Happy New Year!
I cannot commit to outside reading challenges - not this year - because I know I will not keep them. I have yet to follow all of my own reading expectations, but I have to start somewhere. So here goes nothing...
My reading objectives this year:
1. read the next eight books off The Well-Educated Mind (TWEM) Poetry list;
- Greek Lyricists
- Odes (read selections)
- Beowulf
- Sir Gawain & the Green Knight
The Canterbury Tales(bailed after several chapters)- John Donne (read selected)
- Paradise Lost
- Songs of Innocence & of Experience
- William Wordsworth
2. re-read the first eight books of The Little House series (completed);
3. re-read eight books from TWEM novel list;
Don Quixote(read 254/518 of Book One)- Pilgrim's Progress
Gulliver's Travels(decided against)- Pride & Prejudice
Oliver Twist(decided against)- The Scarlet Letter (done)
Uncle Tom's CabinMadame Bovary
4. read eleven books from my unread shelf (in addition to unread titles from TWEM poetry list);
- The Road
- To the Edge of the World
For Whom the Bell Tolls(read 15%)- A Moveable Feast
- Tortured for His Faith
- These are the Generations
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc(read 16% and quit)John Adams
5. and read five books (mostly re-reads for me) with my kids, as we finish our homeschool year.
- Animal Farm
- The Pearl
- Travels With Charley
- A Place Called Heartbreak (done)
- Let's Roll
On average, I read 50 books a year, give or take, but this year I am hoping for 40; and, yet, I wonder if that may be too ambitious since we are looking to relocate by March. 😬 We shall see.
Here's to a new year!
The Virginian(read 12% during relocation/had to return to library)- Animal Farm (AOL)
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
- Beowulf (AOL)
These Happy Golden Years(AOL) (We read something else in its place)Bleak House(read 16% and quit)- The Hiding Place
- The Invisible Man (done)
- For Whom the Bell Tolls (AOL) (read 15% and quit)
- The Immortal Nicholas (read 52% and could no longer renew from library)
Good goals! I am not re reading like I should because I have such a large unread pile. That's a problem, because I', probably sacrificing good re reads for so so first reads. I'm forcing myself not to finish a book if it really isn't very good.
ReplyDeleteLuckily each night hubby and I are reading LOTR together.
Oh! and I will announce this o my blog, but I have published my very first book. It's on amazon and it is called Murder in East Texas. The places are real and, I shouldn't admit this, but the characters are all inspired by people I know, but the work is fiction. Heres the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Murder-East-Texas-Sharon-Wilfong/dp/B09NNCKLH1/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2FY3FQQMBZTKK&keywords=murder+in+east+texas+by+sharon+wilfong&qid=1641254874&sprefix=murder+in+east+texas+by+sharon+wilfong%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-1
If you read it, you may recognize the protagonist as representing little ol me, but I have never really been involved in a murder.
Anyway, as soon as I recover from surgery I am going to announce it on my blog.
Have a great new year!!
OH! That's wonderful, Sharon! I will have to add it to my TBR pile. I'm so excited for you and cannot wait to take a look. I think if I ever wrote a book, I would definitely base my characters on the people in my life. LOL!!
DeleteAlso, I agree about the re-reads issue. It cuts into my unread pile. I don't like that, but I am also desiring to revisit so many books, I feel like I just have to do it before I can't.
That's a great list! I don't think I'll do any challenges this year but there are some definite goals I'd like to set - reading the books I've had on my shelves for ages; reading some of my daughter's year 12 books, & some inspirational Christian bios & 3 books of poetry my kids gave me for my birthday/Christmas. We shall see. I read quite a lot in 2021 but didn't write about them & they were mostly comfortable reads - Agatha Christie, and other detective type older mysteries.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I'm curious how many books did you get to read last year? Do you have a goal this year? I get a lot of books read by reading the books my kids are reading, too. It kills two birds w/ one stone. I think it sounds like you have a good mix for this year. And I still have not read an Agatha Christie! Someday???
DeleteYou're so lucky to find a book club that's a good one! I wish I could. Your goals seems achievable and I see that you've already started.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the reason you're re-reading the WEM books? More insight? Just curious ....
Hi, Cleo,
DeleteOur book club is actually via Zoom, since several of us are really too far to meet in person. We all live in California, but not all in one area. Several of us used to homeschool or hike together. And some of us used to meet for bookclub in person but have moved away. I bet there are some great online book clubs out there. People are really getting creative w/ Zoom and other online services to do things together.
As for the WEM re-reads: I have been craving to return to the novels. Hopefully rereading does bring more insight. I had forgotten that I reread Don Quixote in 2019. It felt longer, but now I remember; so I probably will only read the first book.
Do you read Don Quixote in Spanish? I've read it twice, and I just don't love it. I'm told it is better in Spanish. I may try to get to Paradise Lost this year. I read my first Milton...On the Morning of Christ's Nativity for Christmas. I liked it, but it was challenging.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't know Spanish beyond a few general words. This is my third read of DQ, though I probably will only read book one. I can't help but love Sancho's sarcasm and wit. He's my favorite.
DeleteWell I'm embarrassed. Somehow, I had you as a Spanish speaker. Sancho is great comic relief.
DeleteMaybe my last name? Or I look Hispanic? Or maybe you had a conversation w/ someone else about reading in Spanish, and you thought you remembered it was me??? People speak Spanish all the time to me. But I'm Italian - or of Italian-decent. And even then, I'm lacking in my Italian.
DeleteHi Ruth. You have some great books for this year. And some of my favorites are here: The Pearl (poignantly beautiful), Bleak House (one of Dickens' best), The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (warm & touching). Happy reading, and have fun!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Fanda. I have read The Pear a couple of times, but this time I am reading it to my children for the first time. Bleak House I have not read, and I hope I will be able to do it.
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