2012 Challenges

So far I haven't been interested in participating in any blog community challenges. Mainly because I like the idea of being able to pick out whatever I feel like reading at the time, not because I feel like I have to read something.

But two challenges have come to my attention that just sound too good not to participate in them. So I've decided to take on these two as my first EVER blog community challenges! Yay how exciting!

The first is Back to the Classics Challenge 2012 hosted by Sarah Reads Too Much. Now this one should be pretty self explanatory. Most of you would have seen my own personal 100 Book Challenge list and know how fond I am of reading classic literature. So it seems this challenge was made for me! Essentially I'm going to do my best to fit some books from my own challenge list into the assigned categories. This will really help make some progress on those must read books!

The second is the Mixing It Up Challenge 2012 hosted by Musings of a Bookshop Girl. This one appeals simply because I love the idea of branching out and trying different genres. For this challenge you can decide what level you want to do so I originally thought I would only do a few because I really didn't like the idea of attempting Horror but you know what? the point of this is to challenge myself so I'm going to do the whole kit and caboodle! Yep that's right all 16 categories! Oh sheesh what am I getting myself into?!

So I will post my full challenge lists very soon, I've just got to spend a little time working out exactly which books I want to put into each category. I'll keep you posted!

Back to the Classics Challenge 2012

 

As I mentioned before I've decided to do a couple of challenges for the first time. Back to the Classics is the PERFECT challenge for me as I'm already trying to read a number of classics as part of my 100 must-read book challenge that i set myself. So it'll be great to read some of the all time greats.

I've listed a couple of options for each just in case I can't get ahold of a particular book easily.

This will be my main post throughout the year for this challenge and I will update it along the way with all the books I read for the challenge.


Any 19th Century Classic
Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)

Any 20th Century Classic
1984 (George Orwell)

Reread a classic of your choice
The Hobbit (JRR Tolkien)
(I read The Hobbit before when I was about 12 but I remember so little of it I want to read it again)

A Classic Play
Hamlet (William Shakespeare)

Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction
This is the most difficult for me. Maybe something by Edgar Allan Poe? - Suggestions welcome!

Classic Romance 
Emma (Jane Austen)
Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë)

Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language
One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel García Márquez)
The Three Musketeers (Alexandre Dumas)

Classic Award Winner
Animal Farm (George Orwell)

Read a Classic set in a Country that you will not visit during your lifetime
Love In The Time Of Cholera (Gabriel García Márquez) - Columbia
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)  - Afghanistan