Goodbye 2022! A Reading Wrap Up

 

📚BOOKS READ

In chronological order:

1. The Tale of Genji by Murashaki Shikibu ⭐⭐⭐

2. Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

3. A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

4. Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens ⭐⭐⭐

5. Orang-Orang Bloomington (People from Bloomington) by Budi Darma ⭐⭐⭐1/2

6. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

7. Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

8. For a Night of Love by Êmile Zola ⭐⭐⭐1/2

9. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman ⭐⭐⭐⭐

10. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

11. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

12. A Lost Lady by Willa Cather ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

13. Evelina by Frances Burney ⭐⭐⭐⭐

14. Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

15. My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream by Janine Marsh ⭐⭐⭐⭐

16. My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life by Janine Marsh ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

17. The Girl, the Dog, and the Writer in Provence by Katrina Nannestad ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

18. Toujours La France! : Living The Dream in Rural France by Janine Marsh ⭐⭐⭐

19. The Seagull by Anton Chekhov ⭐⭐1/2

20. Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

21. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

22. The Girl, the Dog, and the Writer in Rome by Katrina Nannestad ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

23. Mrs. Osmond by John Banville ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

24. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier ⭐⭐⭐⭐

25. Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐

26. The Knight of Maison-Rouge by Alexandre Dumas ⭐⭐⭐1/2

27. The Lark by E. Nesbit ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

28. Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron ⭐⭐⭐1/2

29. Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie (re-read) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

30. A Very French Christmas: The Greatest French Holiday Stories of All Time ⭐⭐⭐1/2

31. The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

32. Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📊STATISTICS

- Books read: 32
- Classics: 23 Non classics: 9
- Re-read: 6
- Non Fiction: 5
- Play: 1
- Short story/Short story collection: 3

- Classics new author: 6


🏆 WINNER vs LOSER

- Most favorite 👍🏼: The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Least favorite 👎🏼: The Seagull by Anton Chekhov ⭐⭐1/2


📖READING CHALLENGES

✔ The 2022 TBR Pile Challenge - COMPLETED 12/12 (click link to Master List)
✔ 2022 Chunkster Challenge - COMPLETED 4/4 (click link to Master List)
✔ Back to the Classics Challenge 2022 - COMPLETED 12/12 (click link to Wrap Up Post)

This year has been surprisingly productive for me, despite of a bout of reading (& blogging) slump that lasted for about three months. But then, I have been catching up quite fast, that I surpassed last year total-books-read: 32! I only hope it will continue next year (the record, not the slump).

I'm also aware of  how much varied my reading had been this year. I guess I've found myself a personal formula to enhance the joy of reading. But the thing that makes me proud of myself the most, is that, I managed to review ALL read-books (though maybe few of them are just one paragraph, or a thread in Twitter). Next year, I intend to post reviews of all books (classics or not) here. To that purpose, I will launch a new feature for non classics reads (coming soon!). 

I want also to thank all of you, my friends and fellow bloggers, old and new. The pleasure of blogging is nothing without you!

Last but not least, I will say Au Revoir for now, as this will be my last post for 2022. Happy New Year! 🥳

2023 Reading Plan

 

2023 is around the corner, it's time to create a new reading plan (or sort of!). Same like with 2022's, I divide mine into three sections. I will also read some non-classics, and I'm thinking of creating special feature for this. Because I love my blog name and theme, but including non classic reviews into a classic-themed blog seems strange, and I don't feel like creating a second blog, so.. a feature will be a perfect compromise. Anyway, here's the three sections:

• By Month/Events - I love to read certain genre/author in certain month, but this year I'll limit myself to only several events.
• By Category 
• By Author - in line with my Author Challenge, and because certain authors need to be read every few years.

📚 BY MONTH/EVENTS 

JANUARY

I will dedicate this month for #CC Spin, because it seems to be a fun way to kick off the new year.
As you might have known, #CC Spin #32 has picked me:

1. The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

APRIL

Ladies and gentlemen... I proudly announce that #Zoladdiction will turn 10 in 2023! I have been hosting this beloved event for ten years now, who would believe that? I don't 😋 I am still thinking what I should do to celebrate it, any idea? Your suggestions will be warmly welcomed! Maybe you'd like to co-host it with me, just for this special occasion? Don't be shy, just let me know! 😉 Official announcement will be published around March.

Anyway, I'm going to read my last unread book of The Rougon-Macquart cycle:

2. Doctor Pascal by Émile Zola - #Zoladdiction2023

MAY

As per my habit for the last three years, I'll be reading Willa Cather in May. I call it: #CatherInMay. You are welcomed to join me! It will be a silent event, though, just reading and reviewing together. More on this will be posted around April. My book for this event:

3. The Professor's House by Willa Cather - #CatherInMay

JUNE

Laurie @ Relevant Obscurity and I used to dedicate June for #JazzAgeJune, reading books correspond to the the Jazz Age. I haven't discussed this with Laurie, but in the meantime, here it is (more to follow after our discussion):

4. The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald

JULY

July is for any French-related books for #ParisInJuly:

5. Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley
6. Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland



OCTOBER

7. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

8. The Hound of Death by Agatha Christie 


DECEMBER

Christmas reads! Will read at least three books (and maybe a novella/short story or two?) for A Literary Christmas:

9. Mistletoe Murders and Other Stories by P.D. James
10.
11.

📚 BY CATEGORY

12. RE-READ: The Ladies Paradise by  Émile Zola  (tentative)
13. PLAY: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
14. CHILDREN: Where The Red Fern Grows? by Wilson Rawls 

15. INDONESIAN CLASSIC: Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk (The Dancer) by Ahmad Tohari
16. 18th CENTURY: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
17. 19th CENTURY: Rural Hours by Susan Fenimore Cooper
18. 20th CENTURY: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

19. NON ENGLISH: The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas

20. NON CLASSIC: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer  (tentative)

21. NON FICTION: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

📚 BY AUTHOR

22. EDITH WHARTON: Summer

23. DICKENS: Barnaby Rudge

24. AGATHA CHRISTIE:   - Sad Cypress 

25.                                        - Evil Under the Sun

26.                                        - N or M?

27.                                        - The Body in the Library

28.                                        - Five Little Pigs

 

                                                       📚 FREEBIES

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

2022 Reading Plan

2022 is around the corner, it's time to create a more ambitious new reading plan. I divide mine into three sections, and I also include some non-classics:

• By Month/Events - I love to read certain genre/author in certain month, don't you?
• By Category 
• By Author - in line with my Author Challenge, and because certain authors need to be read every few years.

📚 BY MONTH/EVENTS 

JANUARY

1. The Tale of Genji by Murashaki Shikibu - READ

Since I'm going to read Tale of Genji for Non English category, I guess I might as well joining The Japanese Literature Challenge #15 hosted by Dolce Bellezza.

FEBRUARY

2. Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens - READ

You are welcomed to join me in my yearly #DickensInFebruary to celebrate his birthday. This time it will be Martin Chuzzlewit. Same as last year, I will create a time frame, and will post weekly about what I've been reading. Please let me know if you're interested to join, then I will make it an official #ChuzzlewitReadalong. Otherwise, I'll be reading (and blogging) silently. :)

MARCH

3. Orang-Orang Bloomington (People from Bloomington) by Budi Dharma - #BuddyRead2022 - READ

Starting 2022 I will read at least one Indonesian book every year. I freely admit that there aren't many Indonesian books which fit my taste, but I think I need to give my fellow countrymen/women a chance. And it would be a good opportunity too to inspire my non-Indonesian friends to read more Indonesian literature. I have added a "Indonesian Literature" category on the sidebar for this purpose.

For 2022 I've picked Orang-Orang Bloomington (a short stories collection), because Penguin Classics will publish the translation in April 2022; so if you feel like trying it after reading my review, you can buy the copy right away. :) It would be a #BuddyRead with my fellow Indonesian book bloggers: Melisa and Ratih.

APRIL

4. For a Night of Love by Émile Zola - #Zoladdiction2022 - READ

Of course there will be another #Zoladdiction - the 9th - coming! I have abandoned my #RougonMacquart project for nearly a year, so it's time to be back! And I'll be reading one of the most mind blowing works from Zola: L'Assommoir. I also plan to read one of two Zola's short stories collections in my TBR pile: The Attack on the Mill  For a Night of Love. Official announcement will be published around end of February or early March.

MAY

5. A Lost Lady by Willa Cather - #CatherInMay - READ

I've been maintaining a new habit these last few years - of reading Cather in May. Maybe I should create new hashtag #CatherInMay ? Hmm.... Anyway, I think it's a good idea - reading Cather in May, I mean - because after Zola in April, I would need something peaceful and soothing in May. :) Now, who wants to join me? ;)

JUNE

6.  Flappers and Philosophers by F. Scott Fitzgerald - #JazzAgeJune - READ

I didn't realized until now that I've set to read THREE short stories collection, despite of my reluctance to read this type of fiction. But, it might be a good thing, to get me to love it more. Anyway, JUNE is my month for #JazzAge reading, and for some years in future, I intend to read more from Fitzgerald.

P.S. You are also welcomed to join me if you want - doesn't need to be Fitzgerald; any #JazzAge lit will do. Or are you interested in co-hosting an event with me? Let me know!

JULY

7. My Good Life in France by Janine Marsh - #ParisInJuly - READ
8. The Girl, the Dog, and the Writer in Provence by Katrina Nannestad - #ParisInJuly - READ
9. My Four Seasons in France by Janine Marsh - #ParisInJuly - READ
10. Toujours La France by Janine Marsh - #ParisInJuly - READ

OCTOBER

11. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier - #RIP - READ

I think it's time to read another du Maurier's. I've read Rebecca few years ago, and loved it! 

DECEMBER

12. Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
13. A Very French Christmas: The Greatest French Holiday Stories of All Time

I might also re-read some Christmas-y short stories/novellas from Dickens, and/or other Christmas books I'll find along the way :).

📚 BY CATEGORY

      RE-READ: Moby Dick by Herman Melville X
14. PLAY: The Seagull by Anton Chekhov - READ
15. CHILDREN: A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond - READ
16. 18th CENTURY: Evelina by Frances Burney - READ
17. 19th CENTURY: Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim - READ
18. 20th CENTURY: The Lark by E. Nesbit - READ

19. NON CLASSIC: Mrs. Osmond by John Banville - READ

20. NON FICTION: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff - READ

📚 BY AUTHOR

HARDY/TROLLOPE: Barchester Towers - X

21. EDITH WHARTON: The Customs of the Country - READ

22. AGATHA CHRISTIE:   - Appointment with Death  - READ

23.                                        - Murder is Easy - READ

24.                                        - And Then There Were None - READ

25.                                        - Hallowe'en Party - READ

26.                                        - One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - READ

 

                                                       📚 FREEBIES

27. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman - READ

28. The Girl, the Dog, and the Writer in Rome by Katrina Nannestad - READ

29. The Knight of Maison-Rouge by Alexandre Dumas - READ

30. Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas

31. The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

32. Miracle on 34th Street