Little Women by Louisa May Alcott:
I first tried reading this when I was 13, but I lost interest sometime after Beth died, so I quit and stuffed my copy away never to be seen again. A little over a month ago, I was browsing around Books and Books and came across a nice looking little copy, the new Puffin Modern Classics edition for kids, and could not resist buying it. At the time I thought, maybe I am ready for a second try. I was. I picked it up as soon as I finished The Host, unwilling to let it become another “someday” book in my ever-growing pile. I could not put it down. I think I was not quite ready for Jo’s older personality when I was a kid (I remember not liking Mr. Bhaer’s moralizing when I was younger and think this may have also contributed to my rejection). I almost quit during the whole Pilgrim’s Progress scheme, but I stopped myself and did not regret my decision.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell:
I had never read Elizabeth Gaskell before, admittedly I had never even heard of her until a certain someone mentioned “Cranford” and piqued my interest in the Gaskell mini-series… erm… series (I know, this is blasphemy for someone who calls herself a lover of Victorian lit). I have to say I was really satisfied with this novel, and started to think of it as a sort of nineteenth-century version of Pride and Prejudice with more class issues and politics. Also, though I tend to have difficulty connecting with male characters, I found myself much more sympathetic towards John Thornton than Margaret Hale.
Stop In the Name of Pants! by Louise Rennison:
After two classics, it was time for something completely different… opposite end of the spectrum different. With its raunchy humor and general silliness, the Georgia Nicolson series continues to make me laugh out loud. May the general horn never grow old…
Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin:
I do not read many biographies, but Jane Austen is one writer that I am truly interested in, not because of any speculation regarding autobiographical elements in her novels, but just because I find her to be an absolutely fascinating woman, despite her so-called quiet life. This biography is haled as one of the best by Austenites, telling the history of Jane, her family, friends, and neighbors, as garnered from the letters, diaries, and journals of those who knew her, and the few documents written by Jane that survived the well-meaning censorship of her sister and niece. Parallels are also drawn between the novels and Austen’s life.
