Ila's 2022 Challenge Buffet

[Ila]

I only managed to complete the Old and New classics challenge this year. In 2022, I wish to focus more on poetry and German literature. I will be doing the Old and New challenge and Expanding Horizons challenge.

[Ila]

Old and New classics

Old
1. Shakespeare's Sonnets
2. Rock Crystal 3 stars
3. The Analects 3 stars


New
1. Demian: Die Geschichte von Emil Sinclairs Jugend 4 stars
2. They Were Found Wanting
3. The Slaves of Solitude 3 stars


Wildcards
1. An Oresteia 5 stars
2. The Nibelungenlied
3. A Fashionable Indulgence 2 stars
4. In the Storm of Roses: Selected Poems by Ingeborg Bachmann
5. Silk 5 stars
6. L'Argent 3 stars


Alternates
1. Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers 3 stars
2. The Begum and the Dastan 3 stars

[Ila]

Authors new to me challenge

1. Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez 4 stars
2. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin 3 stars
3. The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow dnf
4. Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood 3.5 stars
5. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim 3 stars
6. Cockroaches by Scholastique Mukasonga 3 stars

[Ila]

More authors reserved if I have the time:

1. The Golden Days by Cao Xueqin
2. Strange Fruit by Lillian E. Smith
3. Death and the Dervish by Meša Selimović
4. Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
5. Lifting the Veil: Selected Writings of Ismat Chughtai by Ismat Chughtai
6. Mademoiselle de Maupin by Théophile Gautier

[Kathleen]

You have such wonderful ideas here, Ila! I'll be very curious what you think of Le Guin. And, as well as the sonnets, I'm also hoping to read Strange Fruit next year. Enjoy!

[Ila]

Thanks Matt and Kathleen!

[Shaina]

Good luck with your challenge Ila! You mentioned reading Left Hand of Darkness on my thread and I also see Invisible Women which is on my list too.

[Ila]

Shaina wrote: "Good luck with your challenge Ila! You mentioned reading Left Hand of Darkness on my thread and I also see Invisible Women which is on my list too."

Thanks Shaina! Let me know when you plan to read them. Perhaps we could read them together.

[Ila]

And the challenges have begun! Just finished Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers. 3 stars. An intriguing yet simple explanation of the concept of parallel universes. However I wish the characters were more developed and the ending to be better rounded.

[Sue]

You are the second person's challenge that I've seen The Adventures of Augie March on. It's making me really want to get to that one this year.

I haven't heard of most of your choices and look forward to seeing what you though of them, Illa. Have fun!

[Ila]

Sue wrote: "You are the second person's challenge that I've seen The Adventures of Augie March on. It's making me really want to get to that one this year.

I haven't heard of most of your choice..."

Thanks Sue!

Finished Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. As a doctor I knew some of the ways we are appallingly biased against women but many others left me angry and frustrated. A must read for every woman.

[Ila]

Finished Silk. I've just found one of my favourite books of all time. I recommend everyone to read this little gem in one go. A well deserved 5 stars.

[Ila]

Finished The Begum and the Dastan. 3 stars. Rather disappointed with this one. The present day tale of Ameera lacked meaning and the dastan got boring fast.

[Kathleen]

Had to add Silk, Ila. You are making quick work of this challenge!

[Ila]

Kathleen wrote: "Had to add Silk, Ila. You are making quick work of this challenge!"

Thanks! Silk really is an underrated gem

[Ila]

Finished Demian: Die Geschichte von Emil Sinclairs Jugend. Ever since reading Siddhartha, I knew Hermann Hesse is always a wild ride. Demian is a really polarising novel. I loved the challenging discussions on spirituality but the end left a bitter taste in my mouth. Yet it remains a worthwhile read.

I can't thank BTS for recommending this enough

[Ila]

Finished Great Granny Webster. 3.5 stars. A brutal and gothic tale of generational insanity that captures the post second world war aristocratic society. Definitely worth a read

[Darren]

re Slaves of Solitude - a lot of my GR friends have it shelved, but you could be the first to actually read it, so I'll be interested to hear what you think, as it is one of my all-time faves

[Ila]

Darren wrote: "re Slaves of Solitude - a lot of my GR friends have it shelved, but you could be the first to actually read it, so I'll be interested to hear what you think, as it is one of my all-time faves"

Hey Darren, just read your comment. I've made a bit of progress on Slaves of Solitude and am enjoying it so far. Patrick Hamilton is an astute and interesting writer.

[Ila]

3 stars. I'm rather sorry I couldn't like this one better. But there comes a point where all that reported speech and the lack of real dialogue gets on your nerves. I don't have a problem with unlikeable characters, hell Catherine Earnshaw is my favourite literary heroine. But notwithstanding the despair of the Second World War, Miss Roach's character bored me. I kept waiting for her to develop a spine and the acerbic comments on the erstwhile British society could only go so far.

I'd stick to recommending Twenty Thousand Streets under the Sky as Hamilton's best.

[Ila]

2 stars for A fashionable indulgence. My God this one was a bore and a real slog!

[Ila]

DNF for Adventures of Augie March. Life's too short for such a boring book

[Sara, New School Classics]

I hate dnfing one, Ila, but I'm glad I have learned to do that. Hope the next one you pick up is an absolute gem.

[Ila]

Sara wrote: "I hate dnfing one, Ila, but I'm glad I have learned to do that. Hope the next one you pick up is an absolute gem."

Thanks Sara! I agree, DNF guilt is very real. Especially when you have been wanting to read that book since long.

[Ila]

Finished The rock crystal and Analects. The Analects is undoubtedly a complex book and the Penguin edition contains several necessary commentaries. Needless to say, a lot went over my head. But definitely one should read it sometime in life.

The rock crystal was alright. I actually like Victorian books and the descriptions were beautiful, so was the ending. The tale itself however, was only average.

[Kathleen]

Wow. You're going to be done with your Old&New before spring hits, Ila. Congrats on your progress!

[Lynn]

Congratulations on finishing your New and Old!

[Luffy Sempai]

You finished your challenge? Do you have a high IQ? You read so fast!

[Ila]

Lynn wrote: "Congratulations on finishing your New and Old!"

Thanks Lynn! I'm actually gonna try to read all the books I've selected. Fingers crossed.

[Ila]

Luffy wrote: "You finished your challenge? Do you have a high IQ? You read so fast!"

OMG thank you so much! Idk about high IQ, never took the test. I was lucky though, since I had quite a bit of free time in Jan and Feb.

[Ila]

And I'm back!

After being MIA for a couple of months, I finished The Enchanted April in April (what timing!). A solid 3 stars. Elizabeth von Arnim certainly knew how to describe nature.

Only one more book left to complete my "Authors new to me" challenge!

[Sara, New School Classics]

Welcome back, Ila. The Enchanted April is a good way to ease back in!

[Ila]

Sara wrote: "Welcome back, Ila. The Enchanted April is a good way to ease back in!"

Thanks Sara!

[Terris]

Ila wrote: "And I'm back!

After being MIA for a couple of months, I finished The Enchanted April in April (what timing!). A solid 3 stars. Elizabeth von Arnim certainly knew how to describe nature.

Only one..."

Oh, that's a good one! I think you'll like it :)

[Kathleen]

Welcome back, Ila, and I think you'll enjoy the Le Guin too!

[Ila]

Thanks everyone!

[Ila]

I'm back after a crazy long hiatus! While I will be trying my best to finish the old and new challenge, it seems unlikely that I will be able to complete it.

I finished The Left Hand of Darkness. Much-regretted 3 stars since I had high hopes from this one.

With this I complete my "Authors new to me" challenge.

[Kathleen]

Welcome back, Ila! Too bad about the Le Guin, but congrats on trying some new authors. and completing your challenge.

[Cynda]

Great Granny Webster sounds like a good gothic option. I an remembering that title. Thanks for that info!. . . And good for you that you completed a challenge. Good luck with rest of your reading this year.

[Ila]

Thanks, Kathleen and Cynda.

Finished Oresteia by Anne Carson. I'm so glad to have read this. Carson's style of translation greatly impressed me and I loved all the interesting tidbits and perspectives on Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and their times. 5 stars and definitely one of the best books I've read this year. I only wished I could've read it earlier.