Angie's Swinging for the Fences - 2019

[Angie]

Okay, so I got 17 out of 25 this year but still didn't manage a blackout. This year, I'm trying to be a little more choosy with my books in hopes that this will be the year I hit a home run with this thing.

✔ B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (06/21/2019) ★★★★
B2: Book Chosen by the Cover
Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
✔ B3: European Classic
Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie (11/29/2019) ★★★
B4: Telegraph’s 100 Novels List
Cranford
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler
The War of the Worlds
B5: 20th Century Classic
Neuromancer by William Gibson


✔ I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2019
The Canterville Ghost (12/06/2019) ★★★★
✔ I2: New-to-You Author
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (08/01/2019) ★★★★★
✔ I3: Classic Play
R.U.R. by Karel Čapek (06/01/2019) ★★★
✔ I4: Literary Prize of Your Country
When Zachary Beaver Came to Town by Kimberly Willis Holt National Book Award (09/21/2019) ★★★★
✔ I5: Classic on Your Bookshelf For over a Year
Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett (08/29/2019) ★★★


✔ N1: South American Classic
Art of Birds by Pablo Neruda (06/18/2019) ★★
N2: Short Story Collection
The Draco Tavern by Larry Niven
✔ N3: FREE SPACE
Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (08/06/2019) ★★
✔ N4: Poetry or Essay Collection
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg (06/02/2019) ★★★★
✔ N5: Asian Classic
An Artist of the Floating World (11/08/2019) ★★★★


✔ G1: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize
The Alienist – Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (01/31/2019) ★★★★★
✔ G2: Classic By a Female Author
Murder at the Vicarage (07/19/2019) ★★★★
✔ G3: Classic Non-fiction
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (11/12/2019) ★★★★★
✔ G4: Written by Nobel Laureate
As I Lay Dying (02/05/2019) ★★★★
✔ G5: Book from the Group's 2019 Bookshelf
The Postman Always Rings Twice (01/03/2019) ★★★


✔ O1: 19th Century Classic
The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe (11/17/2019) ★★★★
✔ O2: Classic Sci-fi or Fantasy
Foundation by Isaac Asimov (09/02/2019) ★★★
✔ O3: Classic Comedy or Satire
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift (11/09/2019) ★★★★
O4: Classic Romance
Northanger Abbey (reading)
✔ O5: 21st Century Potential Classic
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (01/19/2019) ★★★★

[Angie]

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[Angie]

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[Angie]

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[Angie]

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[Katy, New School Classics]

Wow, you've got some nice planning & books here listed. Have fun with the challenge.

[Renee]

You've got a great list of books for your challenge! Hope you enjoy them, and have fun with the challenge :)

[MJ]

A great list, except Norwegian Wood. I tried so hard to read that one, but couldn't! Good luck with your challenge!

[Angie]

Thanks all!

MJ - I keep hearing mixed things about Norwegian Wood. It seems to be one of those books without a lot of middle ground. I guess we'll see what happens! :)

[Johanne]

I didn't love Norwegian Wood because of the mood it put me in, but it's beautifully written and definitely worth a read.

[Aubrey]

Angie wrote: "Thanks all!

MJ - I keep hearing mixed things about Norwegian Wood. It seems to be one of those books without a lot of middle ground. I guess we'll see what happens! :)"

There's a movie you can test drive first if you don't mind spoilers.

[MJ]

The first book I read by Murakami was The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and I loved it. I've read several of his books since, and I didn't enjoy any of them as much as I did the first one. I hope you enjoy it!

I did not know there was a movie. I often live under a rock when it comes to that type of thing!

[Susie]

After looking at your list, thank you for helping me get some of my reads organized into the categories for bingo. We have several of the same titles and I was getting jumbled trying to figure out which ones to put where. Your list has given me some clarity!

[Angie]

MJ- I still haven't gotten to Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, but I want to read it. So far, the only Murakami book I've read is The Strange Library.

Susie - I'm glad I could help!

[Angie]

I'm spending way too much time thinking about the "21st Century Potential Classic" category. I've seen a lot of discussion about what exactly makes a book a classic. Is it an award winner? Maybe. Given some of the tripe that has won major awards in the past few years, I can't take awards that seriously.

Does it have to be Serious Literature? In other words, it is a book that isn't genre fiction? Nope. People seem to think genre is a dirty word in the world of literature. Well, people can bellyache all they want (and I've seen people bellyache plenty), but Agatha Christie, Isaac Asimov, and J.R.R. Tolkien wrote books that are classics.

Does it have to say Something Important about humanity? Well, it couldn't hurt. Writers who have something important to say often create works that resonate through time.

So what about the writing? It should be good, right? Well, I would hope so. On the other hand, 1984 is an important book, but I don't think it's a great piece of literature. *ducks rotten tomatoes*

I've decided to use one simple definition for "potential classic"--will the book have staying power 50 years from now? Simple. But will people care in 50 years?

I don't know what the point of my little diatribe was, except to provide a bit of explanation for my choices, most if not all of which will be genre books.

[Petra]

I like your diatribe, Angie.
I have the same issues with "potential classic" and also think it's a matter of which book will still be read in the farther future. I'm never sure which book I would give that distinction to. So many books are popular, read by "everyone", have long queues at the library, people talk about them, etc...… One would think this book would make be saying something and make it through the ages....but it doesn't and is forgotten a year or two later.
So, how to choose a "potential classic"? It's a difficult choice.....one I've yet to find an answer for. You've done well in choosing a few options.

[Katy, New School Classics]

Angie wrote: "...will the book have staying power 50 years from now?..."

I like your definition.

[Angie]

I've just finished The Postman Always Rings Twice for G5: Book from the Group's 2019 Bookshelf. As I mentioned in the thread for the book, Cain's writing is powerful... there's no denying that. I didn't connect with the characters, but the prose was stellar. ★★★

[Veronique]

I like your ‘definition’ too, and your potential titles are interesting. I’ve only read The long Way... and loved it.
Good luck with your challenge:0)

[Angie]

Thanks Petra, Katy, and Veronique. What I think I'm going to do this year is list all books I read that seem to fit the definition of potential classic. It's an interesting challenge, really. I like seeing what everyone comes up with for that category. I used Celeste Ng's Everything I Never Told You last year.

[Richp]

I agree with your intended meaning re awards and tripe. But, tripe is a prime ingredient in two classic dishes I like, Mexican style menudo, and Filipino kiri kiri. I prefer to say Sturgeon's Law applies, and there is always some leakage from the 90% into the awards lists. For those unfamiliar with Sturgeon, look him up.

[Samanta]

Agreed on 1984. I read it twice in different stages of my life just to see what the reaction would be and both times it produced too high a level of anxiety. No more!!

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

You ended up with a twofer with Postman. If you read another for the group 2019 list, the cover for your edition of Postman can go to B-2 it's a great cover.

[Angie]

Bob wrote: "You ended up with a twofer with Postman. If you read another for the group 2019 list, the cover for your edition of Postman can go to B-2 it's a great cover."

Yeah, it really is a beautiful cover.

[Angie]

I've finished As I Lay Dying for Nobel Laureate. My full review is here, but in brief... I loved this gripping tale of a dysfunctional family. While Faulkner's books are not for everyone, I find his glimpses into the tragic and grotesque to be engaging and powerful.

[Angie]

Whoops. I forgot to add that I also finished The Alienist by Caleb Carr for Foreign Literary Prize. It's a fantastic psychological mystery set in 1890s New York. I've been wanting to read this for a while. Side note: Caleb Carr is the son of Lucien Carr, who helped to bring together some of the key figures of the Beat Generation. Carr has done a fantastic job of recreating high society New York. Full review here,

[Veronique]

Angie wrote: "Whoops. I forgot to add that I also finished The Alienist by Caleb Carr for Foreign Literary Prize. It's a fantastic psychological mystery set in 1890s New York. I've..."

I enjoyed it too, and yes, apart from the murder mystery, the portrait of New York and its sociology were fascinating