On this shelf, I have read:
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
The Silver Chalice by Thomas Costain
I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven
Beyond this Place by A. J. Cronin
Grand Canary by A. J. Cronin
I have not read:
The Nature of the Gods by Cicero
I am very interested in this, as we are studying Cicero in Plutarch this term. However, I feel I would need a guide through this book, and as I'm reading some other academic works with my study group, I may not have the mental energy to take this one on.
The Stumbling Shepherd by H.A. Cody
This is a vintage Canadian book found at a thrift store. I thought it looked interesting, but I suspect it may not be particularly well-written. I will probably choose it for light reading this month and decide if it deserves a place on my shelf.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
The Pioneers by James Fenimore Cooper
The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
The Black Rose by Thomas Costain (his best seller, references Edward I/Roger Bacon/Kublai Khan)
The Chord of Steel by Thomas Costain (Alexander Graham Bell/invention of the telephone)
The Darkness and the Dawn by Thomas Costain (Atilla the Hun)
For My Great Folly by Thomas Costain (time of James I)
The Moneyman by Thomas Costain (time of Charles VII of France)
High Towers by Thomas Costain (New France)
Ride with Me by Thomas Costain (Sir Robert Wilson/Napoleon)
The Three Edwards by Thomas Costain (Edward I, Edward II, Edward III)
The Tontine (volume 2) by Thomas Costain
I have a lot of Costain books! As he was a historical fiction bestseller in Canada in the 40's and 50's, his books are abundant at used book sales here. I picked a lot of these up as a teenager, and may have read some of these already. I feel I need to read them again to see if they really deserve a forever place on my bookshelf. Also, some of these are mis-shelved...I had thought he wrote all historical fiction, but The Chord of Steel seems to be a biography, and High Towers a history.
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
The Citadel by A. J. Cronin
The Keys of the Kingdom by A. J. Cronin
I have more Cronin books on the next shelf too... He is another bestseller from the 40's and 50's. Every book I read by Cronin makes me like him more. His stories are compelling page-turners, and yet they have a great deal of depth. The moral struggles his protagonists go through batter and break them, but ultimately leave them more human and more virtuous.
What do you think I should read next? I'd love to hear your recommendations.
I expect I will read two or three of these. I will also be reading along with my book club this month (Middlemarch), my study group (Beowulf), and my Charlotte Mason Boot Camp (random chapters from Charlotte Mason). I also have a few books in progress to finish: Eugenie Grandet (from my January shelf), The Illustrated Columcille, and The Voyage of Saint Brendan. In addition, I have several books waiting for me at the library on Hashimoto's, autoimmunity, and hypothyroidism (I was just diagnosed last month after having heart palpitations. The palpitations are gone now, thankfully.). So it will be a busy reading month!
