My Classics Club Spin book for summer/fall 2026 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 today, this spin’s number was announced. (For those keeping track, it’s CCSpin #45, and for me personally, #17!)

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 #45, the lucky number is:

And that means I’ll be reading:

Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
Published 1936

Synopsis:

The coachman tried to warn her away from the ruined, forbidding place on the rainswept Cornish coast. But young Mary Yellan chose instead to honor her mother’s dying request that she join her frightened Aunt Patience and huge, hulking Uncle Joss Merlyn at Jamaica Inn.

From her first glimpse on that raw November eve, she could sense the inn’s dark power. But never did Mary dream that she would become hopelessly ensnared in the vile, villainous schemes being hatched within its crumbling walls—or that a handsome, mysterious stranger would so incite her passions… tempting her to love a man whom she dares not trust.

That’s two Daphne du Maurier books in a row for my Classics Club spins, and I couldn’t be happier! Granted, I would have been excited to read any of the books on my list… but after being completely enthralled by Frenchman’s Creek, I was eager to explore more of this author’s books, so this is a terrific spin result for me!

What do you think of my spin book this time around?

I’ll be back to share my thoughts before October 4th!

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

Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #44:

The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
White Fang by Jack London
Anna and Her Daughters by D. E. Stevenson
Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
Eight Cousins / Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
Peony by Pearl Buck
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Dear Hugo by Molly Clavering
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem
Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Under the Rainbow by Susan Scarlett

My previous Classics Club Spin books:

CCSpin29: The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer
CCSpin30: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
CCSpin31: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
CCSpin32: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
CCSpin33: Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
CCSpin34: Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
CCSpin35: Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
CCSpin36: A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
CCSpin37: Howards End by E. M. Forster
CCSpin38: The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima
CCSpin39: An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
CCSpin40: Dracula by Bram Stoker
CCSpin41: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
CCSpin42: My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin
CCSpin43: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
CCSpin44: Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier

13Aug2026

Getting ready for the next Classics Club Spin (CC Spin #45; summer/fall 2026)

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 16th August 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 4th October, 2026.

We’ll check in here on the 4th October 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 16th August 2026.

We’ll announce a number from 1-20.

Read that book by 4th October.

I’m always excited when a new spin rolls around! For spin #45, I’ll be sticking with my interest in 20th century fiction, so that’s mainly how I’ve focused my list. Where will the spin take me this time? We’ll find out in a few days!

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

The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
White Fang by Jack London
Anna and Her Daughters by D. E. Stevenson
Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
Eight Cousins / Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
Peony by Pearl Buck
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Dear Hugo by Molly Clavering
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem
Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Under the Rainbow by Susan Scarlett

Wish me luck! I’ll be back on August 16th to reveal my spin result!

My previous Classics Club spins:

3Jul2026

For your reading pleasure: Summer’s One Must Read Book 2026 (courtesy of Carol @ Reading Ladies)

Posted in Blogging, Book Reviews, The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

I’m away on a mini-vacation and had planned to mostly be on a blogging break… but couldn’t resist popping back in to share a special summer treat.

Carol @ Reading Ladies Book Club organizes a wonderful collaboration post each year, bringing together a terrific mix of book bloggers to share their picks for essential summer reading.

I’d delighted to participate… and I’m delighted to reblog and share the post! Please do visit Carol’s original post, and check out all the contributors too.

So many great choices to add to our summer reading lists!

Summer’s One Must Read Book 2026 [Book Reviews] #Collaboration #MustReadBook #SummerReading #BookX #booksky #BookBlogger #booklist #readingrecommendations

27May2026

Life and art on a phonescreen

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

A little moment of serendipity…

My phone lockscreen is set to randomly shuffle photos from my camera roll, changing every hour on the hour. I never know what will turn up… and I like it that way.

And when I woke up to start my day yesterday, I found that I had a lovely bit of syncing up going on:

On the left, my phone lockscreen. On the right, my current audiobook.

Both images: Joshua trees / Joshua Tree National Park

Pretty cool, huh?

17May2026

My Classics Club Spin book for spring/summer 2026 will be…

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

For CCSpin #44, the lucky number is:

And that means I’ll be reading:

Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier
Published 1941

Synopsis:

Bored and restless in London’s Restoration Court, Lady Dona escapes into the British countryside with her restlessness and thirst for adventure as her only guides. Eventually Dona lands in remote Navron, looking for peace of mind in its solitary woods and hidden creeks. She finds the passion her spirit craves in the love of a daring French pirate who is being hunted by all of Cornwall. Together, they embark upon a quest rife with danger and glory, one which bestows upon Dona the ultimate choice: sacrifice her lover to certain death or risk her own life to save him.

And here’s a synopsis from another edition:

A lady bound by duty. A pirate who lives by desire. Together, they risk everything in a historical romance of freedom, danger, and forbidden love.

Restless in London’s rigid society, Lady Dona St. Columb escapes to the Cornish coast. There, shadowed creeks conceal a daring French privateer who offers the adventure she craves. Their secret encounters unfold in a world of stolen passion, dangerous choices, and the intoxicating pull of a gothic love story that defies every convention.

I’m excited! I’ve had a whole slew of Daphne du Maurier books on my TBR for what feels like ages, and I’m happy to have a push to actually get started. To be honest, I hadn’t looked into the plot of Frenchman’s Creek at all before today… and learning that it’s a pirate story makes me even more eager to read it.

What do you think of my spin result this time around?

I’ll be back to share my thoughts before July 5th!

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

Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #44:

The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
White Fang by Jack London
Anna and Her Daughters by D. E. Stevenson
Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
Peony by Pearl Buck
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem
Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson
Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Under the Rainbow by Susan Scarlett

My previous Classics Club Spin books:

13May2026

Getting ready for the next Classics Club Spin (CC Spin #44; spring/summer 2026)

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 17th May 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 5th July, 2026.

We’ll check in on the 5th July 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 17th May 2026.

We’ll announce a number from 1-20.

Read that book by 5th July.

I’ve become hooked on exploring 20th century fiction, so that’s how I’ve focused my list. Where will the spin take me this time? We’ll find out in a few days!

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

The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
White Fang by Jack London
Anna and Her Daughters by D. E. Stevenson
Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
Peony by Pearl Buck
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem
Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson
Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Under the Rainbow by Susan Scarlett

Wish me luck! I’ll be back on May 17th to reveal my spin result!

My previous Classics Club spins:

26Feb2026

Special offer from Libro.fm: Do good & get a free audiobook!

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Too good not too share!

This week, if you donate $15 or more to a public library, Libro.fm will reward you with a free audiobook credit.

The details:

What’s not to love? Do some good, support a great cause, and get a new audiobook!

To participate, go to blog.libro.fm/librarylove to get more and info and submit your proof of donation.

And even beyond this week, Libro.fm is a great source for audiobooks! Did you know that your purchases support independent bookstores?

Here’s to great audiobooks and supporting public libraries!

8Feb2026

My Classics Club Spin book for winter/spring 2026 will be…

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

For CCSpin #43, the lucky number is:

And that means I’ll be reading:

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Published 1948

Synopsis:

I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle’s walls and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has “captured the castle”– and the heart of the reader– in one of literature’s most enchanting entertainments.

And here’s the synopsis from the hardcover deluxe edition released in 2017 from Wednesday Books:

Seventeen-year-old Cassandra Mortmain and her family may live in a ramshackle old English castle, but that’s about as romantic as her life gets. While her beautiful older sister, Rose, longs to live in a Jane Austen novel, Cassandra knows that meeting an eligible man to marry isn’t in either of their futures when their home is crumbling and they have to sell their furniture for food. So Cassandra instead strives to hone her writing skills in her journals. Until one day when their new landlords move in, which include two (very handsome) sons, and the lives of the Mortmain sisters change forever.

Finally! I’ve had I Capture the Castle on my to-read list for ages, and it’s been on my spin lists since the very first time I participated. I own a battered old paperback edition, and a few years ago I also picked up the hardcover deluxe edition:

Why has it taken me so long to read this book? No idea… except once I started including it on my spin lists, I’ve just been waiting for its turn to come around. And now it has!

I’m very happy with this spin! I’m looking forward to starting I Capture the Castle — probably a bit later this month. The deadline to finish this spin book is March 29th, which gives me plenty of time. I’ll be back with my reaction before then.

What do you think of my spin result this time around?

There’s a movie adaptation of I Capture the Castle from 2003 — so assuming I can find it to stream, I’ll plan to watch it before the end of March as well!

PS – Did you know… I Capture the Castle was Dodie Smith’s first novel, but she’s perhaps best known as the author of The Hundred and One Dalmatians!

Here’s my list of 20 titles for Classics Club Spin #43:

The House on the Strand by Daphne DuMaurier
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
White Fang by Jack London
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne DuMaurier
Pat of Silver Bush by L. M. Montgomery
Peony by Pearl Buck
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Frederica by Georgette Heyer
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
Tevye the Dairyman and Motl the Cantor’s Son by Sholem Aleichem
Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson
Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
Under the Rainbow by Susan Scarlett

My previous Classics Club Spin books:

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

7Feb2026

20th Century Decades Challenge — completed!

Posted in The Reading Life by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Three cheers! Huzzah! Ring the bells!

I’ve completed a challenge!

Last year, I decided it would be fun to challenge myself to read one book published during each decade of the 20th century… and although I had to give myself a couple of extra months to do it, I finally finished!

Here’s a look at the books I read:

1900 – 1909

Title: My Brilliant Career
Author: Miles Franklin
Publication year: 1901
My review

1910 – 1919

Title: A Damsel in Distress
Author: P. G. Wodehouse
Publication year: 1919
My review

1920 – 1929

Title: The Lark
Author: E. Nesbit
Publication year: 1922
My review

1930 – 1939

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Publication year: 1937

1940 – 1949

Title: My Theodosia
Author: Anya Seton
Publication year: 1941
My review

1950 – 1959

Title: The Fellowship of the Ring
Author: J. R. R. Tolkien
Publication year: 1954

1960 – 1969

Title: The Ivy Tree
Author: Mary Stewart
Publication year: 1961
My review

1970 – 1979

Title: The Auctioneer
Author: Joan Samson
Publication year: 1976
My review

1980 – 1989

Title: Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6)
Author: Terry Pratchett
Publication year: 1988
My review

1990 – 1999

Title: Green Rider
Author: Kristen Britain
Publication year: 1998
My review

All in all, I’m really pleased with this challenge! I’m not planning to do it again in 2026, at least not in such a structured, “official” way — but I still have plenty of 20th century fiction choices that were on my list of possibilities for the various decades of this challenge, and there are at least a handful that I’m quite eager to read.

I’m a little regretful that I have two Tolkien books included in this challenge… not that I didn’t enjoy them, but I wished I’d branched out a little bit, since I was going to read these books during 2025 even without the challenge (thanks to a read-along with my book group). So — goal for 2026: Make a point of reading at least one more book from the 1930s and 1950s!

Of the ten books for this challenge, my favorites were A Damsel in Distress and The Lark, which just goes to show how much I enjoy a good light-hearted romp. Close behind would be The Ivy Tree, Wyrd Sisters, and The Auctioneer.

I did enjoy My Brilliant Career and I’m glad I read it, but it’s not a book that I think I’d ever return to or go out of my way to recommend. I liked Green Rider quite a bit, but don’t feel compelled to continue the series; at least, not any time in the foreseeable future. And I’d say that My Theodosia would be my least favorite of the bunch — problematic in several ways, and just not an enjoyable read.

All in all, I had lots of fun with my 20th Century Decades Challenge. It prompted me to pick up several books that I might not have discovered otherwise, and introduced (or reintroduced) me to authors — Wodehouse, Stewart, Nesbit — whose works I’d like to explore further.

As I wrap up this post, I’m actually starting to reconsider my decision not to repeat this challenge. I wouldn’t want to commit to doing ten decades again right away… but maybe a mini or modified version. Hmmm…. food for thought!

4Feb2026

Getting ready for the next Classics Club Spin (CC Spin #43; winter/spring 2026)

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 8th February 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 29th March, 2026.

We’ll check in on the 29th 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 Sunday 8th February 2026.

We’ll announce a number from 1-20.

Read that book by 29th March.

I’ve become hooked on exploring 20th century fiction, so my list mainly leans in that direction… with one or two others thrown into the mix as well. Where will the spin take me this time? We’ll find out in a few days!