When I first read this classic novel written by George Eliot (pen name for Mary Anne Evans), I was a nineteen-year-old college student.

Recently, I had the opportunity to reread this novel for a local book club that I belong to…and I still love this story.

The two main plots of this classic novel are the life of Dorothea Brook and Tertius Lydgate. Dorothea is a young beautiful 19-year-old orphan. Her goal is to make something out of her life and expand her intellect. She’s drawn to a 45-year-old clergyman named Mr. Casaubon, who she believes to be a highly intellectual man. She ends up marrying him, despite her sister Celia’s advice. Then enter Casaubon’s cousin, Will Ladislaw, a student who is still trying to discover his life and career.

And you guessed it, Dorothea and Will fall in love. Casaubon becomes jealous and here is where I won’t spoil the novel further. It’s such a great read!

If you’ve never read this book, you should give it a try! Let me know what you think.

Happy Friday everyone! I can’t believe we’re already in February. Where did January even go? I’ve been busy researching agents to query my work to, as well as writing/revising a few articles to submit before the deadline arrives. I love the whole process…writing, revising, submitting, acceptance/rejection… but sometimes it can be stressful. For that reason, one of my favorite escape is to read!

Last month I chose Hemingway’s The Old Man and The Sea. Since Valentine’s Day is coming up… for this month’s classic book club selection, I decided to choose a love story: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.

I was first introduced to this classic story way back when I was a junior in high school. I have loved the story ever since. There are three main people involved, and the themes are sin, love, revenge, repentance, and so much more that I’m sure I didn’t list here.

The story is set in Puritan era New England. The protagonist is Hester Prynne, a young woman who has borne an infant out of wedlock. She assumes herself to be a widow…until her husband (Roger Chillingworth) arrives home unexpectedly from somewhere far away, and conceals his identity. He discovers Hester publicly wearing the letter A on her chest, a symbol and punishment for her adultery. I’m going to stop there for now, because the story involves finding out who her lover is. I’ll let you discover what happens next…

It’s a great read and I hope you’ll take part in it. Tell me what you think of this book. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

This year in 2020, I wanted to do something different and fun. I’m starting a Classic Literature Book Club.

I’ve always loved classic literature. I have to thank my high school English teacher Mrs. Meadows for this.

We read so many great books from Ray Bradbury to William Shakespeare and a few of them I’ll be featuring here in my classic book club.

Classic literature to me is stepping back into the past with writers of that time period. We can learn so much from them.

So for the start of 2020, a brand new year calls for an inspirational classic work. For this month’s selection, I’ve chosen Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. There is a reason why he won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1954. Hemingway wrote in short, declarative sentences, which changed the style of English prose. It’s one of his most well known work and tells the story of a Cuban fisherman, who endures an agonizing battle with a marlin. Themes that are touched in this novel range from defeat, courage, to triumph. A perfect selection to start off the New Year!

Follow Along and Read!

If you’re interested in joining me, be sure to get a copy of this book and check back here often. Let me know what you think about my selection for January, and if you’ve read the book, share with me your thoughts on The Old Man and the Sea.