Kathleen Attempts Restraint at the 2020 Buffet

[Kathleen]

Thank you, Sue! I've read a few stories to get in the mood for Halloween, and so far that one is my favorite.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I'm glad you are enjoying your challenge and your trip through Ireland.

[Kathleen]

I am enjoying it even more than I expected to! Thanks, Bob.

[Shaina]

Congratulations, Kathleen! I'm happy to see you enjoying your reads. I plan to read Elizabeth Gaskell in November.

[Kathleen]

Thank you Shaina! I hope you enjoy Gaskell.

I read some more short stories for Halloween, and I think I'll make my challenge of 24 different authors! I like looking at their pictures here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Here's some little reviews of the stories:
Incarnations of Burned Children by David Foster Wallace: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pumpkin-Head by Joyce Carol Oates: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Romance of Certain Old Clothes by Henry James: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Cynda]

Good list Kathleen. I keep promising myself that I will read Halloween some year. Enjoy.

[Kathleen]

Cynda wrote: "Good list Kathleen. I keep promising myself that I will read Halloween some year. Enjoy."

Was actually a first for me, Cynda, but it was fun!

[Kathleen]

I've done some soul-searching about my challenges, and decided of the ones on this thread, I'll try to finish the Old and New and the Short Stories, and let the others go. I love these challenges, but once they feel like a chore, they gotta go!

But my Old and New trip through Ireland has been an experience I want to complete, so two more for that one:

I've been working through The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism, Capitalism, Sovietism and Fascism for months, and I'm very happy to have read it. Lots of flaws, but Shaw is someone whose ideas are always interesting to me. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Castle Rackrent was very short, but not very good in my opinion. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

That leaves two. I'm working my way through Yeats poetry, and then I'm down to books I haven't been able to find due to the pandemic. At Swim-Two-Birds is the one I hope to finish with.

[Sara, New School Classics]

I feel just as you do regarding the challenges. I stopped pushing myself to finish them, and I know I will not finish them all, but the sense of reading as a chore has passed.

I have loved watching you complete your Irish Old and New. I have also picked up several additions for my own reading plans for next year. Getting to the end of 2020, which seems both surreal and long overdue.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I agree that these challenges need to be for fun and not taken as a chore. That said, it is hard not to get completive with oneself and fun does becomes a chore. The closer the end of the year gets the harder it is for me to not to push to finish. As of now I will finish 7 or the 9 challenges, I only have a book and a half to go. I don’t see finishing the A-Z’s, but who knows, and I will complete two bingo cards, 50 total reads. But somewhere along the year it has lost some of its enjoyment and has become a task. I will think hard about what to do next year.

By the way, good luck on finishing, sounds like you have it under control.

[Kathleen]

Sara wrote: "I feel just as you do regarding the challenges. I stopped pushing myself to finish them, and I know I will not finish them all, but the sense of reading as a chore has passed.

I have loved watchi..."

Thank you so much for sharing this trip with me, Sara! And yes, I feel very happy to not have things hanging over me, and hope to enjoy the rest of this year none of us will forget.

[Kathleen]

Bob wrote: "I agree that these challenges need to be for fun and not taken as a chore. That said, it is hard not to get completive with oneself and fun does becomes a chore. The closer the end of the year gets..."

You've been an inspiration this year, Bob! I think maybe it's a cyclical thing. Some years I crave a challenge to push me into something I wouldn't have thought to read. Then other years, the books I've chosen as really important begin to add up as they're pushed aside for challenges. We just have to feel it out year by year. :-)

Knowing myself, I doubt I will be able to resist the challenge planning for next year. It's just too much fun! My goal is to shift to making those personal want-to-reads a priority over my challenge reads. We'll have to see if I can do it.

[Sara, New School Classics]

That sounds like just the right strategy, Kathleen. I am so bad at thinking I have to finish what I start. Learning to do the challenges, but not let them take over my entire reading life...easier said than done. I'm another who cannot resist the fun of making up the plan, though.

It does seem to me a lot of us suffer from the same feelings when we get to the end of the year!

[Laurie]

This year has had too much non-reading stress to deal with stressing over unfinished challenges, in my opinion. So completing whatever you can is a win this year.

[Kathleen]

You are absolutely right, Laurie! And this year especially, it has been a pleasant distraction to come here and chat about books and push aside all of those other things for a time.

[Kathleen]

I did it! I finished my Old and New Challenge trip through Ireland. It was one of those journeys that have dramatic highs and lows, and a few times I thought I’d never make it home! I had two five-stars, James Joyce and John Banville. Joyce was predictable, but Banville was a wonderful surprise.

For my last two, I was underwhelmed by Yeats
Review of Selected Poems: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And confused but intrigued by Flann O’Brien
Review of At Swim Two Birds:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My decade challenges will be left undone, but taking a quick glance, I see only 4 and 5 star reads, so I consider them a success anyway. :-)

More short stories coming. I hope to meet my goal of 24 different authors!

[Sara, New School Classics]

Congratulations, and from my view, you had a superb year. You are so right that 4 and 5 reads only equals success, finished or not. There is always next year.

[Luffy Sempai]

Kathleen wrote: "I did it! I finished my Old and New Challenge trip through Ireland. It was one of those journeys that have dramatic highs and lows, and a few times I thought I’d never make it home! I had two five-..."

I like Yeats' ideas in theory. Have yet to delve into his work proper. Congrats from a newcomer.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Congratulations! Your Old and New was unique, I enjoyed watching your progress.

[Kathleen]

Thank you so much, Sara and Bob, for your support as I worked my way through what turned out to be a challenging challenge!

And welcome, Luffy! I hope you enjoy Yeats when you get to him, I found plenty to like, but my survey will probably do me for some time. :-)

[Laurie]

Congrats, Kathleen! To have so many highly rated books means you know your taste and choose well.

[Lynn]

Kathleen wrote: "I did it! I finished my Old and New Challenge trip through Ireland. It was one of those journeys that have dramatic highs and lows, and a few times I thought I’d never make it home! I had two five-..."

Well done. That was such an interesting idea. All of the books you used are new to me.

[Kathleen]

Thank you so much, Laurie and Lynn! I enjoyed the trip to Ireland, even though "traveling" was challenging during a pandemic. :-)

[Kathleen]

I completed my short story challenge with a Dickens Christmas story that's a little bit different: A Christmas Tree.

As he stares into the branches of his tree, Dickens muses over past Christmases. It's filled with old-fashioned toys and revelry, and it's both fun and thoughtful. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So I've accomplished my goal to read short stories from 24 different authors, and I like looking at all of their lovely faces here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

That's it for me for this 2020 buffet. Thoroughly enjoyable, even if I didn't clean my plate. :-) On to 2021!!

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I'm still planning on squeezing in a reread o A Christmas Carol , but this is one to check out. Congrats on finishing your short story challenge.

[Kathleen]

Bob wrote: "I'm still planning on squeezing in a reread o A Christmas Carol , but this is one to check out. Congrats on finishing your short story challenge."

Thank you, Bob! I've often had trouble with short stories, but enjoyed them so much this year I'm hoping to dive in again in 2021. Thanks for being a short story inspiration for us!

[Ila]

Congrats Kathleen!

[Kathleen]

Ila wrote: "Congrats Kathleen!"

Thanks so much, Ila! This was a fun.