Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

I'm new to the group but this looks like a good challenge to get me started...

OLD SCHOOL
1. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
2. The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan 3.5★
3. Cindrella by Charles Perrault 2★



NEW SCHOOL
1. Miracles by C.S. Lewis
2. Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington3★
3. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman 3.5★



WILDCARDS
1. The Family Frying Pan by Bryce Courtenay3★
2. The Locksmith's Daughter by Karen Brooks 3★
3. Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville
4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 4★
5. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon3.5 ★
6. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman3 ★



ALTERNATIVES
1. Concerning Christian Liberty by Martin Luther
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 4.5 ★

Good luck on your challenge!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is excellent.

One of these decades I ought to at least attempt to read Pilgrim's Progress.

I enjoyed all three of your New School list. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Wow, you have a lot of titles I am totally unfamiliar with. I will be interested in seeing how you like them. Hunchback is great. I read Pilgrim's Progress in college and can only remember that it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Allegory is not always fun.

ooh Rabbit-Proof Fence! Thanks for reminding me that needed to go on my TBR list! :o)

Darren wrote: "ooh Rabbit-Proof Fence! Thanks for reminding me that needed to go on my TBR list! :o)"

No worries Darren. Nothing like seeing someone else's list to make your own TBR even longer!

Melanie & Sara, I've been meaning to read Hunchback for ages. I managed to cross Les Mis off my list year so this year I'm trying for Hunchback..

Thanks Rosemarie, I'm looking forward to reading them :)

Nice list with several familiar titles. Enjoy!

I've made a change to my 'wildcard' list & swapped Turtles All the Way Down with The Handmaid's Tale.

Great list Jacm. I like the way you put the book covers in also. I'm going to update mine with that

Sue wrote: "Great list Jacm. I like the way you put the book covers in also. I'm going to update mine with that"

Thanks Sue. Another group I'm part of often has challenges linked to something something on the cover (e.g colour, scene etc) so covers need to be added. Since I've started doing it I've found it useful for recognising books as I scroll through other people's posts.

Finished my first Wildcard The Locksmith's Daughter by Karen Brooks. A great historical fiction tale set in Elizabethan England - a period of history that I find quite fascinating. Rather than the typical romance (although there is a romantic subplot) this focuses on the tension of being a well educated woman with the skills of a master locksmith, therefore lock pick, in an era where women were so often disregarded & overlooked for anything other than breeding the next generation. 3★

Nice way to start the challenge, Jacm!
I like your list. You're going to have an interesting year of reading.

Thanks Petra!

Jacm wrote: "Finished my first Wildcard The Locksmith's Daughter by Karen Brooks. A great historical fiction tale set in Elizabethan England - a period of history that I find qu..."

Sounds intriguing! Added to my TBR list! :)

And your challenge looks even more challenging than mine, good luck 👍

Glad you enjoyed your first entry. You have some interesting titles...I'll be interested to see what you think of them as you go.

Finished my 2nd for this challenge. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. 4.5★

So glad I finally got around to crossing this off my TBR!

Excellent book. So glad you enjoyed it! Always nice to be able to cross one off and put 4+ stars beside it.

I finally got around to reading The Book Thief last year. I thought it was a wonderful book (I gave it 4.25 stars, so we are pretty close in our ratings). Always nice to see another person who thinks 1/2 stars are merited!

Chiming in just to say how much I loved The Book Thief :). Glad you enjoyed it!

Good luck on the rest of your challenge; you have some interesting books lined up :).

Tammy wrote: "I finally got around to reading The Book Thief last year. I thought it was a wonderful book (I gave it 4.25 stars, so we are pretty close in our ratings). Always nice to see another person who thin..."

I really liked that one also.

After a long slog, I managed to finish another for this challenge:An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon 3.5★
I enjoyed this one more than the last in the series. I'm hoping that things will continue to pick up from here.

Sara wrote: "Excellent book. So glad you enjoyed it! Always nice to be able to cross one off and put 4+ stars beside it."

It sure is Sara!

Tammy wrote: "I finally got around to reading The Book Thief last year. I thought it was a wonderful book (I gave it 4.25 stars, so we are pretty close in our ratings). Always nice to see another person who thin..."

It really was excellent. Definitely lived up to my expectations from what others had said.
And yes, I agree about 1/2 stars!

Finished my 4th for this challenge: The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman 3★

That sounds like a unique story, Jacm. Congrats on making such good progress on the challenge.

Finally started on some more books for this challenge in the last week. One from my 'old' list: The Pilgrim's Progress & one from the 'new': Rabbit-Proof Fence. Slowly making my way through them in small chunks & enjoying both so far.

I've dropped the ball on this challenge, too, Jacm. You are inspiring me to get back to this challenge, too.
I hope you enjoy these 2 books & am glad they started well.
I read Pilgrim's Progress a few years back; it's interesting. I hope you share your thoughts when you're done.

Finished The Pilgrim's Progress... I enjoyed the audiobook but think that I need to go back and read the text more slowly(or possibly in combination with the audio) to fully appreciate Bunyan's work.
At this stage I give it 3.5★ but feel that with more time to ponder the concepts, that rating may go up.

Got through another for this challenge. Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington. 3★ for this one.
An inspiring true story of the determination of 3 young girls to return home to their family & home after being forcibly removed & taken 1000s of kilometres away by government officials.

Glad you enjoyed Pilgrim's Progress--not an easy book to read to an important one. The Pilkington sounds interesting.

I have a copy of Rabbit-Proof Fence earmarked for 2019, but it's so short I might bring it forward ;o)

I have seen the movie years and years ago. Glad the book was as inspiring as the film.

I have wanted to read The Hunchback of Notre Dame for years, but haven't actually bought that. I do have a copy of The Book Thief in the to-be-read stack on my nightstand. They both seem like great choices.

Crossed another of my wildcards off the list. The Family Frying Pan by Bryce Courtenay 3★.

Not as intense as other books I've read by Courtenay but I still feel like elements of these short stories will linger in my mind all the same.

Finally ticked another one off this challenge - Cinderella by Charles Perrault

Congrats!

Managed to get one more ticked off for this challenge before the end of the year.The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 4★.

After watching the recent TV version of this book I am so glad I finally got my hands on the original.
This confronting and twisted tale leaves the reader on edge, unsettled and forced to ask some big questions about society and human nature - the way any decent dystopian story telling should.

There is enough relatable, familiar elements remaining in Gilead that it is impossible not to out yourself into the story. Despite what some may initially think, I imagine that is equally the case for male and female readers. It begs the questions, who would I be in that new society? What would I do in their shoes? Would I speak up? Would I run? Would I simply go along and keep my mouth shut? Would I revel in that position?

I have never watched the series, but I did love the book and for exactly the reason you state...it begs you to ask questions about yourself and to wonder if you would have the courage to stand against such a system.

Congratulations on ticking off another one, Jacm.