Winter Reading Recommendations: Classics Book Club’s Picks for 2024
January 2, 2024
In the blink of an eye, the holidays are behind us. With the hustle and bustle over, many of us will be settling into winter hibernation mode to get through the cold, bleak days of January that seem to drag on forever. What better time than now to gear up for a season of curling up with a good book? Perhaps you’ll even kickstart a new habit or hobby for the new year and many more.
We have several avid readers at The Hickman, many of whom meet weekly for a Classics Book Club. Given their wealth of literary knowledge, we set out to ask them about their recent reads and favorite books and find out what they recommend for 2024. Which one will you read next?
Recently Read
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams: voted the favorite of the past quarter by the group, this critically acclaimed play from 1947 tells the story of a woman who moves in with her sister and brother-in-law in their New Orleans apartment, causing a series of strains on their relationship.
The Cocktail Party by T.S. Eliot: a couple with a troubled marriage makes amends with the help of a stranger at a cocktail party. This 1949 play is partly satirical and partly exploratory of some deeper themes concerning relationships.
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury: for this collection of 18 science fiction short stories, Classics Book Club members read one short story each week this past fall. Written in 1951, The Illustrated Man is told by a narrator who meets a man covered in tattoos—each of which is alive and tells a story.
Recommended Reads
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald: published in 1922, this short story follows the life of a man, Benjamin Button, who ages in reverse—born looking like a man in his 70s and appearing physically younger and younger with each passing year.
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County by Mark Twain: an 1865 short story about a gambling man claiming to have a frog who can out-jump any other frog in the county, is cheated into losing a bet.
Preparing to Read Next
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe: in this short story published in 1843, the narrator attempts to convince the reader of his sanity while at the same time describing a murder he has committed.
Billy Bathgate by E.L. Doctorow: written in 1989, this historical novel showcases a 15-year-old Irish boy’s journey to adulthood while involved in the Jewish mob in 1930s New York City.