Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion
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Sue's trying to diet Buffet
** Challenge #1
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Old and New
1899 and earlier/Old School
✔️1. War and Peace read Dec 5 stars
✔️2. The Moonstone Read March 5 stars
✔️3. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Read Jun 4 stars
1900-1999/New School
✔️4. The Talented Mr. Ripley read Jan 4.5 stars
✔️5. The Ox-Bow Incident read Jan 5+ stars
✔️6. Ethan Frome read Jan 4 stars
My Wild Card Six
✔️7. Verity read Jan zero stars. Genre not for me
✔️8. The Garden of Evening Mists read Nov 5 stars
✔️9. The Dark Vineyard read Nov 4 stars
✔️10. The Son read Feb 4 stars
✔️11. Whose Names Are Unknown read Nov <4.5 stars>
✔️12. Remarkably Bright Creatures read Jan 4 stars
Alternates
A-1. The House of the Dead
A-2. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
✔️A-3 Hamnet < read Oct 5 stars
#2 Second place or worse - maybe
#3 Decade, Century, Millennium Century
✔️ 1900-1909 To Build a Fire
✔️1910-1919 Ethan Frome
✔️ 1920-1929 The Painted Veil
✔️ 1930-1939 Lost Horizon
✔️ 1940-1949 The Moon Is Down
✔️ 1950-1959 Lolita
✔️ 1960-1969 Rabbit, Run
✔️ 1970-1979 Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
✔️ 1980-1989 Crossing to Safety
✔️ 1990-1999 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Shelf clearing Modern (2000-2023) Decade + 4
+4
✔️2023 All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir read Jul 2-3 stars
✔️2022 Demon Copperhead (physical) read Jan slt grp 3 stars
✔️2021 The Killing Hills read Jan slt grp 4 stars
✔️2020 Everything Sad Is Untrue(physical) read Aug 5+ stars
✔️2019 Vanishing Fleece: Adventures in American Wool read Dec 3 stars
✔️2018 I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life read Feb rfp grp 4 stars
✔️2017 Camino Island read Aug 3 stars
✔️2016 No Man's Land read June 2 stars
✔️2015 Our Souls at Night read Dec 4 stars
✔️2014 The Ice Garden hoopla ebook read March 5 stars
✔️2013 The Son (kindle) read Feb 4 stars
✔️2012 Bruno and the Carol Singers read Dec 4 stars
✔️2011 The Garden of Evening Mists (physical x2) read Nov 4.5 stars
✔️2010 Black Diamond (physical) Read Dec 4 stars
✔️2009 Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead Kindle May 3 stars
2008 The Forgotten Garden (physical) So Brave, Young, and Handsome audio
2007 Bridge of Sighs (physical)
2006 Winter's Bone (kindle)
2005 The City of Falling Angels (physical) or A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 (kindle)
2004 Hannah Coulter (Kindle)
2003 Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
2002 Train Dreams (kindle)
2001 The Siege (physical)
✔️2000 The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War read May 5 stars
#4 Members Choice *****COMPLETED *****✔️1. 19th Century, Oliver Twist read July 5+ stars
✔️2. 20th Century, The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War Read May 5 stars
✔️3. A book originally written in a language other than your own, First Love read Sept 4 stars
✔️4. Current or Past Group Read, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont group read Feb 4 stars
✔️5. An Author not read before, Rabbit, Run read Oct 5 stars
✔️6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours. Solito read May 4.5 stars
✔️7. Science Fiction/Fantasy, The Hobbit < read July 4 stars
✔️8. Action/Adventure, Lost Horizon own read November 4 stars
✔️9. Childrens/Young Adult, The Jungle Book
✔️10. Nonfiction, The Goshawk read Aug 4 stars
✔️11. Mystery/Thriller, The 39 Steps read Feb 4 stars
✔️12. Horror or Humor,Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day own audio April buddy read read April 4 stars
#5 - 24 Short stories *****COMPLETED ******
✔️1. Twelve Angry Men
✔️2. The 39 Steps
✔️3. Ethan Frome
✔️4. His leaving it Till Called For (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️5.. His Boots (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️6.. His Umbrella (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️7. His Black Bag (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️8. His Writing Desk (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️9. His Dressing Case (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️10. His Brown Paper Parcel (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️11. His Portmanteau (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️12 His Hat-Box (from Somebody's Luggage)
✔️13 His Wonderful End ( from Somebody's Luggage )
✔️14. The Moon Is Down
✔️15 The Rocking-Horse Winner
✔️16The Ponder Heart
✔️17 The Dream of a Ridiculous Man
✔️18 The Lottery in Babylon
✔️19 The Bear
✔️20 Lady Windermere's Fan: A Play About a Good Woman
✔️21 The Story of an Hour
✔️22 The Book of the Grotesque
✔️23 A Man of Ideas
✔️24The Untold Lie
#6 12 group reads or buddy reads *
✔️1. The Ox-Bow Incident Jan
✔️2. Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont Feb
✔️3. The Son Feb
✔️4. The 39 Steps Feb
✔️5. Death Comes for the Archbishop
✔️ 6. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Apr
✔️ 7. The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War Apr
✔️8. Crossing to SafetyCrossing to Safety Jul
✔️9. The Hobbit Jul
✔️10 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Aug
✔️11 Washington Square Aug
✔️12 Lady Windermere's Fan Sept
#7 6 New Authors Classics
✔️1. Walter Van Tilburg Clark The Ox-Bow Incident
✔️2. Patricia Highsmith The Talented Mr. Ripley
✔️3. Elizabeth Taylor Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
✔️4. John Buchan The 39 Steps
✔️5. Winifred Watson Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
✔️6. Fannie Flagg Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
✔️7. Sanora Babb Wh[author:John Updikeose Names Are Unknown|1197158]
✔️8. James HiltonLost Horizon
✔️9. Rabbit, Run
Modern
✔️1. Chris Offutt The Killing Hills
✔️2. Philipp Meyer The Son
✔️3. Colleen Hoover Verity
✔️4. Shelby Van Pelt Remarkably Bright Creatures
✔️5. Moira Crone The Ice Garden
✔️6. Javier Zamora Solito
✔️7. Maggie O'Farrell Hamnet
#8 Popular Goodreads list for a year
#9 Fiction/nonfiction Vietnam War
✔️Fiction: The Quiet American(kindle) Read Jan 4 stars
Nonfiction: What It is Like to Go to War (physical(The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War(physical)
Shakespeare
✔️Fiction: Hamnet (physical)
NonfictionA Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 (kindle)
WW II
Fiction: The Street of a Thousand Blossoms or The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II
Non Fiction:The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War, or The Few: The American "Knights of the Air" Who Risked Everything to Fight in the Battle of Britain (hardcover)orWhen Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War III (kindle)
Cold in World War II (borrowed from Sara's idea last year
Fiction:The Siege (physical)
Nonficition: Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II (physical)
1920's America
Fiction Save Me the Waltz (Kindle)
Nonfiction (One Summer: America, 1927 (physical)
Romantic Generation
Fiction: Remarkable Creatures
: The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science (physical)
Industrial Revolution
✔️Fiction: War and Peace
Nonfiction: The Industrial Revolutionaries: The Making of the Modern World 1776-1914
#10 1/2 Millennium Challenge w/ Sour Lemon Twist
#11 Old and New Linked Categories
#12 A-Z author
Added Personal Challenge - Reread at least 3 books this year Possibles
✔️1. Death Comes for the Archbishop Read Feb still 5 stars
✔️ 2. Oliver Twist read Jul 5+ stars
✔️3. The Hobbit read July 4 stars
Possibles
Donna TarttThe Goldfinch
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.Cat's Cradle
The Secret Garden
Housekeeping
Rules of Civility
I love your categories, Sue--looks like a good balance!And health food can be a treat sometimes. War and Peace is a good example--much better than I expected! Hope you enjoy it, and have fun with your challenge.
Mod
Bob wrote: "I like your planning. War and Peace? That could be construed as gluttony, lucky you. I put W&P on my challenge a few years ago, it worked. It gave me the incentive I needed to finally finish a buck..."Ha! I'm hoping I can finally do it and not wimp out with an alternate, Bob. I purchased it in a 3 book volume. I'm hoping that makes it more manageable with an excuse to pause between each one like with a series.
Kathleen wrote: "I love your categories, Sue--looks like a good balance!And health food can be a treat sometimes. War and Peace is a good example--much better than I expected! Hope you enjoy it, and have fun with..."
I didn't know you read it, Kathleen. It's good to know that you and Bob both found it well worth it. I have found Tolstoy to be the easiest to read amongst the Russians I've read so far which gives me high hopes of finishing it.
Mod
Looks like the makings for a great year of reading. We'll start it together with Ox-Bow in January.
I can't bear it either, Sara. I hope I get to both. I'm looking forward to Ox-Bow incident with you!
3 down on the Old and NewThe Ox-Bow Incident 5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The Talented Mr. Ripley 4.5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Verity zero stars. No review except that it's not my genre. There are many 5 star reviews. If you like twisted, sexy love/murder thrillers you might like it. Thrillers in general are not for me.
Oh my--Verity won't be going on my list. But what a great start to your challenge! Glad you enjoyed the other ones. :-)
Kathleen wrote: "Oh my--Verity won't be going on my list. But what a great start to your challenge! Glad you enjoyed the other ones. :-)"Thank you, Kathleen. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't care for Verity either.
Sue, I like your Shelf Clearing challenge. I should do that!
That’s a fabulous start Sue! I was going to ask if you made it through Verity but I see you did. Oh gosh. When I was looking for an IRL book club last year it was June’s book and was supposed to be my first meeting. I wound up not being able to go, but sadly read several chapters that I quickly washed out of my brain! 😬 yeah, I don’t get the hype. Just finished Remarkably Bright Creatures- literally minutes ago. It was sweet so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it more.
Lori wrote: "That’s a fabulous start Sue! I was going to ask if you made it through Verity but I see you did. Oh gosh. When I was looking for an IRL book club last year it was June’s book and was supposed to be..."Lori, Thank you, I'm looking very forward to Remarkably Bright Creatures. It seems like it will be a nice feel good book for the winter doldrums.
I only got through Verity because it's for one of my IRL book clubs. Luckily it was a quick read at least.
It's for my IRL BC, that's the only reason I finished it. It was painful.
Terry wrote: "Sue, I like your Shelf Clearing challenge. I should do that!"Thanks, Terry. I decided to use the decade challenge every year to make sure that I read all the newer books on my shelves. Now that I read mostly classics, they sit there accumulating. Plus I'm in 2 bimonthly IRL book clubs that always pick new books so I can knock some off that way.
Are you going to read The Son for the Feb buddy read? I seem to remember you being interested at one point.
It sounds good, Sue. Does Sara have it on our Buddy Read schedule?
Mod
I can see Verity is one I need to put in my "avoid like the plague" folder.
Update: it was already there, so I have been warned before.
That's so funny, Sara! I'm glad that word gets around. I need a folder like that.
Mod
I can understand people not liking Ripley, Bob He's a creepy character.
Sue and Sara, I added The Son to my Audible Library so I will “read” this in February. LOL — I may need a reminder! But I assume I will get there. I have been having fun just reading by whim lately, but I will get down to serious business soon!
I finally updated and I'm happy to have 1/2 of my Old and New challenge done. Of course I have 3 doorstoppers in the "Old" category. I'm thrilled that it looks like The Moonstone will win the Reading for Pleasure group classic read for March/April. Now I know I will get to that one!
It seems you have a lot of reading to do. Good luck with it!
Wow, half done with Old and New and it's not even the end of February. Well done, Sue. Best thing is they've almost all been good ones!
I’m impressed Sue! That’s amazing progress with the Old and New.I’m excited about The Moonstone. I had it on my challenge last year. I will fit it somewhere because this is the year for it!!
Thank you, Darya - Yes, I do need a good dose of luck! That and using one book for multiple categories ; )Thank you, Kathleen, Yes, all but one were great. I'm pretty sure I'll love all the doorstoppers if I can just get to them!
Thank you, Lori. I'm so glad you will be reading The Moonstone too! At least there are 2 months to read it in. I've had it on challenges for years. Sometimes I need that group motivation to get to longer reads. It's hard to fit them in between all the group and buddy reads.
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Lynn, If you are able to fit it in, you could join the Reading for Pleasure group because we are reading it for March/April. Maybe I'll try and nominate it as a revisit the shelf for April. It seems like long books don't win very often though. Bob and Sara, It makes me even more exited to get to it know that both of you loved it. It did win in The Reading for Pleasure group. Yay!
As if I needed any more challenges, I've added a personal one to this in the #13 slot. I'm reading Anne Bogel's I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life and she has convinced me that I need to start rereading more books. I'm starting out with a modest 3 book challenge.
I'm planning on rereading Death Comes for the Archbishop with the group even though I just read it last March! I've been missing Father Jean Latour, the time, place and wonderful writing of Willa Cather.
I agree with Anne in that respect. I think I’ll do the same. The rereads I did last year proved to be even better. I’ll be reading the archbishop with you for the first time. But I think my first reread for this year will be Crossing to Safety. I knew it was stunning at the time but I wasn’t versed in so many of the literary references mentioned and it made my enjoyment of the story less. I am confident I will like it more now because I’m not that same reader I was then. (See what I did there, brought out another Anne Bogel concept!)🤗
Lori wrote: "I agree with Anne in that respect. I think I’ll do the same. The rereads I did last year proved to be even better. I’ll be reading the archbishop with you for the first time. But I think my first r..."Ha, ha, I see Lori ; ) I love how she brought up Crossing to Safety and I really want to get to that one this year. I may try nominating it for the next set of nominations.
I would vote for it if you did. It’s never done very well in the polls. And come to think of it, do we even have Stegner on the shelf? Sad if we don’t.
Lori wrote: "I would vote for it if you did. It’s never done very well in the polls. And come to think of it, do we even have Stegner on the shelf? Sad if we don’t."We don't! It's a shame. I don't think he appeals to the people in other countries (or they haven't heard of him). I have nominated Crossing to Safety before and you're right, it didn't do very well, but sometimes timing is everything.
I'm so glad you two are saying such wonderful things about Crossing to Safety and Wallace Stegner! We will be reading that one in our local library book club in September, and now I'm really excited! The woman who chose that book taught high school English for many years and says it is one of her favorite books. And now hearing you both say how much you've enjoyed it made my reading "ears" prick up. I hope I can wait till September!
And, like you, I also enjoyed Anne Bogel's book. I don't do a lot of rereading because I have so many books I want to get to. But when I do, I usually enjoy the second read more than the first because you're looking at it in such a different way. You can pay attention to the characters, setting, storyline, and writing style so much more than in the first reading when you're just wondering "what's going to happen?" and "how will it end?"!
Good luck and enjoyment on your rereads! :)
Terris wrote: "I'm so glad you two are saying such wonderful things about Crossing to Safety and Wallace Stegner! We will be reading that one in our local library book club in September, and now I'm really excite..."I haven't read it yet either, Terris but I want to! I just expect to love it because I love Stegner. Maybe I will try to read it when you do. Does your Club meet in the beginning of September and you have it read before then? If so, I'll see if I can fit it in sometime in August. Then you can share anything good you learn from your club.
Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)
Books mentioned in this topic
Vanishing Fleece: Adventures in American Wool (other topics)To Build a Fire (other topics)
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (other topics)
Crossing to Safety (other topics)
Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Maggie O'Farrell (other topics)James Hilton (other topics)
Sanora Babb (other topics)
Javier Zamora (other topics)
Fannie Flagg (other topics)
More...
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My "food" categories are there so that I don't feel guilty if I don't get to all of them, because you know that junk food often tastes the best! 8
✔️Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR Only 1 left but it's War and Peace!
Challenge #2 - Second Place or Worse Not participating
✔️Challenge #3 - Decade/Century/Millennium I think I can, I think I can! update - did it! both Decade an Century
✔️Challenge #4 - Members Choice COMPLETED
✔️Challenge #5 - Short Story COMPLETED
✔️Challenge #6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads COMPLETED
✔️Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors COMPLETED
Challenge #8 - Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year not participating
Challenge #9 – Fiction/Non-Fiction outside chance for 1
Challenge #10 - 1/2 Millennium Challenge w/ Sour Lemon Twist Not participating
Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories Not participating
Challenge #12 - A-Z Author Not participating
Challenge #13 - A-Z Title Not participating
✔️Personal Challenge: Reread at least 3 books COMPLETED