A year ago I decided to join The Classics Club.
What is the Classics Club? From the blog:
- Choose 50+ classics.
- List them at your blog.
- Choose a reading completion goal date up to five years in the future and note that date on your classics list of 50+ titles.
- E-mail the moderators of this blog (theclassicsclubblog@gmail.com) with your list link and information and it will be posted on the Members Page!
- Write about each title on your list as you finish reading it, and link it to your main list.
- When you’ve written about every single title, let us know.
The Classics Club: Fifty Classic(ish) Books I Will Read in the Next Five Years.
Now a year has passed. What has been accomplished by becoming part of The Classics Club?
- I have read 33 of the 50 books on my list.
- Of the 33 books I've read, seventeen were five-star-reads. That is astonishing. Over half the classic books I read last year were excellent books.
- Of the 33 books I've read, only one book was a two-star-read. That is astonishing, too. Only one book was a book that I found to be a book I would not recommend to others, a disappointing read.
- I feel like I am an active part of the book blogging community. I am not a frequent reader of genre fiction, and I've had a difficult time in the last few years finding bloggers who take on challenging books. I've discovered some amazing bloggers through The Classics Club.
- I feel like I have taken on a worthy challenge. I've read many books I never would have attempted if I had not joined The Classics Club.
- I feel like I have freedom in the challenge, to choose the books I put on my list initially as well as to modify my list when I start a book and find it is not a book I am deeply interested in reading. I am able to focus on one of my primary interests in reading, to try to read as many classic children's books as I can, as well as also taking on adult classics.
How about you?
Are you a member of The Classics Club?
If you are, are you pleased with your membership in the club?
If you are not, what are your reasons for not joining?
Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Other posts from last year about The Classics Club:
Let's Spin the Wheel and See What We Read in August
What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've
wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound
journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens
at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their
own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly,
mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.
wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them,and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound
journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....That's what happens
at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their
own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly,
mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book. Click here to join the Salon.
The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba at Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news and recap the past week.
Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share books that we found in our mailboxes last week.
It is now being hosted here.
Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which you can share the books you've acquired.
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between!
This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read”
book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at The Book Date.
This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read”
book will come from! I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at The Book Date.
50 books in 5 years that is being generious, I would get though that many in less than a year. Not sure what classics I would want to read
ReplyDeleteIf you only read classics yes, same for me, as I usually read between 100 and 110 books a year. BUT for us book bloggers, it's always hard to find the balance in reading classics, and books that we've had on our shelves for too long, and new releases, to keep our reading feet both in the past and in today's literary word.
DeleteAs you can see, Deb does also try to keep very aware of books published recently, plus she's a judge for a children's book award, so I'd say kudos to her, this challenge is no mean feat in these circumstances
I'm not a big classics reader. Although I'd love to read all of the Jane Austen books. I've only read one. You are doing great.
ReplyDeleteGreat progress! I haven't done any challenges in a couple of years, and haven't read classics since university and high school days. Maybe it's time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.
Awesome! I need to start reading classic books again!
ReplyDeleteHere’s my Sunday Post!
Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog and join in this week’s Book Photo Sundays and Cover Spotlight!
I think that I would love to take part in the Classics Challenge when I've retired, but given that I am writing seriously, working on a major editing project and have two part-time teaching jobs - I don't have the headspace to give such books the attention they deserve. Thank you though for explaining about this wonderful challenge:)) Something to look forward to when life slows down a bit, Deb. I think you've done brilliantly on this challenge so far, by the way - given just how many other books you've read and other activities you have been doing.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 1 year anniversary! You are doing very well! It got me curious, and I realized I joined on January 1st, 2016. That was certainly a great new year resolution! I got great news yesterday, when I was told I could count towards my total all the classics I have read since then, whether they were on my list or not - I have the bad tendency to read classics that are NOT on my list! SO, I'm only 8 titles away from my 50, and am looking forward to my 2nd list!
ReplyDeleteThat is wonderful.
DeleteI am not a member of the Classics Club as classics isn't a genre that works for me. But, you have done so well with it and it's awesome that so many were 5 star books!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful progress on your goal. I used to read a lot more classics and literary fiction and need to make a better effort at choosing those books.
ReplyDeleteI was a part of this years ago, but had to give up all the challenges when I went back to school. I just couldn’t give enough time to it. I’m happy to see that people are still taking part in this one!
ReplyDeleteI think my problem was I put books on the list and then never really set out to read them. I also added more books without completing my first 50 books. Maybe 2019 will be the year I finally make a big bite out of the list.
ReplyDeleteThe Classics Club sounds interesting! There are so many classic books that I want to read "some day" but never actually try which is silly when the classics I have read (for example, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Dracula) I really enjoyed... I guess I'm just more of a genre fiction kind of reader but that's no reason for me to not slowly work my way through those 'bucket list' reads.
ReplyDeleteWell done on reaching 33 out of 50! I hope the remaining 17 are as surprising and enjoyable. :)
I joined the Classics Club in March of last year and really enjoy it. It's a great incentive to read classics. I tend to really enjoy the one's I've read and I wouldn't necessarily have picked them up if it weren't for the Challenge.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like it really works for you. I have read most but not all of the classics I want to read when I was younger. There are a few I own and reread occasionally. I'm glad you are enjoying it so well. Anne - Books of My Heart
ReplyDeleteI'm a member of the Classics Club but I haven't been as active as I could be. I need to refocus on classics as even when I've read one I didn't love it's always a worthwhile read.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a member of the Classics Club, but I commend you for reading so many -- and enjoying so many. It doesn't surprise me that over half were ones that were excellent. You know how to select good books to read. I'm learning how to do that too, at least so far this year.
ReplyDeleteSo many five star reads..that is awesome. I think this is an awesome challenge!
ReplyDeleteI AM a member of the Classics Club, and I love it too. I finished my first list of 50 books in right around 4 years and jumped right in again with another list of 50, which I'm a little more than half done with. I love that it encourages me to seek out those books that I've been meaning to read for years, but also lets me reread old favorites if I so desire.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting summary. How do you keep track of what classics you've read and which ones were great? Whhhoooops, don't tell me...probably technology! LOL
ReplyDelete