Hi Clubbers! How’s the reading going? Check in with the group below!
Tell us about your project — or you! Introduce yourself. Chat.
Tell us what you’ve read, how you’re feeling about your progress, how much you love the classics or the community — any struggles, a favorite read so far. Really, whatever you feel like sharing!
Some people prefer writing an update at their own blog and linking it here in the comments. That’s fine, too.
Feel free to respond to one another in the comments below — ask questions, visit each other, tell us you are new to the club, planning to join the club — etc. This is a meet and greet.
If you’re having trouble with your list and need encouragement, say that! That’s understandable. We want new classics readers to join us, so there’s nothing wrong with arriving to this thread with all of the newness showing!
(Please also note the “check-in” feature here is entirely voluntarily, intended for those who like weighing in with others in the group, and having a periodic place to reflect upon goals for the club. For some this feature would feel like an unwanted intrusion. Silent participation in this group is of course welcome!)
Thanks for all of your enthusiasm about this project!
New? Introduce yourself to the group on Twitter using hashtag #ccintroductions @ourclassicsclub. You can also introduce yourself here at the blog. 🙂
Twitter hashtag for reading check-ins: #ccreadingupdate
Note that if you’re on Twitter, you can also tweet your latest classic book reviews to the group using hashtag #ccbookreviews.
The Classics Club 
I’m going to be signing up as soon as I finish my list! Though I will admit that I’m focusing largely on children’s classics, for reasons that I would rather save for my first post about it. Just need to pick out 2 more books.
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I got started on summer and I read only three. I feel like I maybe have to step up my game? I’ve been oddly really into contemporary literature
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I am reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin, concurrently with beginning for the first time the whole Harry Potter series. I purloined both of these books from the shelves of books my kids left behind when they moved out to start their own lives. I will hopefully at some point introduce myself more fully. Limiting myself to “classics” briefly here I will say that after joining my local Classics Book Club I have read Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain, War and Peace, something by Hemingway (an author I’ve never really cared for), and a couple of books about Theseus by Mary Renault. I have asked the leader of this group for a definition of Classic. For their purposes it is basically a book that was published before 1960 and is still in print.
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Just finished Daisy Miller which is part of my Spin book. It was rather underwhelming. Hasn’t endeared me any further to Henry James,
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I found that one a disappointment too
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the ending felt rushed to me – what did you think?
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I just don’t like all that macho stuff. but yes, the story was going on a regular pace and then it just ended. it felt like it was just cut there, so much was left to be told
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Here is my update http://crafts4others.blogspot.com/2014/12/classics-club-check-in-dec-2014.html?m=1
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I’m reading Far From the Madding Crowd, and struggling with it a bit – Hardy usually flows more for me, but I think I just need to give it more attention. That makes 7 classics read in 2014, not ideal but not terrible!
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Heyo! I’m still enjoying my Ivanhoe read-along that I’m completing with Rachelle of The Reading Wench. I’m thinking I’m going to try some of my shorter classics at the beginning of next year, such as A Separate Peace. It’s been really comforting to know that I have five whole years to get this done and that I can afford to be leisurely with it. 🙂
Happy holidays and new year to all!
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I finished my spin book (Miller’s play “The Crucible”) and I also just finished Tristram Shandy, which was a huge deal. What a weird book! I’m kind of hoping to get my CC number up to a nice round 90 (out of 150) by the end of the year, but I need to read 3 more things to do that. Not sure I can, even if I pick short things!
Oh! And I read Mia Couto’s “Sleepwalking Land,” which is supposed to be a big modern classic of African literature, but I didn’t like it much.
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I read classic short stories every week: mystery, supernatural, literary, detective, and post on my blog as free reads to my followers. I think when we read dead authors we keep them alive—at least in a literary sense. Instead of Dickens this Christmas, I’m reading Hawthorne and Lovecraft and M.R. James ghost stories.
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The new trailer for the Le Petit Prince movie (http://io9.com/little-prince-trailer-is-stunning-and-not-what-we-expec-1669024035) reminded me that this has been on my TBR list FOR. EV. ER. and that needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
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I finished my Spin book (Bliss and Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield) and enjoyed it very much. Since joining the club I’ve read eight books on my list so far and reviewed six of them. I read three books for Willa Cather Reading Week, only one of which was on my list, but I couldn’t stop because they were so good. Looking forward to next year!
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I’ve only been signed up for just over a month and have done well with the reading. Five Shakespeare plays complete and I’ll probably finish A Christmas Carol next. Finding quite time on the computer is more difficult and I’ve only got two reviews up so far. Hopefully I can get somewhat caught up this week. I’ll probably go for something lighter over Christmas before starting Hamlet in January. I’ve seen it performed but but not yet read it.
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What a good idea, reading Dickens this time of year. Seasonal reading was never my thing but I was gifted a holiday-themed short story collection recently and now I’m hooked. Perhaps I’ll “copy” you and try Christmas Carol next. 🙂
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Hey, Brona’s Books is doing a readalong of A Christmas Carol. Join us! http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/a-christmas-carol-readalong.html
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I finished The Hunchback of Notre Dame last week and I’m reading Roland Bainton’s “Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther” now.
Huncback was really interesting… hopefully I can get a blog post up about it soon.
http://youmeandacupofteablog.blogspot.com/
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I got a little (okay a lot) in over my head with review books so my classic reading is at nonexistent right now! However, I’m starting a Reading Assignment Challenge in January and am planning to get at least 12 classics read. I can’t wait!
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