Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Thank you all!

Is it appropriate to start a new thread for my 2018 Personal Challenges

Kelly wrote: "Is it appropriate to start a new thread for my 2018 Personal Challenges"

Yes that's fine, go ahead and set up a new thread for 2018 if you prefer to keep them separate.

Pink wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Is it appropriate to start a new thread for my 2018 Personal Challenges"

Yes that's fine, go ahead and set up a new thread for 2018 if you prefer to keep them separate."

Thanks Pink!

Y’all are welcome to participate in a group I started here called A Book for All Seasons. It’s an equinox challenge typically with 6 topics very open and loose in translation. For example we have read a controversial or banned book; a book about travel; author or title starts with q, x, or y, etc. of course we always have a book related to that season too. You read as many or as few of the topics as you feel. It’s a lively group.

Either this year or last year someone posted the link to the very impressive and interesting reading list for some University or other. I think it might have been in somebody's personal challenges. I bookmarked the link, but my bookmarks got lost in a mobile browser synch mishap. And, so, I don't even remember the name of the University or College in question. Anyone know what reading list I'm talking about? Vague, I know.

Leni wrote: "Either this year or last year someone posted the link to the very impressive and interesting reading list for some University or other. I think it might have been in somebody's personal challenges...."

Mobile browser synch mishap--not good!

In case it was from mine, here's St. John's College list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joh...

Kathleen wrote: "Leni wrote: "Either this year or last year someone posted the link to the very impressive and interesting reading list for some University or other. I think it might have been in somebody's persona..."

Yeeees! That's the one! Thank you! :D

The St. John's College list is QUITE an impressive undertaking per year. Geesh! Now I feel even MORE behind! ha ha

Anyone have a personal challenge for 2019?

Megg wrote: "The St. John's College list is QUITE an impressive undertaking per year. Geesh! Now I feel even MORE behind! ha ha

Anyone have a personal challenge for 2019?"

Just my regular classics beyond the pale ones in addition to the century before birth and years after birth ones.

I do the Pop Sugar Challenge every year
I'm also doing an audiobook challenge this year

I am so glad to have found this thread 🌻
I will request my thread next year for folktales, legends, and myths.

Cynda wrote: "I am so glad to have found this thread 🌻
I will request my thread next year for folktales, legends, and myths."

You can start a thread now or I can do it for you whenever you are ready.

Thanks Katy. I packed my reading list this year . . . .

Is it permissible to for me delete my previous personal challenge thread and start a new one? It would be tidier and more calming for me to purge the old and start fresh. :)

Posting to ask again: Since we are only allowed on personal challenge thread, is it okay for me to delete mine and start a new one?

Delete it you wish or abandon it and start a new one. That way it will always be here as a reference. Either way feel free to start a new thread. Sorry I didn't respond earlier.

Bob wrote: "Delete it you wish or abandon it and start a new one. That way it will always be here as a reference. Either way feel free to start a new thread. Sorry I didn't respond earlier."

Thank you Bob! And no worries. This is a busy time of year.

Bob, I have a Multi Year 20th Century Challenge that I started at the beginning of 2019, for which I read at least one book for each year of the century. I started reading for the challenge in chronological order, but I have given that up, and now just add books as I read them. Some years have multiple entries at this point.

Can you start a thread for me so I can post my progress? Thanks!

Terry wrote: "Bob, I have a Multi Year 20th Century Challenge that I started at the beginning of 2019, for which I read at least one book for each year of the century. I started reading for the challenge in chro..."

What would you like your challenge titled? Just Terry's Personal Challenge? Or something else?

Thanks, Katy. How about Terry’s Multi Year 20th Century Personal Challenge?

Katy wrote: "Terry wrote: "Bob, I have a Multi Year 20th Century Challenge that I started at the beginning of 2019, for which I read at least one book for each year of the century. I started reading for the cha..."

I figured out how to do it myself! And I decided to keep the name more generic, as you suggested and as Bob had also advised.

Terry wrote: "Bob, I have a Multi Year 20th Century Challenge that I started at the beginning of 2019, for which I read at least one book for each year of the century. I started reading for the challenge in chro..."

Just to let you know, I finally figure this out and started the thread myself. Thanks, Bob.

Radhika wrote: "Feb Challenge Fiction/NonFiction/Writing

Fiction - Love In The Time Of Cholera By Gabriel Garcia Marquez
NonFiction - Presence by Amy Cuddy
Writing - If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland

Finish..."

That Brenda Ueland book is a favorite of mine, Radhika. Glad you enjoyed it!

I had never heard of the Brenda Ueland book, Radhika, but I will add it to the TBR right now. Thank you and happy reading!

It's nice to meet you too, Radhika, and hope you're enjoying your other reads.

Sara, I think the Ueland book is not well known--might have even been out of print for a while. Do read it. You will love it!

I went right over to amazon and downloaded it for $.99. Thank you both--maybe we can make it better known.

I would like to try two challenges which I have thought about for years. The first would be a short story collection challenge-just to keep me reading stories throughout the year. My second challenge would be to read across Canada which is where I live. It just so happens that the first title I would like to select is also a collection of short fiction? Is it possible to do this?

Alan wrote: "I would like to try two challenges which I have thought about for years. The first would be a short story collection challenge-just to keep me reading stories throughout the year. My second challen..."

Alan, you can use your personal challenge thread to keep track of any challenge ideas you want. I have a 50 state challenge going in my thread, it's going slow, but it 's still going. Check out a couple of other member challenges and you may get some ideas.

Just noticed this Personal Challenge thread, and have decided to create a “My French Corner” reading list. Here is where I will list books I’ve read that are written by a French or Francophone author; or are set in the Francophone world; or are written in French. This will be a multi-year project, 2021 onward. While many will be classics, am also including some more recent titles.

La délicatesse read 5/19/21
Le Mystère Henri Pick read 4/8/21
Le Restaurant de l'amour retrouvé read 4/25/21
Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse chinoise current read
ARSÈNE LUPIN : Gentleman Cambrioleur current read

Janet wrote: "Just noticed this Personal Challenge thread, and have decided to create a “My French Corner” reading list. Here is where I will list books I’ve read that are written by a French or Francophone auth..."

Sounds like a fun reading challenge.

Thanks, Katy, I started my list. Trying to keep focussed!

Janet wrote: "Just noticed this Personal Challenge thread, and have decided to create a “My French Corner” reading list. Here is where I will list books I’ve read that are written by a French or Francophone auth..."

Great! I also read French. I was a French Literature major so I'm more comfortable reading classics than some of the modern stuff with a lot of slang. I have listened to a few audiobooks in French, but that takes a lot of concentration.

I just read Arsene Lupin in French a month or so ago with a classics group here on GR. They were generally reading it in English, but whenever I can, I get the French. I am also involved in a project on Alexandre Dumas' musketeer series. We have finished The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After, now working through the long saga called The Vicomte de Bragelonne/Louise de la Valliere/Man in the Iron Mask.

I am a new member to this group, and had a question. I have been trying for several years to read the top 100 old school classics. I've been working my way through, but can't seem to find a complete list. Every list seems to be different. Can this group recommend a good list? Right now I've read about 60 of the ones that are on most lists, and if I complete the Bingo challenge in 2022 I will be getting close.

Karen wrote: "I am a new member to this group, and had a question. I have been trying for several years to read the top 100 old school classics. I've been working my way through, but can't seem to find a complet..."

Karen, I don't know of a great list, but there is a list that combines 130 lists of the best novels lists using an algorithm based on how many lists each book is on. So someone did the legwork of checking on common books between lists.

https://www.listchallenges.com/the-gr...

Karen wrote: "I am a new member to this group, and had a question. I have been trying for several years to read the top 100 old school classics. I've been working my way through, but can't seem to find a complet..."

The Guardian has a pretty good list:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/200...

But as you have found, there are many good lists.

How long do we have to finish our Personal Challenge list?

Klowey wrote: "How long do we have to finish our Personal Challenge list?"

As long as you like. I've been meandering around on the ones I set in this group since the beginning of 2018, and any progress I make of late is purely incidental.

Aubrey wrote: "Klowey wrote: "How long do we have to finish our Personal Challenge list?"

As long as you like. I've been meandering around on the ones I set in this group since the beginning of 2018, and any pro..."

Thank you. I love this idea, but I do have a list of intimidating books and that list could take forever.

I have one more question. How do I start my own thread off of this to post my personal challenges?

Klowey wrote: "I have one more question. How do I start my own thread off of this to post my personal challenges?"

I can do it for you, or go to the root of the folder here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

And then near the top right choose "new topic" and you can start your own thread.

Katy wrote: "Klowey wrote: "I have one more question. How do I start my own thread off of this to post my personal challenges?"

I can do it for you, or go to the root of the folder here: https://www.goodreads...."

I knew I'd seen the New Topic link somewhere. Now I'll know how to find it. Thank you!

You are welcome.

This folder is still open if you would like to update your personal challenges for 2023.

Angie wrote: "This might be a dumb question, but are we able to start a personal challenge thread at any time? I was thinking of starting one."

I love the Personal Challenge.

To start one, go to this page:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
And choose "New Topic" which is a green hyperlink on the top right, just above "last activity" on that discussion thread.

You'll get a new page and you can go from there.

My own Personal Challenge page is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I bookmarked it so it's easier to find in the future. I also included links to my BINGO challenges and to my Buffet challenges for each year.

We as moderators are cleaning up the folders for the group. If you would like to use your Personal Challenges Thread for 2025, please comment in your thread before the end of the year. Any threads that have no comments in 2024 will be archived here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Or if you wish to start a new thread for 2025, then let us know that too.

Katy wrote: "We as moderators are cleaning up the folders for the group. If you would like to use your Personal Challenges Thread for 2025, please comment in your thread before the end of the year. Any threads ..."

Looks good.

I just posted on my personal challenge.

Terry wrote: "I just posted on my personal challenge."

That will do it. We will keep all threads that had a post in 2024 in the folder. Only older ones will be archived, not closed.

I use mine all the time so I'll add a comment in it. I would hate to lose it.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...