Lea's Third Annual Reading Challenge - COMPLETED

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "Me too, but not that patiently anymore. It's been a few days already, we're dying to know here...what is she doing there???"

Reading random books not on any list, of course. I'm feeling so rebellious right now, I just don't want to read anything on my lists! I also want to start a bunch of new series, but I'm trying to contain that urge at the moment. :-)

[Lea]

Jami wrote: "Congrats on completing your list :)"

Thank you so much, Jami! :-)

[Ioana]

Lea wrote: "Reading random books not on any list, of course."

Okay...I understand that 😄

[Lea]

Ioana wrote: "Lea wrote: "Reading random books not on any list, of course."

Okay...I understand that 😄"

I knew you would!!

[Lillie]

Lea wrote: "I was trying to decide between War and Peace and Bleak House. I finally decided on Bleak House, and then...what did I do? I read War and Peace in March."

Haha, that sounds very much like something I’d do

[Karol]

How wonderful that you read Dickens! I haven't gotten to Bleak House yet . . . but unlike you, I loved Great Expectations when I had to read it in school. It set me on a course to enjoy several of Dicken's books. Given your very interesting review, I may have to get to Bleak House sooner rather than later.

Congrats on finishing your challenge!

[Lea]

Lillie wrote: "Haha, that sounds very much like something I’d do"

We are a rebellious group!

[Lea]

Karol wrote: "How wonderful that you read Dickens! I haven't gotten to Bleak House yet . . . but unlike you, I loved Great Expectations when I had to read it in school. It set me on a course to enjoy several of Dicken's books. Given your very interesting review, I may have to get to Bleak House sooner rather than later.

Congrats on finishing your challenge!"

Thanks, Karol. I've read A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, and now Bleak House. There's plenty more to read. Do you have any favorites that I haven't read yet? Oliver Twist is very popular, but I'm kind of being drawn to The Pickwick Papers for next year's list. We'll see.

[Bill, Moderator]

Lea wrote: "Karol wrote: "How wonderful that you read Dickens! I haven't gotten to Bleak House yet . . . but unlike you, I loved Great Expectations when I had to read it in school. It ..."

I read Pickwick in high school and I think I liked it. (it was 50 years+ ago.. LOL. I recommend Nicholas Nickleby very much. (just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons)

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "I read Pickwick in high school and I think I liked it. (it was 50 years+ ago.. LOL. I recommend Nicholas Nickleby very much. (just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons)"

Thanks for the suggestions. I gave some thought to Nicholas Nickleby too! And it makes me feel better that you can't remember why you liked Pickwick. I honestly can't remember why I disliked Great Expectations so much. :-)

[Bill, Moderator]

Lea wrote: "Bill wrote: "I read Pickwick in high school and I think I liked it. (it was 50 years+ ago.. LOL. I recommend Nicholas Nickleby very much. (just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons)"

Thanks for th..."

I think we read one chapter of Great Expectations in junior high and I wasn't fond then.. I've seen the movie since and it was interesting.

[Karol]

Lea wrote: "Thanks, Karol. I've read A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, and now Bleak House. There's plenty more to read. Do you have any favorites that I haven't read yet? Oliver Twist is very popular, but I'm kind of being drawn to The Pickwick Papers for next year's list.."

I have read the ones you've listed except for the Pickwick Papers. One gem I love that you haven't mentioned is The Cricket on the Hearth, which is more of a novella and one of his "Christmas books." I actually like to read this one on New Year's Day.

[Lea]

Karol wrote: "I have read the ones you've listed except for the Pickwick Papers. One gem I love that you haven't mentioned is The Cricket on the Hearth, which is more of a novella and one of his "Christmas books." I actually like to read this one on New Year's Day."

That's a really good suggestion, Karol. I'll have to give that a try. It's nice to start the New Year out with a little Dickens. :-)

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Karol wrote: "Lea wrote: "Thanks, Karol. I've read A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, and now Bleak House. There's plenty more to read. Do you have any favorites that..."

A novella! From Dickens!?? Yeah, I need to read that!

[Lea]

Alondra wrote: "A novella! From Dickens!?? Yeah, I need to read that!"

Same! Sometimes I don't have the energy for 800+ pages of Dickens, so this sounds great. My library doesn't have it on audio, so I'm going to have to read the book. I have a longer backlog of books that aren't on library audio, but hopefully I can squeeze it in for the New Year. We'll see.

[Alissa]

So, you working on your list for 2025? ;-)

[Lea]

Alissa wrote: "So, you working on your list for 2025? ;-)"

I have a rolling list for the following year. It isn't the same as it was on January 1st, but anytime I want to add a book, I have to remove another book. It's brutal. But, I always have a list for next year. :-)

[Bill, Moderator]

Lea wrote: "Alissa wrote: "So, you working on your list for 2025? ;-)"

I have a rolling list for the following year. It isn't the same as it was on January 1st, but anytime I want to add a book, I have to rem..."

Congrats and good planning... I have no ideas right now what challenges I want for next year...

[Lea]

Bill wrote: "Congrats and good planning... I have no ideas right now what challenges I want for next year..."

I always do the same thing - my 100 list, and then my 12 + 4 is a subset of that. I really want to finish out my states challenge (I only have 5 states left), but I'm struggling to figure out which books to eliminate...the struggle is real. :-)