Wobbley's 2026 Bingo > Likes and Comments
B:B1: 20th Century -
B2: My Native Language -
✔️B3: New Country (Japan) - Babette’s Feast (Isak Dinesen) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️B4: Chosen by the Cover - So Long, See You Tomorrow (William Maxwell) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
✔️B5: Ancient/Old or Future - The Martian (Andy Weir) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I:✔️I1: Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2026 - The Fire Next Time (James Baldwin) - ⭐️⭐️
✔️I2: Prize Winning Author - Sweat (Zora Neale Hurston) - ⭐️⭐️
✔️I3: Science Fiction - Tau Zero (Poul Anderson) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
I4: From My TRB Shelf -
The Edwardians (Sackville-West) -or-
A Princess of Mars (Burroughs) -or-
Pied Piper (Shute) -or-
Penny Plain (Douglas)
✔️I5: Group's Favorite 2025 Reads - A Dream of Armaggedon (H.G. Wells) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
N:N1: The Americas or Oceania -
N2: Action & Adventure -
N3: Free Choice — Classic or Not -
✔️N4: Mystery/Suspense - The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax (Dorothy Gilman) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️N5: Africa, Asia, or Europe - Thursday's Children (Rumer Godden) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
G:✔️G1: Group Poll that Did Not Win - title story from R is for Rocket (Ray Bradbury) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️G2: Missing From the Group’s Shelf - The House at Pooh Corner (A.A. Milne) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️G3: History - They Came Like Swallows (William Maxwell) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️G4: Recommended to Me - When in Greece (Emma Lathen) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️G5: Group’s 2026 Bookshelf - No Name (Wilkie Collins) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
O:✔️O1: James Baldwin's Birth Year (1924) - The King of Elfland's Daughter (Lord Dunsany) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
✔️O2: Favorite Author - The Boy Comes Home: A Comedy In One Act (A.A. Milne) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️O3: Somewhere Else - Winnie-the-Pooh (A.A. Milne) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️O4: Translation - Yotsuba&! Vol. 4 (Kiyohiko Azuma) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
O5: 19th Century -
Plus:✔️Audio Book - Winnie-the-Pooh (A.A. Milne) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️Children’s Book - title story from R is for Rocket (Ray Bradbury) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️Epistolary - No Name (Wilkie Collins) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️Essay - The Fire Next Time (James Baldwin) - ⭐️⭐️
✔️Graphic or Comic Book - Yotsuba&! Vol. 4 (Kiyohiko Azuma) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️Nonfiction - So Long, See You Tomorrow (William Maxwell) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½
✔️Novel - The King of Elfland's Daughter (Lord Dunsany) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
✔️Play - The Boy Comes Home: A Comedy In One Act (A.A. Milne) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️Poetry - The House at Pooh Corner (A.A. Milne) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✔️Short Story - A Dream of Armaggedon (H.G. Wells) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Great ideas so far, Wobbley. Babette’s Feast particularly jumped out at me as one I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Have fun!
Kathleen wrote: "Great ideas so far, Wobbley. Babette’s Feast particularly jumped out at me as one I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Have fun!"Thanks so much Kathleen! I meant to get to that one this year, but got distracted by other books. Imagine that... :)
Enjoy your Bingo Challenge and have a great year of reading.
Katy wrote: "Enjoy your Bingo Challenge and have a great year of reading."Thanks very much, Katy! And thank you for making the Bingo challenge this year. :)
You've already penciled in some terrific books! I think you are destined to have a great reading year ahead of you.
Sara wrote: "You've already penciled in some terrific books! I think you are destined to have a great reading year ahead of you."Thanks Sara, I hope so!
We have Baldwin books in mind :) I'll watch what you have to say about Beall Street, if you read it.
Cynda wrote: "We have Baldwin books in mind :) I'll watch what you have to say about Beall Street, if you read it."Thanks Cynda! I hope you'll enjoy Notes of a Native Son.
You have some good ideas here already Wobbley, I am intrigued to see how it will take shape
Pamela wrote: "You have some good ideas here already Wobbley, I am intrigued to see how it will take shape"Thank you Pamela, that's very kind!
I missed this until now, I don't know how. You have some good books planned - I particularly like your list of books that didn't win a group poll. I dislike sorting through long lists online, so I'll probably pick one of the books you point out. lol Thanks for the help - and happy reading!
Teri-K wrote: "I missed this until now, I don't know how. You have some good books planned - I particularly like your list of books that didn't win a group poll. I dislike sorting through long lists online, so I'll probably pick one of the books you point out. lol Thanks for the help - and happy reading!"Haha, glad to help! It's a bit of a biased list, since almost all of these were nominated by me, but I'm glad you like the list :). Thanks for the well wishes.
Wobbley wrote: " It's a bit of a biased list, since almost all of these were nominated by me, but I'm glad you like the list :). ..."That explains why they look so interesting to me, then. :)
Teri-K wrote: "That explains why they look so interesting to me, then. :)"That's so kind of you!
Some really interesting choices, Wobbley! Babette's Feast and Before the Party were both excellent reads.
Carolien wrote: "Some really interesting choices, Wobbley! Babette's Feast and Before the Party were both excellent reads."Thanks for the recommendations Carolien! It sounds like I'll be happy whichever book I choose for that square. :)
I've finished the first couple of books for my Bingo challenge.✔️B3: Babette’s Feast - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This story is a bit hard to describe. On the one hand, it's quite straightforward: in rural Norway in the late 1800s, the French cook to two pious elderly sisters cooks a fancy French dinner. On the other hand, the ending makes it a much deeper story: an artist who never has the opportunity to practices her art goes all out with it one evening, and everyone who experiences it does so on a spiritual level. For the first two-thirds of the story, I though it was told in a dispassionate way that kept me at a distance from the characters. By the end I felt it was a story about sacrifice, regret, and acceptance, and how expression through art can free us. A terrific message, though I still feel the writing style kept me at a distance. I liked this one.
✔️O1: The King of Elfland's Daughter - ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ A prince marries an Elf princess, then loses her and tries to find her again; their son is really into hunting; tiny Elfland creatures are spunky and hilarious. Somehow that's the best description I can give of this book, at least in terms of plot; it follows those 3 storylines. It is a bit disjointed and tonally varied, and I wasn't keen on the hunting storyline, but the other two were quite enjoyable in their very different ways. This early fantasy was very influential, both in its subject and also its use of poetic language and sense of wonder. It is the poetic language that made the biggest impression on me.
... a melody like a wind in summer blowing from wild wood gardens that no man tended, down valleys loved once by children, now lost to them but for dreams, a song of such memories as lurk and hide along the edges of oblivion, now flashing from beautiful years a glimpse of some golden moment, now passing swiftly out of remembrance again
I'm glad you liked Babette's Feast, Wobbley. I enjoyed it more than you, but can understand what you mean about the style. Congrats on a great start to your Bingo game!
Kathleen wrote: "I'm glad you liked Babette's Feast, Wobbley. I enjoyed it more than you, but can understand what you mean about the style. Congrats on a great start to your Bingo game!"Thank you Kathleen. This is actually my first by Dinesen, and it feels good to have tried her.
I also liked Babette's Feast more than you did, Wobbley. It isn't my favorite Dinesen, but I do find that people are either very drawn to her writing or feel, as you did, that there is a distance there. Nice beginning to the bingo card.
Sara wrote: "I also liked Babette's Feast more than you did, Wobbley. It isn't my favorite Dinesen, but I do find that people are either very drawn to her writing or feel, as you did, that there is a distance there..."Oh, that's good to know, thanks Sara!
I've finished a few more for my Bingo challenge.✔️G1: title story from R is for Rocket - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A really enjoyable story about a boy who is obsessed with space, and then is chosen for the space program. While that sentence does describe the plot, it doesn't describe well the experience of reading this short story, which is so much enhanced by Ray Bradbury's wonderful prose.
This fence where we had pressed our faces and felt the wind turn warm and held to the fence and forgot who we were or where we came from but dreamed of who we might be and where we might go
✔️I2: Sweat - ⭐️⭐️ A woman is badly mistreated by her husband. I have no idea how to rate this short story by Zora Neale Hurston. I normally rate based on how much I enjoyed the experience of reading a story, and I didn't enjoy this at all, it was totally brutal. But it was a very effective story, and it certainly made me feel glad to be living my own life instead of the main character's.
✔️G5: No Name - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wilkie Collins is a pretty reliable author for me. In this engaging story, two sisters are deprived of their inheritance when their parents suddenly die. They each approach this hardship in very different ways, and the tension ratchets up when one of them seeks a sort of vengeance. A very entertaining read. Plus, bonus: this book from the 1860s has a character named Captain Kirke. Ha!
You're making good progress, Wobbley. I understand what you mean about the Hurston story - sometimes "I liked it" feels vastly inappropriate. I don't love Collins like you do, but No Name interests me, I just didn't have time to get to it. Isn't that often the way?
Teri-K wrote: "I just didn't have time to get to it. Isn't that often the way?"Yes, absolutely! There are so many things to read, and limited time.
I remember you aren't a huge fan of gothic, but No Name doesn't have any mystical component that I can remember; you might give it a try when you can fit it in.
Thanks Teri-K!
I need to fit No Name into my reading! I’m glad you enjoyed it Wobbley :)
Janelle wrote: "I need to fit No Name into my reading! I’m glad you enjoyed it Wobbley :)"Thanks Janelle, it's a good one. :)
Great progress, Wobbley. I can appreciate that Hurston was a great talent, but I cannot seem to tackle her stories.I think No Name is one of Collins' very best. Of course, like you, I tend to like him.
You are making quick work of this challenge, Wobbley! I can't remember for sure if I've read R is for Rocket, but I'm always happy for an excuse to read more Bradbury. :-)
Sara wrote: "Great progress, Wobbley. I can appreciate that Hurston was a great talent, but I cannot seem to tackle her stories..."Thanks Sara. Yeah, I guess it seems like I'm the same. And actually, your glowing review of No Name is a big part of what inspired me to read it, so thank you!
Kathleen wrote: "You are making quick work of this challenge, Wobbley! I can't remember for sure if I've read R is for Rocket, but I'm always happy for an excuse to read more Bradbury. :-)"Thanks Kathleen! Some of them are short stories, which definitely helps. And Bradbury is pretty much always a good idea. If you give it a try, I hope you'll enjoy it! :)
I've read a few more for my Bingo board:✔️I5: A Dream of Armaggedon - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A man has a dream of the future in which he turns his back on power to follow love, at the risk of world war. A story by H.G. Wells that promotes the idea that "with great power comes great responsibility", and does so in an engaging and creative way. Also a frightening portrayal of how quickly war can make the world fall apart. Thanks to Lynn for bringing this story to my attention!
✔️G4: When in Greece - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A US banker is arrested in Greece following a coup d'état, and there's an adventure to try to get everyone safe, figure out who's behind it, and make sure they are punished. I found this a bit slow to start and old fashioned in some of its ideas, but once it got going it was a fun adventure. I really enjoyed the main protagonist, a senior banker who heads to Greece to try to figure out what's happened. Thanks to Teri-K for directing me to this fun series!
✔️O3 and G2: Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A group of animals lives in a small forest having little adventures. These classics by A.A. Milne are an absolute joy to read and reread. Charming and thoughtful and funny. I can't recommend them enough. :)It's pretty impossible to choose the best quote, but here's a funny one:
"After all," said Rabbit to himself, "Christopher Robin depends on Me. He's fond of Pooh and Piglet and Eeyore, and so am I, but they haven't any Brain. Not to notice. And he respects Owl, because you can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count.
Wobbley you are well on your way to blackout! Well done!
Lori wrote: "Wobbley you are well on your way to blackout! Well done!"Thanks very much, Lori!
Terry wrote: "Great progress, Wobbley!"Thanks Terry, you're making terrific progress with your too!
The Edwardians and Penny Plain both look good. I don't know if I could choose either. Good luck choosing from that longer list 😄
Thanks very much Cynda! I'm trying to let my Bingo happen more organically than my Buffet (which is very thoroughly planned out), so who knows, I might get to neither or both of those. :)
I'm so glad you enjoyed When in Greece. I think it feels slow to start If you don't already know who all the characters are, and it's definitely a series that feels old-fashioned. But I still enjoy it. You're making good progress. Congrats.
Teri-K wrote: "I'm so glad you enjoyed When in Greece. I think it feels slow to start If you don't already know who all the characters are, and it's definitely a series that feels old-fashioned. But I still enjoy..."Thanks Teri-K. Yes, that's always a bit of a risk when you start in the middle of a series ;)
You're right, all of these were good books that I was glad to have read. I've been lucky so far this year.
Congratulations on all your progress, Wobbley! The Wells looks interesting--I need to get to it. I did finish re-reading Pooh Corner and I am very grateful that you pulled me back into those books. It has been such a long time and I had forgotten how wonderfully astute and whimsical they are. It was just what was needed right now. I wish I had been able to stay in the buddy read to the end.
Sara wrote: "Congratulations on all your progress, Wobbley! The Wells looks interesting--I need to get to it. I did finish re-reading Pooh Corner and I am very grateful that you pulled me back into those books...."I'm glad you joined us for what you could, Sara. I agree that the Winnie the Pooh books are great for difficult times. I find they are my go-to books when I need a buffer against the world. They are so wise and they create happiness.
Just want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing your Pooh quotes, Wobbley. ❤
Kathleen wrote: "Just want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing your Pooh quotes, Wobbley. ❤"I'm glad, Kathleen. They are wonderful books, the kinds of books that in every way remind me of how much reading can bring to life.
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