Classics Considered

Between the extra downtime of the holidays and a new year approaching, it feels like the right time to make reading plans. Here is what’s planned for Thanksgiving–Christmas 2023 and going into 2024:

Readalongs

I’ve become fond of readalongs over the past several years, and now they make up a large part of my reading. Here’s what I’ve got planned with various folks in bookish lands:

• Reading the World (ongoing, currently Noli Me Tángere by José Rizal)
• The Quiet American by Graham Greene (currently)
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (December)
• The Samurai by Shūsaku Endō (January)
• The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (February)
• Cancer Ward by Alexander Solzhenitsyn (March)
• The Return of Sherlock Holmes (April)
• Eyeless in Gaza by Aldous Huxley (May–June)
• The Marble Faun (reread) by Nathaniel Hawthorne (June–July)

Sherlock Holmes, of course, continues throughout the year on an alternating monthly basis. Other than that, I am going to try not to overcommit or plan too far ahead. *nervous laughter*

Reading What I Own

At least a couple of bookish friends do some variation of this challenge, namely Stephen and Heather. I have a wide variety to choose from… the real challenge here is that visiting the bookstore is a joy of my life at the moment. And how can you visit a bookstore without buying something??

Here are the rules I have come up with for myself:

• I will read books and ebooks I own already (gasp).
• Library books and ebooks are included. I liked Heather’s take on this, regarding being a tax payer/part-owner, as well as supporting the library by keeping books circulating.
• Project Gutenberg, as a public domain ebook library, is also included.
• For every 5 books I read from what I own, I may buy 1 new (to me) book. This is the only time I may buy a book. I generally read around 30-40 books a year, so that means I am unlikely to buy more than 6-8 new books, which is already plenty.
  • DNFs do count, if I’ve given the book the old college try. Reading 10 pages and bailing does not count. Unless it’s Hemingway. But I don’t own any unread Hemingway.
  • Finishing a previously started book also counts.
  • I have some very short unread books like Turgenev’s First Love, so it is very possible I can read 5 books in a month if I apply myself.
• Exceptions: Books for Reading the World, books received as gifts, and books purchased for work, cooking, or health (i.e. “self-improvement”).

This is a very relaxed version of “read what you own,” but I think I have a good chance of succeeding!

Other Possibilities

I’m so intrigued by Ozathon 2024, since reading the whole Wizard of Oz series has been on my to-do list for years. I’ve read the first book at least twice and find it quite charming. The entire series appears to be available on Project Gutenberg. However, I don’t know that I want to commit to starting a 14-book series right now, especially since I am rereading Sherlock Holmes. I’ll leave it up in the air for now. 😉

Last but not least, I’m still sailing on various Voyages. The good news is, they are largely comprised of books I own, so it will be a win-win if I read from those lists.