I love taking part in the spins hosted by The Classics Club – this is the eighteenth and although I’ve missed one or two I think I’ve managed to participate in most of them. As I just recently started my second Classics Club list, I have plenty of books to choose from for this spin and I’ll be happy to read any of them.
Here are the rules for Spin #18:
* List any twenty books you have left to read from your Classics Club list.
* Number them from 1 to 20.
* On Wednesday 1st August the Classics Club will announce a number.
* This is the book you need to read by 31st August 2018
And here is my list:
Five 19th century classics
1. Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy
2. The Cloister and the Hearth by Charles Reade
3. The Duke’s Children by Anthony Trollope
4. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
5. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
Five classic historical fiction novels
6. The Fifth Queen by Ford Madox Ford
7. Claudius the God by Robert Graves
8. The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson
9. That Lady by Kate O’Brien
10. The Turquoise by Anya Seton
Five classics in translation
11. La Reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas
12. In a Dark Wood Wandering by Hella S Haasse
13. Germinal by Emile Zola
14. The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov
15. The Black Sheep by Honoré de Balzac
Five 20th century classics
16. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
17. Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym
18. High Rising by Angela Thirkell
19. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
20. Goodbye Mr Chips by James Hilton
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Have you read any of these books? Which numbers do you think I should be hoping for on Wednesday?
She Reads Novels 
I’ve read 4,5,7, 16, and 18. Any of those would be a great choice!
That’s good to know! I would be happy with any of those.
You have great ones here, none that I have read, but some that I have on my wishlist. I hope the spin gets you one you are excited about. Looking forward to the spin result and your forthcoming review. 🙂
Thank you. I hope I will have time to read it by the end of August!
Nice list! I like how you divided it with themes.
I don’t always divide my list by theme, but I thought it would ensure I had a good mixture of books. I’ll be happy to read any of them, I think.
It makes it a little more fun.
I’ve read 7, 16, 18 & 19 and of those I loved The Grapes of Wrath the most, then Claudius the God. Good luck 🙂
I would love to get The Grapes of Wrath as I really enjoyed East of Eden last year.
I’ve just discovered Angela Thirkell myself this year, so I wish you High Rising this spin! Are you planning on reading her in chronological order?
I’m looking forward to trying Angela Thirkell for the first time. If I enjoy High Rising, I will probably continue with the series in chronological order.
I’ve read several from your list — if you’re hoping for a light read, I loved Jane & Prudence and High Rising. From the translations I’ve only read The Earth which is wonderful though the people are all horrible (but Zola writes them so well!). I also enjoyed Nicholas Nickleby.
I haven’t read Two on a Tower but I’m on my third Hardy this year so I’d love to learn more about it. And The Duke’s Children is the only one of the Pallisers I haven’t read yet — I’m in an online Trollope group and they’re re-reading them in order so I’m going to read it with them which won’t be until sometime next year. I’m waiting patiently but really looking forward to it!
I would be happy with any of the books on my list, I think, but one of the lighter reads would be nice so I’m glad you loved Jane and Prudence and High Rising.
I have been working through the Pallisers in order over the last few years, so The Duke’s Children is the only one I have left to read. After that, I’m looking forward to reading some of Trollope’s standalones.
Well, I’ve only read four of your picks and loved them all, so I’ll hope you get one of them – Nicholas Nickleby, The White Guard, The Chrysalids or The Grapes of Wrath (though that last one was more love/hate than simply love…)
I read East of Eden last year and enjoyed it much more than I’d expected to, so I’m hoping for a similar experience with The Grapes of Wrath. I would be very happy to get The White Guard, The Chrysalids or Nicholas Nickleby (although I prefer to read Dickens in the winter than the summer, for some reason).
I hope you get #9, That Lady. I think you’d enjoy it, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. But you can’t go wrong with Trollope, Pym or Thirkell either!
I would love to get That Lady! I think it was your review a few years ago that made me add it to my TBR in the first place.
Awesome list! I think Grapes of Wrath is just mind blowing though by no means an easy read! I am stuck in the middle of Daniel Deronda and not because the book is not great but because there is just not enough time! Only one word for Zola – brilliant! I hope you enjoy the spin!
I haven’t read much by Zola yet, but I’ve enjoyed what I have read and can’t wait to try more of his books! I hope you’re able to finish Daniel Deronda one day. I love George Eliot, but her books do need a lot of time and concentration.
An interesting list! I’ve only read a few off it but would of course recommend the Bulgakov!
I loved the other two books by Bulgakov that I’ve read, so I would be very happy to get The White Guard in the spin!
You have so many great reads on your list. I particularly enjoyed numbers 7, 13 and 16.
I’m glad you enjoyed those three. I would like to get any of them, especially 16!
I always love seeing which books make your classics list. 🙂 And I have to say, I’m rooting for either the Thomas Hardy or the B. Pym. Happy reading!
I love Thomas Hardy, so Two on a Tower would be a great result for me. My feelings about Barbara Pym are more mixed, but I’m looking forward to reading more of her books.
Love how you’ve categorized this list, Helen! I adore Thirkell and really enjoyed Pym’s Jane and Prudence. I think it, or High Rising would make for excellent summer reading. I also want to read more by Anya Seton, Wyndham, and Steinbeck. Hope you enjoy whichever book gets picked!
I’ve never read anything by Angela Thirkell – I would love to get High Rising so I can try one of her books at last!
Hope you’ll enjoy Thirkell’s work as much as I do!
I like how you organised your list. My Theodisia is the only book by Anya Seton that I haven’t read. My favourite Seton book is Katherine. Enjoy your spin book.
Yes, Katherine is my favourite by Anya Seton too. I’ve read about half of her books, I think, and am looking forward to reading the rest.