Revealing the Book Club Schedule for 2026
Added 2025-11-30 22:29:08 +0000 UTCDear Book Club Readers ---
Thank you all so much for making the book club such a special community.
Your love of great literature is deeply inspiring, and I am endlessly grateful for all of you.
Let's talk about the book club schedule for the new year.
The video above breaks down the books and lectures for the year.
At the bottom of this post, we also have a downloadable document containing my recommended editions and some words of reading advice.
The first five minutes involve me talking about the year gone and saying thank you, so feel free to skip ahead to get straight into the schedule.
You can also see the schedule below the timestamps here.
Video Timestamps:
0:00 looking back over this year
3:00 the benefits of a deep reading program
6:00 revealing the schedule for 2026
Hardcore Literature Book Club Syllabus 2026
Guide to the lecture series for Winter 2026
January – February
Big Read: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (1985)
Ancient Greek Tragedy: Oresteia by Aeschylus, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles,
and Medea by Euripides
Guide to the lecture series for Spring 2026
March – April
Big Read: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1868)
Poetry Appreciation: The Poetry of William Blake
Foundational Thought: The Art of War by Sun Tzu
May – June
Big Read: Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante (2011-14)
Children’s Literature: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908)
Short Fiction Appreciation: Short Stories of Clarice Lispector
Foundational Thought: Bhagavad Gita
Guide to the lecture series for Summer 2026
July – August
Big Read: Swann’s Way & Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust
(Volumes One & Two of In Search of Lost Time, 1922)
Advanced Appreciation: Finnegans Wake by James Joyce (1939)
Foundational Thought: Confessions of Augustine (400 AD)
Guide to the lecture series for Autumn 2026
September – October
Big Read: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890)
Old English Epic Poetry: Beowulf (c. 975 AD)
Foundational Thought: On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (1859)
November – December
Big Read: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969)
Festive Reading Project: Secret Dickens Novel
There is a downloadable/printable document available attached at the bottom of this post which outlines the aims of this guided reading course, recommended editions, and some words on getting more out of your reading.
Thank you all for reading these great books with so much passion, curiosity, and love. Together, we're going to have our greatest reading year yet.
All love and best wishes,
Benjamin
Comments
Greetings to the club. I am a new member, just signed up a few weeks into the year after finding your channel on YT. Thank you for this excellent service, it's just what I needed at this time. I just finished Don Quixote about two weeks ago, now through part 1 of Lonesome Dove so I'm playing catch up, hope I'm not too far behind in my reading. I am thoroughly enjoying the journey so far. Best regards to all!
Michael Coca
2026-02-01 17:32:06 +0000 UTCWelcome to the group, Elena! How exciting to have a Russian join us for the reading journey of our newest Dostoyevsky masterpiece. I wrote my high school final term paper on The Idiot. High school was over 40 years ago and I don't remember much. Looking forward to this re-read. As with most literature, having a few years of life experience under your belt makes you appreciate the thoughts and words more deeply. Can't wait to read your future comments.
English
2026-01-27 18:55:58 +0000 UTCHello everyone! Just joined and very excited! I am Russian and it’s a great challenge for me to explore literature in English. Idiot is my favourite book, can’t wait to discuss it!!
Elena Lukantseva
2026-01-27 05:38:03 +0000 UTCNew Comer～Non-English speaker as well! Just eager to learn the culture and the beauty of English literature! Challenging myself 😊
Nina Li
2026-01-19 00:31:51 +0000 UTCHi! I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and I’m really glad I finally joined this year. I just happened to read Lonesome Dove in December, and honestly I’m kind of glad I did—because I’m struggling a bit with the Greek plays. 😅 I know Greek tragedies are meant to be seen and heard, so I’ve been watching a few YouTube performances to help me along. I think I’m just rusty since I haven’t read Greek tragedies since my junior year of high school. That said, I’m really excited about the 2026 syllabus so far!
Chelsea Ridgdill
2026-01-16 20:42:59 +0000 UTCI am so happy to have found you. I have been enjoying your available deep dives on You Tube and wanted more. The majority of books are ones I want to read or reread. I have been wanting to get back to Proust after reading volume one and will be quite happy to have you all to read it with. I had planned to reread Lonesome Dove in April and The Tale of Genji this month, since January is my Asian authors read, but think I will flip the script. Plus my hubby said I must read The Idiot after I finish Les Miserable. That is on the back burner for the moment but think will dip into your past videos to finish it at some point. Perfect timing or Synchronicity! Look forward to reading and discussing with you all.
Robin
2026-01-10 09:53:42 +0000 UTCI've been looking at joining this club for awhile now, and decided new year?Lets do it. I've been reading literature on my own for quite some time, but found myself combing the internet and YouTube for deeper dives, which, when found, satiated me somewhat but always felt lacking in depth, as long indepth literature videos probably dont bring in the views. Looking forward to this very much!
Robert Keller
2026-01-09 21:10:32 +0000 UTCWelcome. It’s good to hear from new members. I began one year ago and I enjoy all the comments and suggestions, and the lectures have helped immensely. I have read a number of Russian novels and enjoy them all. I have to say that my time with Bulgakov and “The master and margarita” was such a treat. Check it out. As for last year’s novels to check out, The sound and fury is fascinating along with magical novel 100 years of solitude. I doubt that I would have read these without the help of Ben. Sure glad I did Take care and welcome to the club
John B
2026-01-08 22:11:07 +0000 UTCI just joined yesterday and eager to start! My copy of Lonesome Dove is on its way to me. I must confess that I have been wanting to join the Hardcore Literature Bookclub for a few years now and decided 2026 was going to be the year; it's the year I do the "scary" things that I have always wanted to do. I say scary with a heaping spoonful of salt and a pinch of drama. The works I am most looking forward to are Lonesome Dove, The Idiot (my first Russian novel), The Neapolitan Quartet, the work of Clarice Lispector, and re-reading The Picture of Dorian Grey. I also plan to dip into some of the past years lectures, esp The Count of Monte Cristo!
Jessica
2026-01-07 23:03:27 +0000 UTCPerfect, just rejoined. Had a busy year at work last year & rebalancing life this year. Already have nealy all the books on my tbr shelves and looking forward to reading them with you all. Have the beautiful Proust box collection ready. Thanks Benjamin for a fantastic list this year.
HappyKnitter2020
2026-01-04 19:35:43 +0000 UTC“Keats and Yeats are on your side while Wilde is on mine” I never thought our professor would mention the great poet Morrissey Ⓜ️.
Luz Rivara
2026-01-04 12:31:21 +0000 UTCHi ive just joined . Ive admired from afar and decided to take the plunge . However im still trying to navigate my way around this " new " book club . Ive found the list and bought the books . Now all i have to do is find the rest !! Happy reading
christine lambert
2026-01-03 15:12:11 +0000 UTC
