Good, Better, Best: Books by Katherine Reay

I thought that for today's Good, Better, Best, I would talk about the seven books by one of my very favorite authors (besides Lewis, Tolkien and Madeleine L'Engle, of course): Katherine Reay. Some of my favorite things about her:

• She writes books with flawed characters. Characters that have several deep flaws, but also shallow ones, so they really. feel. like. people. And don't even get me started on her fabulous character arcs! All of her characters are flawed differently, behave differently, and so on--not one of her characters makes me think "Oh, s/he's like Katherine Reay's other character, x."
• Another thing I appreciate about her is that she's Christian. And while not all of her characters are Christian, God's love makes an appearance in most (if not all) of her books. She also is a fan of C. S. Lewis, and quotes from him appear in several of her books.
• She sets her books in beautiful places--England, Italy, New York--and makes the most of her settings! Her "worldbuilding" is incredibly rich.
• Her books are long! I've never actually held a print copy--I always get them on Kindle--but I'm sure they're quite thick. But it's good, because her arcs are long and complete, and her books always feel satisfying and complete. And purely selfishly, I like that they're long, because I never want to leave the worlds she creates!
• Her "world" is consistent between her books--for instance, Alex Powell's books appear in several of the books!

I've recently come up with a theory that each of her seven books correlates with one of Jane Austen's seven (the original six and Sanditon), so in my Good, Better, Best-ing, I've said which book I think each one 'is'. Of course, it's up for debate, since a couple of them could be more than one, but I found it "highly diverting." 

Good

The Austen Escape 

Interesting that the two books in my "Good" section correlate to the two Austen books I haven't read...but the characters themselves mention how the situation is like Mansfield Park enough that this book is probably that one! This book has a ton of insight into human nature, different people with different flaws, and different problems to solve, character arcs, etc. Some of the most interesting things I noticed on my most recent reread were Mary's observations about Austen's opinion of Marys, and her defense of Isabella Thorpe. I don't like the theme of amnesia/sudden inset memory problems, so that isn't my favorite, and the overall tone always seems a bit wintery and dark to me, but I do enjoy all of the England/Regency fun things. 

Of Literature and Lattes

This one made me think of Sanditon because the end honestly feels unfinished. I mean, I like the book--I love seeing all of the characters from Printed Letter, the continuation from that one of a positive portrayal of a Catholic priest, the character arcs, (also, I believe there was a little girl who was adorable?) but what. happens. with. the. love. story? And the shops, what happens to the shops? Grr...if Katherine Reay is doing this Austen thing on purpose, that's a little far to take the whole "Sanditon" thing. 

Better

The Printed Letter Bookshop

This book is understated, like Persuasion. It also has the autumnal feel, a wise mentor and a bad mother...although she is one of three MCs. One of the cleverest things about this book is the way the POVs are done--each of the MCs narrates from a different type of POV--I believe two of them are first person and one is third, and two of them are past and one is present. It feels a bit strange at first, but it's extremely compelling, especially because it lines up with the way each character thinks about their stories. In terms of small things, there's a positive portrayal of a Catholic priest, which is rare in literature. And also, all the book references were fantastic. Love. 

A Portrait of Emily Price

This book took me awhile to pinpoint, but it's definitely Northanger Abbey. With a short love story, lost of communication problems, a sister who is sort of friends with the heroine, an important church/abbey, and a naïve heroine, it's a ringer. I like this story--the heroine and hero are compelling, I love the Italy and Italian, ALL the family, the FOOD, the art, and the mistakes that the characters make and have to fix. The insta-love was a bit irritating...but it was definitely better done than in most books! 

The Bronte Plot 

Bronte Plot is Emma: a single woman with a fatal flaw who makes so. many. mistakes. because of it. There's even a character who's rather like Harriet and Emma's father rolled into one (I know it sound weird, but she's fantastic). The main character has 'lost' a parent. There are several romantic interests (sort of). There's also a "badly done, Emma", moment, although it comes a lot earlier in the plot. Bronte Plot has a riveting story, and I love all of the parts set in England, but it just doesn't grab me the same way DMK and L&J do. 😊

Best

Dear Mr. Knightley

This one is Pride and Prejudice: witty young women, problems with love, *Spoilers* An actual turn down of a first proposal WITH THE WORDS ELIZABETH BENNET USED KILL ME NOW *End Spoilers*, and lots of letters! But of course, most of the plot is completely different. Since I love Pride and Prejudice, it's probably predictable that this is my favorite Katherine Reay book of ever--it's a hearty beef stew to me, a book that should be read in the fall, preferably with a cup of tea, a blanket, and a rabbit on your lap (yes, we have a lap rabbit. Don't ask.). I love the unpredictability, and the fact that, like The Thief , you have to read it more than once. The setting is fantastic, the characters are all so well rounded, and just, wow. Imo, this is Reay's best book. Also, the main character has my same name, which is a definite plus, and I love the way she relates to the world using books. And the romance...*swoons*

Lizzie & Jane

This one is Sense and Sensibility: sisters with different ideas about the world, some romance but only one focal one (yes, Jane + Peter TOTALLY counts as a romance), sickness and poor romantic communication. Despite my ambivalence about Sense and Sensibility (the middle drags and the end is rushed), this is my second-favorite Katherine Reay book. It's like chicken soup to me, the book that I read when I'm tired/sick/in a reading slump. I love all of the foody-ness, the cooking, the sister relationships, and the fact that it's set in Seattle, close to where I live. Also, Kate, Danny and Matt are the sweetest. 

Have you read anything by Katherine Reay? Who's your favorite author? What books have characters that make you feel like they're real? 

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