Decade Challenge (Sept. 1, 2014 - Sept. 1, 2015)

[Inge (Inge1990)]

1925 the great gatsby
I have the book I really enjoyed the movie So, next on my list is this book

edit:
1937 the hobbit by JR Tolkien. I didn't read it yet, so will use it for this challenge

[Brandie]

1900 - 1909 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz/L. Frank Baum/pub 1900/read 8/29/14
1910 - 1919 The Secret Garden/Frances Hodgson Burnett/pub 1911/read 9/10/14
1920 - 1929
1930 - 1939
1940 - 1949
1950 - 1959
1960 - 1969
1970 - 1979 Song of Solomon/Toni Morrison/pub 1977/read 8/29/14
1980 – 1989 Redwall/Brian Jacques/pub 1986/currently reading
1990 - 1999 Bloodlist/P.N. Elrod/pub 1990/read 9/3/14
2000 - 2009
2010 - 2015 The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin/Josh Berk/pub 2010/read 8/28/14

[Brandie]

@Saskia - Goodreads actually has lists of books by decade on their listopia, example: Best Books of the Decade: 1920's.

For the 30s, I've been waiting for Mary Poppins to come avaible... Using the OverDrive app to download audio books from the local library.

[Cheryl]

2003 - The Anvil of the World - a great story, with world-building, fantasy, adventure, satire, and humor.

[Katrina]

900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 - Kokoro
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - 1959 -
1960 - 1969 - The Ballad of Peckham Rye
1970 - 1979 - Tsotsi
1980 - 1989 -
1990 - 1999 -
2000 - 2009 -
2010 - 2015 - Night Film, Marisha Pessl

[Saskia (Smitie)]

1900-1909
1910 - 1919 -
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 - 1984 / George Orwell / 1949 / Currently reading
1950 - 1959 -
1960 - 1969 -
1970 - 1979 -
1980 - 1989 -
1990 - 1999 - The Giver / Lois Lowry / 1993 / read 9/2-2014, My rating: 4/5
2000 - 2009 - Verlies / Nicci French / 2002 / read 9/3/2014, My rating: 3/5
2010 - 2015 -

[Inge (Inge1990)]

Found out that phantom of the opera is written in 1911, and I finally got the book! Found it in the thrifdstore and I've been looking it for ages!

[Edwina]

Saskia (Smitie) wrote: "any tips for books from 1900 - 1940? I can't find recommendations for books published in this time period."

Here is a list of books by decade that I've found to be very helpful for this challenge.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

[Edwina]

Inge (Inge1990) wrote: "Found out that phantom of the opera is written in 1911, and I finally got the book! Found it in the thrifdstore and I've been looking it for ages!"

That is awesome!
Glad you are having fun with this challenge. :)

[Saskia (Smitie)]

Edwina wrote: "Saskia (Smitie) wrote: "any tips for books from 1900 - 1940? I can't find recommendations for books published in this time period."

Here is a list of books by decade that I've found to be very hel..."

Thanks! I didn't know these lists existed. I downloaded some ebooks on project gutenberg. Most of the older classics are there because they are public domain.

[Diane]

1890 - 1899
1900 - 1909
1910 – 1919 – The 39 Steps – John Buchan – pub. 1915 – currently reading
1920 - 1929
1930 - 1939
1940 - 1949
1950 – 1959 – Titus Alone – Mervyn Peake – pub. 1959 – read 9/23/14
1960 - 1969
1970 – 1979 – The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail – Jerome Lawrence - pub. 1970 – currently reading
1980 – 1989 – Let the Circle Be Unbroken – Mildred D. Taylor – pub. 1981 – currently reading
1990 - 1999
2000 – 2009 – A Bend in the Road – Nicholas Sparks – pub. 2001 – read 9/23/14
2010 – 2015 – The Cove – Ron Rash – pub. 2012 – read 9/2/14

[Brandie]

Cheryl - The Anvil of the World sounds like an interesting read! I added it I my To Read list! Thanks!

[[deleted user]]

Posting again to change my 2010s novel as the previous one wasn't a good read! I thought In One Person was brilliant though.

1895 - The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane (heard Sept 14)
1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - 1959 -
1968 - The Laughing Policeman by Sjowall and Wahloo (read Sep 14)
1970 - 1979 -
1985 - Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (read Sep 14)
1990 - 1999 -
2009 - The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (Enola Holmes) by Nancy Springer (heard Aug 14)
2012 - In One Person by John Irving (read Sep 14)

[Diane]

1890 - 1899
1900 - 1909
1910 – 1919 – The 39 Steps – John Buchan – pub. 1915 – read 9/27/14
1920 - 1929
1930 - 1939
1940 – 1949 – Four Plays (Orpheus Descending & Summer and Smoke) – Tennessee Williams – pub 1940 + 1948 – currently reading
1950 – 1959 – Titus Alone – Mervyn Peake – pub. 1959 – read 9/23/14
1960 - 1969
1970 – 1979 – The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail – Jerome Lawrence - pub. 1970 – read 9/27/14
1980 – 1989 – Let the Circle Be Unbroken – Mildred D. Taylor – pub. 1981 – currently reading
1990 - 1999
2000 – 2009 – A Bend in the Road – Nicholas Sparks – pub. 2001 – read 9/23/14
2010 – 2015 – The Cove – Ron Rash – pub. 2012 – read 9/2/14

[Cheryl]

Brandie, yw, hope you like it.

This is interesting - I'm checking the date on everything I read now, and being much more aware of what was going on in the world when the author was (probably) writing the book. It's kind of like getting a little history lesson, in a painless manner.

[Diane]

1890 - 1899
1900 - 1909
1910 – 1919 – The 39 Steps – John Buchan – pub. 1915 – read 9/27/14
1920 – 1929 – Billy Budd – Herman Melville – pub. 1924 – currently reading
1930 - 1939
1940 – 1949 – Four Plays (Orpheus Descending & Summer and Smoke) – Tennessee Williams – pub 1940 + 1948 – currently reading
1950 – 1959 – Titus Alone – Mervyn Peake – pub. 1959 – read 9/23/14
1960 - 1969
1970 – 1979 – The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail – Jerome Lawrence - pub. 1970 – read 9/27/14
1980 – 1989 – Let the Circle Be Unbroken – Mildred D. Taylor – pub. 1981 – read 9/30/14
1990 - 1999
2000 – 2009 – A Bend in the Road – Nicholas Sparks – pub. 2001 – read 9/23/14
2010 – 2015 – The Cove – Ron Rash – pub. 2012 – read 9/2/14

[Cheryl]

Published in 1900, by the author of Peter Pan, I enjoyed Tommy and Grizel (free from Project Gutenberg). Definitely old-fashioned, but still intriguing.

[Brandie]

1900 - 1909 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz/L. Frank Baum/pub 1900/read 8/29/14
1910 - 1919 The Secret Garden/Frances Hodgson Burnett/pub 1911/read 9/10/14
1920 - 1929
1930 - 1939
1940 - 1949
1950 - 1959
1960 - 1969
1970 - 1979 Song of Solomon/Toni Morrison/pub 1977/read 8/29/14
1980 – 1989 Redwall/Brian Jacques/pub 1986/read 9/22/14
1990 - 1999 Bloodlist/P.N. Elrod/pub 1990/read 9/3/14
2000 - 2009 The Last Olympian/Rick Riordan/pub 2009/currently reading
2010 - 2015 The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin/Josh Berk/pub 2010/read 8/28/14

[[deleted user]]

Just finished a fantastic novel from the 1990s, The New Life by Orhan Pamuk. It's beautifully written and is a blend of road trip, quest, mysticism and plea against the march of globalisation. I'd highly recommend it to everyone!

1895 - The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane (heard Sept 14)
1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - 1959 -
1968 - The Laughing Policeman by Sjowall and Wahloo (read Sep 14)
1970 - 1979 -
1985 - Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (read Sep 14)
1994 - The New Life by Orhan Pamuk (read Oct 14)
2009 - The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (Enola Holmes) by Nancy Springer (heard Aug 14)
2012 - In One Person by John Irving (read Sep 14)

[[deleted user]]

Adding another 'too early' book here, but I needed to read something by a French author while we're in France! Has anyone else read Seraphita? If so what did you make of it? I loved the descriptions of Norway and liked the actual story but got completely lost by all the religious stuff.

1835 - Seraphita by Honore de Balzac (read Oct 14)
1895 - The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane (heard Sept 14)
1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - 1959 -
1968 - The Laughing Policeman by Sjowall and Wahloo (read Sep 14)
1970 - 1979 -
1985 - Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (read Sep 14)
1994 - The New Life by Orhan Pamuk (read Oct 14)
2009 - The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (Enola Holmes) by Nancy Springer (heard Aug 14)
2012 - In One Person by John Irving (read Sep 14)

[Saskia (Smitie)]

1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 - The Lost World / Arthur C. Doyle / 1912 / Currently Reading
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 - 1984 / George Orwell / 1949 / Currently reading
1950 - 1959 -
1960 - 1969 -
1970 - 1979 -
1980 - 1989 -
1990 - 1999 - The Giver / Lois Lowry / 1993 / read 9/2-2014, My rating: 4/5
2000 - 2009 - Verlies / Nicci French / 2002 / read 9/3/2014, My rating: 3/5
2010 - 2015 -

[Brandie]

1900 - 1909 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz/L. Frank Baum/pub 1900/read 8/29/14
1910 - 1919 The Secret Garden/Frances Hodgson Burnett/pub 1911/read 9/10/14
1920 - 1929
1930 - 1939 Mary Poppins/P.L. Travers/pub 1934/read 10/9/14
1940 - 1949
1950 - 1959
1960 - 1969
1970 - 1979 Song of Solomon/Toni Morrison/pub 1977/read 8/29/14
1980 – 1989 Redwall/Brian Jacques/pub 1986/read 9/22/14
1990 - 1999 Bloodlist/P.N. Elrod/pub 1990/read 9/3/14
2000 - 2009 The Last Olympian/Rick Riordan/pub 2009/read 10/2/14
2010 - 2015 The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin/Josh Berk/pub 2010/read 8/28/14

[[deleted user]]

Oh wow, you have all so got to read my 1950s book, The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing! Except you haven't of course, but I'd highly recommend it. It's surprisingly short at just over 200 pages but packs an amazing punch with stunning descriptions and emotive writing of a young white woman in 1940s South Africa who slowly loses herself to poverty and madness on an isolated rural farm. I admit it's not a laugh a minute type book but confronts major issues of racism, relationships, isolation and friendship.

1835 - Seraphita by Honore de Balzac (read Oct 14)
1895 - The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane (heard Sept 14)
1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing (read Oct 14)
1968 - The Laughing Policeman by Sjowall and Wahloo (read Sep 14)
1970 - 1979 -
1985 - Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (read Sep 14)
1994 - The New Life by Orhan Pamuk (read Oct 14)
2009 - The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (Enola Holmes) by Nancy Springer (heard Aug 14)
2012 - In One Person by John Irving (read Sep 14)

[Cheryl]

The Grass is Singing does sound like an excellent choice, thank you for the suggestion!

For the 1960s I just enjoyed Something Wicked This Way Comes by the master Ray Bradbury.
(This is also very much Illinois, for anyone in the 50 state challenge. :)

[[deleted user]]

Something Wicked This Way Comes is fantastic and pretty scary too. I downloaded it from Audible a year or so ago and shouldn't have kept listening so late into the evening!

[[deleted user]]

I'm not 50 state challenging, but if anyone needs Iowa, I just finished Big Brother by Lionel Shriver which is mostly set there. Not a patch on Kevin, but might do a turn and gain another tick

[Cheryl]

Thanks for the tip!

[Bookguide]

Well, that wasn't very good planning! I have read another 1960s novel, Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook. Not only that, but it was published the same year as King Rat (1962). This is not how to finish this challenge!

I had heard 'The Golden Notebook' was difficult to get into, but I didn't think so. It was difficult to finish, though, and I found the morals quite disturbing. Apparently it was perfectly acceptable for upper middle class British men to sleep around and keep mistresses at the time, and intelligent women felt they were claiming their freedom by being 'the other woman' (but quietly wished they could lay claim to their man, but didn't dare do so). Depressing.

1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - 1959 -
1960 - 1969:
i. King Rat by James Clavell (pub. 1962) - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
ii. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (pub. 1962) - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
1970 - 1979 -
1980 - 1989 -
1990 - 1999 -
2000 - 2009 -
2010 - 2015 -

[Cheryl]

Yeah, I'm not sure I'd want to read too much about that culture.

[Cheryl]

For 1910 I just discovered Simon the Jester; it looks cute and/or interesting and it is available on Project Gutenberg (free download).

[Saskia (Smitie)]

1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 - The Lost World / Arthur C. Doyle / 1912 / Currently Reading
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 - 1984 / George Orwell / 1949 / read 14/10/2014, My rating: 3/5
1950 - 1959 -
1960 - 1969 - The Last Unicorn / Peter S. Beagle / 1968 / Currently reading
1970 - 1979 -
1980 - 1989 -
1990 - 1999 - The Giver / Lois Lowry / 1993 / read 9/2-2014, My rating: 4/5
2000 - 2009 - Verlies / Nicci French / 2002 / read 9/3/2014, My rating: 3/5
2010 - 2015 -

[Diane]

1890 - 1899
1900 - 1909
1910 – 1919 – The 39 Steps – John Buchan – pub. 1915 – read 9/27/14
1920 – 1929 – Billy Budd – Herman Melville – pub. 1924 – currently reading
1930 - 1939
1940 – 1949 – Four Plays (Orpheus Descending & Summer and Smoke) – Tennessee Williams – pub 1940 + 1948 – read 10/14/14
1950 – 1959 – Titus Alone – Mervyn Peake – pub. 1959 – read 9/23/14
1960 - 1969
1970 – 1979 – The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail – Jerome Lawrence - pub. 1970 – read 9/27/14
1980 – 1989 – Let the Circle Be Unbroken – Mildred D. Taylor – pub. 1981 – read 9/30/14
1990 – 1999 – Body of Evidence – Patricia Cornwell – pub. 1991 – currently reading
2000 – 2009 – A Bend in the Road – Nicholas Sparks – pub. 2001 – read 9/23/14
2010 – 2015 – The Cove – Ron Rash – pub. 2012 – read 9/2/14

[Saskia (Smitie)]

1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 - The Lost World / Arthur C. Doyle / 1912 / Currently Reading
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 - 1984 / George Orwell / 1949 / read 14/10/2014, My rating: 3/5
1950 - 1959 -
1960 - 1969 - The Last Unicorn / Peter S. Beagle / 1968 / Read 10/21/2014, My rating: 4/5
1970 - 1979 -
1980 - 1989 -
1990 - 1999 - The Giver / Lois Lowry / 1993 / read 9/2-2014, My rating: 4/5
2000 - 2009 - Verlies / Nicci French / 2002 / read 9/3/2014, My rating: 3/5
2010 - 2015 -

[Cheryl]

Oh, I used to love The Lost World. Not sure why, but when I was a young teen I read it several times.

[[deleted user]]

Hmmm, I would be doing pretty well on this challenge if I could stick to the right century! Just had to add my Audible freebie Legend of Sleepy Hollow which I didn't really get on with last time I listened to a version, but the new recording by Tom Mison kept my attention throughout and I very much enjoyed the story.

1820 - Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (heard Oct 14)
1835 - Seraphita by Honore de Balzac (read Oct 14)
1895 - The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane (heard Sept 14)
1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing (read Oct 14)
1968 - The Laughing Policeman by Sjowall and Wahloo (read Sep 14)
1970 - 1979 -
1985 - Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (read Sep 14)
1994 - The New Life by Orhan Pamuk (read Oct 14)
2009 - The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (Enola Holmes) by Nancy Springer (heard Aug 14)
2012 - In One Person by John Irving (read Sep 14)

[Cheryl]

:smiles:

[Katariina]

Hi! I'll try this, sounds interesting. :) My bookcrossing name is -Kata-.
I've read 13 books during the challenge time and 11 of them were written after year 2000... It's obviously time to change my reading habits!

1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 - Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, 1945
1950 - 1959 - Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie, 1958
1960 - 1969 -
1970 - 1979 - Little Birds by Anaïs Nin, 1979
1980 - 1989 -
1990 - 1999 - The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler, 1996
2000 - 2009 - The House of Paper by Carlos María Domínguez, 2004
2010 - 2015 - The Second Deadly Sin by Åsa Larsson, 2011

[Edwina]

Happy to see all the people who have signed up for this. Glad everyone is having fun and digging out those oldies but goodies.
:)

[[deleted user]]

Thanks for setting up the challenge, Edwina. It's made me think in a different way about what book to choose next!

And hello to Katariina :-)

[Diane]

8 done, 5 to go
1890 - 1899
1900 - 1909
1910 – 1919 – The 39 Steps – John Buchan – pub. 1915 – read 9/27/14
1920 – 1929 – Billy Budd – Herman Melville – pub. 1924 – currently reading
1930 - 1939
1940 – 1949 – Four Plays (Orpheus Descending & Summer and Smoke) – Tennessee Williams – pub 1940 + 1948 – read 10/14/14
1950 – 1959 – Titus Alone – Mervyn Peake – pub. 1959 – read 9/23/14
1960 - 1969
1970 – 1979 – The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail – Jerome Lawrence - pub. 1970 – read 9/27/14
1980 – 1989 – Let the Circle Be Unbroken – Mildred D. Taylor – pub. 1981 – read 9/30/14
1990 – 1999 – Body of Evidence – Patricia Cornwell – pub. 1991 – read 10/29/14
2000 – 2009 – A Bend in the Road – Nicholas Sparks – pub. 2001 – read 9/23/14
2010 – 2015 – The Cove – Ron Rash – pub. 2012 – read 9/2/14

[[deleted user]]

A French novella for my 1920s read, The Other One by Colette. Only short but with quite a punch. A woman is torn between friendship and marriage when she discovers her husband's affair with his secretary. I was surprised and somewhat shocked by the vast difference in attitudes since this was written - and beautifully written it is.

1820 - Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (heard Oct 14)
1835 - Seraphita by Honore de Balzac (read Oct 14)
1895 - The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane (heard Sept 14)
1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1929 - The Other One by Colette (read Nov 14)
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing (read Oct 14)
1968 - The Laughing Policeman by Sjowall and Wahloo (read Sep 14)
1970 - 1979 -
1985 - Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (read Sep 14)
1994 - The New Life by Orhan Pamuk (read Oct 14)
2009 - The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (Enola Holmes) by Nancy Springer (heard Aug 14)
2012 - In One Person by John Irving (read Sep 14)

[Cheryl]

The Other One does sound intriguing!

[Cheryl]

I'm sure nobody will have trouble with the 1980s, but I must say, I really enjoyed Harpy's Flight. I'm not a big fan of fantasy, but in part because that genre tends to have so many cliches, what with swords & elves & princesses. This is the first of four highly original books, in which humans are just one race among many, and not the primary, and in which males and females are equally free to choose their life calling. I've just started the third, actually, and oh boy are they giving me a lot to think about. Oh, and they're fun reads, too. Plenty of adventure and humor.

[Saskia (Smitie)]

1900 - 1909 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz / L. Frank Baum / 1900 / Read 11-16-2014, My rating: 4/5
1910 - 1919 - The Lost World / Arthur C. Doyle / 1912 / read 10-11-2014, My rating: 4/5
1920 - 1929 -
1930 - 1939 - The Hour of the Dragon / Robert Howard / 1936 / Currently reading
1940 - 1949 - 1984 / George Orwell / 1949 / read 14/10/2014, My rating: 3/5
1950 - 1959 -
1960 - 1969 - The Last Unicorn / Peter S. Beagle / 1968 / Read 10/21/2014, My rating: 4/5
1970 - 1979 -
1980 - 1989 -
1990 - 1999 - The Giver / Lois Lowry / 1993 / read 9/2-2014, My rating: 4/5
2000 - 2009 - Verlies / Nicci French / 2002 / read 9/3/2014, My rating: 3/5
2010 - 2015 -

[Reena]

challenge complete, list on original message (no. 9)

[Cheryl]

Wow! Congratulations!!

[K M]

Wow, indeed! You've got some great titles there. Do you have a favorite? Congratulations!

[Edwina]

Congratulations! Very impressive.
Please feel free to re-post the decades and challenge yourself to complete it a second time, maybe picking books from this list for your second go at it.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

[[deleted user]]

If you're into 1800s fiction, the story pairing of The Corsican Brothers and Otho, the Archer by Alexandre Dumas makes for an odd quick read. It's dead cheap on Amazon UK at the moment, presumably on Amazon US too.

1820 - Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (heard Oct 14)
1835 - Seraphita by Honore de Balzac (read Oct 14)
1845 - The Corsican Brothers and Otho The Archer by Alexandre Dumas (read Nov 14)
1895 - The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane (heard Sept 14)
1900 - 1909 -
1910 - 1919 -
1929 - The Other One by Colette (read Nov 14)
1930 - 1939 -
1940 - 1949 -
1950 - The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing (read Oct 14)
1968 - The Laughing Policeman by Sjowall and Wahloo (read Sep 14)
1970 - 1979 -
1985 - Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (read Sep 14)
1994 - The New Life by Orhan Pamuk (read Oct 14)
2009 - The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline (Enola Holmes) by Nancy Springer (heard Aug 14)
2012 - In One Person by John Irving (read Sep 14)

[[deleted user]]

da-wildchildz wrote: "challenge complete, list on original message (no. 9)"

Congrats already! There's some inspiring titles on your list that I might pinch for ideas ;-)