Thursday, December 8, 2022

Back to the Classics Wrap Up Post...

 


I actually managed to read all twelve books in this year's Back to the Classics Challenge. It's hosted by Karen at Books and Chocolate, and is always a lot of fun. Though I don't usually manage to finish all the categories. Here are the twelve books I read, with links to my original posts, in the order that I liked them...from best to worst:

💗Classic set in a place you'd like to visit: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy


Classic that's been on your TBR the longest:  The Virginian by Owen Wister



A 20th Century Classic:  The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck


A Classic by a BIPOC Author: House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday

Mystery/Detective/Crime Classic:  Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

A Classic by a Woman Author:  A Double Life by Karolina Pavlova




There you have it...the twelve classics I read this year. The only one I truly disliked was the short story collection by Stephen Crane. And while I didn't love some of the others, at least I found them to be interesting reads. But most of these books I ended up really liking. So a big THANK YOU to Karen for picking these fun categories and hosting this challenge again this year. 

Happy Reading!


44 comments:

  1. Congratulations for finishing all the categories! I have just finished my last book for this challenge too. Just curious.. have you ended up reading all books you have intended from the beginning? My list is continually changing. :))

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    1. My list changed a bit this year...one book I was going to read I ended up DNF-ing, so then had to choose another book for the challenge. And sometimes your mood changes halfway through the year. That happens to me a lot, too. But the majority of the books on my list this time around are the ones I intended to read last January. :D

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  2. It's impressive you read all of these, congrats! it seems a good mix of classics too - some well known and others less known. A few of these I want to read.

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    1. Some of these have been on my TBR list forever, so I was glad to finally get them read; others were new to me and ended up being fun discoveries. :D

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  3. Well done :) Great assortment there!

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  4. Wow, well done, that's an amazing acheivement! By the end of the month I should've managed six which, a couple of months ago, I wouldn't have thought I would've got anywhere near so I'm happy with that.

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    1. Six is awesome! I've only ever managed to read books in all twelve categories twice.

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  5. Congrats on finishing the challenge, Lark! 😊👏

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  6. Congratulations on your accomplishment of the challenge. Very well done!

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  7. Congrats! I've enjoyed reading along on yours. I'm close to finishing all twelve of mine, but we'll see...

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    1. Fingers crossed! I love reading all your classic book posts, too. :D

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  8. Congrats on completing the challenge! That's awesome! :)

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    1. Thanks, Ashley! I usually never manage to finish these kind of reading challenges, so I'm happy I did this year. :D

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  9. Congrats to finishing all the books.

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  10. Way to go, Lark! Congratulations! I think I read one classic this year--The Count of Monte Cristo.

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    1. That's a classic that's been on my list for a long time. Someday I might actually get around to reading it. ;D

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  11. Congrats! I really should read more classics. You never really know what you're going to get! :)

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    1. You really don't. I was pleasantly surprised many times this year with several of these books.

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  12. Congratulations!! I'm so impressed.

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  13. Congratulations! This seems like a great challenge, and I'm so impressed that you completed it! I do want to read Grapes of Wrath, but since I just read Cannery Row earlier this year, I didn't think I should put another Steinbeck on my Classics Club list just yet. Soon, I hope!

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    1. You have to be in the right mood to read Grapes of Wrath, I think. And you need time, too, because it's one of his longer books. Good, but sort of depressing.

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  14. Congratulations Lark on completing all 12 books In the Classics Challenge! Now that I have finally read Thomas Hardy I will be eager to read your review of Far From Madding Crowd and put the book on my .ist.

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    1. I really enjoyed Far From the Madding Crowd. The latest movie version of it was really good, too.

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  15. Great job! The only one I've read on this list is The Grapes of Wrath but your review and your ranking has me wanting to read The Scarlet Pimpernel.

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    1. If I'd known what a fun story it is I would have read it years ago. :D

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  16. Yay!! Great job! I'm horrible at challenges, and you nailed this one.

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    1. I struggle with challenges, too. If they're longer than six books, I usually can't finish them. This particular challenge is my one exception.

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  17. Congratulations on completing this challenge!

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    1. :D There was a few times I wasn't sure if I'd make it, but somehow I did.

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  19. Oh wow, congratulations!! That is awesome :)

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    1. Thanks. I can't believe I got through all twelve books! ;D

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  20. Congratulations on finishing all 12. I am having a bad year with regards to the classics--I've only finished 4, but with 2 in the works I might make 6 by NYE. I really need to make an effort to read Scarlet Pimpernel--I know I would like it. I was blown away by 12 Years a Slave when I read it a few years ago. Grapes of Wrath is compelling and a masterpiece. I have mixed feelings about Picnic at Hanging Rock--thought the ambiguity troubling, but I think that was the point. Anyway, congrats and Merry Christmas!

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    1. Thanks, Jane! And good luck finishing up those 2 other classics this month. I have to start early with reading challenges because I also poop out at the end with them.

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  21. Yes, I have read The Grapes of Wrath and Twelve Years a Slave plus others from Thomas Hardy, not Far From the Madding Crowd but that is definitely on my wishlist.

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    1. It's a good one! I'm glad I finally read it this year. :D

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  22. Congrats on reading for all 12 categories! I only got through 9, but I also read a lot of books outside of the challenge. I hope she hosts again next year - what do you think?

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    1. I hope she does, too, because it's one of my favorite reading challenges. Congrats on finishing 9 categories this year! :D

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