Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Melinda Taub’s The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, which is out now.

In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .

Full of enchantment, intrigue, danger, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice—while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.

Loading…

Taking too long?

Reload document

| Open in new tab

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch’ by Melinda Taub appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Melinda! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! I’m Melinda, and I live in Brooklyn, New York. I used to write for a TV show called Full Frontal With Samantha Bee. Now I write books and walk my dog a lot.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

Do you guys know what a Trapper Keeper is? Oh, man, they were SO important. They were these sort of binders with lots of pockets and a Velcro closure, and any primary schooler who was anyone had to have one. I got one as a gift when I was six (palm tree cover) and was so awed by the occasion that I flopped right down on the floor and wrote a story in it. It was about the sun and the moon getting in a fight because they each wanted to rule the day and the night. I wouldn’t say I loved writing back then, but that was my first experience with feeling like I HAD to do it. So no, parents, the generic version of the school supplies AREN’T as good as the swanky name-brand version your kid’s begging for.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

1. Dancing Shoes, Noel Streatfeild.
2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Douglas Adams.
3. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley. (Did she know? Did she know the monster’s pain was her pain from her father’s rejection? Was that deliberate, or did her hurt bleed through unconsciously into her writing?)

Your latest novel, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, is out October 3^rd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Lydia had her reasons, okay?!

What can readers expect?

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch is a re-examining of Pride and Prejudice through the eyes of youngest, wildest sister Lydia. It’s about magic spells, empire waists, and empire, but mostly it’s about how everyone is living out their own story, and even the people you know best may be living not only in a different book, but a different genre.

Where did the inspiration for Scandalous Confessions come from?

When I was Samantha Bee’s head writer, I had a lot of stress in my life and watched a lot of news. The only way I could power down to sleep at night was to read some Jane Austen. I started thinking about Lydia – all of Austen’s books are about this very narrow, well-off sliver of society, and all the characters frantically trying not to fall out of it. Well, Lydia does fall out of it. She’s going to have a harder life than her sisters. But she’ll also see things they’ll never see. I started to think – what if she’s already got one foot in a different world? Also what if Kitty was a cat?

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really had fun writing the scenes between Lydia and Kitty. I’m very close to my sisters and nieces so writing that sisterly dynamic was a delight.

What’s next for you?

Lydia Bennet’s not the only Bennet sister who I think deserves a turn in the spotlight. What exactly is Mary Bennet up to in the attic? It’s not witchcraft, Mary would never… but why does she need all that sulfuric acid? Hey, is that a lightning rod?

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

Lately I’ve been rereading a lot of books I loved as a child. Juniper, by Monica Furlong, is about a medieval Cornish princess who trains as a sorceress. It’s just as wonderful as it was when I was nine.

I’ve also been on a Wilkie Collins kick. The Moonstone is an 1868 book that’s often called the first mystery novel. It’s fascinating to see the conventions start to take shape in his hands. Also, since I’ve been writing about the Regency for so long, it’s insane to read a book set just a few decades later because the railways have been built and the characters make journeys in an afternoon that my characters would need days on the road to complete! I think I’m getting a glimpse at the awe they must have felt.

Like everyone else, I read This Is How You Lose The Time War this summer, and like everyone else, I fell hard for it. Time-traveling shape-shifting Lesbian epistolary star-crossed romance? Yes please.

Will you be picking up The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Melinda Taub, Author of ‘The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

In case you missed it, Bloomsbury will be releasing another special house edition of Harry Potter this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Chamber of Secrets! Just like the special edition for Sorcerer’s Stone, this new house edition will contain “new artwork, house colours, and additional illustrations and content”.

To celebrate the new edition, we are going to give you some book recommendations according to hogwarts houses virtue! These virtues can be seen on the cover of the houses edition, and corresponds to the house represented in the cover.

Tell us which Hogwarts house is yours in the comments below!

GRYFFINDOR
COURAGE – BRAVERY – DETERMINATION

The Bear and The Nightingale by Katherine Arden: Set in medieval Russia, where women must marry and live a secluded life apart from society and where the old gods of Russia are fading by the power of Christianity, our main character Vasya fights hard to save herself, her family, and her village from ancient evil even though it caused people to label her as a witch and disgrace her family.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee: The classic, Atticus Finch courage, bravery, and determination in defending Tom Robinson’s is the finest example of Gryffindor’s traits.

The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh: A 1001 Nights retelling, our main character, Sharzhad, volunteer as the next bride to Khalid, even though it is a guaranteed death sentence for her to avenge her best friend death’s by his hand.

SLYTHERIN
PRIDE – AMBITION – CUNNING

Vicious by VE Schwab: The whole problem of this book starts from the ambition of Victor and Eli, thinking they are better than the rest and playing God with themselves. This ambition and pride of them causing one of them to go into prison while the others become a serial killer.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: No spoilers, but the characters in this book are all very cunning, it’s scary to read.

Forest of A Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao: Retelling on the origin of the Evil Queen, Xifeng embodies the best and worst quality of Slytherin: pride and ambition that helps her reach what she wants but also cause her to be ruthless to people who are in her way, and cunning mind that help her strategize and think before making her move.

HUFFLEPUFF
DEDICATION – PATIENCE – LOYALTY

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: Even though Bod is a human, the graveyard ghosts are his family and their dedication, patience, and loyalty towards each other help set the tone of this book.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill: When Xan accidentally feed baby Luna moonlight, she decided to raise her together with the swamp monster Glerk and tiny dragon Fyrian. This family might look unusual, but they have a lot of love between them.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: 6 criminals working together to pull off an impossible heist… It seems impossible that this group could pull this off without killing each other but as the story goes, it became clear that this group has only loyalty towards each other.

RAVENCLAW
WIT – LEARNING – WISDOM

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: The well-known classic, Elizabeth and Darcy are both witty (a lot of verbal sparring here) and learned a lot about each other and the effect of first impressions.

Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub: Set after Romeo and Juliet, where Verona has plunged into chaos following the death of the famous lovers, Rosaline has to fend for herself to escape the feud and an arranged married using her mind only.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom: When Eddie was killed after saving a girl from a fallen ferris wheel, he learned that heaven is not a place, it’s where his life is explained by 5 people, revealing questions about his life. This is a book that definitely makes you think about your life and your connection with others.

Any books tickle your house pride? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Book Recommendations Based On Your Hogwarts House appeared first on The Nerd Daily.