Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

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Archived Chit Chat & All That > How many have you read? (Reading the books on our group bookshelf)

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message 751: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
I am slipping farther behind, but will concentrate of some of these the second half of the year.

Julie, I am awed that you have a 90% rate. My goodness!


message 752: by siriusedward (new)

siriusedward (elenaraphael) | 2005 comments 90%


That is truly awesome.


message 753: by Jerome (new)

Jerome (tnjed01) | 46 comments 54/224=24%

(But my goal is only 50%)


message 754: by Julie (new)

Julie | 606 comments siriusedward wrote: "90%


That is truly awesome."


I've been a dedicated member of this group for several years - that means taking the time to read the group choices as well as trying to read some of the books read prior to me joining the group :)


message 755: by katie (last edited Jul 05, 2018 06:17PM) (new)

katie | 52 comments I was nervous to check, since I figured I'd fallen behind, but I'm still making progress! Might actually be able to get to 50% this year!

12/2017 - 89/208 = 42.78%
3/2018 - 98/214 = 45.79%
7/2018 - 106/227 = 46.69%

Strange, the Listopia only has 224 books, but the bookshelf has 227. Going by 227, I'm only at 46.69%, but still better than my average in March.


message 756: by Lynn, New School Classics (last edited Sep 22, 2018 01:26PM) (new)

Lynn (lynnsreads) | 5120 comments Mod
7/5/2018 I have 67/227 = 29.5% I really do have a lot of catching up to do!!


message 757: by Lynn, New School Classics (new)

Lynn (lynnsreads) | 5120 comments Mod
Julie wrote: "I'm currently at 90 % - hopefully I'll get to read some of the july and august picks during my summer holidays :)"

90% is very impressive!


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name Julie I’m going to beat you! Lol


message 759: by George P. (new)

George P. | 422 comments katie wrote: "I...
Strange, the Listopia only has 224 books, but the bookshelf has 227. ....."


I think this has been noted before and the explanation was that the bookshelf also includes future months' reads that have been picked while the Listopia does not.


message 760: by katie (new)

katie | 52 comments George wrote: "I think this has been noted before and the explanation was that the bookshelf also includes future mo..."

Oh, duh, that makes sense, I don't know why I didn't catch that. Thank you!
And I'm hoping to read a couple of the group reads this month, so should make more progress!


message 761: by Holly (new)

Holly | 31 comments only 32 here! looking forward to some great reads!


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name I’m now up to 85%. LibriVox helped with that the past week and a half. Also I’ve already read most of the past two months selections. I’ll keep on trucking. I think I have mostly long reads left.


message 763: by Julie (new)

Julie | 606 comments BAM wrote: "Julie I’m going to beat you! Lol"

Game on ;-)


message 764: by Cendaquenta (new)

Cendaquenta | 43 comments 64 out of 224, so (if I'm mathsing right which is doubtful) about 28%. Got all proud of myself when I'd read more than half of the first 100, too...


message 765: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
You should be proud of yourself, Cendaquenta. Keep reading.


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name I’m now up to 89%! Speeding right thru
But I’m burning out
Julie I’m coming up behind you!


message 767: by Greg (last edited Jul 18, 2018 01:02PM) (new)

Greg | 945 comments I've read 135 of the 225 so far on the Listopia list - many great books on there! So only 60%. I don't count the ones I read so long ago and when I was so young that I don't remember anything about them.


message 768: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
I've read 177 of 225, giving me 79%.
There are 7 books on the list that I do not intend to ever read. If I calculate only the 218 I intend to read, I'm at 82%.


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name Sara, I grinned and bared it on those books. Just played audio on those. I couldn't stand not seeing those unrated on my shelf. I was able to listen at work so I was not completely hyper focused and made it through.


message 770: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
As my life gets shorter, I have stopped making myself do things like that, BAM. I have permission not to finish a book I'm not enjoying and not to read any book that I'm not interested in just to satisfy my crazy addiction to lists. :o)


message 771: by Greg (new)

Greg | 945 comments Sara wrote: "As my life gets shorter, I have stopped making myself do things like that, BAM. I have permission not to finish a book I'm not enjoying and not to read any book that I'm not interested in just to s..."

I feel the same - I read these sorts of books because I like them, not because of an obligation. If I were planning on taking more college literature classes I might feel differently. :)

I do enjoy thinking about books deeply, but there's no one to make me do that with books I don't like. That being said, there are very few classics I end up disliking - I can only think of one or two at the moment.


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name I can't help it I'm OCD
I do walk away from a book if it's just too bad though


message 773: by Lynn, New School Classics (last edited Jul 18, 2018 10:03PM) (new)

Lynn (lynnsreads) | 5120 comments Mod
I never make a conscious decision to quit a book, even if I don't like it very much. Since I am usually reading several books at a time, I just focus on the ones I like the most. One day I will notice that I haven't actually read anything in a particular book in months, so I move it back to the to-read category. I totally understand not reading some of the books on the group bookshelf. I think it's a very rational thing to do. There are quite a few I will probably never get to that I would like to, and others that I don't really care that much about. But already I've read 4 books/short stories I never would have without the group.


message 774: by Bob, Short Story Classics (new)

Bob | 4602 comments Mod
Sara wrote: "As my life gets shorter, I have stopped making myself do things like that, BAM. I have permission not to finish a book I'm not enjoying and not to read any book that I'm not interested in just to s..."

It’s curious and a little depressing, thinking about the future. Especially for those of us who don’t have as many years ahead of us when compared to the number already behind. If God grants me 20 more years of good reading, and I continue to average 60 books a year, I have about 1200 more books in my life. Somehow that seems like an appallingly small number. It makes me envious of the people who can read 100+ books each year. But even reading 100+, like the number of years ahead, there just aren’t many books left. I wish I could do a better job of selecting truly good reads and was able to give up on the bad. Very few times in my life have I quit a book once I open the cover and start reading.


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name OMG! Bob! I refuse to think about that math. If I keep adding to my TBR list I’ll just never die ok?


message 776: by Melanti (new)

Melanti | 1894 comments There's a bunch of people who try to read all of the books discussed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. There's several lists where you can mark which ones from the book you've read and how old you are, and they'll do the math for you on how many from the list you'd have to read each year to finish it. Horribly depressing, cause there's just no way I could read that many from the list each year!

As far as this group goes, if Faulkner wins this month, I'll be up to 19 books from this groups book shelves that I've either tried and didn't like or refuse to even attempt to read.


message 777: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
I try not to worry about the books I won't get a chance to read...kind of like the countries I was planning to visit when I was young and realize, now that I am far from young, that I won't ever make it to. I also want to make every read count, Bob, and I hope I die with a good book on my nightstand.

I have finally realized that unless the 1000 book list is of my own making, it will contain books I don't want to read and shouldn't spend my time with. I have read enough books now to know what I enjoy and what I don't. I don't need to read 50 Shades of Grey to know it is not the book for me. I'm not planning to read it just because it made the Great American Read. I am constantly trying to cull the TBR as well. It gets completely out of control. Right now it has over 2000 books on it. Uh, no way it could ever get cleared in my lifetime.


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name Melanti I feel you on the Faulkner oh the feels


message 779: by Sue (new)

Sue K H (sky_bluez) | 3694 comments Bob wrote: "Sara wrote: "As my life gets shorter, I have stopped making myself do things like that, BAM. I have permission not to finish a book I'm not enjoying and not to read any book that I'm not interested..."


I'm the same way Bob! It pains me not to finish a book because I keep thinking that it may improve and then once I'm so close I just finish it. There aren't many books that I've really hated. I usually find something of value.

Of course I see nothing wrong with people not finishing when they don't like something. I wish I could be like that but it's just not in me yet.


message 780: by Marilyn (new)

Marilyn | 720 comments My local library posted this: "Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." - P.J. O'Rourke


message 781: by Aprilleigh (new)

Aprilleigh (aprilleighlauer) | 333 comments I would change that to say: "Always read something that will make you feel good if you die in the middle of it."


message 782: by Terris (new)

Terris | 4385 comments I'm at 196 out of 227 at 86% with a few more on the list that I'd like to pick up -- but not all of them. Some I just don't want to read! :)


message 783: by Rosemarie (new)

Rosemarie | 1567 comments When you get to be 60+, it is much easier to decide to stop reading a book you don't like, especially when there are so many other great books waiting to be read.

There are some books from book lists that I will never read, especially since many books I consider essential books are not on them.


message 784: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
Terris wrote: "I'm at 196 out of 227 at 86% with a few more on the list that I'd like to pick up -- but not all of them. Some I just don't want to read! :)"

That's an awesome figure, Terri.


message 785: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
Rosemarie wrote: "When you get to be 60+, it is much easier to decide to stop reading a book you don't like, especially when there are so many other great books waiting to be read.

There are some books from book li..."

Exactly where I am Rosemarie.


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name Just for shoots and giggles I bought 1001 books to read before you die. It was a couple of bucks on amazon. I like a challenge. I guess I read so much at one time that I have to really hate it to not get through it, which does happen. But I’d like to experience as many classics as I can.


message 787: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
lol. Oh, I bought it too, BAM. The bibliophile in us always surfaces.


message 788: by Kathleen (new)

Kathleen | 5458 comments Bob wrote: "Sara wrote: "As my life gets shorter, I have stopped making myself do things like that, BAM. I have permission not to finish a book I'm not enjoying and not to read any book that I'm not interested..."

I feel the same way, Bob, and it is terrifying to think about. So I think we should take the books the way we take the days--one at a time--and just enjoy each one. :-)


message 789: by GW (new)

GW | 167 comments I have read to date 152 books on this list or 68% I did a little calculating and discovered I've read approximately 5000 hours in my lifetime. Of the books included in this tally are 472 classics of which I counted classic plays, non-fiction and children's classics. But a solid 272 greatest classic novels. With out the Goodreads app I would never have come to these statistics.


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name Good lord! Except sleep, I’m reading something ALL. OF. THE. TIME
no way could I ever figure out a temporal measurement


message 791: by Yu (new)

Yu | 9 comments Does anyone know any similar characters like Lord Henry Wotton from The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, I can't help it but his wit is just tempting. Please tell me if you know any.


message 792: by J_BlueFlower (new)

J_BlueFlower (j_from_denmark) | 2268 comments June 2017 81 out of 186 = 43.54 %
Aug 2017 86 out of 192 = 43.54 %
Oct 2017 88 out of 198. = 44.4%.
Nov 2017 92 out of 201 = 45.7%
Dec 2017 93 out of 205 = 45.3%
Feb 2018 96 out of 208 = 46.1%
March 2018 98 out of 211 = 46.4%
April 2018 100 out of 214 = 46.7%
May 2018 105 out of 218 = 48.2%
June 2018 109 out of 222 = 49.1%
July 2018 110 out of 227 = 48.5%
Aug 2018 112 out of 230 = 48.7%


message 793: by Sara, Old School Classics (new)

Sara (phantomswife) | 9407 comments Mod
Lovely to make such steady progress, Blueflower. I seem to carve away at the list rather willy-nilly.


message 794: by J_BlueFlower (new)

J_BlueFlower (j_from_denmark) | 2268 comments Of the 5 books being read there seems to be always 2-3 I want to read. Also, I am having some tailwind: the group now and then picks books I have already read.

Just two books per month will - very slowly - lead upward to a 60%.


BAM doesn’t answer to her real name I'm at 93% and in the middle of reading three more on the shelf.


message 796: by Christopher (new)

Christopher (Donut) | 140 comments Yu wrote: "Does anyone know any similar characters like Lord Henry Wotton from The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, I can't help it but his wit is just tempting. Please tell me if you know any."
Yu, I would definitely recommend The Green Carnation, which is meant to parody Wilde's paradoxical style, but is really very close to the original.

Wilde had to publish a letter in the newspaper disclaiming authorship.


message 797: by Lynn, New School Classics (last edited Aug 18, 2018 11:05AM) (new)

Lynn (lynnsreads) | 5120 comments Mod
Currently Aug. 18. 2018 70/230 books read = 30.4%. You have to read quickly to keep the percentage from dropping! In July it was 67/227 = 29.5%


message 798: by Chrissy (new)

Chrissy I just went through the list, and I’m at 73/230, or about 32%.


message 799: by Lynn, New School Classics (new)

Lynn (lynnsreads) | 5120 comments Mod
Chrissy wrote: "I just went through the list, and I’m at 73/230, or about 32%."

Great. There are a lot of good books to choose from on the shelf.


message 800: by Darren (new)

Darren (dazburns) | 2148 comments 5 more recently, pushing me ever closer to 50%...
4 read:
Catcher In The Rye
The Murders In The Rue Morgue
Summer
The Odyssey
1 chosen that I've already read:
Light In August
making 111/230 = 48.3%


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