Classics Chat | how Victober went, my classics reading so far in 2022 & MORE

Hi Everyone!

Welcome back to this new series, the classics chat, where I just want to talk to you about classics! This will be a common series on my blog next year, either bi-weekly or on a specific day. 

Today, though, I just wanted to talk about Victober and how that went, Jane Austen because that's what I want to read right now and just random stuff about classics. So snuggle up and enjoy this informal post about classics. 

Victober wasn't really a success for me this year. I had been looking forward to it for ages, but when it came to it, I was quite uninspired and just didn't manage to get through a single book. I have come to realise that maybe the month long format of the challenge is not for me. I don't really like the pressure of reading lots of Victorian literature in October and then in September, when I wanted to read Victorian literature, thinking that I should save it for October, and therefore not reading it. That is so silly, and I'm not sure if I'll continue taking part in Victober in the future. 

I did really enjoy it in past years and it's been such a great opportunity to discover new authors and connect with people online through Goodreads, but I didn't really invest in that this year either and it just fell a bit flat. 

I love Victorian lit, but reading LOADS of it in one month isn't really for me. I would rather spread it out a bit more. It does make me sad, but I'm really going to try not to put pressure on myself to read things just for a readathon. 

Having said this, at the beginning of the year, I set myself the personal challenge of reading 10 classics in total over the course of the year. I have so far read 6, one of which was a short story. Last year was definitely better on that side, but I think reading 2 in the next 51 days (at time of writing) is possible, meaning I will have read 8 in the year, close enough to my goal of 10.

After visiting the Jane Austen Centre again, I've been so motivated to read Jane Austen, so I think that's where I am going to start. Then I also want to read Vera by Elizabeth Von Arnim and there are a few others that I think I should read soon too. I will update on this challenge in my end of year wrap up!

I just am loving regency fashion and stories and all I want to do at the moment is scream about Jane Austen. I can't wait to get into another one of her stories, and I have a beautiful Pride and Prejudice poster from the Jane Austen Centre to put up in my room. 

Classics this year have not really worked for me. I think I just put it off because especially with a lot of schoolwork, reading becomes something I want to be easy and so the thought of having to concentrate and focus on a classic after school doesn't really appeal. The longer I put it off, the harder it became to want to pick up a classic and I ended up just not reading that many. I think that's okay though and I hope that I can read some in the last two months of the year. However, if this does not happen then that's okay, and I'll try again next year!

I honestly think that young people reading classics is so rare and yet so wonderful. Only a few of my friends love reading and loving classics is an entirely different matter! But bit by bit, I have built up this small network of people around me who love reading classics too, just like the friend I went to the Jane Austen Centre with. I really enjoy classics, but I also am sometimes very unmotivated to read them and just not in the mood. 

It's a journey, but I love it and I hope that I have inspired some of you over the last few years to give classics a chance, or given you some recommendations.

I really want to make this a repeating post; a little check in with me and my classics reading and journey. I hope that you have enjoyed this post and will enjoy the many more to come. Thank you so much for your ongoing support of my blog and my reading, it truly means the world. If you have any recommendations for me or just want to chat to me about classics then feel free to drop me a comment - I always love hearing from you! Happy reading!

Do you read many classics? Which ones have you read this year? What are you currently reading? What is your opinion on classics? What about readathons? 

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p.s. casual magic of the day:

(If you are new here and have no idea what I'm on about, click here to find out more)

I had a music theory lesson today, which is not my favourite! However, after half an hour of pretty intense theory, we got to do whatever we wanted....so we put Christmas songs on and sang and people played on the Cajons to it, which was so random but also very fun and made me smile.