Book Geeks and Bookniks discussion

This month's winner - CLASSICS!

That category will now be put away til next year. The other genres will appear again in a future poll, though not necessarily next month.

Here is your chance to read one of those books you've been putting off for years. Perhaps one of those titles you know you SHOULD read, but just never manage to pick up.

Use your own judgement in deciding what qualifies as a "classic". Read one, or as many books as you like from this genre. Please post what you've read, and tell us about books you're thinking about reading. Feel free to ask other members for recommendations.

And have fun!

I have to read Their Eyes Were Watching God for another group. I think that qualifies as a classic.
I'm also thinking about One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich because it's so short. Can't say that about too many of the Russian classics.

Melki wrote: "This month's winner - CLASSICS!

That category will now be put away til next year. The other genres will appear again in a future poll, though not necessarily next month.

Here is your chanc..."
This is great! My e-reader came preloaded with 100 classics, so I know I might try to read one of the many books on it.

This will sound like an odd choice probably but I'm picking Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

This book is on my "must read this year" list and about the only one. Think audible.com was the source that got this into my head I needed to read. Was on one of their "must read" lists or something and I actually had this one.... Had forever.

I'm also guessing it would be considered a classic by fans of the sci-fi genre??? Over the years I've heard so much about this book and series.

I just read The Little Women Letters, which I really enjoyed and now I just have to re-read "Little Women". It's been so many years since I read it. I had planned on reading a classic I had never read, and still may, but this must come first.

Liz wrote: "I just read The Little Women Letters, which I really enjoyed and now I just have to re-read "Little Women". It's been so many years since I read it. I had planned on reading a clas..."

I loved Little Women when I was a girl. After I finished March I felt the way you are feeling right now about rereading it. I did and I was shocked to find myself disappointed. I found it simplistic and surprisingly misogynistic. I had to force myself to finish a book I had already read multiple times and loved.

Heather - I felt that way when I re-read the "Little House..." books when my son was reading them in school. The attitude towards the Indians, the way they treated the environment - these were all very jarring to me now. But, that was how things were then. Anyway, I'll try to keep that in mind as I read "Little Women".

I keep adding classics I want to read to my pile.
I haven't STARTED any of them yet, but I'm thinking about them...

I am thinking of something by Flannery O'Connor because I haven't read anything of hers and I think she would qualify as a modern classic.

I am thinking of reading Great Expectations. Not only is it Dickens's 200th birthday, but Masterpiece Theatre has it on the schedule for April.

Carol wrote: "I am thinking of reading Great Expectations. Not only is it Dickens's 200th birthday, but Masterpiece Theatre has it on the schedule for April."

I am reading A Tale of Two Cities to celebrate Charles Dickens birthday for the Classic genre.

Now I'm thinking Dickens!

I was floundering. Now I'm thinking Dickens too, but NOT Great Expectations. It was required in Honors Freshman English at my high school and I never did finish it (gasp!). I had my girlfriend tell me how it ended. I've never read Bleak House. Does anyone have an opinion?

I didn't like Great Expectations, but everyone tells me A Tale of Two Cities is much better.

I made it through Great Expectations in school, but I have yet to make it through A Tale of Two Cities. I tried reading it, then got it on CD & tried it. Not sure why I had such trouble with it. but I sure did.

All I know is I'm NOT thinking Dickens.

How is everyone doing with their classics?

I just finished The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck. Hoping to start Their Eyes Were Watching God later today.

I'm so jealous Melki. Have one ahead of my classic I'd like to get read. How do you all do it???

I know shut this dang laptop and read!!

How do I do it?
It's simple. I have no life!

I am in the middle of Great Expectations. I should finish it by March 1.

I still have 7 days. I may not be able to tackle Great Expectations, but I WILL choose a classic from the library on Friday and read it before the month is over!

Not sure I'll finish February's classic in February but up after Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married.

I'd have more time for reading if I didn't have to sleep, eat or clean.

And get off this darn computer!!

Cleaning?
What is this cleaning thing of which you speak?

The Tenant of Wildfell Hallended up being my classics choice. Nothing like a Bronte in the winter!

Have you finished? What did you think?

What??? We don't have to clean??? If it were not 10:32 pm I'd make an effort to post pictures of my overwhelming clutter that almost makes it difficult to read.... key word almost...

Lower your standards, Gretchen. As long as you can find the book you're reading, there's no such thing as too much clutter.

Melki wrote: "I didn't like Great Expectations, but everyone tells me A Tale of Two Cities is much better."

I didn't like it, but I read it as a high school freshman 40 plus years ago. I hope that with maturity I will appreciate it. I read more Dickens as I got older.
As I said, the incentive is that it will be the next new series on Masterpiece Theater.

I got up at 1:30 this morning to finish Wuthering Heights because I found myself dreaming about the characters! I am surprised to say that I LOVED this book! I really did not expect to like it much. Makes me wonder what wonderful stories I've missed by avoiding the classics. I recommended the book to my 20 yo daughter. I think she would like it as well.

I'm going to watch the movie version on Netflix tonight if possible.

Well, I finished "Little Women" last week. It's funny, I don't remember it being so "preachy" when I was young. But maybe when you're young & innocent all that striving to be "good" seems admirable. Which it is, of course. But still a bit much. But there is also a lot to enjoy in the book. I'm almost tempted to re-read Little Men& Jo's Boys But when I was at the library I noticed that their Mystery read for March is The Hound of the Baskervilles which is also a classic so I got that to read too. Not sure if I'll get it done in Feb. though. I picked up some other good books at the same time.

Still reading my classics choice, and since it's Bronte, it goes slow.

I finished Slaughterhouse Five at the end of Jan and The Bluest Eye s few weeks ago. Both of these books were rereads for me and I got SO MUCH from them the second time around. One day, I would like to read The Bluest Eye again.

I liked reading what everyone else chose as their classic!

I've read so much Vonnegut, but never gotten around to Slaughterhouse Five. One of these days...

Still reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. I WILL finish by the end of the month!

Finished slogging around the gulag with Ivan.

I'm still reading Great Expectations. I was distracted by a political book I needed to return to the library, and I caught up on "one Story.

Finally finished my classic Ender's Game. I struggled with this a little bit not sure why.

Since you finished it this month, go ahead and count it toward the April Science Fiction challenge.
You deserve it.

Sounds like a fantastic idea!!