
Hope springs eternal. I’m attempting another Classics Club’s Spin. I rarely complete this fun reading challenge. My inner rebel rebels against being told what to read when, even thought I’m ultimately the one making the choice. I know it sounds ridiculous.
Sigh.
The plan is to post twenty books from your Classics Club list before Sunday, April 19th. On that day, the spin moderator will pick a number between 1-20 and the corresponding number on participants’ book lists is the book to read. The goal is to read and write about the book by June 1st.
I went through my bookshelves and found that I have about 13 physical books from my CC list, nine of which are included on my spin list below. I live in Connecticut and we’re on COVID-19 stay home, stay safe orders until May 20th, and I don’t think my local library will open before then. While I read digital books and can still get those through the library, I’ve been doing a lot of computer work lately and reading digital ARCs, so I’m giving my eyes a screen break for the spin.

Here’s my list of potentials:
- The Odyssey* by Homer, 8th century BC, new translation by Emily Wilson (I’m already reading this but stalled. Again. It’s a re-read and I’m not finding any comfort in re-reading these days.)
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, 1869 (I read the first half years ago and was enjoying it, but put it down when work got busy and never got back to it.)
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896 <–YES!
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
- Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves, 1929
- A Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain, 1933
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, 1943
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding, 1954
- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, 1956
- Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter, 1962
I’d be happy to read any of these books. At first I thought I’d repeat multiple titles to expand my list to twenty books, but I’ve been hankering to read The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett so it is obviously weighed in that book’s favor. Fingers crossed.
BONUS! The next Dewey’s Readathon is April 25th so I plan to do a deep dive into whatever my spin read is on that day.
Are any of the above a favorite of yours? If you’re doing the spin, do we share any books in common? Part of the fun of spins is seeing what everyone has on their lists so feel free to leave a link to yours below.
Excellent list! 😉 I’m hoping you get to read Country of the Pointed Firs because it’s such a beautifully written book!
Thanks! Lucky #6! I’m really looking forward to Pointed Firs. Happy to hear you sing its praises.
Testament of Youth! Even if your calculated weighting of one book pays off for you, I still want you to read ToY asap. You can thank me later 🙂
My weighting paid off and I’ll be reading Pointed Firs, but I’ll definitely read ToY soon, Brona! I got a bit burnt out on WWI some years ago but ToY is one I really want to read. I was thinking some WWI and post-war books might actually be good to read now when we’re going through this pandemic. Hard time put into perspective and all.
I have a feeling you really want to read “The Country of the Pointed Firs”.
Haha! Yes, indeed! My cheat paid off.
Excellent!
Hmmm…I’ve not heard of The Country of the Pointed Firs. I’ll have to see about adding that to TBR. Meanwhile…here’s a vote for Anna K…my first Russian author experience. Much more accessible and enjoyable than I expected. Cheers.
Sarah Orne Jewett was once very popular but was pushed to the side when literary tastemakers created a canon that was more virile. I think she’s due for a resurgence. Glad to hear your plug for Anna K. I do want to get back to that novel. I was enjoying it, particularly the importance of the land and working it. I’ll read that first part again when I do get to it.
[…] read The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett for the 23rd Classics Club Spin. Today, June 1st, is the date by which participants were to have finished their spin […]