It’s time for another Classics Club Spin! If you’re not sure what they are, here’s a reminder:
The rules for Spin #44:
* List any twenty books you have left to read from your Classics Club list.
* Number them from 1 to 20.
* On Sunday 17th May the Classics Club will announce a number.
* This is the book you need to read by 5th July 2026.
And here’s my list:
1. The Rose and the Yew Tree by Mary Westmacott
2. The Duke’s Children by Anthony Trollope
3. The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
4. The War of the Worlds by HG Wells
5. The Women’s War by Alexandre Dumas
6. The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery
7. Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
8. The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
9. The Persian Boy by Mary Renault
10. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
11. Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather
12. Othello by William Shakespeare
13. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
14. My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart
15. Judith by Noel Streatfeild
16. No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym
17. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
18. The Kill by Émile Zola
19. The Moon and Sixpence by W Somerset Maugham
20. The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley
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As I just started a new Classics Club list in January this year, I had plenty of books to choose from for my Spin list. It was tempting to just include shorter books, but as I will still need to read the long ones eventually I’ve put a few of those on the list as well.
Which number do you think I should be hoping for?
She Reads Novels 
That’s a great list and I’d probably be happy with any of them!!
Yes, I really don’t mind which one I get this time!
I’ve got The Moon & Sixpence on my list too. Good luck with the spin.
I’ve still only read The Painted Veil by Maugham, which I loved, so I would really like to get The Moon & Sixpence in the spin!
Yes I’ll move mine to the same number as yours in case there is a chance of a buddy read.
The Go-Between would be a lovely summer spin!
I would be happy to get that one!
I’d be happy with a quite a few of them but if pushed to pick one I’d go for the Willa Cather because it’s years sinxe I read one of hers. I’ve chickened out & excluded long books from list which will be up tomorrow.
It’s been a long time since my last Willa Cather book as well and I still have a lot of them to read, so I would be happy to get that one.
Here’s hoping you get #6 or #16. TGOW is too depressing.
I loved East of Eden so I do want to read TGOW, but I’m sure #6 and #16 will be a lot more fun!
East of Eden gave me real world nightnamres–Cathy! T.C. Boyle’s Tortilla Curtain, now about 30 years old is sort of TGOW but with undocumented immigrants.
Oh, that’s right! You started a new list. What fun!
I’ve only read three books from the new list so far, so had a lot to choose from!
Nice!
Shadows on the Rock is one of my favorite Cathers!
I’m pleased to hear that! I’ve only read three of her books so I’m looking forward to reading more.
Oh, I was going to go for Brighton Rock till I got to the end of your list – The Go-Between! I do hope you get that one – one of my all-time favourites and I think you’ll love it too! Good luck!
I don’t know much about The Go-Between so that’s good to know! I would be happy with Brighton Rock as well, though.
None of my list overlaps with yours, but I do have an Emile Zola on mine so I have put that at #18 so if it comes up we can buddy author read! Best of luck!
Thanks! Yes, it would be interesting to compare thoughts on our two Zola books.
I don’t remember much about it, since I read it in the 70s, but I believe I loved Dandelion Wine! Good luck.
I would love to get Dandelion Wine as I enjoyed the only other Ray Bradbury book I’ve read, Something Wicked This Way Comes.
I haven’t heard of a lot of these, but am interested in the Montgomery title — I’ve only read a few of her Anne books!
I’ve only read a few of the Anne books as well, so I really want to read more by Montgomery!
Good luck with the spin, Helen! I would be hoping for Dandelion Wine, as I think that’s probably my favourite Bradbury book I have read. 🤞😊
I’ve only read Something Wicked This Way Comes, which I enjoyed, but I’m looking forward to reading more of Bradbury’s books. It’s good to know that Dandelion Wine is your favourite!
I hope you either get 13 or 14. I love Ray Bradbury AND Mary Stewart.
I would be happy with either of those. Mary Stewart is one of my favourite authors.
Oh I should definitely add some Pym’s to my next CC list, don’t know why I didn’t think of that myself!
I’ve only read a few Pym’s but enjoyed them all. I may find myself wishing I’d put more than one on my CC list!
Ooh, thanks for the reminder about the Bradbury on your list, I’d forgotten I’d hoped to move it higher on my notional TBR wishlist! Otherwise I’ve only read three of those on your list, and the Sutcliffe was half a century ago!
I’m looking forward to the Bradbury as I’ve so far only read Something Wicked This Way Comes, which I enjoyed!
#s 6, 13, and 19 are ones I really enjoyed, so I’m hoping for one of those for you. Though all the books on your list sound good. 😀
I would be happy with any of them really, but I’m pleased to hear you enjoyed those three!
You’ve got loads of lovely books on this list but I hope you get The Go-Between!
I would love to get The Go-Between but if it doesn’t come up I’ll try to read it soon anyway.
I need to add a lot of the titles from your list to my longlist of books I want to read before I die. Rosemary Sutcliff is an author I just discovered a few years ago—I wonder why she is not found often here in the US.
I suppose Rosemary Sutcliff’s style of historical fiction is probably considered old fashioned now, but I really enjoy her books. I would love to get The Lantern Bearers in the spin.
I loved the three books of hers that I read—-Warrior Scarlet, Knight’s Fee, and Eagle of the Ninth.