I enjoyed last year's Tea and Ink Society reading challenge so much, I've decided to participate again. I love the unexpected categories Elsie devises - not only are they fun, but they draw me into reading things I might not otherwise have picked up at a particular time. Like last year, the idea behind this challenge is to read one classic book (pre-1970) for each month in the year. Here are this year's categories:
January: A classic you discover in a used bookstore
February: A Russian novel or short story collection
March: A classic about immigrants or pioneers
April: A classic set on your own turf
May: A book you were supposed to read in school
June: Nonfiction nature writing
July: A science fiction novel or short story collection
August: A classic by an author you’ve only read once
September: A classic World War I or World War II novel
October: A Jane Austen novel
November: A poetry collection by one of the Romantic poets
December: A Medieval or Renaissance classic
And here is what I have so far:
January: A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
February: The Shooting Party by Anton Chekhov
March: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
April: The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright
May: Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
June: Summer by Dallas Lore Sharp
July: The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham
August: Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope
September: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
October: Persuasion by Jane Austen
November: Lyric Poems by John Keats
December:
A classic you discover in a used bookstore is such a delightful category. Ideally I would go browse the shelves this month and select something that catches my eye, but I am far away from used bookstores at present. Instead I've chosen A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt, which I picked up on a memorable day in my very favorite used bookstore. I received an unexpected discount that day for expressing my appreciation of the New Wave music on the radio and generally having a good time.
For February, we're turning to Russian literature, which will have some people quaking in their fur-lined boots, and others rubbing their mittened hands together with glee. Though I have a few suitable titles already on my Classics Club list, I went rogue and chose The Shooting Party by Anton Chekhov. Chekhov is best known for his plays, but this, his only novel, is... a murder mystery!
I went for the obvious choice for March. A book about pioneers - let me see, how about O Pioneers! by Willa Cather? My first Willa Cather novel ever.
A regional classic was a real challenge. I'm away from home right now, but will be back home by the time April rolls around. I chose The Shepherd of the Hills, an Ozark classic written in 1907 by Harold Bell Wright, well known here and probably never heard of outside this region. Basically I didn't want to read True Grit right now.
May brings us A book you were supposed to read in school. In my fourth grade classroom, there was a shelf of books we were encouraged to read if we had free time. Among these was a copy of Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling which I started but never finished. Now's my chance.
For nonfiction nature writing in June, I've chosen a volume from a seasonal series I'm reading by Dallas Lore Sharp (1870-1929). I will have completed the Winter and Spring volumes by the time June is here. The series was written between 1909 - 1913, so it's an interesting example of early American nature writing.
In July the Triffids menace the world! Here is a post-apocalyptic tale of giant plants with poisonous stingers who turn on their human masters. Are they alien? Were they bioengineered by the Russians? We shall see. I've been wanting more John Wyndham ever since I read The Midwich Cuckoos, which I will always rave about.
It's Trollope for August as I continue to make my way through his Chronicles of Barsetshire. I've only read The Warden so far, and Barchester Towers is next in the series.
A classic WWI or WWII novel was the most daunting category. I decided on The End of the Affair, my first Graham Greene. Though I was tempted by Elsie's suggestion of Green for Danger, a murder mystery by Christianna Brand. Maybe I'll do both?
2025 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen. Many celebrations and read-alongs are taking place, so it is only fitting that she gets a category this year. I'll be re-reading Persuasion, for the first time in a long time. I adore Jane Austen, so this is a treat.
Romantic poets for November was a surprise, and another treat. I shall walk amongst the withered sedge along the lake where no birds sing with Keats.
I love the idea of a medieval or Renaissance classic for December. Perfect for the contemplative mood of Advent or the festive mood of Christmas. Candlelight, evergreens, and medieval literature - what could be better? I'm leaving this category open, though I do have Piers Ploughman on my Classics Club list.
Tea and Ink Society 2025 Classics Reading Challenge - official page
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