Coming Attractions

I am now on my final book in my summer "Southern Lit Challenge". It has been an interesting group of literature that has really kicked me out of my comfort zone. I hope to have reviews for The Moviegoer and Gone With the Wind up soon. In the meantime, here is a glimpse at some of the books I have coming up for September-December (hopefully). I'm really excited about them:

• Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter- I have had this one on the list for a long time but have been bumping it around in order to read other things. It is the preceding novel to Porter's A Girl of the Limberlost, which I love. Here's hoping that Freckles is just as good.
• Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini-When Irish doctor Peter Blood is accused of treason, he is sold into slavery in the Caribbean. He then escapes and becomes one of the most successful pirates of the West Indies.
  
• Villette by Charlotte Bronte- This is Charlotte Bronte's third novel and the only one considered to rank with the more popular Jane Eyre. It follows the character of Lucy Snowe as she teaches at a school in the fictional country of Labassecour (representing Belgium), and her budding romance with the fiery schoolmaster M. Paul Emmanuel.
• Dracula by Bram Stoker- The ultimate in Gothic literature, this novel has inspired some of today's most popular stories. From Count Dracula to Abraham Van Helsing, this novel is full of characters that are ingrained in popular culture. This is a BIG departure from what I normally read, but I'm looking forward to it.
• Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore- This novel was received with acclaim by the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson and Thomas Hardy and was even voted by Yale's male students as their favorite novel in 1906. Set in the West Country of England in the 17th century, this story follows the romance of John Ridd and Lorna Doone as they are caught up in the political turmoil of the time.
• Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys- This is the story of Bertha Mason, the mad-woman in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. It centers on her life in the Caribbean, her marriage to Edward Rochester, and her descent into madness. Though it is a prequel to an already popular classic, it is considered a classic of modern literature in its own right.

So, that is what is coming up in my reading future. It will probably take me through the end of the year. What are you reading now? What are you planning on reading? Please feel free to offer suggestions as to books I should add to my already long reading list!