Lara’s Comments (group member since Feb 12, 2016)

Lara’s comments from the Who Doesn't Love a Classic? group.

Audra wrote: "Lara, you have some serious reading ahead of you."

Well I'll finish We Are Not Ourselves tonight. My F2F group meets at the end of the month, so I have to read that one first. Hoping it goes quickly (we're reading The Girls).

Book Concierge wrote: "Lara wrote: "So in the book I'm currently reading (We Are Not Ourselves) one of the main characters is reading Crime and Punishment for school. Thought that was a funny coincidence ..."

Maybe! I have to finish this book I'm reading now, read the book for my F2F book group, then I can start on Crime & Punishment! :)

So in the book I'm currently reading (We Are Not Ourselves) one of the main characters is reading Crime and Punishment for school. Thought that was a funny coincidence :)

Jgrace wrote: "I've heard good things about Attkinson but have never read anything of hers yet. What would you suggest I start with?

I think Life After Life was the first thing I read by her. I ..."

Thanks so much! Added Life After Life to my TBR :)

Jgrace wrote: "This could be a very long list. It's a good thing you didn't ask for just one. I would refuse to participate on principle.

Favorite 19th century:
Charles Dickens -
[book:David Copperfield|58696..."

I've heard good things about Attkinson but have never read anything of hers yet. What would you suggest I start with?

Book Concierge wrote: "John Steinbeck
Edith Wharton
Stephen King
Isabel Allende
Donald E Westlake
Agatha Christie

These are all auth..."

Yes, they can't all be winners. Could you share some of your favorites by them?

I really like Stephen King and Agatha Christie as well. I want to read more King but most of his books are so long...I don't have the time!

Book Concierge wrote: "Lara wrote: "It had been a while since I bought any books, so I went to Half Price yesterday and loaded up.

Here's my haul:
Coriolanus by William Shakespeare (I always pick up a new..."

No, but my mom's best friend just offered us hers for free :)

Karin wrote: "Oh, I missed this! I'll start by putting my review here, since I am sure others liked it more than I did (sorry, but I gave it 1 star; but then sometimes I learn the most when discussing books wher..."

I was just reading through this topic for the first time and I must say, I think your review is hilarious! "However, if you frequently love books I hate, try it and see what you think." Ha!

I haven't read this one yet, and don't know if I ever will. It's been on my TBR forever but I just can't seem to pull the trigger.

I’ll go first ;) I’ll list some of my favorite authors and which of their books I’ve read. For me, in order to consider someone a favorite author, I have to have read at least 3 of their books to really get a feel for them. Other than Shakespeare, I haven’t really found a favorite “classics” author. I just don’t seem to read more than one book by most of the older authors. I guess I just figure I have too many other options I have to explore!

Margaret Atwood
- **The Handmaid's Tale (★★★★★ and a favorite)**
- Alias Grace (★★★★)
- The Blind Assassin (★★★★)
- Oryx and Crake (★★★★★ and a favorite)
- The Penelopiad (★★★★)
- The Year of the Flood (★★★★)

Kazuo Ishiguro
- A Pale View of Hills (★★★★)
- The Remains of the Day (★★★★)
- **Never Let Me Go (★★★★)**
- The Buried Giant (★★★)

Daphne du Maurier
- **Rebecca (★★★★★**
- My Cousin Rachel (★★★★)
- The Scapegoat (★★★)

William Shakespeare
- The Tempest (★★★)
- Measure for Measure (★★★)
- Much Ado About Nothing (★★★★)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (★★)
- The Merchant of Venice (★★★)
- The Taming of the Shrew (★★★★)
- Twelfth Night (★★★)
- The Winter's Tale (★★★)
- King Henry IV, Part 1 (★★★)
- Henry IV, Part 2 (★★★)
- **Romeo and Juliet (★★★★★ and a favorite)**
- Julius Caesar (★★★)
- Macbeth (★★★★★)
- Hamlet (★★★★★)
- King Lear (★★★★)
- Othello (★★★★)

I’ve put ** around the first book by that author I ever read.

Yesterday I picked up a new book buy one of my favorite authors (Margaret Atwood), and it got me to thinking about other authors I really enjoy…

Who are your favorite authors? They don’t have to be classics authors. Is there an author that if you see they have a new book out, you’ll immediately add it to your TBR, even if you know nothing about it? Or perhaps a classic author whose life work you’re in the process of working through?

Let’s share them here!

It had been a while since I bought any books, so I went to Half Price yesterday and loaded up.

Here's my haul:
Coriolanus by William Shakespeare (I always pick up a new Shakespeare when I can)
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (for our group read)
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood (woohoo! new book by my favorite author that I didn't even know about!)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini
Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari

I think I did a pretty good job.

I've always wanted to read this, but I'm so afraid of Russian authors! I don't know why! I did just buy it yesterday though. Hopefully I'll start it no later than September.

Crime and Punishment / Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Through the story of the brilliant but conflicted young Raskolnikov and the murder he commits, Fyodor Dostoevsky explores the theme of redemption through suffering. Crime and Punishment put Dostoevsky at the forefront of Russian writers when it appeared in 1866 and is now one of the most famous and influential novels in world literature.

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Discussion begins here. We operate on the assumption that members have read the book before checking in here, so there may be SPOILERS if you have not finished the book.

**This discussion will go through October in order to get us back on track for doing group reads every 2 months. Towards the end of October, we'll vote on our November-December read.**

Audra wrote: "Hey yall. I'm Audra. I live in Georgia and work in a grocery store(not mentioning the name cuz yall will laugh). This is my first group here. Hope to have fun."

Welcome to the group, Audra! I hope you like it here. Looks like you'll fit right in :)

It's been a while since I've read several of them, but I'll do my best:

1 - Much Ado About Nothing ★★★★
(this was by far my favorite - I've read it several times)

2 - The Taming of the Shrew ★★★★

3 - The Merchant of Venice ★★★
(though I don't like of it as a comedy)

4 - Measure for Measure ★★★

5 - Twelfth Night ★★★

6 - The Winter's Tale ★★★

7 - The Tempest ★★★

8 - A Midsummer Night's Dream ★★
(my least favorite - read it so long ago but remember not liking it much)

Also to call them all comedies is a bit misleading. That's how they're technically categorized, but some really are not what you'd think of when you hear the word "comedy." It basically just means they're not as horribly depressing as the tragedies in some cases.

Also, I would not describe any of them as "bad." But I love Shakespeare so I'm always happy reading his stuff.

Just started We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas.

★★★

In my quest to read all of Shakespeare’s plays, this was #16.

In this comedy, the Duke of Vienna decides to leave his government in the hands of Angelo while he is away. Angelo is known to be very strict and moral so while the Duke is away, Angelo decides to take it upon himself to clean the city up of its brothels and other unlawful sexual activity. This means any sex outside of the bonds of marriage as well. Unfortunately, for Claudio, a man that got his betrothed, Juliet, pregnant before they had chance to marry, this means that he is to be executed. Upon hearing of his arrest, Claudio’s sister, Isabella, goes to plead for his life. Angelo is captivated by Isabella and agrees to spare Claudio’s life…if Isabella gives herself to him. Little does Angelo know that the Duke is still close by, disguised as a friar, and observing Angelo’s actions. The disguised Duke and Isabella conspire together to save her brother and trap Angelo in his hypocritical ways.

Measure for Measure was not my favorite Shakespeare play by any means, but it was entertaining. It has a lot of similarities to his other works, such as the Duke disguising himself to catch Angelo in the act of being a hypocrite, Angelo being tricked to go to bed with the wrong woman, etc. My favorite part of the play was probably the exchanges between the Duke and Lucio, a friend of Claudio’s, who plays somewhat the fool. Lucio constantly badmouths the absent Duke. However, of course, Lucio is actually talking to the Duke himself, dressed as a friar! So those exchanges were rather amusing.

I’m glad to have checked this one off my list. It was certainly a fun and entertaining read!

Just a reminder: you only have just a few more days to get your votes in for the Group Read!! Get on it ;)

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Group Read Vote!
Make sure to make your selection!

Our first poll for a new group read is up: Group Read Vote!
Make sure to make your selection!