Here are the books I picked from my Classic Novels project, almost exclusively from your suggestions (thank you! you are amazing!):
January: Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
February: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
March: The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams
April: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
May: The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
June: The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner
July: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
August: The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
September: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
October: The Collected Stories of Dorothy Parker
November: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
December: Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
The most popular suggestion was Jane Eyre, which I have read. I am not a fan of Mr. Rochester, but I can say that I liked the book. Does that make any sense? Anyhow, you all have good taste, and here are the other books from your suggestions. I’m going to try and read most of them, for real.
Asterisk indicates I already read them, and the plus sign means more than one person recommended the book. I didn’t include authors to read, because most of them were covered in the book suggestions anyhow. And if you like, we should totally, totally do this as a group project. We can discuss it on twitter! I will figure out a time and date soon.
The rest of your suggestions:
Jane Eyre * +
The Handmaid’s Tale* +
The Joy Luck Club * +
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Haroun and the Sea of Stories
She’s Come Undone +
The Kitchen God’s Wife * +
A Map of the World
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant
To Kill a Mockingbird * +
The Time Traveler’s Wife * +
Their Eyes Were Watching God * +
The Poisonwood Bible +
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Swiss Family Robinson
Tom Sawyer *
Huckleberry Finn *
Matilda *
James and the Giant Peach *
Kindred
A Prayer for Owen Meany * +
The Phantom Tollbooth +
The Fault in Our Stars *
Wuthering Heights +
Catcher in the Rye *
Of Mice and Men *
Black Boy * +
Native Son * +
McTeague
East of Eden +
Captain Blood
Sacramouche
The Namesake * +
The Color Purple * +
Pride and Prejudice * +
In Our Time
Little Women * +
The Secret Garden * +
The Bell Jar *
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe *
The Prince and the Pauper *
Where the Red Fern Grows *
Just So Stories
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry * +
Summer
House of Mirth * +
The Blue Castle
Anagrams
Super Sad Super True Love Story
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn +
Life of Pi
Fire by Night
Roots
The Forgotten Garden
Redeeming Love
Outlander *
Wide Sargasso Sea
Love Medicine
Love in the Time of Cholera
Aura
The Westing Game +
Rebecca +
The Moonstone +
The Satanic Verses +
Midnight’s Children
American Gods
And Then There Were None
A Suitable Boy +
Mary Poppins
Finn Family Moomintroll
Every Woman For Herself
Cocaine Blues
Fledgling
Cast in Shadow
Soul Music
The Deed of Paksenarrion
The Warrior’s Apprentice
The Book of Lost Things +
Slaughterhouse Five * +
A Clockwork Orange +
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius +
The Name of the Rose +
Remains of the Day
I Capture the Castle * +
Katherine
Lolita *
Beloved * +
Utopia *
Looking Backwards
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler
Eva Luna +
One Hundred Years of Solitude +
Bless Me Ultima
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings *
Wicked
Maniac Magee +
Phantom Tollbooth +
Moby Dick *
Gone with the Wind
Invisible Man *
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
High Fidelity *
Me Talk Pretty One Day *
Ficciones
Love is a MixTape
A Visit from the Goon Squad *
The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night-Time
Phew! Happy reading!
Ooh, you have a good list there. I wonder if I still have my copy of the Great Gatsby lying around?
Yay you picked mine! And also nooooooo now I’m afraid you’re not going to like it! Ah, the dangers of recommending things. At least it’s not Faulkner.
Yay, you picked mine, too! I’m bookmarking this list to come back to, though, because you got some killer suggestions. I’m definitely in for ChickensClassicBookClub on Twitter. Happy reading!
YOU ARE READING MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF ALL TIME NEXT MONTH!!! THIS IS SO EXCITING I FORGOT TO TURN OFF CAPS LOCK!!!
I totally get what you’re saying about Jane Eyre. I have been reading that book for most of my life, and I have watched I don’t know how many adaptations. I’ve always loved everything about that book and its characters. Then I re-read it about a year ago, and my reaction surprised me.
I can’t stand Mr. Rochester. The most interesting parts of the book are the ones he’s not in, as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve always loved Jane Eyre, but never been overly in love with Mr. Rochester. He’s ok, when he’s not being a total asshat.
It’s Jane that makes me adore that book.
Would love to join you in reading these books this year. Great list!
I read your post on the bus yesterday, and I thought to myself, “This requires deep thoughts and introspection. I’ll draft a list of books when I get home.” And then I forgot about it.
I will have to skip some months, because I’m sorry but only a very large scary man with a gun to the head of a really cute kitten would convince me to willingly read Dickens (except “A Christmas Carol”, I do like that one). But I’m definitely in for a lot of these!
I also just realized that I should’ve added “I Am Charlotte Simmons” to the list. Have you read that one? If you haven’t, and at some point feel like tackling the entire list of suggestions, add that one to it.
Oh! I am definitely reading these with you. Most are on my favorites list. I gasped in happiness that you picked Dorothy Parker. I love her so much.
Ooh, I LOVE this. I just recently decided I need to read the classics myself, so perfect timing! I had even planned on reading The Great Gatsby next! (I started with Wuthering Heights and am currently reading Great Expectations.)
What a long list! I was glad to see I had read at least a few of them! Grammy
I’m in for the first 7 months. At least in terms of reading along at home. I will participate as much as i can in a discussion, but i am going to try to read as many of the 12 as i can. the first book i will have to track down is the kingsolver one.
Whoa, you’ve got some great suggestions! Should keep you busy for a little bit at least
Ooo, good list. It’s literature expert approved. Not that you needed my approval. In fact, being a librarian, you’re probably an expert yourself.
I’m going to shut up now. Happy reading!
I so love the idea of doing it was a group – plus, the Great Gatsby is short, so an easy starting point!
I am so sad I did not get to give you book suggestions! This is a great project, by the way.
(Definitely read Rebecca someday. Also Ishiguro.)
Not knowing what you have already read, I would have recommended: Gatsby, Ragtime, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Rebecca, I Capture the Castle, The Sun Also Rises, Beloved, The Bell Jar, Pale Fire, Appointment in Samarra, On the Road, Under the Net…