literary-themed packages.

Advertisement in the Worcester Sunday Telegram Soliciting Donations for the Library 2001: The New Edition Renovation Project, October 3, 1999

Today's Friends

All are welcome to join the Friends of the Worcester Public Library to support the library with a fantastic group of dedicated individuals and organizations (here's the membership form) and currently over 200 people are paid members. Furthermore, the Friends accept donations of gently used books, CDs, DVDs, and puzzles for their Food for Thought Bookstore and larger book sales. See their webpage for more information https://www.mywpl.org/Support-us/Friends.

Sources:

Bock, L. (1999, September 18). "Library Fund-raiser a Real Trip for Some Bidders." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A2.

"Book Lovers Flock to Library Festival." (1974, September 15). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 25A.

"Candidates Back Main Library Renovation." (1997, November 3). Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B2.

"Getting into a Good Book." (1977, September 11). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. D1.

Gourgouras, J.A. (1978, December 6). "Book People." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 34.

Gourgouras, J.A. (1980, August 5). "Eighth Annual Book Festival." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 8.

Griffin, G.B. (1998, February 10). "Library, School Dueling for Dollars." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A1.

"How to Read a Smile." (1982, September 26). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 26A.

Kennedy, H. (1975, Summer). Among Friends, 11(1). 

Kennedy, H. (1973, November). The First Worcester Book Festival. Friends of the Worcester Public Library Newsletter. 9(5).

"Library 'Friends' Become Tax Exempt." (1979, March 25). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 31A.

"Library Friends to Hold Book Festival Saturday." (1973, September 9). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 31A.

"Library to Have Monthly Book Sale." (1985, January 27). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 33A.

"Library Lists Book Festival." (1973, August 26). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 8D.

"The Library's Friends." (1956, January 15). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. A6.

"Library's Friends Celebrate 25th Year." (1981, April 1). Worcester Telegram, p. 13.

Monro, J.P. (1977, October 23). "Worcester Review Widens Outlook." Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 6E.

"Panel Backs Sale of Stubbs Works." (1979, May 1). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 24.

"Rain or Shine... Tomorrow." (1978, September 15). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 9.

Sullivan, K. (2006, January 22). "Worcester Library Friends Make a Difference." Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. B4.

"20,000 Books for Sale." (1975, September 14). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. D1.

"Weighty Volumes Paying Off." (1983, May 3). Worcester Telegram, p. 12A.

We All Need Friends: A History of the Friends of the Worcester Public Library Part 2

The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of our beloved Friends of the Worcester Public Library. Since the American Library Association and libraries throughout the country are celebrating National Friends of Libraries Week from October 18 - 24, 2026, we would like to take you back in time and share the history of our very own Friends! As we previously wrote in the first post of this three-part series (see part one here), the Friends aid the library through advocacy, raising money through membership fees and fundraising events, and sponsoring programs and library items that the library's budget does not fund. Today's post will focus on the many ways that the Friends have sponsored library programs, initiatives, and equipment over the years. 

Sponsoring Programs and Initiatives

Enriching the Community through Sponsored Programs

The Friends helped the library by presenting and sponsoring programs for patrons including concerts, lectures, workshops, story times, craft programs, performances (including theatrical performances, jugglers, and puppet shows), and film series on a variety of subjects and interests. For instance, in 1972, the Friends hosted an event featuring six recently published Worcester county authors. 

"Area Writers Discuss Their Books and Jobs." Worcester Telegram, January 17, 1972

During the George Stubbs art controversy, the Friends sponsored a talk on the artist by a librarian of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Speaking of the Stubbs art controversy, in 1979, the executive board of the Friends unanimously agreed that the library should sell the artwork because the library would be better served by the proceeds of the sale than by the actual drawings.

Advertisement for Lecture on George Stubbs by Constance-Anne Parker, October 23, 1978

With the help of the Friends' donation of an Apple II computer, the Children's Department was able to start a computer club in 1981 for children ages 6 to 12 at the Main Library. Members of the club were be required to train newer members (Worcester Evening Gazette, July 6, 1981).

In 1988, the Friends and the Children's Room co-sponsored an author visit by Lois Lowry! At this point in her career, she was known for her Anastasia series and her award-winning book, Rabble Starkey.

Your Worcester Public Library Newsletter, April 1988

When the Main Library closed for the renovations and decamped to their temporary location on Fremont Street in 1999, the Friends continued to sponsor library programs at the new location.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette, March 2, 2000

As part of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Friends, in 2006 the Friends sponsored a children's author event featuring Shrewsbury author April Jones Prince that was followed by a craft inspired by the art of illustrator Giles Laroche.

"The Write Stuff," Worcester Telegram, September 22, 2006.

In 2007, the Frances Perkins Branch celebrated the fifth anniversary of its You Are the Artist (YATA) summer art exhibit, featuring artwork by local children. The Friends sponsored the framing of the artworks and related costs (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, July 13, 2007).

The Friends continue to sponsor library programs throughout the year, especially ones with paid presenters and instructors. 

Sponsoring Library Initiatives

The Friends would also help fund certain library initiatives, including a 1968 pilot program in which $500 worth of paperback books would be distributed throughout the library in unconventional places such as bars, laundromats, stores, and barber shops to encourage reading. These books would have library markings but there would not be a loan policy or even an requirement to return the books, because the potential increase of new readers and library users would outweigh the cost of these paperback books (Worcester Telegram, October 9, 1968). According to the Friends' Summer 1969 edition of their newsletter, "The first deposits of books are now nearly depleted, and area residents are enjoying easy access books in their homes this summer thanks to the generosity of the Friends."

One of the Locations for the Paperback Book Lending Initiative, Friends Newsletter, Summer 1969

Most recently, the Friends took part in the library's Library Card Sign-Up Month in September 2026. For every new Worcester Public Library card issued, the Friends donated $1 to support the Worcester Animal Rescue League (up to $1,000). Plus: each new library card holder received a coupon for $2 off the Friends Bookstore (more about the bookstore in our next blog post in this series).

Flyer for WPL's Library Card Sign-Up Month, September 2026

Contests!

Who doesn't want to enter contests to win prizes? In addition to sponsoring programs and initiatives to support reading, the Friends sponsored essay writing contests like the 1971 "What a Book Means to Me" contest below.

Essay Contest Winners, Worcester Telegram, May 7, 1971

The Friends also offered bookmark design contests, including a summer bookmark contest on the theme of "friendship and the significance of books in a young person's life" for ages 5-16 in 1973 (Worcester Sunday Telegram, June 17, 1973). The winners were featured at the Friends Book Festival held that September. Another bookmark contest was held in 1976 on the theme of "Reading is..." and gift certificates for books were awarded to the winners.

Some of the Winning Bookmarks circa 1973

Bookmark Contest Winners, Friends of the Worcester Public Library Newsletter, November 1973

In 1977, the Friends sponsored a bookplate design contest for books in the children's room collection and two students from Chandler Junior High School won. Later that year, the Friends sponsored an amateur photography contest, where contestants could use "nonadjustable, instant-type" cameras to compete in the black and white or color categories. However, since only one person entered for the black and white category, no prizes were awarded for that category.

The Friends sponsored a contest that began in connection with the eighth annual book festival in the fall of 1980. The "Great Give a Hoot Contest" was intended to name the two library owl statues that still perch on the walls of the Main Library. The library awarded prizes to winners of three age groups, as well as a special prize to one winner. Fourteen-year-old Patrick Holland won the special prize with the names "Whooo" and "Whoom." Each of the three age group winners won a $20 gift certificate for books, and Patrick also won a framed print of an Albrecht Durer drawing of an owl. We've previously written about the contest and the owls in one of our blog posts. 

Application Form for The Great Give a Hoot Contest, 1980

"He Gave a Hoot - And Won," Worcester Evening Gazette, November 8, 1980

A more recent contest sponsored by the Friends was a "Toast to the Worcester Public Library" essay writing contest in 2005, where contestants wrote about why they love their library in 25 words or less. Six winners from each of the three library branches (Main, Frances Perkins Branch, and Great Brook Valley Branch) won a loaf of bread baked by Mrs. Mack's Bakery.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Friends in 2006, the Friends announced a bookmark design contest for middle schoolers as part of a year-long celebration of the organization. The winner received a gift certificate and their design was printed on bookmarks.

The Nickelsen Murals

As we mentioned in a previous blog post, the Friends were instrumental in raising the $1200 needed to bring Ralf Nickelsen's WPA murals to the Worcester Public Library where they were hung after being restored in 1972. The three panels are still on the walls of the Main Library today.

"Farming in the Worcester Region" by Ralf Nickelsen

The Banx Room and Al Banx Day

Several years after beloved Worcester cartoonist James Albert Banks, more commonly known in the world of comics and the Worcester newspapers as "Al Banx," died in 1967, the Friends advocated to name the Worcester Public Library's Conference Room A the Al Banx Room. They also created a committee to plan a day that would honor the late cartoonist. In February 1974, the library board voted on the proposal by the Friends to rename the conference room and to exhibit some of the original Banx cartoons. The tribute to Al Banx on April 27, 1964, featured slide presentations of some of the Banx cartoons, recorded comments in tribute to Banx and his works, and of course, the dedication of the newly renamed space. You can read more about Al Banx in our previous blog post.

Al Banx: Everybody's Cartoonist publication printed for Al Banx Day, 1974

Come in - It's Cool, and Other Ways to Make Library Staff and Patrons Happy

In addition to advocating for the library and related reading initiatives, as well as sponsoring programs at the library, the Friends helped make the library a more welcoming experience for its staff and patrons in a variety of ways. For instance: the Friends helped pay for an air conditioner at the Main South branch in 1977, which was installed in the middle of a heatwave. According to the Worcester Telegram, "'Come in - It's Cool' was the timely boast of a sign in the window there" (July 21, 1977). 

In 1978, the Friends sponsored the repainting of the bookmobile and the installation of its public address system (Worcester Evening Gazette, April 15, 1978). Furthermore, in the same year the Friends helped purchase "book bags for delivery of material to nursing homes and jails..., a small refrigerator for staff use, a window fan for the Tatnuck branch, [and] a portable sound system for the children's room" (Worcester Evening Gazette, December 6, 1978). Over the years, the Friends would also fund a piano, a puppet theatre for the children's room, furniture for the Banx and Saxe Rooms (including $16,500 worth of chairs during the 1988 renovation of those two rooms), and more. Below are some of the items that the Friends gifted to the library in the year preceding July 1980, including the purchase of accessibility technology for communicating with Deaf patrons, stuffed animals, cushions for story hour, and plants (Among Friends, July 1980).

Excerpt from "Friendly Gestures: Gifts to the Library from the Friends," Among Friends, July 1980

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Friends of the Worcester Public Library, the Friends announced that they would contribute to the renovation and partial replacement of the Saxe Room's sound system. During that anniversary in 1981, the Friends celebrated with piano music, cake, and reminiscences of their history. In that year, the Friends funded the $4,900 air conditioning unit for the newly renovated Tatnuck Branch.

In June 1995, the Friends helped fund a CD-ROM project for children, which at that time was an incredibly exciting technological innovation for all of you readers who aren't sure what a CD-ROM is! The program was designed to encourage reading with interactive books for young readers on CD-ROM as well as provide information from reference sources such as a Grolier multimedia encyclopedia. 

"Library Unveils CD-ROM Program," Worcester Telegram & Gazette, June 17, 1995

A couple of months later, the library announced that the Friends had funded another 13 new computer workstations in the building to the tune of $50,000! These computers would allow patrons to access the internet, do business research, locate people's phone numbers and addresses using the Nynex Fast Track database (basically an upgraded electronic phone book), and even work on their family tree.

Museum Passes

One of the other ways in which the Friends supported the library was that they purchased (and continue to purchase) museum passes for library patrons to borrow. Initially, the Friends acquired passes for the New England Science Center and then the Higgins Armory (Worcester Sunday Telegram, August 1, 1993). As of today's post, the Friends currently make passes available for a dozen Worcester and New England attractions. Our Museum pass page on our website has more information about the current passes. 

The Give and Take Bookshelf

As we mentioned earlier in our post, the Friends were dedicated to encouraging reading, whether or not the readers actually visited the library. A new initiative took place based on the suggestion of one Friends member. Starting in 2012, train and bus riders could grab a free book from "The Give and Take" bookshelf at Union Station, which was stocked with books donated by the Friends as well as books donated by riders. Nicole Apostola came up with the idea after learning about other groups that started similar projects (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, March 19, 2012).  

"Books Keep Commuters' Minds on Track," Worcester Telegram & Gazette, March 19, 2012

Benefiting Library Staff

In 1967 the Friends created a charitable trust to encourage gifts that would fund worthwhile projects such as a scholarship for library staff members who wanted to study Library Science. The first recipient of the $600 scholarship for tuition and books was Leonard A. Lucas, a library aide, who was taking graduate evening classes to get his degree in Library Science (Worcester Sunday Telegram, January 8, 1967).

In Conclusion

So now you know some of the ways in which the Friends have helped the library, its staff, and its patrons but you'll have to check in for the next post where we will share how the Friends raised money to pay for all of these programs and projects!

Sources:

"Banx, Saxe Rooms Rededicated." (1988, October 23). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 35A.

"Bookmobile Repair." (1978, April 15). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 11.

"Bulletin Board." (2000, March 2). Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B1.

"Contest Winners Announced." (1977, August 10). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 23..

"Essay Contest Winners." (1971, May 7). Worcester Telegram, p. 17.

"Fletcher Street Teen Wins 'Great Give a Hoot Contest.'" (1980, November 6). Worcester Telegram, p. 37.

Foskett, Jr., S.H. (2012, March 19). "Books Keep Commuters' Minds on Track." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A3.

"Friendly Gestures: Gifts to the Library from the Friends." (1980, July). Among Friends, p. 1.

"Friends of Library to Mark 25th Anniversary Tuesday." (1981, March 29). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 24A.

"Front to Break Big Heat Wave." (1977, July 21). Worcester Telegram, p. 1.

Gourgouras, J.A. (1978, December 6). "Book People." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 34.

Griffin, G.B. (1998, February 10). "Library, School Dueling for Dollars." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A1.

Hastings, B. (1972, January 17). "Area Writers Discuss Their Books and Jobs." Worcester Telegram, p. 13.

"I Love Library' Theme for Essays." (2005, January 24). Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B2.

Kalaus, E. (1995, June 17). "Library Unveils CD-ROM Program." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A2.

"Library to Begin Computer Club." (1981, July 6). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 16.

"Library Bookplate Design Winners." (1977, July 8). Worcester Telegram, p. 4E.

"Library Friends Give Scholarship." (1967, January 8). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 10C.

"Library Friends List Bookmark Contest." (1973, June 17). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. D1.

"Library Group Plans Contest for Youths." (1976, March 25). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

"Library Group Plans Honor for Late T&G Columnist." (1973, December 14). Worcester Telegram, p. 27.

"Library Group Sponsoring Photo Contest." (1977, June 13). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 14.

"Library Project Wins Approval." (1968, October 9). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

"Library Room Honors Cartoonist." (1974, February 13). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 12.

"The Library's Friends." (1956, January 15). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. A6.

"Library's Friends Celebrate 25th Year." (1981, April 1). Worcester Telegram, p. 13.

McDonald, C. (1995, November 27). "Library Goers Spinning Over Disks. Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B1.

Monro, J.P. (1977, October 23). "Worcester Review Widens Outlook." Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 6E.

"Panel Backs Sale of Stubbs Works." (1979, May 1). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 24.

"Pay Study Planned at Library." (1962, December 6). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 25.

"Public Library Friends Organized, 80 Attend." (1956, January 12). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

"Rain or Shine... Tomorrow." (1978, September 15). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 9.

Sheehan, N. (2007, July 13). "YATA! Shows Kids' Artistic Streak." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. E1.

Sheehan, N. (2006, September 22). "The Write Stuff." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. C1.

"6 Students Win Books at Library." (1962, April 14). Worcester Telegram, p. 22

"Stubbs' Art Talk Planned." (1978, October 22). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 36A.

Sullivan, K. (2006, January 22). "Worcester Library Friends Make a Difference." Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. B4.

"Tatnuck Library Making a Move." (1981, November 12). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 17.

Tubert, J. (1980, September 11). "You Can Get Wise with the Owls?" Worcester Telegram, p. 9.

"Worcester Library Showcases Technology." (1995, November 6). Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B2.

Jane Austen Readalikes, Adaptations, and Retellings

Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen's debut novel, gets a little less fanfare then her more famous Pride and Prejudice (often celebrated for shaping the modern romantic comedy!), perhaps because it was originally published anonymously. The story centers on the Dashwood family: the newly widowed Mrs. Dashwood moves her now-destitute family to a cottage in the country, where her daughters vie for suitors to make a love match. 

Austen's beautifully balanced sentences, lovely prose, well-drawn characters, and details of life in the Georgian era combine with her signature sharp satire, droll wit, dry humor to keep her works perennial favorites, often imitated by modern authors--and directors! Sense and Sensibility was adapted for film in 1995, starring such luminaries as Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman. A new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Catriona Balfe, releases in theatres October 16, 2026.

Whether you love the formality of Regency-era courtships, or are just a sucker for a good, dramatic love story, read on for a list of suggested Austen readalikes, adaptations, and retellings.

Make sure to check out WPL's Reader's Corner for more book suggestions!

The Originals

Emma by Jane Austen 🌶️
Beautiful, clever, rich--and single--Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee, Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 🌶️
When Catherine Morland is taken to Bath to "come out" in society, she meets Henry Tilney, a young clergyman, and his sister. They are the children of the eccentric General Tilney, who when he meets Catherine believes her to be wealthier than she is and arranges for her to visit his house in Gloucestershire -- Northanger Abbey -- to entice her into marriage with Henry. When Catherine learns that the General's wife has been dead for some years, she becomes convinced that the General must have murdered her.

Persuasion by Jane Austen 🌶️
When Anne Elliot was nineteen, she fell in love with the ambitious naval officer Frederick Wentworth; the pair were quickly engaged. As the daughter of a baronet, however, Anne was persuaded by her family to end the imprudent relationship. Now, seven years later, Sir Walter Elliot's lavish spending has jeopardized the family fortune, while Wentworth has risen through the ranks to become a wealthy and distinguished captain. When fate brings them together again, their feelings are unchanged--but will they reconcile?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 🌶️
Human foibles and early nineteenth-century manners are satirized in this romantic tale of English country family life as Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters are encouraged to marry well in order to keep the Bennet estate in their family.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 🌶️
Two sisters, one practical and conventional and the other emotional and sentimental, set their sights on men who will perfectly match their disparate personalities, with unexpected results.

Readalikes

Belvoir's Library series by Alexandra Vasti

1. Ne'er Duke Well 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
   Peter Kent-newly inherited Duke of Stanhope and recently of New Orleans, Louisiana-must become respectable. Between his radical politics and the time he interrupted a minor royal wedding with a flock of sheep-not his fault!-he's developed a scandalous reputation at odds with his goal of becoming guardian to his half siblings. For help, he turns to the cleverest and most managing woman of his acquaintance, Lady Selina Ravenscroft. Selina is society's most proper debutante, save one tiny secret: she runs an erotic circulating library for women.
2. Earl Crush 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
   Wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has corresponded with the reclusive Earl of Strathrannoch for three years. When she learns of his financial troubles, she travels to Scotland to propose a marriage of convenience: to herself. However, she discovers that the real Earl, Arthur, has no idea who she is; his brother has been impersonating him in their letters. Though he has no desire for a wife, Arthur must track down his brother, now tangled in British espionage. He reluctantly accepts Lydia’s help and, as they grow closer, and his brother’s mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe - even his heart.
3. Ladies in Hating 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
   Celebrated authoress Lady Georgiana Cleeve has achieved fame and fortune. Unfortunately, she’s also acquired an enemy: the enigmatic Lady Darling, whose spine-tingling plots appear to be pulled straight from Georgiana’s own manuscripts. What’s a stubborn, steely writer to do? Unmask her rival, of course. But unmasking doesn’t go according to plan—because Lady Darling is actually Cat Lacey, the butler’s daughter and object of Georgiana’s very secret, very embarrassing teenage infatuation.

Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Starring the fascinating members of the Bridgerton family, these England-based Regency romances feature a heady melange of humor, wit, and smoking-hot passion. Watch fiery aristocrats hatch elaborate plots and delve into dark secrets while pursuing their hearts' desire. The series' well-developed secondary characters and limpid prose add complexity to the lives and loves of the beautiful people of the 1800s.

Just For The Season by Rachel Griffiths 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Lady Charlotte Louisa Aveton knows all of London’s rules, and better yet, knows how to break them. But when she takes it too far and stumbles into a serious scandal, she knows only one thing will save her—marriage, as soon as possible. With only one summer to pick a husband, Charlotte invites all of England’s most eligible bachelors to an extravagant summer retreat at a country manor house. There’s a brooding artist, a wickedly handsome Russian prince, and one of the richest men in all of Europe...so why do her eyes keep sliding over to the Duke of Warrick, the only man who’s ever come close to breaking her heart? Does Charlotte’s summer of suitors have any room for second chances?

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall 🌶️🌶️🌶️
When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognizes her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become. As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.

The Matchmaker's List by Sonya Lalli 🌶️

Navigating a series of disastrous dates, Raina Anand attempts to balance her Indian-immigrant community's expectations with her personal idea of modern romance.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 🌶️
Through the story of Margaret Hale, the middle-class southerner who moves to the northern industrial town of Milton, Gaskell skilfully explores issues of class and gender in the conflict between Margaret's ready sympathy with the workers and her growing attraction to the charismatic mill owner, John Thornton.

A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell 🌶️🌶️🌶️
When an aspiring archaeologist teams up with her childhood enemy for a treasure hunt, they find it impossible to bury their growing feelings, in this charming queer historical romance.

Sisters of Fortune by Esther Levy Chehebar 🌶️
The Cohen sisters are at a crossroads. Nina, the eldest, is disillusioned with the tight-knight community she and her sisters were raised in. Fortune, the middle sister, is the center of attention as her wedding approaches, bringing with it pressures and hopes for the future. Lucy, the youngest, is a senior at her yeshiva high school, and recently started sneaking around with a mysterious older bachelor. As Fortune gets closer and closer to standing below the chuppah, the three sisters find themselves in a tug of war between tradition and modernity, balancing what their community wants against what they want for themselves...

Adaptations & Retellings

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 🌶️

A modern Muslim adaptation of Pride and Prejudice finds a reluctant teacher who would avoid an arranged marriage setting aside her literary ambitions before falling in love with her perpetually single cousin's infuriatingly conservative fiance.

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tess Bright just scored her dream role starring in an adaptation of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. But one thing is standing in Tess's way-well, one very tall, annoyingly handsome person, actually: Hugh Balfour. Sparks fly, but not in the way Tess hoped, when an electrical accident sends the two feuding co-stars back in time to Jane Austen's era.

 

The Bennet Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi 🌶️
Welcome to Bennet House, the only all-women’s dorm at prestigious Longbourn University, home to three close friends who are about to have an eventful year. EJ is an ambitious Black engineering student. Her best friend, Jamie, is a newly out trans woman studying French and theatre. Tessa is a Filipina astronomy major with guy trouble. For them, Bennet House is more than a residence—it’s an oasis of feminism, femininity, and enlightenment. But as great as Longbourn is for academics, EJ knows it can be a wretched place to find love.

The Austens series by Debra White Smith

1. First Impressions 🌶️
   A modern tale loosely based on Pride and Prejudice finds lawyer Eddi Boswick landing a part in a local theater production opposite an unlikely but attractive leading man who hides a difficult secret.
2. Reason and Romance🌶️
   Sisters Elaina and Anna Woods face important decisions about love when Anna begins an impulsive romance with Willis Kenney and sensible Elaina finally gives in to her feelings for Ted Farris.

Colonel Brandon’s Diary by Amanda Grange 🌶️
A retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman 🌶️

While executive Emily questions her choices about her career and a long-distance relationship with a successful man, her environmental activist sister, Jessamine, struggles with her own doubts about her beliefs and love affair.

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James 🌶️
Pemberley is thrown into chaos after Elizabeth Bennett's disgraced sister Lydia arrives and announces that her husband Wickham has been murdered.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld 🌶️🌶️
In this modern day retelling of Pride & Prejudice, three sisters return to their childhood home in Cincinatti when their father has a health scare. Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane's fortieth birthday fast approaches. Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible...

Introducing Mrs. Collins by Rachel Parris 🌶️

Charlotte Lucas has never been a romantic. Practical to a fault, she accepted Mr. Collins's proposal with clear eyes and a steady heart, trading passion for security. Life at Hunsford Parsonage may be quiet and predictable, but it is hers to manage--and she's determined to make the best of it, whatever her friend Elizabeth Bennet may think. That is, until an unexpected guest at nearby Rosings Park turns Charlotte's careful world on its head. He sees her, challenges her, and a spark is lit.

Jane Austen Takes The South series by Mary Jane Hathaway

1. Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits  🌶️
   This hilarious Southern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice tells the story of two hard-headed Civil war historians who find that first impressions can be deceiving.
2. Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili-Slaw Dogs 🌶️
   A new and comical contemporary take on the perennial Jane Austen classic, Emma.
3. Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread 🌶️
   A lively Southern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, featuring Lucy Crawford, who is thrown back into the path of her first love while on a quest to save her beloved family home.

Jane In Love by Rachel Givney 🌶️
Searching for a radical solution to a lifetime of spinsterhood, Jane Austen is accidentally transported 200 years into the future onto a Hollywood film set of Northanger Abbey.

Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge 🌶️
This hip contemporary romance combines Jane Austen-inspiration and foodie fiction in a witty and engaging tale of two sisters who are forced to uproot to unfamiliar Austin, Texas, after high rent and broken relationships force them away from their San Francisco life.

Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen's Unsung Characters 
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
In honor of her 250th birthday, eight authors have come together with wildly imaginative reboots of the lives of several of Jane Austen’s minor characters. Written with plenty of love and wit, these clever stories star everyone from Pride and Prejudice’s snobbish Caroline Bingley to the modern descendant of Sense and Sensibility’s Eliza Williams and much more. Blurring genres and taking us across the oceans, Ladies in Waiting is a heartfelt celebration of Jane Austen and her timeless masterpieces.

Ladies of the House: A Modern Retelling of Sense and Sensibility by Lauren Edmondson 🌶️
Daisy struggles to keep her family intact amid a scandal involving her father.

Longbourn by Jo Baker 🌶️🌶️
In a story that runs parallel to the events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Longbourn examines the lives of the Bennet family's household servants, whose days are spent laying fires, cooking meals, emptying chamber pots, changing linens, and performing other domestic tasks. All are content with (or at least resigned to) their lot in life--save for housemaid Sarah, whose restlessness is exacerbated by the unexpected arrival of mysterious new manservant, James Smith.

Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno 🌶️

An A-list movie star moves to Los Angeles--next door to a family of five eligible sisters--in this irresistible novel where The Kardashians meets Pride and Prejudice.

Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson 🌶️🌶️
Zoe Knight, a struggling romance writer, has sworn off men for good. She now curbs her loneliness with the help of the best book boyfriends in literature -- and there is no better man than Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy. So when she stumbles into a classic London bookshop and argues with the annoyingly attractive store owner, Nick, who refuses to sell romance novels, she decides to liberate him of a dusty copy of Pride and Prejudice abandoned on a top shelf. But this is no ordinary book. After reading from the pages, Zoe finds she has accidentally summoned the Mr. Darcy to the real world.

Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller 🌶️
Join Jane Austen fan Olivia Bennett on a romantic adventure in the English countryside, where settling for anything less than Mr. Darcy would be unacceptable.

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow 🌶️
A reimagining of the story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice spinster, Mary Bennet, finds her navigating limited cultural expectations before embracing her intellectual identity and making her own choices about her future.

The Pemberley Chronicles: A Companion Volume to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Rebecca Ann Collins 🌶️
First in a series. A continuation of the story of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice begins after the wedding of Elizabeth and Darcy and follows their relationship and that of Jane and Bingley, as they cope with the changes, joys, and tragedies in their lives.

Pride by Ibi Zoboi 🌶️
In a timely update of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, critically acclaimed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic.

Pride & Preston Lin by Christina Hwang Dudley 🌶️
Lissie is the middle of three sisters, orphaned and taken in by their aunt and uncle. Both she and her older sister, Jenny, work in the family restaurant while pursuing their education and career dreams. When Lissie accidentally serves a dish containing shellfish paste to an allergic customer, she runs afoul of the wealthy Lin family. Their golden boy, Preston, star swimmer and Stanford Ph.D. student, is as handsome as he is self-righteous. Lissie hates him and everything he stands for, but circumstances keep bringing them together. Can she overcome her pride and her initial misgivings about Preston Lin and his condescending mother? Will these enemies turn into lovers?

Pride and Prejudice in Space by Alexis Lampley 🌶️
Firefly meets a Regency-era retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice--perfect for fans of the classic romance novel, Zombies, and Amie Kaufman's The Illuminae Files. 

The Rajes series by Sonali Dev

1. 
   Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors 🌶️🌶️🌶️
   A neurosurgeon from a politically ambitious immigrant family clashes with a talented dessert chef who would prove he is more than his pedigree.
2. Recipe for Persuasion 🌶️🌶️🌶️
   Chef Ashna Raje thinks that joining the cast of Cooking with the Stars will help save her restaurant and prove to her mother that she's not a failure, but when she's paired with her first love, Rico Silva, the kitchen begins to heat up.
3. Incense and Sensibility  🌶️🌶️🌶️
   An Indian American twist to Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility in this delightful retelling that is a feast for the senses.
4. The Emma Project🌶️🌶️🌶️
   Emma gets a fresh Indian-American twist from award-winning author Sonali Dev in her heartwarmingly irresistible Jane Austen inspired rom com series.

Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope 🌶️
A modern retelling of the Jane Austen classic follows the Dashwood sisters--Elinor, Marianne and Margaret--as they, after the death of their father, must come to terms with the cruelties of life without the status of their country house, the protection of the family name or the comfort of an inheritance.

Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

There’s never a good time to learn you are your father’s secret child--especially not at the reading of his will. With their father’s affairs laid bare and Nora’s sensible reputation in tatters due to a viral video scandal, she and her free-spirited sister have nothing left but a rustic inn in the middle of nowhere and each other. What’s more, they need to revamp the inn before Labor Day or they lose it all.

 

The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine 🌶️

A modern tale inspired by Sense and Sensibility finds financially strapped literary sisters Miranda and Annie moving in with divorcee Betty in a run-down Connecticut beach cottage, where they find love among the suburban aristocracy.

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod 🌶️🌶️
Jane Austen meets Bridgerton in this sapphic romance between Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet that begins four years after the end of Pride and Prejudice.

Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal 🌶️
This retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan features scene-by-scene recreations will delight Janeites, but the setting also provides both humor and thought-provoking insight into Pakistani culture.

The Wallflower series by Lisa Kleypas  🌶️🌶️🌶️
Four young ladies at the side of the ballroom make a pact to help each other find husbands . . . no matter what it takes.

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Note: The chili peppers denote the steaminess, or spice level, of the book's romantic/intimate elements; visit https://www.romance.io/steamrating for the key.