Irphen's Failed to Be Reasonable Buffet Challenge

[Irphen]

I thought of being more reasonable and eating less at the Buffet challenge of 2021 as I failed to complet all of them the last time, but as the title said I failed XD I even ended up wanting to do even more Challenges I did last year o I will try and we will see how far I come^^

[Irphen]

Challenge 1: New & Old TBR 12/12 COMPLETED!!

New School:
1-The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien read in june
2-The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin read in september
3-Maurice by E.M. Forster

Old School:
4-Dracula by Bram Stoker read april - may
5-The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving read 2 - 3 february
6-Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche finished reading 6 april

Wild Cards:
7-Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta read 23 - 27 march
-Cloven Hooves by Megan Lindholm
8-Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt read in june
9-Brida by Paulo Coelho read 19 june - 7 july
-The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
10-Into the Forest by Jean Hegland read end april begin may

Alternates:
11-The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
12-The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran read in june

[Irphen]

Challenge 3: Second Place or Worse 3 /7

New School:
1-Maurice by E.M. Forster
2-The Island by Aldous Huxley
Short Story/Novella:
3-Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx read 17 - 20 january
4-The Color Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft read 25 -27 march
Old School:
5-The Saga of the Volsungs by Anonymous
6-The Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson
7-The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

Alternates:
-King Pest by Edgar Allan Poe read 23 march
-A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

[Irphen]

Challenge 6: Short Stories 24/24 COMPLETED!!!
1-Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx read 17 - 20 january
2-King Pest by Edgar Allan Poe 23 mars
3-The Veldt by Ray Bradbury 22 mars
4-The Vampire by John William Polidori 23 - 24 mars
5-The Color Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft 26 - 27 mars
6-Anthem by Ayn Rand read 28 -30 march
7 - The Dark Eidolon by Clark Ashton Smith read begin april
8 - The Star: by H.G. Wells read begin may
9 - The Crystal Egg by H.G. Wells read 30 may
10 - Le mal du dieu by Julia Verlanger read in august
11 - Hétéros & Thanatos by Joëlle Wintrebert read in august
12 - Dracula's Guest / The Gipsy Prophecy = O Convidado do Drácula / A Profecia da Cigana by Bram Stoker read in august
13 - The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish read begin september
14 - The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka read in september
15 - The outsider by H P Lovecraft read in November
16 - The music of Erich Zann by H P Lovecraft read in November
17 - The hound by H P Lovecraft read in November
18 - Pickman's model by H P Lovecraftread in November
19 - The nameless city by H P Lovecraft read in November
20 - The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono read 1 december
21 - Smith of Wootton Major by TOLKIEN J. R. R. read 2 december
22 - Farmer Gilles of Ham by TOLKIEN J. R. R. read 3 december
23 - Leaf by Niggle read 3 december
24 - The Hanging Man by Philip K. Dick read 29 dec

[Irphen]

Challenge 7: Group Reads 3 /12
- Orlando by Virginia Woolf read in august
-The Giver by Lois Lowry read 30/31 august
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka read begin september
-The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
- Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
...

[Irphen]

Challenge 8: Expand Horizon with New Authors 6 /6 COMPLETED!!!

1-Lord of the Flies by William Golding read 21 july - 1 august
2-Brave New World by Aldous Huxley read 5 - 16 february
3-The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran read in june
4-The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish read beginning september
5-The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall
6-Anthem by Ayn Rand read end march

Alternates:
-Eve's Diary by Mark Twain
-Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach

[Angie]

I'm thinking of doing The Children of Húrin next year, as well. Great to see it on someone else's list! Good luck on your challenge!

[Laurie]

The Dispossessed is one of my favorites. I look forward to seeing what you think. Enjoy your challenges!

[Shaina]

Irphen, I think it's great you failed to be reasonable ;) I, too, have been unreasonable with my buffet but isn't that the fun part?

Again, I find your list quite like what I would read. I read Dracula and Legend of Sleepy Hollow this year and enjoyed it. The Colour out of Space was the first Lovecraft I read and it still remains his best to me as far. Most of your books are on my TBR this year ( Maurice, The Dispossessed, Children of Hurin, The Island, Brave New World, Wizard of Earthsea, Lord of the Flies). I will look forward to your comments and thoughts.

I haven't read Coelho in very long but would like to hear about Brida. If it's good, I'll pick it up.

[Cynda]

King Pest is my current Poe favorite. I hope you enjoy it too!

[Irphen]

Angie wrote: "I'm thinking of doing The Children of Húrin next year, as well. Great to see it on someone else's list! Good luck on your challenge!"

Oh that's nice indeed! Well if you would like to do a buddy read let me know it^^ Thanks!

[Irphen]

Laurie wrote: "The Dispossessed is one of my favorites. I look forward to seeing what you think. Enjoy your challenges!"

I've been told a lot of good of The Dispossessed, so I'm really looking forward to reading it! Thank you Laurie!

[Angie]

Irphen wrote: "Angie wrote: "I'm thinking of doing The Children of Húrin next year, as well. Great to see it on someone else's list! Good luck on your challenge!"

Oh that's nice indeed! Well if you..."

Yeah, I might be up for that. Let me know when you decide to read it.

[Irphen]

Shaina wrote: "Irphen, I think it's great you failed to be reasonable ;) I, too, have been unreasonable with my buffet but isn't that the fun part?

Again, I find your list quite like what I would read. I read D..."

You are right, it is impossible to be reasonable at a buffet and that is part of the fun! Reading is one of the few things you can never do too much! ;-)
I wanted to read Dracula last year already but I've been kind of apprehensive about it, however this year I will really try to read it and not postpone until it is to late ;-p Actually I am a huge fan of Lovecraft but I haven't read The Color Out of Space until now, through I saw the movie adaptation made last year by Richard Stanley which I thought actually was rather good. I will see if it stands up againts or next to my personal favourite The Dreams in the Witch House! ;-)
Nice! Well if you would like to do a buddy read for any of them feel free to contact me^^ Of course just having opinion before or after is always nice as well :-)
I read The Alchemist last april and enjoyed it but I don't really know if I should expect something similar, I will see.

[Terris]

Irphen, just in listening to the conversation between you and Shaina, you both have me interested in The Color Out of Space! I've only read a couple of Lovecraft's, but I want to read this one now. SO, I just bought it! Thank you both for the recommendation :)

[Irphen]

Cynda wrote: "King Pest is my current Poe favorite. I hope you enjoy it too!"

I hope so as well! ;-)

[Irphen]

Terris wrote: "Irphen, just in listening to the conversation between you and Shaina, you both have me interested in The Color Out of Space! I've only read a couple of Lovecraft's, but I want to re..."

Oh, I see ;-) You're welcome!

[Irphen]

Angie wrote: "Irphen wrote: "Angie wrote: "I'm thinking of doing The Children of Húrin next year, as well. Great to see it on someone else's list! Good luck on your challenge!"

Oh that's nice inde..."

Sure, I will let you know!^^

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

You have some really good selections. Looking forward to next year, Good luck!

[Irphen]

Bob wrote: "You have some really good selections. Looking forward to next year, Good luck!"

Thank you Bob!^^

[Fee]

I also read Dracula this year. Thought it had some lengths but overall I enjoyed the combination of horror and friendship / love very much.

I have wanted to read Hex for a while now but I heard that it is really scary so i have not dared to read it yet.

[Lilly]

I quite like your challenge choices - you have so many very tasty books on your buffet! :) Although there are also quite a number that I have absolutely no idea about ...

I don't think your buffet, or the amount of your challenges, is so very unreasonable. I can see that you used some books for more than one challenge - that should help in keeping the total more manageable. :)

Dracula is one of my all time/long time favs - I was a huge fan at the end of my teenage years :) I should really go and reread it this year - I don't think I've done that for the last five years, although I've been wanting to ...
It's a great book with a great story, and the various scientific innovations are incorporated so cleverly into the development of the story ... I am really rooting for you to go read it this year :) :D

[Irphen]

Fee wrote: "I also read Dracula this year. Thought it had some lengths but overall I enjoyed the combination of horror and friendship / love very much.

I have wanted to read Hex for a while n..."

Given it has about 600 pages it is quite normal that there are some lengths I think :-)

Well, I'm not easily scared so I will try Hex anyways!^^

[Irphen]

Lilly wrote: "I quite like your challenge choices - you have so many very tasty books on your buffet! :) Although there are also quite a number that I have absolutely no idea about ...

I don't think your buffe..."

Thank you!^^
Haha, yes I think with using some books for several challenges I might just be able to do it! Actually the problem is not the amount of books but rather the planning ahead part XD

Well, it seems like it should really be Dracula's turn this year!^^ Lots of other people also have been telling me good things about it so I should overcome my apprehension ;-)

[Lilly]

It seems like you might have the same problem I have. - I'm more of a sporadic reader, reading books in a certain order and in a certain month is difficult for me. I try to leave myself as much open options as possible :D

And good luck with your challenges!

[Irphen]

Lilly wrote: "It seems like you might have the same problem I have. - I'm more of a sporadic reader, reading books in a certain order and in a certain month is difficult for me. I try to leave myself as much ope..."

Exactly! XD
Thank you Lilly!^^

[Lilly]

You're welcome :)

If you do read Dracula after all, tell me. I took it off my list, as there were simply too many books - but I might still go for a reread if I see it plopping up somewhere else ...

[Liesl]

Dracula is on my planning list for March so if you decide to do a buddy read around that time, count me in.

[Lilly]

Liesl wrote: "Dracula is on my planning list for March so if you decide to do a buddy read around that time, count me in."

That would be nice, Liesl. :) It's a bit chaotic, as half the conversation is on Irphen's thread and half on mine - but you probably noticed this already ...

Dracula might also be on the polls, as you nominated it, but I'm a little sceptic ... At the moment I'm holding back with my second, because I'm not sure we have a chance and there are some other good nominations, too ...

[Irphen]

Lilly wrote: "You're welcome :)

If you do read Dracula after all, tell me. I took it off my list, as there were simply too many books - but I might still go for a reread if I see it plopping up somewhere else ..."

I see, always so many books to read! ;-) And sure I will let you know^^

[Irphen]

Liesl wrote: "Dracula is on my planning list for March so if you decide to do a buddy read around that time, count me in."

That would be cool as it is indeed in my plans to read it around february/march! ^^

[Lilly]

It will be exciting to see if Dracula could make the polls after all ...

I was also interested to see that you seconded Maurice. I was a bit devided between him and Their Eyes Were Watching God. - I read that several years ago, but I haven't read Maurice so far.
As you know he's also on my challenge list. So if you're interested, we could keep him in mind for another buddy read option.

[Irphen]

Lilly wrote: "It will be exciting to see if Dracula could make the polls after all ...

I was also interested to see that you seconded Maurice. I was a bit devided between him and Their Eyes Were Watching God. ..."

I don't think it will, but you never know! I will read in any case^^
Sure, it would be cool to do a buddy read for Maurice, so let keep it in mind! :-)

[Lilly]

:)

[Irphen]

I just read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. As I'm rather fond of gothic fiction I wanted to read this for quite some time and I haven't been disapointed! I liked it very much and thought is was funny rather than horrific by the way. Also I couldn't help myself to think of the movie adaptation by Tim Burton and through I like it as well it seems like something totally different as the tone is very different.

[Lilly]

Irphen and Liesl, I just wanted to come back to you about our Dracula read. - I think we had something march-ish in mind.
To be honest, I have a good number of other reads planned at the moment and march will be getting stressful due to other obligations anyway; so I wouldn't mind putting Dracula off a while ...
Just wanted to check back with you, though.

[Sue]

Irphen wrote: "I just read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. As I'm rather fond of gothic fiction I wanted to read this for quite some time and I haven't been disapoint..."

I love this too Irphen. I too found it funny, funny, and sweet. It was so different than I expected. Congratulations on your progress.

[Irphen]

Lilly wrote: "Irphen and Liesl, I just wanted to come back to you about our Dracula read. - I think we had something march-ish in mind.
To be honest, I have a good number of other reads planned at ..."

Yes we had talked about March indeed for Dracula. But I have to confess I haven't been able to read as much as I had planned, I'm still in the middle of two books and won't start it before at least the end of the month. It seems thus like at least you and I are in the same case! XD So for me it seems perfect to put off a while Dracula, until the end of the month/begin april maybe

[Irphen]

Sue wrote: "Irphen wrote: "I just read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. As I'm rather fond of gothic fiction I wanted to read this for quite some time and I haven't..."

Same happened for me, it was unexpectedly funny ;-) Thank you!^^

[Liesl]

Irphen wrote: "Lilly wrote: "Irphen and Liesl, I just wanted to come back to you about our Dracula read. - I think we had something march-ish in mind.
To be honest, I have a good number of other rea..."

I planned out my year back in December and had this slotted in for March. So far my reading is on track and I'm due to start this in a couple of days. I don't mind joining the discussion once you both start, even if I have finished. I often feel hesitant to say a lot while I am in the early stages of something. Sometimes my brain takes a while to get into the swing of what I am reading. I would still enjoy chatting about it even if I have moved onto something else.

[Lilly]

I think things should be clearing up by early/mid april for me, so that would suit me as well.
I am sorry, Liesl, that putting off Dracula does not work with your schedule. But if you are o.k. with waiting for us to discuss, this is propably the best solution under the circumstances ...

[Irphen]

Liesl wrote: "Irphen wrote: "Lilly wrote: "Irphen and Liesl, I just wanted to come back to you about our Dracula read. - I think we had something march-ish in mind.
To be honest, I have a good numb..."

I feel you about noting wanting o say a lot about a book when i'm just at the beginning of a book, happens to me as well from tiem to time. In any case if you are ok with joinging the discussion when you might have finished the read already, post-poning this discussion seems like the best option^^

[Irphen]

Lilly wrote: "I think things should be clearing up by early/mid april for me, so that would suit me as well.
I am sorry, Liesl, that putting off Dracula does not work with your schedule. But if you are o.k. wit..."

Let's do a check up by the end of the month to see where we are and hopefully we will be able to start the buddy read begin april :-)

[Lilly]

Sounds good :)

[Lynn, New School Classics]

Irphen wrote: "I just read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. As I'm rather fond of gothic fiction I wanted to read this for quite some time and I haven't been disapoint..."

Oh I like Washington Irving! I think of the Sleep Hollow as more of a comedy than a horror story. There is that question in the text about what exactly Icabod saw. When I read it with Rip Van Winkle it biased me to see Sleep Hollow as a comedy. Modern movies interpret it as a horror story.

[Lilly]

I think that is probably what always put me off reading 'Sleepy Hollow' - I can't stand horror, definitely not the way that modern movies treat it - and I always saw 'Sleepy Hollow' listed in the horror department. Maybe I should give the story a try after all, treating it as comedy. ...

[Lilly]

I just ordered my copy of 'Dracula', so I won't have to read my mom's copy again :D :D

[Irphen]

Lynn wrote: "Irphen wrote: "I just read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. As I'm rather fond of gothic fiction I wanted to read this for quite some time and I haven't..."
Yes indeed, I thought it read more as a comedy as well. I don't know why with the movies they went all into the horror thing, makes a whole different story of it.

[Irphen]

Lilly wrote: "I think that is probably what always put me off reading 'Sleepy Hollow' - I can't stand horror, definitely not the way that modern movies treat it - and I always saw 'Sleepy Hollow' listed in the h..."
You should indeed :-) I think you could like it as the story isn't horror at all, just the movies made out of it, but defenitly the tone of the texte is far more comedy.

Oh perfect! I'm still not ready to start reading Dracula however... XD

[Lilly]

Well, didn't go quite as well for me either (rolling my eyes). My book delivery was damaged and I had to send Dracula (and the other books) back - reordering now.
But I'm still eying the beginning of april as the start line ...

Liesl, have you been liking Dracula so far?