Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Laura I know exactly how overwhelming and defeating a large TBR feels. It took a long time for me to come to grips with the fact that no matter how fast I read I will never read but a small fraction of the books I’d love to read. It’s taken a long time to resigned myself to simply enjoy the book that is currently open and except the fact that in all likelihood, when the day comes and I draw my last breathe there will be an unfinished book on my table. Wonder what it will be?

Bob I feel exactly the same.

I think everyone who loves to read agonizes occasionally over too little time to read. Life is too short to read bad books, so I don't feel that I have to finish every book I start. I am sure that I have dropped out early on some books that I might ultimately enjoy but I would rather move on than struggle to finish something awful. And I certainly cull out the "maybe" books on my TBR periodically.

Laurie, I absolutely agree with you about not finishing every book I start. If a book doesn't grab me after reading fifty pages, I put it down and move on. It does bother me though, that, for whatever reason, I couldn't get into the book, that clearly other readers enjoyed. But, with so many books out there, I feel, the next one I read will be much better and it usually is.

Laura wrote: "Does any one else feel overwhelmed with their list of books to read?! Every time I get on this website there is something else to add to my list and I get so afraid that I will never be able to ad..."

I actually made me a limit of 250 books in my TBR-list. And if it´s full I have to read something from it, before I can add more…but I have been slipping with this (surprise surprise!). But now I´m only 8 books over, so I´m trying to rectify this :) It´s not really that big of a deal but I find that if I have a limit, I tend to choose maybe little more carefully what I add in the list.

My TBR-list isn't that long, actually it has never surpassed 100 books. The reason to this is mostly the fact that I only add books in my TBR-list when I borrow them out in the library, if they haven't been there already for some reason or other.

Also I add owned book in my TBR-list only when I either buy the book myself to my own collection or when I choose something to read from my boyfriend's (or should I say ours?) huge collection. Both are marked as owned nonetheless, so there is no difference between them in that sence, except the fact that he mostly buys fantasy and scifi books whilst I buy books I like and from larger genre variety.

I rarely add anything in my TBR-list if I have either no intention of borrowing it or buying it at some point. Right now there are only a few books like these that are in my list solely because I've seen them somewhere and don't want to forget that they excist. Sometimes they stick to the list for good waiting something to happen or I remove them.

I also clean my TBR-list every now and then removing books I've either borrowed in a whim and then not read or when I see books that I no longer find interesting.

My 'to read' shelf only has about 125 books on it, which are mostly books that I currently own and a few that I really want to read soon. I made another 'to read later' shelf to accommodate all the other books I might want to read, but would need to find a copy. This currently has about 600 books on it, which will move shelf later, or get deleted if I change my mind. I find this a lot easier than just having one huge shelf with everything I ever want to read.

Really I just want a good excuse to quit my job and stay in bed and read all day :-)

I'm not sure I can keep a limit on my "to read" list - I might miss something great! :-)

You're preaching to the choir Laura!

Awesome image, Laura. Me too!

Laura wrote: "Really I just want a good excuse to quit my job and stay in bed and read all day :-)

I'm not sure I can keep a limit on my "to read" list - I might miss something great! :-)"

These are my sentiments exactly!! :)

I have over a thousand books on my TBR shelf...some I own, some are available through the library digitally, and the rest must be acquired, somehow. I try to pick up the books I already own to read first, though, as my bookshelf is rather cluttered. I've been buying books less than I have previously though, and that is a giant step for me. The challenges have helped quite a bit, as I tried to use books that I own for as much of the Bingo and the Old/New as possible. Plus, I used different books for each challenge. However, there are so many great books out there that I just don't want to miss out!!

It is overwhelming having 1000's of books to read, but I love being made aware of so many good books out there. I just keep plowing through and looking for more. Love reading comments!!

I have hundreds of books that I own that I have not added to my TBR but I know they are there. My goal is to get them organized and log them into a spread sheet but haven't gotten to that yet.

Since joining Goodreads, if there is a book that I think I might enjoy, I add it to my TBR pile. When I am at the library or bookstore I will check my tbr pile. I am such a mood reader that what appeals at one moment may not at another.

I do get frustrated that work and 'real life' interfere with my reading time. I try to get an hour in each day but sometimes that does not happen. I recently started listening to audio books which helps me get more reading in. My best listening experience, so far, was Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I had tried reading multiple times and could not get into.

Oh Kris, I hear you! I've been trying, and not successfully, to read "Dracula". I'm on chapter three! Three! It's moving s-l-o-w-l-y.

Kris wrote: "My best listening experience, so far, was Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I had tried reading multiple times and could not get into."

Was it the multi-cast narration version? I loved that one!

Christine wrote: "Was it the multi-cast narration version? I loved th..."

It was. I was worried that it would distract from the book but it was completely absorbing.

Laura wrote: "Does any one else feel overwhelmed with their list of books to read?! Every time I get on this website there is something else to add to my list and I get so afraid that I will never be able to ad..."

I'm with you Laura. Since I've joined I'm like a babe in a candy shop. I want to read them all! I just added a "short list" shelf to keep me organized and put some sort of order to the chaos.

Loretta wrote: "Oh Kris, I hear you! I've been trying, and not successfully, to read "Dracula". I'm on chapter three! Three! It's moving s-l-o-w-l-y."

Kris wrote: "My best listening experience, so far, was Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I had tried reading multiple times and could not get into."

Was it the multi-cast narration version? I loved that one!


I have that one as well and it is very well done!

I love to listen to audio books when it comes to classics. I will sometimes get the kindle version of the book as well.

I would love to hear what some of your top listens are.

Just for fun (and it is amazing how much wisdom is in the books) i have been enjoying The Complete Wizard of Oz Collection: All 22 Stories With Active Table of Contents

But i have also been trying to get through Ulysses. I found q better version of the book on line.

https://archive.org/details/Ulysses-A...

Right now I am reading/listening to Don Quixote. I laugh out laud at this book. But there are some serious as well as tragic parts. I have also been listening to a professor from Yale give lectures on the book.

http://oyc.yale.edu/spanish-and-portu...

I read to become well read. I am a life time learner. I wish i could write but i satisfy myself with great literature and maybe i will learn the craft.

If any of you have recommendations or would have ways that enhance your reading experience i would be interested.

All these great nominations for group read, I just want to read them all! And I´m on vacation but don´t have time to read…all this garden work, training and stuff. Need to find time to read! :D

I'm reading less at the moment too. I always think I'll read more in the summer, but it's never true.

Desertorum wrote: "All these great nominations for group read, I just want to read them all! And I´m on vacation but don´t have time to read…all this garden work, training and stuff. Need to find time to read! :D"

You and me both! Took 2 books on vacation this past week and I read nothing!

Hello everyone...

I wanted to ask you for some reading suggestions... I am an English teacher from Brazil and this semester I`ll be developing two reading projects with two different groups. My Pre-Intermediate (13/14 years old) will read short stories of Australian authors, and the Intermediate (14/15 years old) will read short stories of Canadian authors. Do you have any suggestions of texts available online that I can use and are interesting and age appropriate?

Thanks...

Pink & Kathy: I always think the same; no I have time to read! And I have these grand plans and all...and then I end up reading couple pages now and then...

And now my Kindle arrived...and I´m so very disappointed in it :( This collections -thing is just bad..In my old kindle you could arrange all the books in collections so you could also see which ones you have read. Now you can arrange them but they don´t go away from the list anyway...then you just have them in two places and nothing is nicely arranged. And also the cloud is mixing this thing up...Why they don´t keep the good old ones!

Desertorum, not sure which version of the Kindle you have, but have you tried switching to the collections view?

I marked all of my collections as Cloud-only except for Bus Schedules and Read, then switched it to collections view, and all my finished books and bus schedules disappear.

Unfortunately, it does take up the the first couple of spots on the first screen, but I like having some of the stuff hidden enough for that to work for me.

Lidiana wrote: "Hello everyone...

I wanted to ask you for some reading suggestions... I am an English teacher from Brazil and this semester I`ll be developing two reading projects with two different groups. My Pr..."

I hate to be of no help, but I have no experience with short stories written by either Canadian or Australian authors. The closest I can come is New Zealand's Katherine Mansfield, sorry

Melanti wrote: "Desertorum, not sure which version of the Kindle you have, but have you tried switching to the collections view?

I marked all of my collections as Cloud-only except for Bus Schedules and Read, th..."

I have the paper white kindle. I´m not sure if I did understand :/ If I have my books On Device screen and I make a folder to that screen too. And then I read one of the books and put it in the folder, does the show after that only in the folder or also in the On Device -screen? Because that is my problem, they show on both places which is annoying. I´m used to putting read books in files so I can see on my screen only the ones I haven´t read but in this new system it doesn´t work.

Maybe I just need to make new collection for the books I haven´t read and then move them in other collection as I have read them. And leave all the books in the main screen and doesn´t look at them at all...:/

Desertorum wrote: "I have the paper white kindle. ..."

I have an older Paperwhite but our menus should work about the same.

Okay, so going from left to right across the top of the home screen just above the covers--

Cloud/On Device toggle - set this to "On Device"
Middle Drop Down - set this to "All Items" (Books or Docs would also work)
Right Hand Drop down - Set this to "Collection"

When you're in this view, any collection on your device will show up first, then books show up after that. Any book in one of those collections will NOT appear on this screen.

So it looks like this:


So I have about 150 items between my two folders and those are hidden, which leaves visible just the 166 items that AREN'T in the collections. For instance, you can't see either of the books I finished yesterday.

Make sense? I hope this is what you want.

The one drawback to this is that it defaults to sorting by Recently opened, and if you the sorting (far right menu) it changes to show all books including those in the folder. There's no way to change this, that I'm aware of.

Wow, great! Even in Amazon help they couldn´t help me! Such skilled people in here ;) This is exactly what I was thinking. Of course this doesn´t work in Cloud, but this is a big help! Now only need to bring all my books from cloud on device and make those collections (going to take several hours)! :)

The Kindle help forums used to be more helpful when there was just one current model and two outdated models. Now that there's a dozen or so, it's harder to find someone who has the same model as you. And directions on how to do something can differ slightly even between older and newer editions of the same model.

I've always found the dedicated Kindle tech support to be really helpful though. The real tech support - either emailing or calling and not the forums.

I need a named for my new puppy. I'm thinking of something different, maybe from literature. He is a male Boxer, brindle color, any ideas?

Sinuhe would be different but you would probably have to read the book and/or the original story first. (That's what you get when you ask a Finn...)

And aww... a puppy! (A required reaction even from a cat person.)

Bob wrote: "I need a named for my new puppy. I'm thinking of something different, maybe from literature. He is a male Boxer, brindle color, any ideas?"

I don't know why but the first name that popped in my head was Hercules!

Oh that's hard Bob. Depends which characters in literature you like really. Also how classic a name do you want? Something along the lines of Jack (as in London or Kerouac) or something more outlandish like Sancho Panza, the faithful sidekick in Don Quixote!

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and I'm stuck with the books I've started long ago. I also doubt I'm going to finish my bingo and classic challenges, as Gone With the Wind just scares the hell out of me, because it's so damn huge of a book. Also I started a new job at my local library a few weeks ago (it lasts only till March 2016, though) and it has cut down my reading time. But maybe I manage and find my joy of reading somewhere before the year ends.

Maarit wrote: "I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and I'm stuck with the books I've started long ago. I also doubt I'm going to finish my bingo and classic challenges, as Gone With the Wind just scares ..."

Sorry to hear you're in a bit of a reading slump. Perhaps trying something different from the library will kick start you again. I sometimes pick up YA or quick and easy contemporary fiction when I'm not motivated to read what's on my shelf.

As for your challenges, I think you're almost finished anyway! If you don't read GWTW this year you could choose one of your alternative books for the 12+2 classic's challenge to finish it. For Bingo you can change your book choices anyway, no need to have decided beforehand, so maybe swap GWTW for something less daunting?

Pink is right about changing bingo books.

Although I've completed the black out, I changed my books constantly.

Maybe I should try switching books. Just need to find some good (classic) historical fiction somewhere, as I'm not familiar with that genre in any level. So recommendations are welcome, I will also check what others have used in that square on their bingo list :).

As for my 12+2 challenge, I think I go with Munro's book, as it's a short story collection, so it would be an easier choice. Just need to finish something off from my already too long of a list of currently-reading books before starting anything new. Thanks for support, maybe I will get over this after all :).

Bob wrote: "I need a named for my new puppy. I'm thinking of something different, maybe from literature. He is a male Boxer, brindle color, any ideas?"

I wish you happy and healthy (since it´s a brachycephalic breed) life with your new puppy! Two syllable names are common since they are easy to say when you are calling him. My first thought for my dog was Loki but then I changed to Vaisto (=instinct). Literature name is good idea! :)

Maarit wrote: "I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and I'm stuck with the books I've started long ago. I also doubt I'm going to finish my bingo and classic challenges, as Gone With the Wind just scares ..."

I understand about reading slumps -- I agree with Pink on this -- find a new fun easy to read book and just enjoy it -- forget about challenges for just a week and get back to the pure enjoyment of reading.

After all --- it is the reading that we are all about!

Maarit wrote: "Maybe I should try switching books. Just need to find some good (classic) historical fiction somewhere, as I'm not familiar with that genre in any level. So recommendations are welcome, I will also..."

I do the same Maarit as Pink and Kathy, especially if the books that I've been reading are real stinkers and Lord knows, there have been a few of those lately! Sounds like you need to read something silly and really entertaining!

I thought I'd mention a recent BBC programme I've enjoyed, called A Very British Romance with Lucy Worsley. There are three parts, each an hour long and they're currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer for another couple of weeks. I've only watched the first part, but it was very good, with lots of classic literary references, including Samuel Richardson, Fanny Burney and Jane Austen.

Link to the site below -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06h1fys

I read LWs book about houses.

I just loved it.

I'll have to look into this show.

I really like everything that Lucy Worsley presents, so this was great. I keep meaning to try one of her books, but always forget that she writes too.

I started a book blog. GR doesn't give me enough tools to work with so I thought that a blog might help. Now I am in the process of copying it because something went wrong and the links refuse to work with me. (Because I managed to lose the first real blog post I wrote and then tried to correct it...) I guess you don't have to actually read that much in order to have fun with a book blog? I even made a template for my friend who does read a lot.

Tytti wrote: "I started a book blog. GR doesn't give me enough tools to work with so I thought that a blog might help. Now I am in the process of copying it because something went wrong and the links refuse to w..."

Let us know where so we can read it -- that is only if you would like to share.

Well it will be in Finnish, one of the reasons why I have been thinking of starting one. I just can express myself better and more easily that way. I also wanted to try those GR widgets. :-P And I can copy first sentences etc. which wouldn't really make sense if I wrote in English. But I have just been copying my reviews from here to get some stuff to work with, so there's not much new there anyway. I will probably use it with some real life friends who don't use GR. Maybe. I am very good at starting things, continuing them is more difficult.

Tytti wrote: "Well it will be in Finnish, one of the reasons why I have been thinking of starting one. I just can express myself better and more easily that way. I also wanted to try those GR widgets. :-P And I ..."

Makes total sense. Good luck and enjoy it. But I probably won't read it -- as I don't speak or read Finnish.

I'm excited about December's read-a-long. It will be my first time reading with this group. I haven't read Anne of Green Gables since I was a young girl. I'm looking forward to it. :)

Reading Faerie wrote: "I'm excited about December's read-a-long. It will be my first time reading with this group. I haven't read Anne of Green Gables since I was a young girl. I'm looking forward to it. :)"

Excellent -- that is the way reading should feel -- always looking forward to it.