Reminscing about Books #2

When I started blogging, I had a few classics under my belt (Jane Eyre, Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, and Persuasion), but I had a long way to go before considering myself "well-read." As I look back at my "Reading Year in Review" posts, it is fun to see the classics that I read for the first time during each year. I also enjoy recalling when I was introduced to new-to-me authors (many who were recommended by readers of the blog).

Here is the list of classics I discovered in 2008. I still love all of them.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (reviewed here)

Middlemarch by George Eliot (reviewed here) 

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell (reviewed here) 

Hard Times by Charles Dickens (reviewed here)

China Court by Rumer Godden is not technically a classic because it was written in 1961, but I am happy to have discovered this author through another blogging friend. (reviewed here)

What were some of the first classics you tackled? 

Blessings,

Reminiscing about Books #1

(Charlotte Brontë)

It's hard to believe that my first book blog post was on December 31, 2007 when I shared about my favorites of the year. Librivox was fairly new back then. That was also the year I discovered one of my favorite books of all time, The Giver by Lois Lowry. (But I didn't actually review it till I re-read it 6 years later.) I also read Jane Eyre for the umpteenth time!

I started blogging because my sister-in-law encouraged me to "help people who were scared of the classics to know where to start." It has been wonderful over the years to hear from other book lovers. Considering that most of the books I review are by dead authors, it was thrilling to hear from author Tim Townsend when I reviewed his book Mission at Nuremberg. Twice I've had the grandchildren of an author reach out and thank me for reviewing their grandparents' books. I've even had people ask for recommendations in various genres. I didn't know what to expect when I started, but it has been a rich experience for me in every way. I read more deeply in order to write thorough reviews. And I've "met" a lot of wonderful people who have encouraged me on my literary journey. 

Blessings,