Egads y’all. I got my invitation to my 10th year High School reunion this week. I am NOT that old. Damnit.
Honestly though, I’m actually pretty excited about it. I can’t wait to see who has left themselves go, who looks exactly the same, who succeeded, who didn’t. No really, I’m excited to catch up with old friends, see how their families are growing, how they’ve changed, what they are doing now, etc, etc. I will be about 12 weeks or so pregnant by then (it’s in October), so that should be interesting as well. People won’t be able to say how fat I’ve become, because I’ll have an excuse! Ha! How lucky am I?!?
In other news, my friend Lesley at Lesley’s Book Nook has decided to challenge herself to read several classics that have been floundering on her bookshelf for quite some time. I have several (and I mean several!) classics also floundering on MY bookshelves, many of which I bought after I discovered I loved Jane Austen and wanted to try more of her and other writers, so after much careful deliberations I have decided to join Lesley in her challenge. I don’t think I will set quite as many to read as she did, as most of the ones I want to read are quite big, but I think I will try to read 5 before the end of the year. My picks are:
Emma by Jane Austen
The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas
A Study in Scarlett by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
and possible extra credits Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and The Moodstone by Wilkie Collins
There are many I would like to get to as well (Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Northanger Abbey, Middlemarch, the rest of War and Peace!) and may yet, but I’m trying to be realistic. I don’t read classics that fast, nor do I want to, and I also want to read other books that come my way by library, ARC, or just impulse. But I think those 5-7 books will fit nicely. I think I’ll start The Three Musketeers this weekend.
Sounds like a worthwhile goal. I need to read more classics and more from my bookshelf. Best wishes on reaching this goal.
Ha! You should've seen me do a double-take when I read my name in this post! I'm still not used to having my blog cited in other blogs. I'm glad I've given you some motivation to read more classics. I admit my list is a bit long, but I'm going to be realistic and be pleased if I make it through half the titles. We'll see!
Let me know how you get on with the Three Musketeers. I went through a bit of a Dumas phase a year or so ago, but managed to not read this one.
It's been 15 years since I graduated high school – scary!
I don't have a challenge going, but I did just start reading 'Rebecca' for the first time!
Good choices all!! I am just hoping to finish W&P by the end of the year! Did you say you bought the new translation of The Three Musketeers? I looked at it at the bookstore today (but didn't want to pay full price when Amazon has it 30% off). I want to read Henry James, too!!
I should do this. Everyone is making me want to read War and Peace. Might have to do that one of these days. I should read more classics, it is bad of me that I don't.
- Kail, who will not say how long it has been since she graduated, might make people feel old.
10 year?!?! Next year marks my 20 year high school reunion…a fact that I can hardly fathom!
My ten year is next year. I don't think I'm going.
I read Three Muskateers a few years ago after a friend of mine told me it was one of her life goals to learn French well enough to read it in its original language.
I read Emma and the Moonstone this summer. I had attempted both of them many times and never finished. I think I actually almost kinda liked Emma in the end. Maybe. And I appreciated the Moonstone for what it was but I'm kinda glad I don't have to read it again.
Ah, my 10th and 20th have both passed, as has my 25th. I've been out of high school since 1980. Seems like another lifetime ago. Probably because it was!
10 year is nothing – I got an invite for my 20th this summer but I went off to Germany instead
I love your classics challenge. I have an idea to do one as well.
Les, LOL I still do double takes when I see mine! I may have to add more books to mine, I'm flying through The Three Musketeers!
Fence, I'm loving it just as much, if not more, as I did 10 or so years ago when I read it the first time. It's great adventure. Very fun!
TOLesley, I hope you like Rebecca. I loooved it!
Danielle, good luck with W&P. I'm hoping to go back to it, I just got to bogged down with it. Next time I'm going to have to take notes. And my translation is by anonymous, so I don't know who translated my Musketeers. It's very readable though.
Sassy, I took 4 years of French and wouldn't never dare try to read a French novel. I do good to remember please and thank you! And you don't make me hopeful for Emma. Or The Moonstone
LOL Iliana. I think I would rather go to Germany as well! And please, join me, I'd love to see which ones you pick!