I am SO excited to have signed up for this year’s Armchair BEA at-http://www.armchairbea.com For those of us unable to attend the annual BEA in New York City, we are lucky to have the opportunity to participate in this.
To start off, they asked each blogger to answer som questions to introduce themselves- here it goes-
1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?
My name is Kerri and I have just started blogging three months ago. I began my blog to keep track of the books I was reading. I have been reading books for pleasure since I was eleven years old. I never realized there were so many people who love reading as much as I do until I satrted reading other blogs!
2. Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures.
I am blogging from a small town in Northwestern New Jersey. It is a quaint little town with lots of small shops and local farms. It still seems strange to live in the “country” since I grew up in NYC.
3. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?
Wow- hard one-I have read some really great books so far this year- I really loved The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow and The Lost Wife.
4. Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.
I have been married 18 years, and I am the mother of two teenagers- yikes! My dream is to own a bookstore and live at the beach.
5. Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?
My favorite post was-Honestly, Do You Keep Reading It?- I asked what you do when you find yourself reading a book you just do not like/aren’t into. I love it becuase I got so much feedback. I loved hearing from so many people what they do when they find themselves in that situation- which I think we have all been in
https://turnthepagereviews.com/2013/04/10/honestly-do-you-keep-reading-it?
Classics
Today’s topic is “The Classic”.
from Armchair BEA-
Fans of classics love them for their universal themes, their understanding of the human condition, the writing, and sometimes for reasons that can’t be explained. Why, reader, do you love classics?
Today, tell us all the reasons why you love classic literature. What are your favorite classics? If you could give a list of classics to someone who claims to hate them to make them change their mind, what would be on it? How would you convince them to give classics a try? And why do you keep coming back to those old favorites?
I do love reading classics. I think sometimes I get so caught up reading the newest and latest books, that I need to make myself pull back, and reach for a classic. I feel something is a classic that stands the test of time, inspires readers, and reach beyond just one genre. Classics can be romances, mysteries, science fiction. I think I began loving classic in which school. My 11th grade Lit teacher-Hi Mrs. Chapman- inspired this love. Most kids (gasp) did not appreciate her much, but when we finished reading Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, I knew she was going to be one of my all time favorite teachers. As I continued trough school, I was able to read amazing books.
Some of my FAVORITE classics are-
Anything Austen- I love everything written by Jane Austen- with Pride & Prejudice being my all time favorite.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- took a class in college that centered around this time period and got to love all Fitzgerald and Hemingway.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- Atticus Finch (to me) is the epitome of the perfect man.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
And of course- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley(thanks again Mrs. Chapman!)
There are certain classic that I have been able to tackle for one reason or the other-
Moby Dick
Great Expectations
Wuthering Heights
I want to join The Classics Club, but have been hesitant up to now.
For a first timer, I would recommend To Kill a Mockingbird, Little Women, or Pride & Prejudice.
What are some of your favorite classics?
Frankenstein (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cover of Little Women (Andre Deutsch Classics)
Cover via Amazon
English: Title page. Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: George Allen, 1894. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Cover of The Great Gatsby
Turn the Page Reviews 
This sounds so fun! Love your post…owning a bookstore would be so amazing! 🙂 (Wish I had heard of this in time to sign up lol)
I’m in NW NJ too! What a small world 😀
The Classic Club is a very fun, supportive, active community. If you love the classics, I’m sure you’ll enjoy being a part of the club. Please don’t hesitate. 🙂 …and congratulations of finding the book blogging community!…I know how excited I was when I discovered a whole world of book lovers I never dreamt I’d get to meet.
P&P was my favourite Austen until my last re-read when I discovered I preferred Sense and Sensibility.
Have a great week with BEA! 😀
Maybe I should give S & S another go around- Persuasion is usually my 2nd JA fav. The CC sounds like fun- and will hopefully force me to read those books I have been putting off-I am going to try joining up in a few weeks- eek!
Congrats on being married for 18 years! hope you enjoy Armchair BEA!
We had to read Moby Dick in high school. I cannot imagine a better book to put teenagers off reading! Especially when there are so many great classics out there. I am a fan of Hemingway in particular.
Have a great ArmchairBEA.
Tanya
Thanks! I love The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway. I think I might be opld enough to take on Melville soon- but might try Wuthering Heights first.
To Kill Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby and Little Women are 3 of my favorite books!
I live super close to the beach, and would also love to own a bookstore/coffee bistro. Ahh.. dreams! Hope yours come true! Enjoy this weeks fun activities!
Everytime I see The Great Gatsby on someone’s list I cringe and feel terrible because I really didn’t like that book. I actually own a rather beat up first edition of it and I don’t think I’d would even attempt to save it in a hypothetical fire. I need to try it again and see if anything has changed because it’s been a few years since I read it. I haven’t heard of The Classics Club but I’ll definitely have to look into it, it might be something I’d enjoy.
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My husband is from NJ. He spent some of his childhood in a small town called Califon and just loved it. Then went to school in NYC, before moving to Savannah.
Yes, we are lucky to live in such a special place! And I like your plan of owning a bookshop by the beach 🙂
Califon is 2 towns over from here- I live in Chester- it is really a small world!
New follower here, via Bloglovin. Nice to get to know you! We’ve got a few things in common, from some of the books we love to the fact that we’re in similar places in life. (I’ve been married 22 years, and have a daughter headed off to college. And I live more-or-less in the country, too.) Like you, I’ve been debating joining the Classics Club, but I’m hesitant because I’m already overstretched.
I won a copy of The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow and need to pick up my copy soon. I’ve been hearing such good things!
Here’s my Armchair BEA introduction.
I’d love to own a bookstore and live on a beach…although, not Galveston Beach! Anywhere there is blue water, not grey and murky with pollution levels always high 😉 Welcome to the bloggers world!! 3 months will quickly turn into 3 years, like me 😀 I also have teenage sons and I agree…it goes way too fast! I can’t believe I’m a mom of teenagers, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I agree – after reading the popular and latest novels, I have to remember to pick up a Classic because they can be such a breath of fresh air. And I would recommend you join the Classics Club! I haven’t been keeping on track with my reading, but it is nice to join the community and see what other people are reading. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my BEA post!
Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy
Hi Kerry! It’s nice to meet you via Armchair BEA. This is fun 🙂 I would absolutely love to own a bookstore, too! To be surrounded by books both at home and at work would be lovely. Oh, I’d also like to live on the beach.
I think your classics recommendations for first time readers are excellent choices.
I’m looking forward to reading you Armchair BEA posts.
Hi Melissa,
I am looking forward to the Armchair BEA this week! I saw on your blog you are from Ottawa- lots of snow-do you ski? I really love the look of your blog- is there a way for me to follow you via email?
-pats pretty baby blog-
Welcome to Armchair BEA and WELCOME to the blogging world!
We share the same dream -sighs- Wouldn’t it be lovely to own a bookstore AND live just like that?
Oh god…
Love your blog and have fun!!
Here’s my Introduction post for Day 1 if you’d like to stop by.
Alba @ BookPics
Hi Alba,
I am following you via blogloving- I think your blog looks amazing! Looking forward to this week and the Armchair BEA!
Thanks so much 😀
Oh wow. Thanks, Rachel @ Parajunkee is amazing!
Hope you have fun!
Welcome to Armchair BEA! It’s a great way for someone like you that hasn’t been blogging for that long to get to know a lot of other great people 🙂
Thanks! I love the Art Deco look of your header-so pretty!
Two teens, yikes 😉 I feel your pain since I have the same living at home!
Hope you have a great ABEA!
I feel like must join the party!
I just downloaded The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow, so looks like it should be good!
Hope you enjoy it!!
Welcome to Armchair BEA. This is my first one. I could go for owning a bookstore and living at the beach too! I just read The Great Gatsby and enjoyed it quite a bit, though I’m not big on classics. Need to try more of them though because I usually enjoy them!