The Classics Club: Spin #2 Result

A quick update for you fellow bookworms the result for The Classics Club Spin is in!

The number randomly selected is: 6

Which means I will be reading: Bleak House by Charles Dickens

I knew it would be my luck that the book chosen would be one I don’t already own. Fortunately for me the classics can all be found for free for the kindle so I’m not going to let that worry me. In fact I have recently been in the mood to read more of Dickens’s work and I have been intrigued about Bleak House ever since I watched the 2005 BBC adaptation.

What has the spin chosen for you?

The Classics Club: Spin #2

“Good morning, Clubbers!

It’s time for another Classics Spin for any who are interested. What is the spin?

It’s easy. At your blog, by next Monday, May 20, list your choice of any twenty books you’ve left to read from your Classics Club list – in a separate post.

This is your Spin List. You have to read one of these twenty books in May & June. (Details follow.) So, try to challenge yourself. For example, you could list five Classics Club books you are dreading/hesitant to read, five you can’t WAIT to read, five you are neutral about, and five free choice (favourite author, re-reads, ancients — whatever you choose.)

Next Monday, we’ll post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List, by July 1. We’ll have a check in post for July, to see who made it the whole way and finished the spin book”

I wasn’t able to take part in the first Classic Club Spin and I really felt like I missed out, so this time I was determined to make time for it. Here is my Spin List:

1. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
2. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
3. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
5. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
6. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
7. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
8. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum
9. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
10. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
11. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
12. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
13. War of the Worlds by H G Wells
14. The Time Machine H G Wells
15. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
16. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
17. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
18. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
19. The Railway Children by E Nesbit
20. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Purple = Classics I can’t wait to read.
Read = Classics I am hesitant to read.
Blue = Classics I’m neutral about.
Green = Classics I don’t own a copy of yet.

I am rather nervous and excited about which book I will end up reading! Wish me luck!

Are you taking part in the Classics Club Spin #2?

The Classics Club: May Meme

Another month means another meme question for The Classics Club. This is a very wide open question/s which I find I always struggle with more, but I’m keen to keep up with these memes.

I have just finished reading The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald; I will leave my thoughts on that though for my full post on it. I am continuing to dip in and out of The Complete Brothers Grimm’s Fairytales which I started in January. This has been a very slow read for me I have however read over a hundred short-stories already which in any other collection would be excellent progress. I made decent progress in April on it but still a lot of stories to go!

After finishing The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald I find myself not knowing what classic novel to read next. I think I’m most drawn to either A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens or Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Two very different books I think what is really drawing me to them is the authors. I’m in the mood for a new classic from an author I already know and love. I have a few books that I already plan to read over the next week or so but I am hoping to get round to one of these before the end of May.

What classic do you think I should read next?

What classic are you reading or looking forward to reading in May?

Re-Read: The Horse and His Boy

One of my goals for 2013 is to make more time for re-reads of my beloved favourites, in which case I thought this year would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover the wonderful ‘Land of Narnia’. Recently I have been reading long and pretty intense novels so over last weekend to lighten up my reading again I reached for The Horse and His Boy by C S Lewis the third instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Horse and His Boy follows Shasta a young boy who has grown up in a small fishing village in Calormen. Arsheesh the man who Shasta calls father is a fisherman who works the poor boy very hard. One night Shasta meets a talking horse named Bree who convinces the boy to run away with him. And so begins their adventure through the mighty city of Tashbaan, over the vast desert, through the mountains of Archenland, and finally to the magical land of Narnia. Where Bree and Shasta hope they will find freedom from slavery and servitude that they were subjected to in Calormen. I haven’t read The Horse and His Boy since I was a child and I found I’d forgotten much of what happens. This re-read felt almost more like a new read! What I loved the most about this instalment is how it gives us a glimpse into the lives of people living in the lands around Narnia. Calormen is an exotic country with little to no magic, it reminded me of Middle-Eastern countries here in our own world. This instalment also stands out because it doesn’t involve anyone travelling from our world into Narnia instead it involves characters that already live there.

The Horse and His Boy has an interesting collection of characters. The protagonist Shasta is young, naïve, kind, and he finds out along the way he is also pretty brave. With his blonde hair and fair skin he has always felt an outcast in Calormen. Bree the talking horse was captured when young and brought to Calormen so knows where he truly belongs, and convinces Shasta that he too must come from the north. Along the way they also meet Aravis a Calormene princess and her own talking horse Hwin who are both seeking freedom too. What I enjoyed the most was to meet the Pevensie siblings when they are all grown up and are in the middle of their golden reign of Narnia. I particularly loved seeing Mr Tumnus again!

I am no stranger to Lewis’s work. I think his writing style in The Chronicles of Narnia is simple and fun which works well for adults and children alike. Lewis has been criticised for his use of archaic language especially when it is used by his young characters, however I find the language rather charming and feel it adds to the magically atmosphere of the books. When I first read The Chronicles of Narnia I read the books in publication order because I think for your first time nothing beats encountering ‘Narnia’ through the most famous book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For my re-read I purposefully decided to read the series in chronological order so I could get a full idea of the detail and history Lewis put into ‘Narnia’ and the characters that inhabit it. Reading The Horse and His Boy as the third instalment really helped me to understand better Narnia and its relationship with the lands around it. Plus it also gave me more detail about Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy’s reign over Narnia.

The Horse and His Boy is an utterly charming children’s tale of magic, friendship and adventure. A wonderfully comforting read for a cold Saturday evening. I am keen to move on to Prince Caspian next, the fourth instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Have you read The Horse and His Boy? Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia?

I’m counting The Horse and His Boy as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

The Classics Club: April Meme

Another month means another meme question for The Classics Club. April’s question much like March’s questions has been relatively easy for me to answer. I instantly knew who my best literary hero was without even thinking! While my best literary heroine didn’t take too much thinking about either.

We’ll start with the best literary hero in my opinion as that took no thinking about, and that honour goes to Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien. Samwise, better known as just Sam, is a hobbit who is a loyal friend and gardener of Frodo Baggins. When Frodo is sent on a dangerous mission to destroy the one ring he couldn’t possibly set out without good old Sam. I am a little bit in love with Sam. He is not particularly clever or witty or talented but he is kind, selfless, brave, faithful, and loving. Sam is pretty much the best friend you could ever have! Let’s face it as much as I like Frodo he wouldn’t have stood a chance of reaching his destination if it wasn’t for Sam.

The best literary heroine in my opinion took a little longer to think of but is no less worthy, the honour goes to Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Elinor is the eldest daughter of Henry Dashwood from his second marriage. When Henry dies Elinor, her two sisters, and her mother find themselves forced from their home by Henry’s heir from his first marriage. The family move to a cottage and try to learn to live a new life. Thinking literary heroines I instantly thought of the strong female protagonists of Austen’s work. I narrowed it down to Elinor in particularly because she is the one that I relate to the most. Plus I wish I could be more like her. Elinor is kind, forgiving, and intelligent but her best feature is her selflessness. While her own heart is breaking she is still able to keep her head up and help those around her.

Samwise Gamgee and Elinor Dashwood come from two very different books but the qualities I admire in them are very similar.

Who in your opinion is the best literary hero/heroine?

Re-Read: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

My goal for 2013 is try to make more time for re-reads of my beloved favourites, in which case I thought this year would be the perfect opportunity to rediscover the wonderful ‘Land of Narnia‘. Recently I have been reading pretty long and intense novels. Over the weekend I fancied lighten up my reading so I reached for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C S Lewis the second and the most well known instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe follows the Pevensie siblings Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy who have been evacuated from London during the war to a big country house owned by an eccentric old professor. They are given free range to explore the big old house and its grounds. On one of their many explorations the youngest of the four Lucy discovers a magical wardrobe which is an entrance to the land of Narnia. Once within Narnia Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy finds themselves on an extraordinary adventure to join the mighty Aslan to try to defeat the powerful White Witch. I hardly need to tell you more what with this story being one of the most beloved childhood novels, what with all the radio, TV, stage, and film adaptations without reading the book most people know it. There were no surprises for me either on re-reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe as it is the only one of the series I had re-read before. I find that this book loses known of its charm after several reads though.

The protagonists of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe the Pevensie siblings are memorable, interesting, believable, and individual characters. Peter is clever and caring although he can come across rather pompous now and again. I think his heart is in the right place though. Susan is kind, attractive, and assumes a quite mother like role. Sadly I think she is the least interesting of the group. Edmund starts off moody and naïve which leads him to betray his family, yet he is the one who grows the most as a person and by the end of the book I think he is probably my favourite character. Last but certainly not least is Lucy the youngest. Lucy is generous, loving, brave, and forgiving she doesn’t change much during the novel but I don’t think she needs to.

I am no stranger to Lewis’s work. I think his writing style in The Chronicles of Narnia is simple and fun which works well for adults and children alike. Lewis has been criticised for his use of archaic language especially when it is used by his young characters, however I find the language rather charming and feel it adds to the magically atmosphere of the book. When I first read The Chronicles of Narnia I read the books in publication order because I think for your first time nothing beats encountering ‘Narnia’ through the most famous book The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For my re-read I purposefully decided to read the series in chronological order so I could get a full idea of the detail and history Lewis put into ‘Narnia’ and the characters that inhabit it. Reading this as the second book in the series does mean it loses some of its surprise elements but I don’t think it makes it any less magical.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is an utterly charming children’s tale of magic, family and adventure. A wonderfully comforting read for a cold Saturday afternoon. I am keen to move on to a re-read of The Horse and His Boy next, the one instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia I think I remember the least about.

Have you read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe? Have you read The Chronicles of Narnia?

The Classics Club: One Year Gone

Start Date: 19th March 2012

End Date: 19th March 2017

As they say time flys by when you’re having fun and that definitely applies to The Classics Club. Part of me can’t believe I joined back in March 2012 which now means a whole year has gone by! Here’s what I have read off my list in that year:

1. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
3. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
6. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
7. Aesop’s Fables
8. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
9. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
10. The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat
11. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Read: 11/50

I am so pleased with my progress so far. 11 books is just over the average of 10 books I need to read to keep on track to manage to read 50 books altogether. All of the books above I have posted my thoughts on, please click on the titles to be taken to my full posts. A list of books/links though isn’t that interesting so I decided to adapt the meme questions I use for my end of year posts to reflect on what classics I have been reading.

Most Anticipated:

• Jane Eyre
• Pride and Prejudice
• Oliver Twist

Most Beautifully Written: Pride and Prejudice

Most Disappointing: Jane Eyre

Most Surprising (In A Good Way!): Little Women

Most Memorable Character/s:

• Joe Gargery and Miss Havisham from Great Expectations,
• Long John Silver from Treasure Island
• Holmes and Watson from The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
• Fagin from Oliver Twist
• Elizabeth and Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice

Most Recommended-to-Others:

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• Little Women
• Oliver Twist

Favourite New Authors Discovered: Louisa May Alcott

Multiple Reads of an Author: Charles Dickens (2) and Arthur Conan Doyle (2)

Ambitions for 2013/2014: Pretty much to continue as I am. I am impressed with the amount I read in my first year and if I could match that for the coming year I would be very happy with myself. I am particularly looking forward to reading more Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Arthur Conan Doyle. Plus who knows what new authors I will fall in love with. Wish me luck!

What classics have you enjoyed over the last year? Any recommendations what I should read next?

The Classics Club: Great Expectations

After reading and enjoying Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens at the end of 2012 I have been even more keen to read more of Dickens work. Already having Great Expectations on my to-be-read pile pretty much made up my mind which of Dickens’s work would be my next read. As the cold weather seems to have descended on the UK again I thought Great Expectations would be a great read to snuggle up in a blanket with as the dark nights drew in.

Great Expectations follows the life of a young orphaned boy nicknamed Pip. When we join young Pip he is living with his strict sister and her big-hearted husband Joe Gargery. At which point Pip has little to no expectations other than to join Joe as an apprentice in his smithy. A series of strange events and encounters are to set Pip on a completely different road though. As a young man he is visited by a London lawyer who informs him that he has a secret benefactor who wishes to pay for Pip to become a gentleman. Pip moves to London with his great expectations looking to make a name for himself and finally claim the hand of the woman he loves. Great Expectations reminded me of a previous Dickens’s read Nicholas Nickleby because they both span a great deal of one individual’s life. There was plenty of time to really get to know Pip, his virtues as well as his faults and failings, and how he goes on to grow and change from a boy into a man.

As I said above the last Dickens’s novel I read was Oliver Twist which as many of you will know follows the trials and tribulations of the orphan Oliver. It was hard not to find myself comparing the two orphans against each other, even though I don’t believe it is necessarily a fair comparison. Oliver is a highly loving, patient, and well-mannered child but we only really see him during his younger years. Pip on the other hand is no angel but I do think Pip is honest about his own faults and on the whole his heart does seem to be in the right place. The real crucial difference though is that I got to see Pip grow. From a confused, self-conscience, and naive boy, to a proud, foolish but generous young man, to finally a loyal, loving, and sensible man. It is not an easy road but in the end I think Pip becomes a good man. I particularly loved watching his transformation.

I still find that Dickens’s use of language is rather convoluted and highly detailed but the more of his work I read the easy to get into the flow of his style is. Once I’m into the style I find I am free to just get lost in the story. And boy, can Dickens weave a wonderful story. This one in particularly is the most intricate and twisting tales I’ve read of his so far. Yet like previous novels what really makes Dickens novels for me is the vast array of colourful characters. I read recently the criticism that Dickens’s characters are rather one-dimensional and more caricatures rather than real people. I can see where they are coming from his characters are very over the top but that’s what make them so memorable for me. And in Great Expectations I wasn’t disappointed along the way we meet the simple but big-hearted Joe, the mysterious lawyer Jaggers, heart-broken Miss Havisham, ridiculous Mr Pumblechook, the cold and beautiful Estella, friendly Herbert Pocket, several scary convicts, and many, many more. I particular loved Joe, I would love my own Joe Gargery.

Great Expectations is a charming and exciting journey seen through the eyes of young orphan trying to find himself and make his way in Victorian England. I highly recommend reading this novel. This is now my 11th read off my Classics Club list. I now have copies of A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, and The Pickwick Papers to choose from for my next Dickens read.

Are you a fan of Charles Dickens? What Dickens’s novel do you think I should read next?

The Classics Club: March Meme

Another month means another meme question for The Classics Club. This is a simple question for me; I love Jane Austen! Even if I didn’t though not sure why you would have the urge to dig anyone up and beat them over the head with their own shin-bone…that’s a pretty extreme/weird thing to do?! Oh well each to their own. Here are the questions that come within the bigger question:

1. Why? (for either answer)?
2. Favourite and/or least favourite Austen novel?

What I love most about Austen’s work is the in-depth and personal look you get into the mind and life of the young female protagonists of her novels. The stories themselves are usually pretty simple and they’re isn’t a great deal of physical action which is maybe something that puts some people off. While I am happy to read a purely character driven story, a bit of people watching is fascinating to me. And even though Austen’s novels are set in the Regency period I still feel there is so much in her novels that I can relate to. Human nature really hasn’t changed that much at all. I like to ponder what I would have done in Elizabeth’s , or Emma’s, or one of the other young women’s positions.

I think picking a least favourite is just too hard I have enjoyed all the novels I have thus far read of Austen’s; which is Emma, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. I could possibly say though that my favourite so far is Sense and Sensibility mainly because I really relate to Elinor. It is heartbreaking to see how she keeps her head held high and still only acts for other’s benefit when inside her own heart is broken. I think we could learn a lot from Elinor’s sort of courage. I won’t say anymore though because I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t yet read it.

I have Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey on my Classics Club list, and I am really looking forward to reading them.

Do you love Jane Austen? Do you have a favourite Austen novel?

New Books: February and March

A World Apart by David M Brown
I received a free copy of A World Apart from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. A World Apart is the second instalment of the epic fantasy series The Elencheran Chronicles.

Evil Water by Inger Wolf
I received a free copy of Evil Water from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. Evil Water is a crime novel by the Scandinavian author Inger Wolf which has recently for the first time been published in English. It has been a while since I read any modern crime so I am looking forward to this.

The Unfinished Song series by Tara Maya

#4 Root #5 Wing #6 Blood

I received free copies of Root, Wing, and Blood from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I have read the three previous instalments in The Unfinished Song series Initiate, Taboo, and Sacrifice. All of which I thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to read what happens next!

Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law by Michelle Granas
I received a free copy of Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. This is a Polish based novel which intrigued me as it rarer to see a story set in non-wartime Poland.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
I have very fond childhood memories of the 1973 film adaptation starring Oliver Reed of this book so when I decided to join The Classics Club this book instantly went on my list. I saw this nice edition with a table of contents for free on Amazon and couldn’t resist downloading it.

The Jules Verne Collection (38 Classic Novels and Stories)

including: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
A Journey to the Center of the Earth
Around the World in Eighty Day

This is another author I considered adding to my Classics Club list but decided to focus more on British classics. Then last week I saw this great collection of Verne’s work for free on Amazon and thought maybe this was a sign that I should be reading his work after all.

The Gospel in Ten Words by Paul Ellis
I am always keen to find new non-fiction work on Christianity  so when I saw this high up on the top free list on Amazon I thought I would give it a go.

On Which Side of the Road Do the Flowers Grow by Wendell E Mettey
I am always keen to find new memoirs and non-fiction work on Christianity  so when I also saw this high up on the top free list on Amazon I thought I would give it a go.

History of the Christian Church in the First Century
Similarly I downloaded this book because it was on the top free list on Amazon, plus I really liked the combination of Christianity and History.

A Very Brief History series by Mark Black

Anne Boleyn
D-Day
Edwardian Britain
The Falklands
Henry VIII
Queen Elizabeth I
Thomas Cromwell
The Victorian Country House

This year I have really been enjoying reading more historical non-fiction so when I saw that over the last week or so different editions of A Very Brief History have been offered for free on Amazon I have been collecting them.

So that is a whopping 56 new books and stories uploaded to my kindle. I think this haul of new books should probably keep me going for the rest of the year!

Have you read any of these books? What new books are you excited about?