I think my favorite surprise read was "The Grapes of Wrath." My father began recommending it when I was maybe 16 or so; Steinbeck was his favorite author in those days. As such, my rebellious self dutifully resisted all Steinbeck for roughly 25 years.. Whaddya know? TGOW has turned out to be one of my favorites. Of course, Dad then turned his Steinbeck library over to me.

My second favorite surprise read was again due to dear old Dad who gifted me with the hardback version of "Lonesome Dove" after I, again, refused reading it for years. Since it was hardback I felt dutybound to read it. What a masterful story and a truly enjoyable book.

I resisted Tale of Two Cities for years. My husband taught it almost every year (well, back when HS students could read!) and would chide this English major for never having read it. I would start it, get to about page 10 and say,"This is dreadful, why do you like it so much!" and put it aside. When I finally read it, he just kept laughing at me. I would interrupt him to talk about something in the book, parallels, imagery...it was as if I was in a lit. class again...only this time I got it. I was nearly 50 when I read...and anytime I think of it, I feel the thrill of it again. Bleak House is my chosen classic for this summer.

I am almost afraid to say it... but Honore de Balzac comes to mind. I picked up Pere Goriot because it was on my summer reading list for a college lit class. Sadly typical of classics, the cover was dull and the blurb on the back told nothing of the book. With a heavy sigh I settled in with this book. It took no time at all to get pulled right into it and to this day, Balzac remains a favorite.

Veronicae, I may join you, if you don't mind, for a summer reading of Bleak House. I've read and enjoyed many others including Hard Times, a Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, The Olde Curiosity Shop and Hard Times. But Bleak House is my Dickens that I've tried to read over and over and just never got passed the first Jaundice v Jaundice stuff. I know there is much more but I never saw it! Not yet, anyhow.

PAM

To Kill A Mockingbird which I had avoided until I was 40. I've still never seen the movie. I found it to be a novel of great charm and heartbreak.

Also, The Iliad which I read and listened to just a couple of years ago. The Odyssey had long been a favorite and I knew from secondary sources, selected readings in The Iliad, and Greek dramas (or would that come under secondary sources?) the story of the Trojan War. So not having a particular interest in war, it never tempted me to read in its entirety. Once I did I loved it. I had never before realized how central the greek gods were in the story.

My book group is always getting me to read books I normally wouldn't pick up. Larson's Isaac's Storm was one we read after Hurricane Isabel swept through here and which greatly informed me when Katrina was hitting the gulf.

I was really surprised to find I enjoyed James' "The Turn of the Screw", once I got used to his bizarre sentence structure. All my life I had avoided reading both of the brothers James, but am glad I read this one, as a former student of psychology.

I was also surprised to find I liked Thos. Hardy's "Mayor of Casterbridge", which I had not expected to.

Funny, I had the very same experience with Devil in the White City. Had to read it for a book club. Approached it with resignation. Loved it.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg is at the top of my Surprise List. I bought it at a book sale for some obscure reason, started reading it in desperation one evening because I didn't have anything else and ended up reading it not once, not twice, but three times.

I, also, was pleasantly surprised by Devil in the White City. Another great find and this you are sure to find amusing, Cod, Biography of Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky. I really never thought about cod that much or it's history. Nor am I a history buff, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. Cod has influenced much of world history. I zipped through this book in no time. I still laugh when I think of the title. They say his other book Salt is just as good.

Chris, I bought Isaac's Storm yesterday and couldn't put it down. I guess that those of us that live in the hurricane areas would find it more entralling than other. I have never evacuated, but after reading the accounts of problems of Galveston and thinking about what the Gulf coast is still going through, I think that the next one that starts this way might make me scoot to higher ground EARLY.

PAM - I'd be happy to have you join me with Bleak House. Veronica

Well, I remember that I was quite resistant to reading the Harry Potter series. People had been recommending it to me for years before I finally found a 4 book set at Costco. On a lark, I decided to buy it and give it a try. I must admit, it was a heck of an enjoyable read.