Reading Goals 2021 Recap

1. A 19th-century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818). I reread this to see when it would be appropriate to assign in a homeschool setting. Verdict: not yet, but maybe in a few years.

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 that were written by 1971 and posthumously published. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (1970). Wow! I knew nothing about this book. I had read Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 20-odd years ago, but nothing else by the author. It was a disturbing but extremely compelling and well-written book. 

3. A classic by a woman author. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852). I was surprised by how much this book drew me. Books like this keep me setting reading goals because I would not have read this historically important book without the extra push that assigning it gives me. 

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. The Illiad by Homer (Lattimore Fagles Translation) I spent way too much time agonizing over what translation of the Illiad to assign to my son this year! Ambleside Online suggested Fagles, but then when I googled around about what edition was best, I read people absolutely bashing that translation and recommending Lattimore, and I was leaning toward that advice when I made my goals. 

Thanks to Archive.org I was able to preview the Lattimore and read some more online opinions and went with Fagles after all. My conclusion: Fagles was perfect for us. This was my second time reading the Illiad. The first time was mainly a slog for me, and this time I enjoyed myself even though I had to spend a few weeks really focusing on reading an entire section a night.  

5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou I read this title for the first time in high school and so I wanted to reread it to see what I would think about assigning it to my homeschool students. Reading it as an adult was a very different experience than reading it as a teen!

6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (1855). A few years back, I watched the BBC version of this story and really loved it, so I jumped at the chance to put this on my reading goals. I certainly didn't dislike it, but it would never make it onto my favorites list.

7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. It was only a couple of years ago that I read my first George Eliot book--Silas Marner. Then, last year, I read Middlemarch and I was positively blown away by it . . . couldn't put it down and obsessed! So I decided to read another George Eliot. I loved this book! And in an interesting twist, I read Ivanhoe immediately before beginning Daniel Deronda and was so happy I did when a character in Daniel Deronda was described as being like a character from Ivanhoe. I love it when my books talk to each other ;-)

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). Animal Farm by George Orwell. This was the second or third time I read this book and it will be my last. I will not be assigning this one to my homeschool students either. I think it is dated, poorly written, and lacking in value. Feel free to disagree, but this doesn't seem worthy of its place in school literature in my opinion.

9. A children's classic. The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth (1930). My husband studies and teaches about Asian religion, so he took some issues with this book's portrayal of Buddhism at some points. The kids and I enjoyed it as a lunchtime read, but I wouldn't make a point of reading it again.

10. A humorous or satirical classic. Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920) [First novel by a woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature]. Not my favorite Edith Wharton, but she does really suck you into the social lives of her characters. It is so hard to imagine living under high society's strict social constraints. 

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. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. I am so glad I decided to give Sir Walter Scott another try, thanks to Charlotte Mason's over-the-top praise of the Waverly novels. While I didn't go wild over Rob Roy, I loved Ivanhoe! I could not put it down.

12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category. The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Reading Shakespeare aloud with the people you love best and not worrying at all about analyzing it or understanding every word is a great way to fall in love with it. We all enjoyed this kooky play.