Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

I will work hard to complete six of these challenges. I will taste two others, and not attempt A-Z at all.

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR-Completed 9/12
✔️Challenge #3 - Second Place or Worse-Completed 7/7
Challenge #4 - Members Choice Classic/Genre Challenge-Completed 5/12
✔️Challenge #6 - Short Story Challenge-Completed 24/24
✔️Challenge #7 - 2021 Group Reads Challenge-Completed 12/12
✔️Challenge #8 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors-Completed 6/6

**Challenge #2 - Does a Century Make a Difference?-Completed 1/10
**Challenge #5 - Decade/Century Challenge-Completed 2/10
Challenge #9 - A-Z Author Challenge-Not doing
Challenge #10 - A-Z Title Challenge-Not doing

**Not doing, but will read some selections

I’m not listing or doing #9 & #10 the A-Z challenges even if Mom threatens me with a trip to the wood shed. I’ll even cut the hickory switch, but I’m leaving those two challenges alone. They have beaten me every year but one, I admit defeat.

As for the eight challenges I will work on, I will work to complete challenge #1 New & Old TBR, Challenge #3 Second Place or Worse, and . Challenge #8 Expand Your Horizon With New Authors I will taste with the hope of finishing Challenge #4 Members Choice Classic/Genre Challenge, #6 Short Story, #7 Group Reads. I'm not sure if I’ll have an appetite for #2 Does a Century Make a Difference and Challenge #5 Decade/Century Challenge.. I will explain my reason in the below listed challenges.

Most important to me this year is to read books I already own, either paper or e-read. This will have a direct effect on challenges #2 & #7. I don't think I will come up with enough books to put together these lists using my current supply of shelved books.

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge
✔️ Reads Completed 10/12

My 12 + 2 Old & New Challenge will only use books that I own and have in my possession.

1899 and earlier-Old School
1. The Mayor Of Casterbridge-Published in the 19th Century
✔️2. Joan of Arc-4/14/21
✔️3. War and Peace-2/23/21
1900-1999-New School
4. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy-Book That Has Been Made Into Film
✔️5. The Secret History-3/17/21
✔️6. The Master and Margarita-4/24/21
Six Brain Candy Reads - No Redeeming Value – Just Fun
✔️7. Deep South-1/17/21
✔️8. Raise the Titanic!-4/11/21
✔️9. The Escape-2/11/21
✔️10. Collateral Damage-4/18/21
✔️11. The General's Daughter-8/30/21
✔️12. The Murder House-12/1/21

Alternates
A-1. A Matter of Honor
A-2. Home-Reader’s Choice

Challenge #2 – Does a Century Make a Difference?

“Select 10 books from any single year of interest, then select 10 more from 100 years earlier, for a total of 20 books. List your choices for other members to explore. The challenge is to successfully read 10 of the 20 books selected, five from your year of choice and five from 100 years earlier.

*This one is doubtful-
Most important to me this year is to read books I already own, either paper or e-read. This will have a direct effect on this challenge. I don't think I will come up with enough books to put together these lists using my current supply of shelved books.

For the fun of planning only. My wife and I got married in 1978, so I'll plan a challenge for the 1978 and 1878

1978
Listed in the order my desire to read.
1. The Sea, The Sea-Booker Prize 1978
2. An Imaginary Life
✔️3. The Westing Game-Newberry Metal 1979
4. *The World According to Garp
5. *The Stories of John Cheever-Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 1979
*War and Remembrance-haven't read The Winds of War, otherwise this would be #1
The White Dragon
Night Shift
The Cement Garden
The Far Pavilions
A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Chesapeake
*1978 Books- that own a copy of

1878
Listed in the order my desire to read.
1. Nobody's Boy
2. Dick Sands the Boy Captain
3. Daisy Miller
4. The Leavenworth Case
5. Under the Lilacs
The Europeans
An Inland Voyage
Jeanne
H.M.S. Pinafore
A Few Choice Words to the Public with New and Original Poems
Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits
Through the Dark Continent, Vol. 1
A Fool's Errand
1878 Books, I don't own any of these books, but using Amazon/Kindle, Guttenberg, or other online sources I could probably secure free or low cost copies. I still plan on focusing on books already in my possession.

Challenge #3 - Second Place or Worse
✔️ Reads Completed 7/7
Challenge Completed 7/17/21


Go back through the groups past polls and select seven (7) total books that are of interest to you but lost the poll and never made it to our group bookshelf. Ideally pick two books from New School, two from Old School, two from Short Story/Novella, and one from the Quarterly Long Read.

I will have to hunt hard for short stories, I've read a bunch of them and of course there are a fair number that I don't want to read.

New School
1. Angle of Repose, Read 3/7/21
2. Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West, Read 3/25/21

Old School
1. Washington Square-Read 3/29/21
2. The Deerslayer, Read 6/22/21

Short Story/Novella
1. The Minister's Black Veil-Read 1/4/21
2. The Bottle Imp-Read 1/6/21

Quarterly Long Read
1. The Fountainhead, Read 7/17/21

Choices that I own copies of-
(view spoiler)[New School
I Capture the Castle
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Rabbit Redux
✔️Angle of Repose
The Jungle
The Long Valley-Short Story Collection
The God of Small Things-Booker Prize 1977
✔️Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West

Old School
The Toilers of the Sea
Pudd'n Head Wilson
✔️The Deerslayer-Published in 19th Century
✔️Washington Square

Short Story/Novella
✔️The Minister's Black Veil
Fellow-Townsmen
King Pest
✔️The Bottle Imp

Quarterly Long Read
The Golden Notebook
Kristin Lavransdatter-100 Must-Read Classics in Translation
✔️The Fountainhead
An American Tragedy
Shogun: A Novel of Japan (hide spoiler)]

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Classic/Genre Challenge Choose one book per category for a total of 12 books.
✔️ Reads Completed 8/12

✔️1. 18th Century or older, The Iliad, -800
✔️2. 19th Century, The Gold Bug, 1842
✔️3. 20th Century, Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1912
✔️4. Current or Past Group Read, The Necklace-August Short Story/Novella
✔️5. An Author not read before, Richard Connell, The Most Dangerous Game
✔️6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours, German Fantasy by German Author Michael Ende-The Neverending Story
7. Science Fiction, The Forgotten Door
8. Romance, Red Sky Over Hawaii
9. Historical fiction, The Orphan's Tale
10. Nonfiction,
✔️11. Mystery/Crime, Mildred Pierce
✔️12. Horror or Humor, Horror Revival by Stephen King--Humor Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Challenge #5 - Decade/Century Challenge
✔️ Reads Completed 2/10

My parents were born in 1938, so I'll plan a decade challenge for the 1930's

1930-Narcissus and Goldmund-Nobel Laureate
1931-The Loving Spirit-Classic Romance
1932-Stamboul Train-Classic Mystery, Suspense, or Thriller
1933-God's Little Acre
1934-Tender is the Night
✔️1935-Tortilla Flat, 6/7/21
✔️1936-The A.B.C. Murders, 5/19/21
1937-Their Eyes Were Watching God
1938-Our Town-Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1938
1939-Johnny Got His Gun

Challenge #6 - Short Story Challenge
Completed 24/24 - 56 Total YTD
Challenge Completed 3/28/21

Read 24 short stories. This equates to only two per month for the year.

I love short stories and I will most likely complete this challenge. That said I read 121 short stories this year (2020) and while I loved 95% of them it took a lot of time away from reading the books that have been sitting on the shelf for years. So I will work to limit myself from getting carried away and stay focused on larger works and reduce my TBR.

1. A Fight with a Cannon by Victor Hugo, Read 1/7/21
2. The Inn by Guy de Maupassant, 1/16/21
3. The Last Question by Isaac Asimov, 1/21/21
4. Melinda's Humorous Story by May McHenry, 2/3/21
5. A Horseman In The Sky: Short Story by Ambrose Bierce, A Reread, 2/29/21
6. A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka, 2/22/21
7. Jack Londons California: The Golden Poppy and Other Writings, Title story only, internet PDF, 2/24/21
8. Collected Stories of O. Henry: Revised and Expanded, "A Ramble in Aphasia" pg. 611-617 3/1/21
9. Circumvented by Rina Ramsey, 3/23/21
10. The Oval Portrait by Edgar Allan Poe, 3/23/21
11. The Blizzard by Alexander Pushkin, 3/24/21
Cabbages and Kings by O. Henry-18 Stories
12. Fox-In-The-Morning
13. The Lotus and the Bottle
14. Smith
15. Caught
16. Cupid's Exile Number Two
17. The Phonograph and the Graft
18. Money Maze
19. The Admiral
20. The Flag Paramount
21. The Shamrock and the Palm
22. The Remnants of the Code
23. Shoes
24. Ships
----------------------
25. Masters of Arts
26. Dicky
27. Rouge Et Noir
28. Two Recalls
29. The Vitagraphoscope
30. A Question of Time
31. Missing Link
32. God Sees the Truth, But Waits
33. The Coup de Grâce
34. Bliss
Love of Life: & Other Stories by Jack London, 8 Stories
35. Love of Life
36. A Day's Lodging
37. The White Man's Way
38. The Story of Keesh
39. The Unexpected
40. Brown Wolf
41. The Sun-Dog Trail
42. Negore, The Coward
43. A Letter from Santa Claus
44. A Christmas Tree

To avoid challenge duplicates the stories below have been used in other challenges and don't count towards this challenge.

The Captain's Daughter-Challenge #7-2021 Group Reads
The Minister's Black Veil-Challenge #3-Second Place or Worse
The Bottle Imp-Challenge #3-Second Place or Worse
Songs of Innocence and of Experience-Challenge #7-2021 Group Reads
Leave it to Jeeves-Challenge #8 New Authors
Gooseberries, #7 Group Reads
The Devil and Daniel Webster-Challenge #8 New Authors
Letters to a Young Poet-Challenge #7 Group Reads Challenge
Babette’s Feast-Challenge #7 Group Reads Challenge
Goblin Market-Challenge #7 Group Reads Challenge
The Most Dangerous Game-Challenge #4 Members Choice Classic/Genre Challenge
The Gold Bug-Challenge #4 Members Choice Classic/Genre Challenge

Challenge #7 - 2021 Group Reads Challenge
The challenge is to read 12 of this years group selections.
✔️ Reads Completed 12/12--13 Total YTD

1. The Captain's Daughter, January Short Story/Novella
2. Songs of Innocence and of Experience, February Short Story/Novella
3. The Warden, February Old School
4. A Streetcar Named Desire, March Short Story/Novella
5. Don Juan, March Old School
6. Gooseberries, April Short Story/Novella
7. Fathers and Sons, April Old School
8. Letters to a Young Poet-June Short Story/Novella
9. Babette’s Feast-May Short Story/Novella
10. Wives and Daughters-May Old School
11. Goblin Market-July Short Story/Novella
12. Antony and Cleopatra-August Old School

To avoid challenge duplicates the stories below have been used in other challenges and don't count towards this challenge.
1. The Necklace-August Short Story/Novella, Challenge #4
2. The Master and Margarita, Challenge #1
3. The Gold Bug-Challenge #4
4. A Christmas Tree-Challenge #6

2021 Group Books I -
* Read Prior to 2021, Reread Doubtful
+ Want to/ Plan to/Hope to Read in 2021 or Sometime in the Future
# Don't Plan to or Want to Read Any Time Soon

January-
*Ender's Game, New School-Read Oct. '13
#Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Old School
✔️+The Captain's Daughter, Short Story/Novella-Read Jan. '21
*Cranford, Revisit the Shelf-Read Jan, '15
*The Portrait of a Lady, Quarterly Long Read-Read May '18

February-
#I, Claudius, New School
✔️+The Warden, Old School-Read Feb. '21
✔️+Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Short Story/Novella-Read Jan. '21
*The Secret Garden, Revisit the Shelf-Read Mar. '16

March-
+Their Eyes Were Watching God, New School-
✔️+Don Juan, Old School-Read 2/26/21
✔️+A Streetcar Named Desire, Short Story/Novella-Read 2/18/21
*A Study in Scarlet, Revisit the Shelf-Read-Read Nov. '12

April-
*The Giver-New School-Read-Feb '13
✔️+Fathers and Sons-Old School
✔️+Gooseberries-Short Story/Novella-Mar '21
*Jane Eyre-Revisit the Shelf-Read-Read Mar '12
*Dune-Quarterly Long Read-Read Jun '15

May-
*Dandelion Wine-New School-Read Jan '20
✔️+Wives and Daughters-Old School-
✔️+Babette’s Feast-Short Story/Novella-May '21
*Anna Karenina-Revisit the Shelf-Read-Read Jan '18

June-
*The Murder of Roger Ackroyd-New School-Read-Dec '16
*Moll Flanders-Old School-Read Jul '20
✔️+Letters to a Young Poet-Short Story/Novella-Read May '21
*Tess of the D'Urbervilles-Revisit the Shelf-Read-Jan '19

July-
#The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle-New School-
+Père Goriot-Old School-
✔️*Goblin Market-Short Story/Novella-Read May '20-Reread June '21
*The Tenant of Wildfell Hall-Revisit the Shelf-Read Jun '15
+Shirley-Quarterly Long Read-

August-
#Orlando-New School-
✔️+Antony and Cleopatra-Old School-Read July '21
✔️+The Necklace-Short Story/Novella-Read June '21
#The Unbearable Lightness of Being-Revisit the Shelf

September
+The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie-New School-
*Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions-Old School-Read June '20
*The Misanthrope-Short Story/Novella-Read September '18
*The Metamorphosis-Revisit the Shelf-Read April '16

October
*The Fall-New School-Read Mar '20
+Hunger-Old School-
✔️+The Gold Bug-Short Story/Novella-
*The Picture of Dorian Gray-Revisit the Shelf-Read Jan '12
+The Decameron-Quarterly Long Read-

November
*The Book of Tea-New School-Read Apr. '20
+The Prince and the Pauper-Old School-
✔️*The Last Question-Short Story/Novella-Read Mar. '19 & Jan. 21
*The Remains of the Day-Revisit the Shelf-Read Jan. 17

December
*The Call of the Wild-New School-Read Jan '12 & April '20
+Metamorphoses-Old School-
✔️+A Christmas Tree-Short Story/Novella-Read Nov '21
*The Master and Margarita-Revisit the Shelf-Read April '21

Summary of 2021 Group Books I -

* Read Prior to 2021 or in 2021 but prior to group selection, Reread Doubtful
*Ender's Game, New School-Read Oct. '13
*The Portrait of a Lady, Quarterly Long Read-Read May '18
*Cranford, Revisit the Shelf-Read Jan, '15
*The Secret Garden, Revisit the Shelf-Read Mar. '16
*A Study in Scarlet, Revisit the Shelf-Read-Read Nov. '12
*The Giver-New School-Read-Feb '13
*Jane Eyre-Revisit the Shelf-Read-Read Mar '12
*Dune-Quarterly Long Read-Read Jun '15
*Dandelion Wine-New School-Read Jan '20
*Jane Eyre-Revisit the Shelf-Read-Read Mar '12
*Anna Karenina-Revisit the Shelf-Read-Read Jan '18
*The Murder of Roger Ackroyd-New School-Read-Dec '16
*Moll Flanders-Old School-Read Jul '20
*Tess of the D'Urbervilles-Revisit the Shelf-Read-Jan '19
*The Tenant of Wildfell Hall-Revisit the Shelf-Read Jun '15
*Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions-Old School-Read June '20
*The Misanthrope-Short Story/Novella-Read September '18
*The Metamorphosis-Revisit the Shelf-Read April '16
*The Fall-New School-Read Mar '20
*The Picture of Dorian Gray-Revisit the Shelf-Read Jan '12
*The Book of Tea-New School-Read Apr. '20
*The Last Question-Short Story/Novella-Read Mar. '19 & Jan. 21
*The Remains of the Day-Revisit the Shelf-Read Jan. 17
*The Call of the Wild-New School-Read Jan '12 & April '20
*Goblin Market-Short Story/Novella-Read May '20-Reread June '21
*The Master and Margarita-Revisit the Shelf-Read April '21

+ Want to/ Plan to/Hope to Read in 2021 or Sometime in the Future, ✔️ did read in 2021

+Their Eyes Were Watching God, New School-
+Shirley-Quarterly Long Read-
+The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie-New School-
+Hunger-Old School-
+The Decameron-Quarterly Long Read-
+The Prince and the Pauper-Old School-
+Metamorphoses-Old School-
+Père Goriot-Old School-
✔️+The Captain's Daughter, Short Story/Novella-Read Jan. '21
✔️+The Warden, Old School-Read Feb. '21
✔️+Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Short Story/Novella-Read Jan. '21
✔️+Don Juan, Old School-Read 2/26/21
✔️+A Streetcar Named Desire, Short Story/Novella-Read 2/18/21
✔️+Fathers and Sons-Old School
✔️+Gooseberries-Short Story/Novella-Mar '21
✔️+Wives and Daughters-Old School-
✔️+Babette’s Feast-Short Story/Novella-May '21
✔️+Letters to a Young Poet-Short Story/Novella-Read May '21
✔️+Antony and Cleopatra-Old School-Read July '21
✔️+The Necklace-Short Story/Novella-Read June '21
✔️+The Gold Bug-Short Story/Novella-
✔️+A Christmas Tree-Short Story/Novella-Read Nov '21

# Don't Plan to or Want to Read Any Time Soon
#Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Old School
#I, Claudius, New School
#The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle-New School-
#Orlando-New School-
#The Unbearable Lightness of Being-Revisit the Shelf

Challenge #8 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors
6/6 Completed - 23 Total YTD
Challenge Completed 5/31/21


Seek out six (6) authors that you have never previously read, male or female, from any genre you want, but please use the group's time line insuring that authors selected books were published before the year 2000.

I came up with this challenge when I realized I had read a bunch of new authors this year, forty seven to be exact. I should have no trouble with this one.

1. Eowyn Ivey-The Snow Child
2. P.G. Wodehouse-Leave it to Jeeves
3. Stephen Vincent Benét-The Devil and Daniel Webster
4. Winston Groom-Forrest Gump
5. Burke Davis-Gray Fox: Robert E. Lee and the Civil War
6. Philippa Gregory-Changeling
-------
7. William Manchee-Black Monday


To avoid challenge duplicates the books of the new authors listed below have been used in other challenges and I hope to not count them here.

1. Alexander Pushkin-The Daughter of the Commandant, Challenge #7
2. William Blake-Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Challenge #7
3. Guy de Maupassant-The Inn, Challenge #6
4. Wallace Stegner-Angle of Repose. Challenge #3
5. May McHenry-Melinda's Humorous Story, Challenge #6
6. Ivan Turgenev-Fathers and Sons, Challenge #7
7. Donna Tartt-The Secret History, Challenge #1
8. Ellen Raskin-The Westing Game, Challenge #2
9. Rina Ramsey-Circumvented, Challenge #6
10. Sargent Kayme-A Question of Time, Challenge #6
11. Mikhail Bulgakov-The Master and Margarita, Challenge #1
12. Rainer Maria Rilke-Letters to a Young Poet, Challenge #7
13. Isak Dinesen-Babette’s Feast, Challenge #7
14. James Fenimore Cooper-The Deerslayer, Challenge #3
15. Michael Ende-The Neverending Story, Challenge #4
16. Homer-The Iliad, Challenge #4

Possibilities-All Are Copies I Own-

Kent Haruf-Plainsong
John le Carré-Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Salman Rushdie-Midnight's Children
Jaroslav Hašek-The Good Soldier Švejk
James Clavell-Shogun: A Novel of Japan
Pam Jenoff-The Orphan's Tale
Stendhal-The Red and the Black
Iris Murdoch-The Sea, The Sea, Challenge #3

Other Books of Interest
Middlemarch
Bleak House
Mary Barton
Midnight's Children
The Good Soldier Švejk

Save

I love the name of your challenge. I thought about naming my challenge something clever based on the few challenges I am attempting, but clever names did not pop into my head.

Your goal of reading books you own is exactly my goal this year. It limits me in some ways but why do I own them if I don't want to read them. Best of luck with your challenges!

Not much of a diet with 80% partaking. ;)

Laurie wrote: "I love the name of your challenge. I thought about naming my challenge something clever based on the few challenges I am attempting, but clever names did not pop into my head.

Your goal of reading..."

Thanks Laurie, I don't know about clever but it's accurate. My focus this year is to reduce my TBR. I don't think that will allow me to complete all of the challenges. I'm sure I would need to secure extra books to make it happen, and I just don't want to do that.

Katy wrote: "Not much of a diet with 80% partaking. ;)"

Closer to 30% I'm only focusing on three of the eight challenges I listed, anything else will just be tasting and nibbling.

I hear you Bob. I own 24 of 25 on my BINGO card, 6 of 12 on my Old and New, 11 of 12 on my Genre challenge and 10 of 10 on my Decade one! Of the 8 I don't own, I made sure my library carried them before I added them.

Good luck with yours Bob! Kathleen and I are planning on reading Angle of Repose next year so if you choose that, maybe we can get a buddy-read together or try to get it as a group read. I may nominate it for February.

Most of us should follow your example, Bob. Love the title of your challenge and good luck with reducing your TBR.

Well-thought challenges sounds like. Looking forward to seeing what you will select 0ff our group shelves. Enjoy!

Good luck, Bob! I'm focusing on books I already own, too.

You are wise, Bob. I learned my lesson this year, so for 2021 made sure all of my old and new were books I owned.

It's been a long time, but I remember really enjoying Shōgun. I bet you'd like it too. Such a long book has to have lots to hold your interest, and this one did!

Sue wrote: "I hear you Bob. I own 24 of 25 on my BINGO card, 6 of 12 on my Old and New, 11 of 12 on my Genre challenge and 10 of 10 on my Decade one! Of the 8 I don't own, I made sure my library carried them b..."

Sue, to only have to outsource eight books is fantastic. Of course it could be argued that your library of unread books is way too big, handy in the current circumstance, and also envy able.

I’m still in the planning stage. While my unread shelf is fairly large, I don’t hold out much hope of putting together 10 books in consecutive years or decades for the Decade/Century Challenge. As for Challenge #2 – Does a Century Make a Difference? I’ll bet good money I can’t come up with 10 books that will qualify without new purchases or hunting the library, which at present only offers curb service.

I’m confident I’ll do OK on the three I’m committed to and will take a few good size bites from the other three I plan to sample.

As for Angle of Repose, I’ve heard great things about it and I’m looking forward to starting it. If it makes the February poll it will get my vote.

Carolien wrote: "Most of us should follow your example, Bob. Love the title of your challenge and good luck with reducing your TBR."

Thanks Carolien, it just came to me while I was creating my thread.

Cynda wrote: "Well-thought challenges sounds like. Looking forward to seeing what you will select 0ff our group shelves. Enjoy!"

Still planning, but really happy so far with the books that are on my shelf that match the group shelf. All of my Old & New (challenge 1) are past group reads I can catch up on.

Philina wrote: "Good luck, Bob! I'm focusing on books I already own, too."

I have been annoyed with myself the past couple of years for not reading from the books I own. Going to change that this year.

Kathleen wrote: "You are wise, Bob. I learned my lesson this year, so for 2021 made sure all of my old and new were books I owned.

It's been a long time, but I remember really enjoying Shōgun. I b..."

Shogun: A Novel of Japan is one that has sat on my shelf for years, lots of years. It's size is intimidating and quite frankly it my well still be on my shelf next year, but I'm thinking hard about it.

What fun to see your list! I think a lot of us who tried too much last year will be watching our mid-sections this time. You have two of my favorite books of all time on your list. Please get to Home and Shōgun. I would be so surprised if you did not love them. You won't notice the length of Shogun, you will be too busy loving it.

I may be doing some re-reading this year and Angle of Repose would be high on my list of books to revisit.

Have fun, Bob, and maybe we should remind each other from time to time that it isn't the quantity, it's the quality.

Even though I will only nibble a couple of grapes, maybe a strawberry or two, I put together a list of books for challenges #2 & #5. I kinda wish I had the books, there seems to be some good choices.

I hope you can get to An Imaginary Life, Bob, I loved that book!
And The Cement Garden , I’d be interested to see what you think.

That list doesn’t look like a diet to me! Haha. Shogun was a great read as I recall. Just take the plunge and enjoy. I also enjoyed the sequel, Noble House.

I think I have to retry Shogun as an audiobook one day. I started reading it and gave it up. It wasn't a challenge book, so dnf was an option.
I think I had troubles with the writing style...to me it seemed very ponderous and slow.

Janelle wrote: "I hope you can get to An Imaginary Life, Bob, I loved that book!
And The Cement Garden , I’d be interested to see what you think."

An Imaginary Life was recommended to me last year so I placed it on my TBR. Now with your recommendation I need to be hard on the lookout for a copy. As for The Cement Garden, I haven't checked it out yet, it was one I found that fit the challenge requirements. Thanks for letting me know they are worth while.

Terry wrote: "That list doesn’t look like a diet to me! Haha. Shogun was a great read as I recall. Just take the plunge and enjoy. I also enjoyed the sequel, Noble House."

Terry, you are right I have listed some big books on this thread. I haven't fully committed to War and Peace and only listed Shogun because I own a copy and it was a poll loser.

With all the high praise I'm reading for Shogun I'm thinking hard about what to do. I'm nervous about planning three 1000+ page books for one year. Right now I think it may be best to swap W&P for Shogun and try and squeeze Kirsten Lavransdatter later in the year. War and Peace will keep, it's been on my list for years and years. Or?????

Glad I have time!

Philina wrote: "I think I have to retry Shogun as an audiobook one day. I started reading it and gave it up. It wasn't a challenge book, so dnf was an option.
I think I had troubles with the writing style...to me..."

I'm curious how many hours an audio book of that size would be, i can't imagine reading that much aloud.

Of those three books, Shogun is by far the easiest read, and probably more enjoyable to me than War and Peace, although I did enjoy that one. I tried reading Kirsten Lavransdatter once a long time ago and just couldn’t get into it. The timing may just not have been right. I might like to try again, but probably not this year. I will be interested in your review if you get that done.

War and Peace is between 55 - 61 hours on Audible's versions. And Shogun is 53 hours. That is a lot of commuting/ironing/dishwashing hours.

Great challenge. Good luck. I will keep an eye on your posting.

Terry wrote: "Of those three books, Shogun is by far the easiest read, and probably more enjoyable to me than War and Peace, although I did enjoy that one. I tried reading Kirsten Lavransdatter once a long time ..."

Terry, I thought about it and I’m going to read War and Peace. It’s just too big a bucket list book that has been a must read, or at least try and read book for decades. This year is the year I give it a go. If I have it in me for another 1000+ page book this year it will be Shogun, there has just been too many good things said to pass it by or put Kirsten Lavransdatter ahead of it, I’ll save it for another time.

Carolien wrote: "War and Peace is between 55 - 61 hours on Audible's versions. And Shogun is 53 hours. That is a lot of commuting/ironing/dishwashing hours."

Carolien, thanks for this information, it’s interesting, and insightful as to what I’m up against. Let’s assume I will average 3 hours per day reading that equals 18-20 days per book. Now let’s be realistic and know that I won’t get 3 hours per day every day, nor will I be able to read as fast as a narrator. A better estimate seems be between 22-26 days per book. Now knowing that I won’t read either straight through, I’ll read others along the way. These two books will more likely take 6-8 weeks each. I may have just shot myself in the foot, but I’ll try.

Leona wrote: "Great challenge. Good luck. I will keep an eye on your posting."

Thanks, I’ll look forward to any comments you post.

Bob, you cannot go wrong with W&P or Shogun, but I can see how you might not want to tackle them both. I will say about The Cement Garden that I hated it. I seldom give a 1-star rating, but it earned the one I gave it.

When I read W&P (and other huge books), I planned on a quarter long read. I divided the number of pages by 90 and read that number every day. It was very manageable. Plus I enjoyed the book so that helped although the war parts can drag. Best of luck on tackling this behemoth.

Bob wrote: "Carolien wrote: "War and Peace is between 55 - 61 hours on Audible's versions. And Shogun is 53 hours. That is a lot of commuting/ironing/dishwashing hours."

Carolien, thanks for this information,..."

I think I listened to one hour/day for a little over two months. That allowed me to read other books, even listen to an alternate audio book (after my 1 hour of W&P was done!) if I wanted to. Good luck! :)

Sara wrote: "Bob, you cannot go wrong with W&P or Shogun, but I can see how you might not want to tackle them both. I will say about The Cement Garden that I hated it. I seldom give a 1-star rating,..."

That’s one of the things I like about McEwan, he gets such huge variety of responses! The Cement Garden is one of his darkest books.

You know, Bob, I found War and Peace an unexpected page-turner! I hope you do too.

I too found large sections of War and Peace to be page turners. I think Bob that you too may be pleasantly surprised.

Sara wrote: "Bob, you cannot go wrong with W&P or Shogun, but I can see how you might not want to tackle them both. I will say about The Cement Garden that I hated it. I seldom give a 1-star rating,..."

Thanks Sara, I plan to start War and Peace on Jan. 1 and I hope to have it finished in seven to nine weeks. I also intend to read Shogun, I imagine it will take a little less time, but it doesn’t matter both are worthy reads.

As for The Cement Garden, it was on my radar because it fits challenge #2. It didn’t make my initial cut for the top five choices, so even if I was doing that challenge, it is not an issue this year. However, I guess at some point I will have to explore Ian McEwan, another author I haven’t heard of, sad the sheltered life I lead.

Laurie wrote: "When I read W&P (and other huge books), I planned on a quarter long read. I divided the number of pages by 90 and read that number every day. It was very manageable. Plus I enjoyed the book so that..."

Terris wrote: "Bob wrote: "Carolien wrote: "War and Peace is between 55 - 61 hours on Audible's versions. And Shogun is 53 hours. That is a lot of commuting/ironing/dishwashing hours."

Carolien, thanks for this ..."

Thanks Laurie and Terris, using your information I think I have a workable plan. Figuring 1400+- pages at 25 pages per day equals 60+- days. I'm not a fast reader and I don't know the pace of W&P until I start reading, but I think 25 pages per hour is doable.
Fingers crossed.

Janelle wrote: "Sara wrote: "Bob, you cannot go wrong with W&P or Shogun, but I can see how you might not want to tackle them both. I will say about The Cement Garden that I hated it. I seldom give a 1..."

Janelle, thanks for the info about The Cement Garden. One thing for sure is that I will have to explore McEwan.

Kathleen wrote: "You know, Bob, I found War and Peace an unexpected page-turner! I hope you do too."

Cynda wrote: "I too found large sections of War and Peace to be page turners. I think Bob that you too may be pleasantly surprised."

Thanks! Based on the plan I've come up with to read this, knowing that some of it flows smoothly helps me believe I will keep pace with my plan. The thing I hope doesn't happen it that I get bogged down and don't read others along the way, that could hurt my whole year.

I am currently reading War & Peace. It is quite good, moves along and there aren’t that many names contrary to what you might hear. Most probably read it alone & straight through but I find that if I read a bit every week, I fly through the pages and I can keep it going while reading other books. If I set it aside like I have a couple of times this year, then, I have to re-establish my momentum.

Bob, you definitely will want to read McEwan. I loved Atonement and have read some others that fell into the 3-4 star range. It is only The Cement Garden that I found horrid. It is his first novel and I was glad I hadn't started with it!

Atonement is one of my favourite books too.