Julie's 2015 Classics Challenge

[Julie]

1899 and earlier
✓1. The War of the Worlds Read March 2015
✓2. Five Weeks in a Balloon Read March 2015
✓3. The Canterville Ghost Read February 2015

1900-1999
✓4. Of Mice and Men Read May 2015
✓5. Men Without Women Read March 2015
✓6. Ashenden Read May 2015

My Wild Card Six
✓7. Jackdaws Read February 2015
✓8. Believing the Lie Read January 2015
✓9. Death Comes to Pemberley Read February 2015
✓10. The Angel's Game Read January 2015
✓11. Wide Sargasso Sea Read May 2015
✓12. Boom! Read June 2015

Alternates
✓A-1. Notes from a Small Island Read June 2015
✓A-2. East of Eden Read July 2015

[Alice]

Great list, good luck reading all of them! :)

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Good list, I've read 1,4,7,11, & A2, I enjoyed them all. Of the rest many are on my list, but thanks for picking Ashenden Maugham is one of my favorites and I had not heard of this book till now. Thanks and Good luck.

[Julie]

I've actually been thinking of putting up 'Ashenden' for a group read - maybe I should :-)

[Pink]

So many good books! I've read 4, 6 and 11 and recommend them all. I plan on reading War of the Worlds next year as well, but haven't included it in my challenge list...yet!

[Janet]

I have rea1 1,4,11 and A1. I would like to read East of Eden. I have heard so many good reviews of it.

[Katerina]

Have you read Pride and Prejudice? I'll be interested to hear what you think of Death Comes to Pemberly. It is an interesting combination of Jane Austin and P.D. James.

[Laurie]

Iris, I love P D James's Dalgleish series, but I can't say that I liked Death Comes to Pemberley at all. The characters are true to P&P but the story did not impress me. Hopefully Julie will enjoy it more.

[Sarah]

East of Eden is my favorite book.

[Julie]

Iris wrote: "Have you read Pride and Prejudice? I'll be interested to hear what you think of Death Comes to Pemberly. It is an interesting combination of Jane Austin and P.D. James."

Yes I'm a huge Austen fan, so have read all of her books several times. My mother who's also a huge Austen fan, tipped me about this one, she really liked it, and we usually like the same books.

Sarah wrote: "East of Eden is my favorite book."

Glad to hear, it's been on my tbr for years :-)

[Julie]

Finished my first challenge book: The Angel's Game. Though it does not quite match the standard of The Shadow of the Wind (which would be very hard imo), I really enjoyed it. So my challenge is off on a good start :-)

[Pink]

Well done :)

[Gergana]

I'm ashamed to say I have read only two book from your list. "Of mice and men" was quite alright! I really need to read more Steinbeck. And "The Canterville Ghost" also.

[Julie]

Finished Believing the Lie.
Elizabeth George is always a safe bet for a good plot, and this did not let down. Must read the next one soon as I'm keen to know what happens in the lives of Havers, Lynley and the St. James' :-)

[Laurie]

I have loved reading the Lynley series through the years. Elizabeth George has been one of my favorites. But I haven't liked the books nearly as much since Helen died. So many reviewers disliked the book after this one that I haven't read it yet. Not sure if I will. I hate the story line of Lynley and his boss having an affair. She is not a likeable woman. I will be interested to see how you feel about the next book.

[Julie]

Totally agree on the Ardery-woman, she is awful, but after the ending of this one I have hopes on this account ;-)

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Julie, I thought The Shadow of the Wind was excellent. A very intriguing story and I have been thinking about reading The Angel's Game for several years. It's not surprising that the second book is not the same caliber as the first. It's like a movie sequel, seldom does the second equal the first and much more rarely does the second exceed the first. I still hope to read it someday, thanks for the info.

[Tytti]

Without ever reading the books I think I prefer the tv Lynley and Havers. :-P Even though I don't care too much about romance novels (or maybe exactly because I don't otherwise read them), I like that there is something, or at least a possibility to something, between characters. I think I borrowed one years ago because I thought the series would have followed the books in that regard but I guess they don't.

[Julie]

Finished Jackdaws.

Been a huge Ken Follett fan for years, and this one did not disappoint. I'm always partial to female heroines

[Julie]

Two months into the year and I've finished five of the books on this list.

The Canterville Ghost seemed very close to the cartoon I remember from my childhood, that was one of my fave cartoon and ergo I was not disappointed in the book :-)

Death Comes to Pemberley was a nice read too. I felt P.D. James stayed true to Jane Austens characters, and it felt more like a sequel (she even explained some of my questions from P&P), than an actual crime-story. But I do wonder as P.D. James does in her foreword, what would Jane have said ;-)

[Julie]

March almost done and I finished my pre-1899 category.

Haven't got much to say about Five Weeks in a Balloon. It's an adventure and ok, but have liked other Jules Verne books much more.

The War of the Worlds however, I found really good, much better than what I've previously read by Wells (The Invisible Man and The Time Machine). I found the story "convincing" (if you can use such a word about sci-fi...), especially the death of the martians.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

War of the Worlds is one of my Bingo titles.

Based on your comments, I'll look forward to it.

[Desertorum]

I also wasn´t a fan of Five weeks in a balloon.

[Julie]

In May I've managed to read to more of these books

Ashenden reads like a collection of short stories. The stories are good spy stories but would not consider them great literature. But I do look forward to reading more by W. Somerset Maugham in the future.

Of Mice and Men has been on my TBR for years and years, It is a very short book and therefore a quick read and I do wish I'd read it before. My heart goes out to poor Lennie who did not know his own strength.

[Julie]

June has seen two more books crossed off the list

Boom! was a sweet short story - good humour :-)

Notes from a Small Island was fine, but you can kinda tell it was written 20 years ago, it was probably a better read when it was fresh.

So now I only have East of Eden to go - will be reading that with the group in July :-)

[Pink]

Well done, you're doing great with your list. I haven't read any of your June reads, but have read both Ashendon and Of Mice and Men and had much the same opinion. Good luck with East of Eden :)

[Christine]

You've made such great progress with your challenge, great job! I hope you enjoy East of Eden. It's been a long time since I've read it, but it made me love Steinbeck.

[Julie]

Totally forgot to update in here that I finished East of Eden and thereby finished this challenge as well :D

I really enjoyed East of Eden, probably my favourite Steinbeck except Of Mice and Men which I read earlier this year (along with several of his other shorter stories)

[Alissa]

Congrats on finishing!!

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I think you are the first to finish all fourteen reads, Congratulations!!

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Congrats Julie! I'm jealous!

:)

[Maarit]

Congratulations on finishing the challenge, Julie!

[Pink]

Well done on completing your challenge!

[Sara, New School Classics]

Congrats. You had a great list. I'm just beginning mine!