When I saw the categories that Karen at Books and Chocolate chose for this year's Back to the Classics Challenge I knew I had to sign up. There are 12 different categories to choose from, but the challenge is flexible; you can read books in just six categories, or nine, or all twelve. The whole point is just to read more classics. And what could be better than that?
Here are the six categories (and the books) I'll for sure be reading this year:
A 19th Century Classic: Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
A Classic by a Woman Author: The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons
A Very Long Classic Novel: Armadale by Wilkie Collins (which is 661 pages of very small, very dense type. Gulp!)
A Classic Novella: Either The Bunner Sisters or Madame de Treymes by Edith Wharton
A Classic with a Person's Name in the Title: Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
A Classic Children's Book: The Independence of Nan by Nina Rhoades
Here are the three categories that I might read this year:
A Forgotten Classic: A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott
A Classic in Translation: Embers by Sandor Marai
A Classic Play: Henry V by Wm. Shakespeare (or maybe The Merry Wives of Windsor)
And finally, the last three categories that I probably won't get around to reading this year
(but you never know):
A 20th Century Classic
A Humorous or Satirical Classic
A Non-fiction Classic
Aren't they great categories? Now you see why I couldn't resist signing up for this challenge. Best of all? I actually own all the books that I've chosen...they're sitting in my TBR pile waiting for me to read them. Looks like this could finally be the year. Are you planning on reading any classics this year? If so, which ones?
Happy Reading!
