April's First Ever Classics Challenge

[April]

I was an English major in college, and I always try to read some classics a year, but I have found myself grabbing for the "easier" books lately. This is a great challenge!

Early Classics- 1899 or before
1. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 1817 1/25/16
2. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte 1847
3 North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 1854

Newer Classics- 1900s and after
4. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 1939
5. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut 1969 1/10/16
6. Animal Farm by George Orwell 1945

Wild Cards
7. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 2012
8. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery 2006
9. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 2005
10. Heidi by Johanna Spyri 1880
11. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf 1925
12. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss 2011

*alternates*
1.The Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy by Evelyn Waugh 1948
2. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck 1935 1/19/16

[Pink]

Oh you have some great books on your list! Good luck :)

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

April, so many people who are planning to participate in this challenge for 2016 have included "Grapes of Wrath" on their lists.

I hope everyone enjoys it as well as I did when I read it. It's a really good book.

[Laurie]

I haven't read many of your books but several are on my TBR. I am currently reading Northanger Abbey, and while I can tell it won't be my favorite Austen, I like it. I hope you enjoy your first challenge.

[April]

Andrea (Catsos Person) is a Compulsive eBook Hoarder wrote: "April, so many people who are planning to participate in this challenge for 2016 have included "Grapes of Wrath" on their lists.

I hope everyone enjoys it as well as I did when I read it. It's a r..."

Andrea, I noticed that, too! I actually picked this book to read on a Top 12 TBR Challenge in another group, but 2016 must be the year to read Grapes of Wrath. I read East of Eden last year, and absolutely loved it! I wanted to read his book Travels with Charley: In Search of America this year, but I didn't get to it.

[April]

Laurie wrote: "I haven't read many of your books but several are on my TBR. I am currently reading Northanger Abbey, and while I can tell it won't be my favorite Austen, I like it. I hope you enjoy your first cha..."

I know it's much different than most of her books since it's more of a satire on the Gothic novel. However, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park are the only ones of her books I have not read.

[Desertorum]

Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park are also the only ones that I haven´t read (or from the main six) and they are both on my challenge for next year! And now I´m very intrigued about Northanger Abbey.

And if year 2016 is the year to read Grapes, then I probably should do that too. I read East of Eden this year so time for the next one :)

[April]

Desertorum wrote: "Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park are also the only ones that I haven´t read (or from the main six) and they are both on my challenge for next year! And now I´m very intrigued about Northanger Ab..."

What did you think of East of Eden? I thought, "I've had the gem of a book on my shelf for years and didn't even know it!" Cathy is such a scary villain. That girl has NO soul. It reminded me of an old movie I watched when I was little called The Bad Seed.

[Philina]

I wish you a lot of fun with your first challenge!

North & South is such a wonderful book in my opinion.
I've read Northanger Abbey already and my challenge now includes the Austen Project one by Val McDermid.

[Desertorum]

April wrote: "Desertorum wrote: "Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park are also the only ones that I haven´t read (or from the main six) and they are both on my challenge for next year! And now I´m very intrigued ..."

I liked it too. I bought it from library sale and I wasn´t sure if I ever get to it, but because of this group I got interested and I´m glad I did! I have also read Of Mice and Men and liked it too (but that was years ago).

[siriusedward]

Of jane austens books the ones i did not read are Northanger Abbey and Emma....

[[deleted user]]

emma is good book , i read it and u can watch movie (bbc) base on this novel

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Welcome to the group and the challenge. I have to agree The Grapes of Wrath is excellent. So are Animal Farm and North and South are also solid reads. Good Luck and Enjoy1

[Alissa]

great list!

[Liz]

I love your list!

[April]

I finished my first book! I read Slaughterhouse-Five over the weekend.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

April wrote: "I finished my first book! I read Slaughterhouse-Five over the weekend."

Hooray!

[Pink]

Well done finishing your first book! Did you like it?

[April]

Pink wrote: "Well done finishing your first book! Did you like it?"

It was an interesting read. It's one I want to talk about, and I gave it four stars, but I wasn't crazy about it.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I have read 8 of your choices...all good reads IMHO. I have Slaughterhouse Five on my list for this year. East of Eden is one of my favorite books EVER, but even recognizing how important Grapes of Wrath is from both a literary and social pov, I didn't love it nearly as much.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I have read 8 of your choices...all good reads IMHO. I have Slaughterhouse Five on my list for this year. East of Eden is one of my favorite books EVER, but even recognizing how important Grapes of Wrath is from both a literary and social pov, I didn't love it nearly as much.

[April]

Last night I read Tortilla Flat. All the characters are pretty awful, with the exception of maybe Pirate, who is just a little crazy. Not my favorite Steinbeck, but it was a quick read. I gave it three stars because it can be pretty funny. However, all the characters do is drink, steal, drink, meet with women, drink some more, etc.
Today I'm starting Northanger Abbey.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I thought Tortilla Flat fell flat at times. Hope you enjoy Northanger. I love it, but it's not Austen's best either.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I hate to hear about Tortilla Flat, Steinbeck is a favorite of mine. I'm pretty sure Northanger Abbey will be better. I agree with Sara, Abbey is not Austen's best work, but I liked it.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

April wrote: "Last night I read Tortilla Flat. All the characters are pretty awful, with the exception of maybe Pirate, who is just a little crazy. Not my favorite Steinbeck, but it was a quick rea..."

Those are two books still on my TBR list. If I live long enough I might get everything on my list read.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Kathy wrote: "Those are two books still on my TBR list. If I live long enough I might get everything on my list read. "

I have resigned myself that I will die with a TBR that grows longer up to the end. I'm trying to chip away at all the older/classics that I have missed, while knowing that I am missing out on a lot of the newer books that I also want to read. Sigh.

[April]

Sara wrote: "I thought Tortilla Flat fell flat at times. Hope you enjoy Northanger. I love it, but it's not Austen's best either."

Bob wrote: "I hate to hear about Tortilla Flat, Steinbeck is a favorite of mine. I'm pretty sure Northanger Abbey will be better. I agree with Sara, Abbey is not Austen's best work, but I liked it."

I didn't hate Tortilla Flat, I gave it 3 stars, but I didn't find his characters very likable, and I love Of Mice and Men and East of Eden.

Also, Northanger Abbey is one of the last Austen books I have left to read. :)

[April]

Sara wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Those are two books still on my TBR list. If I live long enough I might get everything on my list read. "

I have resigned myself that I will die with a TBR that grows longer up to th..."

haha Sara and Kathy, as soon as I get three books off my list, I add twenty more.

[April]

Last night I finished Northanger Abbey. It's slightly different in parts to her other works, but it still made me laugh out loud several times. Glad I read this one.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Yes, I have never regretted reading Austen.