Last year, I participated in the 2009 Book Challenge over on Ravelry. My personal goal last year was to read one book a week, and at least 40 of them had to be books I'd never read before. I almost made it, at least as far as "new" books went; I definately read at least one book a week last year.
This year, I decided on a more ambitious goal: To read as many classics as possible before the end of the year. However, there are some rules (which are made up by me, enforced by me, and penalized by me, as this is a personal challenge):
1. To count in the challenge, it has to be a classic I've never read before. This disqualifies Jane Austen, Mark Twain, and a lot of Shakepseare (though not all).
2. I'm counting any classics written up to the 1940's. I've read a lot of mid-century and modern classics, and I'm not discounting them as books of merit (To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the best books I've ever read. My youngest son was thisclose to being named Atticus, but his dad wouldn't stand for it). They just don't count for this challenge.
3. Translations count.
4. Audio books count. I don't have to literally read the book, as long as I'm assimilating it.
I began in January. here is a list of books I've read for the challenge so far:
Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. Quick summary: I didn't know that Dickens was so witty. I enjoyed both books, though David Copperfield takes it for me. That was more realistic, character-wise; Oliver Twist seemed contrived in some places, and there is an overly moralistic tone I didn't like. Overall, though, good reads.
Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina. Quick Summary: Holy complicated book, Batman. There is a lot going on here, lots of characters with a lot of issues. Very interesting and gripping. i couldn't stop thinking of Anna, Kitty, Dolly, and thier respective men. It's interesting how intertwined everyone is, and how one event affects everyone else.
Homer, The Odyessy. I can't beleive I stuck with it. It was a long slog; ancient Greek poetry does not translate fluently into modern English. Although it helped that I was familiar with the whole story, thanks to my teenage passion for mythology, so that made it easier.
Currently reading: Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights. this is one of those books that I've always meant to read. 35 pages in, though, I don't understand the attraction. It's just really melodramatic so far, and not in a good way (and I can put up with bad melodrama; I've read VC Andrews and The Twilight Saga). I'll give it a couple more chapters, though, before I give up on this thing.
Next up: Perhaps another whack at The Picture of Dorian Grey (Oscar Wilde); when I tried it before I wasn't paying attention to it. Or maybe more Dickens; I've always wanted to read Great Expectations. i don't know yet. I'll have to get through the wild passions of Heathcliff and Catherine first.
