What is the spin?
It’s easy. At your blog, before next Sunday, June 15th, create a post that lists twenty books of your choice that remain “to be read” on your Classics Club list.
This is your Spin List.
You have to read one of these twenty books by the end of the spin period.
On Sunday, June 15th, The Classics Club will post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List by Sunday, August 24th.
Let's see who can make it the whole way and finish their spin book!
I have a brand-new Classics Club list. Let's see where the needle stops.
So here is my list.
1. Coronado's Children: Tales of Lost Mines and Buried Treasure by J. Frank Dobie
2. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
3. The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse
4. Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor
5. Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson
6. The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes
7. The Trial by Franz Kafka
8. Brendon Chase by B. B.
9. Old Herbaceous by Reginald Arkell
10. In the Mountains by Elizabeth von Arnim
11. The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown
12. Warrior Scarlett by Rosemary Sutcliff
13. The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
14. One Man's Meat by E. B. White
15. The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
16. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
17. Afoot in England by W. H. Hudson
18. The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley
19. A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
20. Village School by Miss Read
Have you read any of these?
Do you recommend any of these?
And the spinner...stops...on...number...
Your book list is impressive. I have read around half of them, and also other books by some of the authors on the list. I would like to read more! Like you, I'm also reading The Light Eaters now, and finding it very enlightening: I have often thought about extinction of animal species, but scarcely realized that plants were also being lost forever.
ReplyDeleteHave a good week, and thanks for hosting... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I loved Travels with a Donkey, which we studied at length and in depth in high school. I have also read Far From the Madding Crowd a couple of times. Great list!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your Certified Wildlife Habitat. I would love such a backyard but the two giant cats next door have decimated the rabbits, chipmunks, etc. and keep away the birds and the wrens and the cardinals who used to nest there. They also get the mice and any rats, so who am I to complain?
ReplyDeleteI am sorry the week felt like war! I have, surprisingly, read one book on your Classics list, and it is the only one I have heard of. I have read The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley. I thought it was okay, I like the first book, Parnassus on Wheels better. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI deleted the part of the post in which I said the week felt like war. I want to share the good things, to speak up for what is good and right and true. I feel tired right now from defending these things. But I know I must rest and press on.
DeleteI always appreciate your 3 Good Things. It must be lovely to be so close up to the sparrows.Have a lovely weekend Deb.
ReplyDeleteI just posted about the Classic Spin and hope to get mine completed by the goal date. We just moved into the new house yesterday and it's box city here. Still, I plan on some down time to read. Great list you have but I have not read those...yet!
ReplyDeletePostwar: A History of Europe since 1945 is going on the TBR list. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. Unfortunately, I have not read any of those classics. I tend to find classics a challenge. I can't pinpoint way.
ReplyDelete*why, not way.
DeleteI used to stay away from classics. But then I read one as a group read, and I discovered that was a very helpful way for me to read a challenging book.
DeleteGood luck with the 'spin'! Love those little baby birds!
ReplyDeleteI love Far From the Madding Crowd! I hope you get that one; there's no one quite like Thomas Hardy. Good luck with whatever you spin!
ReplyDeleteAah, as soon as I spotted Warrior Scarlet I ran for the comments without looking at the rest. I love Rosemary Sutcliff's books a lot -- though The Eagle of the Ninth is my favourite, Warrior Scarlet is my mum's favourite. She was so excited to introduce me to them as a kid, haha.
ReplyDeleteI've read very few of the others on your list. I loved Parnassus on Wheels, but I think I was less keen on The Haunted Bookshop. They just seemed so different.
Good luck with the list!
I've had several people tell me they liked Parnassus on Wheels a lot more than Haunted Bookshop.
DeleteThank you for the recommendations! I haven't read anything from the list, but The Haunted Bookshop caught my eye. Can you tell me more about it? It seems interesting!
ReplyDeleteHere's a little about it: "Aubrey Gilbert visits the Haunted Bookshop in an effort to market his abilities as a commercial copywriter. In spite of his failure, he discovers that Titania Chapman, the attractive daughter of his most significant client, works as a store assistant. When Aubrey comes back to meet Titania, he encounters a string of bizarre occurrences, including an assault on his way home from the shop, the inexplicable disappearance and reappearance of a book, and the sighting of two strange figures lurking in a nearby alleyway. The Haunted Bookshop is a delightful homage to the craft of bookselling wrapped inside a gripping suspense narrative that mystery and book enthusiasts both must read."
DeleteAll those classics! Very nice list. I don't really read classics, but The Haunted Bookshop sounds really good. I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the sparrows is lovely.
ReplyDeleteI have only read Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor on your list, and I have not read any additional books by her since, although I would like to.
The baby sparrows are cute. Good luck with the challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe list is very interesting and this post even more so.
ReplyDeleteI read very few classics, and have read none of the ones on your list. Keep thinking positive, Deb. my prayers are with of those who live south of the border. Canadians are with you all.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating challenge. While I don't have a list, there are some classics I know I want to get around to reading.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you have a wildlife habitat!
What an impressive list. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
ReplyDeleteI wish I could do that spin list. My reading calendar is overflowing.
ReplyDeleteWe have baby sparrows too.
Awesome protests yesterday. The shooting in Minneapolis was heartbreaking.
Have a great week.
I rarely read classic books.
ReplyDeleteI love that there's a No Kings Day! I know someone who is OBSESSED with him. She and her husband take their boat quite often to see Mar-A-Lago whch is owned by Trump. It's a little over 3 hours one way to get there from where we live.
I like the look of your Classics Club list. If it were my list, I would wish for Far From the Madding Crowd or The Trial. Good luck with the spin, I hope you get something, you'll enjoy. Great idea to list three positive things. I saw Nicki@TheSecretLibraryBlog reviving "The Positivity Wave" the other day, which is an old meme with a similar sentiment.
ReplyDeleteI've read a few of those classics. Here we had No Tyrants as we are a monarchy. Lots of protesters here yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThe shooting was horrific.
Congratulations on your Certified Wildlife Habitat. That is so cool, Deb.
ReplyDeleteA new Classics Club list is exciting! I hope your No Kings experience was a good one.
ReplyDeletePost War sounds very interesting to me. I was out for No Kings yesterday too! A good day.
ReplyDeleteWow! I have not heard of any of those books on your classics list!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to see the baby sparrows! Love your 3 Good things! Good luck on your challenge!
ReplyDeleteSpin list sounds fun. I do love your three good things. I agree with all of them. I've been watching the eagles in California and love watching their parents take care of them. They are flying now and Jackie and Shadow still take care of them. I do love them. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard of the Pamela Brown book so I need to rectify that too. How could I miss knowing it? I am very interested in the Edinburgh book festival zooms ... so I will check out their site but you have many good ones listed ... McFarlane and Anne Applebaum sound particularly good! thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteLooks like lots of reading fun going on in your world, Deb. Postwar sounds amazing. The Haunted Bookshop needs to go on my wish list. Those sparrows are precious. Enjoy your week.
ReplyDeletehttps://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2025/06/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-and.html
Thanks for reminding us about the Edinburgh Festival. I might see if I can find some things to watch!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
Congrats on your Certified Wildlife Habitat!
ReplyDeleteFar from the Madding Crowd was part of our required reading in high school. It was one of those books that stayed with me—its vivid storytelling, deep emotions, and complex characters made it unforgettable.
Cute baby sparrows! I was intrigued by the contrast between the No Kings events and Trump's birthday military parade. Your list of Classics is impressive. That is a variety of books that I prefer to avoid. I hope you enjoy your journey to Classic land. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteNo Kings!
ReplyDeleteYou got a great picture of the baby birds.
Post War looks like mind bending reading. Hope you enjoy your next round of classic books reads.
ReplyDeleteI love that spiffy sign declaring your wildlife garden and those sparrows are adorable! The Edinburgh book festival zooms look wonderful - especially Cressida Cowell on dragon training:)). I LOVE that series:)). I hope the coming week is a good Deb.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your Classics Club read! I haven't read this one so I look forward to seeing your thoughts. The sparrows are so sweet and I love the wildlife preserve sign. We have an inordinate number of rabbits around the house which I'm really enjoying. I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteI haven not heard of The Swish of the Curtain b y Pamela Brown before - I hope you enjoy it. Love the wildlife habitat sign! Maybe I should get one for the garden bed we never seem to have time to weed - ha ha Just kidding - I have been working hard to slowly transition all of our gardens to native plants :) It's a long process, though. I hope you're enjoying Lonesome Dove as much as I did last year! I'm in the middle of its sequel, Streets of Laredo, and loving it, too!
ReplyDeleteSue
2025 Big Book Summer Challenge
I just wanted to add that Postwar would be of most interest to me! I have read several books on WWII as well as seen documentaries and even some movies. I remember a movie that I saw a few years ago...although there was no mention of it being "based on a true story", we know that it could very well be. The movie is called, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." Very powerful! I do read quite a bit, but all the books I read are non-fiction. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeletePostwar is an amazing book!
ReplyDeletePostwar is amazing!
ReplyDeleteI was on the road the day of the protests so didn't get to participate but have loved seeing the videos and images from around the country.
ReplyDelete