Got a Kindle -- School me on what I should read

lukeout007
lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
edited December 24 in Chit-Chat
So...as the subject says...I got a kindle for my birthday yesterday. I'm ridiculously excited about the fact that it seems pretty much every "classic" novel ever written is free for the kindle. And I fully intend on taking advantage of it.

I've downloaded 2 so far...

David Copperfield by Charles D!ckens and Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

The question is...what should I read after these? Looking specifically for things that would more or less fall in the literary classics category (for now at least).

And just to be clear...Twilight, 50 Shades Of Sex...I mean Gray...and Harry Potter do NOT count as literary classics.
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Replies

  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    Love that I have to change the i to a ! in d!ckens.
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
    Surprisingly, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was a pretty good read.
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    Surprisingly, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was a pretty good read.

    Not gonna lie...I wanna see the movie. But I'm not sure I wanna read the book...I always feel like if I'm going to spend the time it takes to read a book there should be some sort of intellectual stimulation involved as well. Somehow I doubt that one provides much.
  • LauraMacNCheese
    LauraMacNCheese Posts: 7,173 Member
    I was surprised because I felt pretty much the same way; but I actually enjoyed reading it.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    1984 is an amazing read right now since it's all happening right before our eyes.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    Atlas Shrugged
  • hasturm
    hasturm Posts: 10 Member
    Only read Atlas Shrugged if you are a soul-less money zombie. Kidding :) But only kinda...

    I think it depends on the experience you are looking for. I think a great summer read is Les Miserables, and I'm pretty sure it's public domain.
  • Savemyshannon
    Savemyshannon Posts: 334 Member
    I love Homer's Odyssey :) Been a fave since high school
  • curtnrod
    curtnrod Posts: 223 Member
    Rent books for your Kindle for free from your library
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    bump
  • nmgtz03
    nmgtz03 Posts: 27
    Anything by John Steinbeck. My favorites are The Pearl and East of Eden. :)
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    Check out all the daily freebies that amazon has, I don't have a kindle yet but you don't have to have one either, kindle for PC is free and since they offer free books daily it's quite easy to build up a collection... now some of them may not be the most interesting but the price is right ;)
    Recipe guides, how to guides, romance, sci-fi / fantasy (the romance stuff was already covered, not THAT kind of fantasy), if you want it chances are there'll be a free one you can check out and if you decide you don't like it, ditch it.
  • dewgirl321
    dewgirl321 Posts: 296 Member
    The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (didn't see the movie but the book is great)
    The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (saw the movie - no comparison to the book!)

    Great choice with Anna Karenina - WONDERFUL
  • jzrharv
    jzrharv Posts: 126 Member
    Sherlock Holmes collection. And as I recall, it's free.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    Only read Atlas Shrugged if you are a soul-less money zombie. Kidding :) But only kinda...

    I think it depends on the experience you are looking for. I think a great summer read is Les Miserables, and I'm pretty sure it's public domain.

    The Road to Serfdom
  • newfette81
    newfette81 Posts: 185
    Life of Pi is a good read is my Yann Martle

    its also being made into a movie that will be released in November but I don't know how it will do
  • nikinyx6
    nikinyx6 Posts: 772 Member
    Free Classics, I recommend White Fang
    For Pure Enjoyment, The Sword Of truth series by Terry Goodkind. The. Best. Series. I've ever read (and re-read)
  • annahiven
    annahiven Posts: 177 Member
    Some awesome classics:

    Jane Eyre
    1984
    The Picture of Dorian Gray
    The Works of Edgar Allan Poe
    The Kama Sutra (cmon.... obviously)
  • bushs99
    bushs99 Posts: 37 Member
    Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin. Excellent read
  • RoosterB
    RoosterB Posts: 214 Member
    Just read all the Game of Thrones on mine. Pretty good. looking forward to the next ones.
  • eriemer
    eriemer Posts: 197
    Game of Thrones series by George R.R. Martin. Excellent read

    YES and the Lord of the Rings
  • lilbitsc89
    lilbitsc89 Posts: 77 Member
    Download the Blog kindle tips and tricks by michael gallagher. It's .99 a month and he tells you about free books/apps, everything, everyday. Some days you can download like 10 books. Some of the downloads are only good for a couple hours/ days, but its a great blog. It's a great way to rack up on books that you would not normally read or hear about. Amazon offers a 2 week free trial if you want to try it. Also, any books before 1930 (i think) are free.
  • RVfrog
    RVfrog Posts: 213 Member
    I have a kindle fire. I have a library card from my home town and I can download a book from any library in Ohio. There are lots of free books on amazon, pixelofink, and frugalgirls, have lots of free ones also. It's a personal choice but the choices are awesome.
  • Tallulahbelle2011
    Tallulahbelle2011 Posts: 24 Member
    Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte, Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy (actually I love pretty much anything by the Bronte sisters or Thomas Hardy but those 2 are my favourites), Bram Stokers Dracula, all free from Amazon, if you like ****ens try Tale of Two Cities. The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas......for more modern books, the Girl with the dragon tattoo/who played with fire/who kicked the hornets nest were really good (I thought) and are pretty cheap on Amazon. I love my kindle, couldn't live without it now! (Although there will always be something about that 'new book' smell and feel....) Happy reading!

    Edited to add.......not sure if they're free, but On the road - Jack Kerouac, and Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger are great reads too! I need to stop, or I could go on for hours!
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    Just read all the Game of Thrones on mine. Pretty good. looking forward to the next ones.

    Game of Thrones is a classic already?
  • lukeout007
    lukeout007 Posts: 1,237 Member
    Great suggestions everyone! Thanks! Keep em comin'!
  • jkestens63
    jkestens63 Posts: 1,164 Member
    My favorite classic is the "The Scarlett Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

    Modern: "Unbreakable". Memoir about a man who was a Japanese prisoner.. really riveting and heart wrenching.
  • jaajh
    jaajh Posts: 1,262 Member
    I really like Thomas Hardy (rarely happy endings, but lots of realism) - Tess of the D'Urbervilles is a favourite and I know that's free on Kindle (was the first one I downloaded). I also recommend anything by George Elliot (Silas Marner, Middlemarch, Adam Bede, ...). I also second the suggestion made by someone above re John Steinbeck - any of his books are great. I can't stand D!ckens or Jane Austen personally - but each to his/her own taste. Try a bit of lots of authors and see which you prefer. Enjoy your Kindle!
  • Roni_M
    Roni_M Posts: 717 Member
    I think most of the classics are free. Something to do with expired royalty licenses or something makes anything published prior to a particular date free.

    If you're looking for classics, Wuthering Heights is one of my favorites.

    When you want to move on to something else the Game of Thrones Series is fantastic!

    Recently read Out of the Darkness: The true Story of Mary Ellen Wilson. It's about how the guy who started the SPCA in the 1860's got involved in rescuing a horribly abused little girl under the animal rights acts, which lead to the spin off of the Human Rights act. Good read, but very emotional.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    The Tao of Pooh

    To Kill A Mockingbird (if you live under a rock and haven't read it yet)

    The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
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