Today, I'm excited to be able to participate in the Classic Reads Blog Hop. I really have a love/ hate relationship with classics. I really, really want to read them but I'm afraid of a couple things:
- I'm not going to like them (can you hate a classic book).
- I'm not going to understand it (some of the older classics are difficult to read).
- I'm going to be totally intimidated and won't be able to finish the book (How terrible would that be for a bookworm not to finish a classic???)
Here's a little bit about the sponsors and their latest books (I'll be reviewing Second Chance Grill right here on A Bookish Affair next week and I reviewed In Leah's Wake last year):
Mark of the Loon - Molly Greene
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Mark-of-
Synopsis: What happens when a workaholic serial remodeler falls in love with an old stone cottage built by an ornithologist and his eccentric Irish wife? If you’re Madison Boone, you kick your budding romance with handsome Psych Professor Coleman Welles to the curb and lose yourself in a new project.
Madison renovates distressed homes in addition to her busy real estate sales career. When she hears about a quaint house on a private tract of land overlooking Lake Sonoma, she climbs in the window for a private tour and falls in love with the place. Good fortune enables her to purchase the Blackburne’s property, but far more than a new home and lush gardens await discovery during this renovation.
As Madison works on the remodel, she’s drawn into an old love story with dangerous consequences. She unearths buried secrets and discovers herself in the process. Good thing she has three wise, hilarious friends to advise her along the way! Mark of the Loon is the skillful combination of history, mystery, and romance in a novel that explores deep friendship, choices, and how individuals cope with loss.
In Leah's Wake - Terri Giuliano Long
Link: http://www.amazon.com/In-
Synopsis: A Story of Love, Loss, Connection, and Grace
At the heart of the seemingly perfect Tyler family
stands sixteen-year-old Leah. Her proud parents are happily married,
successful professionals. Her adoring younger sister is wise and
responsible beyond her years. And Leah herself is a talented athlete
with a bright collegiate future. But living out her father’s lost
dreams, and living up to her sister’s worshipful expectations, is no
easy task for a teenager. And when temptation enters her life in the
form of drugs, desire, and a dangerously exciting boy, Leah’s world
turns on a dime from idyllic to chaotic to nearly tragic.
As Leah’s conflicted emotions take their toll on those she loves—turning them against each other and pushing them to destructive extremes—In Leah’s Wake powerfully explores one of fiction’s most enduring themes: the struggle of teenagers coming of age, and coming to terms with the overwhelming feelings that rule them and the demanding world that challenges them. Terri Giuliano Long’s skillfully styled and insightfully informed debut novel captures the intensely personal tragedies, victories, and revelations each new generation faces during those tumultuous transitional years.
Recipient of multiple awards and honors, In Leah’s Wake is a compelling and satisfying reading experience with important truths to share—by a new author with the voice of a natural storyteller and an unfailingly keen understanding of the human condition…at every age.
Second Chance Grill - Christine Nolfi
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Second-
Synopsis: Dr. Mary Chance needs a sabbatical from medicine to grieve the loss of her closest friend. But when she inherits a struggling restaurant in Liberty, Ohio she isn’t prepared for Blossom Perini. Mary can’t resist falling for the precocious preteen—or the girl’s father. The bond they forge will transform all their lives and set in motion an outpouring of love that spreads across America.
Welcome back to Liberty, where the women surrounding the town’s only restaurant are as charming as they are eccentric.
Second Chance Grill is the prequel to Treasure Me, 2012 Next Generation Indie Awards Finalist, which The Midwest Book Review calls “A riveting read for those who enjoy adventure fiction, highly recommended.”
Broken Pieces - Rachel Thompson
Link: http://www.amazon.com/
As Leah’s conflicted emotions take their toll on those she loves—turning them against each other and pushing them to destructive extremes—In Leah’s Wake powerfully explores one of fiction’s most enduring themes: the struggle of teenagers coming of age, and coming to terms with the overwhelming feelings that rule them and the demanding world that challenges them. Terri Giuliano Long’s skillfully styled and insightfully informed debut novel captures the intensely personal tragedies, victories, and revelations each new generation faces during those tumultuous transitional years.
Recipient of multiple awards and honors, In Leah’s Wake is a compelling and satisfying reading experience with important truths to share—by a new author with the voice of a natural storyteller and an unfailingly keen understanding of the human condition…at every age.
Second Chance Grill - Christine Nolfi
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Second-
Synopsis: Dr. Mary Chance needs a sabbatical from medicine to grieve the loss of her closest friend. But when she inherits a struggling restaurant in Liberty, Ohio she isn’t prepared for Blossom Perini. Mary can’t resist falling for the precocious preteen—or the girl’s father. The bond they forge will transform all their lives and set in motion an outpouring of love that spreads across America.
Welcome back to Liberty, where the women surrounding the town’s only restaurant are as charming as they are eccentric.
Second Chance Grill is the prequel to Treasure Me, 2012 Next Generation Indie Awards Finalist, which The Midwest Book Review calls “A riveting read for those who enjoy adventure fiction, highly recommended.”
Broken Pieces - Rachel Thompson
Link: http://www.amazon.com/
Synopsis: Welcome
to bestselling author Rachel Thompson's newest work! Vastly different
in tone from her previous essay collections A Walk In The Snark and The
Mancode: Exposed, BROKEN PIECES is a collection of pieces inspired by
life: love, loss, abuse, trust, grief, and ultimately, love again.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the Rest of the Hop:
To be honest, I've never understood why people get intimidated by classics - apart from the "not getting it" and thinking that makes them stupid. I have "gotten" a lot of classics, but still thought they were terrible. The last one was a re-read of Jane Eyre, which I think is pure twaddle, but other people love it.
ReplyDeleteI say just dive in, and if you don't like it after a few pages (1800 - early 1900 novels can be hard to read due to the old-timey English) then try another one. There are so many modern classics from the past 50 years that you can start with if you think going back too far in time is too daunting.
I'm going to give it the old college try this year. I think it's a good way for me to branch out a little bit!
Deletedon't let them scare you - it is school I think that kills the urge to read great stories - they set up the guilt if you dont like/dont get them - they were never meant to be text books - they are just good stories and like all books, some you will like some you wont. I like Jane Eyre for instance and positivly loath Wuthering Heights - like some Dickens hate others - modern classics the same - go for it girl, they won't bite:)
ReplyDeleteThere are some classic reading challenges out there:)
That is a really good point about school! I definitely think there's something about over-dissecting a book that has a tendency to turn one off from really enjoying the book!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
I chose a book I read as a young teenager, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I never forgot the story and I don't think it was hard to read, but I know what you're talking about. I have no desire to read Moby Dick for instance. We aren't going to love the same things, but we should try all things because you never know. Good honest post. I'm following you. Java With Jambor
ReplyDeleteOh, I loved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn! Now that is a great classic!
DeleteThanks for a great post, Meg.
ReplyDeleteI've found some of the classics quite intimidating but they're definitely worth trying. You do find some wonderful books. I think there is pressure with any book that is regarded as a classic or a masterpiece. I like to read the so-called 'great' novels to see what the fuss is about and though I enjoy many there are some I don't like. The same will be true for you with the classics. Some you will undoubtedly love, others won't be as appealing.
Slowly but surely, I'm starting to open myself up a little bit more to reading classics. I know that there are some really wonderful ones out there!
DeleteThe thing about anything intimidating, including literature, is the more familiar with it, the less off-putting it will become. So dive in!
ReplyDeleteThat's definitely good advice! I really just need to get over it and try reading a few more classics!
DeleteI certainly think it is possible to hate a book that others have deemed a classic. I didn't care for Moby Dick, yet books I love have been equally disliked by others. It is definitely a very individual preference. Thank you so much for taking part in the hop, Meg, and for your great post!
ReplyDeleteMy best,
Terri
Deep down inside, I know the chances of me not liking a couple of the classics are great but in a way, I sort of feel bad for not liking them. I suppose there is a difference between appreciating a book and liking a book and that is something that I am hoping to become more comfortable with in the future.
DeleteMeg - if you decide you don't like a story that's okay even if it is dubbed a classic. Reading should always be a pleasure and a journey. So when you pick up a book, and you like the story, then it is a classic for you. No book should be intimidating, but joy instead. Happy new year.
ReplyDeleteI like your thinking about liking a story and it becoming a classic for yourself. Those are the books that really stick with you! Those are the ones that you want to put in everyone's hands! You probably aren't going to spend a lot of time talking about or recommending a book you didn't care for regardless of whether or not its a classic.
DeleteI'm not keen on many books that are commonly labelled as 'classic', and I've come to the conclusion that that's OK. If it's not your thing it's not your thing, and therefore it's not a classic for you. Make your own classics for yourself.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of making your own classics! I truly believe that we should read what we enjoy and I've gotten better about putting down books if they aren't engaging me but with classics, I still have that itch to keep reading to see what the fuss is about and sometimes that fuss is totally unwarranted!
Delete