I’ve been seeing other bloggers participate in the Classics Club Spin over the last few years, and I suddenly got inspired this week to join in the fun!
Hosted by The Classics Club blog, the Classics Club Spin is a reading adventure where participants come up with a list of classics they’d like to read, number them 1 to 20, and then read the book that correponds to the “spin” number that comes up.
Here are the dates and guidelines from the host blog:
On Sunday 20th, March, we’ll post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List by the 30th April, 2022. That’s a six week reading window for this spin. You may like to stack your list with books that you know are do-able for you within that time frame.
We’ll check in here on Sunday the 30th April, 2022 to see who made it the whole way and finished their spin book!
What’s Next?
Go to your blog.
Pick twenty books that you’ve got left to read from your Classics Club List.
Post that list, numbered 1-20, on your blog before Sunday, 20th March.
We’ll announce a number from 1-20.
Read that book by 30th April, 2022.
This is probably the worst possible time for me to do this, since I’m completely backlogged when it comes to my reading plans and have way too many ARCs lined up for April and May.
Still, I’m intrigued by the concept, and I really like Hopewell’s Library of Life‘s idea to refer to Serial Reader for books that can be read in few enough installments to finish by the deadline. (And, by the way, Serial Reader is fabulous, and if you want to know more, see my post here for more info!)
Enough introduction!
Here’s my list of 20 classics for my first ever attempt at the Classics Club Spin:
- Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
- A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
- Dracula by Bram Stoker
- Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
- O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
- Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson
- Howards End by E. M. Forster
- The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
- The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
- Foundation by Isaac Asimov
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
- Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
- The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
- Passing by Nella Larsen
- The Awakening by Kate Chopin
- The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
- The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
A few of these would be re-reads for me, but given how many years have passed since I first/last read them, I’d be happy to read them again!
I’m just dipping my toes in cautiously, trying to pick books that are both doable in the time frame and that I would feel excited to read. No huge books, no huge obstacles…
Wish me luck! We’ll find out tomorrow what the spin number is!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
This is a fun idea. I’m curious to see what you’ll be reading😁
Me too! Should find out tomorrow! I’ve seen various people post about participating in past rounds of the “spin”, and finally felt like jumping in. I’m excited to see which book it will be!
Great to hear you’ve decided to enter! So… Herland… that’s a really good one. My copy came with a bunch of short stories, including her famous The Yellow Wallpaper. Good luck!
I’m excited to find out which book I’ll be reading! I’ve read The Yellow Wallpaper — twice, actually: once for a college class, and more recently for a book group.
That’s great list! Passing is fantastic (there’s a great movie based on it on Netflix), as are The Sound of Waves, The Painted Veil, and I Capture the Castle. And of course I adore The Hobbit. I look forward to seeing what you get on the first spin.
I can’t wait to find out! I read The Sound of Waves in high school (eons ago), and have always wanted to read it again as an adult and see if I love it as much. The Hobbit would be a reread too… and I haven’t seen the Netflix Passing movie yet because I wanted to read the book first, but (like so many other books on my to-read list) it just hasn’t happened yet.
Welcome to Classics Club Spins! I have done quite a few of them over the years and they are a good motivator. You have some great books on your list! O Pioneers is a particular favorite. Hope you get a book you enjoy!
Thank you! I’ve been seeing the CC Spins come up on other people’s blogs for a while now, and I’m excited to finally be joining in!
The Classics Club is fun. Best of luck on this.
I attempted it when I started blogging but failed miserably. I might try again.
I’m excited, even though this is probably the worst possible time for me to give it a try! April and May are the two months when I have the most ARCs to read…
I think you’ve chosen a great list of books! I love so many of them, especially A Little Princess, Dracula, Passing, and The Awakening. Good luck with this challenge…and happy reading! 😀
Thank you so much! I think I’ll be pleased no matter which book ends up being the “spin” winner!