The Classics Club is holding its 17th Spin, and this is my very first time of playing the book roulette. The idea is to list 20 of the books on your Classics Club list before Friday 9 March when the wheel will turn and reveal the winning number. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List, by 30 April 2018.
The rules suggest we pick five books from each of the following categories:
5 books you are dreading/hesitant to read
5 books you can’t WAIT to read
5 books you are neutral about
5 books which are free choice
I only made my list at the end of January and I wasn’t silly enough to add books I really didn’t think I’d enjoy but I do have some books that are quite lengthy in this list so I will put them down for the first selection,
1. Barsetshire Chronicles (The Warden) – Anthony Trollope
2. East Lynne – Henry Wood
3. Lady Audley’s Secret – Mary Elizabeth Braddon
4. The Moonstone – Wilkie Collins
5. Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens
Looking at these covers, especially the women doesn’t exactly fill me with a longing to read this selection…
But I am longing to read the next five so hopefully the spin will pick up one of these especially number 10!
6. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
7. Miss Pettigrow Lives for a Day- Winifred Watson
8. Saplings – Noel Streatfeild
9. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding – Agatha Christie
10. The Hireling – L.P. Hartley
Now these covers are a wee bit cheerier don’t you think?
A mixed bag for the next set
11. The Shuttle -Frances Hodgeston Burnett
12. The Wheel Spins – Ethel Lina White
13. The Quiet American – Graham Greene
14. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
15. Bonjour Tritesse – Françoise Sagan
I’m not sure about the lady in the hat but the other’s are fairly non-descript.
My free choice is entirely made up of the books that nice David from World of Books sent me (along with a discount code you can all use up until the end of March 2018)
16. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Murial Spark
17. Sunset Song – Lewis Grassic Gibbon
18. The Moving Toyshop – Edumund Cripsin
19. The Red House Mystery – A.A. Milne
20. The Greengage Summer – Rumer Godden
A positive riot of colour in this bunch!
So that’s my twenty and as I compiled the list for this post I decided I really don’t have time to read any of the first five this time around so fingers crossed for a short but good read. My number one is The Hireling but The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day aren’t far behind.
Which would you pick?
Cleopatra Loves Books 
Hi,
I’ve only read a few of them:
– Jane Eyre : loved it
– Lady Audley’s Secret : don’t dread it, it’s a page turner with a crime twist.
– Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day : lovely, lovely read
– The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie : good but I didn’t love it.
– Bonjour tristesse : fantastic read. I love Françoise Sagan
Have fun, I think it’s a great event. I’d love to participate if I had time.
Emma
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Jane Eyre is a reread so I know I’ll enjoy that one. My fear of the longer books is lack of time as much as anything but I’ve worked out Nicholas Nickleby is the longest at 900 pages so I just have to squeeze in an extra 130 pages a week between now and the end of April 😉
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I’ve read two from your potential list, Of Mice and Men and Bonjour Tristesse. The latter was one of my favourites the year I read it, and it was this version too. I hope you get one you’re looking forward to read.
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Me too Claire although at this stage I’m fairly relaxed about what comes up
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I’m still putting together my list but now I’ve read yours I’m going to put the book I’d really like at no.10 and hope we both get our wish! I’ve not read The Hireling, only The Go-Between, but it sounds really good.
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Great plan!! I loved The Go-Between which is why my fingers are crossed for no 10!
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I adore Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and I just read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie yesterday (it’s very short). There are some great books on your list and I’m very tempted to join you in the Classics Club. I hope you enjoy whichever book is picked 😊
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You really should join in Janet – to be honest with the stack of review books I have to read I could do with one of the shorter books winning the spin this time 😂
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I loved Moonstone, Jane Eyre and any Agatha Christie. I have Of Mice and Men on my tbr along with The Prime Of Jean Brodie and hope to read them soon x
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Jane Eyre and some of the Agatha Christie’s are rereads but I didn’t want to add too many to the list as the idea was to read something different – I’ve had Moonstone on the TBR for far too long for a self-respecting crime fiction lover.
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I’ve read some of your books – The Warden, The Moonstone, Jane Eyre, Of Mice and Men (not what I expected), The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – my favourite of these is, I think, Jane Eyre. I hop e you get your wish.
I’m still thinking about my list.
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Time wise I could do with a shorter read this time around but fortunately I don’t have any I don’t want to read having only recently picked them. Jane Eyre is a re-read for me so I know that will be good!
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Never managed to get through The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie despite starting it several times and how short it is. I found it irritating!
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Thanks Linda – I’m hoping I’ll finish them all but you can never tell until you try.
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Ooh, lots of goodies there! I hope you get Nicholas Nickleby – it’s only 900 pages so you’ll be able to fit it in quite easily. Or Sunset Song or The Wheel Spins or The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie or….. well, I hope you get one you like! Happy first spin! 😀
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Haha I worked out that if I do get good old Nicholas Nickleby all I need to do is fit in an extra 130 pages a week between now and the end of April – easy peasy! (fingers crossed i get a nice short book) Thanks i was wondering how soon it would happen so I’m thrilled to have most of the books to choose from.
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I would likely re-read “Jane Eyre “, then go on to read “Greengage summer” and “The red house mystery” for the first time. I admire your resolve in this challenge Cleo. The time commitment alone would put me in panic mode.
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I could really do with a shorter book this time as I have tons of review books to read and no spare time but hey it wouldn’t be a challenge if it was easy 😉
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I have only read 2 of these, the Agatha Christie and Miss Pettigrew (which I loved). Good luck in your challenge, one day I will make time for something similar!
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Oh, you’ve got some great choices there, Cleo. And they’re all quite different to each other, too, which makes it all the more interesting. Honestly, I doubt you’ll be disappointed no matter which spin you get. But that said, I do hope you get The Hireling. I’d be interested to know what you think of that one.
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Thank you Margot – I was determined to pick a wide range to give me plenty of variety but I do want to read The Hireling and I don’t have a copy of this one – but if it comes up, I will have to buy one to do the challenge won’t I?
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Like you, I’m new to the Classics Club. After some encouragement from FictionFan, I’ll post my list on Monday. We’re taking a little trip next week – Monday, Tuesday – so I had not scheduled posts for those days. Anyway, I’ve read Jane Eyre and I think I’ve read the Christie selection – probably – I’ve read almost all of her books and stories. Good luck for not getting 1-5. LOL
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Great list! I hope you get one on the shorter side for scheduling purposes.
Since I’m so new to the Club, and haven’t yet read any of my list, I’m happy with whatever number comes up! This is a fun way to delve into the classics.
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Good luck! There are some great books on your list. I loved East Lynne and Lady Audley’s Secret so don’t be put off by the covers. I’ll be hoping for a shorter one for you, though. Miss Pettigrew and The Red House Mystery are both fun and not very long!
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Thank you Helen – I am looking forward to the entire list but the long ones are more daunting when you are short of time – I would love Miss Pettigrew or The Red House to come up!
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The First 5 do look dreary don’t they? I’ve not read any Rumer Godden but I have 2 of her books I’m hoping to get to this year. Hope the spin brings you a good one!
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Great list! The Moonstone and Lady Audley’s Secret are both very entertaining, so no need to dread reading them. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is charming, and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is good too. Hope you enjoy whichever title is picked!
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Ohhhh the Greengage Summer – what a delight you have ahead of you when that comes your way 🙂
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I’ve listened to Jane Eyre and have read an fractured version of it. It was pretty good. I would like to read that Agatha Christie.
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I love the look of Bonjour Tritesse, based on the cover alone! Good luck on the spin.
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