But don't fret Fer and Sissy. I know you love the quirky randomness of The Bowl and the Project won't impact it too terribly much.
See Sissy turned me on to Goodreads, and since I managed to work my way through Julie & Julia fairly easily I thought I might put the two together. It's important for an aspiring writer to expose themselves to different styles of writing, right? So I am going to start reading for myself more.
I know. It sounds like it should be easy. But I'm setting some rules for myself. I only get to have 2 "fluff" books before I dive into a classic. And when I say classic I mean those books that my English teachers always wanted me to read but that I couldn't force myself to wade through.
Now with Julie & Julia past me I am moving on to "fluff" #2 - Marley & Me. I expect it to be a pretty short read since I've already seen the movie. I'm one chapter into the book and is proving to be pretty easy reading. Part of me is delighted about this but the other half of me is dreading it. If Marley & Me goes too quickly I'll be staring down Pygmalion sometime next week. Why do I feel like it's not going to be My Fair Lady at all? Why do I feel like the horse race scene is going to be like wading through mud even though Audrey Hepburn carried it off like lightning? And I have a feeling there will be no Rex Harrison singing in the background.
In any case I'm sure I'm going to need your help. I only have 49 books on my "to read" list and those are almost entirely "fluff." So I need to know what your favorite classics are. I'll let all of you play by the opposite rules. If you can share 2 classics that you think I should read, I'll let you throw a fluff recommendation at me.
My goal? I'm not sure. I want to see how many books I can read by my next blogoversary. I think I can average ABOUT a book a week (depending on how long and dry they are) so that would put me at about 50 books. Anybody else up for the challenge? I might even start a second challenge over at The Zoo to help promote families reading together. But let's see if I can get this one underway first.
So here is your mission: 1) Suggest some great classics that I just HAVE to read. 2)Take the challenge!
Do you accept?!
Posts
6 comments:
Classics... hmmm.. I don't think I have any on my own To Be Read list. But I do love Louisa May Alcott, so I have to suggest Little Women or Little Men. And as for fluff, you need to read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffenegger. Don't hold me accountable for the misspelling of that last name =)
So, if I do the challenge do I have to make myself read serious books? I am branching out from the 4 authors I always read previously, so I think I've made progress. I think since I started my 1001 list in February (?)I've read somewhere around 27 books. About one a week. I have a list on shelfari.com. Maybe I should check out goodreads.com because I have more friends on there and might get more ideas.
You should check out paperbackswap.com for some of the books you want. I love that site. =)
OMG!!! I love books and I love goodreads. I was trying to do the 999 challenge where you read 9 books each in 9 different categories in 2009 but I'm not sure I'll make it. LOL
I loved East of Eden by John Steinbeck. (Actually I liked all of his books that I've read.) That's the only one I can think of off hand that's a classic. I also recommend Eat, Pray, Love to everyone. It's one of my all time favorite books.
I have several classics on my to read list so maybe I'll join you after I've finished World Without End. It might be a few weeks - the book is 1000 pages. :)
The first four that I will recommend you will probably reject, but at least rethink the first if you are going to do family story time. Here goes straight from my own bookshelf, The Hobbit, followed by the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Les Miserables, the Three Muskateers, and finally The Count of Monte Cristo. My fluff is not to your taste(obviously), so I'll let you pick your own.
Oh honey! You must read Lord of the Flies, A Tale of Two Cities, Gone With the Wind, The Count of Monte Cristo, Night, and Grapes of Wrath. Start with Night by Elie Weizel - it's very short but it'll rip your heart out and it's classic just by being so historically significant. Also Schindler's List is along the same lines.
Don't get me started on Goodreads - if I didn't have kids or a husband I'd be draining that site dry. There are so many books I want to read!
How did I miss this? You know, with the new school (a classical school) I am being forced to read some of the greats...wanna join Misa and I. We just finished Beowulf. We are now working on Tales from Japan and moving on to Canterbury Tales soon.
I am addicted to Christian fiction...I read 10 of Karen Kingsbury's books this summer, I just love her. Right now I am reading "Three" by Ted Dekker...awesome I tell you.
I can't promise to read abook every week with the schedule I am keeping, but I will be reading more classics (if for no other reasons than they are on Melisa's lesson plans, lol).
I'm not much of a reader. I'm not yet seasoned. LOL The books that are on my to read list are books that have been recommended to me by other readers.
Post a Comment