Let’s celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday by building her perfect modern TBR

Imagine Jane Austen scrolling silently through BookTok, sipping tea, and roasting your favorite book boyfriend. Would she be into it? Would she DNF him in chapter three?

To celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, one of the biggest must-read authors of all time, we’re time-traveling in reverse to build Jane Austen modern TBR, fit for the original queen of character-driven stories. No corset-core history lesson here, just pure vibes, based on what Jane actually read and what she might devour today.

Spoiler: she was more BookTok than BookTok is.

Prefer to watch instead?

This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

What Would Jane Austen’s TBR Look Like in Kindle Collections

Wit, Banter, and Emotional Consequences Shelf

Let’s get this straight. Jane wouldn’t stick to stiff period pieces. Her taste leaned sharp, not sleepy. She loved satire and interpersonal drama with teeth. Which means she’d be first in line for today’s queens of smart, high-emotion romance.

Think Emily Henry, Talia Hibbert, Mhairi McFarlane. Books where banter isn’t just cute, it’s verbal sparring foreplay, and the emotional payoff that hurts so good.

Historical Vibes, Now with Extra Spice Shelf

She’d absolutely have a comfort shelf full of historicals but make them smart, yearning, and slightly spicy. The stakes? Social ruin. The consequences? Emotional annihilation.

Her go-to authors: Courtney Milan, Mimi Matthews, Liana De La Rosa, Lisa Kleypas, Cat Sebastian. Basically, if the book has manners, reputation, and someone slow-burning into oblivion, Jane’s one-clicking.

Gothic Girlie Era

This is the woman who wrote Northanger Abbey as a gothic satire. Of course she’d have a gothic shelf and the moodier, the better.

On it? Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti, All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles, and The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning. Dark suspense with emotional tension? That’s her love language.

Paranormal Romance, Hear Me Out

Hot take: regency society and pack hierarchies are not that different. Just trade balls for bloodlust and lace gloves for fangs.

Which is why I’m convinced Jane would be deep into Nalini Singh, Kresley Cole, and Ilona Andrews. Alpha dynamics, class systems, and forbidden craving? Tell me that’s not Mr. Darcy with claws.

What Jane Austen Would Roast About Modern Romance

Jane wasn’t afraid of chaos but she demanded stakes. So I think we can all agree she’d DNF:

• Insta-love with zero emotional build
• Billionaires with no character growth and too many yachts
• “He didn’t text back” plots with no societal consequences
• Miscommunication for the sake of drama (where are the actual reasons, people?)

She wanted emotional tension and social commentary. Not just vibes but vibes with consequences.

Her Non-Romance Shelves (Because Yes, She’d Read Outside Romance)

Satire & Social Commentary

Jane was a pro at watching people perform for status. So she’d eat up novels about influencers, cancel culture, and crumbling wealth.

On her Kindle: R.F. Kuang, Kevin Kwan, Liane Moriarty.

Domestic & Relationship-Driven Fiction

Books where society and family dynamics unravel each other. If it’s feelings-meet-structure, she’s in. Think Celeste Ng, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Fredrik Backman.

Cozy Mysteries With a Side of Gossip

You cannot tell me she wouldn’t be obsessed with small-town mysteries. Secrets. Reputation. Aunties who know everything.

Yes to: Richard Osman, Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle, Ellie Alexander.

Gothic Suspense, But Make It Grown-Up

We’re back in gothic territory but this time with murder and melancholy. Jane would inhale Simone St. James and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Fantasy? Only If It’s Emotional

If the fantasy requires a glossary and 15 maps, Jane might be out. But character-first, class-aware, emotional fantasy? She’s in. Her shortlist: N.K. Jemisin, T. Kingfisher, V.E. Schwab.

What Would Jane Austen Write Today?

Ballrooms were never her true love. Her superpower was watching people scheme for status, and then calmly narrating their downfall.

Her modern novels? They’d live in influencer scandals, old vs. new money, workplace gossip, and small-town surveillance culture. Dating apps. Second chances. Emotional edging so intense it should be illegal in at least 12 states. Minimal on-page spice. Maximum narrative tension. Side characters who should be in jail (in a fun way).

Would Jane Austen Have a BookTok?

Yes! And I think it would be anonymous. Like a true Lady Whistledown but for books not the ton. She’d roast every popular MMC, stitch bad dating advice into oblivion, and create a whole series of “Mr. Collins Coded” book reviews. Her opinions on monster romance would be unhinged in the best way. Because she’d get it. Desire isn’t tidy.

Want More Jane?

December 16, 2025 marks 250 years since Jane Austen’s birth, and honestly, we’re still living in her era. If you’re feeling the Austen obsession and want to dive deeper into her life, legacy, and how she shaped the entire romance genre (yes, even the spicy stuff), we’ve got you covered.

1. Jane Austen Reading Guide: Her novels, adaptations, and everything you need to read or rewatch.
2. Pioneer Authors of Regency Romance: A look at the authors who built the genre, starting with Jane.

Final Verdict

Jane Austen would read Emily Henry. She’d drag your favorite billionaire romance. And she’d run the most devastating BookTok account in existence.

Now it’s your turn. What do you think she’d DNF? What trope would she secretly love? Tell me in the comments and yes, you can roast me back.

Want to read like Jane? Join our Romanceopoly challenge. It’s like a game board for your romance TBR.

Pin It for Later