I thought that it was a good time to take stock of this reading project. I started it several years ago, but have gone in fits and starts. I opened the tracking page on 9/30/2018, which means I’ve been working on the project since approximately the same time that I started my second Classics Club project.
I have read a total of 36 out of 100 years, which puts me just over 1/3 done. I’m not terribly surprised that most of my success has been concentrated in the decades of the 1930’s and 1940’s, since I’ve had a strong leaning towards books published in those years. I am a little bit surprised at the number of books from the 1960’s that I’ve finished, though.
Overall, I have shied away from the early decades, with only two books from the 1900’s – 1900 and 1902, both by Edith Wharton; I have read zero books from the 1910’s, and a mere two books from the 1920’s – 1922 was The Lark by E. Nesbit and 1924 was The Secret of Greylands by Annie Haynes, both books that have been re-issued by Dean Street Press. I would note that I could fill a number of these slots with Christie mysteries, but I didn’t want to fill the entire project with Agatha Christie, so I have given myself leave to use only one Christie – N or M – as the primary book for 1941.
I do notice that I have not had the same scruples with respect to D.E. Stevenson, whose books I have used 3 times previously, so I may end up lightening up a bit with respect to Christie.
The 1930’s and 1940’s are almost completely filled in – I only have 1939 to finish and the 1930’s will be concluded, and I am over half-way finished with the 1940’s, with 1942, 1945, 1947 & 1949 left. I have read 4 books in the 1950’s, but have nearly completed the 1960’s, with all but 1960 & 1966 (my birth year) accounted for. Beyond that point, I haven’t fared well with zero books from the 1970’s, 2 from the 1980’s and 3 from the 1990’s.
It is probably unrealistic to finish this project in 2022, but I’d like to get to at least the halfway point this year, and hopefully more like the two thirds mark so I can reasonably expect to finish it in 2023. In that spirit, I am going to try to finish out the 1930’s and the 1960’s in January/February.
For 1939, I have settled on The Priory by Dorothy Whipple. This is a Persephone book, and I have put a hold on it at my library; my Classics Club yields two cross-over books: The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien, published in 1960 (available as an ebook through my library system) and The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, published in 1966. I have mixed feelings about reading the Rhys book because I have heard really mixed things about it, so I may end up giving it the heave-ho and going with the (probably) far more entertaining The Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann, or, possibly what looks to be more interesting – Jubilee by Margaret Walker, which I just put on hold at the library, although there appears to be a short wait.
Once I finish those decades, I will regroup and probably try to knock out a few years at least in 1900-1929, as I expect that these will be more difficult than 1970-1999.
Ooh, The Priory is wonderful!! I know you’ll enjoy that. I’ve been trying to do a century of books since 2014 but there are some years there’s just nothing I fancy published then! https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/about/a-century-of-books/ I have been trying not to allow myself any doubles from authors but think I will have to relax that! I see I can use Larry McMurtry for one of my empty years later on this year at least. Good luck with yours!
I would love to finish, and I did get some ideas from yours when I looked at it, although I’m only reading women, so that’s a bit limiting.
I’ve already planned for a Century of Crime – but I’m going to go 1920 to 2020. I have some other limitations planned (men will be ok, but no rereads and only one book per series/author!). I don’t want to start before I finish this one, though, so I’m read to make some serious progress!