DAVE’S 2024 CHALLENGE BUFFET

[Dave]

I will be challenging myself with Challenges #1-4, 7-8, & 12-16

[Dave]

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

1899 and earlier/Old School
1.The American by Henry James (FINISHED 03/28/24)
2.Benito Cereno by Herman Melville (FINISHED 03/05/24)
3.The Woodlanders Thomas Hardy (FINISHED 04/27/24)
1900-1999/New School
4.This Side of Paradise by F Scott Fitzgerald (FINISHED 02/20/23)
5.Lord of the Flies by William Golding (FINISHED 3/16/24)
6.Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (FINISHED 01/12/24)
My Six Bookshelf Dust Collectors
7.A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (FINISHED 05/24/24)
8.Atonement by Ian McEwan (FINISHED 01/22/24)
7.Prisoner's Dilemma By Richard Powers (FINISHED 04/23/24)
8.Recapitulation by Wallace Stegner (FINISHED 03/24/24)
9.The Seven Seat: A True Story of Rowing, Revenge, and Redemption by Daniel J Boyne (FINISHED 03/06/24)
Alternates
A-1The Tie That Binds by Ken Haruft (FINISHED 3/22/24)
A-2 The Crying of Lot 49 Thomas Pynchon (FINISHED 05/18/24)
A-3 Strangers on a Train Patricia Highsmith (FINISHED 05/06/17)

Challenge #2 - Second Place or Worse
New School
1.Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson (May 2020) (FINISHED 03/24/24)
Old School
1.The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells (January 2016) (FINISHED 02/18/24)
Short Story/Novella
1.Night By Elie Wiesel June 2017 (FINISHED 04/12/24)
2.Double Indemnity by James M. Cain (FINISHED 01/07/24)
Quarterly Long Reads
1.Parade's End by Ford Maddox Ford (1st Quarter 2016) (FINISHED 04/29/24)

Challenge #3 - Decade/Century/Millennium Challenge
DecadeChallenge 1990s
The Leavers by Lisa Ko (1990) (FINISHED 01/27/24)
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alverez (1991) (FINISHED 03/22/24)
The Secret History Donna Tartt (1992) ((FINISHED 04/24/24)
The Shipping News by Annie Proux (1993) (FINISHED 04/26/24)
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson (1994)
((FINISHED 02/25/24)
The Bridges of Madison County by Wallace James Waller (1995) (FINISHED 02/10/24)
The Runaway Jury by John Grisham (1996) (FINISHED (03/24/24)
The Bookshop Penelope Fitzgerald (1997 (FINISHED 02/03/24)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (1998) ((FINISHED 04/25/24)
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlen (1999) (FINISHED 03/24/24)

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Challenge
1. 19th Century, Pudd'nhead Wilson Mark Twain (FINISHED 04/15/24)
2. 20th Century, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (FINISHED 02/28/24)
3. 21st Century, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L Sánchez (FINISHED 06/21/24
4. A book originally written in a language other than your own, By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolaño (FINISHED 04/10/24)
5. An Author never read before, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (FINISHED 05/20/24)
6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (FINISHED 05/20/24)
7. Science Fiction/Fantasy, Stranger in a Strange Land Robert A Heilein (FINISHED 05/27/24)
8. Action/Adventure, The Lost World by Michael Creighton (FINISHED 03/30/24)
9. Childrens/Young Adult,Anne of Green Gables Lucy Maud Montgomery (FINISHED 05/16/24)
10. Nonfiction Memoir/Biography, A Man in Love by Karl Ove Knausgaard FINISHED 05/21/24)
11. Mystery/Thriller,Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (FINISHED 05/19/24)
12. Horror or Humor Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (FINISHED 05/21/24)

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors
1.The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy (FINISHED 02/24/24)
2. Anatomy of a Murder Robert Travers (FINISHED 01/28/24)
3.A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (FINISHED 05/14/24)
4.Possession by A.S. Bryatt (FINISHED 05 18/24)
5.The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (FINISHED 03/27/24)

Challenge #8 –Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year
10 Books of Interest for 1975
1.Ragtime by EL Doctorow (FINISHED 02/17/24)
2.High-Rise J. G. Ballard (FINISHED 06/17/24)
3.The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abby (FINISHED 05/27/24)
4.Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry (FINISHED 03/30/24)
5.The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (FINISHED 03/12/24)
6.The Autumn of the Patriarch by Gabriel Garcia Márquez (FINISHED 05/20/24)
7.The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton (FINISH 04/23/24)
8.Light Years by James Salter (FINISHED 06/10/24)
9.The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall by Christopher Hibbert (FINISHED 02/25/24)
10.Somewhere In Time by Richard Mathison (FINISHED 06/13/24)

Challenge #12 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete
I plan to continue books 2, 3, and 4 of the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (FINISHED 02/22/24) ,Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (FINISHED 03/26/24) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (FINISHED 05/23/24)by J K Rowling

Challenge #13 - Travel the World One Continent at a Time
Africa Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (FINISHED 05/22/24)
AsiaThe Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan (FINISHED 05/23/24)
Australia Death of a River Guide by Richard Flanigan (FINISHED 02/24/24)
EuropeA Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towels (FINISHED 03/30/24)
North America The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Ken DeFede (FINISHED 01/13/23)
South America On a Night of a Thousand Stars by Andrea Yaryura Clark (FINISHED 01/29/24)
Antarctica Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson (FINISHED 05/23/24)

Challenge # 14 - Rereading - Some do. Some don't
1.The Castle by Franz Kafka (FINISHED 05/25/24)
2.Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens (FINISHED 02/29/24)
3. Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters (FINISHED 02/02/13)+
4.The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (FINISHED 03/22/24)+
5.The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (FINISHED 04/22/24)

Challenge #15 A-Z Author

A Anderson, Sherwood, Winesburg, Ohio+
B Bauby, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly@ (FINISHED 06/13/24)
C Clark, Andrea Yarura On a Night of a Thousand Stars+
D Defede, Ken The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland+
E Ellroy, James The Black Dahlia+
F Faulkner, William The Sound and the Fury+
G Gilbert, Elizabeth Eat, Pray, Love (FINISHED 07/08/24)
H Hannah, Kristan The Four Winds (FINISHED 06/20/24)
I Innes, Hammond The Wreak of the Mary Deare @ (FINISHED 05/15/24)
J James, Henry The American+
K Kafka, Franz The Castle+
L London, Jack White Fang@ (FINISHED 06/21/24)
M Mailer, Norman. The Naked and the Dead@ (FINISHED 06/19th/24)
N Nabokov, Vladimir Speak, Memory @ (FINISHED 06/04/24)
O Ontaaje, Michael The English Patient@+
P Pamuk, Orhan The Museum of Innocence@ (FINISHED 04/19/24)
Q Quinn, Kate The Alice Network@+
R Robinson, Kim Stanley Antarctica+
S Salter, James Light Years@ +
T Towles, Amor A Gentleman in Moscow+
U Updike, John The Witches of Eastwick@*
V Vonnegut, Kurt Cat's Cradle@ (FINISHED 06/26/24)
W Wells, H.G. The Island of Doctor Moreau+
X Xenophon The Persian Expedition@ (FINISHED 07/03/24)
Y Yanagihara, Hanya A Little Life@ (FINISHED 05/27/24)
Z Zweig, Stephanie Nowhere in Africa: An Autobiographical Novel@ (FINISHED 07/04/24)

Challenge #16 A - Z Title

A Antarctica by Kim Stanley Robinson+
B The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy+
C The Castle by Franz Kafka+
D The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Ken Defede+
E The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje@ (FINISHED 07/05/24)
F The Four Winds by Kristan Hannah@ (FINISHED 06/29/24)
G A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles+
H Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban+
I Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire #5 VF/NM by Anne Rice+
J Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë @ (FINISHED 07/12/24)
K The Kitchen God's Wife Amy Tan+
L Light Years by James Salter @+
M The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales Oliver Sacks@ (FINISHED 07/05/24)
N By Night in Chile by Roberto Bolaño+
O Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens+
P Possession by A.S Bryant+
Q The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis @ (FINISHED 04/24/24)
R Ragtime by E L Doctorow+
S The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner+
T The Turn of the Screw by Henry James+
U The Unconsoled Kazuro Ishikura@ (FINISHED 06/06/24)
V Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann @ ((FINISHED 04/26/24)
W Walden by Henry David Thoreau @ (FINISHED 04/18/24)
X X: Kinsey Millhone, Book 24 Sue Graftin@ (FINISHED 06/25/24)
Y Young Skins: Stories by Colin Barrett @ (FINISHED 04/18/24)
Z Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis@ (FINISHED 06/22/24)


2023 Books Read
1.Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen
2.Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
3.Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
4.My Struggle: Book 1 by Karl Ove Knausgaard
5. Tom Lake by Ann Patchett performed by Meryl Streep

[Gerard]

Hope you have a great year of reading, Dave!

The Autumn of the Patriarch was a highlight of my 2023; I hope you enjoy the novel as much as I did. You have also reminded me to make room for more Faulkner this year.

[Dave]

Gerard wrote: "Hope you have a great year of reading, Dave!

The Autumn of the Patriarch was a highlight of my 2023; I hope you enjoy the novel as much as I did. You have also reminded me to make room for more Fa..."

Thanks Gerard!

[Terris]

Nice lists, Dave! Looks like you have a great year of reading ahead of you :)

[Dave]

Terris wrote: "Nice lists, Dave! Looks like you have a great year of reading ahead of you :)"

Thanks Terris!

[Wobbley]

Your plan is already really well fleshed out. Enjoy!

[Shaina]

Good luck, Dave. I love the Harry Potter series and have read them so many times. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. We do have some books in common this year. Happy Reading!

[Dave]

Wobbley wrote: "Your plan is already really well fleshed out. Enjoy!"

Thanks Wobbley!

[Dave]

Shaina wrote: "Good luck, Dave. I love the Harry Potter series and have read them so many times. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. We do have some books in common this year. Happy Reading!"

Thanks Shaina! I enjoyed the first Harry Potter and look forward to continuing the series.

[Dave]

Draft Challenge lists complete. Subject to verification that all books are available in audiobook format.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Looks like a delightful year of reading ahead, Dave. I was interested to see Spoon River Anthology in your re-reading list. If you liked it enough to read it again, I am encouraged to believe I will be glad I put it on my list this year.

[Dave]

Sara wrote: "Looks like a delightful year of reading ahead, Dave. I was interested to see Spoon River Anthology in your re-reading list. If you liked it enough to read it again, I am encouraged to..."

It is a beautiful book Sara.

[Dave]

I have started my 2024 group challenges rereading “Our Mutual Friend”, a favorite Dickens’ novel.

I finished my 2023 Annual Goodreads Challenge listening to my 223rd audiobook of the year.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Dickens seems like a good way to start the year. You have selected some excellent choices.

[Dave]

Bob wrote: "Dickens seems like a good way to start the year. You have selected some excellent choices."

Thanks Bob, I have a tradition to reread Dickens in Winter, in addition to “A Christmas Carol” during the Holidays.

[Dave]

I finished seven challenge books in January.

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Way to go, Dave!

[Wobbley]

That's fantastic! Which was your favourite?

[Dave]

Wobbley wrote: "That's fantastic! Which was your favourite?"

Atonement!

[Lori]

Amazing progress Dave!

[Dave]

Lori wrote: "Amazing progress Dave!"

Thank you Lori.

[Terris]

Great month, Dave! Hope you enjoyed them all :)

[Dave]

Terris wrote: "Great month, Dave! Hope you enjoyed them all :)"
Thanks Terris! I did enjoy them all. I am so fortunate to have so much time to indulge my love of reading.

[Terris]

Dave wrote: "Terris wrote: "Great month, Dave! Hope you enjoyed them all :)"
Thanks Terris! I did enjoy them all. I am so fortunate to have so much time to indulge my love of reading."

I know what you mean! Since I have retired, I spend a lot of time reading and I enjoy it so much :)

Just wanted to say that I noticed one of the books you finished was The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland. We read that in my local library book club a couple of months ago, and we all enjoyed it so much! Hope you liked it, too :)

[Dave]

Terris wrote: "Dave wrote: "Terris wrote: "Great month, Dave! Hope you enjoyed them all :)"
Thanks Terris! I did enjoy them all. I am so fortunate to have so much time to indulge my love of reading."

I know what..."
I Loved The Day Came to Town. It had been on my to-read list for a long time. An uplifting story in such a dark time.

[Terris]

Dave wrote: "Terris wrote: "Dave wrote: "Terris wrote: "Great month, Dave! Hope you enjoyed them all :)"
Thanks Terris! I did enjoy them all. I am so fortunate to have so much time to indulge my love of reading..."

Truly!

[Sue]

Congratulations on your progress, Dave. I loved Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy and A Gentleman in Moscow and you have some on your lists I'd like to try and get to this year also.

[Rora]

Good luck on your challenge Dave, you have so many good books on your list.

[Dave]

Sue wrote: "Congratulations on your progress, Dave. I loved Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy and A Gentleman in Moscow and you have some on your lists I'd like to try and get to th..."

Thanks Sue. Deciding which books to add to build these challenges always bring so many “also ran” books to my attention.

Thank you Rors

[Dave]

Rora wrote: "Good luck on your challenge Dave, you have so many good books on your list."

Thanks Rors.

[Dave]

Dave wrote: "Rora wrote: "Good luck on your challenge Dave, you have so many good books on your list."

Thanks Rora."

[Dave]

I finished 17 books in February, of which 10 were challenge books.

Of the challenge books those I recommend most are 1) The Bridges of Madison County, The Black Dahlia,and Death of a River Guide.

Of non-challenge books I most recommend Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

I started several other books but set them aside for various reasons as not making the cut of my reading time.

This is the third year I have taken up multiple challenges and practice improves my choices. The challenge books I have read so far are generally very enjoyable.So rather than scatter challenge books through the year I plan to read 20 challenge books in March of the 23 in my monthly reading plan. Many of these are shorter books so not as daunting as the number might seem. Books to be read in March are marked with a “*“ in my challenge list.

Because I am enjoying the challenge books so much, I have added Challenges #15 and #16. In both challenges I was able to find 16 authors/books among other challenges and only had to find 10 new authors and titles which are marked with are marked with an “@”.

In his guidance for various challenges Bob notes the #15 and #16 are particularly challenging to build. I use Google search to build all my challenges. “Best books of 1975”, Best books of the 90’s”, etc. In this way I quickly find an appropriate list to choose from. There are multiple links that come up for each search, but I usually use the Goodreads list.

In the case of #15 and #16, since I built them last, I was able to use chosen authors and titles for 16 places in each list. For the remaining 10 letters of each challenge I again used Google search. “Authors names I” for instance. Again using the Goodreads link, those links give the number of authors or titles to choose from.

Since I only listen to audiobooks, the final challenge is finding books published in audiobook format.

[Wobbley]

Wow, 17 books in one month is so impressive!!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I love how organized you are, Dave. Wonderful start to this reading year!

[Dave]

Wobbley wrote: "Wow, 17 books in one month is so impressive!!"

Thank Wobbley.

[Dave]

Sara wrote: "I love how organized you are, Dave. Wonderful start to this reading year!"

Sara wrote: "I love how organized you are, Dave. Wonderful start to this reading year!"

Thanks Sara.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Congrats, on a terrific February!!

[Dave]

Bob wrote: "Congrats, on a terrific February!!"

Thank you Bob. Thank you for your annual challenges that motivate me to find and read such a wide spectrum of books!

[Terris]

You're doing great, Dave! I will agree with you -- I also enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I like Reid's books, and have several still on my TBR list :)

Happy Reading in March!

[Dave]

Terris wrote: "You're doing great, Dave! I will agree with you -- I also enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I like Reid's books, and have several still on my TBR list :)

Happy Reading in March!"

Thanks Terris. Happy reading.

[Dave]

March Reading

1. The Sound and the Fury $
2. Ernest Hemingway X
3. The Lord of the Flies $
4. Benito Cerneo$
5. Recapitulation $
6. The Seven Seat
7. The American $
8. The Runaway Jury %
9. Jurassic World %
10. Harry Potter #3 %$
11. The Last Voyage of the Andrea Dorea X
12. The Tie That Binds $
13. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter $
14. The Orchid Thief#
15. Winesburg Ohio $
16. Shogun Part I +
17. Silence of the Lambs %
18. How Migration Really Works X
19. How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent %
20. A Gentleman from Moscow%
21. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Story %
22. Terms of Endearment %

I began the month with a list of 22 audiobooks to listen to. Nineteen on my challenge lists and three nonfiction not on those lists.

Of this on the challenge lists, six were Classics: The Sound and the Fury, The Lord of the Flies, Benito Cerneo, The American, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and Winesburg Ohio. Marked with a $.

Of these six, this was the third read/listening of The Sound and the Fury. This, along with the other of Faulkner’s most challenging books, are in a category of challenging novels the I would not be able to read, much less comprehend and appreciate, until I discovered reading while listening to the audiobook. Other books in this category for me include Proust, and the most challenging of Joyce and Virginia Wolfe.

Among the six classic, two were surprises: Benito Cerneo, one of Melville’s best novellas, and The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, which brought me in contact with Carson McCullers, a recognized giant in the Southern Gothic genre.

Ten books I classify as modern novels, are marked with an &. Recapitulation, The Runaway Jury, Jurassic World, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Ties that Bind, The Silence of the Lambs, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, A Gentleman from Moscow, The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, and Terms of Endearment.

Of these, four are novels in my continuing project to read books which I have seen the movie. The Runaway Jury, Jurassic World, The Silence of The Lambs, and Terms of Endearment. Throughout this project I have continued to confirm my opinion before I started - Do not assume you know the story the author wrote if you have seen the movie.

Of these, the Harry Potter, The Ties the Bind, and The Gentleman from Moscow, stand out for me as exceptional novels the will become enduring classics.

Other challenge books on my list were contemporary popular book, my star rating indicate my rating.

I have two books on my March list that I will continue in April, Shogun Part I, a challenge book, and Hemingway, A Biography by Mary V Dearborn, a new biography which I recommend, not a challenge book.

In summary I finished eighteen challenge books in March and have another that continues into April. I also listened to three non-challenge books of which one continues into April.

In my continuing effort to front load all challenge books at the beginning of this year, all twenty books on my April reading list are challenge books plus the one book carried forward from March.

Book marked on my April challenges with an asterisk are on my list this month.

I read 57 books in the first quarter and am ahead of my annual challenge.

[Wobbley]

Wow, just amazing progress!

I haven't read The Ties the Bind, but I agree that Prisoner of Azkaban and Gentleman of Moscow are exceptional.

[Dave]

Wobbley wrote: "Wow, just amazing progress!

I haven't read The Ties the Bind, but I agree that Prisoner of Azkaban and Gentleman of Moscow are exceptional."

Kent Haruf, the author of Ties That Bind, died about ten years ago He wrote for years before being published. Late in life he was finally recognized as a major writer who captures life in modern eastern Colorado as Faulkner captured Mississippi. He only published six novels, all relative short. I have read four. I am confident he will become recognized as a major American author.

[Kathleen]

I so enjoyed reading about your progress and categories, Dave. I hope you continue to read more Carson McCullers--she's a favorite of mine.

I also appreciate what you said about Kent Haruf. I met him at a book event a few years before he died, and he was such a nice man. Since then I've only seen his books become more popular, so I think your prediction will come true.

[Dave]

Kathleen wrote: "I so enjoyed reading about your progress and categories, Dave. I hope you continue to read more Carson McCullers--she's a favorite of mine.

I also appreciate what you said about Kent Haruf. I met ..."

Thank you Kathleen for your encouragement and about meeting Mr Haruf.

[Dave]

I finish 17 books this month. Some classics, some I categorize as modern classics some were just books. I also comment on a couple of books that were not on the challenge list. I will post a commentary on each group below.

As usual the books that I have lined up to read in May or marked with an Asterix in my challenges above.

[Dave]

Classics
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Parade’s End by Ford Maddox Ford
The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson Mark Twain
The Woodlanders Thomas Hardy
By Night in Chile By Roberto Bolaño
Night by Elie Wiesel

Of these classics, The Turn Of the Screw is a lifetime favorite and this was my third reading. In my opinion it is one of the best stories in its genre. I don’t mention the genre because that would be a spoiler to anyone who has not read this novella.

I first read Walden in college and this was my first rereading. As when I sometimes read serious books, I followed the audiobook in a Kindle edition in order to highlight. It is a profound and thought provoking book. I don’t consider it a a book of advice on how to live but a timeless reflection on how we live and a guide to living more deeply.

Parades End is Ford Maddox Ford’s modernist tetralogy of novels focused on the psychological impact of war, but these are not war novels. The four novels together are quite long. It took me four months. The novels, for the most part, focus on Christopher Tietjens, an upper class Englishman before, during, and after World War I. He is stationed in Belgium and France but there are no scenes are set at the “front”. It is an interesting read but requires perseverance.

The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson was a big surprise. I have been aware of this novel for decades but thought it was a comedy, not a crime novel. Written in the 1890’s, I was astonished at a technique used to solve the crime. I had no idea that that technique was available in the late 19th century.

The Woodlanders was a pleasant surprise. Considered one of Hardy’s major novels, I had never heard of it. It is indeed a great novel and just as worthy of reading as Hardy’s more famous novels.

By Night in Chile was the first of Bolano’s novels translated into English. Set in the time around the Pinochet coup, it is a first person rambling narrative of an old, dying priest. It is not stream of consciousness but there are no paragraph breaks. I consider it an important novel among South American Literature.

Night is Elie Weisel’s unflinching memoir of his life in Nazi concentration camps. It is the first of a trio of novels. Dawn and Day are the other two novels in the trio. I first read this novel in college. There is a lot of literature on the Holocaust. I consider Night and The Diary of Anne Frank the two essential works in this numerous genre.

[Dave]

Modern Classics

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
The Young Skins by Colin Barrett
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

These two novels and a collection of short stories I consider modern classics that will stand the test of time.

The Shipping News is a charming novel about life in remote Newfoundland fishing village.

The Young Skins is a collection of short stories about young men in a rural village in modern Ireland. It is the first published work of a young Irish author. It received rave reviews in The Guardian and The Times. Colin Barrett is a writer to anticipate future writing.

The Poisonwood Bible is the best of the many Barbara Kingsolver novels I have read. It is well known so I won’t summarize it.

[Dave]

Other Novels that are among Challenges
The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tervis
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Prisoner’s Dilemma by Richard Powers

The Great Train Robbery is a historical novel published in 1975, describing the robbery of gold from a Royal Mail Train in the 1850s. A good read.

The Queen’s Gambit is the story about a young girl who is a chess savant. A good read if you know about chess and the complexities of competition tournaments.

The Secret History was a huge disappointment. All the more so since I loved The Goldfinch. The story of a small select group of college students, all men, who are selected by an eccentric professor at an elite New England College to study philosophy only with him, in Greek, by the Socratic Method. The story was full of discussions like which Greek verb tense to use in translating Homer. There was not one sympathetic character, the novel was much too long, and perhaps fatal for an audiobook in my experience, the author read the novel herself. First person narration by one of the college students all the voices sounded like women, and elitist women at that. By the novels ending, I didn’t care what happened and was left pissed off at myself for not setting the book aside and moving on.

The Prisoner’s Dilemma is about a dysfunctional family living in Illinois. The father is trying to solve a mathematical problem by writing an alternative reality where everyone lives in peace. It held my interest but I rated it only average.