Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion
2025 Challenge Buffet
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2025 Challenge Buffet- A Healthier Leaner, Something for Everyone Menu
Soooo ready! I've lined up 3,4,5,8, 15, 16 & 17https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I usually succeed in those apart from #5 the century challenge, where I aspire to read a century of women and then read all sort of things that doesn't fit the decades, but maybe 2025 is my year?
Hello, everyone! After giving it some thought, I've decided to take on this challenge. I'll aim to complete all the tasks except for numbers 4 and 12. Excited to give it a try!
Thank you, one and all, for all the challenge options. I will endeavor to complete challenges #16 and #17. Want to see if I am able to complete both challenges. There are other challenges I may take up as well. Ready to begin!
Oh ok. So i just added the A-Z challenges a few weeks ago and when i looked at other players' threads, they had author and title in a different order than me. I see what happened, on the main outline (first post) you have #16-author and #17 title, but below, it is reversed. I apologize if this was already pointed out. Actually, probably more confusing to change it now. 🤷♀️
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Its really fine. Just mentioned it in case others were confused too. It was only a temporary confusion tho.
Hey Bob, would a "novella" be counted in the "short story" category?
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Yes!!
Was there a master thread for challenge updates? I cant find it now. But i was just wondering if anyone has won the group reads challenge yet? I imagine some have already, as we have plenty of options. I dont read all of the books, but i am close to finished. Currently reading one, almost finished, planning a second to finish out the month, and then i need one last book to finish the challenge. I wonder what that book will be? Heehee
April wrote: "Was there a master thread for challenge updates? I cant find it now. But i was just wondering if anyone has won the group reads challenge yet? I imagine some have already, as we have plenty of op..."
Congratulations April. No I don't think we've kept a Master List for challenges completed. That's an idea.
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Thanks!
Bob, I really enjoyed the smaller portions at the Buffet this year. Among the new challenges in 2025, the one I had the most trouble with was "Bestselling Novels in the United States", which I found quite limiting (it turns out I'm not that interested in the USA bestsellers); I don't think I'd do that one again. I enjoyed the new Award Winners challenge.
My only possible suggestion is that you might consider making the "travel the world" challenge less structured; for example, instead of saying one book per continent, maybe say to read books from at least 10 different countries, or books originally written in at least 5 different languages, something like that. But those are just options to consider; it's fine as it is too. And perhaps "Books in Translation" could be its own challenge.
Overall, for me the Decade and Century challenges seem to end up being the heart of my Buffet each year (and sometimes Challenge 10: multiple books from a single year), and I also love that there's a challenge for rereading. Those ones are my favourites.
Thanks for all the work you put into the Buffet Challenges each year, Bob. I believe that I read more because of these challenges. :)
This has always been my favorite time of year, and now there is just more to love. Challenge planning season is coming!Every year you come up with categories that expand my reading and my enjoyment, Bob. I will tell you my favorites have always been Old and New and Decade/Century/Millennium, and closely after those the Short stories and now the Group/buddy/moderators run amok challenges.
What about adding a category for Books from our Group Bookshelf, for those of us trying to catch up?
I like Wobbley's ideas about the different countries and languages challenges. Maybe a Travel the World challenge that has options of reading say five from one country other than your own, or in a language other than your own, OR, one each from five different countries or languages. Something like that?
I know whatever you decide on will be wonderful, so thank you in advance.
Wobbley wrote: "Bob, I really enjoyed the smaller portions at the Buffet this year. Among the new challenges in 2025, the one I had the most trouble with was "Bestselling Novels in the United States", which I fo..."
I like your idea of books from 10 countries. This would mean written by a person who lived in the country and in a language of the country. (some have multiple languages) It is attainable while prompting people to search out new possibilities.
Addendum: I looked at what I had read this year. Counting full length books, novellas, or short stories , I had read books from the following countries: United States, Scotland, England, Germany, Ancient Mesopotamia, and Russia. Finding 10 would be a challenge that would require planning for me.
Like Wobbley, I would like a category again like classics from around the globe. Ascanio, Darren and J_blueflower have been posting lists of Italian and Nordic authors, among other parts of the world, many of whom I had never heard mention. They have convinced me that my reading has been way too focused of authors who come from the English speaking world.
Since you asked, I love the tasks that help me make connections between books - Old and New Linked Categories, Fiction and Nonfiction. I could happily do more of those! For me Series Books isn't that interesting, but just because I'm not focused on completing series. The Decade/Century/Millennium and Short Story categories have been illuminating for me, though I'd like to add essays, poetry and plays somehow. I also always want to look more at nonfiction. And I'm a huge rereader, so those are fun for me.
I'll be happy to see some old friends and some totally new ideas also, so it's all good as far as I'm concerned.
One possible idea for a new challenge is "books you've never read by your favourite authors". I can't decide whether this is a really good idea for a challenge (because I would definitely do this one if it was in the Buffet), or a really bad idea for a challenge (because everyone does this anyway, so does it really need a challenge?). Just a thought.
Wobbley, I have lots of “backlist” books by authors that I would love to read more of.
I like this idea, Wobbley. What I realized was that I was always putting favorite authors off, knowing I would for sure read them someday, but then somehow not getting around to it!
Thanks Terry and Kathleen. Kathleen, it was your comments in the "Trends in your reading list" thread that made me think I'd like to have a challenge about this. :)
Wobbley wrote: "One possible idea for a new challenge is "books you've never read by your favourite authors". I can't decide whether this is a really good idea for a challenge (because I would definitely do this o..."This year I added a “Not New Authors” challenge to my buffet in order to push myself to read more Steinbeck, Pym, Whipple, Remarque and more. I plan to do it again next year.
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Sara wrote: "I like the title you gave it! I have a personal challenge that I call "Authors' Oeuvres". I picked 10 authors that I want to read everything they wrote and every year I scratch off at least one boo..."my equivalent is the rather more prosaic "Author-More-Annual"
but I do like "Authors' Oeuvres" so I might start using that!
This is a really good idea. I might add a "Not New Authors" personal challenge, if it doesn't get added to the Buffet. Or maybe I'd just incorporate it into my Buffet by doing an expanded version of Challenge 3: rather than 6 new-to-me authors, I could do 6 new-to-me authors PLUS 6 new-to-me books by authors I've loved in the past.
Hmm, lots to think about.
Wobbley wrote: "This is a really good idea. I might add a "Not New Authors" personal challenge, if it doesn't get added to the Buffet. Or maybe I'd just incorporate it into my Buffet by doing an expanded version..."
Love this idea. I already reread a lot, but also enjoy going back and trying something else by an author. I never thought of tracking that somehow, but it would be fun to see how often I actually do it, rather than just think about it.
I'm also thinking about reading more with themes next year. Nature, History, Mystery and Adventure, for example. They can be fiction or nonfiction, but I'd like to encourage myself to follow more of those themes I enjoy.Also, there are books I read and then I just want to shove them into everybody's hands and say, "Read this! Right now!" So I'm thinking of having a category of "books I'd recommend to everyone". Of course I won't know till after I read them which books belong there.
I love this conversation! Yes, I try and read atleast a few books by authors I love every year. Whipple and Trollope are two of them. I still have time to get to Pym this year.Before I joined this group, if I liked an author I would read everything they wrote before moving on to another. I now have so many choices, thanks to recommendations from this group (so obviously I get distracted) that I end up reading a wide range of genres and authors in a year than I did before.
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Another excellent idea, Teri-K. I think I will adopt it and have a folder for each separate year going forward. The problem with putting them in the "favorites" folder is that they disappear into a well...the way additions to the "want to read" folder do.
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Before I joined thi..."
I did the same, Shaina. I would get a book by an author, like it, and then read all their books and wait for the next one. I can't seem to find time to do that anymore, there is always a book waiting in the wings. You have named three of the authors I never tire of!
I’m really enjoying this conversation as well! I’ve already started revising my reading plan for next year. This time, I want to include more authors I already know and appreciate. I’m also trying to balance my reading between male and female authors, but I find it a bit challenging when it comes to the classics. Perhaps I could compensate by adding more short stories written by women? That might help even things out.
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Wobbley wrote: "One possible idea for a new challenge is "books you've never read by your favourite authors". I can't decide whether this is a really good idea for a challenge (because I would definitely do this o..."I really like this idea.
I think we can tend to put off "another book" by an author we love, and we really miss out. I would welcome this. Maybe a challenge with:
Choose 5 of your favorite authors and pick a book by them that you haven't read and would like to. To win the challenge, read 3 of the 5.
I would love a challenge that somehow guides me to read a book that my current book, I just finished, inspired me to want to try. I tend to not get to those books because of other commitments and challenges that I've preplanned.
Klowey wrote: "I would love a challenge that somehow guides me to read a book that my current book, I just finished, inspired me to want to try. I tend to not get to those books because of other commitments and c..."Great idea! I would love this too. Something like what Terry suggested where one title leads you to another with a shared word, only this one could be where one idea or author or setting or style leads you to another.
My next suggestion is just a small one, but it would make a difference for me, and I think it makes sense.In the 2025 Buffet, for the Member's Choice Challenge, a number of genre-specific categories that had been there in 2024 were removed (e.g. - scifi/fantasy, children's, horror/humour, mystery, etc.), and replaced with "member's choice genre". I thought this was a terrific change!
My suggestion/request is: I would like it if the "Non-Fiction" category could also be removed, and replaced with another "member's choice genre" space. To me it seems to make sense to make this genre optional, like the other genres. Plus I'm totally biased, because I don't generally enjoy non-fiction reading. ;)
Thanks so much for making these challenges, Bob!
Klowey wrote: "I really like this idea.I think we can tend to put off "another book" by an author we love, and we really miss out. I would welcome this. Maybe a challenge with:
Choose 5 of your favorite authors and pick a book by them that you haven't read and would like to. To win the challenge, read 3 of the 5."
Love this!
Wobbley wrote: "My suggestion/request is: I would like it if the "Non-Fiction" category could also be removed, and replaced with another "member's choice genre" space. To me it seems to make sense to make this genre optional, like the other genres. Plus I'm totally biased, because I don't generally enjoy non-fiction reading. ;)."Oh, friend, you're breaking my heart here! lol I love nonfiction and often find I can't use it much for the challenges, perhaps because most of it is fairly recently published, so I'm always happy to see it mentioned specifically. Ah, well. I'm glad I'm not the one making these decisions. :)
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Teri-K wrote: "Oh, friend, you're breaking my heart here! lol"Sorry Teri-K! Didn't mean to be a heart-breaker. You're right though; a lot of people do love non-fiction. Lucky thing I'm not in charge of the challenges too! :) Three cheers for the Mods who always manage to put together challenges we all love, even with our varying interests!
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Bob wrote: "The menu for next year's buffet is planned. A little revision a little review and I'm finished. It sounds like this year's title should be, "Fingers-Crossed, Something for Everyone" : )"Yay, how exciting -- I love challenge planning time of year! Thank you Bob; I'm sure the Buffet will satisfy, as it always does. :)
Thanks, Bob. 2025 was my first trip to the buffet, and I really have enjoyed it. My palate was teased, I filled my plate and overindulged! I will be back again for more in 2026.
Klowey wrote: "I would love a challenge that somehow guides me to read a book that my current book, I just finished, inspired me to want to try. I tend to not get to those books because of other commitments and c..."yeah, how could we title this? because this is pretty much how I read when I read for myself/have to be the one to chose my next book. obviously, i'll read some group reads and some recommended books or interesting books on my timelines, but i do enjoy connecting the books. I think it's sort of like the fiction/nonfiction themed challenge, except (as Wobbley said) I also usually read just fiction.
edit: oh, and I meant to say that a lot of times I find similarities between one book to the next without even intending too. that's just how my brain works though, I think. I can find similarities with most things. But there is definitely something else at play here too, because it's like the books often hit on another recent book or a recent or significant movie or just a life event. It's wonderful! :D
Bob wrote: "The menu for next year's buffet is planned. A little revision a little review and I'm finished. It sounds like this year's title should be, "Fingers-Crossed, Something for Everyone" : )"So excited! I've been planning a little myself, since this is my first year joining you all and I wasn't aware exactly when the new challenges get posted and I always remember to do things earlier, but forget on the actual due time, so I like to prepare a little with what I already have. Even if some challenges don't get repeated in the buffet next year, I'll likely do some in my own personal challenges, because "something for everyone," right? Some of these are just what I need anyway!
So, like others have said, thanks for this!
Bob, you and the others in this group have reinvigorated my reading these last few years. I look forward to everything you come up with. (Even though I always say I'm going to cut back. lol)
Lorraine wrote: "I’m really enjoying this conversation as well! I’ve already started revising my reading plan for next year. This time, I want to include more authors I already know and appreciate. I’m also trying to balance my reading between male and female authors, but I find it a bit challenging when it comes to the classics. Perhaps I could compensate by adding more short stories written by women? That might help even things out."Persephone books might help your balance. They reprint neglected books (fiction or non-fiction), mainly by women writers and mostly from the early to mid 20th century. You can see their catalogue online at https://persephonebooks.co.uk/
You may be able to get them from your library. Mine is pretty small, but has a reasonable selection of Persephone books.
KeenReader wrote: "Lorraine wrote: "I’m really enjoying this conversation as well! I’ve already started revising my reading plan for next year. This time, I want to include more authors I already know and appreciate...."Thanks KeenReader. I will certainly look into that.
Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)
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The only challenge that needs pre-selected is Challenge #1 Old and New. You can create any other lists prior to the 31st and change them as you wish, even during the year.