The success of Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is the latest sign of a fascination for all things Austen. Today’s Janeites devour everything from novels to blogs to cultural histories based on her work. But what did Austen herself read? Below are some of the best sellers that had the greatest influence on Austen’s early novels.

Laura Brodie is the author of the novel The Widow’s Season (Berkley Books, 2009) and the nonfiction book Breaking Out: VMI and the Coming of Women (Pantheon, 2000). Her memoir, Love in a Time of Homeschooling, is forthcoming next year from HarperCollins.