Katie's challenge

[Clare]

April wrote: "Clare wrote: "Will read the last chronicle of Barsetshire for the longer book and maybe one of the Penguin black books or Wilkie Collins, The Haunted Hotel for the shorter one."

Clare, I'm so in t..."

They are some of my favourite books - I feel almost sad to be starting on the last one!

[Paula]

I want to read Great Expectations.

[Angela]

I am going with Lorna Doone for this one. I haven't heard much about it. I hope it's a good choice!

[Danya]

I enjoyed The Woman in White (well actually a dramatized version on audible) earlier this year, so am planning on Armadale for this challenge. The Adventure of the Boscombe Valley Mystery (Sherlock Holmes) for my short book.

[Melissa]

I'm reading the Turn of the Screw.

[Amelia]

I'm reading The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens.

[Janelle]

I just finished my first book for Victober! The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by R.L. Stevenson. I really liked it.

[April]

I'm not sure where to post this, so I'll post here that I've been listening to some Sherlock Holmes short stories while out on my walk. I've listened to The Adventure of the Speckled Band and The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb. Great fun. I also finished the novella The Sign of the Four before Victober began.

[Ruth Ann]

I read Cranford for this prompt. It wasn't my favorite Gaskell but I did enjoy the characters. I find her writing to be very easy to read.

[Electra]

I've started to read Persuasion by Jane Austen for this prompt ;-)

[Lu]

Currently reading The Warden by Anthony Trollope. I have The Penguin English Library edition which is 211 pages. :-)

[Margo]

I've started Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. It is a wonderful social commentary.

[Encarni Reading The World Forever]

I've read The Open Door by Margaret Oliphant. I've discovered her by chance and it's been a great surprise.

[Angela]

I decided to do both. For the under challenge I chose The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. I’ve seen the movies but never read the actual book. For the over challenge I chose Anthony Trollope, Can you forgive her?

[Sandybeth]

One chapter into Deerbrook and I am well and truly hooked.

[Kirsty]

I’m doing both challenges and have already read a couple of books for the shorter challenge. I’d planned on reading Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu for the long challenge but realised last night that my copy was only 480 pages! Have just managed to find a copy of ‘Cranford and other Stories’ by Elizabeth Gaskell in my local library which is just over 500 pages so will be reading that instead!

[Katie]

Sandybeth wrote: "One chapter into Deerbrook and I am well and truly hooked."

I've just started it too and am loving it so far!

[Amelia]

I have listened to The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde on audio and enjoyed it.

[Jill]

I have to double dip for these challenges as I have IRL book group and some library holds I’ve been waiting for I’d also like to read this month.

I’m using my book from Kate’s prompt of re-reading a Victorian novel, Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime. (50 pages) to satisfy this challenge.

When I read it previously I liked it, but I was never sure if I grasped Wilde’s writing style as it was my only experience reading him up to that point. I really enjoyed more the second time, especially after reading The Importance of Being Earnest.

[Amelia]

I have read The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens and despite the fact that the writing is good, I was kind of bored by it.

[Ophelia]

After reading "A Woman of No Importance" I was in the mood for more Wilde. So I read and finished "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" today. It wasn’t originally in my TBR but it fits Katie’s challenge “read a Victorian book under 250 pages”. The stories in it were heart-wrenching, I didn’t expect that at all…

[Lorna]

Ophelia, The Happy Prince is the sadest story I know. There was an animation of it, tears are welling up in my eyes even at the thought. Swallows hold such a powerful place in my heart because of this beautiful story.

[Ophelia]

Lorna, I shouldn't have read the story in a public train ;-D I started reading and then suddenly melancholy hit me the more I read...I wished myself to some solitary place, where I didn't have to retain my composure.

[Froggles]

Amelia, I'm about halfway through 'The Pickwick Papers', and am also finding it a slog.

I had previously read someone's review saying that it wasn't until about the midpoint that she really got into it. I don't know if I have the patience to continue. Did you finish it?

I read 'Bleak House' last year and found it absolutely brilliant, and I've enjoyed everything else of Dickens's that I've read.

[Ophelia]

Today I finished my TBR pick for a book under 250 pages, which was Carmilla by Sheridan le Fanu.

Just two chapters in I could already tell that I’m going to love reading this. I really like the way Sheridan Le Fanu writes and especially how he sets the mood. The moody, melancholy and creepy parts of this novella really got under my skin. As someone who has experienced sleep paralysis quite often in the past, there were parts in this story that made my skin crawl.

I really like Dracula (which was inspired by Carmilla to some extent), but I didn’t expect that I would like Carmilla even more. This is my favourite read this Victober! It’s also such a different take on vampires, compared to Dracula, which I found highly interesting. Of course there are also similarities, since both were inspired by folklore and generally known superstitions, which date back to antiquity. It made me also realise how many things in popular culture were actually inspired by Carmilla.

So, I highly recommend Carmilla, especially if you like moody, creepy gothic stories.

[Amelia]

Froggles wrote: "Amelia, I'm about halfway through 'The Pickwick Papers', and am also finding it a slog.

I had previously read someone's review saying that it wasn't until about the midpoint that she really got in..."

Sorry, it took me so long to answer, but I only accidentally stumbled upon your question. Yes, I finished it and it actually gets better in a way, but that didn't change much for me.
I did the second half of it on audio to speed things up a bit. This is not a bad book. I was just not interested enough in these stories.

[Amelia]

Same challenge, now with a book under 250 pages done. I've finished The Warden by Anthony Trollope and didn't like it that much. But I'm glad that I've read something by this author now and I also did it as a buddy read and that was great.

[April]

Amelia wrote: "Same challenge, now with a book under 250 pages done. I've finished The Warden by Anthony Trollope and didn't like it that much. But I'm glad that I've read something by this author now and I also ..."

Amelia, you should read Barchester Towers right away. It enlarges the story of Barset and the Warden's family. It's delightful.

[Amelia]

April wrote: "Amelia wrote: "Same challenge, now with a book under 250 pages done. I've finished The Warden by Anthony Trollope and didn't like it that much. But I'm glad that I've read something by this author ..."

Thank you for the recommendation, but I think I need a break right now.

[April]

Amelia wrote: "April wrote: "Amelia wrote: "Same challenge, now with a book under 250 pages done. I've finished The Warden by Anthony Trollope and didn't like it that much. But I'm glad that I've read something b..."

I completely understand! :0)