For the eighth year, the Classics Club hosts the Back to the Classics Challenge, a year-long challenge in which participants are encouraged to finally read the classics they've always meant to read -- or just recently discovered. At the end of the year, one lucky winner will receive a prize $30 (US) in books from the bookstore of their choice. The rules and prize are the same as last year, only the categories have changed. They have some fun categories -- I think we could all use as many fun and relaxing reads as possible!
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
Without further ado, here are the categories for 2021:
1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899
2.
A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All
books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only
exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously
published.
3. A classic by a woman author.
4.
A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a
language that is not your primary language. You may read it in
translation or in its original language, if you prefer.
5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.
6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.
7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read.
8.
A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal
can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).
9. A children's classic.
10. A humorous or satirical classic.
11.
A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a
travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an
adventure.
12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.
We do NOT have to read 12 books to qualify for the drawing! The rest of the rules also remain the same.
THE RULES:
All books must have been written at least 50 years ago to qualify; therefore, books must have been published no later than 1971 for this challenge. The only exceptions to this rule are books which published posthumously but written before 1971. Recent translations of classic novels are acceptable.
All books must be read during read from January 1 through December 31, 2021. Books started before January 1 do not qualify. All reviews must be linked to this challenge by 11:59 p.m. on January 1, 2022. 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 31, 2021. After that, I'll close the link and you'll have to wait until 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 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, 2021. 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.
So, here are my books, all from my TBR pile and since I want to tackle it more again, I think it's a great idea to take part. I think I can manage one classic book a month.
1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von "
Italian Journey aka Letters from Italy" (GE:
Italienische Reise) - 1817
2.
A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All
books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only
exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously
published.Ford, Ford Maddox "
Parade's End" (Tetraology: Some Do Not, 1924, No More Parades, 1925, A Man Could Stand Up 1926, Last Post 1928)
- 1924-28
3. A classic by a woman author.Sand, George "
Fadette" (aka Fanchon, the Cricket) (FR: La Petite Fadette) - 1849
4.
A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a
language that is not your primary language. You may read it in
translation or in its original language, if you prefer. Gogol, Nikolai (ะะธะบะพะปะฐ́ะน ะะฐัะธ́ะปัะตะฒะธั ะะพ́ะณะพะปั, Nikolay Vasilyevich Gogol) "
The Overcoat" (RUS: ะจะธะฝะตะปั) - 1842
5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.Jacobs, Harriet Ann (Linda Brent) "
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" - 1861
6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.Rhoides, Emmanuel (Emmanuel Roidis) "
The Curious History of Pope Joan" (GR: Papissa Ioanna) - 1866
7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read.Dickens, Charles "
The Old Curiosity Shop" - 1840
8.
A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal
can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).Storm, Theodor "
The Rider on the White Horse" (GE:
Der Schimmelreiter und andere Erzรคhlungen) - 1888
9. A children's classic.Savage Carlson, Natalie "
The Family Under the Bridge" - 1958
10. A humorous or satirical classic.Twain, Mark "
A Tramp Abroad" - 1880
11.
A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a
travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an
adventure.Martin, Catherine "
The Incredible Journey" - 1923
12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.Shakespeare, William "
Much Ado About Nothing" - 1598/99
