Shawn H's 2025 Buffet Challenge

[Shawn]

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

1914 and earlier
1. The Time Machine (4.2.25)
2. The Merchant of Venice
3. The Three Musketeers


1915-2005/New School
1. Rabbit Redux
2. Tropic of Cancer
3. Stoner


Six Bookshelf Dust Collectors

1. The Drifters
2. The Princess Bride (6.8.25)
3. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (8.8.25)
4. Humboldt's Gift
5. American Pastoral
6. To Have and Have Not


Alternates
1. VALIS
2. Othello
3. Lonesome Dove

[Shawn]

Challenge #3 - Expand Your Horizon with New Authors

1. John Williams (3.2.25)
2. Daphne du Maurier (7.28.25)
3. James A. Michener
4. W. Somerset Maugham
5. D.H. Lawrence
6. H.P. Lovecraft
7. Anne Rice

2/7 completed

[Shawn]

Challenge #5 - Decade/Century/Millennium Challenge

1890-1899: The Time Machine (1895) (4.2.25)
1900-1909: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902)
1910-1919: The Good Soldier (1915)
1920-1929: Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928)
1930-1939: Tropic of Cancer (1934)
1940-1949: For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
1950-1959: The End of the Affair (1951)
1960-1969: Stoner (1965)
1970-1979: The Princess Bride (1973) (6.8.25)
1980-1989: The Satanic Verses (1988)

[Shawn]

Challenge 6 - Group Reads, Buddy Reads, or Moderators Run Amok

1. Augustus by John Williams (Jan Mod) (3.2.25)
2. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare (Jan Old School)
3. Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow (March buddy read)
4. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury (April Buddy Read) (5.17.25)
5. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann (May Old School Group Read) (5.25.25)
6. Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke June Group read (6.30.25)
7. Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier August New School (8.19.25)
8. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin September New School
9.
10.
11.
12.

[Shawn]

Challenge #7- Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete

Continue:

The Dark Tower Series:

The Waste Lands
Wizard and Glass
Wolves of the Calla
Song of Susannah
The Dark Tower

Rabbit Angstrom Series:

Rabbit Redux
Rabbit Is Rich

Maybe throw a few Discworld Books in here too: (#2-#5)

The Light Fantastic
Equal Rites
Mort
Sourcery

I'd like to start and finish the Harry Potter series and the Chronicles of Narnia (Both rereads)

[Shawn]

Challenge #9 - Rereading - Some do Some don't

I'd love to reread the entire Harry Potter series and the Chronicles of Narnia.

Also - The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (8.8.25)

The Sun Also Rises

Books read again in 2025

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (2.1.25)
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (3.5.25)
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (3.18.25)
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (5.26.25)

[Shawn]

Challenge #10 – Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year

I randomly selected 1962

Books of Interest from 1962:

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
2. A Wrinkle in Time
3. Something Wicked This Way Comes
4. Pale Fire
5. Another Country
6. Island by Aldous Huxley
7. Big Sur
8. The Reivers
9. Memories, Dreams, Reflections
10. Silent Spring

2025 Books Read

1. Big Sur by Jack Kerouac (04.13.25)
2. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
3. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

[Shawn]

Challenge #15 - Award Winners

Pulitzer Prize Winners

1. American Pastoral
2. Humboldt's Gift

[Shawn]

Challenge #16 - A-Z Title Challenge

A. Augustus by John Williams (3.2.25)
B. Big Sur by Jack Kerouac (4.13.25)
C. Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke (6.30.25)
D. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury (1.29.25)
E
F. Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury (4.10.25)
G. Ghosts of Iron Mountain: The Hoax of the Century, Its Enduring Impact, and What It Reveals About America Today by Phil Tinline (6.20.25)
H. The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien (8.8.25)
I
J. Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (7.28.25)
K
L
M. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (2.16.25)
N. Never Flinch by Stephen King (7.7.25)
O. Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Jake Tapper (6.26.25)
P. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (6.8.25)
*Q
R
S
T
U. UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government's Search for Alien Life Here―and Out There by Garrett M. Graff (1.27.25)
V
W. Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments by Joe Posnanski (1.5.25)
*X
*Y
*Z

[Shawn]

Challenge #17 - A-Z Author Challenge

A
B. Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine (1.29.25)
C. Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express (2.16.25)
D
E
F. Kevin Fedarko, A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon (2.25.25)
G. Garrett M. Graff, UFO: The Inside Story of the U.S. Government's Search for Alien Life Here―and Out There (1.27.25)
H
I
J
K. Jack Kerouac, Big Sur (4.13.25)
L
M. Thomas Mann, Death in Venice (5.25.25)
N
O
P. Joe Posnanski, Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments (1.5.25)
*Q
R
S
T. Phil Tinline, Ghosts of Iron Mountain: The Hoax of the Century, Its Enduring Impact, and What It Reveals About America Today (6.20.25)
U
V
W. John Williams, Augustus (3.2.25)
*X
*Y
*Z

[Wobbley]

Have fun with it!

[Shawn]

Well it appears my planning is complete. I am really excited about this year’s selections. There is no chance I get through everything, but I’m sure excited to try. I think I’m going to direct my focus on one or two challenges and work through them, while doing the title and author challenges in the background. We’ll see how it all shakes out. The real question is where to start?

[Wobbley]

Your century challenge looks great! I've really enjoyed The Time Machine, The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Good Soldier, and The Princess Bride.

[Terry]

I hope you will join the Buddy Read of Humboldt’s Gift in March, Shawn.

[Pam]

Your plan looks great Shawn! I highly recommend American Pastoral, Stoner, Lonesome Dove, The Time Machine, Of Human Bondage (Somerset Maugham), and Don’t Look Now & Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier (her short stories are fabulous!). I like PKD but, unless you are a huge fan of his, I don’t recommend Valis. If you do read it, I’ll be curious what you think! Good luck w your challenge! 📚

[Sara, New School Classics]

You have picked some marvelous books, Shawn. Can't wait to see how you feel about them!

[Shawn]

Terry wrote: "I hope you will join the Buddy Read of Humboldt’s Gift in March, Shawn."

I can't think of a reason not to. I will plan on reading in March with the Buddy Read group.

[Shawn]

Pam wrote: "Your plan looks great Shawn! I highly recommend American Pastoral, Stoner, Lonesome Dove, The Time Machine, Of Human Bondage (Somerset Maugham), and Don’t Look Now & Other Stories by Daphne du Maur..."

Pam, thanks for your insight. I went through a huge PKD phase in college and my early 20's. I generally enjoy his stuff, but not sure I would say I'm a huge fan. I choose Valis because its the 1st in a trilogy and I am interested in book 2 and 3 of the trilogy. We'll see how it goes. I am looking forward to getting started. Good luck in your challenge!

[Kathleen]

Being excited to try, even if you don't finish them all, is exactly my feeling about this challenge, Shawn. I love your century challenge! Have fun.

[Shawn]

I finished The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. This is not my first by Wells and I generally find his works to be underwhelming. I'm not sure why he just doesn't do it for me. This one was okay - it moved along, but I didn't find myself invested in the characters or the story. I did absolutely love the ending, though. I was not prepared for it to end as quickly as it did, but I felt the ending was perfect.

[Sara, New School Classics]

I understand what you mean about Wells. I like him, but I don't love him and none of his books makes the favorite list for me.

[Wobbley]

I actually generally really enjoy Wells. Great progress, even if it wasn't a stellar read for you.

[Shawn]

I feel like I want to really like his stuff. I just can’t seem to get there. I think of all his stuff I’ve read, I really wanted to like The Island of Dr. Moreau. I love the idea and have seen a few movie adaptations that I have enjoyed. For whatever reason, I can’t get over the hump of just an okay read.

[Wobbley]

Yeah, feel similarly about Jules Verne: I keep expecting his books to be fun adventures, and I keep finding them somewhat dull instead (with the notable recent exception of From the Earth to the Moon). We all have different brains, and so we all experience art differently. I just try to find what works for me, and not worry about it too much if I can't get into a well respected author.