Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

I have no will power. I'm alone in the room, theres no one here to stop me. My wife isn't here to scold me. I'm to old to be sent to my room, and I can't will a power failure, so here I am about to post my challenge. The power is still on, here I go, 5, 4, 3, 2, post


✔️B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic-The Prince, Finished 7/1/19
✔️B2: Book Chosen by the Cover-All My Friends are Going to Be Strangers, 1/12/19
✔️B3: European Classic-Dead Souls, 1/31/19
✔️B4: Telegraph’s 100 Novels List-Crime and Punishment, 5/3/19
✔️B5: 20th Century Classic-The Valley of Fear, 1915, 10/30/19

✔️I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2019-The Black Tulip, 2/6/19
✔️I2: New-to-You Author-Chess Story, 1/1819
✔️I3: Classic Play-Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, 1598, 1/3/19
✔️I4: Literary Prize of Your Country-The Joy Luck Club, California Book Award Winner (Gold) 1979, 2/1/19
✔️I5: Classic on Your Bookshelf For over a Year-Where the Long Grass Blows by Louis L'Amour, 9/1/19

✔️N1: South American Classic-Love in the Time of Cholera, 12/21/19
✔️N2: Short Story Collection-Dorothy Parker, Big Blonde and Other Stories, 1/26/19
✔️N3: FREE SPACE-The Story of an Hour, 1/23/19
✔️N4: Poetry or Essay Collection-The Ballad of Reading Gaol, 4/16/19
✔️N5: Asian Classic-Farewell to Manzanar, 4/19/19

✔️G1: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize-Booker Prize, 1992, The English Patient, 1210/19
✔️G2: Classic By a Female Author-Lillian E. Smith, Strange Fruit, 4/4/19
✔️G3: Classic Non-fiction-Common Sense by Thomas Paine, 1776, 1/2/19
✔️G4: Written by Nobel Laureate-George Bernard Shaw, 1925, Pygmalion, 2/25/19
✔️G5: Book from the Group's 2019 Bookshelf-Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, 2/27/19

✔️O1: 19th Century Classic-The Happy Prince, 1888, 6/11/19
✔️O2: Classic Sci-fi or Fantasy-Foundation, 4/2/19
✔️O3: Classic Comedy or Satire-A Woman of No Importance, 10/31/19
✔️O4: Classic Romance-The Professor, 11/12/19
✔️O5: 21st Century Potential Classic-Gilead, 12/2/19

✔️ Completed: 25/25

Looking for a Blackout - Completed 12/21/19



B1: , I1: , N1: , G1: , O1:
B2: , I2: , N2: , G2: , O2:
B3: , I3: , FS: , G3: , O3:

B4: , I4: N4: G4: , O4:

B5: , I5: , N5: G5: , O5:

Well I'm still here, I'm committed, all hope is lost, I must now complete the task. See you next December to see how I did.

Planning possibilities-

B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic
B2: Book Chosen by the Cover-
B3: European Classic-Middlemarch
B4: Telegraph’s 100 Novels List-Atonement
B5: 20th Century Classic-The Long Goodbye

I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2019-The Black Tulip
I2: New-to-You Author-Michael Crichton, or other
I3: Classic Play-A Streetcar Named Desire or Our Town or A Raisin in the Sun
I4: Literary Prize of Your Country
I5: Classic on Your Bookshelf For over a Year-Lord Jim

N1: South American Classic- Love in the Time of Cholera
N2: Short Story Collection-Winesburg, Ohio
N3: FREE SPACE
N4: Poetry or Essay Collection-Selected Poems or Leaves of Grass
N5: Asian Classic-Matterhorn or The God of Small Things

G1: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize
G2: Classic By a Female Author-Elizabeth Gaskel, or Daphne du Maurier, or Willa Cather, or other
G3: Classic Non-fiction-Travels in Alaska or Farewell to Manzanar
G4: Written by Nobel Laureate
G5: Book from the Group's 2019 Bookshelf-The Joy Luck Club

O1: 19th Century Classic-Dead Souls
O2: Classic Sci-fi or Fantasy-Timequake, or Rule Britannia
O3: Classic Comedy or Satire-
O4: Classic Romance-The Princess Bride
O5: 21st Century Potential Classic

Bob wrote: "Well I'm still here, I'm committed, all hope is lost, I must now complete the task. See you next December to see how I did."

Good luck, and have fun!

This is exactly how i feel about it. Good luck!

😂 Good luck and have fun! 😁

One should never regret Bingo -- it is too much fun.

Good luck Bob. I am sure you will do it with flying colors and time to spare.

Another great title ,Bob.

Katy wrote: "One should never regret Bingo -- it is too much fun."

Ah Katy, the Bingo challenge is great. It’s just that I psychologically do better as an observer. I hate to not finish a challenge and will work at this relentlessly until it this is finished. Last time I did Bingo I had a blackout by the end of March. Just weird I guess.

Remember you don't need a blackout, just a Bingo

Oh Bob, you know you enjoy this challenge so much that you can't deny yourself... or us! Enjoy yourself -- because you're certainly making all of us smile :)

Bob wrote: "Katy wrote: "One should never regret Bingo -- it is too much fun."

Ah Katy, the Bingo challenge is great. It’s just that I psychologically do better as an observer. I hate to not finish a challeng..."

I got over this the 2cd year when I felt just as good for reading 22/25 as I did when I got the blackout.
It was still more than zero!

I'm sure you'll have fun with it once you get going. Best thing about the Bingo challenge is that you can still read whatever you want and might be able to fit most of them into the categories.

I can’t wait to see what people select for B2-Book Chosen by the Cover. I don’t know if this will be appropriate, but I have been fascinated by the books with the gold over green motif, with the black over white lettering, it’s exquisite. And there are so many to choose from-example :)

LOL

Katy wrote: "Remember you don't need a blackout, just a Bingo"

I need to strategize next year, so that I actually get a bingo instead of a hodgepodge!

Bob wrote: "I can’t wait to see what people select for B2-Book Chosen by the Cover. I don’t know if this will be appropriate, but I have been fascinated by the books with the gold over green motif, with the bl..."

To each their own! I will probably be drawn to something garish, or pretty!

Your reluctant post cracked me up, Bob! It is hard to say no when so many people are excited about getting started (hand waving!). LOL

I do think this is the greatest challenge because so many of the books I want to read fit one or more categories, and then I can just fill in the other categories with other books that were on the top of my list... just not at the very tippy top.

Enjoy it!!! Can't wait to see your choices!

MJ wrote: "To each their own! I will probably be drawn to something garish, or pretty!
,..."

I can't wait to see a cover more garish the gold over green, prettier, well that should be easier to do.

Shirley (stampartiste) wrote: "I do think this is the greatest challenge because so many of the books I want to read fit one or more categories, and then I can just fill in the other categories with other books that were on the top of my list... just not at the very tippy top.

Enjoy it!!! Can't wait to see your choices!..."


I agree, this is a great challenge. I have already started planning some possibilities, but Bingo stays fluid, planned reading can change because of a sudden interest in a book that is better, or ia more urgently needing to be read.

Haha, I’m glad you’re join get in! Your plans look good so far. I have a few of those green and gold classics myself, but don’t think I’ll be picking them for the B2 square 😉

Pink wrote: "Haha, I’m glad you’re join get in! Your plans look good so far. I have a few of those green and gold classics myself, but don’t think I’ll be picking them for the B2 square 😉"

I don’t know where the saying comes from other than something my father wrote in his 1956 yearbook, but it fits me to a “T” “When I was young I was crazy, now I’m old and getting lazy.”

I won’t be using the wonderfully picturesque gold over green cover for my B2 square, but you can’t hold it against an admittedly lazy man for trying the easy way.

Don't you know you only regret the things you do not do, not the ones you do. I'm having a good laugh about the cover...boy are you a bad designer's dream client.

Seriously delighted to know you are playing.

Sara wrote: "Don't you know you only regret the things you do not do, not the ones you do. I'm having a good laugh about the cover...boy are you a bad designer's dream client.

Seriously delighted to know you ..."

Bad designers need love too, and it is good to try this again, I skipped last year.

See, this is why I shouldn't (or should, lol) look on other people's cards. I'm already seeing things I want to swipe from your list. The Long Goodbye, for one.

Japanese Art and a crazy title. I couldn't pass it up.


I see no reason for regretting anything on your list. Plus, list making is fun!

Now that's a cover that gets attention, love the title!

First square-

B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic-Common Sense by Thomas Paine, 1776, Finished 1/2/19

5 Stars, A great start for the new year!

Nice! One checked off already! Off to a great start :)

Good to know you enjoyed it and a nice start to your challenge.

Bravo! Love to start the year with a 5-star read...bodes well.

Bob wrote: "First square-

B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic-Common Sense by Thomas Paine, 1776, Finished 1/2/19

5 Stars, A great start for the new year!"

I am so happy this made it through the poll! I can’t wait to get started on it.

Bob wrote: "First square-

B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic-Common Sense by Thomas Paine, 1776, Finished 1/2/19

5 Stars, A great start for the new year!"

I'm looking forward to reading this one too. I'm trying not to read it too early but it's hard!

I'm glad to know I am not the only one unable to resist challenges! ;)

Sue wrote: "Bob wrote: "First square-Common Sense by Thomas Paine

5 Stars, A great start for the new year!"

I'm looking forward to reading this one too. I'm trying not to read it too early but it's hard!..."

Sue I think you will like this it is well written. I do read the short stories a little early, since I don't know how busy life will be when it is time to create the monthly short story thread.

Rachelnyc wrote: "I'm glad to know I am not the only one unable to resist challenges! ;)"

I too, really enjoy our challenges. I have to be careful not to take them to seriously. I can be a little obsessive.

Second square-Classic Play-Much Ado About Nothing

I struggle reading Shakespeare and always have. I can’t say I dislike the plays. Most have been OK, with a few that have stood out, The Merchant of Venice, Othello, and Romeo and Juilet, have been my most enjoyed so far. So Far, that’s a little ominous. I guess if the group keeps electing Shakespeare I’ll keep trying to read them.

What I have found that seems to help, although it takes time, is to read along with an audio version. Not just listen but actually read along with the narrator. Then I hunt a video version, Youtube, and watch the play. It does make the process more understandable and entertaining.

We forget sometimes that Shakespeare wrote plays and they were originally meant to be seen rather than read. I like your approach.

I really like what I've read of Shakespeare so far. I do think it helps if you can watch a movie or performance of the play after reading it. When the group read Twelfth Night, it just happened to be playing here, so I got some tickets. I really enjoyed reading the play, but going to see it made me like it even more. I usually do a Youtube search for a movie after reading the play.

Totally agree that it helps to experience Shakespeare though some kind of performance, be it audiobook, play, or even manga.

Also, great start to your challenge!!!

Third square, B2: Book Chosen by the Cover,

I had planned on using this book to fill my Comedy square. Larry McMurtry is known for humor, the books cover says it is humorous, and Goodreads list it as humorous. The reality, for me anyway, is that while there is plenty of humor filled scenes and dialog, overall I felt it was more subdued.

Fortunately, it also has one of the best covers in my TBR shelf. So, unless something comes along better, that’s the square I’m using.

Bob wrote: "Second square-Classic Play-Much Ado About Nothing

I struggle reading Shakespeare and always have. I can’t say I dislike the plays. Most have been OK, with a few that have stood out, ..."

I do something similar Bob. I read (with a side by side translation) then listen and then watch. Watching a live performance is the best way to enjoy Shakespeare.

Bob wrote: "Third square, B2: Book Chosen by the Cover,

I had planned on using this book to fill my Comedy square. Larry McMurtry is..."

This looks really good. I loved his writing in Lonesome Dove so much that I want to read all of his books (first in a series anyway).

You are doing amazing on your challenge Bob.

I think plays are meant to be read first and then watched. Shakespeare is always hard work but is so worth it. Although A midsummer night's dream is the only comedy I've read so far.

Only 14 days into this year and you have already crossed off three squares. I see a blackout in your future!

It pleases me to know I am not alone when it comes to reading Shakespeare. I admit I felt a little dumb reading the play along with a narrated version. Kind of like elementary school, following along with my fingers while the teacher read aloud. But it has made a difference, especially after reading it, then finding a video version to watch. Shakespeare is much easier this way.

Sara wrote: "Only 14 days into this year and you have already crossed off three squares. I see a blackout in your future!"

Thanks, Black out is the ultimate goal. Bingo and A-Z is easier in the beginning, lots of choices can find a home. It’s later in the challenge when you’re down to the stems and seeds, you have to work harder to find books that work.

Currently reading Chess Story and I need to decide what square to put it on. New author, 20 century classic, or as the short story poll currently indicates it can go on 2019 group read.