Calling all book nerds! Have you seen Classic Alice yet? This show, by the awesome Kate Hackett, flew under my radar until recently, and now I can’t stop mentioning it to everyone. If bookshelves excite you, if you get lost in the library for hours, if you have an appreciation for books, then you have to give Alice a look. Also, if you happen to like being entertained, like laughing, or like watching smart and good-looking people on your screen, you should check out the show.

I don’t watch much on YouTube. I catch some of my favorites – mostly involving dudes with the last name Green – from time to time, but by no means am I an avid YouTube viewer. I have friends who religiously watch a number of series. I never quite understood this. I forget about a series or get bored a couple of videos in. Then I discovered Classic Alice. I immediately fell in love with the graphic for the show (I want Alice-themed posters for my room!) as well as its music. I was soon hooked on the characters and just kept hitting Next Episode!

From the Classic Alice website:

‘Classic Alice’ is the brainchild of series creator and star, Kate Hackett. It is the story of Alice Rackham, a college student with a huge drive to succeed. When she gets a bad grade on an essay because she isn’t emotionally connecting to material, she decides to take it a step further and live her life according to classic novels. Her friend, Andrew Prichard, uses the opportunity to make a vlog-style documentary about the process, and together they create ‘Classic Alice’.

Alice has lived her life through classic novels such as Rip van Winkle, Pygmalion, Macbeth, and even Crime and Punishment. In total, Alice explored seven novels in 2014.  My favorite so far is Pygmalion. With a new Indiegogo campaign in full swing, it looks like 2015 is going to bring even more fantastic adventures for Alice.

Alice Rackham is on Twitter, and part of the beauty of Classic Alice is the use of multiple social media outlets to add to the continuity of these stories. We get to follow Alice in multiple ways as the stories unfold. Catch a video on YouTube, read tweets between characters, listen to a podcast, then see a post on Tumblr. It adds layers to the storytelling and builds upon the excitement.

For students who are intimidated by the classics or assume they will be bored by the stories, Classic Alice not only piques their interest with modern characters, settings, and humor, but also shows the audience that these stories are great ones, and are still very much relevant. Classic Alice has enticed me to revisit books I read for school, or classics I’ve always meant to read but never got around to. I also have to admit, I now imagine pulling an Alice myself and living out my life based on a classic novel.

Wait. Before I start planning outrageous parties in the Hamptons, I have to tell you the most important thing about Classic Alice: their Indiegogo fundraiser ends this Friday, March 6th! As of this posting, “Classic Alice: Books 8 & Beyond!” is almost 75% of its way to goal. The Classic Alice team is dedicated to the stories they tell and their audience. With a bigger budget, the show can head outside and offer that much more to its fans. Let’s help them out. I, along with so many others, anxiously await what Kate Hackett has in store for 2015. It’s amazing what they’ve accomplished so far, and I know great things are ahead for Kate and her team. Also, if you become a fan of Classic Alice, you can call yourself an Ocelittle. Who doesn’t want to be an Ocelittle?

So come on, old sport, give to their Indiegogo so we can all be entertained as Alice breathes new life into the classics that are collecting dust on your bookshelf.