EDIT: Ok, so the number was revealed and that number is...10. Lucky me, I have a book from my 'No. Just no' category - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I must say, after various twitter conversations yesterday, I am now oddly looking forward to reading it to see which side I come down on. There seems to be quite a divide between those who love it and those who hate it. I wonder which side I will fall on... Oh Classics Club, you sly temptress. Another Classics Spin! After a hatrick of complete winners chosen by the spin I am raring to go and add a fourth. I was going to go all out and use a random generator (inspiration from Sam and Riv) but I find that slightly stressful so I'm sticking with my categories from the last spin. They worked for me then so fingers crossed they'll work for me again.
The idea of the spin is to pick 20 books from your Classics Club list on your blog by Monday 18th November. A number between 1 and 20 will be announced on Monday and we are to read the corresponding book by 1st January. A risky business...
Please, please, oh pretty please!
1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
2. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
3. No Name by Wilkie Collins (give me the Wilkie!)
4. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
5. The Illiad by Homer
No. Just no.
6. The Monk by Matthew Lewis
7. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
8. What Maisie Knew by Henry James
9. Parade's End by Ford Maddox Ford
10. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Well, if I must.
11. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
12. Moon and Sixpence by W Somerset Maugham
13. The Women's Room by Marilyn French
14. The Rector's Daughter by FM Mayor
15. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Oh, go on then.
16. Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner
17. The Time Machine by HG Wells
18. Jacobs Room by Virginia Woolf
19. Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
20. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I just can't get enough of the spin! It's a pretty perfect way to choose a winter read to savour.
Are you joining in? Which book are you dreading?
I've also had 3 out of 3 great spins and have hopes for this one :-)
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
Lady Audley's Secret is SUCH a potboiler - fast, easy to read, melodramatic and strangely compelling. Like Agatha Christie on crack. The Secret Garden is one of my favourite books, I just bought a beautiful new Barnes and Noble leatherbound edition in Leeds on Tuesday! John Wyndham rocks too, and Lolita's on my 'imminently TBR' bookshelf for attention soon. Mostly so that I can watch the Jeremy Irons movie guilt-free afterwards. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy spinnin'! (Also, this makes me tempted to join the Classics Club again. SO TEMPTED, OTHER ELLIE.)
Yay! I decided to join in again (I skipped last time). I have so far got one "okay" and one "very good" spin book (Arrowsmith and Villette, respectively). Again you have so many good books in the list! I've read 6. Why you not like John Steinbeck, Ellie? I loved Grapes of Wrath so much.
ReplyDeleteI failed miserably last time, but I'm in again! Always optimistic!
ReplyDeleteThe random generator was intimidating, especially when it selected Dickens for me - which I really don't want to read!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why Lady Audley's Secret isn't on my classics club list, I really must put it in version 2. And Handmaid's Tale is AWESOME, I hope you get it.
I LOVED Lady Audley's Secret -- even if you don't get it this time, try to push it up on your TBR pile, you won't be sorry. And I was terrified of Grapes of Wrath and I thought it was great. I have Moby Dick and the Hunchback of Notre Dame on my list, and I'm scared. I'm really hoping for something by Zola.
ReplyDeleteHa! I love the headlines for your book numbering system. I've read a few on your list, and I'd honestly say I'd dread a few as well. Lolita is my favorite from the list, and I'm in the process of The Book Thief...and by 'in the process' I mean I started it last spring and have yet to finish it. I'm sure you know how that goes.
ReplyDeleteThe Handmaid's Tale is number one on my list as well. And Death in Venice is one of the five books I dread. Good luck with your spin. It is my first time participating...
ReplyDeleteI love your #20!! And I really want to read your #16. :-)
ReplyDelete