By Sarah Gray
As 2023 comes to a close, we’re taking a look forward and setting our reading goals for the new year. Our TBR list of classics is already horrendously long, so we had to be picky. The result? The creation of the official Canterbury Classics 2024 Reading Challenge. Each month, we’ll be sharing our progress on Instagram and connecting with the Canterbury community.
Read on to discover the reason why each book relates to its respective month.
January: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
We’re starting the year off strong with this quintessential romance classic. This pick is in honor of the novel’s publication anniversary on January 28th, 1813.
February: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
It’s a little obvious why we chose this classic for the month of love. Despite its tragic ending, we’re in favor of reading William’s well-known play to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
March: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
This coming-of-age novel follows the lives of the four March sisters as they transition from childhood to womanhood. (Is the fact that March is their last name a little too on the nose?) Give the novel a try to commemorate Women’s History Month.
April: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
We wouldn’t be surprised if you were already familiar with this tale of 1920s glamour. Maybe you’ve seen the hit 2013 film staring Leonardo DiCaprio. Maybe it was on your assigned reading list in an English class. Whether it’s a reread or your first time, it’ll be a treat to pick up this classic novel for the book’s publication anniversary on April 10th, 1925.
May: To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The second Sunday in May marks the passage of Mother’s Day every year. We’ve picked Woolf’s classic novel to recognize one of our favorite literary mothers—Mrs. Ramsay. Mother to a total of eight children, Mrs. Ramsay is a model of beauty and serenity as she holds her large family together. Her influence remains one of the central themes throughout the novel.
June: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
One of the main messages in Montgomery’s popular children’s classic is the importance of friendship. National Best Friends Day on the 8th and the novel’s publication anniversary on the 13th makes this the perfect read for the month of June.
July: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Did you know that July 4th is officially Alice in Wonderland Day? The date commemorates the first time Lewis Carroll told the story to Alice Liddell—the real-life inspiration behind Alice—before writing it down.
August: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
This classic is quite popular amongst Canterbury fans, so it makes perfect sense it’s our pick for National Book Lovers Day in August. The publication anniversary of the novel happens to fall in the month of August as well.
September: The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
International Literacy Day on September 8th is one of our favorite holidays here at Canterbury Classics. It raises awareness for the importance of wide-spread literacy in communities. We’ve picked this children’s classic for the month of September to promote reading amongst youth.
October: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
This classic ghost story is the perfect choice for the month celebrating ghouls, monsters, and the occult. The famous tale of the Headless Horseman is also a relatively quick read, leaving plenty of time for the rest of your Halloween reading.
November: Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
November 13th is World Kindness Day, a day created by the World Kindness Movement to encourage empathy and compassion across the world. A notable story speaking to the power of kindness is this month’s read—Winnie-the-Pooh.
December: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
You’ve made it to the last book in our challenge! Close off the year and settle into the holiday season with this well-known Christmas tale by the talented Charles Dickens.
Download and print out our checklist to track your progress throughout the year!