Classics Club Spin #23

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:

1. 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.)
2. 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.)
3. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
4. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
5. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
6. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896 <–YES!
7. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
8. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
9. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
10. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
11. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
12. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
13. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
14. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett, 1896
15. Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves, 1929 
16. A Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain, 1933 
17. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, 1943 
18. Lord of the Flies by William Golding, 1954
19. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, 1956 
20. 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.