the classics club discussion

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2024 reading goals

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message 1: by Sarra (last edited Jan 01, 2024 12:17PM) (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments Hi, I hope you're doing well and having wonderful holidays !
What are your reading goals/challenges for next year?
Mine is reading more big books (>500 pages). I will challenge myself to read 100 books in 2024 overall, I hope that will be possible.
edit : I challenge myself to read 70. I want to read lengthier books anyway and I'm writing my thesis so I gotta slow down


message 2: by rina.reads (last edited Dec 25, 2023 01:56PM) (new)

rina.reads | 102 comments Sarra wrote: "Hi, I hope you're doing well and having wonderful holidays !
What are your reading goals/challenges for next year?
Mine is reading more big books (>500 pages). I will challenge myself to read 100 ..."


I'd love to manage to read 100 books next year! I've come quite close this year actually which really surprised me. However, I'm not sure how much time I'll have on my hands so I'll probably set a goal for 52 books, that'd equal one book in one week.
I really hope you can achieve your goal! ❤
As for overall reading plans... I want to read more American and French Classics and nonfiction. :D


message 3: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments Twilight 0f Forgotten Lore wrote: "To delete my Goodreads account and read more 😅"

why delete it?


message 4: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments rina.reads wrote: "Sarra wrote: "Hi, I hope you're doing well and having wonderful holidays !
What are your reading goals/challenges for next year?
Mine is reading more big books (>500 pages). I will challenge mysel..."


ooh those are great goals ! I can help for recommendations of French novels or in general novels written in French from all over the world


message 5: by ♥holly♥ (new)

♥holly♥ | 40 comments Mod
My reading goal for 2024 will be to read 50 books. That was my goal this year too, but I only made it to 30. I hope you can all achieve your goals!


message 6: by Jesse (new)

Jesse  | 23 comments Twilight 0f Forgotten Lore wrote: "To delete my Goodreads account and read more 😅"

Savage 💀


remi.☘︎ ݁˖ (busy with uni) (exiledcrown) | 58 comments sarra same! i wish to read more books of substance and longer books. aside from that, i wish to indulge more into historical fantasy and literature, read every single classic on my tbr and *god bless* read a little life in february!


remi.☘︎ ݁˖ (busy with uni) (exiledcrown) | 58 comments also guys, 100 is insane! you all are brilliantly courageous for this. goodluck!


message 9: by Lex (new)

Lex To be honest, idc about numbers anymore. My challenge is to read more 5 star books, and to read books I'm drawn to rather than leaving them on my tbr for months. I hope that by doing this I'll increase how much I'm reading because I won't be dawdling over stuff I'm going to end up rating 2 stars.

Also I'm going to read the stuff that's been hanging around on my shelf for ages (*ahem* Jane Eyre).


message 10: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments liz wrote: "sarra same! i wish to read more books of substance and longer books. aside from that, i wish to indulge more into historical fantasy and literature, read every single classic on my tbr and *god ble..."

omg a little life, the hate I build for this book is crazy


message 11: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments liz wrote: "also guys, 100 is insane! you all are brilliantly courageous for this. goodluck!"

I read 150 this year, 100 is a safe number tbh


message 12: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments Melissa wrote: "To be honest, idc about numbers anymore. My challenge is to read more 5 star books, and to read books I'm drawn to rather than leaving them on my tbr for months. I hope that by doing this I'll incr..."

omg jane eyre is there looking at me as well.. but it's a translated and "adapted" copy so I'm not that interested


message 13: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments Twilight 0f Forgotten Lore wrote: "Sarra wrote: why delete it?"


1) I have some reservations about, let's call it, the "reading culture" of this site. I think the presupposition that reading more books = reading better is faulty an..."


wow.. I don't take it that seriously tbh but that's good commentary, maybe you'd like other book "social media"?


message 14: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments Twilight 0f Forgotten Lore wrote: "Sarra wrote: ."

Yeah, I've been using this app :) The only reason I'm still on Goodreads is because of the groups/a few people.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reading......"


ohh I've seen that but I have an android and I'm shallow so I stay on here. But I understand bc omg this summer it deleted all of my books. I was angry and wanted to leave but ultimately missed it


message 15: by rina.reads (new)

rina.reads | 102 comments Sarra wrote: "rina.reads wrote: "Sarra wrote: "Hi, I hope you're doing well and having wonderful holidays !
What are your reading goals/challenges for next year?
Mine is reading more big books (>500 pages). I w..."


Thank you and I hoped so! Could you recommend me some? :D
I'd love to read some french Gothic novels or fin-de-siècle literature but you can also just drop me some general recs. (In translation please, my French is sadly rudimentary 🙁)


message 16: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments rina.reads wrote: "Sarra wrote: "rina.reads wrote: "Sarra wrote: "Hi, I hope you're doing well and having wonderful holidays !
What are your reading goals/challenges for next year?
Mine is reading more big books (>5..."


so in France, Gothic generally translates to Romanticism (as in, the movement, the current, the style, not the romance theme/genre although it's a big part of it), although they are two distinct genres, there are similarities and in French classics, I believe there are more Romantic than Gothic novels. I have recognized the gothic vibes in :
Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,
Stendhal's The Red and the Black,
Lélia by George Sand,
La Dame aux Camelias: The Lady of the Camelias by Dumas Fils

These next ones are already considered as Gothic :
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
The Devil in Love by Jacques Cazotte
Pauline by Alexandre Dumas,
Le monstre by Camille Bodin (I can't find a translation on here but IDK)
The Songs of Maldoror by Lautréamont (prose poetry)
Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue by Sade (weird weird)


message 17: by helena ♡ (new)

helena ♡ (grievingfortheliving) i honestly feel really insecure about the fact that i'm gonna set my 2024 reading goal to only 13 books :( i'm just scared that i'll disappoint myself if i go higher and can't hit my goal at the end of the year..


Veneta (Veni ಇ) | 3 comments helena ♡ wrote: "i honestly feel really insecure about the fact that i'm gonna set my 2024 reading goal to only 13 books :( i'm just scared that i'll disappoint myself if i go higher and can't hit my goal at the en..."

you shouldn't feel insecure for having set a "low" number for your reading goal. not everyone can read 100 books a year and that's okay. i, for one, plan to set mine at 12 books because i feel like that will work best for my reading pace and schedule :)


message 19: by Jesse (new)

Jesse  | 23 comments I actually find the goodreads reading goals annoying. It makes reading seem like a challenge, which in doing makes you rush through books. It's not about how many you read, it's about enjoying and learning from what you read. If a book takes you a month to read, it shouldn't be a problem. Some books require to be read slower than others. The goodreads goal, I find, eradicates that. I don't know about you guys, but I definitely rushed through some books this year to keep up with my 'goal', and that's just not good in my opinion. Reading should never be something that is rushed just to fil a silly goal.


So, rant aside, what I'm trying to say is: Go at your own pace. Enjoy and learn from what you read. It's not a competiton! Having a goal for reading should never be something to feel insecure about :)


message 20: by rina.reads (new)

rina.reads | 102 comments I agree with you! Reading for leisure shouldn't come with pressure.

With that being said, I personally don't feel pressured at all by setting a goal, but I can see how that can be the case so that you feel the need to rush through books in order to meet your goal... and that isn't ideal. Personally speaking, setting a goal helps me to analyse how much and what I read and I find that interesting.


message 21: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments helena ♡ wrote: "i honestly feel really insecure about the fact that i'm gonna set my 2024 reading goal to only 13 books :( i'm just scared that i'll disappoint myself if i go higher and can't hit my goal at the en..."

INSECURE?? why? setting a goal is for you and only you. you shouldn't compare your goals to others. 13 is as amazing as 100, 50, 60, 3, 5, etc. We each have different ways of reading, attention spans, preferences, and amount of free time, it's not because someone wants or manages to read 100+ books that it's somehow the new normal? You go girl! I hope you find great books to read next year <3


message 22: by rina.reads (new)

rina.reads | 102 comments Sarra wrote: "rina.reads wrote: "Sarra wrote: "rina.reads wrote: "Sarra wrote: "Hi, I hope you're doing well and having wonderful holidays !
What are your reading goals/challenges for next year?
Mine is reading..."


That's interesting. And thank you very much!

Notre-Dame de Paris is one of my all time favourites. :D
Dumas and Maldoror are also already on my radar and I'm very much looking forward to our Phantom of the Opera read. :)

I will check out all the other titles you mentioned!


message 23: by Sarra (new)

Sarra Tebib | 21 comments Jesse wrote: "I actually find the goodreads reading goals annoying. It makes reading seem like a challenge, which in doing makes you rush through books. It's not about how many you read, it's about enjoying and ..."

YES this is what I meant, a challenge is just a challenge, it shouldn't impact the reading experience


message 24: by helena ♡ (new)

helena ♡ (grievingfortheliving) thanks to everyone for their replies! I really appreciate everyone's words :) hope you all achieve your own reading goal ♡♡


message 25: by lesly (new)

lesly | 4 comments i would really like to read the second sex by Simone de Beauvoir this year, It's slightly intimidating but if anyone would like to do a buddy read I think it would be fun!


message 26: by cilles (new)

cilles my goals this year is to read about 15 books? trust me i would love to read more but i think its good to set goals to my own expectations and what realistically i would be reading throughout the year. BUT, this year I can't wait to start reading more russian literature, go ahead of myself and start reaching for longer books <3


message 27: by cilles (new)

cilles lesly wrote: "i would really like to read the second sex by Simone de Beauvoir this year, It's slightly intimidating but if anyone would like to do a buddy read I think it would be fun!"
if i can find the english edition of that book because god forbid i read it online 😭 idk why but it just makes me feel so much better reading with the book on me in person. But, if I have to resort to the spanish version of the book i'd love to read with you!


message 28: by lesly (new)

lesly | 4 comments cilles wrote: "lesly wrote: "i would really like to read the second sex by Simone de Beauvoir this year, It's slightly intimidating but if anyone would like to do a buddy read I think it would be fun!"
if i can f..."


No I am totally the same way, especially for bigger books I need to have a physical copy. I got lucky and found an everymans library edition of mine. I'm in this book club from youtube and reading the count of monte cristo which is about 1000 pages. But instead of feeling like its too much, its just motivating me to read bigger books this year. I can't wait for you to find a copy soon!


message 29: by cilles (new)

cilles lesly wrote: "cilles wrote: "lesly wrote: "i would really like to read the second sex by Simone de Beauvoir this year, It's slightly intimidating but if anyone would like to do a buddy read I think it would be f..."
i'm also keeping that mindset this year! i have various books on my shelf that are a lot longer than im used to but if it means that i sacrifice my "reading goal" for more indulging material i'll gladly partake in it. on the topic of the second sex, hopefully i find a copy as soon as possible, the book sounds so interesting. great luck on your find!


message 30: by rina.reads (new)

rina.reads | 102 comments lesly wrote: "cilles wrote: "lesly wrote: "i would really like to read the second sex by Simone de Beauvoir this year, It's slightly intimidating but if anyone would like to do a buddy read I think it would be f..."

great that it's working for you!

and I can totally relate! if the book is short or say not longer than 300 pages or so I tend to buy the ebook version nowadays since my shelves are flowing over xD but anything bigger I prefer a physical copy!


message 31: by Cari (new)

Cari Legere (carithewriter) My goal is to read 30 books! I'd love to read more classics, too.


message 32: by samaaira (new)

samaaira | 4 comments i've been an avid romance and fantasy reader so i'd read about 100 books every year. but this year i want to get into more classics and russian literature so my goal is 75 books! hope i complete and it :)


message 33: by Pax (new)

Pax | 6 comments My main goal this year is to read 30 books, which is the same goal I had the previous year (except I'm going to try to read or at least start Infinite Jest). Apart from that, I would also like to try to finish some books I had started the past year and didn't finish as well as go for some older classics. Last year was my first year actively reading, so I went for more modern classics as opposed to older ones. I think maybe after a year, 19th century classics will be more understandable to me.


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