Children's Classic Books discussion

Here is a new "chat" thread so chat away! Please feel free to post suggestions, comments or let us know what you're reading right now in addition to the group reads!

Thanks for starting this :) !

Hello! Right now I'm reading The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father and The Thursday Murder Club while waiting for next week and the calendar flip to look for The Dark Is Rising at the library.

This is a nice addition to the group.

Marianne, I have the James Herriot books on my list and really want to read them soon.

I'm reading Ivanhoe and The Path to Power along with The Rime of the Ancient Mariner as well as with the book(s) in this group.

Cleo wrote: "Marianne, I have the James Herriot books on my list and really want to read them soon.

I'm reading Ivanhoe and The Path to Power along with [book:The Rime of the Ancient ..."

I read one of his a few chapters at a time when I was taking one of my kids for writing tutoring (I hate teaching writing and her prices were excellent) because there was one at the Audubon society where she rented space and loved it. I've read one or two others as well.

Cleo wrote: "Marianne, I have the James Herriot books on my list and really want to read them soon.

I'm reading Ivanhoe and The Path to Power along with [book:The Rime of the Ancient ..."

I've read I think the first 3, and they are very enjoyable! Have you seen the new PBS show?

I wish that the Enola Holmes books were old enough to be classics, because they are delightful. Let's see, the first one would be able to qualify in 2046--who knows of GR will even be around that far in the future?

Karin wrote: "I wish that the Enola Holmes books were old enough to be classics, because they are delightful. Let's see, the first one would be able to qualify in 2046--who knows of GR will even be around that f..."

Or ourselves for that matter Karin! 🤪😂

Loretta wrote: "Or ourselves for that matter Karin! 🤪😂."

Yes, I thought of that part first, but opted to ignore how old I'll be by then!

Karin wrote: "Loretta wrote: "Or ourselves for that matter Karin! 🤪😂."

Yes, I thought of that part first, but opted to ignore how old I'll be by then!"

Gotcha!

I've been rereading a few of the Anne of Green Gables books, but not all in order. I don't like them all equally.

Karin wrote: "I've been rereading a few of the Anne of Green Gables books, but not all in order. I don't like them all equally."

I agree about that - they are all very different. It's been years since I've read them, though, so I should probably read them again. I remember when I got my first Kindle in about 2008, I felt like it was going to be f-o-r-e-v-e-r until they were all in the public domain!

Marianne wrote: "Karin wrote: "I've been rereading a few of the Anne of Green Gables books, but not all in order. I don't like them all equally."

I agree about that - they are all very different. It's been years s..."

It's amazing how quickly that's been changing!

I agree, Karin. My favourite was Rilla of Ingleside followed by Anne of Green Gables. I found the writing and subject matter in Rilla more mature and it was fascinating to get a look in at the effects of WWI on a small Canadian village. I'd like to read the Emily series at some point. Have either of you read an "Emily" book and, if so, did you enjoy it?

Cleo wrote: "I agree, Karin. My favourite was Rilla of Ingleside followed by Anne of Green Gables. I found the writing and subject matter in Rilla more mature and it was fascinating to..."

Rilla of Ingleside is one of my favourites, too. Also Anne of Green Gables. Rainbow Valley and the third ones are next in line.

I've never read an Emily book.

I've read the Emily books twice, with a number of years in between. The first Emily book is the best and is as good on second reading as on the first.

I also liked Rilla very much, but I think the original Anne of Green Gables will always be my favorite! The story of the unwanted little girl and the crotchety, unmarried siblings finding unexpected love and family together gets me every time!

I think that Anne of the Island is my favorite of all of the Anne books - I love the collegiate atmosphere, and the section where Anne is living at Patty's Place is probably the part of the entire series that I love the most.

I initially didn't like Anne of Windy Poplars when I read it because I'm not that crazy about epistolary novels. But it really grew on me with rereads. I think that Anne of Avonlea might actually be my least favorite of them all, but there are still parts of it that I love.

I really liked Rilla of Ingleside.

I read Jane of Lantern Hill a few years ago and also really liked it.

I'm with Christine, I think - Anne of the Island is a great one, though I do love the original too - they are different enough ages. Anne of Avonlea seems to me to have too much redundancy from the first book, just with different characters.

I never read these as a child, only as an adult (and mostly as a parent), so my perspective has certainly been influenced by this fact. I don't know if a child would think as much about how Anne interacts with adults (and how differently this is from the way today's books treat adults) as I did.

Looks like I've never read Anne of Ingleside (or the Blythes Are Quoted). I'll have to rectify that at some point.

I did read all three Emily books and enjoyed them (the third isn't as good as the first two, in my opinion), but I didn't find any of them as good as the best Anne books. I do remember wanting to have an entire book about Father Cassidy.

Also read the Story Girl books, which I didn't really like much, and a bunch of the Chronicles of Avonlea stories - again a mixed bag.

Montgomery can be a great writer, but she can also fall into a rut of sameness. I'm glad that I finally got to read her books, and my own children have very much enjoyed the Anne books they have read (first two, so far).

Michael wrote: "Montgomery can be a great writer, but she can also fall into a rut of sameness. I'm glad that I finally got to read her books, and my own children have very much enjoyed the Anne books they have read (first two, so far).."

I agree - her books are comfortingly and reliably similar. Sort of like Louisa May Alcott.

My daughter really enjoyed Anne of Green Gables when I read it to her when she was about 8, but not so much that she ever wanted to read on.

Christine PNW wrote: "I think that Anne of the Island is my favorite of all of the Anne books - I love the collegiate atmosphere, and the section where Anne is living at Patty's Place is probably the pa..."

This is one of my favourites as well--her friends, that little cottage with the cats, Davy's letters and more.

I just realized that I haven't been getting the email updates for this group for over a month. After some digging, it looks like Goodreads unsubscribed me from all the groups I was following about a month ago. Anyone else see something like this?

Marianne, I’ve seen in other groups that Goodreads has discontinued this function. I get notifications so I wasn’t affected but people who get notifications by email are not happy. But there’s not much you can do

Yes, GR gas greatly reduced control on how we can get notifications. I think the digest option is also gone, but I didn't use that one.

One other point that Iearned the hard way. If you don't want all of the notifications for a group, you have to uncheck it and then go check just the ones you want to follow. After that the site will be checked as if you're getting all of them, but you're not.

One way to find that is to go to a group's edit information page and click on notifications. You'll find all of your GR groups listed, etc.

I want to stop updates that others get when I post in a certain group but can't find out how to stop that. It just started a month ago and for only one group.

Cleo wrote: "Marianne, I’ve seen in other groups that Goodreads has discontinued this function. I get notifications so I wasn’t affected but people who get notifications by email are not happy. But there’s not ..."

Then how do you get your notifications Cleo?

I also don’t receive notifications either guys so I ponder this question. What is Goodreads used for now? Certainly not for interaction within groups and friends that you’ve made along the way. Is it just a place to review and rate books that you’ve read? It seems pretty stupid to have a website devoted just to that.

How are others in our group (and others that you belong to) keep up on what’s going on?

Definitely a sad state. I so looked forward to my daily emails from the groups that I belong to.

Loretta wrote: "Cleo wrote: "Marianne, I’ve seen in other groups that Goodreads has discontinued this function. I get notifications so I wasn’t affected but people who get notifications by email are not happy. But..."

I get notifications but I have to log in to get them, which is what I prefer since I try to keep my email inbox as low as possible. However, I log in most days unless there is too much going on IRL or I'm travelling, etc. In addition can also go to my groups page and see when the last post has been made at the moment it loads up. For a couple of busy groups I don't follow any but go and check the threads I usually read; I only check a few to get in my notifications page. This is thread is one that I see there.

I'm involved in a number of groups, some more active than others, and among those, some more social than others.

Loretta, you can either go to each group separately and turn on (or off) the group notification settings. Or you can go into your profile and change all of them there.

Nothing has changed for me. I never wanted emails and am happy to be notified at the top of the Goodreads page however I understand it might be an annoying change for those used to another format.

Cleo wrote: "Loretta, you can either go to each group separately and turn on (or off) the group notification settings. Or you can go into your profile and change all of them there.

Nothing has changed for me...."

This is what's changed. You now get sent to one main list on your profile for group notification settings even when you try to access it through the group. It's one check ONLY on that list. If you check it all by yourself, you might get inundated with everything. If you only want select ones but are getting all, uncheck it, go back to the group and then individually check the ones you want to follow. For no logical reason I can think if, that group will then appeared checked for notifications even though you're now getting only the ones you like.

ALSO, if you start a new thread in a folder you won't automatically be notified if your overall group communication is turned off. It's egregious.

Thanks for the explanation, Karin!

This group has been so quiet!

Yes! I’m overloaded with books in January but am about to start The Princess and the Goblin. I’m working for the next couple of days but will send out a February nomination reminded after that. Hope you’re doing well, Karin.

Cleo wrote: "Yes! I’m overloaded with books in January but am about to start The Princess and the Goblin. I’m working for the next couple of days but will send out a February nomination reminded after that. Hop..."

Thanks. I'm hoping we read something in February I'm interested in :)