Janet's 2015 Classics Challenge

[Janet]

1899 and earlier
1. Notes from Underground 3/1/15 ****
2. Black Beauty 8/23/15 ****
3. The Diary of a Nobody3/23/15 ***

1900-1999
4.Things Fall Apart 2/5/15 ****
5.The Sun Also Rises1/22/15 ***
6.A Separate Peace 1/15/15 *****

My Wild Card Six
7.Darkness at Noon 3/17/15 *****
8.Ironweed3/21/15 ****
9.Wise Blood 3/14/15 **
10.The Moviegoer7/28/15 ***
11.The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne3/10/15 *****
12.Silas Marner1/18/15 *****

Alternates
A-1.Appointment in Samarra8/14/15 ***
A-2.The Magnificent Ambersons10/18/15 ****

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I read Black Beauty as a kid and reread it 2012 and have often though about nominating for the groups Old School. It's a good book.

[Renato]

Really want to read #1, 4 and 5!

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Nice choices so far Janet. Just gives me more TBR list items.

[Tytti]

I "own" Notes from Underground, too. Might add it to my list.

[Alissa]

Bob wrote: "I read Black Beauty as a kid and reread it 2012 and have often though about nominating for the groups Old School. It's a good book."

I've had the same thought Bob! I've never read it but have wanted to.

[Laurie]

I just read Black Beauty a few years ago, and I thought it was great. Kind of like the horse version of Oliver Twist.

[Pink]

I've read 2, 4 and 5 from your list and loved them. I want to read Notes from the underground one day as well.

[Janet]

I have completed my list. See message 1 above.

[Julie]

Uh lots of new inspiration here - I've read Black Beauty several times, being a 'horse-girl' - lovely story :-)

[Christine]

Things Fall Apart has been on my TBR for a long time. That one might make my list, too!

[Janet]

I just changed my list a bit. I took out Loving and put in Silas Marner.

[Janet]

Completed the first on my list. A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I really liked this book. 5 stars.

[Pink]

Great start to your challenge!

[Janet]

Completed Silas Marner. Another 5 star classic.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I have thought several times about starting Silas Marner but always picked up something else, it's good to know you thought well of it, maybe I will get to it this year. Thanks.

[Janet]

I have now completed the 1900-1999 block of the challenge. Silas Marner and A Separate Peace were both 5 star books. Things Fall Apart rated 4 stars and The Sun Also Rises got 3 stars so I think I have chosen well this far into the challenge.

[Janet]

Just completed the wild card block of the challenge. So far the only book I have not cared much for was Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Janet, you seem to be making good progress. :)

[Sara, New School Classics]

You have a great list, several of which I really need to tackle myself. Glad you liked A Separate Peace, it is a big favorite of mine. I am going to add Things Fall Apart to my TBR. Congrats on your great progress.

[Janet]

Sara wrote: "You have a great list, several of which I really need to tackle myself. Glad you liked A Separate Peace, it is a big favorite of mine. I am going to add Things Fall Apart to my TBR. Congrats on you..."

Thanks, Sara.

[Janet]

I completed this challenge today, all 14 books. My favorites were The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne and A Separate Peace. Darkness at Noon, Ironweed and The Magnificent Ambersons were excellent books as well.

[Laurie]

Congratulations on completing your challenge. I have only read 5 of your books, so it's good to see what you enjoyed so I can add some of the others to my TBR list.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Congratulations Janet, one of the best things that occur in our challenges is learning about different books. From the list of your favorites I haven't read any and have heard of only one, but after checking them out I could make any one of them my next read, except maybe The Magnificent Ambersons, it looks to be book number two of a trilogy. Thanks for dong my homework for me.

[Pink]

Congratulations! I still have Silas Marner on my TBR, so it's interesting to see you rated this 5 stars. I haven't heard of most of your choices and agree with Bob, it's great to get inspiration from everyone's lists :)

[Janet]

Bob wrote: "Congratulations Janet, one of the best things that occur in our challenges is learning about different books. From the list of your favorites I haven't read any and have heard of only one, but afte..."

Bob - The Magnificent Ambersons can definitely be read as a stand alone novel. There are, however, certain aspects of the book that would bother some people. When we read a book that is one hundred years old we have to take into account the time it was written in and not our modern sensibilities. I had to think about that once or twice.