Classics Without All the Class discussion

Hi everyone,
My name is Katrina, nickname Kat. I'm from England.
Favourite drink: Coca Cola (addicted!)
Most read author: Maeve Binchy
Cake is my fave, and I assume you mean a sweet pie in your list and does cookie mean choc chip or does it mean biscuit? Pie in UK means savoury, we don't have many sweet pies.

Anyway, I'm off track... I have just joined this group because I am staring a 19th Century Literature course in October, so I have been frantically reading all the books on the set list before it starts.
Last book read: Far from the Madding Crowd (Hardy)
Currently reading: Germinal (Emile Zola) - totally depressing!

Kat x

Katrina wrote: "Hi everyone,
My name is Katrina, nickname Kat. I'm from England.
Favourite drink: Coca Cola (addicted!)
Most read author: Maeve Binchy
Cake is my fave, and I assume you mean a sweet pie in your lis..."
Hello! I made my dessert preference question rather biased with my US background, but as it was just a random conversation starter feel free to put whatever comes to your head.
Good job for working ahead on your reading list, and good luck with the completion of said list.

Hello my name is Lori and I have recently moved to Steinbeck country (Salinas Valley area). My favorite beverage is Pepsi, but I've been trying to kick the habit in my attempt to eat healthier. I would have to say that I have probably read Jane Austen the most, although C.S. Lewis, John Steinbeck, and J.K. Rowling are close behind. Cake, Cookie, or pie? YES! If I had to choose just one, I'd choose a cookie.

Hi everyone!
My name is Sarah. My drink of choice would probably be a milky cup of tea (because that sounds better than a mojito). My most read author is definitely Terry Pratchett. I'm an avid fantasy fan, but I'm trying to cover some classics now and I'm looking for recommendations/ motivation.
To answer the final questions, my choice would be cookies and I'm from England.
I'm excited to join you all and look forward to some exciting new stories!

Sarah wrote: "Hi everyone!
My name is Sarah. My drink of choice would probably be a milky cup of tea (because that sounds better than a mojito). My most read author is definitely Terry Pratchett. I'm an avid fa..."
Hello, Sarah. Let us provide all the motivation you need. Every newbie from England likes tea, I'm starting to believe it is a trend.
Lori wrote: "Hello my name is Lori and I have recently moved to Steinbeck country (Salinas Valley area). My favorite beverage is Pepsi, but I've been trying to kick the habit in my attempt to eat healthier. I..."

Hi. Excellent author list, though J. K. Rowling doesn't even count as an author to read any more, just as a force of nature. ;)

Hi I'm Janelle and I'm from Australia. My favourite beverage atm is milk and I'll have cake thanks very much (although if the others are on offer I'll probably have them too). My most read author is L.M. Montgomery, though she's about to be overtaken by Arthur Upfield. And if I keep reading Discworld books, they'll both soon be surpassed by Terry Pratchett.

Janelle wrote: "Hi I'm Janelle and I'm from Australia. My favourite beverage atm is milk and I'll have cake thanks very much (although if the others are on offer I'll probably have them too). My most read author i..."
Hello Janelle!

Hello, my name is Maggie and I'm from Muskoka, Ontario. My favourite beverage would have to be a good cup of tea, preferably Orange Pekoe or Earl Grey Vanilla. :) I don't have an author I read most, just because my reading appetite is so varied. I enjoy all genres, and go through phases of which genre I focus on for a month or so before changing it up!

Maria wrote: "Hello
I'm Maria and I love tea (*holding a cup of tea and grinning*)
My most read author(s)? Terry Pratchett and Nabokov. I was a big fan of Nabokov a couple of years ago.
I'm from planet Earth (n..."
Hello!

Maggie wrote: "Hello, my name is Maggie and I'm from Muskoka, Ontario. My favourite beverage would have to be a good cup of tea, preferably Orange Pekoe or Earl Grey Vanilla. :) I don't have an author I read most..."

Hi!!!!!

Hi, I'm Anna. My favourite drink is tea, and the author I read the most is, um, well, it varies depending on my mood. Short list--Jasper Fforde, L. M. Montgomery, Shakespeare, Gil McNeil, and lately, I've been re-reading Laura Ingalls Wilder. The food question? Probably pie overall, but cookies and cake are good, too. I joined the group because I do like a lot of classics but I have quite a few on the bookshelves that I own and either haven't started yet or haven't finished yet (The Brothers Karamazov has been lingering for about a decade now and I still haven't finished it).

Anna wrote: "Hi, I'm Anna. My favourite drink is tea, and the author I read the most is, um, well, it varies depending on my mood. Short list--Jasper Fforde, L. M. Montgomery, Shakespeare, Gil McNeil, and latel..."

Hello, Anna.

Hello, I'm Dulce and I am fron Mexico.
My favorite drinks are water and tea when i get tired of plain water.
My most read author is probably J.K. Rowling but i am excited to find new authors to love.
Cake, cookies or pie? well, why not a little bit of all??
I joined this group because I 've always wanted to read classic but I've never known where to start.

Dulce wrote: "Hello, I'm Dulce and I am fron Mexico.
My favorite drinks are water and tea when i get tired of plain water.
My most read author is probably J.K. Rowling but i am excited to find new authors to lov..."
Ooh, a complete newbie to classics. Shhh. Everyone slowly encircle her and make no sudden movements so she's not frightened.


Hi.

Hi,

My name is Rob; other than my mother no one calls me Robert.

Most frequently read authors: Hemingway, Philip Roth, Graham Greene, Kerouac and Raymond Chandler.

Guilty treat: Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Beverage: A pint of Guinness.

From Boston, MA.

Rob wrote: "Hi,

My name is Rob; other than my mother no one calls me Robert.

Most frequently read authors: Hemingway, Philip Roth, Graham Greene, Kerouac and Raymond Chandler.

Guilty treat: Chocolate Chip C..."

Hello!!

Robert, mothers can be particular about that. I have a Steven that everyone else in his life calls Steve, and a Matthew known as Matt to everyone but me. Welcome to the group.

Shelia wrote: "Robert, mothers can be particular about that. I have a Steven that everyone else in his life calls Steve, and a Matthew known as Matt to everyone but me. Welcome to the group."

That's better than my brother, who is Matt 90% of the time and Matthew when the entire room is angry with him.

Hello everyone, my name is Joel.
My favourite beverage would have to be water (boring, I know right). I really just didn't know what to put for that because I enjoy so many drinks: coffees and wines mainly.
My most read author is Robert Jordan, not because I believe he’s the best quality author, simply because when I was reading his books, with the release of each novel in the series, I would re-read all preceding novels again… well, up until the release of the 9th. After that, I had to just stop reading the WoT series altogether because frankly it all just became gibberish to me – like when you say a word over and over out loud so many times you reach a point when the word is suddenly just “this weird sound” emanating from your mouth completely disconnected from any meaning. Yeah, that was pretty much WoT. As for a favourite author, I just don't know. There are so many wonderful writers whose words have connected with me personally, choosing faves is like picking a favourite child... out loud... in front of the others. I just can't do it.
With respect to cake, cookies, or pies, as long as it’s gluten free I don’t argue much about sugar semantics. I usually just go for popcorn.
I’m from Lethbridge, Alberta. I've lived here for the past 5 years and it’s starting to feel like home.

Joel wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Joel.
My favourite beverage would have to be water (boring, I know right). I really just didn't know what to put for that because I enjoy so many drinks: coffees and win..."

Hello. I may have fell asleep during writing my previous reply and forgotten what I was going to say, so imagine I said something witty here.

Shanea wrote: "Hello. I may have fell asleep during writing my previous reply and forgotten what I was going to say, so imagine I said something witty here."

Done and done. I imagine saying witty things all the time, so you don't even need imagine how what you've just said makes me feel right at home. Thanks Shanea! I'm looking forward to the great novels this group continues to choose.

Joel wrote: "Shanea wrote: "Hello. I may have fell asleep during writing my previous reply and forgotten what I was going to say, so imagine I said something witty here."

Done and done. I imagine saying witty..."
You're co-operation is much appreciated. ;) Welcome to the club.

Hello, My name is Gary and my nick-name is Eddie. I love my coffee black with no sugar. I'm well read so picking one favorite is a little difficult. But, I'll have to go with Tolstoy. And my favorite baked good is; none of them.

Gary wrote: "Hello, My name is Gary and my nick-name is Eddie. I love my coffee black with no sugar. I'm well read so picking one favorite is a little difficult. But, I'll have to go with Tolstoy. And my fa..."

Hello!

Hi, guys, I'm Ivy; Jersey born and moved a bit but somehow I've recently ended up in Atlanta, Georgia. I love water but have a real knack for drinking large quantities of beer. I don't like sweets but I sometimes have serious cravings for pumpkin flavored foods and drinks - so I'm going Pie. I've read a good amount of Shakespeare, Jose Saramago, Bukowski, Irvine Welsh...
Glad to have joined the group

Hi! I'm Amy Kaufman Burk, and I read everything I can get my hands on -- classic, and not-so-classic! I drink water, coffee, and red wine. I grew up in the Hollywood Hills, and now live in North Carolina. As for a favorite author -- I have too many to list. Looking forward to being a part of this group.

Ivy wrote: "Hi, guys, I'm Ivy; Jersey born and moved a bit but somehow I've recently ended up in Atlanta, Georgia. I love water but have a real knack for drinking large quantities of beer. I don't like sweets ..."

Hello Ivy!

Amy wrote: "Hi! I'm Amy Kaufman Burk, and I read everything I can get my hands on -- classic, and not-so-classic! I drink water, coffee, and red wine. I grew up in the Hollywood Hills, and now live in North Ca..."

Hi!

Badger wrote: "My name is David, and I live in an unheard of backwater in rural Utah, 120 miles southeast of "The Middle of Nowhere," as London's mayor Boris calls Salt Lake City. My favorite drink is Pepsi Cola ..."
Hello David. I have heard of zucchini bread, but never zucchini brownies. Curious.
I now have the badger song running through my head, so apologies if nothing makes sense.

Hello, all. My name is Meg, I'm from the USA, and the author I find myself returning to most often is Nathaniel Hawthorne, primarily for his short stories. Tamora Pierce, a young adult author, is a close second.

In my humble opinion there is nothing quite like settling on a couch with a mug of hot chocolate warm beneath your hands, pools of melted American cheese floating on the surface and a plate of buttered Italian bread nearby, ready to be dipped, drenched, and devoured.

Cherry pie is the way to a girl's heart, didn't you know? Or at the very least it's the way to my heart, haha.

I'm looking forward to participating in the discussions this month and every month after. Nice to meet you all.

Hi I'm Cat and I just joined the group recently. I'm hoping to read a few classics each year mixed in with my favourite thrillers. One of my favourite authors is Thomas Hardy and I'd love to re-read some of those. It will be good to get ideas from the books you're all reading to. I'm English with 3 grown up children and have a fair amount of time to read. I also enjoy watching good films, chocolate and animals!

I'm also new in the group. Lately I haven't had much time to read so that's why I'm joining te group to feel like a commitment and force myself to read. My favorite authot is John Steinbeck and I can't wait to start reading something interesting and cool :)

Hi everyone, my name is Tia and I am from India.
My favorite beverage would actually be any hot drink anytime (i am the person who orders the hot latte in the sweltering afternoon or gets coffee right before bed). Coffee is extra special.

Most read author... ummm.. probably Agatha Christie, followed by P.G. Wodehouse. Though i love the works of many authors so it would be hard to pick a favorite :) In recent years i seem to have given up reading in favor of tv unfortunately, so really hoping to get back into the reading habit again.

Favorite dessert, cake, cake and more cake please.

Hi I am Nakul. People call me Nakul only, although my parents used to call me Prince when I was a kid. I live in Bangalore, India. My favourite beverage would be freshly brewed wheat chilled beer.

My favorite authors - Harper Lee, George Orwell, Arundhati Roy!!! I am not more of an author person, rather a book person.

Megsterella wrote: "Hello, all. My name is Meg, I'm from the USA, and the author I find myself returning to most often is Nathaniel Hawthorne, primarily for his short stories. Tamora Pierce, a young adult author, is a..."

Ana wrote: "I'm also new in the group. Lately I haven't had much time to read so that's why I'm joining te group to feel like a commitment and force myself to read. My favorite authot is John Steinbeck and I c..."

Tia wrote: "Hi everyone, my name is Tia and I am from India.
My favorite beverage would actually be any hot drink anytime (i am the person who orders the hot latte in the sweltering afternoon or gets coffee ri..."

Nakul wrote: "Hi I am Nakul. People call me Nakul only, although my parents used to call me Prince when I was a kid. I live in Bangalore, India. My favourite beverage would be freshly brewed wheat chilled beer. ..."


Cat wrote: "Hi I'm Cat and I just joined the group recently. I'm hoping to read a few classics each year mixed in with my favourite thrillers. One of my favourite authors is Thomas Hardy and I'd love to re-r..."


Hello, everyone! Sorry for ignoring some messages, but my computer kind of took a vacation without my prior notice. Now I'm back and ready to roll.

Hi, I'm Shannon and just joined the group. I would say my favorite drink is water but, living in central California there is none! Really mine is green tea, but how I enjoy the "old fashioned".

I just enjoy reading the classics. Strangely horror comes a close second.......

Shannon wrote: "Hi, I'm Shannon and just joined the group. I would say my favorite drink is water but, living in central California there is none! Really mine is green tea, but how I enjoy the "old fashioned".

..."
Something tells me you will be trilled this month then. Hello!

Shanea wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Hi, I'm Shannon and just joined the group. I would say my favorite drink is water but, living in central California there is none! Really mine is green tea, but how I enjoy the "old..."

And Hello to you!.

Hi,

My name is Beth. I suppose that's also my nickname. My favorite beverage is the Shirley Temple. By quantity my most read author is probably Robert Jordan, from when I was in high school and read Wheel of Time to excess. I'm from New England (Massachusetts at the moment). Pie is the very best.

Beth wrote: "Hi,

My name is Beth. I suppose that's also my nickname. My favorite beverage is the Shirley Temple. By quantity my most read author is probably Robert Jordan, from when I was in high school and re..."
Hello!

Hello! My name is Jasper. I used to like tequila, but now I opt for either Pepsi-Cola or water. I eat blueberry pie when I can get it - or apple pie, if it's made with apples picked fresh from the tree.

I really like to re-read Virginia Woolf, and presently I'm learning to love Henry James. My favorite living authors are Kazuo Ishiguro, Amy Tan, and Elmore Kelton (I like a good, thoughtful, saucy western). I like any difficult book I have to wrangle. I joined because a friend recommended the Goodreads discussion of At the Mountains of Madness, which I really seem to get.

I've lived all over, but I currently live in southeastern Utah. The living is harsh, but the natives tend to be friendly, for the most part.

Jasper wrote: "Hello! My name is Jasper. I used to like tequila, but now I opt for either Pepsi-Cola or water. I eat blueberry pie when I can get it - or apple pie, if it's made with apples picked fresh from the ..."

Hello.
Jasper is such a cool name.

;-) .... as is Shanea! (Thanks!)

Hello! My name is Robin, and you can call me Boo. I like a nice chai soy latte in winter, and a refreshing gin and tonic in summer. Pumpkin pie with plenty of whipped cream in fall, and a big slice of cheesecake come spring. I live in Toronto, Ontario, where we have pretty clearly defined seasons, so you see one pick doesn't quite cover it all. I am trying to grow back the parts of my personality beyond those used in parenting, they've atrophied from lack of use over the last (very intense, wildly exhausting, achingly blissful, devastatingly absorbing) several years. I am predictably happiest in a library or book store, or a theatre. Or the great outdoors. I anticipate much delight and mental stretching as I read along with this group!

Oh, I forgot, my most read author would likely be Neil Stephenson. Or Mercer Mayer. ;)

Robin wrote: "Hello! My name is Robin, and you can call me Boo. I like a nice chai soy latte in winter, and a refreshing gin and tonic in summer. Pumpkin pie with plenty of whipped cream in fall, and a big slice..."

Hello! I hear the internet is great for an atrophied personality, so you're almost there.

Hi, my name is Faith. I'm a literature grad student in Houston right now. I love to drink black coffee. My most read authors would have to be Walker Percy, Flannery O'Connor, and Donald Miller. I like all things sweet. I hail from Texas but I don't really consider myself a Texan. My main goal in joining a group is to find other people to connect with over reading! My current friends on goodreads, meaning the people I actually know in real life, don't really engage that much. My current read is Pride and Prejudice. Feel free to add me as a friend! Can't wait to "meet" y'all!

This group sounds right up my alley! I feel like I'm always out of my depth when talking about Classics, having never studied them, or anything for that matter! But I love classics with all my heart, and enjoy them above just about every other genre.
Hi, I'm Sophie and I come from Australia!

Faith wrote: "Hi, my name is Faith. I'm a literature grad student in Houston right now. I love to drink black coffee. My most read authors would have to be Walker Percy, Flannery O'Connor, and Donald Miller. I l..."

Hello!

Sophie (The Uneducated Reader) wrote: "This group sounds right up my alley! I feel like I'm always out of my depth when talking about Classics, having never studied them, or anything for that matter! But I love classics with all my hear..."

Welcome.