My Classics Club Spin book for fall 2024 will be…

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Earlier in the week, I shared a post with my list of books for the newest Classics Club Spin challenge (see it here), and a few days ago, this spin’s number was announced. (For those keeping track, it’s CC Spin #39, and for me personally, #11!)

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 corresponds to the “spin” number that comes up.

For CCSpin #39, the lucky number is:

And that means I’ll be reading:

An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott (published 1870)

Synopsis:

‘“An Old-Fashioned Girl” is a novel written by Louisa May Alcott, first published in 1870. It is a coming-of-age story that follows the life of Polly Milton, a young girl from the country who visits her friend Fanny Shaw in the city. The story explores themes of friendship, family, love, and the societal expectations of women during the late 19th century.

Polly is an old-fashioned girl, meaning that she holds onto traditional values and beliefs despite the changing times. She is kind, honest, and hardworking, and her positive traits are in stark contrast to the selfish and superficial lifestyle of the city people. Throughout her visit, Polly faces challenges as she tries to navigate the complex social dynamics of the city and maintain her own beliefs.

One of the central themes of the novel is the importance of friendship and family. Polly forms strong bonds with Fanny’s family and friends, and she uses her down-to-earth nature to bring happiness and positivity to those around her. She also learns the value of forgiveness and understanding, and she uses these lessons to help reconcile relationships that have gone awry.

The novel also explores the societal expectations placed on women during this time period. Polly challenges these expectations by staying true to herself and her beliefs, despite the pressure to conform to the norms of society. This theme highlights the importance of individuality and self-expression, and it encourages women to embrace their own unique qualities.

Overall, “An Old-Fashioned Girl” is a charming and uplifting story that emphasizes the value of friendship, family, and staying true to one’s self. The novel’s portrayal of Polly’s experiences and growth make it a timeless classic that continues to inspire and entertain readers today.

What a great result! I would have been happy with any of the books on my spin list, but I’m particularly pleased to finally get the push I needed to read more Louisa May Alcott.

In my youth, I read the Little Women books, plus a few others, but An Old-Fashioned Girl is one that I never picked up — maybe my local library just didn’t have a copy!

There are several other books by this author that I’d like to reread (Rose in Bloom, Eight Cousins, Jack and Jill). For now, I’m looking forward to getting started with my new spin book!

What do you think of my book this time around?

Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #39:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
White Fang by Jack London
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholom Aleichem
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

My previous Classics Club Spin books:

Are you participating in this Classics Club Spin? If so, what book will you be reading?

16Oct2024

Getting ready for the Fall 2024 Classics Club Spin!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

It’s time for another Classics Club Spin!

Here are the dates and guidelines from the host blog:

On Sunday 20th October 2024 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 18th December, 2024.

We’ll check in here on the 18th December 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 October 2024.

We’ll announce a number from 1-20.

Read that book by 18th December.

It’s always exciting when a new spin is announced! I’ve updated my list, and can’t wait to see where the spin lands.

Here we go!

Here’s my list of 20 classics for the next Classics Club Spin:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
White Fang by Jack London
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholom Aleichem
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

Wish me luck! I’ll be back on October 20th to reveal my spin result!

My previous Classics Club spins:

Spring 2022 (CCSpin29): The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
Summer 2022 (CCSpin30): Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Fall 2022 (CCSpin31): A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Winter 2022/2023 (CCSpin32): O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
Spring 2023 (CCSpin33): Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
Summer 2023 (CCSpin34): Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Fall 2023 (CCSpin35): Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Winter 2024 (CCSpin36): A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
Spring 2024 (CCSpin37): Howards End by E. M. Forster
Summer 2024 (CCSpin38): The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima

8Sep2024

Dreams really do come true! (Or, welcome to my Little Free Library!)

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Consider this an early “happy birthday to me” present! I’ve been wanting to set up a Little Free Library for years, and finally made it happen!

My husband did the assembly, I added the flowers — and then, the moment I’d been waiting for: Adding my first batch of books!

Our street doesn’t get a huge amount of foot traffic, but we’re right around the corner from coffee shops, some small stores, and a few small eateries. I’m excited to see our first visitors!

For now, we’ve just had a few nice comments from people on the street. Meanwhile, there are books and bookmarks ready to be taken home.

I hope someone finds just what they’re looking for!

7Sep2024

It’s a giveaway!

Posted in Blogging, Bookish Thoughts, Giveaways by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Guess what?

It’s a Saturday, just an ordinary weekend, nothing in particular to celebrate… except I feel like giving away some books!

I’m working on downsizing my stacks (and stacks and stacks) of books and getting my shelves in order. In addition to setting up a Pango store to try selling some of my used books, I thought I’d spread the joy around a bit by giving away some books too!

I have a stack of ARCs that have piled up over the years — some I’ve read, some not; some were Goodreads giveaway books, some came through other sources. In any case, I’m ready to part with them, and what could be better than passing them along to another reader?

Here are the books up for grabs:

The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner
The Girl Explorers by Jayne Zanglein
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
The Magician’s Daughter by H. G. Parry
Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash

The giveaway closed September 15, 2024.

One lucky winner will be chosen! The winner will have their choice of one of the books shown.

Restrictions: Open to US entries only. No overseas/international shipping available.

To enter, simply participate at the Rafflecopter link below!

Click here to enter!

Good luck, and thanks for playing!

5Sep2024

Would you bribe your child to read?

Posted in Bookish Thoughts by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I just came across this New York Times opinion piece about bribing a child to read… and while my initial reaction was pretty strongly negative, I’m trying to back up and think it through.

The piece opens:

This summer, I paid my 12-year-old daughter $100 to read a book. As far as mom maneuvers go, it was definitely last ditch and the size of the payout was certainly excessive. I can’t say I am proud — but I am extremely satisfied. Because the plan worked. It worked so well, I’d suggest other parents of reluctant readers open their wallets and bribe their kids to read, too.

I can relate… to an extent.

My two children (now adults) are polar opposites when it comes to reading. My daughter is an absolute, no-question-about-it, you’ll-pry-my-books-out-of-my-cold-dead-hands book worm. She’s never without a book… often, many books at the same time. Like me, at any given time she’ll have at least one physical or ebook in progress plus an audiobook… and sometimes even more. I’ve never had to push her to read. From the time she first realized she could get through a book on her own, she’s never looked back or slowed down.

On the other hand, my son has never — to the best of my knowledge — picked up a book just for fun. He’s read what he’s had to read for school. And every once in a while, if I’ve placed a book in his hands with just the right timing, he’s considered actually opening it up and reading it… but usually not. The last non-school-related books he read were the first three books of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series — but that was at least two years ago, and as far as I know, he hasn’t touched a single book since.

And let me point out once more — my kid is an adult. I can’t exactly threaten a 22-year-old with losing screen privileges or putting parental controls on his devices. He’s taking college courses and does the reading necessary for his classes, but that’s it. (He does still live in my house, which is probably why the lack of reading is so apparent to me.)

Reading for fun? He laughs at me and rolls his eyes when I suggest it.

Back to the New York Times essay. The idea of paying a kid $100 to read a book kind of makes my skin crawl. First of all, there’s the obvious element of privilege and financial status — offering this kind of cash to a child is clearly only for those who can shell out $100 without blinking an eye. But my focus today is really more about the bribery concept itself:

Why do we need to monetize reading? Shouldn’t reading be its own reward? Obviously, for book lovers, the answers is a resounding yes.

But how do we get our reluctant readers to pick up a book, for no other reason than to enjoy it? I don’t want to bemoan technology and how it’s destroying the youth of today. I love a good meme or cat video as much as the next person, and my husband routinely comments on my phone never leaving my hands. And yet, it’s also true that someone who loves to read will find the time and the attention to read… and someone who doesn’t have that innate love of reading simply will not.

After reading the essay, I briefly engaged in a thought exercise about trying to bribe my son. I know that if he’d only step away from his screens and put down the video game controllers, there’d actually be time in his day to spend at least a little while reading a book. To him, this just isn’t something that pulls him, and he has no motivation to do so. But if I dangled a cash incentive in front of him? Well, maybe.

And yet, the idea of actually offering money to get him to read is a huge turn-off.

Where does an incentive cross the line into bribery? We’re all familiar with library reading challenges that offer stickers and prizes for summer reading achievements, and I know many schools have read-a-thons and other competitions that tie reading to some sort of tangible reward. So why does offering cash strike me as a step too far? And yet, for my adult child, it’s really the only thing I could see tempting him. (Stickers will no longer cut it, alas.)

No, I’m not going to do it. But I do have a sneaking suspicion that if I actually did offer him $100, he’d be more than happy to comply.

I’m curious about other people with reluctant readers or non-readers in their lives? Do you offer incentives? Would you offer or have you ever offered cash? What’s your reaction to the NYT article?

I’d love to hear other people’s reactions on this! Please chime in and share your thoughts.

A final note: Upon finishing this post, I found a link to a post of mine from ten years ago about this exact topic — offering cash to my son to get him to read! My incentive plan topped out at $10 at that time… and as far as I recall, had no effect whatsoever. My offer of money for each book he read was not enough to actually tempt him. I’d completely forgotten about this post and the idea itself — probably because it went nowhere. Now, if I’d offered $100 per book… who knows???

12Jul2024

Summer Reading: Check out the Summer Must Read list at Reading Ladies Book Club blog

Posted in Book Reviews, Bookish Thoughts by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Carol at Reading Ladies hosts an annual collaboration of book bloggers, in which bloggers from around the world offer recommendations for great books to read this summer. I feel honored to participate, and I’m delighted to share the link:

Summer’s One Must Read Book 2024 [Book Reviews] #Collaboration #MustReadBook #SummerReading #BookX #BookBlogger #amreading #booklist

Please do check it out! Who knows? You may just find your next favorite book!

Many thanks to Carol for organizing such a fun project and sharing it with the book-loving world!

21Apr2024

My Classics Club Spin book for spring 2024 will be…

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

For CCSpin #37, the lucky number is:

And that means I’ll be reading:

Howards End by E. M. Forster (published 1910)

Synopsis:

‘Only connect…’

Considered by many to be E. M. Forster’s greatest novel, Howards End is a beautifully subtle tale of two very different families brought together by an unusual event. The Schlegels are intellectuals, devotees of art and literature. The Wilcoxes are practical and materialistic, leading lives of “telegrams and anger.” When the elder Mrs. Wilcox dies and her family discovers she has left their country home—Howards End—to one of the Schlegel sisters, a crisis between the two families is precipitated that takes years to resolve. Written in 1910, Howards End is a symbolic exploration of the social, economic, and intellectual forces at work in England in the years preceding World War I, a time when vast social changes were occurring. In the Schlegels and the Wilcoxes, Forster perfectly embodies the competing idealism and materialism of the upper classes, while the conflict over the ownership of Howards End represents the struggle for possession of the country’s future. As critic Lionel Trilling once noted, the novel asks, “Who shall inherit England?”

Forster refuses to take sides in this conflict. Instead he poses one of the book’s central questions: In a changing modern society, what should be the relation between the inner and outer life, between the world of the intellect and the world of business? Can they ever, as Forster urges, “only connect”?

I think I was hoping for one of the lighter books on my list, but I’m still pleased with this spin result. Howards End has been on my to-read list for a very long time — in fact, I have a paperback 2-in-1 edition bundled with A Room with a View (which I’ve read), and I think I must have picked it up over 20 years ago!

I also really enjoyed the TV mini-series (2017) with Hayley Atwell and Matthew Macfadyen, and that heightened my interest in eventually reading the book. Well, the time has come! I have a copy in my Kindle library (approx. 300 pages), and the book is also available via Serial Reader (40 issues), so either way, I shouldn’t have a problem finishing by the spin end date, June 2nd.

What do you think of my newest spin result?

Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #37:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
White Fang by Jack London
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Howards End by E. M. Forster
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholom Aleichem
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

My previous Classics Club Spin books:

Are you participating in this Classics Club Spin? If so, what book will you be reading?

17Apr2024

Getting ready for the Spring 2024 Classics Club Spin!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

It’s time for another Classics Club Spin!

Here are the dates and guidelines from the host blog:

On Sunday 21st April 2024 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 2nd June, 2024.

We’ll check in here on Sunday the 2nd June 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 21st April 2024.

We’ll announce a number from 1-20.

Read that book by 2nd June.

Even though my to-read pile for the next few months is on the overwhelming side, I do love these spins and don’t want to miss out. I took the two longest books off my spin list last time around (David Copperfield and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall), and although I’m tempted to add them back, the timing just isn’t right quite yet. So, I’m sticking with the same list as from spin #36, just adding in one new book to replace the one I read.

Here we go!

Here’s my list of 20 classics for the next Classics Club Spin:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
White Fang by Jack London
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Howards End by E. M. Forster
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholom Aleichem
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin

Wish me luck! I’ll be back on April 21st to reveal my spin result!

My previous Classics Club spins:

21Jan2024

My Classics Club Spin book for winter 2024 will be…

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

For CCSpin #36, the lucky number is:

And that means I’ll be reading:

A Night to Remember by Walter Lord (published 1955)

Synopsis:

Lord’s classic bestseller, and the definitive account of the unsinkable ship’s fateful last hours

At first, no one but the lookout recognized the sound. Passengers described it as the impact of a heavy wave, a scraping noise, or the tearing of a long calico strip. In fact, it was the sound of the world’s most famous ocean liner striking an iceberg, and it served as the death knell for 1,500 souls.

In the next two hours and forty minutes, the maiden voyage of the Titanic became one of history’s worst maritime accidents. As the ship’s deck slipped closer to the icy waterline, women pleaded with their husbands to join them on lifeboats. Men changed into their evening clothes to meet death with dignity. And in steerage, hundreds fought bitterly against certain death. At 2:15 a.m. the ship’s band played “Autumn.” Five minutes later, the Titanic was gone.

Based on interviews with sixty-three survivors, Lord’s moment-by-moment account is among the finest books written about one of the twentieth century’s bleakest nights.

I am delighted with this spin result! I’ve read my share of Titanic-related fiction over the years, but somehow never got around to this non-fiction book, which is considered (as the synopsis says) the definitive account of the events of that fateful night. As a plus, A Night to Remember is one of my shorter picks this time around — 182 pages for the Kindle edition — so finishing by March 3rd should not be a problem.

What do you think of my newest spin result?

Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #36:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Peony by Pearl Buck
White Fang by Jack London
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Howards End by E. M. Forster
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholom Aleichem
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord

My previous Classics Club Spin books:

Are you participating in this Classics Club Spin? If so, what book will you be reading?

18Jan2024

Getting ready for the Winter 2024 Classics Club Spin!

Posted in Bookish Thoughts, Fun and Whimsy, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

It’s time for another Classics Club Spin!

Here are the dates and guidelines from the host blog:

On Sunday 21st January 2024 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 3rd March, 2024..

We’ll check in here on Sunday the 3rd March 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 21st January 2024.

We’ll announce a number from 1-20.

Read that book by 3rd March.

I considered not participating this time around, because I already have a pretty stuffed calendar when it comes to reading commitments between now and March. In fact, I’m still a bit on the fence… but I always enjoy these spins, so I don’t really want to sit out.

To keep myself sane, I’m swapping out the two longest books remaining (David Copperfield and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall). Yes, I do still want to read them, but I’ll add them back to my spin list later in the year when the possibility of landing on them won’t stress me out as much! For now, I’m limiting my list to books under 400 pages (and actually loading it up with even shorter books) — I just can’t see being happy with the results otherwise.

Okay, that’s it for preamble! Now for the good stuff…