Saturday, May 24, 2008

Classics Challenge Sign Ups

It's officially here--the sign-ups for The Classic Challenge 2008. I've changed the options up a bit to make them more appealing; to read the rules of the challenge click HERE. The list on the right side bar contains all of the suggestions for the optional bonus round. If you see a book on there that you think is already a classic, feel free to use it as part of the five classic book--use your best judgment. If you have any other suggestions for bonus books, continue to give them!

To sign up, use Mister Linky below. (Please link directly to your post so others don't have to go searching for it--if you aren't certain how to do that, click on the title of your specific post and use the address in the browser). If you don't have a blog--no worries, you can leave your list in the comments below. Your lists don't have to be set in stone (I haven't even finalized mine yet!). Each month I will put up a new Mister Linky so you can link your review.

Also, don't forget about the classics meme in the last post! We've had some great answers so far and I look forward to what others have to say about classics.

Finally, have fun and thanks for signing up! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

53 comments:

katrina said...

Cool i'm first on the list. I have posted up a list of possible reads although I already have way too many and I'm bound to change my mind.
It would be good to read the same book as others being able to see other peoples ideas. Maybe one or two classics suggested as a group read. Hmmm...

I picked option 2 to ensure that I didn't just get stuck reading the English classics, but them realised that I couldn't think of a great many that weren't English (far too stuck in the canon created by an English Lit degree!)

bethany (dreadlock girl) said...

YAY!! so exciting!

Anonymous said...

I would have been first, but I had to go type up my post first. So there. :p Well, it's up now.

Laura said...

There are so many good choices for the bonus! It is difficult to pick one!

Lisa said...

ok ok, I'm in. I have a post up, but no list yet.

Karen said...

I'm looking forward to starting this one!

Anonymous said...

Consider me all signed up!

CJ said...

I went from not knowing what to read to having too many choices! But, my list is up.

cjh

Suey said...

Hi everyone! I've signed up, but haven't posted a list yet. Look for that coming soon!

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Katrina - what an interesting proposal! If I do the challenge again, I'll have to keep that in mind--kind of like the "My Year of Reading Dangerously" challenge! It is difficult to think of classics that aren't either American or British! I know in my two English degrees I spent very little time outside of the American/British canons.

*Bethany - Double yay!

*Readingfool - Well, maybe you can be the first to post your July read. ;) Thanks for coming by!

*Laura - I KNOW!! I'm thrilled at all the choices, but I'm having a hard time picking one, too!

*Lisa - I knew I could ensnare you...muh ha ha ha. :) Glad you'll be joining us!

*Karen - Me too! July seems so far away.

*Rhinoa - Great! You have such a great list of books.

*CJ - You can change your list if you need to. I'm having a really really hard time just picking five as well...and don't even get me started on the bonus book selection!

*Suey - Take your time--I haven't even been able to create my own list yet. I think I have it all made up then I change my mind. :)

Eva said...

I thought I left a comment last night, but I guess I didn't. lol

Here are my suggestions for modern classics:
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz

Eva said...

Whoops! I'm so dumb sometimes-I just commented on the other post. At least I did the meme in my sign-up blog too. :) So ignore me, except for adding Love in the Time of Cholera to the modern classics list.

Joy said...

Howdy Ho! Not sure what happened, but #22 is messed up. Please delete. Thank you! :)

Kya said...

Consider me also signed up although I may need to change my list a bit. Hope I did this link right. Oh, another modern classic is A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.

Susan O'Bryant said...

I'm in! :) Thanks for hosting this great challenge.

Anonymous said...

And how do you expect us to actually wait until July? :} Seriously though, I think I'll start Anna Karenina now and I'll finish it up in July, it will take me that long to read it. I want to knock that one off my list so badly, I have it on about four challenges now.

Harry Markov said...

Hey Trish, I have to ask, can I link a specially created for reading challenges blog and not my usual one?

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Harry - you can link to whatever blog you want--but it helps if you provide a link to wherever you post about the challenge so others can read your list too. :) I hope this answers your question! I popped over to your challenge catalog but it is empty right now. I'm guessing this is where you'll link to? Sounds great!

Harry Markov said...

You guest correct! I will actually crosspost my list on my usual blog and on the catalog challenge one, but since my list will be also found on my challenge one I will link that one! I just finished my list and will fill it in, but after the 3rd of June, after my exams are done. I just made the blog during a break to clear my mind from studying.

Anonymous said...

I'm excited to get started on my list! Thank you for coordinating this challenge :)

As for a 'new classic' suggestion: Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

Anonymous said...

I'm signed up too. It's very exciting; it's hard to wait :) Thanks .

Anonymous said...

Please sign me up. My computer won't let me sign my name in Mr. Linky.

Love this challenge!


Rachel D.

Anonymous said...

I'm also unable to sign up on Linky--can someone else sign me Up? This is the first time I've tried to do a book challange on line and I'm looking forward to it.

Carolyn

cleesch@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Thanks--I'm now on the list as signed up. However I still have to leave my comments as annonymous--and I'm not sure if this is where we are supposed to leave posts because this site doesn't seem to be too active right now. Am I supposed to post somewhere else and if so, how do I get there. (I'm sorry to be such a pest, but I've been wanting share some ideas for quite a while and I can't seem to figure this out! I'm really no so dumb--but new stuff about going on line on the computer has to be explained to me. Once I get it I should be fine.)

Carolyn

Anonymous said...

Testing comments without a blog name.

Anonymous said...

Hope it's not too early for my list.

Count of Monte Cristo-Dumas
Hard times-Dickens
War and Peace-Tolstoy
Don Quixote-Cervantes
Red and the black- Stendal
&
Possession-Byatt


Rachel D.

Lynda said...

Lookinf forward to this challenge. will be posting about it over the weekend.

Anonymous said...

Just signed up and about to go post my list. Thanks for this challenge, I really need to get to all the classics I've always intended to read but never got around to. :)

Anonymous said...

Count me in for option 1. My list is posted at Maples and Fiddleheads.

Anonymous said...

This is from Carolyn--I'm annomyous because I don have a blog.

I just left a post on the site for telling about classics we have read and recommenting classics for others (meme?)

Is there another link where we are supposed to list the classics we plan to read for the challange? I can't seem to find a site where any posts have been left in June--am I missing something? I'm still having trouble navigating all the sites for this challange--but I AM PERSISTANT!

Carolyn

Anonymous said...

Hi!

I've just signed in and posted my list. Thanks Trish for the challenge, I love classics so it will be a pleasure. Great idea!

My list is:
* Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
* Persuasion, by Jane Austen
* War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy
* The Idiot, by Feodor Dostoievsky
* Hard Times, Charles Dickens

but seeing the lists that have been published maybe I will read a few more.

Thanks again!

Bree said...

My first challenge! I posted my link but do not have a list made yet.

Anonymous said...

I accidentally added the wrong url. The one I should have added was: http://thisredheadreads.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/joining-the-classics-challenge/

Anonymous said...

Thanks for hosting this challenge. I SO need it!!!

Anonymous said...

My first challenge, and a classics challenge no less! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expanding my horizons!

Susan said...

Gee, I thought I HAD signed up already!! So, here I am, and my post is up on my choices. Thanks for doing this - this will get my to my goal of 8 classics read this year, I hope!!!!

the booklady said...

Hi Trish! Sorry about not posting a link to a classic earlier. I was so excited about getting started on those classics, I sort of forgot! Here's the link to my post about my ALL-TIME favorite classic: http://okie-booklady.blogspot.com/2008/07/classic-classic.html

Thanks for stopping by!

Unknown said...

I'm late signing up for this challenge - I guess better late than never! I link my challenge post to Mr. Linky. Thanks!
http://bobbisbooknook.blogspot.com/2008/07/classic-challenge.html

Anonymous said...

Hi Everyone,

I'm totally new to this- and am excited about joining the Classic Challenge. I'll post my picks on my new blog once I've decided on them. One I'm adding for sure-'Woman in White' by Wilke Collins.

I'd be happy to hear recommendations from anyone. My 11 year old daughter is also interested in participating in a challenge, if anyone knows of some good classics for her age- that would also be great.

Thanks!!

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

Hi Stella - I'm glad you'll be joining us for the challenge! I haven't read The Woman in White but I've read Moonstone by Collins and really enjoyed it.

In terms of childrens classics--The Little Prince, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, Tom Sawyer, and Alice in Wonderland are some suggestions! If she is interested in doing the bonus round, The Giver is a great one also. I look forward to seeing your list and reading your thoughts on the books.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask!!

Stella said...

Thanks Trish,

Now both of my daughters are interested in joining your challenge. We appreciate your ideas, and have created our lists on our blog.

TheBlackSheep said...

I just ran across this, so I’m a bit late to the party, however, I have actually been reading classics for the last couple of months. Since the beginning of July I’ve read (or listened to):

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Nyffenegger
Emma by Jane Austen
To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

I also listened to Brideshead Revisited, but it was the abridged version, so I’m not really counting it.

I think that actually covers all of the challenge, but I will still be reading and will post as I go on. I’m working on Robinson Crusoe and will start Persuasion soon.

Mari said...

I just realized that my post didn't go through.
I signed up yesterday. Here is my first post and my list of books.

Cheers!

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Mari - no worries--you're signed up. I changed the link so it went directly to your post for the classics challenge, so maybe that's why you didn't see it? But it's there!! Let me know if you have any other questions. :)

Oh--and how'd you hear about the challenge?

Mari said...

Thanks, Trish.

I found out about it through Dar at peekingbetweenthepages

Unknown said...

I am starting a bit late, but excited for the challenge.

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

*Yadlik - Thanks for joining us!!

Penelope said...

I'm in! My post will be up on Thursday, and I'll add a link to Mr. Linky. Thanks for the fun challenge!

Brittanie said...

My post is up :) I just finished a great book that I do believe will be a modern classic: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow.

Alyce said...

I posted about this yesterday and then forgot to link back. :)

I'm also in a classics book club, so whatever we read in the book club I will add to my list.

In August I read, "Pride & Prejudice." In September we will read "Jane Eyre." I don't know yet what the upcoming books will be.

Anonymous said...

I'm finally getting around to publishing my list. I have read 3 of the books already. My list:
* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass -- Lewis Carroll
* The Great Gatsby -- F. Scott Fitzgerald
* The Scarlet Pimpernel -- Baroness Emmuska Orczy
* The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -- Robert Louis Stevenson
* Lady Chatterly's Lover - D.H. Lawarence

I'm also reading the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but am not counting that. I still need to add my book that should/could become a classic. Thinking.... thinking.... thinking...

Kate

Sandra said...

I know it's late but i see some I've recently read so I know I can do this. Please sign me up. Thank you.

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

Sandra - No worries! I'm glad you could join us!