Sunday, December 9, 2018

Back to the Classics Challenge 2019

Books still life, unknown artist. Spanish, 1620-1640.
Old National Gallery, Berlin

It's back! After much deliberation, I've decided to continue to the Back to the Classics Challenge for the sixth year! I hope to encourage readers and bloggers to tackle all the classic books we've never gotten around to reading. And at the end, one lucky winner will receive a $30 (US) gift of books from Amazon.com or The Book Depository! The rules and the prize are the same as last year, but I think I've come up with some fun new categories. 

If you're new to the challenge, here's how it works:
  • Complete six categories, and you'll get one entry in the drawing; 
  • Complete nine categories, and you'll get two entries in the drawing; 
  • Complete all twelve categories, and you'll get three entries in the drawing
THE CATEGORIES: 

1. 19th Century Classic. Any classic book originally published between 1800 and 1899.

2. 20th Century Classic. Any classic book originally published between 1900 and 1969. All books in this category must have been published at least 50 years ago. The only exceptions are books that were published posthumously but were written at least 50 years ago. 

3. Classic by a Woman Author.

4. Classic in Translation. Any classic originally written in a novel other than your native language. You may read the book in your native language, or its original language (or a third language for all you polyglots!) Modern translations are acceptable, as long as the book was originally published at least 50 years ago. Books in translation are acceptable in all other categories as well.

5. Classic Comic Novel. Any comedy, satire, or humorous work. Humor is very subjective, so if you think Crime and Punishment is hilarious, go ahead and use it, but if it's a work that's traditionally not considered humorous, please tell us why in your post. Some classic comic novels: Cold Comfort Farm; Three Men in a Boat; Lucky Jim; and the works of P. G. Wodehouse.

6. Classic Tragic Novel. Tragedies traditionally have a sad ending, but just like the comedies, this is up for the reader to interpret. Examples include The Grapes of Wrath, House of Mirth, and Madame Bovary.

7. Very Long Classic. Any classic single work 500 pages or longer, not including introductions or end notes. Omnibus editions of multiple works do not count. Since page counts can vary depending on the edition, average the page count of various editions to determine the length.

8. Classic Novella. Any work of narrative fiction shorter than 250 pages. 

9. Classic From the Americas (includes the Caribbean). Includes classics set in either North or South America or the Caribbean, or by an author originally from one of those countries. Examples include Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (United States); Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Jamaica); or One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Columbia/South America). 

10. Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia). Any classic set in one of those continents or islands, or by an author from these regions. Examples include Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt); The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki (Japan); On the Beach by Nevile Shute (Australia); Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria). 

11. Classic From a Place You've Lived. Read locally! Any classic set in a city, county, state or country in which you've lived, or by a local author. Choices for me might include Giant by Edna Ferber (Texas); Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (Chicago); and Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann (Germany). 

12. Classic Play. Any play written or performed at least 50 years ago. Plays are eligible for this category only.

THE RULES: 
  • All books must have been written at least 50 years ago to qualify; therefore, books must have been published no later than 1969 for this challenge. The only exceptions to this rule are books which published posthumously but written before 1969. Recent translations of classic novels are acceptable. 
  • All books must be read during read from January 1 through December 31, 2019. Books started before January 1 do not qualify. All reviews must be linked to this challenge by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2019. I will post links the first week of January for each category which will be featured on a sidebar of this blog for convenience through the entire year. (The link for the final wrap-up will be posted towards the end of the year, to avoid confusion). 
  • The deadline to sign up for the challenge is March 1, 2019. After that, I'll close the link and you'll have to wait until 2020 for the next year's challenge. Please include a link to your actual sign-up post, not your blog URL/home page. Make sure you sign up in the Linky below, not the comments section. If I do not see your name in the sign-ups, you are not eligible. If you've made a mistake with your link, just add a new one and let me know in the comments. It's no trouble for me to delete an incorrect link. 
  • Books may NOT cross over within this challenge -- that is, you may not count the same book multiple times within this challenge. You MUST read a different book for each category in this challenge, or it doesn't count. 
  • Participants must post a wrap-up and link it to the challenge, and it must include links to all the books they've read for this challenge, specifying which books for each challenge. If I cannot confirm which books you've read for each challenge, I will not enter your name into the drawing. It is fine to rearrange books for the challenge, since many books can fit multiple categories -- just let me know in the final wrap-up! 
  • The wrap-up post MUST include contact information so that I can contact the winner privately before announcing the winner on this blog. If your blog doesn't have a link, or if you have a Goodreads account, let me know in the comments of wrap-up post. If I cannot contact you, I cannot award you the prize!
  • The winner will be announced on this blog the first week of January, 2020. All qualifying participants will receive one or more entries, depending upon the number of categories they complete as stated above. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries. I will contact the winner privately and award the prize before posting on the blog. 
  • The winner will receive a gift certificate in the amount of $30 (US) from Amazon.com (US) OR $30 in books from The Book Depository. Winners must live in a country that receives shipment from one of these online retailers. To check if your country receives deliveries from The Book Depository, click here
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: 

Can I read e-books and audiobooks for the challenge! 
Absolutely! E-books and audiobooks are acceptable! 

Can I count this book toward another challenge? 
Yes, definitely! As long as it's another blog, that's fine. You just can't count one book for two categories in this challenge. 

Can I read more than one book by the same author! 
Of course -- as many as you like by the same author, but again, only one category per book. (You could actually read nine different novels by Trollope for this challenge.)

Can I read more than one book for each category? 
Well, yes and no. Many books can fit more than one category, so for example if you wanted to read only books by women authors, or books in translation, that would work, as long as they fit the criteria for that category, i.e., 20th century or comedy. But if you want three entries in the final drawing, you have to have one book for each category, not just repeat categories. Of course, you are NOT required to completed all 12 to qualify -- you just get less entries. 

Are children's books okay? 
Children's classics are acceptable, but no more than three total for the challenge! And please, no picture books.

What about short stories and poetry? 
Single short stories and short poetry collections do not count, but you may use full-length narrative poems (like The Odyssey) and short story collections such as The Canterbury Tales, as long as you read the entire book.

Can I change the books from my original list on my sign-up post? What if a book counts for two different categories -- can I change it later? Yes! And you do NOT have to list all the books you intend to read in your sign-up post, but it's more fun if you do! You may certainly rearrange or change the books for this challenge, as long as you indicate it on your final wrap-up post. 

Do I need to read the books in order? 
Not at all! Books may be read in any order. 

What if I don't have a blog? 
If you do NOT have a blog and wish to enter, you need to link to individual reviews on a publicly accessible site like Goodreads. You can specify which categories in the comments section of the link to the Final Wrap-Up Post, or within each review. Do not simply link to your Goodreads account.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up in the Linky below! I'll be posting my tentative list of reads for the 2019 challenge in the next few days. I can't wait to see what everyone else will be reading! 


143 comments:

  1. Thank you for doing this again. Getting my thinking cap on now. I have lived most of my life in one bit of England where not much is written.but I take it from your prompt England is enough?

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  2. Absolutely! I always think it's fun to read about books where you've lived, but naturally some people don't live in a place that's necessarily a popular setting for books. I think most everyone can find at least one books set in their home country, if not their city or region. And I'm really looking forward to see where everyone is from.

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    1. Thank you.I will sign up when I get home(22nd December)I have my tablet here but can't sign up with it.

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  3. Oooo! I'm so excited! I had most a list already figured out so it was just a matter of fitting things into the categories and finding books to fit the categories I didn't have anything ready for. Looking forward to this year of reading!

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  4. Yay...I really like the categories. I'm definitely in, but I won't post my list until after Jan 1. Cheers

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  5. Thanks for hosting again! I'm in for 2019

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  6. Thanks for hosting, Karen. I really appreciate all the work you do to run this great challenge!

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  7. I'm so glad you decided to host again. I love the categories again, especially reading about other countries.

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  8. You're so awesome to do this again. I didn't do any reading challenges last year, but I definitely want to do this one in 2019. :D

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  9. YAY! I did not see the post about the Yea/Nay vote in time but am so glad you are continuing. I love this challenge. Thank you so much for all your hard work in making this happen!

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  10. Thanks for hosting it again. I'm glad we were able to twist your arm...

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  11. I am thrilled! The 2019 list will definitely stretch me. Thank you!

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  12. Yes! Thank you for bringing it back. I had so much fun this year! I always read lots of classics, but finding books to match the categories was so much fun and definitely broadened the range of classics I would normally choose.

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  13. I am so excited you're doing this again! This year was my first year doing reading challenges (I didn't know about them before) and I loved yours, but it ended up a complete disaster. I'm gonna see how much of my read books I can use for it, but I doubt it'll be much haha! Better luck next year; I'm already signed up!

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  14. Grad school is over and I can read again! I'm excited to get back to the classics!

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  15. Thank you for deciding to hoste this challenge again! Count me in :)

    Juliana
    www.theblankgarden.wordpress.com

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  16. This will be my first year attempting the challenge. I need encouragement to read more classics.

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  17. Any recommendations for classics set in Michigan?

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    1. I recommend The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow. One of the best books I read last year.

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    2. Ooh, I'm from Michigan, too! :)

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    3. I'm so ashamed to say I can't think of a single one and Michigan is my home state! Elmore Leonard? Maybe one of his early novels?

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    4. Michiganders...there is The Loon Feather by Iola Fuller (set on Mackinac Island), or Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon. AND I'm very excited about this one (the one I'm going with, as I am a native of the mitten), is The Oak Openings by James Fenimore Cooper set in my home town of Kalamazoo

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    5. Oops...sorry. Song of Solomon does not meet the 50 year rule. The others are both good though.

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    6. Anatomy of a Murder (1959) is set in the UP. Superb courtroom drama.

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    7. Thanks for the recommendations! Anatomy of a Murder sounds right up my alley! :)

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  18. I'm a little confused about Tragedies and Comedies if plays aren't allowed. Do you have suggestions for these categories?

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    1. For tragedy I am reading Revolutionary Road. I also considered tender is the night

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    2. Basically a tragedy has a sad ending -- The Grapes of Wrath, Les Miserables, most of the Russians, etc. A comedy is any comic novel or satire -- Candide, Three Men in a Boat, Cold Comfort Farm, anything by P. G. Wodehouse. Most of the novels people think of as "classics" aren't usually comedies, i.e., not really studied as curriculum. But they are considered classics because they have endured. If it makes you laugh and was published no later than 1969, it qualifies.

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    3. Are plays not allowed then for these two categories? I was going to go with plays, as I don't see anything against it in the rules. No problem either way...I just don't want to pay a stiff fine when it's all over.

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  19. I haven't participated in challenges for a few years, but this one has lured me back. Thanks for hosting, Karen!

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    1. A quick question... do rereads qualify? I'm working on a rereading high school project (rather not think about how many decades ago that was!) and wonder about using a couple of those books here.

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    2. Sure, re-reads are fine! I had a specific re-read category this year, but I'm not going to disqualify anyone for rereading -- and how would I know anyway? It's totally up to you.

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  20. Okay is it okay if I include a book m parents read to me as a kid but I haven't read myself before?

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  21. So glad you are doing this again!!! I have a modern book challenge I have been doing....almost no one participates...but it gets me to read books I otherwise might not read!

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  22. I look forward to reading some new classics. They have been woefully missing from my reading list lately.

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  23. I'm so glad that I can be part of this challenge during this coming year. I had an aimless reading year in 2018. Yes, I read some good ones, but I want more from my reading. I let my old Classics Club List slide, and now would love to get back on track! Thank you for hosting!!

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  24. So pleased that you were able to do this for another year. Interesting new categories. Thanks for continuing with this :)

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  25. I'd love to enter, but I'm having trouble understanding the rules. (Not about the categories.) Maybe if I could see what went on last year, it would become clearer.

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    1. There are links on the side bar to the 2018 challenge. If you click on the different categories and see the posts, you'll get a better idea.

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    2. Step 1: open a Goodreads account. step 2: select books (I think I'll stick to books I already own and mostly haven't read). step 3: take it from there.... If I have any questions about suitability of certain books, I'll let you know. One more question: I don't see any way to subscribe to your blog. How does one?

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  26. Excited to do this for the second year!

    I'm not sure yet which books I'll be reading for each category, but I do know that this is the year I want to read The Count of Monte Cristo, and finally read Dickens - probably Our Mutual Friend.

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  27. So I've signed up via Mr. Linky and entered www.goodreads.com as mu URL. I hope this is right.

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  28. I'm so glad you're running this again, and love the categories. Looking forward to another year.

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  29. Thanks for doing this again. I tried last year, but did not succeed in reading the books, I set out to read.
    I absolutely have only one complaint. Why always a "Classic by a Female Author"-category.
    This category angers me - if possible even more than last year. It's what's in a author's head that counts, not what's beween their legs.
    Why isn't there a "Classic by a Male Autor"-catgory as well? as I've seen some participants professing to read only female ones?

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    1. I've included the female author because historically there are far more male authors than female. I've also included categories to encourage people to read books in translation, and set in other countries. Of course, you are not required to complete all the categories to enter the challenge. You can pick a minimum of six categories and still participate.

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  30. It's been awhile since I took part in this challenge, and I've missed it. Thanks for hosting the challenge again!

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  31. Thanks for doing the challenge again! I love the categories, and can't wait to see what books cross my path in each, and which ones fit any of those that I've been wanting to read. I'm excited about the local and across the world reading categories. I can fit much of what I love! Well, always, really, when it comes to classics, ha ha ha. I just love love the categories this year.

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    1. Thank you! I had a lot of fun coming up with new categories. I'm especially looking forward to everyone's choices for local classics.

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    2. Same here, Karen. I've been "shopping" in my shelves, and soon I'll be posting my picks for your wonderful challenge. It'd be my FIFTH year doing it, and I've loved every single edition. I'm naturally drawn to classics, so every time I've been able to complete the 12 entries, and even read more than one that could fit some categories.

      About the local book, I'm going to read "Adventures with a Texas Naturalist", book that I own, and I started reading, and left not because I didn't like it, (I actually love it).
      I love the continents thing you've done with some of the categories, and I love you keep the book in translation... wonderful categories. Thanks for doing this.

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  32. Okay quick disclaimer the heavily male list is how it turns out not because I am making a statement.
    19th century- Hard Times by Charles Dickens
    20th century- The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
    by a woman- The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
    in translation- Journey to the center of the earth
    Long- The Pickwick papers by Charles Dickens
    Comedy- Emma by Jane Austen
    Tragedy- revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
    Americas-Pat of Silver Bush by L M Montgomery
    Asia or AFrica- The Quiet American by Graham Greene
    Where I Lived- brighton Rock by Graham Greene (England)
    Play- Suddenly Last Summer by Tennesse Williams
    will decide short later

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    1. Yeap. Yesterday I picked books from my shelves, for this challenge and for 2019, and my tower of book is mostly composed of men authors. I don't know. I've never purposefully set to read same number of male and female authors... I don't know, I just go for the titles and authors I like, and what I own.

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  33. I'm so excited to discover your reading challenge! Most of the challenges I see frustrate me -- categories that direct me to read a specific author, or to read a book with a cover I hate -- but with your list, there isn't a single category that I look at and shudder.

    Of course, trying to come up with a North Dakota book that is at least 50 years old and appeals to me at all is a bit of a struggle. Seriously contemplating Roosevelt's books on his time in the western part of the state. Or I could come up with something for Colorado instead.

    I've come across some truly fascinating books that don't qualify for North Dakota though... like one that compiles the letters home of a WWII soldier. I may just read that one anyway.

    I live in Colorado now, so I may go with one I've meant to read since I moved out here -- Little Britches. Thinking on it...

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    1. If you can't find a North Dakota author, any American author works! I'm trying to be flexible because I know not everyone lives in a place with literary connections. I'm originally from Michigan and I was racking my brains to come up with a classic local author.

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    2. I read Little Britches aloud to my family and it's wonderful. I can't believe this would be my fifth year doing Karen's challenge. I'm glad you found it. I agree with you. Lovely categories within the realm of classics. I only do this challenge, and the Classics Club. I believe the challenge has to fit your reading preferences, or it'll potentially frustrate you, ha ha ha.

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    3. How about Nebraska? How about Willa Cather? How about My Ántonia?

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    4. Old Jules - Mari Sandoz - is a 1935 biography of Jules Sandoz, a Swiss who settled in the Nebraska Panhandle. Old Jules is as mean as a snake, but I guess you had to be tough to be a pioneer even in the early 20th century. Highly recommended, though not for the faint-hearted.

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  34. Finally got my list up! Here it is:
    https://urbanpioneerwoman.wordpress.com/2018/12/23/2019-back-to-the-classics-challenge/

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  35. I am planning to read Virginia Woolf's The Waves. But do I read as 'Classic by a Female Author,' '20th Century Classic,' or 'Classic Novella'? Decisions, decisions.....

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  36. Ruth told me about your challenge on Episode 134 of the Reading Envy podcast. I was looking for new reading challenges to commit to for 2019, so I'm going to try it. I don't read many classics so I'll shoot for six. Thanks for hosting!

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    1. Also I messed up above and have reentered my info with a link to the post in my blog about the challenge!

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  37. Thanks for hosting this challenge again in 2019–6 year already! I remember when you assumed the mantle :) It’s my favorite challenge, and the only one I really do apart from the Goodreads 3 of books. Thanks again—you’re a gem!

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  38. I'm really glad that you decided to host again! I've attached my link above.

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  39. I think I signed up properly (link above Rachel Aster Anchan). I read quite a bit but looking forward to trying something new and challenging myself to write the reviews.

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  40. Thank you for this! Looking forward to this upcoming year of reading and digging into some classic titles. Hope I signed up correctly!

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    1. Whoops, and I definitely didn't. Sorry! That's what I get for rushing to put together a blog for this. Is there a way I can delete my link and redo it?

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  41. Thanks for hosting this! I'm also starting on my Classics Club list in the new year, so this dovetails rather nicely. :)

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  42. Here's my list, for whatever it's worth, comprised of books that are on my shelves:
    1) 19th cent: Frankenstein MW Shelley
    2) 20th cent: All Quiet on the Western Front Remarque
    3) female The Waves Woolf
    4) translation: Les Enfant Terrible Cocteau
    5) comedy: Alice in Wonderland Dodson
    6)tragedy: The Good Soldier F.M. Ford
    7) long: The Prime Minister Trollope
    8) novella: The Awakening Kate Chopin
    9) Americas: Ficciones Borges
    10) Africa, Asia, etc: To This Day Agnon
    11) where you live: Call It Sleep Henry Roth
    12) play: Cherry Orchard Chekhov
    I can get started in three days. Can't Wait!

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  43. I need some help from the Rules Committee. My URL is a link to the home page of my Goodreads account. I now see that most of the participants using Goodreads have a link to the 'shelf' that contains the list of books they plan to read. Should I re-enter with the correct URL and you'll delete my original listing (#29)? I'm not going to do anything until I receive a clarification.

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    1. Yes, you need to link to your actual list, not just your Goodreads home page. You can add another link and I'll delete the first one, it's no problem.

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    2. Hi Karen, I have the same issue. Would you please delete my entry? I have created a blog, and I can add that in lieu of my Goodreads page.

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  44. The challenge looks like a lot of fun and I've very excited to be involved. In fact, I just set up my blog (something I've been meaning to do for years) so I'll have some place to post my reviews. It's a bit unadorned at present, but it IS up and running. I've just signed up as your 70th participant; you can see my selections at https://youmightaswellread.com

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  45. I am excited to try this again this year. I attempted it a couple years ago before we had some big moves and it got me reading more classics to some extent but I never finished. I also didn’t officially register because I couldn’t figure out how to link to my goodreads account and wasn’t active using it at the time. Hopefully I can sort that out this time around and join in! I have pre-chosen most of my books, or at least authors, and I look forward to getting started!

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    1. not sure why it didn't show my name above, but I linked to my Goodreads account and here are my hopeful reads for this year! Thank you for doing this again!
      1. Mary Marston by George MacDonald
      2. Ross Poldark by Winston
      3. Dorothy Sayers choice, probably Gaudy Night
      4. Leisure the Basis of Culture by Pieper
      5. P.G. Wodehouse something
      6. Great Gatsby
      7. Kristin Lavrandatter
      8. Eight Cousins by Alcott
      9. River by Rumer Godden
      10. Tree of Freedom By Rebecca Caudill
      11. Shakespeare, probably the Tempest
      12. Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury

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  46. This is always a fun one, thanks again for hosting, Karen! I managed 8 books in 2018, hoping for a full 12 this year.

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  47. Thank you very much for running this challenge again! For this year, so far I am thinking:

    1. 19th Century - Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
    2. 20th Century - Swann's Way by Marcel Proust
    3. Woman Author - Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
    4. Translation - Petersburg by Andrei Bely
    5. Comic - Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
    6. Tragic - Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
    7. Very Long - Bleak House by Charles Dickens
    8. Novella - Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
    9. Americas - The Book of Lamentations by Rosario Castellanos
    10. Africa, Asia, Oceana - On the Beach by Nevil Shute (sounds interesting...)
    11. Place You've Lived - The Girls by Edna Ferber
    12. A Play - The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov

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  48. Hi, this is my first year doing this so please be patient with me.

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  49. I haven’t decided on which books to use yet. If anyone has any ideas or recommendations, don’t hesitate.

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  50. May one do the same category multiple times?

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    1. The challenge is to complete books that fit as many categories as possible, so when you create your final wrap-up post, you have one book for each category. However, many books will fit multiple categories, so you so for example if you want to read a lot of mysteries, you could count one as a 20th century classic; an Agatha Christie mystery as woman author; "Death on the Nile" (set in Egypt) as a Classic from Africa/Asia/Oceania; "The Mousetrap" as your classic play; and so on.

      But no, you cannot read 12 novellas, 12 plays, etc., for this particular challenge. But you could easily read all books in translation, all books by female authors, all Victorian novels (since the Victorian period spans 1837-1901); et cetera. And you don't have to read 12 books to qualify for the drawing, you only need 6 for one entry.

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  51. Yours was the very first book challenge I'd ever heard of, and I loved doing it. So here I am, back again. Thanks for giving us another round! I've carefully picked out books from my shelves, too. Score!

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  52. First timer here! Looking forward to participating!

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  53. On behalf of all of us newbies who are better at literary observations than following instructions, let me thank you for your patience. I have re-entered myself -- this time correctly I hope. I am now #94. Please delete me at #29. Thanks.

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  54. First time challenge for me. Here's a tentative list:

    1. 19th Century Classic. Mansfield Park
    2. 20th Century Classic. All Quiet on the Western Front
    3. Classic by a Woman Author. Rebecca
    4. Classic in Translation. ???
    5. Classic Comic Novel. Cold Comfort Farm
    6. Classic Tragic Novel. The Grapes of Wrath
    7. Very Long Classic. Any classic single work 500 pages or longer, not including introductions or end notes. ???
    8. Classic Novella. ?
    9. Classic From the Americas (includes the Caribbean). Their Eyes Were Watching God
    10. Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia). Things Fall Apart
    11. Classic From a Place You've Lived. The Long Goodbye
    12. Classic Play. The Cherry Orchard

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  55. Really looking forward to this again. I'm Serendipity (number 98 above) since that is my Goodreads name.

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  56. I didn't make it through all 12 classics last year, but I want to see if I can improve my number this year. And I did read several books I probably would not have read had I not participated, so I'm happy. I think the play will be the most challenging...although I haven't read many of Shakespeare's historical plays.

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  57. Thanks for hosting! I've been meaning to participate for years, and this year I'm finally taking the plunge! I appreciate the challenge.

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  58. Thank you for hosting this, I need some guidance with my reading!

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  59. Karen, I have entered a second time (I am number 103), using my new Blogger profile. Would you please delete my entry (number 97), which just used my Goodreads page?

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  60. These are the books I think I will read:

    1.19th century classic - “Fathers and Sons” by Ivan Turgenev;
    2.20th century classic - “The Waves” by Virginia Woolf;
    3.Classic by a woman author - “Agnes Grey” by Anne Bronte;
    4.Classic in translation - “Midaq Alley” by Naguib Mahfouz;
    5.Classic comic novel - “Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K Jerome;
    6.Classic tragic novel - “The House of Mirth” OR “Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton;
    7.Very long classic - “The Eustace Diamonds” OR “The Prime Minister” by Anthony Trollope;
    8.Classic Novella - “Diary of a Nobody” by George Grossmith;
    9.Classic from the Americas (includes the Caribbean) - “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez;
    10.Classic from Africa, Asia or Oceania (includes Australia) - “The Makioka Sisters” by Junichiro Tanizaki;
    11.Classic from a place you have lived - “My Brilliant Career” by Miles Franklin; and
    12.Classic Play - “The Cherry Orchard” by Anton Chekhov.

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  61. My blog is currently empty. Now comes the fun part: choosing the books! Thank you to John Spender for your help.

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  62. These are my tentative twelve books for the Books and Chocolates 2019 challenge:



    19th century classic-“North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell
    20th century classic - “The Waves” by Virginia Woolf;
    Classic by a woman author -“Daniel Deronda” by George Eliot
    Classic in Translation-“The Black Tulip” by Alexandre Dumas
    Classic comic novel - “Our Hearts Were Young and Gay” by Cornelia Otis Skinner
    Classic tragic novel -“Return of the Native” by Thomas Hardy
    Very long classic - “Little Dorrit “ by Charles Dickens
    Classic Novella - “Cousin Henry “ by Anthony Trollope
    Classic from the Americas (includes the Caribbean) - “Lucy Gayheart “ by Willa Cather
    Classic from Africa, Asia or Oceania (includes Australia) - “Letty Fox: Her Luck” by Christina Stead
    Classic from a place you have lived - “The Lady in the Lake” by Raymond Chandler
    Classic Play -

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    1. Nice list -- I loved North & South, Lucy Gayheart, and Little Dorrit. Our Hearts Were Young and Gay is also a fun read.

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  63. I'm so excited you are doing this again! Thank you for hosting!

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  64. I'm in again this year after missing out. I always like this challenge and it is a great crossover with the European Reading Challenge I host on Rose City Reader.

    Thanks for hosting again!

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  65. Karen, I've barely been online over the holiday period so didn't see your deadline date. I hope I can still take part. I meant to sign up ages ago.

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    1. No worries! You have until March 1 to sign up!

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  66. This sounds like such fun! I've signed up and am thinking I may start with a classic play. There are so many awesome ones to choose from!

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  67. I love this idea! So excited for this.

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  68. I've seen so many people do this, and I think I'll take the plunge this year - not as an official participant, because I don't want to worry too much about precise rules, but as an official participant who will hopefully achieve it nonetheless!

    One question as a newbie... how is classic defined? Is that just up to us?

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    1. (other than the 50 years thing, of course!)

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    2. I just set it any book at least 50 years old -- after that, it's up to you!

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  69. I'm now officially signed up! Here's to a fun year of reading the classics. :)

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  70. I'm in for another year and looking forward to it!

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  71. Thank you for hosting! I am going to try to finish the challenge this year. I think I may have two links up there because one disappeared on me. If it's still there just leave the one that says Dominique @Mique Reads up there.

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  72. I'm new to these types of challenges. How do I post my write-up of the books I read?

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    1. Just write something on a blog for one of the categories and link it to one of the posts on the sidebar. You can also use a Goodreads account if you don't have a blog. If you're not sure, click on some of the other entries for examples.

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  73. So I've updated my sign up post. I'm #123. Here is my list of chosen books. I think they all fit the rules. So correct me if something isn't right. Thanks!
    THE CATEGORIES: 
    1. 19th Century Classic- The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
    2. 20th Century Classic - Roverandom by J. R. R. Tolkein
    3. Classic by a Woman Author- The Wreath (Kristin Lavransdatter #1) by Sigrid Undset
    4. Classic in Translation. The Wife (Kristin Lavransdatter #2) by Sigrid Undset
    5. Classic Comic Novel- The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery
    6. Classic Tragic Novel- The Cross (Kristin Lavransdatter #3) by Sigrid Undset
    7. Very Long Classic- East of Eden by John Steinback
    8. Classic Novella- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
    9. Classic From the Americas- Under the Sea-Wind by Rachel Carson
    10. Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia)- King Solomon's Mines by  H. Rider Haggard
    11. Classic From a Place You've Lived - My Antonia by Willa Cather
    12. Classic Play- Antigone by Sophocles



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    1. Great list -- and I like how you're using Kristin Lavransdattar for three categories, well done! (But I hope the final volume isn't too tragic, I haven't read it yet!). I loved The Blue Castle and My Antonia, and Steinbeck is always great.

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    2. Thanks! I decided to do The Wings of the Dove by Henry James instead of Steinbeck for this category.

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  74. So excited I think I just linked to the challenge with my 2019 book choices

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  75. Karen, I did link to challenge and I see my name but when I click on it doesn't show front of my blog page but rather the part where I can edit get my stats etc. Is that because I am clicking on the page. Hopefully everyone else who clicks on will only see the front page of my blog. Thanks

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  76. Hi, I am 128 (Neer). I have created a shelf at goodreads for this challenge and will fill the shelf as I finish the books. Hope that's fine. Thanks for continuing with this challenge.

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  77. After playing along last year, I realized in December that I forgot to actually sign up. 😬Not making the same mistake twice! Thank you for doing this every year!

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  78. Here I go again excited to have my reading horizons stretched again.

    19th Century: For the Term of His Natural Life by Marcus Clark
    20th Century: Power without Glory by Frank Hardy
    By a Woman Author: The Harp of the South by Ruth Clark
    Classic in Translation: Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan (translated from French)
    Classic Comedy: Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford
    Classic Tragedy: The Tragedy of Puddn'head Wilson by Mark Twain
    Very Long Classic: The Wings of a Dove by Henry James
    Classic Novella: Princes in the Land by Joanna Cannan
    Classic from the Americas: Tomorrow I'll Say Enough by Silvina Bullrich (Argentina)
    Classic from Oceania: Voss by Patrick White (Australia)
    Classic from a Place You've Lived: The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin (England)
    Classic Play: The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder

    I like the categories this year a great deal because they stretch me geographically as well as by genre.
    Off I go!!

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  79. I am looking forward to completing the challenge this year. Last year I was very side-tracked! Thanks so much for hosting this!

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  80. I enjoy reading other readers lists. Mine is heavily Australia influenced this year because my reader friend, who reads the books but does not participate, is Australian. There are many great Australian writers back to the 18th century. If you want to find a good one you can look at Miles Franklin Award winners.

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    1. An Australia theme sounds fun! I normally read a lot of books from the UK but this year most of mine are from other countries. Next year I might try to do all books in translation.

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  81. I have a question... I immediately dashed to Wodehouse for the comedy category, and read the first title in the series (my first time to read Wodehouse). I now realize that some of the titles in the series are short story collections and some are novels, I guess. Is it fine that I read a short story collection for that category? I see it's actually named "Classic Comic Novel" .... ???

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  82. I originally linked only to my Goodreads account, and now I have added my submission with a link to my Goodreads shelf I built for this purpose. Just letting you know I now have a dupe entry.

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  83. Just signed up. Started War and Peace on 5th Jan, so that could count as my translation or my really long book! Will see what else I want to read as the year goes on and work out where it fits best.

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  84. Karen, can you delete 141? I forgot to use my post link. I hope to be able to complete the challenge this year! :) lol! thank you for hosting

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  85. Here's my list.

    THE CATEGORIES:
    1. 19th Century Classic - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
    2. 20th Century Classic - Mr Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester
    3. Classic by a Woman Author - Middlemarch by George Elliot
    4. Classic in Translation - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
    5. Classic Comic Novel - Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope
    6. Classic Tragic Novel - The Mill on the Floss by George Elliot
    7. Very Long Classic - Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
    8. Classic Novella - Lady Susan by Jane Austen
    9. Classic From the Americas - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
    10. Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia) - The Art of War by Sun Tzu
    11. Classic From a Place You've Lived - Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (Winchester/Hampshire)
    12. Classic Play - Richard II by Shakespeare

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  86. Ok, here's my very rough list. I'm sure I will change my mind on a few of these as I progress:

    1. 19th Century Classic. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
    2. 20th Century Classic. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
    3. Classic by a Woman Author. Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
    4. Classic in Translation. Chéri by Colette
    5. Classic Comic Novel. Service with a Smile by P.G. Wodehouse
    6. Classic Tragic Novel. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
    7. Very Long Classic. Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
    8. Classic Novella. Les Enfants Terrible by Jean Cocteau
    9. Classic From the Americas (includes the Caribbean). O Pioneers by Willa Cather
    10. Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia). Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
    11. Classic From a Place You've Lived. Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
    12. Classic Play. Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar Wilde

    Will be posting updates here: https://stickypagesblog.wordpress.com/

    Good luck everyone!

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  87. This is my first year participating and I'm officially signed up now!

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  88. First year and looking forward to this! :)

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  89. I've never done a reading challenge before! (Except as a small child, through my local library.) So I am very excited!

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  90. Hi, Karen. My post about the challenge is on my blog. I erroneously signed up awhile back (at #37) before I'd written my post. My apologies! Looking forward to taking part this year!

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  91. Yes! A classics challenges! I just now signed up because i took me 6 weeks to write the post (hahaha).

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  92. Am I the first to complete my twelve self-assigned works, or simply the first to brag about it?

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  93. Apologies if this was covered somewhere and I just missed it: Is there a minimum page count for non-novella books? Do they automatically have to be over 250 pages?

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  94. Hi Karen, is there a page to link our final wrap-up posts on to? It's late October, I've just finished, and can't see one, as per other years.

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    1. Just out of curiosity have you heard from Karen? I wonder if she plans on continuing.

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  95. Does anyone know about a final wrap up? Will 2020's category list be posted within a week from now like usual? Is Karen going to continue the challenge or is someone else going to take over? I know she wasn't sure about doing it again in 2019 as it is...

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  96. Hmm...I tried posting my wrap up here, but it doesn't appear to be showing up. Please let me know if I need to link my wrap up elsewhere.

    https://miquereads.blogspot.com/2019/12/back-to-classics-2019-wrap-up-post.html?m=1

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  97. I have finished my challenge too and have been looking for the link for the Wrap Up post. This has been an interesting year of reading thanks to your criteria. Thanks Karen.

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