Classics Challenge Update; Phantom of the Opera and Sense and Sensibility

Hello all readers and Classics Challenge followers! So far this New Year is looking promising in my battle to read more classics, with one completion and a new book started already!
The classic I have recently read (and will post about shortly) was a book I didn't even know existed in any other form than a stage show and from there a DVD. But no, it turns out that the infamous 'Phantom of the Opera' was indeed a book first.

Just a little background on the book at it's author will hopefully motivate you to read until I get around to publishing a full post on the story. The Phantom of the Opera was written by the frenchman Gaston Leroux and has been translated into English several times, so perhaps it is better to use it's real, French title; Le Fantôme de l'Opéra. It was written in 1910 and wasn't actually very popular at the time! The story is one of obsession, music and the redemptive power of love, often demanding the reader to think carefully as to what is insanity and what is the mark of a tormented, abused person. This book is captivating from start to finish and if you are like me you may find yourself puzzling over it long after you have read the last page. This is a definite must-read with teary moments, but a better, more detailed review of this amazing story is to follow soon!

The classic I recently started and adore is the well-know, much loved Sense and Sensibility by the wonderful Jane Austen. Having seen the film many times and loving the characters; Elinor with her reserved character and Marianne who makes a drama out of anything and everything, I just had to read it. So far, so good! On completion a review will follow!

If you wish to read along with me, see details of the classics already read on other Classics Challenge posts and feel free to leave recommendations and comments in the comments section below.
Happy reading! From RedHead :)