For this month’s classic literature reading selection, I chose Alexandre Dumas’ book The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s a heavy book reaching over 1400 pages, which is why I thought it would be worth 2 months of reading.

The Count of Monte Cristo was first published in 1844, and has withstood the test of time. This thriller/love story takes the reader along on a journey set against the backdrop of a post-Napoleonic era.

The story begins with Edmond Dantes, a young sailor falsely accused of treason. The reader follows him from his false imprisonment, and all the way towards his plot for revenge.

This is one of my favorite books. Apparently there’s a movie adaptation. I have never watched the movie, and don’t plan to. I just don’t want to become disappointed.

Happy reading!

Xx Katie

It’s hard to believe that we’re already in the middle of 2020. Where did time go? And by the way…how are you doing? So much has happened since March. The days seemed to have blurred together, especially in April, and now we’re into the first week of May. This can only mean that it’s time for May’s classic literature choice.

For this month, I chose J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. You can see from the photo that my copy of the book is well loved… and well read.

May is mental health month too, and I felt inspired to draw attention to this. I realize this book contains some sexual innuendos and vulgar language, *edit…there are no F-words but the character does swear using words like hell, crap, damn, which can be sensitive to a few readers. The core theme of the book is why I chose it. Mental health is important, ever more so during this pandemic.

In Catcher in the Rye, the main character is Holden Caulfield, who suffers from PTSD. He takes the reader on a journey, allowing us snippets of his life, his backstory, until we eventually discover why he is suffering.

Every time I read this classic, I always find myself pondering about how difficult it is to be a youth growing up, especially today with the growing pressures they face from social media. Imagine if adults are feeling pressure from social media, group think mentality, social acceptance etc, then you can imagine how greater the pressure it is for young adults.