Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Classic/Genre Challenge List and read 12 books one in each of the following categories.

*✔️ 18th Century or older, Dangerous Liasons read May ***** 5 stars
* ✔️19th Century, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There Read May *** 1/2 3.5 stars
*✔️20th Century, Brideshead Revisited read July ***** 5 stars
*✔️Current or Past Group Read, Stoner Read Jan ***** 5 Stars
*✔️ An Author not read before,Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster] by Svetlana Alexievich read Feb **** 4 stars
*✔️Diversity Classic, Kokoro Read Aug ** 2 stars
*✔️Science Fiction, 2001: A Space Odyssey read Aug **** 4.5 stars
*✔️Romance,The Thornbirds read May *** 3 stars
*✔️Historical fiction, The Giver of Stars read Feb **** 4 stars
*✔️ Nonfiction Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland read May **** 4 stars
*✔️ Mystery/Crime, The Life We Bury read March *** 3 stars
*✔️ Horror or Humor, The Dialogue of the Dogs read July **** 4 stars

* indicates that book is not on any other challenge (excluding group read & Pulitzer challenge)

#1 OLD AND NEW CHALLENGE

1899 and earlier/Old School Mix

* ✔️1. Beowulf 975 read May **** 4 stars
* ✔️2. Medea
* ✔️3. Northanger Abbey 1818 Read Feb **** 4 stars


1900-1999/New School Women Pulitzers

* ✔️1. The Yearling 1938 read Sept *** 3 stars
* ✔️2. A Thousand Acres 1991 Read July ** 2 stars
* ✔️3. The Able McLaughlins 1923 Read Nov 3 Stars

My Wild Card 6: Men Pulitzers

* ✔️1. The Hours read June ***** 5 big stars!
* ✔️2. Interpreter of Maladies > Read Jul **** 4 stars
* ✔️*3. The Fixer Read Jan **** 4.5 stars
* ✔️4. The Caine Mutiny Read January ***** 5 big stars!
* ✔️5. Tinkers Read July ** 2 stars
* ✔️*6. Alice Adams read Feb **** 4 stars

< b> Alternates:
*1. The Known World
*2. His Family

* indicates that book is not on any other challenge

#5 Century WOMEN'S CHALLENGE


*✔️1930's - Cold Comfort Farm read Dec 3 stars
*✔️1940's - Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier Read Nov 4 Stars
*✔️1950's - Tom's Midnight Garden read Dec 5 stars
*✔️1960's -A Wrinkle in Time M= read Nov 4 stars
*✔️1970's The Optimist's Daughter (Pulitzer) Library read Nov **** 4 stars
*✔️1980's Foreign Affairs or Breathing Lessons (Pulitzer) ( read Nov 2 stars
*✔️1990's White Oleander by Janet Fitch (own) read Aug **** 4.5 stars
*✔️2000's March by Geraldine Brooks(Pulitzer read Jan *** 3.5 stars
*✔️2010's The Dutch House read Aug *** 3 stars
*✔️2020's Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick: Stories from the Harlem Renaissance by Zora Neale Hurston read Nov **** 4.5 stars

* indicates book is not on any other challenge (excluding Group read & Pulitzer challenges)

#6 SHORT STORIES - MAYBE - I'll get 12 for sure


✔️1. A Modest Proposal ________ ✔️13. The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle
✔️2. The Body Snatcher ________✔️14. The Adventure of the Speckled Band
✔️3. The Country of the Blind____ ✔️15 The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb and Other Cases
✔️4. The Lover _____________✔️16. The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor
✔️5. There Will Come Soft Rains___ ✔️17. The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet
✔️6. * The Illustrated Man______ ✔️18. The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
✔️7. A Scandal in Bohemia______ ✔️19. Selected Poems
✔️8. *The Red Headed League____ ✔️20. The Nose
✔️9. A Case of Identity________ ✔️21. The Sisters]
✔️10. The Boscombe Valley Mystery_ ✔️22. An Encounter
✔️11. The Five Orange Pips______ ✔️23. Araby
✔️12. The Man with the Twisted Lip_ ✔️24. Eveline]

* Book link is for a longer version of the short story read

# 7 2020 GROUP CHALLENGE - I GOT THIS - I try to do at least one group read a month.
✔️1. Stoner read Jan ***** 5 stars
✔️2. Tortilla Flat read Oct **** 4 stars
✔️3. The Divine Comedy read Jan-Mar ***** 5 stars
✔️4. Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There read March *** 3 stars
✔️5. Death on the Nile read March *** 3 stars
✔️6. Mansfield Park read April by mistake! ** 2 stars
✔️7. Dangerous Liasons read May ***** 5 stars
✔️8. The Thorn Birds Read May *** 3 stars
✔️9. White Fang Read May *** 3 star's
✔️10. Brideshead Revisited read July ***** 5 stars
✔️11. 2001: A Space Odyssey - read Aug **** 4,5 stars
✔️12.Middlemarch - read Sept **** 4 stars

#8 and/or #9 Author or Title A-Z challenge - MAYBE

Will fill in in June and decide whether to complete at that point.

I’m focusing on men’s Pulitzer’s next year, Sue. They don’t necessarily work for group challenges but it could mean buddy reads for us if you’re interested.

Sue, I look forward to seeing how your challenges play out. I do hope you enjoy them.

That would be great Brina.

Thanks Bob!

I finally got something down for my century women's challenge.

Sue wrote: "I finally got something down for my century women's challenge."

That one is always a tough one for me to plan. Haven't even started my plan yet for 2020.

Katy wrote: "Sue wrote: "I finally got something down for my century women's challenge."

That one is always a tough one for me to plan. Haven't even started my plan yet for 2020."

I used my Pulitzer list and all but the 1950's and 2010's are from that. That helped a lot. It's hard searching for a year otherwise.

Yeah, I did Pulitzer Women Winners for my 2019 challenge, so now I need a new idea.

Katy, if it’s no longer a woman’s challenge, you could do 1 men’s Pulitzer a decade and get it done.

Sue wrote: "I finally got something down for my century women's challenge."

Glad to see you doing the Quest for Women as well, Sue. Out of your picks, I've only read 'Talented Mr. Ripley' which I liked well enough. I did very much like Smiley's 'The Greenlanders', so I hope 'Thousand Acres' would be as good.

Aubrey wrote: "Sue wrote: "I finally got something down for my century women's challenge."

Glad to see you doing the Quest for Women as well, Sue. Out of your picks, I've only read 'Talented Mr. Ripley' which I ..."

I'm glad that I could find enough to do it too Aubrey. The Pulitzer list helps a lot. Otherwise, it gets so hard looking for certain years. When there was no Pulitzer in the 1950's by a women, I thought I'd just add one from a male winner since it's not required to be women. Then it made me mad that no woman won for 10 years so I decided I had to fill it with a woman!

The 1950s are tough. I found Nectar in a Sieve that I have had my eye on for awhile but otherwise it’s few and far between, which if you think about it is reflective of post war America. It still gets me aggravated though.

Brina wrote: "Katy, if it’s no longer a woman’s challenge, you could do 1 men’s Pulitzer a decade and get it done."

I thought of that, but then I was looking at women science fiction writers and do a decade perhaps. Don't know if I could find a century of those or not.

So as not to hijack Sue's thread here -- if you reply perhaps on my thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I'm combining books in my different challenges but my goal is to have 2-5 books per challenges that aren't on any other one.

Sue, your list is diverse and interesting. I say that because I have read several of these books and sone I would like to read. Enjoy!

So many great choices, Sue! I'm impressed with your genre challenge. I bet Dialog of the Dogs is horror and humor?? I'll be reading it soon, so may be able to let you know. :-)

Interpreter of Maladies is excellent and Dandelion Wine is a very special favorite of mine. I can see I'm going to enjoy your progress through these.

Thanks Kathleen! I discovered The Dialogue of the Dogs of the from one of your lists. I also purchased Dialog of the Dogs which is several modern retellings of it . https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193.... I look forward to slowly reading through those after I finish the original.

I'm glad to know that you loved Interpreter of Maladies and Dandelion Wine.

Cynda wrote: "Sue, your list is diverse and interesting. I say that because I have read several of these books and sone I would like to read. Enjoy!"

Thank you Cynda! I didn't see your comment before.

Sue, I liked March. It is a nice complement to Little Women, although I didn't agree some details, but in general it is really well done.

Sandra wrote: "Sue, I liked March. It is a nice complement to Little Women, although I didn't agree some details, but in general it is really well done."

That's great to know it's a compliment to Little Women. It makes me want to read Little Women more.

Yes, actually I reread Little Women before starting March, because it had been a long time since I read it. It was nice.

I was able to check off one in each challenge and I didn't even plan it that way!

For short stories, are we using the same definition as in our short story nomination rules (under 130 pages)? If it has to be even shorter than The Stranger won't count. It's 123 pages I believe.

I plan on getting 12 from group reads but unfortunately I had already recently read The Cask of Amontillado

What a list of challenges!

Would you be interested in a buddy read for A Thousand Acres?
I could use it for my birth year bingo corner.

Philina wrote: "What a list of challenges!

Would you be interested in a buddy read for A Thousand Acres?
I could use it for my birth year bingo corner."

I'd love to Philina, but I wouldn't be able to do it until June or later. If that doesn't work for you, I understand.

Sue wrote: "I'd love to Philina, but I wouldn't be able to do it until June or later. If that doesn't work for you, I understand.."

That would be fine! Maybe I'll use another book for my Bingo corner, but I want to read A Thousand Acres anyways and a buddy read is always more fun than reading alone.

oh my, I hadn't updated in a long time and was hoping I'd be further along once I did. I have a lot of work to do!

Sue wrote: "oh my, I hadn't updated in a long time and was hoping I'd be further along once I did. I have a lot of work to do!"

You're doing fine, Sue -- just keep reading!

I see that you have three choices for the 1930's and I want to recommend that you read The Yearling. I read it in the last year and I was amazed! The writing was so beautiful! I think everyone should read it! :)

I hope you're enjoying Dangerous Liasions. One of the most intriguing books I've read

Terris wrote: "Sue wrote: "oh my, I hadn't updated in a long time and was hoping I'd be further along once I did. I have a lot of work to do!"

You're doing fine, Sue -- just keep reading!

I see that you have th..."

Thanks Terri! I think I will go with The Yearling. It sounds very uplifting. I also have it on my Old and New so the other two are there in the event that I have time to have more unique choices instead of doubling up on some challenges. Looks like I'm going to have to stick with doubling up though!

No sweat, lots of time left. We are just over a third of the year, you are a third way through two challenges and half finished with another.

Ila wrote: "I hope you're enjoying Dangerous Liasions. One of the most intriguing books I've read"

I'm loving it Ila. I saw the film long ago and it's one of my favorties! I didn't know it was based on a book. John Malkovich, Glen Close and Michelle Pfeiffer were so good in it. It was super steamy! So far, the book doesn't feel as sexy, but still loving it. I was shocked from reading the editor's notes that this was purported to be from actual letters! I tend to agree with the editors that they are more likely fiction. People can't be that wicked can they? I prefer to think of it as fiction because it's easier to enjoy a wickedness that isn't real.

Bob wrote: "No sweat, lots of time left. We are just over a third of the year, you are a third way through two challenges and half finished with another."

Thanks Bob! That puts it in perspective.

Sue, I read Intrepreter of Maladies. Very Good. I hope you enjoy it too.

Good to hear Cynda. I'm looking forward to it.

I've updated my challenges to not include any duplicates other than the Group read challenge because it's more a challenge of timing and my personal Pulitzer challenge which is a loose multi-year challenge.

I'm down to two in the Genre challenge & 2 in the Old and New one. My Woman's and Short Story challenges are looking pretty bleak. I believe I have 5 or 6 left on BINGO. I'm likely going to save my women's challenge for next year.

You are doing great, Sue. I was thinking it's probably time to assess where I'm at too. We knew there was no way we could have everything we wanted at the buffet, but it was fun sampling!

Kathleen wrote: "You are doing great, Sue. I was thinking it's probably time to assess where I'm at too. We knew there was no way we could have everything we wanted at the buffet, but it was fun sampling!"

Yes, great point Kathleen! Next year I'm going to do fewer challenges though because I get kind of nutty about completing them!

We all seem to be suffering from the mid-feast bellyache. I counted the number of books I need to complete in order to finish everything I committed to. Doubtful I will make it, and I have doubled up on some of mine. I started a second Bingo, but I did that with full awareness that I wasn't going for a blackout, just seeing what I have that naturally fits.

Sara wrote: "We all seem to be suffering from the mid-feast bellyache. I counted the number of books I need to complete in order to finish everything I committed to. Doubtful I will make it, and I have doubled ..."

So true Sara.

Sue wrote: "I've updated my challenges to not include any duplicates other than the Group read challenge because it's more a challenge of timing and my personal Pulitzer challenge which is a loose multi-year c..."

Sue, you are very brave to take on so many challenges simultaneously. Good luck! I see we have quite a few books in common apart from the ones we discussed.

I am currently reading Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There (which I see you have already read) and 2001: A Space Odyssey which are on your list and I will soon start Brideshead Revisited.

Shaina wrote: "Sue wrote: "I've updated my challenges to not include any duplicates other than the Group read challenge because it's more a challenge of timing and my personal Pulitzer challenge which is a loose ..."

It's funny how we ended up with so many common books. I'm hoping to read 2001: A Space Odyssey with the group

The year has 5 months left, seems like a lot of time, but it does go by fast. I don't think I could do the challenges without some duplication. I think it's great you haven't used duplicates.

Bob wrote: "The year has 5 months left, seems like a lot of time, but it does go by fast. I don't think I could do the challenges without some duplication. I think it's great you haven't used duplicates."

I usually do use duplicates and even triplicates Bob, but for some dumb reason I decided to try and convert to all originals : /
These next 5 months are slower for me at work than the 1st seven so I should be fine (other than the Woman's challenge)

Sue wrote: "Challenge #4 - Members Choice Classic/Genre Challenge List and read 12 books one in each of the following categories.

*✔️ 18th Century or older, Dangerous Liasons read May ***** 5 ..."

I completed my first challenge. Woohoo! This Classic Genre challenge originally included many books from my Old and New and BINGO challenge. I changed it to be all unique books. I did cheat in using some that were not classics though.