I have been checking out my big old pile of reads for the event, and settled on finishing Nicholas Nickleby by Dickens (I started it in February, but set it aside), as well as The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell. I thought they would make a good jumping off point!
The first giveaway for the event is for another of Gaskell's works. I am a huge fan of Gaskell and have been slowly reading her complete works over the last couple of years. Today's title is one of my favorites by her and one that I hope I get to during this event.
From Goodreads.com...
Up for grabs is a brand new Penguin edition of North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. To enter, please read and follow the rules and instructions below:
- This first giveaway will be open to any residents of the U.S. or Canada (my international participants, I have special giveaways planned for you later on in the event!).
- You MUST be a participant of A Victorian Celebration to enter.
- You MUST be 13 years or older
- You do not have to follow me or subscribe to qualify
- You MUST leave me your e-mail so that I contact you if you win
- The winner will have 48 hours to respond or I will pick a new winner.
- To enter, comment on this post and answer the following question: What is the first title you are reading for the event and why did you pick it?
- The giveaway will be open until 11:59 PM on Friday, June 8, 2012 EST.
The first tile I'm going to read is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I've always wanted to read it and I found it on paperbackswap today so I thought it was pretty kismet.
ReplyDeletejenniferlladd@gmail.com
I've heard so many good things about that one! Can't wait to see your thoughts!
DeleteI love the Tenant of Wildfell Hall; it's a favorite of mine, so yay!
ReplyDeleteI am reading Trollope's Framley Parsonage. I've read 3 Barsetshire novels so far and this is the 4th; I've been a Thirkell fan for years and I'm having fun reading her 'source' novels. So far so good! Apparently Trollope wrote it on a tight deadline and for serial publication. He purposely wrote a story that he knew would appeal to popular taste--the quiet country town society sort of novel, and he said that it didn't have much plot. So it was a huge hit, everyone loved it, and it cemented his reputation.
Dangit, forgot the email. jkleek at gmail dot com
DeleteI'm also working my way through the Barsetshire series, though I've never read Thirkell. I really loved BT and Dr. Thorne, though Framley was good too. I'm hoping to start The Small House at Allington sometime soon, depends on what other Victorians I pick up.
DeleteI really want to read a Trollope! I've given up hope on Dickens and I hear Trollope was a literary competitor. ;-)
DeleteI tried Trollope a year or two ago, but I'm going to try him again for the event (The Warden and Barcester Towers).
DeleteNorth and South is my favorite, favorite, favorite book ever!!!! My current Dickens is Dombey and Son. But I'm also reading a couple of nonfiction books about the Victorian time period! I'm not sure which will be my "first" read. But I am SO SO SO excited about this celebration!
ReplyDeleteWhich nonfiction books are you reading? I'm always looking for more background on the Victorian period.
DeleteI'm glad you're excited! I'm still discovering Dickens, so I will definitely get to that one eventually!
DeleteDon't enter me in the drawing as I already have N&S -- just wanted to comment how much I love it too! Great choice for a giveaway.
ReplyDeleteVery excited about all the Victorian comments already!
I'm excited too! :)
DeleteMy first read will be Little Dorrit. I signed up for a class where we are going to read it along side some of the economic writing of the time such as Adam Smith and Karl Marx. Should be interesting.
ReplyDeletePlease don't enter me in the drawing as I already own North and South and enjoyed it very much. (Didn't like the ending of the TV version though.)
Oh, I look forward to your thoughts on Little Dorrit! I have that one on my shelf for a future read.
DeleteIt has been awhile since I've read North and South, but I watch the BBC series every once in awhile. :)
I'm starting with the Picture of Dorian Gray. It's long been on my list because the storyline looks fascinating and I've never read anything of Wilde's. I got through the first chapter last night and am hooked. Here's hoping the rest of the books is just as amazing!
ReplyDeletebzzz61@hotmail.com
Oh, SUCH a good book! Enjoy!
DeleteI shall start my reading list with Bram Stoker's Dracula because I've been dying to read this novel and it's related to my Twitter book club @DraculasGuests ...
ReplyDeleteLe.Vanity.Victorienne@gmail.com
Ooooh, good pick for Dracula.
DeleteI have that on my kindle and I've halfheartedly started it (I took it on vacation with me) but I'm hoping to pick it up again this summer!
I just read Dracula and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! Now my 12yo daughter is reading it and liking it too.
DeleteDracula is such a great book. I just read it in the fall. :)
DeleteI'm starting with The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot. I can't believe Middlemarch is the only Eliot I've read and that was 10 years ago! Time to remedy that. I'm hoping to get to North and South this summer as well, which I already own, so don't enter me in the drawing. Happy reading to everyone!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! The Mill on the Floss...read it at the beginning of the year. *gush*
DeleteMill on the Floss is my favorite by Eliot! SO GOOD.
DeleteI loved Mill on the Floss as well - I'm hoping to get to Middlemarch later this month or in July. It's one of the longer titles on my pile for this Celebration, though, so I'm not sure I'll make it through in time.
DeleteThis is actually an extremely appropriate giveaway for me, because the first title I plan on reading is North and South! I've heard it is a romantic and sweet story, which I could use right now, so I'm excited to get started.
ReplyDeletelorrenrichelle@gmail.com
It's such a good one! I wish more people would read it!
DeleteThe first title I'm reading (and should be finishing soon) is Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. I chose it because I've read Charlotte and Emily, so I felt the need to finally complete that might trinity! I actually have Gaskell on my list for the celebration, too! I might read Cranford (it's on my pile - but Autobiography of Mark Twain is next, and then probably Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance! I haven't read any Gaskell yet and N&S is one I somehow don't own yet. :)
roofbeamreader(at)gmail(dot)com
I haven't completed the trinity yet. ;) I will soon, I hope!
DeleteCranford was really entertaining. I had a readalong for it during my first year blogging. :)
I might join you in Autobiography of Mark Twain. Once school ends next Friday I am going on a reading BONANZA.
I'm already about 20% done with it... it's SO good. But, I love Twain (the man and the writer/writing) so I'm not surprised that I love his Autobiography. I could see how those who don't really enjoy his writing might not like the Autobiography, because it's very "Twain." But, as to that, I still don't understand people who don't like Twain... it makes me Hulk-like angry! SMASH!
DeleteSo, don't enter me because I have a copy already. I just had to see what everyone else was reading. And of course to reiterate that Catherine is a selfish cow. lol
ReplyDeleteLol. You crack me up.
DeleteThe first title I'm reading is The Mill on the Floss. I really like what I've read so far from Eliot, so I thought I'd giver her another go. Of course, I've haven't actually started it yet...
ReplyDeleteI'm also interested in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I'll have to see if I can get my hands on a copy.
stackwanderer AT gmail.com
Mill on the Floss is my FAVORITE Eliot. I hope you love it!
DeleteI'm reading Villette first. I picked it because I loved Jane Eyre and for some reason I've never read this one. So far so good.
ReplyDeleteavidreader25 [at] gmail [dot] com
I loved Villette. Part of me is glad I read it before Jane Eyre (because I loved that too) so I could appreciate a different aspect of Charlotte's writing. :) Can't wait to see your thoughts!
DeleteThe first title I read was Chopin's The Awakening. I picked it because a blog review(I don't remember who wrote it, unfortunately!) made me think it would be a fantastic counterpoint to D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, which I read earlier this year and adored. The Awakening was much shorter than I expected, so I finished really quickly, and have a post about it already! I didn't love its message as much as Lawrence's, but you can't beat Chopin for sheer sensuous language.
ReplyDeletesamantha dot arten at gmail dot com
The Awakening is a fabulous book. I've read it multiple times and it gets better each time!
DeleteI'm reading Great Expectations first. I've never read Dickens, so I thought this book might be a good starting off point. It's one of his shorter works, and the story is really interesting so far.
ReplyDeletejaredreadsbooks@gmail.com
I'm coming around to liking Dickens, but Great Expectations and I have had fights in the past...I know I need to give it another chance eventually...
DeleteStart with The Pickwick Papers and you'll have an easier time. It's lighter. The fabulous thing about Dickens is his social humor and his characters. Pickwick is one of the funnier ones and includes some love interests too.
DeleteI picked The Jungle Book. I forgot this was Victorian, but I did pick it because I wanted to read Rudyard Kipling and it's been a couple months since I read a YA book. I really enjoy YA books from the late 19th century and early 20th century too.
ReplyDeleteI'd love a copy of N&S too.
athena@aquatique.net
I haven't read any Kipling, so I hope you enjoy it! Can't wait to see your thoughts!
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ReplyDeleteI'm reading Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone - early detective fiction - one of the earliest! I'd love to enter for North and South - cmylks [at] yahoo [dot] com
ReplyDeleteI've only read The Woman in White by Collins, but I have The Moonstone sitting on my shelf...
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