Hello All! Booktube has got my head spinning about reading plans and lists. I’m definitely a mood reader, but it’s fun to challenge myself a bit with some specific books or categories 🐈 . However, all of these reading lists are just for fun. If I don’t meet them, I’m totally fine. I’m definitely someone who’s ok with abandoning a plan. 🤪 Karen at Books and Chocolate blog has been doing this challenge for awhile and I’m excited to challenge myself with some books from my shelves. I’ve tentatively penciled them into my reading journal above. Some of these also fulfill Chantel’s Read My Bookshelf Challenge, too. Here’s my list!
1. A 19th Century Classic ~ The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy {changing to Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens}
2. A 20th Century Classic ~ Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (reread) {changing to Christy by Catherine Marshall- reread}
3. A Classic by a Woman ~ The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
4. A Classic in Translation ~ Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
5. A Classic by BIPOC Author ~ Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings by Olaudah Equiano
6. Mystery, Detective, Crime Classic ~ My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
7. A Classic Short Story Collection ~ 40 Short Stories of Anton Chekhov {changing to The Short Story: 25 Masterpieces edited by Ellen C. Wynn}
8. A Pre-1800 Classic ~ Cymbeline ~ by William Shakespeare
9. A Non-fiction Classic ~ Walden by Thoreau {changing to A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopoldo -reread}
10. Classic on Your TBR the Longest ~ TBD but probably a Charles Dickens or Larkrise to Candleford
11. A Classic Set in a Place I’d like to Visit ~ Romola by George Eliot {Florence, Italy}
12. Wild Card Classic ~ Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky
A.M. Pine - Hearth Ridge Reflections 
I loved Walden. I read it in high school and remember daydreaming all through class about what things I’d bring to the pond if I had the same opportunity. I’m not a huge fan of Edith Wharton. Her stories alwys seem to tinged with bitterness. I don’t mind sad at all, but bitterness I can do without.
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Yeah! I’ve read House of Mirth and it wasn’t my favorite. 😕However, I own a couple of her books and I do like her writing style even though she puts her characters through the ringer. I’d love to visit The Mount someday! I’ve started Walden SO many times and enjoyed it, so I’m excited to actually read it all. I had bought that version for myself for a birthday and it’s so pretty. 😍
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it looks beautiful. House of Mirth~just couldn’t get into the characters at all. Anyway, good luck with your list and happy reading!
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I have read the Thoreau several times..I had a college Honors class dedicated to him…his experience not all as he wrote it.. but no less wonderful for me, Dante, Shakespeare, Du Maurier, and I have a beautifully illustrated set of the Larkrise that I have read for the most part. I loved each of these. Your selection for the year sounds enticing and also a bit daunting:-). I look forward to reading your take on each one of them.
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Hi Amy! 😌 Yes! This is VERY ambitious, but I’m not putting any pressure on myself. I’m so glad you enjoyed so many of these! That’s so exciting to me!
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In The Woodlanders, he captures how in remote places with no diversions people really live in each other’s pockets. The Custom of the Country brilliantly examines intercultural friction, esp in marriage and Undine is wonderful bad girl.
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Oh, thank you! Can’t wait to dip into these! 😃
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Such a wonderful list of classics! My Cousin Rachel is definitely a favorite and I truly enjoyed Larkrise to Candleford.
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Oooo! Good! Can’t wait!
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The only of these I’ve read is My Cousin Rachel and it’s my favorite du Maurier. It’s SO. GOOD. and the ending just begs for discussion. You’ve got me wanting to reread it now!
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Oooo! I’ll bump that one up!
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This is an amazing list! I’m really hoping to read more this year, and not just frantically skip from book to book. These all look fantastic, I do love Walden especially!
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Thank you! It’s so fun to have a stack to dip into. 😍♥️
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If Larkrise to Crandelford seems daunting for your challenge, would only counting the first of the trilogy, Larkrise, be more doable/still count? I counted just Larkrise towards my Classics Club reading challenge. I am doing the same with the first of the Kristin Lavensdatter series as well, because expecting myself to read ALL of those two series seemed too daunting, yet I felt like the individual books were still books in their own right, so I counted those towards my challenge and decided I would continue the series if I loved them. I would like to read Prelandra at some point… maybe this year!
Here is my Back to Classics list, if interested! https://elle-alice.blogspot.com/2022/01/back-to-classics-2022.html
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That’s a good idea! I’ve only read the first of Kristin Lavensdatter, too.
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I hope you will enjoy My Cousin Rachel – I thought it was great! 😃 Happy classics reading!
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I’ve heard such good things I’m tempted to add it next after I finish a few things! 😁
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I love this idea! I also love your reading journal : ) I haven’t read all of your selected classics (and it is a very ambitious goal!) but I loved My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. In fact, I love all of her books and short stories, but that was one of my favourites. Happy reading and good luck with your challenge : )
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Oh goood! So many people have enjoyed My Cousin Rachel, so I’m so very excited to crack it open!
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Eliot’s Mill on the Floss and Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment are two of my favorite books — thanks for reminding that I need to read more of their works! This is a great list (followed you from your sign-up post for Back to the Classics challenge).
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I really enjoyed Mill on the Floss, too! Thank you for stopping by! 😍
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Such a great, ambitious goal. I also have The Custom of the Country earmarked to read this year. I loved the Woodlanders by Hardy so much, I will very interested to hear your thoughts on it. I think the book should be better known from all Hardy’s creations. My Cousin Rachel and Notes from the Underground are my other all-time favourites.
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Ooo! Thank you for letting me know about those three on my list so I can bump them up! ♥️
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Hello Amy, so nice to see you know Chantel too! I mostly follow her on her booktube channel. Oh, and your reading journal is absolutely beautiful! If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading A Tale of Two Cities or Oliver Twist as they’re both excellent! (My only reads too so far of his but I can’t wait to read more!) If this interests you, Oliver is the ‘easier’ of the two reads, though I don’t find either particularly difficult. Have a fantastic reading year!
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Hello 👋😄♥️I love Chantel’s Booktube! I’m really enjoying the reading journal. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for the Dickens’s suggestions. 😄♥️
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