Shawn H's 2022 Challenge Buffet

[Shawn]

I'm not sure how much of this challenge I plan on doing, but I am sure I will pick more than I can handle! I look forward to figuring this out and plan out a fun year of reading!

[Shawn]

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge


1899 and earlier/Old School

1.Anna Karenina
2. Thus Spoke Zarathustra
3. Père Goriot

1900-1999/New School

1. Lolita
2. Foundation (2.14.22)
3. Doctor Faustus

My Wild Card Six

1. The Three Musketeers
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray (03.05.22)
3. Memoirs of a Geisha
4. A Clockwork Orange
5. Les Misérables
6. Dandelion Wine

Alternates

1. Lonesome Dove
2. Far From the Madding Crowd
3. Jamaica Inn

2/15

[Shawn]

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Challenge

1. 19th Century - The Three Musketeers
2. 20th Century - A Clockwork Orange
3. 21st Century Potential Future Classic, The Plot Against America or Atonement
4. Current or Past Group Read - Lonesome Dove
5. An Author not read before - Far From the Madding Crowd
6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours. Waiting for the Barbarians
7. Science Fiction - Foundation (2.14.22)
8. A book originally written in a language other than your own - Doctor Faustus
9. A Banned Book - Lolita
10. Nonfiction - Meditations
11. Mystery/Crime - Our Man in Havana
12. Horror or Humor - The Picture of Dorian Gray (03.05.22)

2/12

[Shawn]

Challenge #5 - Short Story Challenge

1. Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville (3.25.22)
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[Shawn]

Challenge #6 - 2022 Group Reads Challenge

1. The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoevsky Jan Old School (1.9.22)
2. Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre Feb New School (2.24.22)
3. Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville March Short Story (3.25.22)
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[Shawn]

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

1. Vladimir Nabokov
2. Thomas Mann
3. Victor Hugo
4. Thomas Hardy
5. Isaac Asimov Foundation (2.14.22)
6. Jane Austen

[Shawn]

Challenge #12 - A-Z Author Challenge

A. Asimov, Isaac - Foundation (2.14.22)
B
C
D. Dostoevsky, Fyodor - The Gambler (1.9.22)
E
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J
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M. Melvile, Herman - Bartleby the Scrivener (3.25.22)
N
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S. Sartre, Jean-Paul - Nausea (2.24.22)
T
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W. Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray (3.5.22)
X
Y
Z

[Shawn]

I think I have settled on this array of challenges. Undoubtedly this is more than I will accomplish, but I am optimistic I will make a dent in my TBR. Most importantly, I am certain I will read some very good books during this calendar year. Hopefully I'll stumble on a new author or genre of book that I generally do not read.

I look forward to filling out the remainder of my challenge. As for the Challenge 12 - I'll fill that in as the year goes on and see how many letters I can mark off.

[Shawn]

I just finished The Gambler, read as part of the January Old School group read. Full disclosure - I started both Brothers Karamazov and Crime in Punishment in college, but didn't finish either (too preoccupied with other things to stay caught up with the reading timeline). I remember enjoying his style of writing.

This is the first F.D. that I have finished and I found his writing style easy and enjoyable. I found the only likable character to be the grandmother. There were quite a number of humorous parts involving the grandmother.

I found the ending tragic, but representative of life. For whatever reason, people get caught up in a cycle of poor behavior that ultimately is not good for them. Even when they know it's not good for them, they can't get out of it.

I am excited to read more F.D. and hope to keep going with The Idiot next month. I also hope to revisit the 2 I previously abandoned.

I look forward to knocking off a few more off my lists.

[Shawn]

I completed Foundation by Isaac Asimov, who was a new author for me. I used this book for a number of different challenges. Ultimately, I really enjoyed the first in the series and look forward to reading on in the series.

I must say, for a Science Fiction novel, I felt like this lacked the standard battle scenes of most others I have read. A little different from most of the others I have read, but it didn't keep me from really enjoying itl

[Shawn]

Slowly chipping away. So far I've completed a group read each month, which is a success! Hope to keep it going.

[Terris]

You have a many good books on your lists, Shawn (I've read a lot of them!). I'll be interested in what you think of A Clockwork Orange. It has some truly disturbing parts, but the basic concept of the book is much deeper than I was expecting. It has stuck with me.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your reading challenges!

[Greg]

Shawn wrote: "I completed Foundation by Isaac Asimov, who was a new author for me. I used this book for a number of different challenges. Ultimately, I really enjoyed the first in the..."

I recently read this too Shawn and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. As you say, very different than much modern SF.

[Shawn]

Terris wrote: "You have a many good books on your lists, Shawn (I've read a lot of them!). I'll be interested in what you think of A Clockwork Orange. It has some truly disturbing parts, but the basic concept of ..."

Thanks Terris, I haven't done much planning thus far - more of a go with the flow. I've got my eye on a few specifics books this month and I'd like to start one of the longer books on my list. We'll see how it works out. Either way, I've enjoyed the first few months of the challenges.

[Shawn]

Greg wrote: "Shawn wrote: "I completed Foundation by Isaac Asimov, who was a new author for me. I used this book for a number of different challenges. Ultimately, I really enjoyed th..."

Greg, glad you enjoyed it. I'm curious to see where the series goes. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I'll get to the 2nd book in the near future.