Paula’s ”They Told Me I Had To Change the Name” 2023. ***COMPLETED***

[Paula W]

B1: Book Published 1950 - 1999 - Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories ✅ 1/1/23, 4****
B2: Classic written in your native language - The Bluest Eye ✅ 1/31/23, 5*****
B3: Classic of Europe - To the Lighthouse ✅1/16/23, 4****
B4: Classic involving art - Girl with a Pearl Earring ✅1/27/23, 4****
B5: Classic from your bookshelf - Sense and sensibiliity.✅1/24/23, 4****

I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2023 - Mansfield Park ✅2/14/23, 2**
I2: Classic biography/autobiography or memoir - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings ✅ 2/20/23, 5*****
I3: Classic horror or gothic - Christine ✅3/11/23, 4****
I4: Classic comedy, satire, or humor - A Confederacy of Dunces ✅ 1/8/23, 5*****
I5: Book from the group’s Favorites of 2022 - Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont ✅ 2/2/23, 4****

N1: Classic of the Americas - To Kill a Mockingbird ✅ 2/6/23, 5*****
N2: Classic Western - The Ox-Bow Incident ✅ 1/3/23, 5*****
N3: Reader’s Choice- Song of Solomon ✅ 2/28/23, 5*****
N4: Classic mystery or thriller - Murder on the Orient Express ✅ 2/10/23, 5*****
N5: Classic of Africa or Oceania - No Longer at Ease ✅ 3/16/23, 5*****

G1: Classic from a group poll that did not win - Holes ✅3/15/23, 4****
G2: Classic action or adventure - Where the Red Fern Grows ✅ 1/29/23, 5*****
G3: Classic history or historical fiction - Death Comes for the Archbishop ✅ 3/19/23, 4****
G4: Classic fantasy or science fiction - The Giving Tree ✅ 2/8/23, 5*****
G5: Book from the Group’s 2023 Bookshelf - The Cider House Rules ✅ 1/18/23, 4****

O1: Book Published before 1900 - Electra (Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum Et Romanorum Teubneriana) ✅ 3/6/23, 3***
O2: New-To-You Classic Author - Twelve Angry Men ✅ 1/1/23, 5*****
O3: Classic of Asia - Kitchen ✅ 3/15/23, 4****
O4: Classic in translation - The Dream of a Ridiculous Man ✅ 3/1/23, 4****
O5: Book Published 1900 - 1949 - Jamaica Inn ✅ 2/17/23, 4****

[Luffy Sempai]

This is far from being a sad attempt. Good luck, Paula!

[Squire]

The only sad attempt would be no attempt. Best of luck in 2023.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Looking doable and some great books. Welcome to the challenge.

[Terris]

I'm batting 1000 on the four that you've picked so far, and I can honestly say that you have some great books to look forward to! Enjoy your 2023 Bingo, Paula! :)

[Paula W]

I will surely change some of these books to another category as I go along. I have a lot of classics to read and not sure where I will place them.

What I do know is that my mom purchased me some Jane Austin books for Christmas (she doesn’t know that yet).

I also recently found a large book of compiled “Little Golden Books” at my local thrift bookstore. It has 100 of the most loved Little Golden Books. I can get through at least some of them before I gift this to my grandniece for her birthday in February.

[Terris]

Paula W wrote: "I will surely change some of these books to another category as I go along. I have a lot of classics to read and not sure where I will place them.

What I do know is that my mom purchased me some ..."

Sounds like you're making some great plans AND getting some wonderful gifts, even if the givers don't know it yet!!!

[Veronique]

Paula W wrote: "I have a lot of classics to read and not sure where I will place them ..."

I know the feeling :O)
Those gifts sound lovely. Hope you have a great time over the festivities, and enjoy your bingo board.

[Squire]

Paula W wrote: "I also recently found a large book of compiled “Little Golden Books” at my local thrift bookstore. It has 100 of the most loved Little Golden Books."

I need to look that up. That sounds AWESOME! For my
nieces...of course. lol

I found 3 of those treasuries online: a 1972 edition of 48 stories, a 1982 edition of 35 different stories, and a Disney Little Golden Books treasury.

[Paula W]

Squire wrote: "Paula W wrote: "I also recently found a large book of compiled “Little Golden Books” at my local thrift bookstore. It has 100 of the most loved Little Golden Books."

I need to look that up. That s..."

The kids absolutely LOVED the books as their Xmas gifts. They carried them all over the house and I later got pics from their mom of them in the bedroom silently reading to each other. I couldnt wait until February, so they got them as Xmas gifts 🤣

[Paula W]

I have finished my first 3 squares (B1 - Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories, N2 - The Ox-Bow Incident, and O2 - Twelve Angry Men). One 4 star and two 5 stars, so I am very pleased with these choices so far. What a great start to 2023!

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Paula W wrote: "I have finished my first 3 squares (B1 - Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories, N2 - The Ox-Bow Incident, and O2 - Twelve Angry Men). One 4 star and two 5..."

Hooray for you! Not a sad challenge at all.

[Paula W]

Katy wrote: "Paula W wrote: "I have finished my first 3 squares (B1 - Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories, N2 - The Ox-Bow Incident, and O2 - Twelve Angry Men). One ..."

Thanks!

[Terry]

You are doing great, Paula!

[Terris]

Wow! Three good ones, Paula! I think that is a good omen for how the rest of your reading year is going to go! ;)

[Falan]

Awesome! I think your off to a great start! Not sure why you call this your sad attempt. Your way ahead of me at the moment! You have some fantastic books listed to I may have to add to my reading list.

[Paula W]

Falan wrote: "Awesome! I think your off to a great start! Not sure why you call this your sad attempt. Your way ahead of me at the moment! You have some fantastic books listed to I may have to add to my reading ..."

I named it that before I got serious and started choosing books. It looked really daunting to me at first. But then I did some research and found books I already own that fit a lot of these categories. I think I will keep the name, though, at least until I mark most of these off my list. I am still researching the “classic of Africa or oceana” category, so nothing to add there yet.

[Cynda]

Paula W you have already read some great books! I too will take some time to find an Oceania or African selection. In 2022 we had a bingo square for an Oceania selection, and in 2021 we had a square for an African selection. Those will be some places I will look for something my friends have liked.

[Paula W]

Cynda wrote: "Paula W you have already read some great books! I too will take some time to find an Oceania or African selection. In 2022 we had a bingo square for an Oceania selection, and in 2021 we had a squar..."

I think I found one. I read a post tonight about “African classics that aren’t Things Fall Apart” and found this on that sounds intriguing:
Devil on the Cross by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o - “ Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o wrote in English until 1970, when he changed his name and committed to writing in Gikuyu, his mother tongue. Imprisoned without trial for crimes against the state, he wrote the first Gikuyu novel on prison-provided toilet paper in 1982. Devil on the Cross (Caitaani mũtharaba-Inĩ) begins with a journey of diverse people in a matatu taxi travelling from Nairobi to the rural outskirts for a “Devil’s Feast” of thieves and robbers, an allegory for the postcolonial nation’s journey toward a grim neocolonial future that spirals in unexpected directions.”

[Terris]

That one sounds interesting. Also, have you read Cry, the Beloved Country. I really liked it!

[Kathleen]

I think you're going to have to change the name of your challenge now, to Paula flies through Bingo or something! What an impressive start.

If you're still looking for African classics, I'd never heard of it, but happened to find this one at my library, and it was really good! The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Wow, Paula. I'm impressed. I can see you will be the reader to watch!

[Veronique]

Amazing start!

[Paula W]

Thanks for the recommendations. I’m looking them up now!

[Cynda]

Paula, yes, I too have had my eye on reading a book by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. I have been eyeing a different book: A Grain of Wheat. . . . .I may go with The Bride Price as it is available through ILL at a local library. We will look until we read very probably.

[Paula W]

Sara wrote: "Wow, Paula. I'm impressed. I can see you will be the reader to watch!"

No, don’t watch me! I’m only front-loading some classics because I know I have a lot of work commitments from late spring throughout the summer. At that point, there will be a real lag for me. I’m on vacation this week, so I am reading as much as possible.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

No pressure, Paula. I will watch quietly, lol. I understand life has ups and downs, but it is great to see you off to such a marvelous start. Main goal--enjoy!

[Paula W]

Do we think Christine is more of a horror or a thriller? I own this ebook and have never read it. I also own Rosemary's Baby and have never read that either. I currently have the latter in the horror slot and will put the former in the thriller spot if everyone thinks that’s okay. I have never read either of them and know nothing at all about them (except for this one time when a friend had a really unfortunately ugly baby and someone referenced Rosemary’s Baby.) My friends are weird.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

LOL. That is almost mean, Paula. I have not read either of them, but I think you have the categories exactly right. Saw the movie, Rosemary's Baby decades ago, and it is definitely horror.

[Paula W]

Sara wrote: "LOL. That is almost mean, Paula. I have not read either of them, but I think you have the categories exactly right. Saw the movie, Rosemary's Baby decades ago, and it is definitely horror."

He looked like a lizard and Gollum and something wet, all combined.

[Paula W]

Whew, I think I have everything planned except for the free space “reader’s choice” square. And I am excited to read every one of these!

[Paula W]

I finished my 4th one today, I4 A Confederacy of Dunces. I have read this several times and it is still a 5 star read for me. I hope some others join in on the group read this month. It has been slow in the thread so far with just me and Cynda there.

[Terry]

Paula, is this a book which moves quickly? I hesitate to attempt because it takes a big page commitment.

[Paula W]

Terry wrote: "Paula, is this a book which moves quickly? I hesitate to attempt because it takes a big page commitment."

I usually read it in 3-4 days, so 100 pages at a time. If you are one of the ones who appreciate the humor, you will keep wanting to read it. But the chapters are long-ish. This isn’t a Dan Brown book where each chapter is 5 pages. They are more like 35-50 pages per chapter. You can read my review to see why some people love it and some people do not. (Also, you haven’t accepted my friend request so I cant tell you some of the more scandalous things about this book via messaging. 🤣😂)

[Milena]

Paula W wrote: "I finished my 4th one today, I4 A Confederacy of Dunces. I have read this several times and it is still a 5 star read for me. I hope some others join in on the group read this month. ..."

I will be joining soon.

[Terry]

Paula, I will send you a friend request! So sorry, I guess I didn’t realize who you were!

[Paula W]

Is it wrong and evil for me to nominate a book for the polls and hope it doesn’t win so I can read it to fulfill my G1 square? 🤣😂

[Janelle]

😂 I think my nominations have only rarely won, so at least I can use them in the second place or worse spots!

[Marilyn]

Paula W wrote: "Is it wrong and evil for me to nominate a book for the polls and hope it doesn’t win so I can read it to fulfill my G1 square? 🤣😂"

If it is, then I am also evil.

[Paula W]

I have read two more, B3 and G5, but whatever. I AM ANGRY. I’m reading Sense and Sensibility (should finish it tomorrow) I want to jump into this book and slap about 5 people.

[Shaina]

Paula, I'm right there with you. I wanted to slap 2 of them for sure. Of all the Austen's I dislike Sense and Sensibility the most. I plan to read the retelling by Joanna Trollope this year. Let's see how that goes.

I hope you enjoy Rosemary's Baby. I read it last year and loved it. Scared the crap outta me.

[Paula W]

Shaina wrote: "Paula, I'm right there with you. I wanted to slap 2 of them for sure. Of all the Austen's I dislike Sense and Sensibility the most. I plan to read the retelling by Joanna Trollope this year. Let's ..."

Note to self: Read Rosemary’s Baby during daylight hours only. Got it!

[Terris]

Not to butt in but -- Matt, what do you mean by a "one off?" And, yes, I know the definition of "one off" so that's why I'm having trouble understanding :)

[Paula W]

*Planning
Other Classic Books I Own but Haven’t Read Yet- Holes, The Bluest Eye, Pinocchio, Up the Down Staircase, What Falls Away: A Memoir, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Murder on the Orient Express, The Agony and the Ecstasy

[Paula W]

Matt wrote: "Terris wrote: "Not to butt in but -- Matt, what do you mean by a "one off?" And, yes, I know the definition of "one off" so that's why I'm having trouble understanding :)"

I mean a book that I rea..."

I understand that. I often do this thing where I will purchase an ebook on sale for $1 or so, read it, and then decide to purchase the physical book because I loved it so much and want it on my shelf. Many physical books on my bookshelf are there because I read them as an ebook for free or almost free and decided to purchase the actual book because I loved it. My local used book store recognizes me as their best customer.

[Terris]

Matt wrote: "Terris wrote: "Not to butt in but -- Matt, what do you mean by a "one off?" And, yes, I know the definition of "one off" so that's why I'm having trouble understanding :)"

I mean a book that I rea..."

Thanks, Matt. I understand now :)

[Sue]

Paula W wrote: "Matt wrote: "Terris wrote: "Not to butt in but -- Matt, what do you mean by a "one off?" And, yes, I know the definition of "one off" so that's why I'm having trouble understanding :)"

I mean a bo..."

You are off to a roaring start Paula! That's great.

I do the same thing you do. If I love a book on Kindle or Audio or the library, then I have and urge to buy the physical book. My used book store knows me too. Unfortunately, I have so many unread books on my shelves and keep adding new ones from this group and others, that I never reread. I'm determined to reread Death Comes for the Archbishop in March if it wins though. I read it from the library and had to purchase a hard copy.

[Paula W]

Sue wrote: "Paula W wrote: "Matt wrote: "Terris wrote: "Not to butt in but -- Matt, what do you mean by a "one off?" And, yes, I know the definition of "one off" so that's why I'm having trouble understanding ..."

I had already planned to read that one before it was even nominated. It is on my list of books I am working through that have life and death titles (or live/die, born/kill, etc). So I found a copy at the thrift store for about $2.00 and purchased it a few months ago. Looks fairly certain to win!

[Sue]

Paula W wrote: "Sue wrote: "Paula W wrote: "Matt wrote: "Terris wrote: "Not to butt in but -- Matt, what do you mean by a "one off?" And, yes, I know the definition of "one off" so that's why I'm having trouble un..."

I hope you love it as much as I did. It's a quiet book told through vignettes rather than a driving narrative but it paints a beautiful historical picture of time and place.

[Paula W]

Sue wrote:

Your description reminds me of how much I loved The Remains of the Day. I have a weird tendency to fall in love with quiet, intelligent British butlers and monks. 🤣 Maybe I’ll nominate this one for a re-read or a buddy read this year.