Classics Club Spin #44

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It’s time for another Classics Club “spin!”

Here’s how the Spin works:

  • 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 enjoy these Classics Club spins, although I haven’t always finished my chosen book. However, since it’s supposed to be a fun, stressless event, I just read for the enjoyment of it, and like having the book chosen for me at random.

Here are the twenty choices from my Classics Club List (round 3):

  1. Agee, James:  A Death in the Family
  2. Babbitt, Natalie:  The Moon Over High Street
  3. Beston, Henry:  The Northern Farm: A Glorious Year on a Small Maine Farm
  4. Buck, Pearl S.:  Sons
  5. Camus, Albert:  The Stranger
  6. Chagall, Marc:  My Life
  7. de Beauvoir, Simone:  Inseparable
  8. Doig, Ivan:  The Whistling Season

  9. Kuroyanagi, Tetsuko:  Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window

  10. Lindbergh, Anne Morrow:  North to the Orient
  11. Malraux, Andre:  Man’s Fate
  12. Mansfield, Katherine:  New Zealand Stories
  13. Morrison, Toni:  Home
  14. Narayan, R.K.:  Malgudi Days
  15. O’Nan, Stewart:  Emily, Alone
  16. Proust, Marcel:  Days of Reading
  17. Miss Read:  Thrush Green
  18. Soseki, Natsume:  Botchan
  19. von Arnim, Elizabeth:  The Caravaners
  20. Wiesel, Elie:  Night

Happy reading to all those participating in this 44th Classics Club Spin!

Mom and me…

A Statement of Being

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Saturday morning thoughts…  How a bookshelf is a statement of being.

Seven years ago, Byron and I turned our third bedroom into a study. We each set up a new desk, and I, of course, needed a new bookcase.  After assembling it myself, I asked Byron if he wanted to share the shelves, but he said he’d like just the top shelf.  This is a photo of what he did with it. It is now sacred space to me, something that makes me smile every time I go in the room. It’s like a piece of art, as well as his sweet statement of being.

On the shelf, he put five of his long-treasured books, including two different copies of Shakespeare’s Hamlet; a book that shows his love of architecture; and two little Japanese maneki-neko dolls that he bought himself after his two carpal tunnel surgeries and had to keep each hand raised above his heart as much as possible. They also celebrated his half-Japanese heritage, so there was that, as well as the good luck they symbolized.

The rest of that bookcase is not a work of art. One shelf houses my Shakespeare books, another my knitting books collection. The other two shelves are just a usual jumble of books, no organization to them, just housed there…but I know which books are there and can find them when I need them.  I guess that’s my own statement of being for now…collections and jumbles.

The room is no longer used as my study, although the desk and bookcase are still set up the same way. It has become our small guest room for when our grandson visits. He sets up his computer system on the desk, and checks out some of the books on the shelves. But his grandpa’s special shelf remains exactly as he left it, and that is both sweet and bittersweet for all of us.

 

Two Science Fiction Classics

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I recently read two science fiction classics from my list of 50 books to read in 5 years, round 2,  with The Classics Club. The first one was The Hopkins Manuscript, by R.C. Sherriff. The second one was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne. I enjoyed both of them!

Illustration from the Persephone Books version…

The Hopkins Manuscript was published in 1939, and was a fascinating read. The main character is Edgar Hopkins, a retired teacher with an interest in science, and a member of the British Lunar Society. He is called to London by the Society, where they were told in the strictest confidence that the moon had fallen out of its orbit and was now on a collision course with Earth, impact expected in seven months. The government decided to keep this information secret for as long as possible to avoid widespread panic, and the local members of the Lunar Society were tasked with preparing their communities for this coming catastrophe.

The story is very detailed about the kinds of preparations they tried to make. If the moon hit Earth directly, there was no chance of survival, but if it was a glancing blow, they had to prepare to survive the cataclysm. I thought the story was a brilliant exploration of human nature, and a fascinating look at what it would be like to face and possibly survive such an event. I really enjoyed this book!

The second science fiction classic, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, was a lot of fun, although it bogged down in spots. It was first published in serial form between 1869 – 1870, and then in book form in 1870.  It was clear to me that Jules Verne loved science and loved teaching his readers about it all. It felt like a complete education in oceanography, marine biology, geography, and all that went into creating this underwater adventure that took place in the oceans and seas around the world. And the amazing technological wonder of the submarine, Nautilus, the adventure and mystery, and the anti-social Captain Nemo, kept the story moving. I enjoyed it, but probably won’t ever reread it.

My Monday

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Painting by Lori Lebel…

Fixed my morning cuppa and read one chapter in my current “ Chapter-a-Day” book, The Color of Water, by James McBride.

Listened to The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien, while fixing my breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen. I am loving listening to Andy Serkis narrate the Trilogy!

Watered my houseplants.

Practiced my Spanish on Duolingo for about 30 minutes.

I had my online appointment with my grief counselor. She’s wonderful! We talk about Life, and loss, and happy things as well as things I’m struggling with, and books. Perspective! Support! Always new ideas to try!

Today’s lunch was a bowl of two hard boiled eggs, kimchi, and smashed avocado.

Returned books to the library, then went for a short walk on campus. I love living in a college town!

Settled in for a good reading session mid-afternoon. My friend, Marlo, sent me an e-book, Jim the Boy, by Tony Earley, and I’m enjoying it. She and I will discuss it on our next Zoom call.

Dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes when my son got home from work.

Watched one episode of my current K-drama, “Phantom Lawyer.”

Climbed in bed and read more of Jim the Boy.

A nice day!

*This post was inspired by my blogging friend, Susan, at Pages Turned.

A Bookshop Visit

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Chapters Books and Coffee, Newberg, Oregon

Yesterday was a perfect day for wandering, with no rain and beautiful Spring scenery! A great day for visiting a new-to-me bookshop in Newberg, Oregon. I’m always happy to find independent bookstores to visit, and I’ve been curious about this one for quite awhile. The 30-minute drive there from my house was just lovely, and I enjoyed becoming familiar with Chapters Books and Coffee. It turned out to be more of a coffee shop with a nice, though small, selection of books, but it had a great friendly ambience, good coffee, and good books. I will happily make that trek again and spend more time there.

Chapters Books and Coffee…

Crossing to Safety

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Anything written by Wallace Stegner is an incredible reading experience. I loved reading his novel, The Spectator Bird (click here to read my thoughts on it), and I have just finished reading Crossing to Safety. My friend, Marlo, and I read it “together,” one chapter a day, and I’m glad we chose to share this book and read it that way because there was so much to absorb and process in each chapter. That’s the thing about Stegner, it’s not just a story, although the story is powerful, but it is also a profound exploration of Life. The pages are packed with wisdom, humor, and teaching/learning. He was, after all, a teacher as well as an explorer of the human condition.

Crossing to Safety is a story of friendship and growth, the story of friendship between two couples who met during the Great Depression and became lifelong friends.

From the publisher:

Tracing the lives, loves, and aspirations of two couples who move between Vermont and Wisconsin, it is a work of quiet majesty, deep compassion, and powerful insight into the alchemy of friendship and marriage.

The two couples all met on a university campus, the husbands both young professors just starting their careers, both multitalented as teachers and writers. Their wives were also bright and talented, and both were devoted to their husband’s careers. Their personalities were all different, as were their marriages, but they supported each other as life began to hit them with all its challenges. Their friendship was forged by the happiness and hope of youth and the tragedies of time. Their friendship at times was difficult but at other times literally life saving.

Stegner’s characters were of the “Greatest Generation,” and he described the landscape of their lives so clearly he transported me back in time. I recognized my parents and the pace and focus of their lives. It brought back so many memories and I connected with this story on so many different levels! My father was a college professor and I grew up witnessing many of the same dynamics as described in this story — the world of academia, the collegial friendships, the children of the families all hanging out together while our parents were deep in discussions and trying to make sense of the world. It was easy for me to picture the struggles, the pressures of the academic world, the frustrations and competitive atmosphere, and the depth and importance of those friendships.

This book was Wallace Stegner’s last published work. From my perspective, he put the wisdom of his lifetime as a scholar, teacher, writer, husband and father into this book. It is full of profound and poignant insights as revealed through each character and the growth of love and friendship over time.

Wallace Stegner’s typewriter…

 

The Classics Club, Round 3

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I first joined The Classics Club in March of 2017 and signed up to read 50 books in 5 years. I finished those first fifty books and it turned out to be a really enjoyable reading experience for me. I do love reading the classics, so I immediately started a second round of reading 50 books in the next 5 years! I have just finished reading those 50 books, and I’m now ready to start my third list of 50 classics!

One disclaimer… As you can see from looking at the list of my second round of classics, I did not review all that I read on the list. After my husband’s death in 2022, I found it difficult to read, my blogging became very inconsistent, and I simply couldn’t focus to write reviews of the books I was able to read. My reading focus has returned, but I can’t promise to write a review of every book I read now. Life has changed for me, so I am giving myself permission to simply continue participating in The Classics Club and reading another 50 classics in 5 years, and writing as many reviews of those books as I can.

As with my first two lists, my reading will be a mix of novels, novellas, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry — a combination of adult and children’s literature. This time I’ve decided to create a pool of classics I’m interested in reading, add to it often as I run into other books I’d like to read, and choose my 50 from that changing pool of books. I will keep a running list of the books I read along this journey, so please check back here to see my progress. My new time goal for completing this third round of reading 50 books in 5 years is March 30, 2031!  Once again, that sounds so far away, but I know that five years goes by in a flash, and what pleasurable reading years they will be!

The Classics Club List #3

GOAL DATE:  March 30, 2026 – March 30, 2031
Progress = 00/50

Red = Link to my review
Blue = Read but not reviewed yet

GOAL DATE:  March 30, 2026 – March 30, 2031

Classics Completed:

  1. Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner
  2. The Road From Coorain, by Jill Ker Conway
  3. The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey
  4. .
  5. …

 

MY POOL OF CLASSICS I’M INTERESTED IN READING:

  • Agee, James:  A Death in the Family
  • Allende, Isabel:  The House of the Spirits
  • Arkell, Reginald:  Old Herbaceous
  • Austin, Mary Hunter:  The Land of Little Rain
  • Babbitt, Natalie:  The Moon Over High Street
  • Baldwin, James:  The Fire Next Time
  • Berry, Wendell:  Hannah Coulter
  • Beston, Henry:  The Northern Farm: A Glorious Year on a Small Maine Farm
  • Blythe, Ronald:  In the Artist’s Garden
  • Buck, Pearl S.:  Sons
  • Camus, Albert:  The Stranger
  • Chagall, Marc:  My Life
  • Choi, Sook Nyul:  Year of Impossible Goodbyes
  • Chute, Marchette:  An Introduction to Shakespeare
  • Conrad, Joseph:  The Secret Agent
  • Conway, Jill Ker:  The Road from Coorain
  • de Beauvoir, Simone:  Inseparable
  • Dostoyevsky, Fyodor:  The Idiot
  • Eliot, George:  Daniel Deronda
  • Emecheta, Buhi:  The Joys of Motherhood
  • Gogol, Nicolai:  Dead Souls
  • Goldman, William:  The Princess Bride
  • Gunther, John:  Death Be Not Proud
  • Hesse, Hermann:  Siddhartha
  • Hinton, S.E.:  The Outsiders
  • Irving, Washington:  Tales of the Alhambra
  • Knowles, John:  A Separate Peace
  • Kuroyanagi, Tetsuko:  Totto-Chan, The Little Girl at the Window
  • Lee, Laurie:  As I Walked Out One Morning
  • Lindbergh, Anne Morrow:  North to the Orient
  • Malraux, Andre:  Man’s Fate
  • Mansfield, Katherine:  New Zealand Stories
  • Márquez, Gabriel García:  Chronicle of a Death Foretold
  • Miller, Arthur:  Death of a Salesman
  • Momaday, N. Scott:  House Made of Dawn
  • Morrison, Toni:  Home
  • Narayan, R.K.:  Malgudi Days
  • O’Nan, Stewart:  Emily, Alone
  • Okakura, Kazuko:  The Book of Tea
  • Pilcher, Rosamunde:  A Place Like Home
  • Potter, Beatrix:  The Fairy Caravan
  • Proust, Marcel:  Days of Reading
  • Proust, Marcel:  Remembrance of Things Past
  • Miss Read:  Thrush Green
  • Rushdie, Salman:  The Enchantress of Florence
  • Shakespeare, William:  Hamlet
  • Sharma, Bulbul:  The Ramayana
  • Shute, Nevil:  On the Beach
  • Soseki, Natsume:  Botchan
  • Soseki, Natsume:  Kokoro
  • Stegner, Wallace:  Crossing to Safety
  • Steinbeck, John:  Cannery Row
  • Steinbeck, John:  East of Eden
  • Tanizaki, Jun’ichirō:  The Makioka Sisters
  • Tey, Josephine:  The Daughter of Time
  • Tokarczuk, Olga:  Flights
  • Tolstoy, Leo:  Anna Karenina
  • Tzu, Lao:  Tao Te Ching
  • von Arnim, Elizabeth:  The Caravaners
  • Wiesel, Elie:  Night
  • Woolf, Virginia:  A Room of One’s Own

Porchreader…

Miss Happiness and Miss Flower

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Miss Happiness and Miss Flower, by Rumer Godden, was such a sweet book to complete my 50 books in 5 years challenge with The Classics Club! I am going to list Rumer Godden as one of my favorite authors now because I’ve really enjoyed each book I’ve read by her so far, both her books for children and for adults. Thank goodness there are a lot more to read!

This story warmed my heart. A young girl who has been living in India is sent to England to live with her aunt and uncle and cousins. She is very shy and very homesick, and just doesn’t fit in anywhere. But a great aunt living in the United States sends her a package with two Japanese dolls, Miss Happiness and Miss Flower. The dolls, too, are very homesick, and Nona senses this and decides to make a home for them. She first goes to the local bookshop to find out about Japanese houses. The bookstore owner is a grumpy old man who is immediately charmed by Nona’s  joy of reading and her intense desire to learn. So he provides the books she wants to read about Japanese culture. To build the dollhouse, she enlists the aid of her cousin, Tom, who loves woodworking. And as she begins to gather materials to make all the furniture and clothing, and even a garden, her enthusiasm is contagious and brings help from lots of different people. The project brings together school friends and parents and community members. The only problem is that her cousin Belinda feels left out and jealous…

I would have loved this book as a child! It is very respectful in how it presents cultural differences, and very respectful to the reader in providing a lot of extra information and explanations about Japanese culture.

Death

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The Dance of Death, from the film, The Seventh Seal, by Ingmar Bergman…

Now that’s a post title that certainly grabs attention, but it’s a subject I would like to talk about and share with you. It is something I think of daily, for so many reasons: my own aging, personal losses of loved ones and friends, the state of the country and the world. But I am not a morbid person, and I find that my particular awareness of the presence of death gives me a deep and reverent appreciation for LIFE. But even though, that’s not something we talk about every day in our culture… but we do read about it often!

A quick look at my bookshelves and my reading lists reveal an inordinate number of books that have Death in the title. Death is the subject of so many of our greatest classics, because what gives us a deeper look into LIFE than ruminating about Death?

So I find myself reading more deliberately about death these days, not shying from the subject. This morning I finished reading Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Iliych, and earlier this week I finished Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop. Two very different stories about death written by great authors, both stories were very moving. Willa Cather’s beautifully written story about the life and death of a French Catholic priest relocated to New Mexico, was gorgeously described. Leo Tolstoy’s step by step account of the decline and death of this man was harder for me to read because I couldn’t find much to respect in the man’s life or in the way he faced death. It was so different from my own experiences with the decline and death of loved ones close to me.

When I read Simone de Beauvoir’s A Very Easy Death, (about the death of her mother) six months before my own mother died in 2018, I was deeply moved by the intimate honesty of it, and it helped me to deal with my own loss later that year.

Other titles that I find on my bookshelves are Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller; Death Be Not Proud, by John Gunther;  A Death in the Family, by James Agee,  Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, by Jose Saramago; Dead Souls, by Nicolai Gogol; and Chronicle of a Death Foretold, by Gabriel García Márquez. Some of these titles have been on the shelf for a long long time. But I seem to be slowly getting to all of them!