It’s time for another Classics Club Spin. This is where members of the Classics Club create a list of twenty books from their main list that they’d like to read sooner rather than later.
On a given date (Monday, April 22 in this case), the moderators choose a number and participants have a deadline (May 31st) by which to read the corresponding book from their list.
May is going to be a busy month for me, but I just cannot resist a Spin. I don’t know if it’s the gambling aspect that draws me, the fun of a game, or simply Classics Club FOMO, but I’m in!
I’ve chosen ten of the shortest books on my list, so the list of twenty titles below simply lists each book twice.
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett
- The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin
- Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett
- The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin
- Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
- The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
I’m old enough to know a short book doesn’t necessarily mean an easy or quick read, but I’m confident I’ll finish whichever book is chosen as I’m enthusiastic about reading each of these.
Do you have any favorites on this list?
Lots of good titles there! I enjoyed “Slaughterhouse Five” back when it was very relevant to the anti-war protests of the 70s. I read a lot of Vonnegut then and I should go back and catch up with his work again. Hope you enjoy your spin!
Hi Christina, thanks for checking out my list. I haven’t read any Vonnegut yet. While I’m apprehensive about the content of Slaughterhouse Five (my mom survived the bombing of Dresden), I’m looking forward to finally reading this important classic, which I plan to do this year whether or not it’s the lucky spin number. 🤞
Love it Chris and the new look blog too! I think you’ve created a new hashtag for us #CCFOMO 🙂
Thanks, Brona! #CCFOMO is real!
I love it especially that you “cheat” on the rule 😜😅. Lord of the Flies is one of my favorites, I hope you’ll get it! But, whichever you’d get, enjoy, Chris! 👌🏼
I absolutely loved the Country of the Pointed Firs. And I am impressed that you have Mary Austin’s Land of Little Rain on your list. She is one of my favorite writers of early 20th century California. Good luck come Monday!
Thanks for the good luck! Mary Austin was a big writer of interest when I attend U of Nevada, Reno in the ’90s when their Literature and Environment program was just getting started. Land of Little Rain is one of those books that I can’t believe I haven’t yet read…but isn’t that the case with so many classics when you’re over a certain age? LOL. Glad to hear she’s one of your favorites! Now that you point out those two books, I realize they’re both connected to Willa Cather. Jewett was an important mentor and Austin was a friend. Cather wrote some chapters of Death Comes for the Archbishop while staying at Austin’s house in Santa Fe.
Oh wow, I just love that all these writers are connected!
That program U of N sounds wonderful. The Land of Little Rain is reminiscent of John Muir in the way she writes about the flora and fauna of the area, whichI find beautiful.
Sarah Orne Jewett, from what little I know about her is not as well known as the writers she seems to have had an effect on. Of course, right now no names come to mind, but I have been startled to read of a dedication to her in of some of the more well-known writers’ books.
I am adding The Land of Little Rain to my summer reading list! (This spin landed on The Bluest Eye for me). I think Jewett’s reputation took a hit when she was dismissed as a regional write, among other reasons. That’s so cool you’ve run into writers who’ve dedicated works to her.
Favorites on that list? Short answer: no, since I haven’t read many of them, although I’ve heard of a lot of them. Slightly longer answer: yes, one, Lord of the Flies. you have The Color Purple twice? 🙂
There are only 10 books and they’re all listed twice. I’m cheating for my sanity. 😉
Responded just as you were responding with the obvious. 🙂
Er…oops…reread. Everything is twice. *Facepalm* got it.
I’ve read 5/10 of your list: Lord of the Flies, Things Fall Apart, Slaughterhouse-Five, The Bluest Eye, and The Color Purple. I’d say though that my favorite is the one I did not read for a class— Slaughterhouse-Five.
Your comment makes me realize that I don’t think I’ve ever been turned on to an author’s work when I’ve had to read one of their books for a class. That’s not to say I don’t have some fond memories of books I read for a class, but it seems to end there.
The staying power of English lit classes. Something to think on…
I have read four of your ten books, and I loved all four of them. None of them were difficult books, I thought. The four I’ve read were Lord of the Flies, Things Fall Apart, Slaughterhouse-Five, and The Color Purple.
I am doing something odd for this spin. I have only six books left out of fifty on the list. I’m not going to pick one of the six; instead, I am going to try to read all six this month. Two of them are very, very short (one is only 120 pages) so I think I can do it.
Wow, Deb, what a great challenge for yourself! I am heading over to check out your list….
There are two I’m not familiar with, if asked to choose I’d recommend Lord of the Flies. Good luck with the challenge.
Have a great reading week
It looks like I got The Bluest Eye this time, but The Lord of the Flies is definitely going on my summer reading list.
The Colour Purple has got to be a hard read… I haven’t read it but I can barely watch the movie so I imagine the book will be both better but so much harder!
I think I started it once upon a time years ago and it just wasn’t the right time. I recently picked up a used copy at a book sale, so fingers crossed!
I haven’t read most of these but I found The Country of the Pointed Firs a wonderful read for Reading New England. I’m glad it seems to be getting more respect these days.