Spin Results and Review

 I am only two days late in finishing and three late in posting my progress on the Classics Spin results that ended on May 15th. It has been quite a few spins since I was able to finish a book. My book for this spin was The Railway Children by E. Nesbit. So what are my thoughts for this book? It was ok wasn't the best book but wasn't horrible either. This is of course a child's book and I can see how it would be appealing to children who loved trains or a little adventure. Basically, the story entails about a few siblings who for unknown reasons to them, are made to leave London with their mother and move to the country. It is then about the people they met and a few adventures, which as an adult become rather predicable, but to a child might not be. Even though later on you find out why they moved and how come the father was no longer involved in their lives, one issue isn't quite resolved for sure, they give you a hint who you assume is correct later on but never say for sure. I give it a 3 out of 5, perhaps if I was younger it would have been given a higher rating. The next book I will be reading for the Classics Club is Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Classics Spin #8!!

So I realized I haven't posted on here in a long time. How time flies, anyways it is time for another classic spin.

  If you have read my blog before, then you will recognize the first ten books, were all previous spin list or event books that I have yet to finish. I hope that I get something that is somewhat a light read.

1. Heart of Darkness and selected short stories by Joseph Conrad
2. Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau
3. Germinal by Emile Zola
4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
5. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
6. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
7. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
8. Persuasion by Jane Austen
9. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
10. The Secret Garden by Hodgson Burnett
11. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
12. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
13. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
14. Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
15. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
16. Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn
17. The Pioneers by James Fenimore Cooper
18. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
19. The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
20. The memoirs of Gluckel of Hameln

What book on your list are you hoping to read or dreading? I have tried to read Conrad's books and gotten stuck. I am in the first part of Walden but not finding it very interesting, and I have heard the second part is better. I am about halfway through Jane Eyre and Sense and Sensibility, and finding I am liking Jane Eyre more than I originally thought I would. I have read a few chapters in Germinal and found it quite interesting, as well as War and Peace (although trying to remember all of the characters and their nicknames is a huge challenge). I have previously read The Outsiders multiple times, but for books listed 12-20 I have never read and just listed ones that I thought sounded interesting. 

Classics Club Spin 4 List

 

 

The Classics Club is having another Spin! In the past previous Spins I have participated in, I had picked mostly a mixture of books I wanted to really read, so-so, or "scary" books. I need to read a good enjoyable and relaxing book, so I will only add books I want to read on my list. After all there isn't any official "rules", so it is all good. =0) I will find out on Monday what I will be reading and need to finish it by Jan., 1, 2014. Here are the choices it could be:

1. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
3. Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
6. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
7. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
8. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
9. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
10. Persuasion by Jane Austen
11. Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
12. North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell
13. Five Little Peppers & How They Grow by Margaret Sidney
14. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
15. Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens
16. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
17. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
18. Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens
19. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
20. Private Yankee Doodle by J.P. Martin

Joining others in reading Jane Eyre

Ok, I will admit Jane Eyre is my September Spin List book that I should be reading. However, I saw a fellow classic clubber Kerry was having a Jane Eyre read along. So I figured I would join in. I have never read anything by Charlotte Bronte. The only Bronte I ever read, was the book Wuthering Heights, and I was not a fan. Perhaps I will be surprised, and enjoy it after all.

Another Spin!

The Classics Club is having another spin event. I never did finish my last spin book, The Railway Children, so I will be listing it. Last week I was out of the area and not able to post my list for the spin, so I am doing that now. I know that the spin number has already been listed but haven't looked to see what the number is. I am going to have every other book be one that I want to read and then one that I don't necessarily want to right now. Without further ado, here is my spin list:

1. The Railway Children-previously started
2. Heart of Darkness -previously started
3. Treasure Island
4. Jane Eyre
5. Walden and Civil Disobedience
6. Othello
7. Kidnapped
8. Lord Jim
9. The Outsiders
10. The Republic
11. Little Women
12. Rights of Man
13. The Magican's Nephew
14. Eight Cousins
15. The Death of Ivan Illych
16. Wives and Daughters
17. Mere Christianity
18. The Grapes of Wrath
19. Child of the Dark
20. Larkrise to Candleford

Behind on Classics Club and other things....

I have gotten really behind in reading books that are on my classics club list. I was unable to finish or even get halfway into my Spin List book of The Railway Children by time the event ended. I hope to get more books read in the next month though.

 

Lest you think it is just reading that has gotten behind, it is also my crafts and love of writing as well. While in some ways I have gotten better in feeling better in others not as much or at all. I made this quilt block about a month ago. It only took me about a half hour or a little more with the sewing and cutting, but unfortunately paid for it afterwards by being in pain in my hands and arms that lasted for hours. Love this block though and hope to make lots of them sometime in the coming months. Enough typing for today as my hands are causing me problems now.

Classic Club Spin...and tv shows

The number chosen for the classic club spin was 6, so I have started reading The Railway Children. I still need to get back to reading The Heart of Darkness too as well for my regular classic club book (I have been a little slow on reading it).

Lately, I have started watching some BBC shows (as well as those taking place in the UK) and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately most of them are now off the air in the UK so no new episodes, but still I enjoy the reruns that are aired here in the states. I have even gotten some of them on DVD, books that were the original inspiration of the show, and sadly even one show is not available for region 1 dvd (so sad). Here are the shows, does anyone else have some favorite new shows they have found?

Amazon has Black Books available for instant viewing.

Sadly the DVD's for Ladies of Letters is only available for region 2. However, at least the book that was the inspiration for the tv show is available to read!

Love this show, which combines mystery drama with gardening in various ways. I couldn't resist getting all of the seasons of Rosemary and Thyme.

We watched all ten seasons of this MI-5, and sadly missing that there will not be any new ones.

At least we are still able to enjoy watching Dr. Who.

Love this series about rural life in the UK during the 1800's, can't wait to read the book.

 

Can't wait until the new season of Foyle's War comes on and that of Downton Abbey!

What will my next Spin Book be?

The Classics Club is doing another Spin book, where we list 20 books that is still on our to read list, then tomorrow they will tell us what number from the list we will read.

Last time, I listed 10 books I wanted to read and 10 that I either was excited about or were dreading.  Some people may do that this time as well, for this second Spin List. I ended up with Pride and Prejudice previously, and it was a good read. This time though, I will only list 20 books that I want to read. Normally, I would do as I previously did, however since I am having a busy time this upcoming summer, I wanted to read a book that I look forward too. Without further ado, here is my list:

1. Outsiders by SE Hinton
2. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
3. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
6. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
7. Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
8.  Emma by Jane Austen
9. Persuasion by Jane Austen
10.  Five Little Peppers & How They Grow by Margaret Sidney
11. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
12. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
13. North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell
14. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
15. Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
16. Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens
17. Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens
18. Larkrise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
19. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
20. The Pioneers by James Fenimore Cooper

So tomorrow I will find out what book is selected. Can't wait! Want to join either the Classic Club or already a member and want to join the Classic Spin? Follow this link