Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Back to the Classics Challenge: Mid-Year Check-In and Giveaway!


2015 is halfway over! How's everyone doing with the Back to the Classics Challenge?

I'm pleased to report that I've already finished eight of of the twelve categories, and I'm making good progress on #9!  Here's what I've read so far:
  • 19th Century Classic: Phineas Finn by Anthony Trollope
  • Classic by a Woman Author: Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
  • Very Long Classic: The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
  • Classic Novella: Liza of Lambeth by W. Somerset Maugham
  • Classic With a Name in the Title: Lady Anna by Anthony Trollope
  • Humorous or Satirical Classic: Frozen Assets by P. G. Wodehouse
  • Forgotten Classic: The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macauley
  • Children's Classic: Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers
I think my favorites were Lady Anna  and Mary Poppins, and of course Wodehouse is always a hoot. I did find Pickwick to be a bit of a slog, but I mostly listened to the audiobook. I'm also about a third of the way through my Classic in Translation, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, just in time for Paris in July!

I'm so pleased with my progress. And how is everyone else doing? As a little incentive, I'm having a giveaway! Just like last year, one lucky winner will receive a beautiful Penguin Clothbound Classic of his or her choice (up to US $20).  

Here are the rules for the Giveaway:

Updated: Since it is a holiday weekend here in the U.S., the deadline has been extended to July 10. 

1.  To enter, you must already have been signed up for the challenge (sorry, the cutoff date was back in March.) If you have not already on the list, YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.

2.  Challenge participants must have already linked at least one review to one of the twelve categories in the 2015 Back to the Classics Challenge. If you've signed up but haven't posted any reviews, the cutoff date to post is July 10. 


3.  Any new links to the Challenge must follow the original parameters for the Challenge.

4.  Challenge participants must leave a comment below, letting me know which book they've most enjoyed reading for the challenge. If you like, you can also tell me which Penguin Clothbound Classic you would choose if you won (you can change your mind if you're the winner). Include an link or an email address so I can let you know if you've won. 

5. One lucky winner, drawn at random, will receive his or her choice of Penguin Clothbound Classic valued up to $20 (US) from either Amazon.com OR The Book Depository. The winner must live in a country where they can receive delivery from Amazon.com or The Book Depository. If you're not sure, click here to see if The Book Depository delivers to your country. 

6.  Comments and links must be posted no later than July 10, 2015 at 11:59 p.m., U.S. Central Standard Time. On July 11, 2015, I'll post the name of the winner. 

7.  The winner must contact me with a good address by July 16, 2015, at 11:59 p.m., or I'll choose another winner. 

So what are you waiting for?  Post some reviews, tell me which books you liked best, and let me know which Penguin Classic you'd pick if you won! 

23 comments:

  1. So far I've also read 9 out of 12 - nice surprise when I checked as I thought I'd only read 8. I've yet to read:

    * A Very Long Classic Novel
    * Humorous or Satirical Classic
    * Non Fiction Classic

    My favourites...that's a hard choice but probably A Tale of two Cities by Charles Dickens, I Can Jump Puddles by Alan marshall & The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie.
    As for a Penguin Classic 'Far From the Madding Crowd' or Sense & Sensibility would be lovely!

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    1. Nine classics already, wow! And I still haven't decided about my nonfiction classic. It will probably be Kon-Tiki which is my book group selection for August.

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  2. Oh! You are amazing. I just have 2 or 3, I can't remember right now :(

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    1. You have plenty of time! And you only have to finish six for the challenge.

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  3. I'm on the 11th book! I just need to read a classic by a woman. I have of course read many classics by women, but I want to pick one new to me that I'll enjoy a lot. So far I've been very lucky and most of them have been great. I'll pick Street of the Crocodiles, by Bruno Schulz, as my favorite, largely because it's so weird. http://howlingfrog.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-street-of-crocodiles.html

    It would take me a long time to decide on a Penguin Classic, so I'll save that for if I win. :)

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  4. Wow, Jean is almost done! I have read seven and posted reviews of five so far. It's difficult to choose a favorite as they were all so different, but I think I'd say Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. I had never yet been able to read a book of hers with pleasure but this time I finally got into it. Email (in case Google profile doesn't link): lory AT emeraldcitybookreview DOT com.

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    1. I have trouble with Woolf also, though I did really like A Room of One's Own.

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  5. I've managed to finish my list and there's not one I didn't enjoy. I think the hardest were A Classic Play - I read Troilus and Cressida by Shakespeare and A 20th Century Classic - I read Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford. But I enjoyed them nevertheless! Thanks for hosting :) Oh, and email address - o [DOT] beholdthestars [AT] gmail [DOT] com :)

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    1. Nearly everyone is reading Shakespeare for the play category! I'll probably end up reading Oscar Wilde or maybe Chekhov.

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  6. I've read 10 out of twelve and just have to read a classic with someone's name in the title and a classic play to finish up.

    As to my most enjoyed I'd have to say The Club of Queer Trades (review here: http://cleoclassical.blogspot.ca/2015/06/the-club-of-queer-trades-by-gk.html ) but Confessions, Pinocchio and Gulliver's Travels are close seconds.

    Email is cleo [DOT] ross659 [AT] gmail [DOT] com

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    1. Ten already, that's awesome! And I'm so impressed by some of the unusual classics people are enjoying. I'm really glad I included the Forgotten Classic category this year.

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  7. I have linked up 6 books, I'm happy to say. I've also finished reading Gone With the Wind as my very long classic novel, but since it's part of a read-along, I have no wrap-up post to link to yet. I've liked every single book I've read for this challenge, I truly can't pick a favorite.
    mybookstrings [AT] gmail [DOT] com

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    1. Six books is great! I wanted to reread GWTW this summer but now I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo so I may not have time. I'm glad you've enjoyed so many of your books for the challenge.

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  8. I am woefully behind! I have linked up to three (Novella, 20th Century and Forgotten) reviews and have just finished but not yet posted on two (Name in Title and Humorous). I plan to complete all twelve, so I need to get cracking. My favorite thus far has been One Fine Day by Mollie Panter-Downes. It was just so gorgeously written.

    Contact on goodreads or at naessa[AT]yahoo[DOT]com

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  9. I've read five with one review still to complete and reading two more this month so happy with my progress. Have enjoyed all of them but favourite has to be Shirley by Charlotte Bronte.

    catsplace31 at yahoo (dot)co(dot)nz

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  10. This is a touch question--I really loved reading Rilla of Ingleside as well as The Once and Future King. Dombey and Son was good, but I still enjoyed David Copperfield more and still have to write and post that review! I think I'll go with DC as my favorite classic this year, but they've all been great!

    If I win, I would probably go for Penguin's Poems for Life.

    Thanks for hosting this marvelous challenge and for providing a mid-year incentive!

    janetgs05-at-gmail.com

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    1. I forgot to mention Framley Parsonage, which I also really enjoyed, so that makes it five classics so far this year. I'm doing better with this challenge than my TBR Pile challenge!

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  11. Wow! Many of you are doing so well! :) I've only read 2 of my selections, working on the others...although I might have to change up one or two! :)

    http://theycallmemommywithapileofbooks.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-weight-of-glory-by-cs-lewis-book.html

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  12. I've only finished one, I'm afraid, but I loved it (The Age of Innocence). I've started three others, however, including The Warden, which so far is amazing and funny and perfect. I've clearly been too focused on other things; maybe I'll do a summer of classics to catch up! Thanks for the timely and needed reminder.

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  13. I have finished 6 books so far (I am very slowly this year... -_-). My favorites were Far from a Madding Crowd and The Black Tulip. The later was quite surprising; It's not as best as Monte Christo or D'Artagnan Romances, but still, it's a nice and unique story.

    I think my choice would be The Odyssey, it's sooo lovely! <3. Thanks for the chance to win it, Karen!

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  14. Sure wish I'd seen this post earlier, since I've completed 8 of my 12 classics already and written blog posts about them all. I'm following your blog now so this won't happen to me again. Oh well, live and learn, right? And I probably wouldn't have won anyway. Thanks for your generosity though. And sorry if I'm whining, I really don't mean to be!!!

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  15. I'm sorry I missed this! I've read 7 out of my 12 classics, including War and Peace. My favorite so far has been the shortest, The Little Prince, followed closely by Dickens' Little Dorrit.

    (Blogger is not letting me sign in with my Wordpress account, where my blog is, but my Google account has a link there.)

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