2021 Challenge Buffet & Menu

[Jazzy]

It's very difficult to find 20 books available for the 100 years challenges. I struggled this year already, and had a decade to work with. Even if i could get library books, our library is closed with the lockdown, we'll be in tier 3 til March at least. I will do the challenge but cannot follow the exact rules as it's not a possibility. I've spent a lot of money to meet some of 2021 challenges already. We'll see how it goes.

[Sara, New School Classics]

Absolutely, Nike, double and triple dipping allowed. I find myself doing a lot of that as the end of the year approaches.

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

Jazzy wrote: "It's very difficult to find 20 books available for the 100 years challenges. I struggled this year already, and had a decade to work with. Even if i could get library books, our library is closed w..."

I sympathize. Sometimes I just read what I want even if that means that I will not have time to finish a challenge. There are books I have already purchased that I want to read, and it's just a waste of money if I keep ignoring them. There will always be more books that I am interesting in than there is time. Not everything I read will apply to challenges, and I will use books on more than one challenge. Also, I am not above sneaking a novella or short story into the Century Challenge so I can finish!

[Angie]

Lynn wrote: " Also, I am not above sneaking a novella or short story into the Century Challenge so I can finish!"

I've been known to sneak in a beloved children's classic sometimes.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Jazzy wrote: "It's very difficult to find 20 books available for the 100 years challenges. I struggled this year already, and had a decade to work with. Even if i could get library books, our library is closed w..."

The goal is to read five form each time period, for a total of ten.

[Jazzy]

Bob wrote: "Jazzy wrote: "It's very difficult to find 20 books available for the 100 years challenges. I struggled this year already, and had a decade to work with. Even if i could get library books, our libra..."

I'm not going to do half the challenge I want to read all 20!
By the way, I'm on my very last book from 2020, but will have to knuckle down and finish it this week!

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Jazzy wrote: "Bob wrote: "Jazzy wrote: "It's very difficult to find 20 books available for the 100 years challenges. I struggled this year already, and had a decade to work with. Even if i could get library book..."

I agree, 20 will be tough, I thought 10 was going to be hard. Good luck!

[Jazzy]

Bob wrote: "Jazzy wrote: "Bob wrote: "Jazzy wrote: "It's very difficult to find 20 books available for the 100 years challenges. I struggled this year already, and had a decade to work with. Even if i could ge..."

yes perhaps I will make it a decade to give more options :)
I did them all last year!

[Scott]

One question: is the A-Z authors challenge first name or last name? Or either?

[Heather L]

Hey, Bob — In your first message, for challenge #7, you have “2020 Group Read Challenge” — assuming you meant 2021? 😉


I think I’m going to go for numbers 6-8. I read more than 100 short stories this year, I have no doubt I can do at least half that again. I also read more than a dozen (still counting) on the group reads. It all depends on what I actually have and can fit in with other challenges. I’m swapping out the genres challenge for new-to-me authors. Between this group and the Popsugar Ultimate, 6-12 shouldn’t be a problem. Maybe. Hopefully. 🙄

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Scott wrote: "One question: is the A-Z authors challenge first name or last name? Or either?"

Libraries and bookstores file using the authors last name, it seems to be a good way. But no one will complain if you need to fudge a little. Some letters are hard, so if you use Zane Grey first name for the letter Z, its fine.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Heather L wrote: "Hey, Bob — In your first message, for challenge #7, you have “2020 Group Read Challenge” — assuming you meant 2021? 😉


I think I’m going to go for numbers 6-8. I read more than 100 short stories t..."

Thanks for the catch, it's probably not the last time I will make that mistake, it's that time of the year for it.

Enjoy your challenge.

[Ann T]

Looking forward to more great Classic reads. Still working on finishing 2020.

[Annette]

Bob wrote: "Challenge #2 – Does a Century Make a Difference?

“Select 10 books from any single year of interest, then select 10 more from 100 years earlier, for a total of 20 books. List your choices for othe..."

So I only found 8 actual/readable books (instead of 10) from 1818. Can I still do the challenge? I have plenty of 1918 books :)

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

The challenge is to read 5 from each year. Since you only have 8, use 4 rather than 5.

[Annette]

Bob wrote: "The challenge is to read 5 from each year. Since you only have 8, use 4 rather than 5."

I can do 5. Gluttony! I just didn't list 10 so I wasn't sure it qualifies.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Buffets do bring out our weaknesses, just give me a little bit more.

[Nike]

Thanks all for your answers! I might give it ago (despite the fact that I have been struggling with concentrating this year and haven't at all read as many books I wanted to and I haven't managed at all with the bingo challenge. But I've learned that I need to read strategically next year!

And I've read some deeply wonderful and important books this year like "Beloved" and "The Underground Railroad".

[Jessica-sim]

Majorly overshot myself with the 2020 challenge, never mind will go 100% in again for 2021! Part of the fun for me is researching and looking up books that fill the different categories and that I wouldn't have selected otherwise.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Nike wrote: "Thanks all for your answers! I might give it ago (despite the fact that I have been struggling with concentrating this year and haven't at all read as many books I wanted to and I haven't managed a..."

I hope you do, the fun is in planning and participating, never let yourself feel pressured to finish.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Jessica wrote: "Majorly overshot myself with the 2020 challenge, never mind will go 100% in again for 2021! Part of the fun for me is researching and looking up books that fill the different categories and that I ..."

It is easy to overshoot, but you are right researching your challenge and seeing what others come up with is not only fun but educational. I learn about more books during our planning time that all the rest of the year.

[Sara, New School Classics]

I also enjoy the planning stage and it sets the tone for the year of reading ahead, even though I am apt to still be making changes when December comes. Best wishes to everyone on the challenges and remember to HAVE FUN.

[Ann T]

Sara wrote: "I also enjoy the planning stage and it sets the tone for the year of reading ahead, even though I am apt to still be making changes when December comes. Best wishes to everyone on the challenges an..."

I think I got all my planning done and oh boy, I am really looking forward to this year. I may tweak it a little before the challenge starts but I have a great start. I think Challenge #5 will be my favorite.

[Angie]

It's been a while since I've done the A-Z challenge. We can count books that aren't classics for that one, right? I have mostly classics listed, but there are a couple of tough letters.

[Brina]

I did a kids book for x and cheated on my v. Neither are classics, in fact very few of mine are. I just wanted to see if I could fill in the A to Z with books I was planning on reading anyway.

[Lilly]

@Bob: We can't use a challenge type twice, can we?

I'm thinking of doing my "read more Old School" challenge separately from the language challenge where I incorporated it in the English section. But I can't make it work with challenges 2-10, and I already used type 1 for the language challenge :(
I actually checked my missed group reads for 2020 (hell of a bussy year, so I could not go for any group reads), but I only came up with 10 books I want to read, and several that would be my priorities for Old School reads would not be on the list ...
So I'm stuck :(

[Aprilleigh]

Part of me really wants to do some of these, but it's been a rather lackluster year for me readingwise. I found it difficult to get into more challenging books because my brain was on overload from everything going on in the world and the US, so very little of my reading has been classics. I think putting too many challenges in front of me is a little more stress than I can cope with right now. But I really want to. I love lists, and planning what I want to read during the month of December has been like a Christmas present to myself in past years.

I did recently decide to read my way through Agatha Christie's corpus, and they are considered classics - I seem to be stuck mostly in that genre for the moment, but I'm betting it will kickstart my tired brain.

[Brina]

Aprilleigh, I’ve read 10 Agatha Christie cases this year and am continuing next year with 1 Poirot a month plus the few Miss Marple’s I haven’t finished. That’s where I am reading wise as well and I’m hoping that a new year will jump start my reading. As long as I know I have Dame Agatha to look forward to it keeps me slogging through harder books.

[Jessica-sim]

Brina wrote: "Aprilleigh, I’ve read 10 Agatha Christie cases this year and am continuing next year with 1 Poirot a month plus the few Miss Marple’s I haven’t finished. That’s where I am reading wise as well and ..."

That strategy served me very well this year Brina, so I'm sure you'll have a blast. I am finishing the very last Poirot in the series next Month.

[Emma]

Hi! This will my first challenge with this group and I really enjoyed planning the books I’m going to read. I’m really a beginner when it comes to Old school classics and many of you seem to be very very knowledgeable- #slightlydaunting. I can’t create myself a folder for a couple of days as I have lost the charger for my laptop but will post my challenge details as soon as possible.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Emma wrote: "Hi! This will my first challenge with this group and I really enjoyed planning the books I’m going to read. I’m really a beginner when it comes to Old school classics and many of you seem to be ver..."

No problem set it up when you can.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Emma wrote: "Hi! This will my first challenge with this group and I really enjoyed planning the books I’m going to read. I’m really a beginner when it comes to Old school classics and many of you seem to be ver..."

Or we can set up a thread for you. Just let us know.

[Natalia]

One question on the short story challenge. Do you count books that are a compilation of short stories? Or only individual ones?

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

Natalia wrote: "One question on the short story challenge. Do you count books that are a compilation of short stories? Or only individual ones?"

For Challenge #6 Short Story Challenge you read 24 individual short stories. Our short story category on our bookshelf includes novellas. The rule we use is that the "short story" should have 130 pages or less for its MPE (most popular edition - that's the standard one you see first on Goodreads). With challenges you the reader get to make a lot of choices. It is your challenge. Now on another challenge thread - Bingo - there is a square for a collection of short stories. It is up to you whether you use a story or collection more than once on different challenges.

[Natalia]

Natalia wrote: "One question on the short story challenge. Do you count books that are a compilation of short stories? Or only individual ones?"
Thank you so much for all the info! I was just curious, not planning on doing this one for the moment, but maybe next year :)

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

Natalia wrote: "Natalia wrote: "One question on the short story challenge. Do you count books that are a compilation of short stories? Or only individual ones?"
Thank you so much for all the info! I was just curio..."

You're welcome.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads]

I have been mostly absent from Goodreads in 2020, but I am slowly coming back, so I am going to try to work the challenges.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Glad you are back.

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

Kelly_Hunsaker_reads wrote: "I have been mostly absent from Goodreads in 2020, but I am slowly coming back, so I am going to try to work the challenges."

Yes, it is nice to see you back.

[Alan]

I like all of the challenge categories but I can’t plan in advance what I want to read. Would there be some way I can set up for myself a short story collection challenge? This way I would read a complete collection or anthology and comment on it as I go along. Goodreads listopia has a great list of best short story collections starting with Salinger.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Alan wrote: "I like all of the challenge categories but I can’t plan in advance what I want to read. Would there be some way I can set up for myself a short story collection challenge? This way I would read a c..."

The only challenge we ask members to plan in advance is the Old & New challenge. All others can be filled as you read books the work for the individual challenge. Asking people to list books is a way to let others see titles that they may not have heard of before. Any advance listing can be changed as the year and challange progresses, except O & N, Hope the helps.

[Lynn, Old School Classics]

Alan wrote: "I like all of the challenge categories but I can’t plan in advance what I want to read. Would there be some way I can set up for myself a short story collection challenge? This way I would read a c..."

Alan, many people will use one of the existing challenges but add a theme to it. I have decided to read Science Fiction short stories and am using them for the Decade and Century Challenge. Other people might choose Pulitzer Prize winners, Female Authors, Books in Translation, etc. I did not really pre-plan the exact stories, but did choose a genre. You can do something like that, or just list as you go.

[Angelique]

Goodmorning!

I'm late in joining you, but this seems like fun. I always pick/eat too much at a buffet, and I'm sure there will be no difference here.

I've got a few questions though:
1. can I use any book I've read this year if I go for the full challenge (I assume I can, as long as they meet the requirements)
2. do I need to do all challenges (I assume not)
3. on challenge 3, some books have been second or worse a few times, and then finally made it to number 1, can I still use those books for this challenge? (I assume I can)
4. will you be checking all challenges, or keeping list who completed what? (I assume not)

[Sara, New School Classics]

All of your assumptions are correct, Angelique. The main purpose is to have fun and be motivated to read. No one will be "checking" up on you, but I'm sure many of us will be following your progress and enjoy seeing your list. Have fun!

[Angelique]

Sara wrote: "All of your assumptions are correct, Angelique. The main purpose is to have fun and be motivated to read. No one will be "checking" up on you, but I'm sure many of us will be following your progres..."

Thank you, I'm sure I'm going to have fun. I've discovered that lots of classics aren't as bad as I've always thought them to be (thanks to compulsory reading at school long ago)

[Robin P]

I just joined and I may have missed some details. For A to Z titles, is it permitted to disregard A and The, so that The Kindest Lie starts with K, for instance? Also for A to Z authors, I assume it is the author's last name, is that right? This is a challenge I usually do for myself, but without intention, that is at the end of the year, I see how many authors or titles in the alphabet I got.

[Heather L]

Ignore the articles ‘a,’ ‘an,’ and ‘the’ at beginning of titles, same as libraries do.

For A to Z authors, when I did this challenge I went by last name, but many people use both first and last. Entirely up to you.

[Robin P]

Heather L wrote: "Ignore the articles ‘a,’ ‘an,’ and ‘the’ at beginning of titles, same as libraries do.

For A to Z authors, when I did this challenge I went by last name, but many people use both first and last. ..."

Great, thanks!

[Ann T]

Finished Challenge #4. Some really great reads for me this year.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Ann T wrote: "Finished Challenge #4. Some really great reads for me this year."

Congratulations on that, finding new great reads is what keeps me coming back to all of the challenges.