Classics Without All the Class discussion

Hello, my name is Abigail and I am from Richmond, California. Cake, cookie, or pie? All of the above, naturally.

Authors? When needing comfort I commit serial rereads of Georgette Heyer, Emilie Loring, and Jane Austen, but if it’s must-read-immediately new books you want, Michael Chabon is one of the few authors I’ll buy in hardcover. I was an English major decades ago, and the impulse to read literature still comes over me sometimes—hence this group. Happy to have found you!

Hey! :) I'm Desirée and I'm from Italy!
My favorite beverage is tea (every kind, cold, hot, black, white, with or without lemon).
Can I choose pies, cakes... and cookies too? But just because I love cooking them all! ;)
Most read authors: Jack London, Jorge Luis Borges, Edgar Allan Poe, J.R.R. Tolkien, the Bronte sisters...
It's a pleasure joining this group! :)

Hello everyone! I'm limited to responding via phone right now so I'll keep it short - Welcome.

Hi! My name´s Joyce, I love to drink tea and juices :D
My most-read authors are Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Miguel de Unamuno and Jorge Luis Borges. I prefer cheese cake and I'm from Mexico!

Joyce wrote: "Hi! My name´s Joyce, I love to drink tea and juices :D
My most-read authors are Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Miguel de Unamuno and Jorge Luis Borges. I prefer cheese cake and I'm from Mexico!"
Hello!

Hi! I'm Anna. I mostly read fantasy and love Tolkien and Harry Potter! I like tea and coffee.

Hi! I'm Linnea. I'm a homeschooled student from the USA. I enjoy books by C.S. Lewis (chronicles of Narnia, Screwtape Letters, etc., J.R.R. Tolkien (Hobbit, LOTR, etc., as well as Jane Austen and the Harry Potter series. I'm also a fan of tea and coffee.

Hi, Linnea, it looks like we have very similar tastes in reading! Have you ever read the third author in the Inklings group (a reading society that Tolkien and Lewis belonged to), Charles Williams?

Anna wrote: "Hi! I'm Anna. I mostly read fantasy and love Tolkien and Harry Potter! I like tea and coffee."
Hello!

Linnea wrote: "Hi! I'm Linnea. I'm a homeschooled student from the USA. I enjoy books by C.S. Lewis (chronicles of Narnia, Screwtape Letters, etc., J.R.R. Tolkien (Hobbit, LOTR, etc., as well as Jane Austen and ..."

Hello!

Abigail wrote: "Hi, Linnea, it looks like we have very similar tastes in reading! Have you ever read the third author in the Inklings group (a reading society that Tolkien and Lewis belonged to), Charles Williams?"



I haven't, what are his books?

Linnea wrote, “I haven’t, what are his books?”

Charles Williams wrote what might be categorized as mystical thrillers, mystery novels set in his own day that took on aspects of the supernatural. They were Christian-based—for instance, one, War in Heaven, involves basically a Grail quest—but not evangelical in any contemporary sense. In this way, he had something in common with C. S. Lewis, but he didn’t use the fantasy genre. He also wrote some sporadically interesting Arthurian poetry, including Taliessin through Logres, The Region of the Summer Stars, and Arthurian Torso.

War in Heaven has one of my favorite first sentences in all of literature: “The telephone bell was ringing wildly, but without result, since there was no one in the room but the corpse.”

Williams’s other novels are: All Hallows’ Eve, Descent into Hell, Many Dimensions, The Place of the Lion, The Greater Trumps, and Shadows of Ecstasy. He wrote nonfiction works as well, including The English Poetic Mind, Witchcraft, The Figure of Beatrice, He Came down from Heaven, and Descent of the Dove.

This discussion making me want to go back and read more!

I'll have to look for these books, they sound interesting and exciting! Thank-you for the recommendation!

Hello everyone, my name is Katie and I'm from Washington state. I'm a tea and coffee kind of girl.I guess if I had to choose, I'd pick cookies, although cake is a VERY close second. As for authors, that's a tough one- I love James Rollins and Charles Dickens, but that is a list that is constantly changing!

Kaitlynn wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Katie and I'm from Washington state. I'm a tea and coffee kind of girl.I guess if I had to choose, I'd pick cookies, although cake is a VERY close second. As for authors,..."

Hello Katie! I've never heard of James Rollins before? What's your favorite work?

Hi all,
My name is Bart. I try to avoid too much coca-cola, so I'll go for water ;-).
The author I've read most is Paul Auster, but lately I'm trying to move my focus away from contemporary English/American fiction and put some more diversity in my reading. And reading more classics is one of my resolutions for next year, so this group will provide some nice inspiration.
I'm from Belgium, so I'll go for chocolate ;-)

Shanea wrote: I've never heard of James Rollins before? What's your favorite work?"

My favorite thing by him so far is his Sigma Force series. His style is kind of in the same vein as Dan Brown- a lot of action, history, science and a touch of conspiracy. I have a hard time putting them down when I get started. I also love poking through the list of books he used to come up with his idea and learn more about the different subjects he talks about. I'm a bit of a nerd like that. :-D

Kaitlynn wrote: "Shanea wrote: I've never heard of James Rollins before? What's your favorite work?"

My favorite thing by him so far is his Sigma Force series. His style is kind of in the same vein as Dan Brown- a..."

Interesting. I love when artists share what inspired them to create different works in detail.

Bart wrote: "Hi all,
My name is Bart. I try to avoid too much coca-cola, so I'll go for water ;-).
The author I've read most is Paul Auster, but lately I'm trying to move my focus away from contemporary English..."
Hello!

Hello! My name is Maggie. I love tea....or specifically, chai tea lattes. I read all kinds of things, both fiction and nonfiction. It is difficult to narrow it down. But I am not a big fan of science fiction and my mind struggles with fantasy worlds too. I love C.S. Lewis. I love Jane Austin...but I also love Jodi Picoult. My list of favorite authors is long. So....hello! I'm happy to be here.

Maggie wrote: "Hello! My name is Maggie. I love tea....or specifically, chai tea lattes. I read all kinds of things, both fiction and nonfiction. It is difficult to narrow it down. But I am not a big fan of scien..."

My mind is currently struggling with the idea of disliking science fiction. Just kidding, welcome!

Hello! My name is Túlio and I read mostly non-fiction, comics and technical books. My literary conscience tells me that I should try to read the classics more. Hope I get good suggestions for books in this group!

Hi, Túlio, welcome. I admire you for following the dictates of your conscience! What sort of things interest you in real life? Maybe we could recommend books that reflect those interests, as a doorway into reading classic fiction.

Abigail wrote: "Hi, Túlio, welcome. I admire you for following the dictates of your conscience! What sort of things interest you in real life? Maybe we could recommend books that reflect those interests, as a door..."
I'm trying not to stick with my own personal tastes. I believe when you seek just what you enjoy you shut yourself to different aspects of life. Would be so kind and surprise me Abigail?

Túlio wrote, “Would be so kind and surprise me Abigail?”

Hmm, well, I mostly know English and U.S. literature. Perhaps I could suggest Charles Dickens’s Bleak House. Personally, I love Jane Austen and recommend Pride and Prejudice, but the story is less interesting than the language and more girls like it than boys. If your taste runs to plays, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a lot of fun and very beautiful. If you like poetry, Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” from his book Leaves of Grass is inspiring.

hi! I'm Mimi. I prefer pies to cookies or cakes. I can't say I have a favorite author, but I love Margaret Atwood. I'm from New York City.

I've never been a part of a book club before so this is pretty exciting :)

Mimi wrote: "hi! I'm Mimi. I prefer pies to cookies or cakes. I can't say I have a favorite author, but I love Margaret Atwood. I'm from New York City.

I've never been a part of a book club before so this is..."

Hello. I love Margaret Atwood!

Alessandro wrote: "Hello everyone, I'm Alessandro from Verona, Italy.

I *love* Saramago and its books. I love Poe also. I mainly read classics but I also enjoy some sci-fi (P.K. Dick) and fantasy (Tolkien).

My favo..."
Hello!

Hi, I'm Kiersten from New Jersey! I think my most read author is Virginia Woolf considering I read 4 of her works last year alone. Favorie beverage...hmmm...probably a nice cup of tea. Something herbal or maybe ginger or cinnamon tea.

Oops, as for cakes, cookies, or pies it really depends. If all three were out on the table I would probably choose either the most 'chocolatey' option or whichever was homemade (assuming all three weren't).

Kier wrote: "Hi, I'm Kiersten from New Jersey! I think my most read author is Virginia Woolf considering I read 4 of her works last year alone. Favorie beverage...hmmm...probably a nice cup of tea. Something he..."

Hello! Welcome.

Hi everyone! I'm Eremi, from Phoenix but living in Essen, Germany. My most read author is probably Agatha Christie (she's so prolific and addicting!) though my favorite is George Eliot (one of this month's reads, and I'm moderating the discussion -- which you should join!). This is my first book club experience, so I'm excited to check it out!

There is quite possibly nothing in the world I love more than a perfect cappuccino. Cake, cookies or pie? I love them all, in moderation.

Eremi wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm Eremi, from Phoenix but living in Essen, Germany. My most read author is probably Agatha Christie (she's so prolific and addicting!) though my favorite is George Eliot (one of this..."
Hello Eremi. There's nothing quite like a crowd of people just waiting to discuss your favorite book, is there?
Cappuccino? For real milk and coffee or the magical stuff that comes in powder form in machines. This is a very important question. Vital, in fact.

Shanea wrote: "Eremi wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm Eremi, from Phoenix but living in Essen, Germany. My most read author is probably Agatha Christie (she's so prolific and addicting!) though my favorite is George Elio..."

Indeed ;)

I'm willing to hike a bit for really well made espresso and milk (ideally with latte art lol), but I'll take whatever I can get!

Hallo, I'm Emma from the north-west of England. I tend to read mainly British authors (current favourite is Hilary Mantel) but would like to branch out from my usual choice of reading; accompanied by tea. Lots of it.

Eremi wrote: "Shanea wrote: "Eremi wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm Eremi, from Phoenix but living in Essen, Germany. My most read author is probably Agatha Christie (she's so prolific and addicting!) though my favorite..."

Fair enough.

Emma wrote: "Hallo, I'm Emma from the north-west of England. I tend to read mainly British authors (current favourite is Hilary Mantel) but would like to branch out from my usual choice of reading; accompanied ..."

Hello!

Hi, most people call me Abby. I live outside Philadelphia in the suburbs (go Eagles!). As much as I don't like picking favorites with books, I love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but I'm pretty much open to any genre. I really like Coca Cola and I suppose I would choose pie.

Abby wrote: "Hi, most people call me Abby. I live outside Philadelphia in the suburbs (go Eagles!). As much as I don't like picking favorites with books, I love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but I'm pretty much open..."

Hello. Pie, Philly and Doyle, I thought you were my new best friend until I read the bit about Coke. I suppose we'll let you in anyway.
Welcome.

Hi, I'm Lea. My favorite beverage is a nice cool glass of water. According to Goodreads, my most read author is William Shakespeare, but I wouldn't say he's my favorite. I'm just making my way through all his plays so I can see what the fuss is all about. I'll skip the cakes, cookies and pies, if there's ice cream around. Or a brownie. I'm from California in the USA. Looking forward to reading a few good books together.

Lea wrote: "Hi, I'm Lea. My favorite beverage is a nice cool glass of water. According to Goodreads, my most read author is William Shakespeare, but I wouldn't say he's my favorite. I'm just making my way t..."

Hello. Don't worry, there are quite a few authors on my most read list here that I just powered through. Hopefully we're not alone.

Hi everyone, My name is Lynda, and I studied philosophy and literature my first two years of college, before switching to psychology and finally settling on a business degree (I'm fairly pragmatic after all). But, in making those decisions, I feel I missed out on a lot of really good books, so I'm excited to take part in this group.

As far as my favorite beverages go, I'm a big believer in a strong, dark, cup of coffee. Though a good, salty, dirty Martini is never turned down (I'm talking saltwater here folks).

I'm not sure that I have a most read author. Maybe C.S. Lewis, or possibly Terry Brooks? Though, I don't think I'd count them as my favorites.

Red Velvet cupcake, please. It goes quite well with strong, dark coffee, BTW.

I live outside Seattle, in Washington State.

Hello everyone, I'm Emily. My nickname is M&M's like the candy ("Em-uh-nems"), which I think is a pretty good nickname but so weird to write down. I'm from Pennsylvania, and my favorite drink is Pepsi. I'd take a chocolate chip cookie over cake or pie most days, but my favorite dessert ever is a slice of ice cream cake, especially with an ice cold can of Pepsi.

My most read authors are Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates, but that's only because they've written so many books. I can't really pick favorites.

Hello!

Hi Emily.....just wanted to say that is one awesome nickname!!!

Susan wrote: "Hi Emily.....just wanted to say that is one awesome nickname!!! "

Haha thanks!

Hi! I'm Jenny from Houston, Texas. I signed up in early January, but just now getting around to introducing myself. Was inspired to read more classics while visiting the Gatsby to Garp exhibit at the Morgan Library last year.

My favorite beverage is a spicy bloody mary, best with a lazy brunch. I'd pick a cookie. My favorite are iced molasses you can only buy in New Braunfels, Texas. Chekhov was my senior author in school, so I pretty much read everything he ever wrote. I'm not sure if that's my number 1 most read, but I imagine it is close. Although I have been on a Pat Conroy kick lately.

I finished Middlemarch yesterday, so I hope you won't kick me out for not finishing in January.... ;)

Jndread wrote: "Hi! I'm Jenny from Houston, Texas. I signed up in early January, but just now getting around to introducing myself. Was inspired to read more classics while visiting the Gatsby to Garp exhibit at..."

Hello! What is a senior author, if I might ask?
Everybody lags behind on one book or another. Anna Karenina took me ages, in particular. I was two weeks over and I started three early. It was just not my bag.

Have you ever tried vodka with a slice of pickled onion? Wow! (But an acquired taste.)

John wrote, “Have you ever tried vodka with a slice of pickled onion?”

I’ll take anything with pickled onion, one of my favorite foods in the world! I love them so much my indolent self even looked up a recipe, and now I make them on a regular basis.

Slice 1 red onion thinly, quarter the slices and put them in a colander. Pour about a quart of boiling water over them. Make a bath of 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup cold water; mix in 1/2 tablespoon sugar, several pinches of salt, a bay leaf, a couple of sprigs of thyme, and 5-10 black peppercorns, lightly crushed. Dump the onion slices into the bath and refrigerate. Starting about 15 minutes later, you’ll have delicious pickled onions! Drain off the excess fluid after a couple of hours so they don’t get too soggy.