Rosemarie, I Have a Question?

[Michelle]

Jim wrote: "Good afternoon Michelle,

I would suggest that in determining a spooky TBR, to look at Gothic classics such as The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole and [book:Frankenst..."

Thank you, Jim!

I added The Castle of Otranto to my list, I have access to it in ebook.

I have read Frankenstein a few times. Great text!

[Michelle]

Melanie wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I'm looking for some suggestions to build my spooky TBR for mid September - October.

Criteria:
1. Something spooky, has Halloween vibes, can be a true horror/thriller/murder mys..."

I'm glad you found a suggestion you might like in my TBR, also! I'm looking forward to The Midnight Folk.

[Michelle]

Rosemarie wrote: "The Were-Wolf by Clemence Housman
Also listed under The Werewolf

Really creepy: The Boats of the 'Glen Carrig' by [author:William Hope ..."

Thank you, Rosmarie! I have both ebook and audiobook access to both and have added them to my list.

The synopsis for The Boats of Glen Carrig reminds me a bit of the confined relationship study in "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. which I read earlier this year.

Thanks again!

[Michelle]

Mbuye wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I'm looking for some suggestions to build my spooky TBR for mid September - October.

Criteria:
1. Something spooky, has Halloween vibes, can be a true horror/thriller/murder mys..."

Thank you, Mbuye!

I actually just read The Great God Pan earlier this year. Definitely a great read to see the foundations of a lot of later horror stories.

I have read a few of your other suggestions (lot of Dickens, The Monk) but quite a few years ago.

I marked The Lancashire Witches and Trilby for a future read list when tackling a bit larger works. They look very interesting, but I'm being over ambitious this Halloween season and trying to fit a lot of short contemporary along with the classics.

Thank you again!

[Luís]

I don't know if this will be valuable, but I recommend I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft for this group. I also want to read the second part of this biography!

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury is a good one. Also his The October Country and From the Dust Returned.

[Michelle]

Thanks everyone!

I have read most of Bradbury, though a lot of it was when I was a teen. I remember The Martian Chronicles being my favorite. While science fiction/fantasy, I think it's still sufficiently creepy enough to qualify!

[Luís]

I know that the challenge for the month of September only starts tomorrow, but can I start reading a book for this challenge now? Thanks, Luis.

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

Yes. The day you finish it is what counts.

[Luís]

Rosemarie wrote: "Yes. The day you finish it is what counts."

Thank you!

[Melanie]

Is there a book which features a cricket game, other than Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers?

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

England, their England by A.G. Macdonell has a chapter devoted to a cricket match. It's one of the most famous chapters in the book.

[Melanie]

That book sounds fabulous, Rosemarie, thanks!

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

It's a delightful book, Melanie.

[Bernard]

Hi Rosemarie,
Are there threads for the Chesterton, Augustine and Orwell books yet?

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

Bernard wrote: "Hi Rosemarie,
Are there threads for the Chesterton, Augustine and Orwell books yet?"

Samantha will set them up very soon. She has a lot of course work to complete. I imagine they'll be up on the weekend.

[Bernard]

Thanks. Some more good news: my notifications have returned!

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

Bernard wrote: "Thanks. Some more good news: my notifications have returned!"

Brilliant!

[Samantha, Creole Literary Belle]

Yes, Bernard, the threads for NF & short stories will be up by the weekend. I've had a very busy week & expect to get a lot done this weekend on the laptop including GR posts. :) thank you for your patience.

[John]

I don't really have a question Rosemarie, but wasn't sure where else to post this point.

December 2025 will see the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen - and it feels as if it might be worth planning in a celebratory Austen read in December 2025? (Not that an excuse is ever required to read Austen).

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

If you share the information with Lesle, I'm sure she will come up with something suitably celebratory, John.

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

John wrote: "December 2025 will see the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen - and it feels as if it might be w..."

John
I like that thought. We have induldged in her writings off and on throughout the years and she is always well liked!

I think your idea is great! Appreciate John. If you have any additional thoughts please PM me when you have a moment!

[Nidhi]

I would request moderators to send messages for selection process of books for next year, I have noticed that there are no changes in the message system.
I missed whole nomination process for Hefty books , Authors round the world and Great works. Though i am getting notifications now, i still do not receive notification for newly created threads.
I am very happy with the final lists. I wanted to nominate Armadale byWilkie Collins for hefty book category, which now i am planning to propose as a buddy read as soon as i am done with Proust.

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

That is too bad, Nidhi. We generally have not sent messages in the past but it's something to take into consideration.
A buddy read is really easy to set up. Just let us know when you would like that done.
If you visit our group regularly, you'll notice the planning usually begins in October.

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

I am sorry Nidhi that you missed out. We still have other suggestion threads for next year still open and a few still to get going on.

I used to post them in a Group Member message but we have not for quite a while. Rosemarie is right we usually start in the fall September and October and try to be done by November with the list for the following year. This year we seem to be running behind or the days are flying by!!

[Piyangie, Classical Princess]

Hi Nidhi! So sorry to hear that you missed out the hefty/husky nominations this time. I hope GR will clear this mess of not receiving notifications soon. I'm missing out quite a lot too.

If you're are keen on reading Armadale next year, you could go ahead for a buddy read, but if you are willing to wait, I could add your nomination to be taken to next year planning thread since there are other unvoted books that'll be taken forward. Let me know your intentions. Thanks.

[Montse]

Hi,

I don´t know if this is the place for my question, but here we go...

Are there no such thing as classic graphic novels? I'm thinking of stories like When the Wind Blows (1980) (my current reading) or Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History (1991), Will Eisner's A Contract with God Curator's Collection (1978) From Hell (1999) among others

I understand that it is a very recent genre, so perhaps not enough time has passed to consider them classics, but what if we put a date on them, like in the rest of the genres? 1995? 30 years may be adequate for this genre, right?

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

Good question! 30 years is a good choice for graphic novels, if they're original works.
If they're a graphic version of an classic novel or story, the date when the original book was published is the date we use. So a graphic version of a book like The Hobbit would definitely be considered a classic.

[Montse]

Rosemarie wrote: "Good question! 30 years is a good choice for graphic novels, if they're original works.
If they're a graphic version of an classic novel or story, the date when the original book was published is t..."

Thanks a lot, Rosemarie

Then, when I finish When the Wind Blows, I'll add the pages to the 800,000 pages challenge

[Samantha, Creole Literary Belle]

Montse,

For a while we actually had monthly classic graphic novel reads, but after 2 or 3 years the discussions naturally fizzled out. Feel free to find them archived for graphic novels that were read & discussed or just nominated! Discussions of books stay open for comment even after archived.

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

Good point Samantha!

We did try it but it was not supported well after awhile it did not work well to keep in the line up.

We often try things of different genres sometimes they work and other times unfortunately they do not.

[Melanie]

Rosemarie, is there a classic that provides a good overview of Ukrainian life and culture? I am heartbroken over recent events.

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov deals with the situation in Kyiv during the Revolution of 1917. It can be applied to these times as well.

[Luís]

Rosemarie wrote: "The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov deals with the situation in Kyiv during the Revolution of 1917. It can be applied to these times as well."

Thank you for the info, Rosemarie. Added.

[Melanie]

Thanks, Rosemarie!

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

You're welcome!

[Michelle]

Hi Rosemarie, I was wondering if you have any recommendations for some cozy, slice of life classics?

Things like Happy Times in Norway by Sigrid Undset or The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff.

Things that are not heavy, not romance-centric, not epic-length. Thanks!

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

Have you read Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson.
It's a set of three books.

[Michelle]

Rosemarie wrote: "Have you read Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson.
It's a set of three books."

I have not read that. I just added it to my tbr. It sounds exactly like what I was looking for. Thanks!

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

I hope you like it.

[James]

Good morning. I know that I have been MIA for all of 2025 and almost all of 2024. My life has changed dramatically since I sold my house on August 26, 2022, because it was falling apart and, because I had inadequate homeowners insurance, I couldn't afford to repair the damage.

My wife had determined, since I filed for bankruptcy in 2019, that I was undesirable because I could no longer take her on trips. Because I had bought chicken tenders and fries for $9 at the cafeteria at work, she determined that I was financially irresponsible, so she took my debit card and took control. She also encouraged me to take out two loans against my 401(k) which I am still paying off. After I sold the house I stayed with her until August 26, 2023 when her condominium association forced her to kick me out; because she lives in a moderate income unit, Susie cannot have anyone living with her who makes the household income exceed $US40,000. I spent the next year-plus shuttling from hotel to her place to outside to a men's homeless shelter (where I spent four weeks--January 9 to February 6, 2024) to three different motels, and even spent a few nights at work. The first time I spent the night outside, December 18, 2023, it was 2°C and I didn't think I was allowed to lay down, so I didn't. I spent a few more nights outside, including American Thanksgiving 2024, when I cried and contemplated, not for the first time, suicide. But I am too cowardly to actually do that. The only reason I am here, and I didn't get rolled or killed, is that the Lord protected, and is still protecting me.

I finally listened to my friend Angela and moved to her home in the Philadelphia, PA suburbs on December 5, 2024. I also got new clothes, a library card, a new photo ID, a divorce (final on May 13, 2025), renewed my passport July 11, 2025 when it came in the mail, and visited my aunt and uncle in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada August 8-14, 2025. I hadn't seen them since August 30, 2016, the day before Susie and I left for our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was my first trip anywhere, except for Atlantic City, New Jersey, since October 11-13, 2019 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, for the wedding of one of Susie's cousins; my first trip to Canada since 2010; and my first trip to Winnipeg since 2007. I am happy and pretty healthy.

I have a question. I am reading *A Month in the Country* (1980) by J.L. (Joseph Lloyd) Carr (1912-94), ISBN 0312-54680-7. On page 44 of 111, three of the characters have visited a dying girl in her home and are on their way back to the vicarage in Oxgodby, England (the novel is set in 1920), when they discuss books they are reading or want to read. The vicar's daughter, Kathy, mentioned *The Coral Island* by R.M. Ballantyne; as well as *Children of the New Forest* by Captain Frederick Marryat. The dying girl, Emily, wanted *The Forgotten Garden*; but the only book I could find with that title is a 2008 murder mystery by Kate Morton. Is there also a (possibly 19th century) classic by that title? Thank you for any help.

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

Could she have meant The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett? I've read all the books you've mentioned and enjoyed them all.

And it is really wonderful to hear from you again! I'm glad you enjoyed your trip to Winnipeg. It's a great place to visit in the summer time!

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

James
"I've been thinking what book I'd like," Emily said. "I liked The Forgotten Garden . Maybe you'll take word to Mr Dowthwaite to look out for one by the same author when he goes to York to buy the prizes.

Did Emily mention the authors name somewhere else in the book?

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

James I am glad you made it back to Goodreads for enjoyment of reading. Especially after years of struggle. I am glad to find you doing much better in life. That had to be a huge struggle and sharing with us just as hard. Appreciate you letting us in.

[James]

Thank you for the welcome back. This is one of my favorite groups on Goodreads. Though we have never met in person, I consider all of you as friends. I feel that I may have put my life summary of the last three years in the wrong thread, but I did leave out January 6, 2024: while standing on the second floor balcony of a doctors office in Camden, New Jersey for the sleephouse next door to open, I and the people waiting with me heard, on the next block, what I counted as 19, but may have been 11, gunshots, which are a lot louder in real life than they are on TV. Someone, maybe more than one someone, died that night. I am ashamed to admit that, as at that time homeless and feeling cast away like so much garbage, I half hoped that one of those bullets had hit me and taken me out. But I ended up sleeping on a gurney in Cooper Medical Center after getting examined for possible exposure and hypothermia and given a clean bill of health.

[James]

My last post went three times.

[Rosemarie, Northern Roaming Scholar]

That's typical for goodreads!
I've fixed it.

[Anisha Inkspill]

James wrote: "Good morning. I know that I have been MIA for all of 2025 and almost all of 2024. My life has changed dramatically since I sold my house on August 26, 2022, because it was falling apart and, becaus..."

Hi James, I did a search and the only ref I found is

The Forgotten Garden by Eleanor H. Porter
Publication: 1914.
Plot: The story follows a woman who is in a European village, and her journey to a hidden, forgotten garden.



Further searches told me that Eleanor H. Porter is the author of Polyanna series, which I'm familiar with / read.

But there is no other ref or info I can find that can confirm this. I've checked Goodreads, Amazon and Gutenberg. They all have Polyanna but no mentionof this.

Anyway, hope this helps.

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

Anisha Inkspill wrote: "The Forgotten Garden by Eleanor H. Porter
Publication: 1914.
Plot: The story follows a woman who is in a European village, and her journey to a hidden, forgotten garden.
..."

Anisha you found this information but there is no documents to back it?

[Lesle, Appalachain Bibliophile]

James I am not sure how you endured everything you went through. This last comment of devastation I think shows you are a lot stronger than you ever gave yourself credit for.

I know we are glad you have been able to recover your life and able to share with us. In awe of your strength James!