July 21, 2009

Reading List

The past few years I have developed an appreciation for reading. It has become something that I look forward to sending time doing. To be honest I am typically not a big novel fan, especially new novels. But in late spring I decided that it would be fun to read a few classic novels. So I made a list (which is rather long) and started reading.

Here is a list and my opinion of the novels I have finished:
  1. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens = It was had at first for me to get used to the "Old English" writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the complexity of the characters.
  2. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens = I didn't like this one as well as The Tale of Two Cities. I thought the story was lacking a bit of something (I don't know what though). Although, I am glad that I read it and I don't think it was a waste of me time.
  3. Holes by Louis Sachar = Not a classic. But I read it while in Texas so I added it to the list. And no I have not seen the movie so I do not know how they compare. It was a very easy read and I thought that the moral lessons learned by the characters were great for the age group it was written for to learn.
  4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen = I am about half-way through this book. I have seen the movie (long movie) but I wish that I hadn't. It is spoiling the book for me. I am very imaginative when I read a novel and having seen the movie prior to reading the book is not letting me have that imagination take place. Plus it has ruined the climax and end of the storyline. But I really like the book and I am very glad that I am reading it. Even though the movie has taken some of the run out of reading the novel, it definitely is not taking away from the great story.
Here are the others on my list:
- Great Expectations
- Charlotte's Web
- Gone With the Wind
- Les Miserables
- The Count of Monte Cristo
- The Hobbit
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
- Catch-22
- A Mid-Summer Night's Dream
- The Taming of the Shrew
- The Hunt for Red October
- The Scarlet Letter
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
I have already read these but it was a long time ago and I would like to read them again:
- To Kill A Mockingbird
- 1985
- Of Mice and Men
- Hamlet
- Romeo and Juliet
- Animal Farm

I am also up for any suggestions. So if you have a good novel that you think I might like to read leave me a comment please.

6 comments:

Farmgirl Chaos said...

These are some Christian fiction books.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Great book.
Also anything by Karen Kingsbury. But read these series in this order: Redemption (5 books), First Born (5 books), Sunrise (4 books). And pretty sure they might make you tear up a bit. If the Ames library doesn't have them, I know the Huxley library does. :)
Happy Reading!

Dorothy said...

Here are some of my favorites:

Classic

The Scarlet Letter is my all-time favorite book!
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Little Women by L. M. Alcott

Contemporary

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
These is My Words by Nancy Turner
The Poisonwood Bible by Barara Kingsolver

Non-Fiction

Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Happy Reading

ModFarmhouse said...

Jane Eyre is amazing. A great classic.

A resource to help you find books to read is "Honey for a Woman's Heart" -- a similar resource for kids is "Honey for a Child's Heart."

Happy reading!

Hollie said...

Also to add to Nicole's Christian Fiction suggestions The Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers is also great! Ames library does have the Karen Kingsbury books too, thats where I got them all when I read them. Also Chronicles of Narnia are great reads and when you read them as an adult you catch all the stuff that kids may not. Also The Giver by Lois Lowry is more juvenile fiction much likes Holes but a great read with an interesting message.

Paige at The Minivan Voorsts said...

EAST OF EDEN. hands down my favorite book. written by john steinbeck who wrote of mice and men. it's awesome, no lie.

Connie said...

Some of my favorites:

Connie recommends...
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck (Main character Olan)
Giants in the Earth by Ole Rolvaag (about early pioneer settlers and their struggles)
Black Beauty by Sewell
P.T. Wodehouse books (English author - very humorous if you appreciate English humor)
Eat, Pray, Love
The Secret Live of Bees - I loved this book