Heavenali is holding a Virginia Woolf read-a-long taking place in 2016.
Starting in January 2016 – the aim is to read 6 books (or indeed more for the real enthusiasts) by or about Virginia Woolf. For each section you simply choose the book or collection that you most want to read.
First and foremost there are no rules ‘“ drop in and out as it suits you ‘“ if you only want to read the first book ‘“ that’s fine. Ali will post six (one every two months) ‘˜how are we doing’/discussion style posts where links to other posts can be shared.
This is not a reading challenge – I’m thinking of it as a project and one with no goal to read a set number of books. I love the fact that there are no rules with Ali’s read-a-long . I’ll read what I can.
January/February ‘“ Getting started with a famous Woolf novel ‘“ To the Lighthouse or Mrs Dalloway
March/April ‘“ beginnings and endings ‘“ The Voyage Out/ Night and Day (Woolf’s first and second novels ‘“ or Between the Acts ‘“ Woolf’s final novel
May/June ‘“ shorter fiction ‘“ any collection of short stories. This list of possibles from Wikipedia:
‘¢ Kew Gardens (1919)
‘¢ Monday or Tuesday (1921)
‘¢ A Haunted House and Other Short Stories (1944)
‘¢ Mrs Dalloway’s Party (1973)
‘¢ The Complete Shorter Fiction (1985)
‘¢ Carlyle’s House and Other Sketches (2003)
Oxford World Classics now produce a collection called The Mark on the Wall and other short Fiction ‘“ though I don’t know which stories it contains.
July/August ‘“ biographies ‘“ either Flush, Orlando or a biography of Virginia Woolf.
September/ October nonfiction ‘“essays or diaries. Any essay collection you fancy ‘“ there are a lot to choose from but you might want to consider: A Room of One’s Own, Three Guineas, The Common Reader or Virginia Woolf’s diaries. There seem to be a couple of diary collections, including Vintage books Selected Diaries and Persephone book’s A Writer’s Diary (edited by Leonard Woolf).
November/December ‘“ another novel ‘“ The Years/ Jacobs Room/ The Waves
So far I think I’ll be reading at least some of her short stories/essays, The Voyage Out and Virginia Woolf: a Writer’s Life by Lyndall Gordon and re-reading Mrs Dalloway, and any other of Woolf’s books that come my way next year.
BooksPlease 
Try as I might I just don’t seem to get along with Woolf’s fiction, but I love her journals, letters and essays. So, if I do join in then I think I am likely to be just posting on those. Perhaps I should use it as an excuse to try harder with the novels but given the fascination she has for me as a person I think if I was going to succeed in that area I would already have done so.
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I’m taking part in the first section and will be reading Mrs Dalloway. I tried Virginia Woolf way back and didn’t really become enthralled, so I’ll see if my tastes have changed enough to appreciate her before deciding if I go any further with the challenge. Good to know you’re participating too – and I agree, I like that Ali has made it feel nice and relaxed.
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Good luck with this. I’m not sure whether I’ll be joining in with all of these, but I do have a copy of To the Lighthouse and am planning to at least take part in the January/February read.
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Sounds very interesting, Margaret, and I give you credit for being involved in these projects.
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