2022 Challenge Buffet & Menu -A Bakers Dozen

[Sara, New School Classics]

Marilyn wrote: "Sara wrote: "I'm sure it might vary for me, Marilyn, but what I do intend is to read them back-to-back, so that I have the first on my mind as I am reading the second."

But which of the two books ..."

I'm sorry, that was what I meant by "it will vary." I think I might read either of them first depending on the impulse that strikes.

[Lilly]

I've been thinking about doing challenge #4 Member's choice. The problem is that I would have to change one category: #9 A Banned Book. - We don't have banned books (except for some old Nazi books that are now unavailable and best not to be read). I came up with two options that I think would do as a replacement:

a) A book out of print (if the goal is to read something not easily accessable) or
b) repeat #6 Diversity Classic with a different factor (if the goal is to broaden the horizon).

Please tell me what you think. Thanks so much.

[Katy, Old School Classics]

Lilly wrote: "I've been thinking about doing challenge #4 Member's choice. The problem is that I would have to change one category: #9 A Banned Book. - We don't have banned books (except for some old Nazi books ..."

It can be a book banned by any government, school, religion, etc. during any time period. Here are some ideas:

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmast...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

[Lilly]

Oh, so the book doesn't have to be banned by my own government (or religious group)? That's how I understood the category.

I guess in that case going for a frequently banned book would be the logical option, as we don't have any. And thanks for the list, Katy : )

[Katy, Old School Classics]

You are welcome.

[Lori]

I am currently looking through the polls to find a book that didn't win and is not on the current group bookshelf. Everyone I look up is already on the bookshelf. Am I looking at the wrong thing?

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Lori wrote: "I am currently looking through the polls to find a book that didn't win and is not on the current group bookshelf. Everyone I look up is already on the bookshelf. Am I looking at the wrong thing?"

Lori, I just came from Carolien’s challenge. She has a wonderful list of non-winning books that are not yet on our shelf. You can also visit my challenge while not as impressive, I also have a list you can look at.

[Lori]

Thanks so much!

[Annette]

So... can I get a Take-Out Box for my 2021 Does a Century Make a Difference Challenge to add it to my 2022 probably-already-too-full buffet plate? I hate to have the completed part of the challenge go to waste so I'll create a personal challenge.

[Jazzy]

For the Millenium Challenge can we use the 21st c?

I really am tired of re-eading the same old books and don't want to read Genji AGAIN hahaha😂

[Katy, Old School Classics]

Jazzy wrote: "For the Millenium Challenge can we use the 21st c?

I really am tired of re-eading the same old books and don't want to read Genji AGAIN hahaha😂"

I do use the 21st century for this one. As you said - there are only so many old old books one can find & read.

[Shirley (stampartiste)]

Bob, you have done such a stellar job with these challenges!!! I was only planning on doing the New & Old TBR Challenge this year (to motivate me to actually read my MUST READ FIRST classics - LOL). But after seeing all of your challenges, especially the ones that link or compare, I was hooked into taking more on my plate than is reasonable. But it's all for fun, right?

I do have a question about Challenge #8 where we pick 10 books from a year of interest and then go back in time and select 10 more books from 25, 50 or 100 years earlier. I interpreted this to mean we could pick a year of interest, and then pick 10 more books from a mixture of books - some from 25 years earlier, some from 50 years earlier and some from 100 years earlier. Is this correct, or do they all have to be from the same past time period? Just trying to get it right before I delve into the choices.

Again, thank you, Bob, for another great Challenge Buffet! Happy New Year!

[Lori]

Hi Bob. I can't believe I'm having so much fun with planning this buffet. I hope I enjoy the reading as much. I did have a question. On the A-Z author and Title challenge is the rule the last name of the author and the first name of the title excluding the usual the an a?

[Katy, Old School Classics]

Lori wrote: "Hi Bob. I can't believe I'm having so much fun with planning this buffet. I hope I enjoy the reading as much. I did have a question. On the A-Z author and Title challenge is the rule the last name ..."

For the A-Z challenges, we have had people do both the first names or the last names of authors; this is your challenge. I would say that the majority use the author's last name.

And yes for the title; although for the tricky letters, some of us have used a title if it includes an X.

Have fun reading too.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Shirley (stampartiste) wrote: "Bob, you have done such a stellar job with these challenges!!! I was only planning on doing the New & Old TBR Challenge this year (to motivate me to actually read my MUST READ FIRST classics - LOL)..."

Shirley, I am happy you are enjoying the challenge. My original thought on challenge #8 was to use two single years separated by any given time frame you choose. I am intrigued by the idea of comparing books from multiple dates from the past. Anyway, you choose to do it, I look forward to checking it out. It is all about having fun and enjoying the ride.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Lori wrote: "Hi Bob. I can't believe I'm having so much fun with planning this buffet. I hope I enjoy the reading as much. I did have a question. On the A-Z author and Title challenge is the rule the last name ..."

Lori, that is the way it was planned, but feel free to get creative if you start to run short or titles or authors. I'm guilty of using Zane Gray for the letter "Z" rather than Gray, Zane.

[Lori]

I went back and looked at your short story challenge for last year. I always set a goal for books for the year and I was thinking if I count every short story as a book that would exaggerate my total books, maybe. Anyway, I liked how you showed the book series that they came from. I’ll probably do that and just count the entire book.

[Lynn]

Lori wrote: "I went back and looked at your short story challenge for last year. I always set a goal for books for the year and I was thinking if I count every short story as a book that would exaggerate my tot..."

Lori that is a problem; how to shelve short stories. Sometimes I just list the book that is the collection if I read all of them. Sometimes I use individual stories, particularly the novellas which tend to run 100 pages or more. I do have a special shelf just for short stories, so I can tell which are kind of "cheating" because they are so short.

[Lori]

I will probably do something similar. For the long read I think I’m going to read Shogun which is over 1000 pages. So if I “cheat” little bit with a short story or two, I’ll be able to forgive myself. 😉

[Sara, New School Classics]

I think we all have that dilemma over how to shelve the short stories. Sometimes when I read a collection, I still review the stories individually.

I predict you will love Shogun, Lori and, even at 1000+ pages, you will hate to see it end.

[Shirley (stampartiste)]

Sara wrote: "I think we all have that dilemma over how to shelve the short stories. Sometimes when I read a collection, I still review the stories individually...."

I agree, especially when the stories are only a page long. But, like Sara, I was glad I listed and reviewed each story individually in a short story anthology I read a couple of years ago, The World's Greatest Short Stories. It has helped me keep in mind some authors that I might have forgotten about and who have also written full-length novels. But it definitely is a personal preference.

[Shirley (stampartiste)]

Bob wrote: "Shirley, I am happy you are enjoying the challenge. My original thought on challenge #8 was to use two single years separated by any given time frame you choose. I am intrigued by the idea of comparing books from multiple dates from the past. Anyway, you choose to do it, I look forward to checking it out. It is all about having fun and enjoying the ride. ..."

Thank you, Bob! I'm really looking forward to this challenge and mulling over the direction I want to go with this.

[Anetq]

Another lovely buffet to choose from, Thank you for doing this Bob! I always enjoy these even if I don't always finish all of the ones I consider :)

[Sue]

Love the new categories Bob! I plan to participate in at least one of them - starting with the fiction/nonfiction one.

I've been woefully behind in updating my challenges from 2021 (even though I read the books!) and I'm just getting started on planning this one. I hope to be better in 2022!

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Anetq wrote: "Another lovely buffet to choose from, Thank you for doing this Bob! I always enjoy these even if I don't always finish all of the ones I consider :)"

Finishing isn't the most important, enjoying it is, thanks for letting me know you like it.

Sue wrote: "Love the new categories Bob! I plan to participate in at least one of them - starting with the fiction/nonfiction one.

I've been woefully behind in updating my challenges from 2021 (even though I ..."

Thanks Sue, I'm hopping for a better 2022 also.

[Carolien]

Bob, quick question for those of us who were not paying proper attention. For Challenge 11: Old and New - there is no qualification that it should be fiction, is that right? I could do an old and new non-fiction combination?

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Yes, both can be nonfiction or both can be fiction or one of each, your choice.

[Lilly]

I guess we often think automatically of fiction when we talk about classics. Or at least I do. Nice question, Carolien!

[Carolien]

Bob wrote: "Yes, both can be nonfiction or both can be fiction or one of each, your choice."

Thank you!

[Leni]

Lori wrote: "I went back and looked at your short story challenge for last year. I always set a goal for books for the year and I was thinking if I count every short story as a book that would exaggerate my tot..."

I'm going for collections. I think I have some collections that are 4-6 stories long, so I'll end up reading just a few different authors for the 24 stories. Or, for instance, I just read Breakfast at Tiffany's which I am using for the Bingo category of "on the group shelf prior to 2022, but my edition also contains three short stories. I'll list the three short stories on the short story challenge, but the whole thing only counts as one book. I have the collected short stories of Angela Carter, but I'll pick one of the collections in there and shelve it (even though I don't actually own separate editions).

[Lynn]

Leni wrote: "Lori wrote: "I went back and looked at your short story challenge for last year. I always set a goal for books for the year and I was thinking if I count every short story as a book that would exag..."

I have done that too with collected works volumes. I own The Complete Sherlock Holmes but I listed the novels separately on Goodreads as I read them.

[Klowey]

Bob wrote: "Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

Only six of the 12 books selected are required be Classics based on the Groups definitions"

What is the definition of a "classic" besides the group categories by date (old, new) or short story?

[Katy, Old School Classics]

Klowey wrote: "What is the definition of a "classic" besides the group categories by date (old, new) or short story? ..."

A long debated definition.

[Lynn]

Katy wrote: "Klowey wrote: "What is the definition of a "classic" besides the group categories by date (old, new) or short story? ..."

A long debated definition."

Haha so true.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Klowey wrote: "Bob wrote: "Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

Only six of the 12 books selected are required be Classics based on the Groups definitions"

What is the definition of a "classic" besides the gr..."

As Katy and Lynn state, a definition has been talked about almost since the group started. Nothing has proved to be a universal definition. So, we set up dates for new 1900-1999 and old anything before 1899. As to whether a book from these dates is classic, each reader is free to decide the answer.