It’s time once more for another Classics Club spin. Having abandoned the books chosen in the two previous spins this year, I’m hoping that spin number 38 will mark a turnaround in my luck.

For those unfamiliar with the “spin” the idea is to make a “Spin List” of 20 books from our classics club reading list before this coming Sunday ( 21 July 2024) when a random number will be selected. The challenge will be to read whatever book falls under that number on my Spin List by 22 September 2024.

I’ve made some changes since the last list, in view of my recent reading slump. So I’ve swapped out a lot of the chunky nineteenth century books for more twentieth century titles which I’m thinking could be quicker reads. I may be proved wrong there but only time will tell.

Here’s my new spin list.
  1. Cousin Bette by Honoré De Balzac (1846)
  2. A Study In Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (1886) 
  3. New Grub Street by George Gissing (1891)
  4. Money by Emile Zola (1891)
  5.  What Maisie Knew by Henry James (1897)
  6. Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett (1902)
  7. Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan (1915) 
  8. William — An Englishman by Cecily Hamilton (1919)
  9. Quartet by Jean Rhys (1929)
  10. The Edwardians by Rita Sackville West (1930)
  11.  They Knew Mr Knight by Dorothy Whipple (1934)
  12. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1938)
  13. Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
  14. Fisherman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier (1941)
  15. No Highway by Neville Shute (1948)
  16. Excellent Women by Barbara Pym (1952)
  17. Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata (1952) 
  18.  Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (1954)
  19. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe (1958)
  20. To Sir, With Love – E. R. Braithwaite (1959)

If this list was yours, which titles would you be hoping to see come up in the spin?? I’m hoping I get Jean Rhys, Barbara Pym or Dorothy Whipple.

35 responses to “The Classics Club: Spin#38”

  1. It’s 50 or 60 years since I read 39 Steps. Colonial boys own nonsense as I remember. On the other hand I haven’t read Gissing so that might be interesting

    1. I’m curious whether there is more to 39 Steps than just an adventure. Anyway I didn’t get it – something more challenging is coming my way

      1. I have a copy of Scoop to read, but I’ve also got A Handful of Dust waiting – hmm, what to start with?!

  2. I find I look for thinner books this year. I used to read huge chunky books but have lost interest. No idea why. Will be interested in which one is picked.

    1. I’ve read Grapes of Wrath 3 times. I love it.

      1. My husband raves about it….

    2. I did get a thin one – probably one of the shortest books on my list!

  3. What an interesting list. I’m sure I read Grapes of Wrath in High School, but I only recall little bits of it. Good luck with your spin. My list will be on my blog at 5 minutes to midnight (GMT+2) on my blog tonight!

    1. I will read it one day !!!

  4. I read a lot of these when younger, and they’d probably qualify for a re-read now. The one I’d dodge is Lucky Jim. This boorish misogynist hasn’t aged well!

    1. Oh dear that doesn’t auger well

  5. I think Carol has the right idea!

    1. Hm it’s tempting but then that would be cheating wouldn’t it??

  6. You’ve still got some long books, The Grapes of Wrath for one. I loved it, so that would be a good one to get. Another good one is Excellent Women – I loved that. Du Maurier was a great favourite of mine when I was younger. I tried re-reading Fisherman’s Creek a while ago and was disappointed – obviously my tastes have changed! Good luck and I hope you get one you’ll enjoy and not have to abandon.

    1. I’m hesitant about Fisherman’s Creek. I did enjoy Jamaica Inn but My Cousin Rachel I thought was awful

  7. Great list! I have read only 6, and would be curious about 13, I really enjoy this author.
    13 would be great for me too: https://wordsandpeace.com/2024/07/17/the-classics-club-the-classics-spin-38/

    1. Hope you landed a good one – I’ll hop over to take a look later on

  8. Grapes of Wrath, without a doubt. I’ve read seven of the others, and recommend the Zolas but Grapes of Wrath is the pick of them.

    1. Even better than Zola?? Now that must be a very special book.

  9. Katrina Stephen Avatar
    Katrina Stephen

    I’ve read seven of them. Scoop had lots of laugh out loud moments for me, decades ago. I hope you get that one though as you are in a bit of a reading slump.

    1. My husband recommended Scoop to me – since we both have a background in journalism we thought it would be apt to read Waugh’s take on the profession

  10. I haven’t read a Henry James novel in a while, so What Maisie Knew appeals – and what a tease the title is! I’ve only read the Conan Doyle and the Buchan but wouldn’t feel the need to revisit them now. Anyway, bonne chance!

    1. Bill thought the Buchan was nothing more than a colonial boy’s romp – was that your take on it too??

      1. Hmm, “nothing more than colonial boy’s romp” may be a bit dismissive; see what I thought in my review: https://wp.me/s2oNj1-riddle

        1. Oops, mixed up Buchan and Childers – as you were …

  11. I am one who was not tortured by The Grapes of Wrath in school – I read it voluntarily and loved it. Be ready for tragedy though.

    Love Barbara Pym and Daphne du Maurier. Read all of Sherlock Holmes too at one point, though the novels are not always the best of those.

    Hope this Spin will give you something good!

    1. I’ve heard Grapes of Wrath has a tragic element – it does sound good though.The kind of book you can really get your teeth into

  12. I’ve read seven of them and really recommend Money by Zola. It’s fascinating.
    Among the ones I haven’t read, I have New Grub Street on my 20 Books of Summer pile and I’m looking forward to it.
    I’ve never read Dororthy Whipple, I’d like to try that one.

    1. I’d hoped to get around to Money earlier in the year but it’s yet to happen.

  13. Frenchman’s Creek! To Sir, With Love! Excellent Women!! Lucky Jim! and a Neville Shute [I’m working on reading all of his –I’ve loved every one] Great stuff. But WHY torture yourself with Grapes of Wrath lol….We all had to endure it in high school. If you get it, and can get through it, I will be very interested in your thoughts.

    1. Like so many books that people were made to read in school, “Grapes of Wrath” has divided opinions. I can live with tragedy and misery if its done well which I’m told is the case but as a school pupil I can imagine it might have all seemed far too dreary

      1. Wait till the end of it….. oh my. Then go read Tortialla Curtain by TC Boyle–a modern day version

  14. I’d cheat and read the one you want! 😂

    1. You are such a bad influence!!!!

      1. Blame it on teaching and rigging too many drawings! 😂

We're all friends here. Come and join the conversation

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Trending

Discover more from

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading