Friday 23 December 2016

A Reading Plan for 2017

My tentative plans, subject to change, but set down here with a sincere desire to execute said plans and to participate in the Challenges described below.

A Year Long Read - Norms & Nobility by David Hicks. The Ambleside Online (AO) Forum is reading through this book over the year. It's short but dense and I've wanted to read it ever since I read that the creators of the AO curriculum drew from his work and ideas in the planning of their curriculum (which I use and highly recommend) in the upper years. I probably won't be joining in the online converstion but will use the study notes that Karen Glass will be posting as we progress through the book. I've been listening to the Classical Homeschool Podcasts which discuss David Hick's definition of classical education and they have a good mix of philosophy and practice.




Back to the Classics 2017 - hosted by Karen at Books and Chocolate, this will be my third year for this and I've thoroughly enjoyed finding books to fit into each category as it made me read some books I probably wouldn't have read otherwise. I'll post a more definite plan after Christmas but I'm going to try to choose books that will fit with the next two challenges:





Russian Literature Reading Challenge 2017 - hosted by Keely @ we went outside and saw the stars   (What a great name for a blog!). Keely has a comprehensive list of Russian literature to help you choose. I'd like to read:

The Gulag Archipelago by Alexander Solzenitsyn - I read this when I was about 18 and the USSR was in its prime. Solzenitsyn impressed me then and when I found a secondhand copy of the book earlier this week I decided it was time to read it again.

Cancer Ward by Alexander Solzenitsyn - I wanted to read this last year but didn't get to it.

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

Some short stories - eg. Gogol, Tolstoy.



Cloud of Witnesses Reading Challenge - hosted by Becky

 For an author to qualify for this reading challenge, they must be among "the cloud of witnesses".... in other words, they must be dead. (They must also be Christian.)

The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) is one book I'd like to read this year. I'll add in some others when I have had a good look at my bookshelves.




Reading the Histories - hosted by Ruth at A Great Book Study - this is a three year reading challenge and I'd like to read a couple of books over that time eg. Plato, Bede, Machiavelli. Ruth has a list of study questions to help with your reading.




Once a year, Brona @ Brona's Books has a month long Australian reading challenge in November. This will be the fourth year for me. Hope to see some of you there and if you need some suggestions just ask.





I forgot to mention my ongoing Classics Club Challenge:












14 comments:

Brian Joseph said...

You have some great books and plans lined up.

I like the idea of the year long read of Norms & Nobility by David Hicks. I was thinking of doing something similar myself with a long term read, perhaps spanning a year, of a difficult text.

Norms & Nobility looks to be very interesting read.


Happy reading in 2017!

Gently Mad said...

Hi Carol: These lists look so interesting. I will certainly enjoy reading the reviews for all of these book challenges. As much as I want to read these books I doubt I could hold to a challenge. I pick books out of my library as my whimsy takes me. It's why I stopped reviewing for publishing companies. I didn't like being tied down to certain books.

But I will gladly read your reviews!

Have a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!

Jean said...

Yep, I'm doing a lot of these too! So I'll see you around...

Anonymous said...

I am still in the process of planning my year. I have definitely decided on The Classics Club and The Back to Classics Challenge. Best of luck with your goals. I wish you an enjoyable year of reading with many memorable books.

Song said...

That's a goodly number of challenges! I'm also reading some C.S. Lewis next year. I'm looking forward to what you have planned for Back to the Classics. :D

Carol said...

Thanks Brian. Look forward to reading your reviews in 2017.

Carol said...

I tend to do lots of things on a whim so this is a personal challenge for me in one area of my life. Have a great 2017!

Carol said...

Actually one of the Back to the Classics I'm going to read is one you recommended :)

Carol said...

Thanks Toady. Enjoy your reading in 2017.

Carol said...

I have a better idea now that I have opened my Christmas presents - lots of books. My family know me well :)

GretchenJoanna said...

I loved reading Norms and Nobility long ago in the homeschooling years. It was so inspiring and fascinating - I'd never read anything like it before. I would join the challenge if I had any more children to educate.

It doesn't sound like it will serve your multiple reading challenges, but if you wanted to read a recent Great Book of Russian literature, I heartily recommend Laurus. It is so well done, and will no doubt be a classic. It's historical fiction, but timeless on several levels.

And I wanted to tell you that I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Great Courses "Classics of Russian Literature" which I have through Audible. Professor Irwin Weil is a great lecturer - he has the voice and the love and the vast knowledge of Russian history and literature to be able to captivate his college students - and me!

With all the reading of the actual books you may not have time for listening to someone talk about them -- on the other hand, you can't read *all* the books -- and he tells so many interesting stories about the writers and their relationships to one another and to European writers, all of which I found very worthwhile. He will occasionally break into a Russian folk song based on a story, or read a poem in Russian. I guess I've been waiting months to tell someone about him who is likely to be interested. :-)

In any case, it sounds like you will have a literature-rich year! God bless you.

Carol said...

Hi Gretchen, I'd love to read your thought on Norms & Nobility! Thanks for the Laurus suggestion - it sounds like something I'd really enjoy, and the Audible lectures. I didn't realise Audible did that type of thing. May 2017 be a rich and fulfilling year for you.

Ruth @ with freedom and books said...

Hi, Carol,
Cool, you joined Cloud of Witnesses. That is one C.S. Lewis I want to read, too.

Carol said...

It's such a good idea for a Challenge. I read a lot of C.S. Lewis when I was about 19/20 yrs old and a new Christian. 'Weight of Glory' wasn't among them but I'd like to re-read the books I read back then. I found his writing so accessible even though I was completely dumb about Christian things. In fact, I read The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe when I was about 12 and something was planted even then. I didn't understand what, but the underlying essence of that book stayed with me.