Greetings fellow bookworms! One of my goals for 2020 is to read more intentionally. I love a quality YA or middle grade, but in the busyness of school and social life, it’s entirely to easy to forget about the classics I love so dearly. After a long day, it’s much easier to reach for mindless entertainment a challenging read. But classics tend to be some of the most rewarding reads!

So my aim for 2020 is to read 20 classics (a little cheesy, I know!). This list might change, but for now this is the first half of the list of books that I can’t wait to dive into in the next decade! This is only the first half! Part 2 is coming in the next few days! I wanted to add in some Russian classics, more Victor Hugo, and countless other books, but realistically, I’ll be amazed if I finish these! Links to the purchase these books on Amazon are beneath the brief write-up if you want to read along with me!

I’ve already read Tolkien’s massive tome, but I just can’t wait to return to Middle-Earth so I’ll eagerly sojourn with the Fellowship again! Later in the year, I’m hoping to reread The Silmarillion and read the three great tales (Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and Fall of Gondolin) for the first time!

If you don’t know much about this timeless fantasy, it follows Frodo Baggins and the loyal Fellowship of the Ring as they travel to the depths of Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring that is working to return to the dark lord Sauron and destroy Middle-Earth.

There’s so much more to this series that can’t be summarized in a sentence so you’ll have to read it for yourself if you haven’t already! All I can say is that this is one of the most beautiful, well-written, captivating, and exciting books I’ve ever read.

Hardcover:https://amzn.to/3f5u2OH

Paperback: https://amzn.to/35izVUh

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2SDQ2Xt

I’ve seen Les Mis live and absolutely loved it! The story of redemption is breathtakingly wonderful and I can’t wait to read the brick that inspired it! Even though it’s over 1000 pages, I’m cautiously optimistic I can read it in a year!

Les Mis is about a man who spent years imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread to provide for his family and a young woman who will do anything to provide for her child…all against the backdrop of political turmoil and a growing revolution.

Paperback: https://amzn.to/2SmYCt8

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2VTIJwO

I’ve already read this book once, but this wonderful, gentle story of sisterhood and growing up is one I’d love to revisit this year.

It’s a timeless story of four sisters growing up during the American Civil War and navigating the difficulties of growing up in a changing world.

Hardcover:https://amzn.to/2Sl1LKk

Paperback:https://amzn.to/2z24Ojq

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2SnaFH4

I don’t know much about this classic other than that it takes place during the French Revolution and has an iconic opening line. I’m excited to learn more and read my first Charles Dickens book.

Paperback: https://amzn.to/35iCdTn

Kindle:https://amzn.to/2VP6iqs

This is another classic that I don’t know much about, but I’ve only read one Jane Austen book so I’m ready for another!

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/2Sogp3l

Paperback:https://amzn.to/2xrrycu

I started this one last summer but never got around to finish it. The writing is intricate, and I really enjoyed what I read.

This masterpiece follows a young Roman man who is framed for murder and tells a sweeping story of ancient Rome during Jesus’ life and death.

Hardcover:https://amzn.to/2yi8UnA

Paperback:https://amzn.to/2yVAhE4

This is another book I started but never finished! I loved what I read, and I’m excited to finish it! The story follows a young girl and how her life is changed after a lamplighter shows her kindness.

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/3aPp3OQ

I love C.S. Lewis’s work, and I found the Space Trilogy at a thrift store a couple of years ago so I can’t wait to embark on a new adventure! I started this one last year (sensing a theme here?) but got sidetracked. What I read, however, was captivating. The main character is based on J.R.R. Tolkien, and that makes the story just that more endearing.

Out of the Silent Planet follows Elwin Ransom as he unintentionally travels to space and discovers a strange people with a unique culture.

Hardcover:https://amzn.to/3aU1TXv

Paperback:https://amzn.to/2yeL3oX

Kindle:https://amzn.to/35lIvld

I’ve read a few Agatha Christie books, and I’m hoping to read all the Poirot books someday. This is my sister’s favorite Agatha Christie book so I’m excited to read it. Most of my (now) favorite books, I was reluctant to read but my sister convinced me to give them a try. She usually solves mysteries before the end so if this one baffled and captivated her I’m excited to read it!

Roger Ackroyd is brutally murdered and Hercule Poirot, his little grey cells, and the affable Captain Arthur Hastings are on the case!

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/2zEAVWO

Paperback:https://amzn.to/2yVTnde

Kindle:https://amzn.to/3bT5FS5

I can’t even begin to describe this complex mystery! I first read it several years ago, and it’s been a couple of years since I reread it. It’s about 500 pages, but every moment is worth it! The characters are as entertaining as the story. Capitola, the main character, is in very few ways a role model, but you can’t help but fall in love with her spunk and audacity. Moments of humor are found in even the most intense scenes. I can’t praise this book highly enough and just typing this description makes me want to abandon my current reads and dive into this old favorite!

Capitola Black is an orphan who is taken in by an elderly gentleman. An old friend comes to visit, the estate next door seems haunted, and before you know it, a gang of outlaws is involved and a decades-old mystery is in danger of going unsolved!

This book is an obscure title, so I wasn’t sure which Amazon link would be the most reliable quality-wise. So here’s the link for Lamplighter Publishing, and it’s where I got my copy. They also publish fantastic, rare old books from a Christian worldview.

https://store.lamplighter.net/hidden-hand-the-p227.aspx

Well, that’s all for now! I’ll be back soon with Part 2!

Farewell and happy reading!