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

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

It's good to hear that you are feeling better and I hope the changes in your professional life work out as you transition to retirement.

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is our March 2021 Short Story/Novella Read.

This discussion will open on March 1

Beware Short Story Discussions will have Spoilers

Welcome to the group Sara, I think you will enjoy your reading of the classics.

I’m currently reading The Warden, should be finished in the next few days. I agree it is excellent, a simple story, exceedingly well written.

Not harsh if it is how you feel. I have had the same feeling about books so many others hold in high regard and I just couldn’t stand. Keep to your honest opinions, we’re all better for it. After all if we all felt the same, why would we want to share our ideas.

Memoirs of Hadrian looks like one for my TBR, thanks.

Kathleen wrote: "I'm so glad War and Peace is going well for you, Bob. And I'm also enjoying The Warden right now. Angle of Repose, I will get to soon I hope.

I agree you are off to a wonderful start to the readin..."

Kathleen, War and Peace has turned out to be a real gem. It takes time and patience to get going, but once you get the characters straight, look out, you are hooked. One of the hardest things is sticking to my one hour per day reading. But a plan is a plan and I want to stick it out.

As for The Warden, I don’t know if all his writing is as smooth and as expressive as The Warden and Barchester Towers, but in the future, I’ll be finding out. I do hope you can fit Angle of Repose into your schedule, it really is worth it.

Ila wrote: "I really need to read Wallace Stegner's books soon since I've heard such good things. January seems to have been a great month for you."

Ila, I can’t speak to anything written by Wallace Stegner other than Angle of Repose and I am only half finished with it. That said even only half way finished I can heartily recommend it and I will be searching for others books written by him.

Sue wrote: "What an amazing start Bob. You are juggling so many right now! I go through times where I juggle a few at once but right now I'm only reading Angle of Repose. I loving it too."

Sue, I guess I got a little excited starting the new year and put too much on my plate. Before Goodreads I never read more than one book at a time. I started my buffet with a bigger appetite than one on a diet should have. Such a lack of discipline.

As for Angle of Repose, I’m a little over half way done and I agree, I’m loving it. It will be one of the top reads this year. It’s hard to imagine anything being better, but it would make for great reading if books do come along better or at least equal, what a tear that would be.

We are approaching the end of the month, can you believe it. At first glance I don’t feel like I am accomplishing much. I have read one brain candy novel and seven short stories. But, when I take a quick look at the approximate number of pages I’ve read this year, it’s close to 65 per day. For me, depending on the type of reading I’m doing it’s a fair average.

Everything read so far has found a place on my challenges. I admit I could double up and even triple up one or two reads in multiple challenges, if it were not for my goal of not using duplicates. This may not prove to be practical, time will tell.

All three of my current reads will find a place on my plate and are exceptional. War and Peace is half way finished and will be worth every minute spent reading it. I have stuck to my plan of reading one hour per day, plus a few extra minutes. I read the full hour and then read to a natural stopping point, usually a chapter break.

Another that will prove to be a top read for this year is Angle of Repose. This is an outstanding book. I have been slow in reading it, mostly because of the time slot I am reading it in. It is my night read and I have not been able to stay awake as long as I wish, so it ends up waiting from one night to the next night. Thank goodness some nights I am wide eyed and turning pages.

The third current read is The Warden. Three current reads and all are excellent. So glad I finally read something by Anthony Trollope. I started last year with Barchester Towers, which should be read after The Warden. No harm, no foul, reading them out of order has not hurt my enjoyment of either. A great author. I should have this finished before the end of the month.

In addition to the three current reads, two will continue into next month, I hope by the 1st, to squeeze in another short story. I have two other books started and temporarily set aside, my want is exceeding my reading ability to keep up. They are The Snow Child, the first three chapters are read, and a brain candy read, Raise the Titanic!, the first two chapters read.

I enjoyed your review of The Giver. The Burden is new to me but looks interesting.

Welcome, Marika.

Shaina wrote: "Shaina wrote: "Challenge #8 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

I have successfully read 6 new authors for this challenge. Being new to classics certainly has advantages :)"

Excellent, and only one 3 star in the bunch.

Great start, i agree Gone with the Wind is excellent. Twenty-three days I sympathize, I'm on my 25th day reading War and Peace, and still shy of half way, but it's worth it.

You are doing well with your challenge. I have The Golden Notebook on my shelf. I thought about planning it to read this year, but left it on the shelf, maybe next year.

Five star reads maybe better than checking off the squares, nice when you get both. Kathleen is right you are cooking this challenge.

Cozy_Pug and Ambra, welcome to the group!

Welcome Avinash, glad you are with us.

Great review

You are off to a great start and I agree with you and Matt, Lonesome Dove is great.

Another solid review.