Classic Reads Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Classic Reads Blog Hop, sponsored by Rachel Thompson, Christine Nolfi , Terri Giuliano Long, and Molly Greene.

During this hop, bloggers post about what we think makes a book a classic.

For me, a "classic" can have more than one meaning. I remember reading somewhere a humourous definition of a classic: a book that everyone praises but nobody reads. I don't think this is necessarily true.

Often I find that books I read in school were called classics and while I agree with some, I do not agree with others. I think books can be classics to some but not to others. To give an example, I read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in high school and I do believe that one is a classic. While it is not entirely timeless because times have indeed changed since then, I think the characters and their struggles and lessons are something that all generations can benefit and learn from. To contrast, I also read Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden in high school and while I didn't dislike the book, I don't consider it a classic because I think it lack the same widespread appeal and lesson-teaching aspect that TKAM has.

I don't believe that a book has to be old to be a classic. While recent books might not yet be considered classics, I think that if they have the potential to appeal to wide audiences and to truly teach them something, they very well could become classics. You never know; one day we may see the widely praised and well-loved Divergent by Veronica Roth  or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins one day praised as classics because they each have something important to say and don't restrict themselves to one age group.

I think the idea of a classic can be different to different people. This is simply my perspective. If you visit the other blogs on this hop, I'm sure you'll find many other perspectives of what makes a classic.
Keep hopping: http://terriglong.com/blog/2013/01/classic-reads-a-case-for-plurality-newclassicreads/

If you'd like to help spread the word about the Classic Reads Blog Hop, our lovely sponsors have provided the chance to win giftcards to Amazon or B&N!
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While you're here, take a look at our sponsor's books:

Broken Pieces - Rachel Thompson
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Pieces-ebook/dp/B00AR0T74S

Synopsis: Welcome to bestselling author Rachel Thompson's newest work! Vastly different in tone from her previous essay collections A Walk In The Snark and The Mancode: Exposed, BROKEN PIECES is a collection of pieces inspired by life: love, loss, abuse, trust, grief, and ultimately, love again.

In Leah's Wake - Terri Giuliano Long
Link: http://www.amazon.com/In-Leahs-Wake-ebook/dp/B0044XV7PG
Synopsis: A Story of Love, Loss, Connection, and Grace

At the heart of the seemingly perfect Tyler family stands sixteen-year-old Leah. Her proud parents are happily married, successful professionals. Her adoring younger sister is wise and responsible beyond her years. And Leah herself is a talented athlete with a bright collegiate future. But living out her father’s lost dreams, and living up to her sister’s worshipful expectations, is no easy task for a teenager. And when temptation enters her life in the form of drugs, desire, and a dangerously exciting boy, Leah’s world turns on a dime from idyllic to chaotic to nearly tragic.

As Leah’s conflicted emotions take their toll on those she loves—turning them against each other and pushing them to destructive extremes—In Leah’s Wake powerfully explores one of fiction’s most enduring themes: the struggle of teenagers coming of age, and coming to terms with the overwhelming feelings that rule them and the demanding world that challenges them. Terri Giuliano Long’s skillfully styled and insightfully informed debut novel captures the intensely personal tragedies, victories, and revelations each new generation faces during those tumultuous transitional years.

Recipient of multiple awards and honors, In Leah’s Wake is a compelling and satisfying reading experience with important truths to share—by a new author with the voice of a natural storyteller and an unfailingly keen understanding of the human condition…at every age.

Mark of the Loon - Molly Greene
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Mark-of-the-Loon-ebook/dp/B00838H1OY
Synopsis: What happens when a workaholic serial remodeler falls in love with an old stone cottage built by an ornithologist and his eccentric Irish wife? If you’re Madison Boone, you kick your budding romance with handsome Psych Professor Coleman Welles to the curb and lose yourself in a new project.

Madison renovates distressed homes in addition to her busy real estate sales career. When she hears about a quaint house on a private tract of land overlooking Lake Sonoma, she climbs in the window for a private tour and falls in love with the place. Good fortune enables her to purchase the Blackburne’s property, but far more than a new home and lush gardens await discovery during this renovation.

As Madison works on the remodel, she’s drawn into an old love story with dangerous consequences. She unearths buried secrets and discovers herself in the process. Good thing she has three wise, hilarious friends to advise her along the way! Mark of the Loon is the skillful combination of history, mystery, and romance in a novel that explores deep friendship, choices, and how individuals cope with loss.

Second Chance Grill - Christine Nolfi
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Liberty-Series-ebook/dp/B009Y4ZSFK
Synopsis: Dr. Mary Chance needs a sabbatical from medicine to grieve the loss of her closest friend. But when she inherits a struggling restaurant in Liberty, Ohio she isn’t prepared for Blossom Perini. Mary can’t resist falling for the precocious preteen—or the girl’s father. The bond they forge will transform all their lives and set in motion an outpouring of love that spreads across America.

Welcome back to Liberty, where the women surrounding the town’s only restaurant are as charming as they are eccentric.

Second Chance Grill is the prequel to Treasure Me, 2012 Next Generation Indie Awards Finalist, which The Midwest Book Review calls “A riveting read for those who enjoy adventure fiction, highly recommended.”