Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Teri-K wrote: "Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I changed the topic name, as this fits me better, I love reading and I read to discover.

Last month ended with discovering that Republic was easier to read t..."

There's so much I want to read and know about. It's been truly amazing so far, and it's surprised me. I was a nonreader and had no idea that it would be this musch fun, though at times it's been challenging but wonderful at the same time.

Franky wrote: "Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I changed the topic name, as this fits me better, I love reading and I read to discover.

Last month ended with discovering that Republic was easier to read t..."

Thanks Franky, I hadn't realised but this is what I have been working up to.

read in October 2024

Vanessa Bell: A World of Form and Colour (Fay Blanchard; Anthony Spira) --- I like Vanessa Bell’s art, and I liked this but would have liked it more if the accompanying text had more depth. 4*
Republic (Plato; Robin Waterfield) --- I enjoyed reading this, parts of it I found challenging but I want to read this again. 4*
Tanglewood Tales (Nathaniel Hawthorne) --- I liked this more for how it told its stories then how the women were portrayed. 4*
The Dictionary People: The unsung heroes who created the Oxford English Dictionary (Sarah Ogilvie) --- Fantastic find, reading this led me to discover how it was ordinary people who helped to compile OED and others. 3*
The Penelopiad (Margaret Atwood) --- Second read, I still liked it but having read more myths, I wanted it to dig deeper as it retells The Odyssey by Homer. 3*
To Room Nineteen (Doris Lessing) --- It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by Lessing, I must correct that. 4*

read in November 2024

The journals of Sylvia Plath (Sylvia Plath) --- I wanted to read this to make up my own mind and found it to be an interesting read. 4*
Myths from Mesopotamia: creation, the flood, Gilgamesh, and others (Anonymous; Stephanie Dalley) --- The most thrilling part is to read something so very old and has miraculously survived. 4*
Square Haunting: Five Writers in London Between the Wars (Francesca Wade) --- This I found to be interesting in how it showed what writers like Dorothy L Sayers and Virginia Woolf were up against for being women. 3*

reads in Dec 2024

📖 ✅ Jamaica Inn (Daphne du Maurier) ---As a whole this didn’t gel for me but in parts this has left an impression. 3*

📖 ✅ Ringworld (Larry Niven) --- The comedy is a surprise, this isn’t perfect but there are some interesting parts to it. 3*

📖 ✅ Measure for Measure (William Shakespeare) --- A second read. Easier to read then the others, I'm thinking it's because of its small cast. 3*

📖 ✅ The Lifted Veil (George Eliot) --- I'm new to George Eliot and starting with this short, and it was a good start. 3.5*

📖 ✅ The Cambridge Companion to Sylvia Plath (Jo Gill) --- second read, this year the author I have been focusing on is Sylvia Plath. 4*

--- One of the books I've lined up to get a little more familiar with Mesopotamia.

📖 ✅ The Aeneid by Virgil (David West translation) --- this year I’ve read this twice 4*

📖 ✅ The Tale of Genji: abridged (Murasaki Shikibu; Suematsu Kencho) --- This abridged version of 224 pages, I enjoyed and gets me closer to read the unabridged novel. 4*

📖 ✅ The Castle by Fraz Kafka (narrated by Allan Corduner) another one delivered by Libby unexpectantly. 3.5*

So, I've been thinking about 2025, and it being the year that celebrates 250 years of Jane Austen, I have these lined up for next year:

--- I found this helpful last time, and it will be good to read again.

--- I’ve been wanting to come back to this one. And watching https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_a..., I think it captures the book better than https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_%... but this won’t stop me watching it.

--- A revisit, Cowper was one of Jane Austen's favourite poets. I'm not sure if I got it completely last time and trying again.

--- I'm looking forward to reading this. And watching the movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sense_a..., the screenplay is written by Emma Thompson.

--- I've been wanting to read this for some time.

--- I came across this month's back, and sounds like it could be a fun read.

I will post the rest non-Jane Austen reads as soon as I get them together.

Anisha Inkspill wrote: "So, I've been thinking about 2025, and it being the year that celebrates 250 years of Jane Austen,......"

Well cool!

2024 I focused on Sylvia Plath, 2025, Jane Austen

here's a link to my wrap up for 2024

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


other books read as year closes in

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen, but turns out to be part of a volume and listening to Emma, also by Austen.



📖 ✅ Emma - Jane Austen, dramatised adapation 3.5*


📖 ✅ Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford -- zany, and wacky, 4*

current reads incl a collection of shorts by Fay Weldon

2025 reads
============

In 2025 my target is 62 books.

I’m reading a mix of fiction and nonfiction from Classic Reads to fairly contemporary.

I tend to pick picks that challenge me. This year my main focus is Jane Austen, Bloomsbury Group, continuing with mythology, and starting / trying to read some books about science. And I’m sure there will be a lot of other books that I will distracted by on the way.



2025 reads covered in
======================
message 64 - 66 ---- fiction
message 71 - 73 ---- nonfiction

Anisha, Brief Answers by Stephen Hawkins looks good. If you interested in a buddy read, let me know.

Also I have found that Neil deGrasse Tyson has written books on similar topics and is more accessible. Much of his intended audience is young adults, but not always. Henry us a popular of science. So another option.l, if wanted

Cynda wrote: "Anisha, Brief Answers by Stephen Hawkins looks good. If you interested in a buddy read, let me know."

Hey Cynda, Happy New Year!!!

phew, will do, just ironing out the tweaks in this year's reads. And thanks for the heads up on Neil deGrasse Tyson.

I've started Doll's House by Ibsen and discovered that it's written in Dano-Norwegian, this got my attention.

Happy New Year Anisha. May you find a lovely surprise or two this year.

Sorry. If course, just let me know. My first quarter is filled up anyway.

Talk soon at a group read or buddy read during year.

Cynda wrote: "Happy New Year Anisha. May you find a lovely surprise or two this year.

Sorry. If course, just let me know. My first quarter is filled up anyway.

Talk soon at a group read or buddy read during y..."

👍📚😊

thx for archiving, I didn't realise you could do this