A Reading Plan for 2022

One evening, when the Virago Elves were putting their feet up in their armchairs by the fire at Elf HQ, one of us looked up from her book and commented that she missed that days when we had a grand reading plan for the year.

The others agreed, and we came up with a plan – themed reads.

We came up with a list that we think will help us all to read books from our TBRs, discover new books to read, and think and discuss Virago Modern Classics and the Virago lists.

When you read the monthly prompts, you will see that some months are focused on the Virago list but others will allow you to read books from other publishers, as well as Virago Travellers and Virago Biographies.

Here is the list:

January – read a book featuring nuns, teachers or governesses.
February – read a book by a North American author or a book set in North America.
March – read a book by an author who just has one book on the Virago list.
April – read a book with a name in the title.
May – read a book that tells the story of a life – fact or fiction.
June – read a book by a Virago author that Virago didn’t publish.
July – read a book by an Irish author or a book set in Ireland.
August – read a book about a journey – fact or fiction.
September – read a book about family relationships.
October – read a book that was published by Virago but is now in print with another publisher.
November – read a book by an author from Australia or New Zealand, or a book set in one of those countries.
December – read a book that you haven’t been able to fit into a theme yet.

Threads will appear just before that beginning of each month, and we do hope that you will join us.

If you have any questions, please ask!

Ooh! I love this! I really enjoyed the themed reads back in the day, and this plan might just bring me out of Virago hibernation. I have loads of unread VMCs but get stuck when trying to choose what to read, so I don't.

I'd really value recommendations from the group for books that suit each category, so I hope people will chime in when the threads go up.

Thank you elves!

Yes, this looks like great fun! And recommendations would be a bonus.

I was planning on starting threads a week or so before the start of the month. Would that work?

Please feel free to use this thread to make or ask for recommendations beforehand.

Happy to join. Looks Good!

Oh, what a great idea! I too miss the years when we had monthly themed reads, and it will be great to get back into that. You've come up with some fun ideas for each month.

I'm looking forward to seeing what people come up with for each month! I'm a little hampered by my Great TBR Challenge that runs until October but I do have a few Viragoes on the TBR (in fact I have some lovely nuns, thanks to Heaven-Ali!) and will try to think of some suggestions, too.

>4 BeyondEdenRock: That would work for me, thank you!

I'm looking forward to it.

This looks like a great idea! Here's hoping my TBR pile works with it.

LyzzyBee. What are your lovely nuns? I fear I've read my nun books. Off the top of my head - The Corner that Held Them, Antonia White, The Land of Spices, etc.

I can, of course, re-read my Rumer Goddens. But a look online shows me that the Persephone Consequences is about nuns, and Gail Godwin (Virago author) has a nun book as well. Lots of people raving about Peter Tremayne's nun mysteries. Not VMCs, but any good?

Oh, that’ll be wonderful Jane - wonderful monthly themes, and it will be lovely to explore my collection to find some good titles. Suggestions would be lovely too - what fun! 😊😊

>4 BeyondEdenRock: Yes, that works! I went through my books today (virtually speaking) and I have ideas already for January!

This looks wonderful, Jane! These themes are most welcome having so many to choose from - and it will be great fun to see what everyone chooses. Women in the Wall and The Abbess of Crewe come to mind for Nuns in January.

Your idea to start the new month's thread prior to the start of the month sounds good too. It will be a nice nudge to start thinking about what to read next.

>11 lippincote: Yeah, it's Black Narcissus, which Ali managed to press onto me while I was popping in to deliver something to her!

I was taught by two different orders of nuns. The ones that taught the lower grades were for the most part very strict and intimidating. Those who were my high school teachers were much nicer. That was at a small private Catholic boarding and day school for girls and the nuns were a French order. Therefore I have mixed feelings about reading books featuring nuns but will be interested in people's comments.

So far, I have read all those mentioned. One of my top ten books of all time is In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. I've read it many times. I am not a Catholic but definitely have a thing about nuns :)

I'm thinking I'll go with the Gail Godwin one. She's a VMC author and the book is in my local library.

I am planning to read either South Riding or In This House of Brede--still flipflopping.

>19 NinieB: South Riding is wonderful and one of my favourite VMCs. I haven't read In This House of Brede yet but I have heard so much good about it.

My own choice is between In This House of Brede and The Corner That Held Them. I'm leaning towards the latter and have ordered a new Virago edition from the library to compare with my green copy, and to help its statistics.

My January pick will be Women in the wall, I think, or possibly Spinster. Or maybe both!

Jane in a straight choice between Brede and the Warner book I would have trouble. They are both brilliant. I came to The Corner that Held Them with zero expectations and was blown away. But In This House of Brede is in my top 3 books of all time. I first read it as a 20-something and re-read it every 5 years or so.

>20 BeyondEdenRock: >22 lippincote: I may have to read both In This House of Brede and South Riding!

I've actually never gotten to Frost in May! So I will finally read the first Virago in January.

>24 japaul22: I was hoping that someone would read the first VMC in the first month. I re-read Frost in May a few months ago and it really is a great book.

I have read a number of books by Miss Read based on her experiences as a teacher and have really enjoyed them. Both Village School and Thrush Green are my favorites but there are many others which I haven't read all with the same settings so would gladly read more of her works.

Villette (Virago 357) will be my January book, and it has the added bonus of working for the 2022 Victorian theme over in Club Read.

Ok, I’m considering I’m Not Saying by Ruth Adam for January - have meant to read it for ages so this could well be the time!!

How is it that I have 172 unread VMCs on my shelves and can't find one to fit our January theme? That's just wrong.

I've already read several of the books mentioned, and would recommend them heartily. South Riding is one of my all-time favorites. I thought I had The Corner that Held Them but no, I have three other books by Warner, all still unread.

Argh! I'll keep hunting. Thankfully it looks like February's theme will be easier for me.

>29 lauralkeet: I have just had a look at your library and found Olivia and The Getting of Wisdom tagged as TBR. Either would work as they feature teachers, from the perspective of their pupils.

>30 BeyondEdenRock: Aha! thank you so much for your help with this. I tried searching LT with a combination of tags, but didn't get far. The Getting of Wisdom sounds like just my cuppa. I'm so glad. Thanks again!

A thought - does a university lecturer/amateur detective count for January as I do have a couple of Amanda Cross books calling my name. A lecturer is a teacher, right? 😁

>32 kaggsy: Definitely. Amanda Cross was published by Virago - though she isn't on the VMC list - yet - and I remember seeing her books in the Silver Moon Bookshop back in the day.

>15 bleuroses: ah perfect - an excuse to buy The Abbess of Crewe which has been on my wishlist for a while!

January thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/337765

February thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/339066#