Crossing Over: Rainbow Rowell Edition

This is a feature I started a while ago to recommend adult books based on if you liked a similar YA book. For me the classifications of books by age group is pretty superficial and there is so much crossover. I originally thought I would pick a "Geek Book" and I had a few ideas, then I realized they were both from the same author. So this time instead of picking a specific genre I decided to pick Rainbow Rowell.

Rainbow's second "adult" book, and fourth overall, Landline, came out yesterday and I could essentially just recommend her adult books to you, which are just as wonderful as her more popular YA, but that's too easy. So here are a few recommendations based on Rainbow Rowell's fantastic young adult books!

(can I just point out the creative use of headphones in both cover designs)

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review
Eleanor & Park is a completely wonderful look at first love that will not only make you swoon and laugh out loud, but will leave you sobbing on the floor with the dreaded book hangover. The teen protagonists are complex and likable and the punk rock influences will leave a song in your head while reading. With this book Rainbow Rowell shows how she is a master of the Contemporary genre by effortlessly balancing the lighthearted and heavy moments in life.

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
Amazon - Goodreads
If you liked Landline then definitely check out Juliet, Naked. It is a totally engaging look at romance that will make you laugh out loud and think very critically about love. It may also leave you sobbing on the floor with the dreaded book hangover. The protagonists are realistic and likable and the punk rock influences will leave a song in your head while reading. Nick Hornby absolutely proves he is a master of the Contemporary genre by effortlessly balancing the lighthearted and heavy moments in life.

I may have read Juliet, Naked first but now that I think about it, it could very well be a look at Eleanor & Park in the future (although it's not the future I want for them). Nick Hornby and Rainbow Rowell have similar writing styles and both really know how to craft a Contemporary novel that will leave you thinking about it well after you've finished reading! If you liked Eleanor & Park and their story of love with a punk rock soundtrack check out Juliet, Naked. But be warned it is not a happy love story.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 
Amazon - Goodreads - My Review
Set during her freshman year of college, Fangirl is an exploration of Cath Avery and her inability to adjust to the changes that are before her. She's a little insecure, a lot nerdy, and all kinds of easy to empathize with. Enter Levi, an amazing and swoonworthy romantic lead, there to help Cath through the challenges. The book is full of interesting and complex characters and a great balance to the light and heavy. It's the perfect book for someone "in transition" and it really felt like I was reading a book about me.

College Girl by Patricia Weitz
Amazon - Goodreads
Set during her senior year of college, College Girl is an exploration of Natalie Bloom and her inability to adjust to the changes that are before her. She's a little nerdy, a lot insecure, and all kinds of easy to empathize with. Enter Patrick, her perfect guy, there to help Natalie through the challenges. Again this book will make you question romance and love, probably leaving you sobbing but it does still balance those depressing moments with ones that are lighthearted and funny. This is perfect book for anyone feeling "in transition" and it really felt like I was reading a book about me.

I'm not sure how long ago I read College Girl but I know one thing for sure, this book shook me to my core. I think I read it when I was experiencing my quarter-life crisis and it felt like I was reading a page out of my own diary. Similar to Fangirl it not only felt like it was book for me but a book about me! If you liked reading about Cath's coming of age story and struggle to find herself then check out Natalie's. But be aware this book is definitely aged up and does deal a lot with sex and the consequences of losing your virginity before you're really ready.

Top Ten Tuesday - Bookish Confessions

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So this week's prompt is our top ten "blogging confessions." But what is a blogging confession? Jamie from The Broke and Bookish and The Perpetual Page-Turner fame gave an example of her bookish confessions and it made me want to do a similar post. I realized there are a lot of things about reading or book ownership that I'm pretty embarrassed to tell people. So here's my list, but before I tell you these, you have to promise you won't shun me! Promise? Okay, good!

1.) I write in books!
I know it's a cardinal sin! You ruin the pristine nature of a book by writing it. But it's tradition in my family that when you receive a book as a gift you write a little note in it. It was never that big a deal to me to underline quotes I liked or highlight. Lately I've taken to using a post-it not as a bookmark so I can make notes without marking the book.

2.) I like spoilers!

I get waaaay to anxious sometimes and would rather know what happens so I can focus on how something happens rather than what happens. I have been known to actively seek out spoilers because I need to find out that badly! For more info about this check out my video about why I like spoilers HERE!

3.) I skip ahead and sometimes read the ending of a book first!

This goes with the fact that I like spoilers but sometimes I just can't wait till the end. The first thing I did when I got my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is read the last chapter! I had to know how it ended. Check out my BookTube video for more examples of books I have read ahead.

4.) I prefer watching the movie first.

Rebecca from The Library Canary made me think of this one in her post on the subject. I usually get annoyed with book to movie adaptations because they change too much. If I see the movie first I get less annoyed. Plus they elaborate more in the books so I like watching the moviefirst to get the basic information and then read the book.

5.) I've actually stopped reading a book, watched the movie and then claimed I read the book.

I have been known to go back to the book after watching the movie but sometimes I just think, nope I
m good. I did not enjoy the book version of Jane Eyre but I really wanted to watch the movie, why? Two words... Michael Fassbender! To this day I tell people I read Jane Eyre and hated it!

6.) I'm a terrible library patron.

I have ruined library books and returned then with rips, water damage, and stains. I also always have fines because I return things really late. I once claimed a book was lost because the fine was so high and kept to book. Every time I see that book I think about that episode of Seinfeld.

7.) I eat while reading.

Everyone whines about crumbs in the spine but I've done way worse. I've spilled water, coffee, spaghetti sauce and all kinds if nonsense on my books. I just can't put them down for something so silly as eating! My friend's Mom (a librarian) banned me from borrowing books from her because I've done this too many times.

8.) I HATE dust covers!

I prefer paperbacks because I really dislike dust jackets. I immediately take them off when I read the book and then they get lost, or ripped, or spilled on. I'm not a huge fan of hardcovers but I just wish they were more artistic so we didn't need dust jackets.

9.) I don't treat my books with care!

If this list is any indication I think you've realized that I am usually not careful or gentle with my books.I have stopped carrying physical copies of books around with me because they always end up getting ripped, soaking wet, and with coffee spilled on them.

10.) My favorite place to read is actually my bathtub.

That doesn't sound so bad but I mean fully clothed, no water, just me laying in a dry bathtub with my book for company. It's pretty weird but it's really comfortable and it has the best natural lighting in my apartment!

What about you? Tell me your bookish confessions and I promise I won't judge. Leave me a comment and don't forget to check out my BookTube video where I elaborate on why I like spoilers and give some specific examples! More embarrassing confessions in the video!

ARC Review: The Awakening of Miss Prim

Title: The Awakening of Miss Prim Author: Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera Published: July 8, 2014 by Atria Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:In this #1 international bestseller, a young woman leaves everything behind to work as a librarian in a remote French village, where she finds her outlook on life and love challenged in every way. Prudencia Prim is a young woman of intelligence and achievement, with a deep knowledge of literature and several letters after her name. But when she accepts the post of private librarian in the village of San Ireneo de Arnois, she is unprepared for what she encounters there. Her employer, a book-loving intellectual, is dashing yet contrarian, always ready with a critique of her cherished Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott. The neighbors, too, are capable of charm and eccentricity in equal measure, determined as they are to preserve their singular little community from the modern world outside. Prudencia hoped for friendship in San Ireneo but she didn't suspect that she might find love—nor that the course of her new life would run quite so rocky or would offer challenge and heartache as well as joy, discovery, and fireside debate. Set against a backdrop of steaming cups of tea, freshly baked cakes, and lovely company,is a distinctive and delightfully entertaining tale of literature, philosophy, and the search for happiness.

*** I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinion has not been changed by this fact***

Something about this book made me inexplicably happy, giddy almost. Maybe it was the subtlety of the humor, the relatability of the narrator, or the sardonic treatment of classic romance but it was just delightful.

Or maybe it's because The Awakening of Miss Prim reminded me so much of one of my favorite TV shows of all times, Gilmore Girls. But like Gilmore Girls set in rural France with the part of Rory being played by four precocious siblings and Lorelei not being very likable at first. It has the same kind of essence to the tale. It's the story of a spunky modern woman trying to make it in a idyllic small town full of quirky characters.

This spunky modern woman in question is the titular Miss Prim. And while she is a little uptight at first she quickly becomes extremely likable and relatable. She is a bookish woman who takes a job as a librarian to escape her old job. She always seems to be escaping something. Escaping something and stubbornly fighting something. As if the synopsis and title were not enough of a giveaway, Miss Prim has a great character arc or "awakening" throughout the book and it was fun to be along for the ride. Being an educated woman she has these ideas and thoughts that seem at odds with the people of this small town. For me however they seem so similar to my opinions and I found it easy to empathize with Miss Prim and take her side when she took to arguing about marriage, woman's issues, and literature.

Speaking of literature, this is a book for bookish people. Throughout the novel there are subtle and overt references to classic works of literature such as Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, and Little Woman. All books that I have strong feelings about similar to Miss Prim. The book often takes an interesting and critical stance by criticizing these books and their characters. At times it reads like a parody or critique of these classic romances. Fans of classics will enjoy this book for it's references to their favorite stories and enjoy arguing along with Miss Prim and "the Man in the Wingchair."

But it's not just literature that these two argue about, and it's not just him that she argues with. This book is a lot more philisophical and spiritual than I was initially expecting. Throughout the book the characters and situations address a lot of different aspects of human life and religion and critically analyzes them in a unique and interesting way. At times it reminded me about books that I enjoyed by authors such as Milan Kundera and Paulo Coehlo and I found myself highlighting passages and quotes because I enjoyed them so much.

Another interesting thing about this book that made me inexplicably happy was that I'm not really sure how to classify it's genre. I'm not sure if it's Historical Fiction or Contemporary. The characters, the situations, and this book on the whole seems to defy convention and can't be pigeonholed. It feels like it takes place in another time but it also has modern sensibilities and references. But that's part of it's charm.The Awakening of Miss Prim takes the reader back to a simpler time and allows you to feel the easy-going nature of escape that is so enjoyable in reading literature.

My only problem with this book was the pacing and even at times, the plot development. It seemed a little all over the place. It wasn't exactly a thrilling page-turner or the kid of book you wanted to read in one sitting. Maybe it was that easy-going nature of the book but I wasn't at all sure what it was building to. I had two possible directions as to where the book was heading but things just sort of existed. I didn't feel like there was much of a resolution or even a real climax to the story and the ending felt a little abrupt. And while it was a fun escape, it isn't the kind of book you can loose yourself in, causing you to forget about the world around you.

I give The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera an 8.5 out of 10

On the whole I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun summer read and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Historical Fiction and/or Contemporary. But more than that I would recommend this book to anyone who like books about books and bookish people. It was a great book for my "Geek Books" theme.

Have you read The Awakening of Miss Prim? What were your thoughts? Leave me a comment. If you haven't read Miss Prim what is your favorite book about books? I have a few others that I am considering and I would love suggestions. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Feature and Follow Friday #32

A weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View

How it Works: 

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you visit the blogs of our illustrious hosts and leave your name on the post using using the linky tools, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

This Week's Question: 

What are some of your favorite picture books - either current ones or ones from your childhood.

This Week's Answer: 

This is such a good question! Sad to say I'm not sure I really remember many picture books, that was far to long ago plus I was reading chapter books before it was cool (reading hipster... NBD). But I do remember being completely obsessed with those Little Golden Books. We had a million of them in my house and I used to love reading them. I also really loved Madeline. I remember feeling such a connection to the fearless little redhead living in Paris. I wanted to be her soooo bad! As for current ones there are these amazing picture books that are versions of classics called "BabyLit". I bought my niece the Alice in Wonderland one for Christmas and I plan to buy her so many more, they're so adorable!

How about you? What's your favorite picture book from childhood? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

 And remember this is a blog hop so take a look around and if you like what you see give me a follow and leave me a comment so I can follow back. I am indifferent to the manner in which you follow so pick your poison: GFC, Bloglovin, or Twitter. I also just started a BookTube channel so if you're an old subscriber you can check me out HERE! I've been posting videos every Friday! Thanks for dropping by, Happy FF and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Landline Author: Rainbow Rowell Published: July 8, 2014 by St. Martin's Press Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author of Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell, comes a hilarious, heart-wrenching take on love, marriage, and magic phones. Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply—but that almost seems beside the point now. Maybe that was always beside the point. Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her—Neal is always a little upset with Georgie—but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go without her. When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything. That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts. . . . Is that what she’s supposed to do? Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

*** I received a copy of this book by the publisher at BEA in return for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion in any way***

You guys know I LOVE Rainbow Rowell and her writing style. Two of her books are in my top five of the year and she is absolutely on my auto-buy list. I was so excited to get an ARC of Landline at BEA (especially after the struggle it took me to get it) and experience a more adult Rainbow Rowell. That's exactly what this book was, Rainbow Rowell all grown up.

Now I don't just mean this because the characters are pushing 40, even though they are. What I mean is that unlike most of Rainbow's books that deal with first love and finding love, this is a very different love story. It is a story about staying in love after all these years. It's a story about making love work through the troubles and turmoil that can plague it. One could argue that this is merely a cliched "chick lit" romance that follows all the rules and tropes of those types of stories and you would be right, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The plot is creative and imaginative with the main character of Georgie who's marriage is on the rocks being able to communicate with her estranged husband via a magical phone that allows her to talk to him just before he proposed fifteen years previously. If it sounds crazy, it is, but that's part of it's charm. It's silly and unbelievable but it's also sweet and romantic.

But despite the fact that it's a big of a divergence from her usual thing, this book is classic Rainbow Rowell. What she does so brilliantly as a writer of Contemporary novels is walk the line between the lighthearted moments and the heavy with effortless brilliance. And while Landline wasn't laugh out loud funny like some of her other books, it was silly and absurd enough to break the tension with the difficult moments in the story. The way Rainbow writes just feels so real. She captures the highs and lows of love and life.

What she also does so brilliantly is create characters who are so realistic and relatable. Usually it is so easy for me to put myself in the shoes of her protagonists because I've already walked a mile in their moccasins but with Landline I didn't have much personal experience to pull from. However that didn't prevent me from being able to connect with Georgie and want to see her succeed. The characters have such depth and complexities that you can't help but compare them to yourself, or a friend and family member. Landline was no exception. Every last character was interesting, flawed, complex, and like someone I know personally. Reading a Rainbow Rowell book is like reading about people you know, and who doesn't love that?

The only thing I really missed from this book, that I got in all her other books, was the book hangover and feeling of hopelessness that her books usually leave me with (but who's complaining). I did however realize something after reading this book, none of Rainbow Rowell's books really concludes the story. Sure it has a resolution, but it always leaves you wondering what happens next (this is where I mention that there's an Easter Egg where two previous characters have a cameo). But that non-resolved resolution is another thing that makes her such a brilliant and realistic writer. It's not like all of our problems could be wrapped up with a shiny bow in thirty minutes or less. That's just not life, and Rainbow Rowell writes about real life! Life is messy and open-ended. It leaves you with questions and uncertainty but find memories of a time well-spent. That was Landline in a nutshell.

Yes the plot and ending was a tad predictable but this book is an entertaining and delightful contemporary read perfect for your beach bag. You'll want to read it all in one sitting and find yourself staying up way too late reading it without even realizing that you just devoured it whole.

I give Landline by Rainbow Rowell a 9 out of 10

It is the perfect summer beach read. Fans of Rainbow Rowell will love to grow with her writing. I would absolutely recommend this book especially to fans of Contemporary novels or people who like chick flicks.

Have you read Landline? What were your thoughts? Leave me a comment and let's keep the conversation going. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

June Wrap Up and July TBR

Am I the only person who is shocked that this year is half over? It seems like yesterday the "polar vortex" was freezing my butt off and causing me to slip on the copious amount of ice on the sidewalk when in fact yesterday I was sweating buckets and my skin was hating me because I am very sunburned! WEAR SUNSCREEN! Well now that I got that off my chest, let's talk books!

Read in June

June was a great reading month for me. I read a total of 9 books, including a few ARCs from BEA that don't come out till the fall so look for those reviews closer to their release dates. My theme for the month was retelling and I broke with the theme more times than I usually do but I still ended up reading five different retelling. I also read some phenomenal books and three of them were 10 star reviews, earning their way into my top books of the year list! Here is the list in full.

1.) Hexed by Michelle Krys Rating: 7 out of 10 Full Review

2.) Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige Rating: 9 out of 10 Full Review

3.) Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Full Review

4.) Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo 

Rating: 10 out of 10 Full Review

5.) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum 

Rating: 7 out of 10 Full Review

6.) Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson 

Rating: 10 out of 10 Full Review

7.) The Quck by Lauren Owen 

Rating: 7 out of 10 Full Review

8.) Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth 

Rating: 10 out of 10 Full Review in September

9.) Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Full Review in August

To Read in July

I'm really excited for some of my July books. If you saw my Top Ten Tuesday post a few weeks ago you got a sneak peek at my summer themes. I was originally planning to do this theme in August but when I realized the ARCs that fit this theme were released before the ARCs for the theme I had planned, I decided to flip flop themes and do this one in July. So this month's theme is... GEEK BOOKS!

By this I mean books where the characters are stereotypical nerdy types. I did this theme last November and really loved some of the books that I read and a few books this month are books that I have really been waiting to read for a long time!

eARCs from Publishers via NetGalley

1.) The Awakening of Miss Prim - Add to Goodreads

A woman answers an ad to become the librarian for a wealthy man living in rural France. A book about bookish people with references to classic romance novels!

2.) The Fracking King by James Browning - Add to Goodreads

A book about a boy who is a Scrabble prodigy attending a boarding school that is struggling with the affects of gas drilling and he takes up the cause

3.) The Kiss of Deception - Add to Goodreads

This doesn't fit the theme but I'm really excited to read it and it's released this month. Everyone has amazing things to say about this book!

Physical ARCs from BEA

4.) Landline by Rainbow Rowell - Add to Goodreads

A woman whose marriage is on the rocks finds a way to communicate with her husband just before he proposed and has to decide what to do with this power!

5.) The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman - Add to Goodreads

The final book in a trilogy about a guy who is obsessed with a fictional series about magic and ends up becoming a magician and travelling to the "fictional" land. I sort of consider this a fantasy satire but I love the series and cannot wait to finish it!

Finished Copies - Audiobook, Classic, and Others

6.) Vicious by Victoria Schwab - Add to Goodreads

My audiobook for the month. The story about two friends and scientists who discover the key to supernatural powers and then become anti-heroes. I've wanted to read this book for so long!

7.) Looking for Alaska by John Green - Add to Goodreads

I've wanted to read more John Green for some time now and many of his books seem to fit this theme. After much input from other I have chosen this book.

8.) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - Add to Goodreads

My classic for the month. This has been in my TBR pile for awhile now. I've heard great things about this coming of age story that was recommended to me after I loved The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

9.) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - Add to Goodreads

This book doesn't really fit the theme but I've wanted to read it for awhile and I'm going to hear Elizabeth Wein speak in a few weeks and I figure, I should read the book first!

That's my plan! I may read a few others considering that I have already Landline but I'm not sure which books yet, they will probably be an ARC I got at BEA. What are you reading in July? Leave me a comment with your TBR list. Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts? Let me know. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING

Top Ten Tuesday - Classics

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I love this week's prompt! You guys know I try to read a Classic a month here on the blog and I haven't really enjoyed many of them lately and it's been really fun to remind myself about the Classics I do love! So here in no particular order are my top ten favorite classics (books at least 50 years old).

1.) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

This is one of my all time favorite books. I love everything about the March sisters and their struggle to find love and their place in the world. I did a reread in December and it still holds up and makes me sob like it's the first time. BETH!!!!!!!

2.) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 

You may know that I love a good unreliable narrator. I also love characters who are whiny, jaded, and disillusioned by the world despite their supposed prosperity. Holden Caulfield, I feel your pain. I read this book in high school and them willingly again in college.

3.) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

I'm sure Jane is on many a list today. And while I like Pride and Prejudice, I LOVE Sense and Sensibility. The Dashwood sisters are so easy to relate to and the relationship I have with my sister is just like their relationship in this book. I sometimes find Austen a little wordy but Sense and Sensibilty didn't feel that way for me at all!

4.) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Another one of my favorite books of all time. I just love the tortured love story. Plus you may also know I love characters who are dubious and walk the line between good and evil. This book is full of that! I mean they basically ruin one another's lives in the name of love! WHO DOES THAT! Heathcliff and Cathy, that's who!

5.) The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Yes as in the musical. Seriously though this is a great piece of Gothic literature. A love triangle I can get behind, a heartbreaking ending, and amazingly thrilling writing. It's not only more detailed but quite a bit darker than the musical. If you liked that I definitely recommend the book!

6.) The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

I read this one back in February for anti-love month and despite a slow start it was a fantastic story with morally bankrupt people and a young woman caught in the middle. It seriously ruined me for romance for a very long time and I mean that in a good way!

7.) Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

I read this one just recently and totally loved it! It's a phenomenal mystery and what I refer to as Neo-Gothic literature. It also had fantasticly diabolical characters that are morally dubious and spend a lot of time ruining one another's lives.It was dark and dramatic and I enjoyed so much about it!

8.) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

Another of my absolute favorite books! This book ripped my heart into a million pieces and left me ugly crying on the bus! It's a beautifully written piece of literature about rural America, the Great Depression, and finding connection with your fellow man. I almost cried just writing this explanation!

9.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

I read this book in high school and then twice in college. It's such an amazing book about the excesses of the Roaring Twenties in America and is another one of those tortured love stories. Noticing a trend? It's also a beautifully written book with great symbolism it doesn't overwhelm you with.

10.) The Odyssey by Homer

The Classic of all Classics! This may surprise people because I'm always squawking about how I hate travel monologues and "road trip stories" but I LOVE The Odyssey. I've always had a thing for Greek Mythology since my first interaction with The Odyssey in middle school, it just fascinates me!

Well now that I see them all in one place I notice that I have a pretty serious type of Classic that I usually enjoy. So if you have any dark Gothic novels with a tortured romance where the characters actively try to ruin one another's lives let me know what it is, because I'll probably love it!

What are your favorite Classics? Leave me a comment with your list! Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!