Having been so focused on not missing my second birthday with The Classics Club, (original list here) I missed my blog’s second birthday on the 22nd March, so a belated anniversary to me. I will postpone a two year round up post until the Easter holidays when I hopefully have a bit more time to reflect on my reading in general. It has now been two years since I joined up for The Classics Club and I can’t say my reading is going tremendously well, but I’m getting there.
In my first year I read the following books.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Villette by Charlotte Bronte
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
The Major of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
1984 by George Orwell
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
However in my second year I perhaps haven’t been as good at sticking to the reading schedule and reading as much as I could have done to ensure I keep on track. I have reread a book from last year (Pride and Prejudice) as I have been teaching that this term, so I think that counts as a half at least. So throughout the second year I have read:
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Old Curiousity Shop by Charles Dickens – Classics Club Spin
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H.Lawrence – Classics Club Readathon
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien – started for Classics Club Readathon
Howards End by E.M.Forester
I am pleased that four of these books have been linked to Classics Club Events and it is clear to be that these types of events do spur me on in my reading, so I am grateful to everyone who helps organise them.
Most Anticipated:
Lord of the Rings
Most Beautifully Written:
Tess of the D’Urbervilles, but them I love Hardy so I’m bias
Most Disappointing:
None of them, I enjoyed them all, although at a push it would be Mansfield park as I didn’t like Fanny Price.
Most Surprising (In A Good Way!):
Lord of the Rings as I have attempted to read it before and not enjoyed it.
Most Memorable Character/s:
Tom Bombadil in LOTR
Alec D’Urberville for sheet evilness in Tess
Most Recommended-to-Others:
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Ambitions for 2013/2014:
Keep going with my list and ensure I take part in more events run by The Classics Club to help me focus on my reading and my list in particular. I would also like to have more time to read more blogs and see how their reading is going.
So after two years I have read 15 of the 50 books I originally set out to read, let’s hope I pick up the pace next year…but if I don’t at least I’m enjoying it still!
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