Sara's 2019 Bound to Bingo Challenge

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Now that is a good suggestion, next year we'll suggest it. I am tapped out on South America, especially when it must be a classic. Still a lot of "want to" on the Asian category.

[MK]

Sara wrote: "Now that is a good suggestion, next year we'll suggest it. I am tapped out on South America, especially when it must be a classic. Still a lot of "want to" on the Asian category."

*thumbs up!*

[MK]

Sara wrote: "Now that is a good suggestion, next year we'll suggest it. I am tapped out on South America, especially when it must be a classic. Still a lot of "want to" on the Asian category."

This one was good, I liked it. Sort of a sweet story, if I'm remembering it properly:

by

Keeper, by Mal Peet


Shoot, never mind. Published 2003 ...

boo

[Sara, Old School Classics]

lol. Just what I keep coming up against. I'll find something when I am ready to take it on, but I have had to kill two potentials because I realized they were too recent to count.

[Terris]

Sara wrote: "I think I was the last one to bingo the first year I did this, but the point for me is to read them, not to bingo, so no worries. Still, feels good when you get your first bingo done. I like the fr..."

I agree, Sarah, with you: "the point for me is to read them, not to bingo." I don't ever like to do a challenge that makes me read books that I wouldn't have otherwise wanted to read. That's why I like the Bingo challenge so much. I have a list of classics that I already want to read, and they ALL fit into the Bingo board. And so the challenge just pushes me a little to actually get to them.
And in the end you get to Bingo, and there's also a little bit of competition that motivates me to ;)
Who wants to just read for fun?!! haha!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Using Laura by Vera Caspary as G2: Classic by a Female Author. A bit of noir fun.

[MK]

Sara wrote: "Using Laura by Vera Caspary as G2: Classic by a Female Author. A bit of noir fun."

Is it a play, or a novel? It sounded like a novel from the reviews and shelves people used, but when I checked my library it's subtitled "A Play in Three Acts".

:/

Maybe they don't have the novel, and it was also a play?

[Sara, Old School Classics]

How interesting. Mine is a novel and I never heard that it was a play. The copy I have has no subtitle at all, but the book is divided into five parts, which each represent a change in narrator.

[MK]

Huh!

[Kathleen]

Great choice for G2, Sara. I'm looking forward to this one, and enjoyed your review. Good luck getting that song out of your head!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

lol. It does get stuck there. It's a fun read, Kathleen.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Finally another entry for the bingo challenge: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, which I wanted to re-read before the new Masterpiece presentation begins later this month. Made it just in time.

Still no bingo, but several possibilities.

[Candi]

Wonderful, Sara! I'm looking forward to watching this one too :)

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I'm expecting it to be marvelous!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Using Sir Gawain and the Green Knight for my classic fantasy. That fills one of the hard ones for me, since I don't love Sci-Fi or Fantasy. I did, very much, enjoy this, however.

[Tammy]

I probably need to pick up Les Miserables and give it a try. I remember getting 1/2 way through it in high school and putting it down. I'll consider this my reminder.

I consider the Sci-Fi/Fantasy prompt a tricky one, too. I made it through Fellowship of the Rings so that one is crossed off for me, too!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Les Miserables is a major commitment, but worth the effort, Tammy. Glad you got the Sci-Fi/Fantasy done. I admit to loving Tolkien, so you made a good choice. It is always an iffy area for me, so much of it just isn't my taste.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

One of the most powerful books I’ve ever read. Frustrating at times but still one of the best ever written.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I completely agree, Bob.

[MK]

Sara's updates for Les Mis make me so interested! But, not this year, at least :p (for me).

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Maybe your old and new challenge for next year, MK. Wonderful stuff.

[MK]

Sara wrote: "Maybe your old and new challenge for next year, MK. Wonderful stuff."

Maybe!
I've never read it, only seen the modern movie adaptation. You make it sound wonderful!

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Sara wrote: "Finally another entry for the bingo challenge: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, which I wanted to re-read before the new Masterpiece presentation begins later this month. ..."

I didn't know about the new Masterpiece on this! Now I'm excited to check it out.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Matt wrote: "I plan to read Les Mis next month for my “H” on my A-Z author challenge and for the European Classic bing square. Sara’s updates have gotten me pumped up for it!"

I cannot imagine this novel not being a favorite with anyone who loves classics. Excited to here what you think, Matt.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Katy wrote: "I didn't know about the new Masterpiece on this! Now I'm excited to check it out."

Glad you saw this post then, Katy. I hate when something special like that is on and I miss it. From the previews, it looks like it is going to be extremely well done.

[Rachelnyc]

I have seen multiple adaptations of Les Mis on stage and screen but have yet to read the source! I doubt it will be this year but I think I will include it on my 2020 priority list.

Thanks for the heads up on the new Masterpiece adaptation. Will definitely check that out.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

G4: Blindness by José Saramago - a Nobel laureate

At last - BINGO - diagonal, left to right.

[MK]

WOOOOHOOOOOOO!!

Congrats on Bingo!! ^5!!

[Candi]

Awesome, Sara!!!!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Thanks! I wondered if I was ever going to get there.

[Terris]

Wow! You did it! I'm so happy for you -- maybe it could happen for me sometime soon?! Haha! Ya' done good! ;)

[Sara, Old School Classics]

lol. Thanks, Terri. It took long enough, I just kept skating around it. You'll hit it any day now.

[Kathleen]

Yay Sara! And I loved your review of Blindness.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Thank you, Kathleen.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Sara, I my be wrong but it looks like you have both diagonals and the four corners. Three bingos at the same time, nicely done. Or do I need to have my eyes checked.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

You are right, Bob, so I am making an appointment to have mine checked. lol. I forgot the four corners counted, but I absolutely miss-counted on the other diagonal. Of course, I call those the puny bingos, since you get one book free...off to make a true 5-book bingo now.

[MK]

Puny bingo .... or FUN BINGOS! :d

'X' marks the spot, and then pinned down with four corners :D

Congratulations on your fistful of bingos!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Thanks, MK. Feels good to have something on the board.
This has always been the case when I have played real bingo for money...everyone else bingos and I am still one away in every direction.

[Terris]

Sara wrote: "lol. Thanks, Terri. It took long enough, I just kept skating around it. You'll hit it any day now."

~~fingers crossed~~ Or it might help to just read a book!! ;)

[Sara, Old School Classics]

lol. Yes, there's always that.

[Sue]

Sara wrote: "lol. Yes, there's always that."

Congratulations on the BINGO Sara!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Thanks, Sue!

[Lynn, New School Classics]

Sara wrote: "Now that is a good suggestion, next year we'll suggest it. I am tapped out on South America, especially when it must be a classic. Still a lot of "want to" on the Asian category."

Congratulations on your Bingo.

South America has been my biggest challenge to find something I actually want to read. I finally found a book I was excited about. It is technically set in South America, but not really in the spirit of a "South American" novel. Robinson Crusoe I have never read it and it is one of those lifelong TBR books.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Great suggestion for the South American category, Lynn. I would not have thought of it. I haven't given it enough thought, but I do have an Allende sitting on my shelf that I might have to resort to.

Last year I read In the Time of the Butterflies and highly recommend it.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Filled my G5, 2019 Group Read slot with (Don't you love that cover?)
Didn't get me another bingo, but gave me an interesting day of reading.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Using The Professor for B3: European Classic. Not in the same class with Jane Eyre, but impressive for a first work.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I liked it and found it frighteningly realistic. It is well-written and carries a serious message, I think.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

B4: The Unbearable Lightness of Being. This book was a disappointment for me. I expected a lot, but found it only so-so. Gave it 3-stars.

[Rosemarie]

I felt the same way about that book, Sara. But I only gave it two stars. I give three stars to books I enjoyed reading, and one star to books I truly detest. (Very few are in that category)

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I suppose I don't actually give stars strictly for enjoyment. I will give a writer who tries to say something or asks you to think about an important issue a bit of a nudge, provided the writing is palatable. I also reserve one star for books that fail on all levels. Two stars is "okay" and I pretty much use it that way. There were things I did like about this book, just not the entirety of it. I often wish GR had half stars. A four is a very good book for me, and a five is one I will probably never forget.