Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Wow, I can't believe 2021 is finally almost here. Time to throw together a challenge including more books that have been on my to-read list for way too long.

<1899
1. Demons
2. The Mill on the Floss
3. The Moonstone

>1900
4. Pale Fire
5. Ficciones
6. The Princess Bride

Wild Card Six
7. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
8. Room
9. Cujo
10. The Woman in Black
11. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
12. Never Let Me Go

Alternates
A-1. Atonement
A-2. The Graduate

Good luck with your Old & New challenge Emily!

Irphen wrote: "Good luck with your Old & New challenge Emily!"

Thank you very much! I'm excited to experience more great classics in the coming year. Good luck on your challenges as well!

Emily, Ficciones is on my lifetime list as is Aleph and Other Stories. Good luck and enjoy.

Cynda wrote: "Emily, Ficciones is on my lifetime list as is Aleph and Other Stories. Good luck and enjoy."

Thanks! I've taken up learning Spanish again lately so I'm very interested in reading more Spanish/Latin American literature. I will not be anywhere near proficient enough next year to read it in Spanish but maybe someday. Meanwhile I can experience the stories in English.

I too have some hispanic literature on my in-progress Old and New which I am calling Cynda Reads Down Her TBR. I will be trying out reading in Spanksh the South American El Gaucho Martín Fierro. But otherwise in English mostly. I will try some of Don Quixote in Spanish, just some. Enjoy!

I hope your reads go well, Emily. I'll be reading a few works of Spanish lit in translation as part of my 2021 challenges myself, so it's nice to hear about your interest.

Cynda wrote: "I too have some hispanic literature on my in-progress Old and New which I am calling Cynda Reads Down Her TBR. I will be trying out reading in Spanksh the South American [book:El Gaucho Martín Fier..."

That sounds really interesting-I would love to add more Spanish literature to my experience. :)

Aubrey wrote: "I hope your reads go well, Emily. I'll be reading a few works of Spanish lit in translation as part of my 2021 challenges myself, so it's nice to hear about your interest."

Thank you! So far I am having enough of a challenge reading bilingual children's books like Dr. Seuss and such, but I have lofty goals to read actual adult level literature in Spanish someday. One must have dreams!

Good luck with your challenge, I hope you enjoy your choices.

Read The Woman in Black and enjoyed the little thriller. It was very sad though!! Written in a melancholy style that reminded me of Poe.

<1899
1. Demons
2. The Mill on the Floss
3. The Moonstone

>1900
4. Pale Fire
5. Ficciones
6. The Princess Bride

Wild Card Six
7. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
8. Room
9. Cujo
10. The Woman in Black
11. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
12. Never Let Me Go

Alternates
A-1. Atonement
A-2. The Graduate

The Moonstone was great. Thoughtfully written, with great detail, but the different character viewpoints helped keep the story fresh. The character of Betteredge was delightful. Really glad I read this one.

<1899
1. Demons
2. The Mill on the Floss
3. The Moonstone

>1900
4. Pale Fire
5. Ficciones
6. The Princess Bride

Wild Card Six
7. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
8. Room
9. Cujo
10. The Woman in Black
11. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
12. Never Let Me Go

Alternates
A-1. Atonement
A-2. The Graduate

I'm glad you liked Moonstone because it's on one of my challenges to get to this year. I loved his The Woman in White. I'm adding Woman in Black because I love Poe!

Hi Emily! I'm very interested in which Collins novel you'd recommend first? I've got both on my shelf and plan to read one of them.

Sue wrote: "I'm glad you liked Moonstone because it's on one of my challenges to get to this year. I loved his The Woman in White. I'm adding Woman in Black because I love Poe!"

The Woman in Black is nice because it's such a short read too-unlike the Collins novels hehe. It's sad, but beautifully written.

Lori wrote: "Hi Emily! I'm very interested in which Collins novel you'd recommend first? I've got both on my shelf and plan to read one of them."

I may be biased since I read The Woman in White first, but I would recommend The Woman in White first to you too. For me, the first half went a little slow, but then it reached this apex where it was intensely action-packed and interesting for the rest of the book and left me loving it. It's got more of a mysterious Gothic quality to it whereas The Moonstone reads a bit more like a regular detective novel a la Agatha Christie.

I quite love Collins. After reading The Moonstone and Woman in White, I started reading his other books and they are just as good.

You have some marvelous books on your list, Emily. I predict a good time reading in your future.

Emily wrote: "Lori wrote: "Hi Emily! I'm very interested in which Collins novel you'd recommend first? I've got both on my shelf and plan to read one of them."

I may be biased since I read The Woman in White fi..."

Thank you Emily! I will take your advice and start with The Woman in White.

The Woman in White is the first I read by Collins, been hooked ever since.