Sandra's Potpourri of Challenges - 2020

[Sandra]

I will try a few of the challenges. Let's see how it works.

[Sandra]

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge: 12 + 2 books selected: 3 old school, 3 new school, 6 + 2 free choice.

PLAN:

1899 and earlier/Old School
1. The Moonstone (1868)
2. The Awakening (1899)
3. The Turn of the Screw (1898)

1900-1999/New School
4.The Call of the Wild (1903)
5. Watership Down (1972)
6. The Haunting of Hill House (1959)

Free choice
7. Interpreter of Maladies
8. The Silent Companions
9. Once Upon a River
10. Year of Wonders
11. Fingersmith
12. In a Dark, Dark Wood

Alternates
1. Lethal White
2. Peregrinos

[Sandra]

Challenge #1 - Progress Tracking

1899 and earlier/Old School
1. The Moonstone (1868) overdrive
2. The Awakening (1899) ✔️
3. The Turn of the Screw (1898) ✔️

1900-1999/New School
4.The Call of the Wild (1903) kindle
5. Watership Down (1972) ✔️
6. The Haunting of Hill House (1959) ✔️

Free choice
7. Interpreter of Maladies overdrive
8. The Silent Companions ✔️
9. Once Upon a River ✔️
10. Year of Wonders ✔️
11. Fingersmith overdrive
12. In a Dark, Dark Wood overdrive

Alternates
1. Lethal White overdrive-audio
2. Peregrinos ✔️

[Sandra]

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Challenge: List and read 12 books for each of the following categories:

18th Century or older: A Modest Proposal ✔️
19th Century: The Awakening ✔️
20th Century: Doce cuentos peregrinos ✔️
Current or Past Group Read: My Cousin Rachel ✔️
An Author not read before: The Ten Thousand Doors of January ✔️
Diversity Classic; The Sympathizer ✔️
Science Fiction: The Testaments ✔️
Romance: Como agua para chocolate ✔️
Historical fiction: Daisy Jones & The Six ✔️
Nonfiction: For the Love of Men: A New Vision for Mindful Masculinity ✔️
Mystery/Crime: A Room Full of Bones ✔️
Horror or Humor: Britt-Marie Was Here ✔️

[Sandra]

Challenge #5 - Decade Challenge: Read 10 books from any 10 consecutive years.

2010-
2011 - A Room Full of Bones ✔️
2012 - A Dying Fall ✔️
2013 - Legado en los huesos ✔️
2014 -
2015 - Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption ✔️
2016 - Britt-Marie Was Here ✔️
2017 - Vulture: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird ✔️
2018 - Peregrinos ✔️
2019 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January ✔️

[Sandra]

Challenge #6 - Short Story Challenge: Read 24 short stories.

1. Condiciones para la vida, Peces mudos by Rosario Lázaro Igoa
2. Peces mudos, Peces mudos by Rosario Lázaro Igoa
3. Halley, Peces mudos by Rosario Lázaro Igoa
4. Gatos de la cuadra, Peces mudos by Rosario Lázaro Igoa
5. Las gallaretas, Peces mudos by Rosario Lázaro Igoa
6. 21 grados, Peces mudos by Rosario Lázaro Igoa
7. Lo esencial es completamente visible a los ojos, Peces mudos by Rosario Lázaro Igoa
8. Chamizo, Peces mudos by Rosario Lázaro Igoa
9. Buen viaje, Señor Presidente, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
10. La Santa, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
11. El avión de la bella durmiente, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
12. Me alquilo para soñar, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
13. "Sólo vine a hablar por teléfono", Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
14. Espantos de agosto, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
15. María dos Prazeres, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
16. Diecisiete ingleses envenenados, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
17. Tramontana, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
18. El verano feliz de la Señora Forbes, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
19. La luz es como el agua, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
20. El rastro de tu sangre en la nieve, Doce cuentos peregrinos by Gabriel García Márquez
21. Enoch Soames by Max Beerbohm
22. The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson
23. História de uma Lágrima by Machado de Assis
24. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Sandra, I hope you enjoy your challenges. I look forward to seeing your selections as your planning progresses. I also plan of doing the short story challenge. With luck 12 will come directly from next year’s group selections.

[Sandra]

Thank you, Bob.

[Sue]

Great list Sandra. I wanted to put Moonstone on one of my challenges and may still. I've been wanting to read that ever since I read The Woman in White and loved it.

I enjoyed Call of the Wild. I see this on many people's lists. Someone should nominate it.

I plan to read Interpreter of Maladies next year too. I love Geraldine Brooks and plan to read Years of Wonder at some point also.

[Sandra]

Sue, all of those books have been in my TBR for so long... I really hope to read them this year.

I will keep in mind you'd like to read some of them and will make a comment in the buddy reads thread to see if you, or someone else, it's up to join me.

[Sue]

Sandra wrote: "Sue, all of those books have been in my TBR for so long... I really hope to read them this year.

I will keep in mind you'd like to read some of them and will make a comment in the buddy reads thr..."

I love buddy reads!

[Sandra]

Sue wrote: "I love buddy reads!"

Great! Let me know when you decide to start any of the books, and I will do the same.

Regarding Interpreter of Maladies, since they are short stories, I will probably read them in between novels, and not from cover to cover. Short stories work better for me that way. Otherwise I tend to mix them. I read Unaccustomed Earth by the same author and found it really good. Her The Namesake is in my TBR too.

[Brina]

I loved The Namesake. I haven’t read Unaccustomed Earth but good to know about it, Sandra. With Interpreter of Maladies even though they are short stories that could be read in between novels, I found the collection so good that I read it in one sitting. I hope you enjoy it.

[Sandra]

That is good to know, Brina. I remember the stories were good, and the writing beautiful, so I am not surprised. :)

[Sandra]

Challenge #6 - Short Story Challenge: COMPLETE

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Congrats! looks like challenge 4 and 5 are doing alright as well.

[Sandra]

Thank you, Bob. Yes, so far so good. :)

[Sandra]

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Challenge: COMPLETE

[Laurie]

Great job, Sandra. I had to look up your 20th century book, and it's one of Marquez's short story collections I had never heard of.

[Sandra]

I really liked that short story collection, Laurie. Worth a try.