Classics Without All the Class discussion

Hello and welcome. To start up some beginning conversations please provide answers to three of the following questions. And your Social Security number and bank information. ...This is a joke. I'm kidding, just in case.

What is your name or nickname?
What is your favorite beverage?
Who is your most read author?
Cake, cookie or pie?
Where are you from?

Hello.
My name is James Biser, but most people call me Jim.
It is too simple, but I like to drink water. Luckily, I live in Provo, Utah. The mountains that our water runs through is full of limestone, and water here is delicious.
Picking a most read author is difficult. I read many books a week. I love Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Hemingway, Barry Lopez, Brandon Sanderson and many more. I do not turn my nose up to any books. They are each a treasure.
Although it is bad for you, pie is usually best, unless you have time to make or receive a moist dark chocolate cake with a whipped cream mocha frosting.

James wrote: "Hello.
My name is James Biser, but most people call me Jim.
It is too simple, but I like to drink water. Luckily, I live in Provo, Utah. The mountains that our water runs through is full of limesto..."

Hi James! Welcome to the group! It's funny because as soon as you mention Prove, UT in your post I was wondering if you knew about Brandon Sanderson and then you go on to mention his name! haha! He's one of my favorite authors too. I've met him a while back when he visited our bookstore in my hometown and joined in one of our scifi/fantasy bookclub meeting and had a great discussion with him (this was before he was very well known for finish the Wheel of Time series) then I've met him twice after that at book signing.

Hello! I'm Jaime Peddle from northeast Ohio, "The Heart of it All." I love to randomly allow my next book choice to fall in my lap, so I haven't been devoted to an author since Judy Bloom! I could no more choose between cake, cookie or pie than Austin, Bronte, or Dickinson. I'm the kinda girl who wants to have my cake and eat it too!

Jaime wrote: "Hello! I'm Jaime Peddle from northeast Ohio, "The Heart of it All." I love to randomly allow my next book choice to fall in my lap, so I haven't been devoted to an author since Judy Bloom! I could..."
Hello Jaime! I'm so jealous of your literary flexibility. My wishlists are out of control! Your random selection sounds very refreshing.

Jeane wrote: "James wrote: "Hello.
My name is James Biser, but most people call me Jim.
It is too simple, but I like to drink water. Luckily, I live in Provo, Utah. The mountains that our water runs through is f..."

I have met Brandon Sanderson a few times, but I once went to a signing he agreed to hold, and he stood us up.

That would be a pretty bad deal, except when that happened I was sitting next to Dan Wells. He and I had a great conversation and became friends. I think that is a pretty rich silver lining.

James wrote: "Jeane wrote: "James wrote: "Hello.
My name is James Biser, but most people call me Jim.
It is too simple, but I like to drink water. Luckily, I live in Provo, Utah. The mountains that our water run..."

Very cool! At first the name was not familiar to me, but I looked him up and I have heard of his book I Am Not A Serial Killer, but I have not had the chance to read. Now I will move it up my TBR list and try to read it before the end of the year.

Jeane wrote: "James wrote: "Jeane wrote: "James wrote: "Hello.
My name is James Biser, but most people call me Jim.
It is too simple, but I like to drink water. Luckily, I live in Provo, Utah. The mountains that..."

I enjoyed The John Wayne Cleaver series, although there were some strange surprises in the stories. It is fascinating to be in the mind of a sociopath who is able to avoid allowing himself to be a serial killer.

Hi!
My name is Natalie :) My favorite beverage is hazlenut iced coffee. I think my most read authors are Thomas Hardy and Nick Hornby. I don't like pie, but I love cookies and most cakes! I'm from California. Nice to meet you all!

Natalie wrote: "Hi!
My name is Natalie :) My favorite beverage is hazlenut iced coffee. I think my most read authors are Thomas Hardy and Nick Hornby. I don't like pie, but I love cookies and most cakes! I'm from ..."
Hello Natalie! Welcome.

Hello:
My name is Laurie
During the day I will be drinking coffee or ice tea (unsweet please), but in the evening I may indulge in a gin rickey (shh)
Lately I have been reading a lot of F Scott Fitzgerald. I also really like Jane Austen.
I prefer a good cheeseburger over sweets any day.
Oh and I am from Maryland.

Welcome Laurie

Laurie wrote: "Hello:
My name is Laurie
During the day I will be drinking coffee or ice tea (unsweet please), but in the evening I may indulge in a gin rickey (shh)
Lately I have been reading a lot of F Scott Fi..."
May the un-sugared slowly take over the world!!! I must say, in my quest to read more short stories this year, I have consumed more F Scott Fitzgerald than egver before in life.

Hi everyone! My name is Tara. I just adore classic literature, so this group seems like a great fit. My favorite beverage is a pumpkin spice latte. My most read author is Fyodor Dostoevsky. If I had to pick just one, I'd say cake! And I am from San Diego, CA.

Happy reading everyone :)

Tara wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Tara. I just adore classic literature, so this group seems like a great fit. My favorite beverage is a pumpkin spice latte. My most read author is Fyodor Dostoevsky. If..."
Hello Tara! Welcome.

Shanea wrote: "Laurie wrote: "Hello:
My name is Laurie
During the day I will be drinking coffee or ice tea (unsweet please), but in the evening I may indulge in a gin rickey (shh)
Lately I have been reading a lo..."

I have had a personal goal to read all of his short stories, and I have almost completed this personal challenge. I would love to chat about what stories you have read and which ones you like.

Laurie wrote: "Hello:
My name is Laurie
During the day I will be drinking coffee or ice tea (unsweet please), but in the evening I may indulge in a gin rickey (shh)
Lately I have been reading a lot of F Scott Fi..."

Hi Laurie.
Welcome to the group. Mention what you are reading now, and we will give it a talk. I just finished a biography of Paul Newman, and I am starting Main Street by Sinclair Lewis.

Laurie wrote: "Shanea wrote: "Laurie wrote: "Hello:
My name is Laurie
During the day I will be drinking coffee or ice tea (unsweet please), but in the evening I may indulge in a gin rickey (shh)
Lately I have be..."
This year I have only finished one recently, which was "The Tale of Benjamin Button," but I have a few waiting for me to work on by the end. There is usually quite the literary cocktail in my currently reading scheme, as I have a tendency to start five books and read them as my mood suits me, unless something needs to be read right away for review. From my judgement, he appears to be a writer made for the short story form.

Hi there! I'm Rachel and love to read of course. No nickname but I'm afraid I have a terrible addiction to Coca-Cola. My favorite authors are Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, Anne Fortier, Charlotte Bronte and many others. I'm from the Central Valley in California. :-)

Hi Rachel :) Just wanted to say I agree with you 100% regarding Agatha Christie...she is one of my all-time favorites as well!

George wrote: "Hi,

First of all, I've been a member for months but I'm on and off on GR and haven't introduced myself to the forum yet.

Name George.
Nickname (look at my hair color, guess).
Most read author: I ..."
That's alright, I poke around groups for a while before I consider actually participating sometimes.

Rachel wrote: "Hi there! I'm Rachel and love to read of course. No nickname but I'm afraid I have a terrible addiction to Coca-Cola. My favorite authors are Agatha Christie, Jane Austen, Ernest Hemingway, Anne Fo..."

Hello!

Hi

Erin wrote: "Hi"

Hello.

Hi,

I have a soft spot for children's classics, some of which I believe were not exactly written for children but for adults who would buy/read it to the tots. My all time favourite is The Wind in the Willows which I fancy is the story of my own life - I've lived in a hole all my life and finally come up for air. These days I am happily sailing along the Thames.

Hello! New to the group from south Florida. My favorite beverages and deserts (all of the above) contain all the wrong substances to ensure a long restful slumber. I love caffeine and chocolate! Combine the two into an iced mocha latte and I am in bliss. Late at night I then devour any book that may satisfy my craving. I do want to try books out that I wouldn't otherwise think of. I need to be pushed out of my comfort zone.

Hello! My name is Elaina and I'm hoping you guys can stop me from getting that 'what shall I read next' issue and maybe make me read books that really should be read. I've recently started working my way through the Sherlock Holmes stories which has inspired this interest in the classics. I'm from Manchester, UK so obviously my favourite drink is tea.
My most read author is probably Alexander McCall Smith, especially the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency stories which are so beautifully written.

Elaina wrote: "Hello! My name is Elaina and I'm hoping you guys can stop me from getting that 'what shall I read next' issue and maybe make me read books that really should be read. I've recently started working ..."
Hello Elaina.
My zeal for Sherlock Holmes is hard to overcome. The stories for the most part, hold up so well it is amazing. Just spread it out, because when you get to the end, and know that there are no more ever, it is sad. Welcome.

Karakb wrote: "Hello! New to the group from south Florida. My favorite beverages and deserts (all of the above) contain all the wrong substances to ensure a long restful slumber. I love caffeine and chocolate! C..."

Hello. Chocolate is amazing, obviously, but I've never been into mocha. It can be difficult to decide how to read things at times, especially if you have a massive list of goals as I do. I've seen your commenting around, but still have yourself an official welcome.

Hello! I'm Marianne and my favorite beverage is water.

Okay that sounds a bit boring... mint chocolate shakes would be also a great option.

I can't tell which author is my most read, but if series count as one story then it's probably John Green. I don't have that much variety in my read shelf and I look forward to changing that by participating in the group's reading assignment.

If I really had to choose, I'd like some cake please. :) As long as it's not too sweet.

I live in the Philippines, a place abundant of books, book lovers, and writers (if you know how to find them :) ).

I look forward to reading with you guys!

Hello! My name is Lukas or just Luke. I am from Germany (Bavaria). My favourite beverage is beer, how could it be something else! Just joking it's water. I think in English the author I read the most books is Cassandra Clare, but my favourite author (even though I strangely have read just one book by him so far) is Dan Brown. In German I think it is Lessing, although I have to mention before I haven't read any German book for years and I read this one only because I somehow had to. My favourite sweet is apple strudel cookie and this is the only sweet I eat.

Marianne wrote: "Hello! I'm Marianne and my favorite beverage is water.

Okay that sounds a bit boring... mint chocolate shakes would be also a great option.

I can't tell which author is my most read, but if serie..."
Hello baby Nerdfighter. There's plenty of variety in our bookshelves, sometimes so much you get whiplash. Welcome.

Lukas wrote: "Hello! My name is Lukas or just Luke. I am from Germany (Bavaria). My favourite beverage is beer, how could it be something else! Just joking it's water. I think in English the author I read the mo..."
Hi Luke. Way to perpetuate stereotypes. ;)
I've never read anything by Cassandra Clare, but she's on my eventual list.

Hi, my name is Amy.
My favorite beverage is a a Portillos chocolate milkshake. (Anyone had one of these? Amazing)
My most read author? Ohh gosh. Probably JK Rowling because I have reread the Harry Potter series multiple times. Generally, I enjoy many different kinds of books and have basically finished any book that I have committed to. Mostly because I'm OCD about it, not because it's thrilling literature.
Cookie. For sure.
I'm from Illinois.

Excited to be here!

Hello!
Harry Potter tends to take up a lot of reading hours, especially if you start young as I did.
Your completion of every book is admirable. I have not had such dedication, despite trying for years. Welcome

I have just noticed that I didn't introduce myself although I've commented on multiple threads here.

My name is Kainzow.

I like drinking water and Iced Tea - lemon flavour preferably.

My most-read author is Franz Kafka - I could have said J.K Rowling,but all the seven books are in 1 series only.I've read his 3 novels and all his stories.

I guess I'll go for cookie! (Granola ones)

And I'm from...Mauritius!

Kainzow wrote: "I have just noticed that I didn't introduce myself although I've commented on multiple threads here.

My name is Kainzow.

I like drinking water and Iced Tea - lemon flavour preferably.



My most-re..."

Hello Kainzow! It's never too late for an official intro. Wow, I'm only read one thing by Kafka. Excuse me while hide in the corner in shame.

I'm Julia, a retired high school English teacher.

My favorite beverage is decaf coffee and chocolate powder, blended with ice--and the person who made it named it a "Julia", since I order it every time :-)

My most read author is Neil Gaiman, everything from American Gods to his series of Sandman graphic novels. Other favorites include Haruki Murakami, Julian Barnes, Philip Pullman, and for humor, Jasper Fforde.

And I'd choose ice cream over cake, cookies, OR pie!

I'm from Michigan, the mitten state.

And my favorite quotation is: "What is there about the human mind that so resonates with the rest of the universe that we’re able to understand anything about workings of nature on the larger scale? Every scrap of matter and energy in our blood and bones and in the synapses of our thoughts can trace its lineage back to the origin of the universe…. As the Koran puts it, the universe is as close as the veins of our necks. The evolution of the universe goes on not just around us but within us. Our thoughts and feelings, after all, are part of the universe, too, and its story is our story as well."
Timothy Ferris, Coming of Age in the Milky Way

Julia wrote: "I'm Julia, a retired high school English teacher.

My favorite beverage is decaf coffee and chocolate powder, blended with ice--and the person who made it named it a "Julia", since I order it every..."
Hello!
In my recent history I have developed a similar obsession with Neil Gaiman. His work is just beautifully constructed.
Ice cream can not count, as it can contain cookie pieces, cake and pie chunks at the same time, you cheater!! ;)
The inclusion of a favorite quote is very nice. That may have to be something stolen for the next thread.

:-) Thanks for the welcome, Shanea--had to chuckle at your comment on my ice cream choice lol! And I do like the idea of sharing our favorite quotations--I collect mine in a Commonplace Book, a project I used to teach my students, and they loved it. http://thoughtcatalog.com/ryan-holida...

Amy wrote: "Hi, my name is Amy.
My favorite beverage is a a Portillos chocolate milkshake. (Anyone had one of these? Amazing)
My most read author? Ohh gosh. Probably JK Rowling because I have reread the Harry..."

I've been to Portillos. My sister lives in Illinois. Welcome.

Hello,

My name is Moray. I'm a big fan of tea (Darjeeling is my tea of the moment!)I'm from England originally but now I live in Edinburgh, Scotland. My most read author is probably JRR Tolkien or Alexandre Dumas.

And cake. Definitely cake.

Moray wrote: "Hello,

My name is Moray. I'm a big fan of tea (Darjeeling is my tea of the moment!)I'm from England originally but now I live in Edinburgh, Scotland. My most read author is probably JRR Tolkien or..."

Hello.
Wow, English and you like tea? How novel. (Joking.)
Welcome to Classics Without All the Class!

Hello everyone =)
My name is Lobke and I'm from the Netherlands.
My favorite beverages are definately water, tea and yoghurtdrink (I know it's boring).
My most-read author is hard to say. I used to love reading, but I stopped around puberty and now I'm picking it up again. So I'm really just exploring what I like and when I've read the work of one author, I want to jump to the next. I did decide I have a love for classics though. ;)
And coockies or cake: that depends completely on the ingredients for me, I will always love them both =).
Oh and I'm sorry if I make mistakes in the English language. It's not always easy being from another country.

Hello everyone, my name is Chad McGroarty and I live outside Philadelphia. I am also an author under the name, C.A. McGroarty. I write commercial literary fiction, have been writing for over a decade. I have a broad range of taste when it comes to reading. As much as I enjoy reading and writing, I love music and wish I could play anything! But I can't. Thanks for the open invite and see you in some threads.

Lobke wrote: "Hello everyone =)
My name is Lobke and I'm from the Netherlands.
My favorite beverages are definately water, tea and yoghurtdrink (I know it's boring).
My most-read author is hard to say. I used to..."

Hello Lobke!!
Welcome to CWAC.

C.A. wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Chad McGroarty and I live outside Philadelphia. I am also an author under the name, C.A. McGroarty. I write commercial literary fiction, have been writing for over a de..."
Hi!
I miss living in Philly so much. Welcome.

Hi everyone! My name is Priyank and I'm from Arizona. My favorite beverage is a iced cold beer (nothing better to combat Arizonian heat :)) But, i am originally from India, so tea is exotic favorite too!
Frankly, haven't read a particular author soo much as to declare him a favourite, but have been fond of reading Shakespeare, C.S. Lewis, Dickens, Austen... I guess I could go on without a fav! :) lately reading Dostoevsky and Tolstoy! Would go with cookie... I have joined you guys to catch up on my reading and getting some good recommendations on my next book!

Priyank wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Priyank and I'm from Arizona. My favorite beverage is a iced cold beer (nothing better to combat Arizonian heat :)) But, i am originally from India, so tea is exotic favorit..."
Hello! Don't worry about having a favorite, it's just a suggestion. Thanks for joining.

Shanea wrote: "Priyank wrote: "Hi everyone! My name is Priyank and I'm from Arizona. My favorite beverage is a iced cold beer (nothing better to combat Arizonian heat :)) But, i am originally from India, so tea i..."

Thanks, Shanea!