Is a bookstore really a bookstore without a case devoted to the classics? You will find the favorite classics of the Two Sisters' staff in a tall narrow case back by the fireplace.

"I saw something nasty in the woodshed!" A hilarious story that proves that just because a book is a classic, and phenomenally well-written, doesn't mean it isn't riveting, funny, engaging, and stylish. --Nicki

Swann's Way
(Penguin Classics)
by Proust, Marcel, Prendergast, Christopher, Davis, Lydia

The book that basically defined beautiful writing. I know Proust is one of those writers everyone is always meaning to read, but I really think he is the one writer everyone should make a point of reading. Lovely, lovely language. --Nicki

The Book of Imaginary Beings
(Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
by Borges, Jorge Luis, Sis, Peter, Hurley, Andrew

In a perfect pairing of talent, this volume blends twenty illustrations by Peter Sis with Jorge Luis Borgess 1957 compilation of 116 strange creatures conceived through time and space by the human imagination, from dragons and centaurs to Lewis Carrolls Cheshire Cat and the Morlocks of H. G. Wells's "The Time Machine," A lavish feast of exotica brought vividly to life with art commissioned specifically for this volume, "The Book of Imaginary Beings" will delight readers of classic fantasy as well as Borges's many admirers.

The Captain and the Enemy
(Penguin Classics)
by Greene, Graham, Auchard, John

Victor Baxter is a young boy when a secretive stranger known simply as the Captain brings him from his boarding school to London. Victor becomes the surrogate son and companion of a woman named Liza, who renames him Jim and depends on him for any news about the world outside their door. Raised in these odd yet touching circumstances, Jim is never quite sure of Lizas relationship to the Captain, who is often away on mysterious errands. It is not until Jim reaches manhood that he confronts the Captain and learns the shocking truth about the man, his allegiances, and the nature of love.

The Song of the Lark
(Vintage Classics)
by Cather, Willa

In this powerful portrait of the self-making of an artist, Willa Cather created one of her most extraordinary heroines. In a remarkable journey, a young woman whose exceptional talents lead her far from the security of home and family comes face to face with her dreams and desires and finds the courage and passion to seize her future. Alison Elliot, Arliss Howard, and Maximillian Schell star. This remains my favorite Willa Cather novel, I think because the themes of music and land and artistic ambition are so inextricably wound together. --Nicki

Travels with Charley: In Search of America
by Steinbeck, John

In September 1960, John Steinbeck and his poodle, Charley, embarked on a journey across America. A picaresque tale, this chronicle of their trip meanders along scenic backroads and speeds along anonymous superhighways, moving from small towns to growing cities to glorious wilderness oases. Travels with Charley is animated by Steinbeck's attention to the specific details of the natural world and his sense of how the lives of people are intimately connected to the rhythms of nature - to weather, geography, the cycles of the seasons. His keen ear for the transactions among people is evident, too, as he records the interests and obsessions that preoccupy the Americans he encounters along the way. Long, long before Bill Bryson took his walk in the woods, Steinbeck set out to get a feel for the Americans in America. This is my favorite Steinbeck book. (It is also his most cheerful books!)--Nicki