Hello my fellow bookworms and classic clubbers, if you can believe it, I created my second list for The Classics Club back on the 8th February 2018; which means that today I have now passed the three year stage and what a tumultuous year the last one has been! 🤪 Now let’s take a butchers at what I have read off my list during my third year and the links in the titles will take you to my reviews, if I have had chance to write one:
- Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy [re-read] ⭐⭐⭐
- The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum ⭐⭐
- Lady Susan by Jane Austen ⭐⭐⭐
- The Watsons by Jane Austen ⭐⭐
- The Professor by Charlotte Brontë ⭐
- Kim by Rudyard Kipling ⭐⭐
- The Black Corsair by Emilio Salgari ⭐⭐
- Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne ⭐⭐
- The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling ⭐⭐
- Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell ⭐⭐
- Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen [re-read] ⭐⭐⭐
- Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott [re-read] ⭐⭐⭐
On average I am aiming to read 10 books a year for this challenge and as you can see I surpassed that this year, which is a much needed result, as I missed my aim in both my first and second years. This now brings my grand total up to 26/50 books completed towards my overall goal of 50 books off my list.
I have succeeded in upping my numbers considerably by choosing more of the shorter works on my list and, as you can see, availing myself of three comforting re-reads. Tactics I will hope to continue to employ in the coming two years to keep my numbers up and finally reach my ultimate goal. 🏆
My favourites from all these classics are the witty epistolary novella, Lady Susan by Jane Austen, and my comforting re-reads of the moving pastoral tale, Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, the Gothic ode, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, and the Chivalric romance, Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. 😍
Now I’d love to hear from you: Have you read any of these? What classics have you read recently? If you are also taking part in this challenge, how are you doing with your goal?
Congratulations on your progress, and getting through so many classics last year. Good idea to prioritise shorter works and leave any tomes you may have on your list till nearer the end.
Thank you, Alyson 😊
Well done, you’re doing great! And to only have one 1-star among them is excellent. Classics tend to require so much time commitment it’s doubly hard if they’re not enjoyable. Hope this year goes just as well – is there more Austen in it?
Thank you, FF! 😁 Classics certainly did require more time commitment and often concentration, too. And yes, I have Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility and Mansfield Park lined up for re-reads on my list. 😉
I keep thinking I need to revive my list – well, every time I see one of your updates and see how well you’re doing.
Lynn 😀
Haha 😅 To be fair I always leave my list open to tweaking/updating 😉
You did great! I have Far from the madding crowd too on my list and after reading your fabulous review, I’m excited to start it!
Thank you, Annelies! 😁 I really hope you will love Far From the Madding Crowd as much as I did; both times!
Wow, you must feel accomplished!
Yeah, just a wee bit, Judy! 😊