Bob’s Comments (group member since Jun 22, 2011)

Bob’s comments from the Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) group.

Lynn wrote: "Bob says: Lynn, I have been a fan of short stories forever. Here is a list that are worth reading. You may have already read them, but I hope there are a couple that you will find interesting..."

Lynn, both stories are better than good. When finished with Omelas, I hoped if confronted with similar I would be one to walk away. I found Youth to be exceptional. Maybe, because as an older man I am able to look back at my own youth, both the good and the bad.

I like your planning. War and Peace? That could be construed as gluttony, lucky you. I put W&P on my challenge a few years ago, it worked. It gave me the incentive I needed to finally finish a bucket list book that I had wanted to read for years. Good luck, enjoy.

Wow! If planning wasn’t so much fun, I’d just let you do the work. A little copy and paste and an excellent year of reading would be mine. I do hope you get to Trustee from the Toolroom, I thought it was great, hope it wasn’t a guy thing, but Nevil Shute has a way of making the common man a hero.

All the best!

I too, didn’t finish my Old & New challenge this year, along with several more. May we both have better luck this year. Enjoy!

I have read a few of the books you have planned so far, and none I found to be duds. I really hope you enjoy The Day of the Triffids. It looks like we both are planning to read The Red and the Black and Shogun, they have been on my TBR for years. Good luck with you continued planning.

I agree, your challenge planning is terrific. Enjoy!

Matt, I hope you find time to dine on a few entrees. I notice that you are doing Bingo. Take a look at challenge #4, it’s almost a give me using your Bingo squares.

I have only read one by Mary Stewart and hope to read more. I have The Crystal Cave, but so far have not found a place to put it. For me, the planning and following other challenges, much neglected this year, is more fun that completing a challenge.

I hope you enjoy your year’s challenges. One I look forward to hearing your thoughts about is The Angle of Repose, it’s really good.

I’ll also give a cheer for Strange Fruit, I found it to be exceptional. Wolf Hall, not so much.

Ila wrote: "Bob, just to clarify, is it alright if books overlap among challenges? For instance, I was wondering if I could have a couple of books from the Old and New challenge in common with the Fiction/Nonf..."

Ila, yes you can overlap the same book in multiple challenges. I can’t imagine doing every challenge with individual books. The book you are considering for Old and New, Fiction/Nonfiction, will most likely fill a letter in both Title and Author A-Z challenge.

Good luck enjoy! I look forward to seeing your choices.

Janelle wrote: "Excellent buffet, Bob!

Is it possible to make Q one of the letters you don’t have to get in the alphabet challenges? I find it much harder than Y or Z"

Janelle, I see no reason you can't add Q to the exemption, it is your challenge, no stress, just have fun.

Lynn, I have been a fan of short stories forever. Here is a list that are worth reading. You may have already read them, but I hope there are a couple that you will find interesting.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
There Will Come Soft Rains
2BR02B
The Rocking-Horse Winner
A Jury Of Her Peers
The Monkey's Paw
A Horseman in the Sky
Youth: A Narrative
The Story of the Other Wise Man

Sorry, I did say I was a big fan of short stories.

.

,

Challenge #13 - A-Z Title Challenge


A All Summer in a Day
B The Bear
C The Crystal Cave
D Dracula
E Executive Power
F The Forgotten Door
G Goodbye, My Brother
H The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice
I
J Johnny Got His Gun
K King Solomon's Mines
L The Lost Apothecary
M Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon
N No Highway
O The Ox-Bow Incident
P A Piece of Steak
Q
R The Red and the Black
S The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
T Treasure Island
U Under the Wide and Starry Sky
V Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount Saint Helens
W The Witch of Edmonton
Below Only One Letter Needed for Successful Challenge
X
Y The Yearling
Z

Challenge #12 - A-Z Author Challenge


A Jean M. Auel
B Ambrose Bierce
C John Cheever
D R.A. Dick, pseudonym Josephine Leslie
E
F Edna Ferber
G Zane Grey
H Joel Chandler Harris
I John Irving
J Pam Jenoff
K Alexander Key
L Jack London
M Richard Matheson
N
O O. Henry
P Sarah Penner
Q Kate Quinn
R Taylor Jenkins Reid
S Isaac Bashevis Singer
T Rabindranath Tagore
U
V
W Stuart Woods
Below Only One Letter Needed for Successful Challenge
X
Y
Z Zitkála-Šá

Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories
10/10 Completed

Select five categories of your choice or use some of these sample categories. Once you make your category selections, link the categories by finding and reading an Old School (1899 or older) and a New School book (1900-1999) that contains some part or is all about your selected categories. It will be more interesting and more varied if you come up with your own categories.

Orphaned/Abandoned
✔️Old - The Man Who Laughs
✔️New - The Cider House Rules

Hang 'Em High
✔️Old - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
✔️New - The Ox-Bow Incident

Coming of Age
✔️Old - Treasure Island
✔️New - The Yearling

In the Wilds of Africa
✔️Old - King Solomon's Mines
✔️New - The Return of Tarzan

Ghost/Paranormal
✔️Old - The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice
✔️New - The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Challenge #10 - The Half a Millennium Challenge with a Sour Lemon Twist of Difficult
3/5

Select five books from five different centuries, using the same decade for each century you select. They do not have to be consecutive centuries but must be the same decade.

✔️20th Century - 1950-1959 - 1952-The Far Country
✔️19th Century - 1850-1859 - 1855-Little Dorrit
18th Century - 1750-1759 - 1759-The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia
✔️17th Century - 1650-1659 - 1658-The Witch of Edmonton
16th Century - 1550-1559 - 1552-A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Challenge #9 – Fiction/Non-Fiction
6/10

Select five different subjects of interest to you and read a fiction book and a non-fiction book about that subject. Total number of books for this challenge is ten.

World War II
✔️Fiction - The Huntress
Non-Fiction - Citizen Soldiers: The US Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany

War on the Sea
✔️Fiction - The Good Shepherd
Non-Fiction - World War II at Sea: A Global History

Cheyenne Indians
✔️Fiction - Little Big Man
Non-Ficton - The Cheyennes: Indians of the Great Plains

The Moon
Fiction - The First Men in the Moon
✔️Non-Fiction - Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon

Earthquake/Volcano
✔️Fiction - Congo
✔️Non-Fiction - Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount Saint Helens

Challenge #8 –Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year

Locate and list 10 books that most interest you from the year of your choice. The challenge is to read five 5 books from that list.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/popula...

NOTE: click on the link above then change the date to the date you wish to search.

10 Books of Interest for 1980
*1. A Confederacy of Dunces
*2. The Clan of the Cave Bear
*3. Congo
*4. Wild Seed
*5. The Lords of Discipline
6. Man on Fire
7. Aztec
*8. So Long, See You Tomorrow
9. Stone Fox
10. So Long a Letter
* Books I Have

2023 Books Read, 5/5
1. So Long, See You Tomorrow
2. A Confederacy of Dunces
3. Congo
4. The Clan of the Cave Bear
5. Wild Seed