Owned and Unread Project

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Saturday, August 1, 2020

Classics Spin #24


I only have 21 books left on my second Classics Club list! That made it pretty easy to make my list for the upcoming Classics Spin: to participate, you list 20 books from your Classics Club List, and on August 9, we'll be assigned a random number that will select the book for it. The book is to be read by September 30 -- two whole months! Plenty of time in case it's a big long book. 

All but one are from my own shelves, so there's a good chance I'll knock off another of my owned-and-unread pile (ever growing, sigh). I've put them in order alphabetically by title this time to make things more interesting. 

  1. Beware of Pity by Stephan Zweig
  2. The Bright Side of Life by Emile Zola
  3. The Caravaners by Elizabeth von Arnim
  4. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  5. La Debacle by Emile Zola
  6. A Few Green Leaves by Barbara Pym
  7. Imperial Palace by Arnold Bennett
  8. Invitation to the Waltz by Rosamond Lehmann
  9. Jenny Wren by E. H. Young
  10. The Little Ottleys by Ada Leverson
  11. Mandoa, Mandoa! by Winifred Holtby
  12. My American by Stella Gibbons
  13. Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal
  14. A Pin to See the Peepshow by F. Tennyson Jesse
  15. The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
  16. Ralph the Heir by Anthony Trollope
  17. Roughing It by Mark Twain
  18. Troy Chimneys by Margaret Kennedy
  19. Westwood by Stella Gibbons
  20. The World My Wilderness by Rose Macauley

The only ones I'm dreading are Crime and Punishment (it sounds so dire) and La Debacle (a war novel), I'm really in the mood for lighter reads. Roughing It might also be a bit of a slog. 

I've heard good things about Troy Chimneys and The World My Wilderness, and I've been meaning to read Jenny Wren what seems like forever! And how have I not read A Few Green Leaves by Barbara Pym? She's one of my favorite writers, and it's the only one of her novels I haven't read yet.

Bloggers, are you signing up for the next Classics Club Spin? What do you want to read most from your lists?

UPDATE: The Classics Spin has assigned us #18. So I'll be reading Troy Chimneys by Margaret Kennedy. I'm looking forward to it and who knows, maybe I'll try to read even more from my list in the next two months before I post on my spin pick on September 30. 
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18 comments:

  1. Roof Beam ReaderAugust 2, 2020 at 2:20 AM

    I can't tell you how excited I am to see Noli Me Tangere on your list. Can I selfishly hope the spin falls on that one for you??

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    1. Karen K.August 2, 2020 at 9:01 AM

      Of course! I've been putting it off forever, so I won't mind getting it. I've read very little Asian literature so this would be a good one.

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  2. Janakay @ You Might as Well ReadAugust 2, 2020 at 8:35 AM

    What a very interesting list -- I see lots of unfamiliar novels, as well as others that I've been meaning to read myself, such as Zweig's Beware of Pity. My problem is less reading the novels than in reviewing them -- I'm at least four reviews behind right now! On a more cheerful note, it's nice to find another fan of Barbara Pym. I absolutely love her novels (I always look for the cameo appearances of a character or characters from one of her other novels. It's an addictive game) I've been meaning to explore Zola for ages and to get past Cold Comfort Farm and read a different novel by Stella Gibbons. I can't wait to see what you end up reading!

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    1. Karen K.August 2, 2020 at 9:03 AM

      I do have a lot of more obscure and backlist titles on this CC List. I'm really trying to read mostly books from my own shelves. And I read far more books than I actually review, so you are not alone in that respect.

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  3. Chris WolakAugust 2, 2020 at 1:40 PM

    I haven't heard of most of the books on your list (must investigate!), nor have I read any of them.

    I also have Crime and Punishment on my list. It is #6 for me, so it's not one we'll be reading at the same time, at least not during this spin. There are some looong books on my list as well. I would like to read The Magic Mountain soon, but will (try to) be content with whichever book is the lucky winner.

    Hope you enjoy whichever you end up reading!

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    1. Karen K.August 2, 2020 at 4:32 PM

      The Magic Mountain is definitely going on my next Classics Club list! I've already started a tentative list but of course it could change.

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  4. RuthiellaAugust 2, 2020 at 8:25 PM

    Of your list, I've only read Crime and punishment, which I enjoyed.

    The others all sound intriguing, but I will second Janakay's enthusiasm for Barbara Pym. I have't read A Few Green Leaves yet, but I just finished Jane and Prudence and was reminded of how subtly sharp and humorous Pym is. So I am sure A Few Green Leaves will be a winner.

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    1. Karen K.August 3, 2020 at 6:23 AM

      I want to read all of them and may just tackle the entire list as my reading goal for the rest of the year! I don't think I'd finish the whole list by September 30 but I could make some real progress.

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  5. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzAugust 3, 2020 at 2:02 PM

    I read Zola for the first time earlier this year, and now I want to read much more of him. I hope the spinner falls on one of your Zola titles.

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    1. Karen K.August 3, 2020 at 3:52 PM

      I'm a little intimidated by La Debacle, as it's one of Zola's longest novels, and it's about war (Franco-Prussian, which I know nothing about. And I'm not good at following extended actions scenes like battles). However, it's supposed to be one of his best novels, and I would love to finally cross it off my list! I love Zola and hope you get to read more of his novels!

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  6. reeseAugust 3, 2020 at 4:10 PM

    I really liked Crime and Punishment, but it's not a cheerful read...But I want you to get something else, but I've read almost none of the rest of them and I'd like to see what you thought!

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    1. Karen K.August 5, 2020 at 8:11 AM

      Yes, Crime and Punishment might not be the best read right now. Also I'm currently reading The Eighth Life which is also set in Russia, might need a break from it after more than 900 pages!

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  7. KatrinaAugust 4, 2020 at 6:40 PM

    I also enjoyed Crime and Punishment but I read it decades ago. I liked Roughing It too. I've read about half of the books on your list but I hadn't even heard of the Stella Gibbons book, I'll have to try to track that one down. I'm joining in too.

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    1. Karen K.August 8, 2020 at 12:24 PM

      I think I have four or five by Stella Gibbons unread! And I look forward to seeing what the spin gives you. I love this challenge!

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  8. jessicabookwormAugust 9, 2020 at 2:49 PM

    Karen, I'm afraid I haven't read any of these, so can't recommend what would be good for you to get, but whatever the result, I hope you enjoy it! 😃

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  9. Beth G.August 9, 2020 at 4:12 PM

    I'm in for this Spin, even though I still haven't finished my book from the last one. Funnily enough, Crime and Punishment is one of the few classics I actually was assigned in school, and I remember liking it.

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  10. amanda @ simplerpastimesAugust 11, 2020 at 7:58 PM

    I haven't even heard of your spin title! But it sounds like it's one you're looking forward to - enjoy!

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  11. LorySeptember 5, 2020 at 1:16 PM

    I enjoyed Troy Chimneys. It seemed a bit forbidding until I really got into it, but then I found it quite moving. I hope it goes well for you too!

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