Here’s a space to tell the club what you’re currently reading. You’re welcome to use the comments below.
We’re not including a Linky box because we want to encourage clubbers to meet here now and then, and talk together as a group.
No pressure, of course! But if you’re feeling social, here’s a space to tell us about your latest classic. As always, you are of course welcome to leave a link to your blog if you prefer to share there.
Twitter hashtag: #ccreadingupdate
– The Club
The Classics Club 
I’m reading The Odyssey for Allie’s read-along and To Kill a Mockingbird for my read-along. In a week, I’ll be knee-deep in Jane Austen, for the annual Austen in August event! I hope to sneak in some non-classic reading, too (gasp!). School starts back up again on the 19th… ugh. Gotta have some easy fun, while I can.
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I’m reading An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke (very slowly granted, a chapter or two at a time as it’s a bit dense) because I felt I needed to read more philosophy.
And I’m also reading The Poetry of Pablo Neruda edited by Ilan Stavans because I figured reading a few poems at a time would pair up well with reading philosophy in small bits and I wanted to read Neruda’s poetry since he is so highly regarded as a 20th century poet. I’m still struggling a bit to make heads or tails of his work, though, which is very surreal, full of unusual associations of images and metaphors (reminiscent of the difficult French poet Stephane Mallarme), and even a touch melodramatic in my opinion.
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I’m reading The Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix, even though I really need to read some more classics. 🙂 When I finish this book I’m going to read Frankenstein.
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I’m reading Wuthering Heights and Tess of the D’ubervilles. Both are excellent, so far!
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Awesome books! Tess especially is one of my favorites! Enjoy.
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I just finished Tess for the classic spin #2 – great choice – although just thinking about Tess’s negligent parents makes me feel cranky all over again!
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I’m reading “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf- having read Mrs. Dalloway and falling in love- and “Louisa May Alcott: An Intimate Anthology”, working on Transcendental Wild Oats. Can’t wait for Hospital Sketches!
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🙂 So far, Hospital Sketches is making me laugh! But that’s probably because I’m only at the beginning, listening to her description of trying to find a train ticket. Only Louisa could make something so mundane so hilarious.
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I’m reading Villette by Charlotte Bronte. I’m only heading into the eighth chapter, I believe, and for the last week have read none of it because I was busy elsewhere. I’ve heard it’s amazing and even though I’m not seeing its “amazingness” at the moment, I hope to soon. It’ll be the second of fifty books I’ll hopefully finish on my list 🙂
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Hannah, I suggest reading a biography of Charlotte after you read Villette. I read Lyndall Gordon’s biography before I read Villette, and it really helped me understand much of it. Maybe it will shed some extra light on the confusing bits of the book for you! P.S. I don’t care what scholars say- I think Jane Eyre is better.
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I’m reading The Odyssey and Strangers (by Anita Brookner) for readalongs. I’m planning on Mansfield Park for the Austen in August…and now I’ve just spotted the To Kill A Mockingbird readalong which is very tempting too!
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I’m still reading Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. But also just started The People of the Earth are Not Afraid, which is about three women growing up in Israel.
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I am not able to find this book. I have seen it mentioned in various places. Can you tell me where I might find it? I appreciate the help.
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I’m reading the last cantos of Dante’s Purgatorio. There are many things I still don’t understand; it’s been quite a struggle… 😦
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I’m just starting Heat and Dust by Ruth Jhabbala wich is from my list of Booker prize winners to read. Then it’s a toss up between Anna Karenina and L’Assommoir by Emile Zola.
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I am reading The Stand by Stephen King.
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Ohh that’s my favourite King (even when he wanders off into the badlands!)
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My favourite King…I must be due for a reread!
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I’m reading Treasure Island.
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How are you finding it?
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It’s okay. I still think I’d rather watch Muppet Treasure Island, though. 😉
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I’m reading The Bridge on the Drina. Still. It’s a slow read but giving me lots to think about.
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In theory I’m reading Kafka’s Trial. I like it fine but I keep misplacing it, so I’m on something like page 30.
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Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and will be starting my 3rd read of To Kill a Mockingbird today for Adam’s read-along.
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I’m currently reading The Odyssey for Allie’s Read-along. I’ve got the rest of Part II of The Pilgrim’s Progress, Dido Queen of Carthage by Marlowe and Othello (our very first book club read!) lined up for the rest of this month.
For August there are quite a few other classics I’ve listed down to read. But as everyone’s been mentioning the Austen read, I figured I’d mention only Mansfield Park for Adam’s Austen in August. 😀
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I’m also doing The Odyssey readalong 🙂
Plus an Anita Brookner one with Ali – I chose to read Strangers (not old enough to be a classic yet, but true to Brookner’s style so far).
And now I’ve just spotted the To Kill A Mockingbird one above – a book I’ve been looking far any excuse to reread again!
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I’m reading The Odyssey too – about half way through 🙂
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That’s great! 😀 My progress is a bit slow, but I intend finishing the first 12 books by the end of this month and leaving the rest for August. 🙂
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To Kill A Mockingbird (read-along), The Last of the Mohicans, Great Big Treasury of Beatrix Potter, and ESV Bible 1 Samuel. Next I will be reading Pride and Prejudice for Austen in August and An American Tragedy. That is all I have “Planned” for August.
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I’m between books today. I’ve been reading fluff, after finishing Moby-Dick. I just finished a YA book, Bumped, a dystopian fantasy in which only teenagers are fertile and adults pay young girls to get “bumped” for them. While a fun and easy read, it had elements of a couple classics: The Handmaid’s Tale, Children of Men, and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Speaking of Atwood, my next classic will be Oryx and Crake, joining the readalong on Reading in Winter: http://readinginwinter.com/2013/07/15/oryx-and-crake-read-along-sign-ups
Next up will be Northanger Abbey for Roofbeamreader’s Austen in August event.
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I’m reading ‘The Time on the Cross’ by the Nobel-Winner economist Robert William Foger, it’s on the economics of American slavery. It might be considered as a ‘classic’ in this field. Anyway, after reading ‘Les Misérables’ I’m taking a break from classics as I am planning to read ‘The Red and the Black’ by Stendhal in August 🙂
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Bleak House by Charled Dickens and A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe…how far apart could things get! 🙂
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I read, and loved, Bleak House for the CC spin #1. Good luck 🙂
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Bleak House is SO good. Loved that one.
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I’ve been thinking of starting another Dickens soon, and Bleak House is #1 on the list. I’m glad to hear it’s so good!
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