Ten Classics I Intend to Read ... Eventually

I "stole" the idea for this post from Carrie at Reading to Know, who "stole" it from Bluerose's Heart. Rebekah from bekahcubed also wrote a similar post.

I review classics rarely, so most of you probably don't know that I'm a huge fan of classics. I love them. I even have a list from collegeboard.com that consists of one hundred books and short stories that every college-bound reader should get a hold of, and most are classics. (By the way, I'm only a quarter of the way finished with the list and starting college in the fall.)

Since I first grabbed hold of a classic (it was probably one of Jane Austen's, I'm not sure) I was transported into an altogether different world, where the language is so much different than today and the feelings and emotions so much more in depth and interesting, or so it seems. I admit that I wouldn't want to read classics solely and avoid all modern writing, but I do have a special place in my reading time for classics.

Unfortunately, there are just so many that are talked about and liked and disliked that I haven't read as many as I would like to. So here are ten classics that I intend to read ... eventually. These are listed in no particular order.

1. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I will read this. I will. I actually started it last month and read a bit of it. It is long, and at times boring, but I will finish it.

2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. This is one that I just want to read to say that I've read it, which I know isn't the most commendable thing.

3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I started this book a long, long time ago but didn't finish it. I can't really remember why I stopped.

4. The Illiad by Homer.

5. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

6. Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I just feel the need. I'm not sure I'm even interested in whales that much.

7. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I only have this and Lady Susan to read before I am finished with Austen's completed works. I've watched the 1995 movie version (with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet) I don't know how many times, but haven't gotten around to reading the book.

8. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. I watched the BBC series of this and loved it. My sis says the book is better.

9. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I'm about a third of the way done with this one!

10. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I can consider this a classic, can't I?

Click on any of the pictures to be taken to their respective Amazon pages for more info. I could probably think of more, but that will do for now!

Sharing my Bookshelf #1

 

Tarissa from In The Bookcase has just this month initiated "Sharing Our Bookshelves," an exciting blogroll of book-related posts. Each month -- all month long -- bloggers can link their bookish posts to her site. Then we can peruse each others posts and blogs in the hopes of finding book suggestions and other book-related excitements. This is, therefore, my official first post for "Sharing Our Bookshelves."

I don't have a plan for these posts except to share a few interesting things about books that I have been digesting lately. The topic for this post? 5 Reasons Why I Love My Library. Enjoy.

1. My library supplies my extensive book needs for almost free. I had to add the "almost free" part because I do have to pay $10 yearly to use the library (I'm outside the city limits, you see). But, is that such a fee when I check out book after book after book? I think not. I check out all kinds of books, and I often walk up and down rows of bookshelves just to see if anything calls my name (think Inkheart here [the movie version, because I haven't read the book yet!]).
2. My library gets new books. I went to the library yesterday and was pleased to see many, many new books that all called my name. I restrained and didn't check out them all, but I have plans for future library excursions.
3. My library is ten minutes away from my home. This is extremely important.
4. My library has a full catalog on its website. Also important.
5. My library's librarians are nice and helpful and whisper to me when I talk to them. For some reason that just screams -- ahem, whispers -- "library" to me. It makes a shiver of joy run up my spine. (I speak the truth.)

To continue my library love, let me tell you what I checked out yesterday. I've already started two of the three books.

What Difference Do It Make? by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, and Lynn Vincent. This is the sequel to the engaging, eye-opening book Same Kind of Different As Me, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This book continues the story of the once homeless man Denver Moore and the man who helped him, Ron Hall. It also includes stories from readers who were touched by Same Kind of Different As Me. It's a small book compared to the first one, and I'm finding it quite addicting.

 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I heard about this book from multiple, reliable sources and decided to check it out. One source said that it was a refreshing new classic, or something along those lines. So far, I'm liking it!

It is the story of a young author, Juliet Ashton, set just after World War II. After just publishing a book about the war, Juliet is on the look-out for a new and interesting topic for her next title. She then discovers he Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, and, of course, the name alone intrigues her. The entire book is a hodge podge of letters between this author and several of her friends and acquaintances, as well as letters between Juliet and the members of the literary society.

Out of The Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis, the first book in the Space Trilogy. My library just got it in and it looked interesting! I'm not even sure what the storyline is about (space, I'm assuming?) but I like C.S. Lewis, so that settles it!

Thank you, dear library, for another exciting adventure.

If you get a chance this month, stop by In The Bookcase to join "Sharing Our Bookshelves."

Happy Reading!