I am really excited to participate in the Back to the Classics Challenge this year. This will be my first year!

There are twelve categories of classics, and minimally a person should plan to read six books, but all twelve is best. I am finalizing my 2016 Reading Plan (I’ll be sharing that soon!) and have enjoyed finding titles from these categories as well. Want to learn more about the challenge? Head over to Books and Chocolate.

Okay, onto my list!

I am feeling pretty good about my selections for the year, but I will say that there are two categories that I am still hemming and hawing on… the Reread from HS/College and the Collection of Short Stories. I’ve got two in mind for each, but I’ll make my final choice (or read both if time permits) as the year progresses and update my list.

19th Century
Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America

20th Century
C.S. Lewis’ Surprised by Joy

Woman Author
Louisa May Alcott’s Jo’s Boys

Classic in translation
Dietrich Bonheifer’s The Cost of Discipleship

Non-white author
Richard Wright’s Native Son

Adventure Classic
Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo

Fantasy, Sci-fi, Dystopian
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World

Detective Novel
GK Chesterton’s Father Brown Mysteries

Name of Place in Title
Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Banned or censored
Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Reread a classic from HS/college
James Fennimore Cooper’s Last of the Mohicans or
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

Volume of classic short stories
The Best Short Stories of O. Henry or
James Joyce’s Dubliners

After I read each selection, I’ll be posting my thoughts and insights here. I hope you will  follow my progress in the reading challenge!