2020 Challenges

So here it is...the first post of a new year and a new decade. I've been very busy at work and haven't had a break until today so I haven't been able to rest let alone look for challenges and write up a post. But here we are...late as ever!

My main goals this year are to read more (and read well), focus on history, Greek plays and Russian literature as well as works written by female writers and write reviews for every book I read no matter how small.

The challenges I am participating in are as follows: (I will add to this list as I find them)






2020 Challenges:

Back to the Classics Challenge: hosted by Karen @ Books and Chocolate

I've participated in this challenge a few times and although like every reading goal I've ever had I've never completed it but I shall always try! The rules/categories and my picks this year (at the moment... I may change some later) are:

1.) 19th Century Classic: The Tennant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
2.) 20th Century Classic: Chronicles of Narnia 1-7 (I've read some, haven't read others and it's time)
3.) Classic By A Woman Author: The Last of the Plantagenets by Caroline M. Keteltas
4.) Classic in Translation: The Iliad by Homer (translated by Chapman)
5.) Classic By a Person of Colour: Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Lo Kuan-Chung Volume 1/2 (undecided about this one as I'm not sure I have the time for a TOME this year but it's one my CC list)
6.) A Genre Classic: The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides (Non-Fiction/Narrative History)
7.) Classic With a Person's Name in the Title: Othello by William Shakespeare
8.) Classic With a Place in the Title: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
9.) Classic With Nature in the Title: The Waves by Virginia Woolf
10.) Classic About a Family: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
11.) Abandoned Classic: The Metamophoses by Ovid (didn't have time for this one but loved it and want to pick it up again ASAP)
12.) Classic Adaption: Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy


History Non Fiction Reading Challenge: hosted by Hibernators Library

I want to focus on non fiction/narrative history this year so this challenge appeals to me. The history books on my radar for this year are:

1.) The Romanovs by Simon
2.) Dynasty by Tom Holland
3.) The Peloponnesian War by Thucydides
4.) Peter the Great by Robert K. Massie
5.) Islamic Empires by Justin Marozzi
6.) Catherine the Great by .. Alexander
7.) Fall of the Roman Republic by Plutarch

We will see how many I can get through. My aim is 3/4 with Peter the Great by RKM as my priority.

My own Russian Literature Challenge 2020: 

I have a ridiculous amount of Russian literature on my shelves that remain unread so that will be my main focus this year. I won't list all of the books I'm aiming for but I wish to focus on Turgenev once more this year and delve into more of Solzhenitsyn and Dostoyevsky plus find some Russian women writers as well.

I am also planning to participate in the Deal Me In Challenge but will finalise my list later. Will probably be stacked with plays, short stories and poetry.


Happy 2020!