10 Books A Day for a Week - Day 1: Classics

I'm a book nerd.  So when I saw this fun series on another blog, I thought I'd copy it.  So this week I am going to try to post 10 books a day that I love.  It might not be every day, and it might be a few more or less than 10, but the point is that this week I am focusing on books.  Here are my categories:

Day 1: Classics

Day 2: Memoir

Day 3: Non-fiction

Day 4: Fiction

Day 5: Books from my Childhood

So for  today, I'm talking about my favorite classics!  I just love classics.  This is evident by the fact that I majored in English in college.  In fact, this list was the one that I had the hardest time narrowing down, so lets get started.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  Of course.  What girl doesn't like this book?  I find it fascinating to get a glimpse into life during Regency England.  And having no sisters of my own, I enjoy all the interactions between the sisters.  I also find it quite amazing every time I read it that I can start off hating Darcy and end up loving him.  How does Austen do it?

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.  I have to admit that the movie with Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson is a big reason why I love this one. 

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  I've always been a sucker for a good mystery and a good short story, and this has both.  And Sherlock Holmes with his eccentricities and good old Watson are the perfect characters to solve them.  The Adventure of the Red-Headed League and The Adventure of the Speckled Band are two of my favorite. 

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.  This novel is intriguing and creepy all at once. 

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.  This has adventure and romance and a historical setting, what more could you want?  The only downfall is that it is so large.  I've only read the abridged version and it was still huge.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  I've always been intrigued by this book.  I find the Puritan setting fascinating.  It is one of those stories that stays with you.

Dracula by Bram Stoker.  I don't know why I like this book since Gothic Horror really isn't my genre of preference.  But this is the ultimate vampire story - no vegetarian sparkly fellows in this one.  I just read on wikipedia that Stoker did not invent the vampire, but his interpretation became the standard.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  I think I like this book mostly as a peek into the roaring 20s.  I'm noticing a theme here...I like books with strong historical settings.  Anyway, this book's plot is like a car wreck waiting to happen, you just can't look away.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare.  I have to admit, and this will make me sound like a bad English major, that I am not a huge fan of Shakespeare.  But I like this one.  It is funny and magical and it has fairies.

The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.  I'm usually not a big fan of poetry, but this one will always be favorably burned in my memory because of my good friend Anne of Green Gables.  Literature that quotes other literature...it's the best.

Honorable Mention - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.   It's been a while since I've read this one, but I remember liking it. 

This list is seriously making me want to drop my current books and go back to reread the classics!  Perhaps I will take a break from my library books soon and do just that. 

What about you?  What are your favorite classics?  Anyone else want to do this book challenge with me?