I'm excited to once again participate in the Back to the Classics challenge in 2012. I'm all about the classics and I'm all about making lists, so this is perfect for me. Sarah Reads Too Much is hosting and there's plenty of time to sign up. The challenge runs from January to December in 2012 and so you have loads of time to complete it.
I decided to at least get an idea of what I'd like to read for the challenge, so I picked a book or two for each category. Here's my possible list...
1) Any 19th Century Classic: Moby Dick (1851) or Bleak House (1853)
2) Any 20th Century Classic: Cold Comfort Farm (1935)
3) Reread a classic of your choice: Sense and Sensibility
4) A Classic Play: A Streetcar Named Desire (1948)
5) Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction: The Sign of Four and The Stand
6) Classic Romance: My Antonia
7) Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your language: The Count of Monte Cristo
8) Classic Award Winner - To clarify, the book should be a classic which has won any established literary award: The Yearling (won the Pulitzer in 1939)
9) Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime: Villette (set in the fictional city of Villette, published in 1853)
p.s. My post on completing the 2011 challenge will be up in a couple weeks.
Here are the other details from Sarah:
1. Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. Books started before January 1st do not count, and all links/reviews/comments for each category must be posted in the correct place by December 31st. Feel free to join in at any time, but the end date is December 31.
2. Please feel free to use books in this Challenge toward any other Challenge you may be participating in. However, you must read a different book for each category of this challenge. Audio and e-books are allowed.
3. Please sign up for the Challenge using the linky list (or comment section if you do not have a blog/website). If you would be so kind, please spread the word about this challenge by creating a post on your blog/website and link back to this sign up page.
4. Once the Challenge has begun, you will see a new bar on the left hand side of this blog. This will list the places for you to link/comment your reviews of the book you have read for each category as well as a "wrap up" page. I will not be doing monthly check-in posts this year. I will probably do a "Half Way" post in June. These will be important because....
5. THERE IS A PRIZE THIS YEAR! People who complete the challenge (and I will check that all categories are completed!) will be entered into a random drawing for $30 worth of books (Book Depository will be used for an International Winner). I may have other prizes as well.
11 comments:
I should consider this one as I really want to read more classics, but I'm on the fence as to whether I'll be joining challenges for 2012. Have fun Melissa.
So many great picks!! (Especially your picks for rereads!) I have never read To Kill a Mockingbird and I own a copy! Really must fix that in 2012.)
There's another classics challenge going on at the same time as this one, from the blog November's Autumn. I posted about it yesterday. (I'd leave a link to the November's Autumn blog, but I am afraid that might send this to SPAM.) Anyway, to let you know! Looks like a great pair to Sarah's Challenge. :-)
Have fun, Melissa! I'm excited for 2012!
Glad to hear you're joining up, too. I loved The Count of Monte Cristo and Sense & Sensibility. Ah...makes me want to start reading them again right now. Lady Chatterley's Lover is supposed to be quite saucy...can't wait :) Good luck!
Love the 3 options in category 3. Very hard choice there! Any idea when you'll read The Count of Monte Cristo? I might join you for that one.
I'm looking forward to reading some good classic science fiction in the month of January. IF I can wait that long. Thankfully I've got some planned reading that will distract me a bit from my sf jones. It always returns the minute that the weather starts getting cold.
Diane - I tend to only join challenges that align with my personal reading goals. I like completing lists so it works well.
Jillian - You have to read it! I'll have to check out the other classics challenge, that sounds great.
Teacher/Learner - I love S&S so much. I re-read P&P this year and it made me want to pick that one up immediately.
Alex - Heck yeah, let's coordinate it and read it at the same time. I love being able to compare notes with someone else when i'm reading a classic. I could do that one anytime, but I do love reading big classics in winter time, maybe February?
Carl V. - Once I make a list I always want to dive right in, but I'll try to hold off until January.
I gave up formal challenges, but I will look forward to your progress throughout 2012! I'm working on my own plans for making progress on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list, so I'll certainly be reading many classics too. Enjoy!
I love your list!! So many great choices!! Thanks for joining in!
nomadreader - I'm always working on the 1001 Books list. I own the hard copy of that book and at the end of each year I go through the whole thing and check off the books I read. I love it!
Sarah - Thanks for hosting!
Ooooo...tempting.... I was already thinking of dedicating a whole month to classics next year, this would be right up my alley!
Heather - That would be perfect!
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