On the subject of classics. Yes, the term does mean of a certain age and of a level of quality and importance that enough people still know the book and will nominate it and vote for it. There is no such thing as an “instant classic.” That's just a book someone really likes a lot and thinks will achieve the status of a classic. In the early 1970s Jonathan Livingston Seagull sold millions of copies, but looking back at it know it would be an embarrassment to read. I'd say to be a classic the book should have been published at least 50 years ago. I like the idea of two months devoted to classics or I think we will find the book club selections will be dominated by recent books. Robinson Crusoe is considered to have been the first of the novel genre, meaning we have at least 300 years of literature to draw from.

I would not mind including an children's/YA category, but then to my mind that includes some very good books an adult could also enjoy. Laughing Boy by Oliver LeFarge, Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, and Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith come to mind of the top of my head. I read these the first time in late grade school, but after just completing Riders of the Purple Sage here as a monthly selection I see no great incongruity there.

Looking at the list of monthly categories I do have a comment. July Fantasy (trees/magic) why the trees/magic qualifier? Surely fantasy extends far beyond just that?

Anyway looking at the list it does not look at all broken. If I was to suggest a new category it would be a category for plays, that is works originally written for performance on stage. That could include everything from Shakespeare, through Tennessee Williams, to Mamet and beyond.