Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Reserved

✔️B1: Book Published 1950 - 1999 - The Rainbow and the Rose, 1958
✔️B2: Classic written in your native language - The Age of Innocence
✔️B3 : Classic Science or Philosophy - The Magic Mountain
✔️B4: Classic Banned Book - Midnight's Children
✔️B5: A Classic NOT on Our Bookshelf that Should be There - The Jungle

✔️I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2022 - Mary Barton, January 2020
✔️I2: New-To-You Classic Author - Jorge Luis Borges, The Library of Babel
✔️I3: Classic Drama or Play - Our Town
✔️B1 I4: Classic Over 500 pages - The Old Curiosity Shop, 576 pages
✔️I5: Literary Prize or Your Country or Region - New Berry Metal 1970-Sounder

✔️N1: Classic Involving Music - Coming Through Slaughter
✔️N2: Classic Mythology or Folklore - The Odyssey
✔️N3: Free Space - A Gentleman in Moscow
✔️N4: Classic Poetry or Essay Collection - Flame and Shadow
✔️N5: Classic by an Author from a Country you didn’t Read in 2021-The Wreath by Sigrid Undset, Denmark

✔️G1 Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize-Booker Prize 1990-Possession
✔️G2: Book from a group poll during your birthday month - The Way West, New School August 2016
✔️G3: Classic Tragedy - Medea
✔️G4: Group Bingo Participant Pick - Their Eyes Were Watching God, Recommended by Kathleen, 4/25/19, Her Post
✔️G5: Book from the Group’s 2022 Bookshelf - Carmilla, January 2022

✔️O1: Book Published before 1900 - The Purloined Letter, 1844
✔️O2: Children’s Classic - Ralph S. Mouse
✔️O3: Classic Short Story Collection - The House of Pride and Other Tales of Hawaii
✔️O4: Classic in translation - Cyrano de Bergerac
✔️O5: Book Published 1900 - 1949 - The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber and Other Stories, 1936

Completed 25/25

Book Covers


B1- B2- B3- B4- B5-

I1- I2- I3- I4- I5-

N1- N2- N3- N4- N5-

G1- G2- G3- G4- G5-

O1- O2- O3- O4- O5-

Author Photos


B1- B2- B3- B4- B5-

I1- I2- I3- ] I4- I5-

N1- N2- N3- N4- N5-

G1- G2- G3- G4- G5-

O1- O2- O3- O4- O5-

Looking forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve this year, Bob! Happy 2022 Reading! :)

I think several people are planning to read Their Eyes were Watching God. I read that long ago. And ever since I have been trying read more Zora Neale Hurston. . . . Enjoy.

Interesting picks so far, Bob. Such a good point about The Jungle belonging on our shelves (I need to re-read it but am a little afraid). I'm happy to see The Wreath--I think you will enjoy that. Have fun!

Terris wrote: "Looking forward to seeing what you have up your sleeve this year, Bob! Happy 2022 Reading! :)"

Thanks Terris, I'm still planning, not sure if I have the ace of spades up my sleeve, we'll see. Still have about half of my squares left to plan.

Cynda wrote: "I think several people are planning to read Their Eyes were Watching God. I read that long ago. And ever since I have been trying read more Zora Neale Hurston. . . . Enjoy."

Cynda, I have had Their Eyes Were Watching God on a past challenge and failed to read it. It has been on my TBR for a long time, I hope this forces me to finally read it. I have heard mostly good about this book, but also alot about problems with the dialect.

Kathleen wrote: "Interesting picks so far, Bob. Such a good point about The Jungle belonging on our shelves (I need to re-read it but am a little afraid). I'm happy to see The Wreath--I thi..."

Kathleen, The Jungle has been on my list for years. I’m a little timid about giving it a read. It’s kind of a bucket list read, one I should read but easy to put off because of a just or unjust perception it's difficult. The Wreath along with the whole Kristin Lavransdatter series I have heard nothing but good, so I’m going to give it a go.

Jillian ❀‿❀ wrote: "I'm interested in read God's Little Acre as well. Best wishes with this, Bob!"

Jillian, this will be my second book by Erskine Caldwell. Fingers crossed it turns out OK.

I need a little advise. The Way West was read by several members last year and all spoke highly about it. I happened to find a copy and set on my shelf, now I notice it is the second book in a series. I need to know does it stand alone, or should I read The Big Sky first? I have several other books I can substitute for the G2 square. Thanks.

I think you will be fine, Bob. A few of our Buddy Read participants did them in that order and they loved both books. I would read The Way West first, and then back read The Big Sky. I think you will enjoy both books more in that order. I read The Big Sky first and didn’t appreciate it as much until I read The Way West.

Jillian ❀‿❀ wrote: "Bob wrote: "Cynda, I have had Their Eyes Were Watching God on a past challenge and failed to read it. It has been on my TBR for a long time, I hope this forces me to finally read it. I have heard m..."

Thanks Jillian, I’m encouraged.

Jillian ❀‿❀ wrote: "Bob wrote: "Jillian ❀‿❀ wrote: "I'm interested in read God's Little Acre as well. Best wishes with this, Bob!"

Jillian, this will be my second book by Erskine Caldwell. Fingers crossed it turns ou..."

I found Caldwell to be a good writer. Tobacco Road was smooth reading. Caldwell just aggravated me with his less than savory depiction of poor southern sharecroppers, both sets of my grandparents were sharecroppers.

Bob, for most of my life I have lived in a place where the American South meets the American Southwest and for a while lived in the Deep South. So if the dialect does become an issue for your read of the novel, run the term or phrase by me, let me see what I can make of it. Always glad to give and receive help.

Better yet Bob, tell me what chapter you are reading from so that I can find what you looking at and puzzling over (lol dialect here) in an online copy I have access to on Scribd.

Bob wrote: "I need a little advise. The Way West was read by several members last year and all spoke highly about it. I happened to find a copy and set on my shelf, now I notice it is the second ..."

Bob, I ditto what Terry says here. I was one who read The Way West first and then The Big Sky. In no way did it hurt the flow or take away from either book. I'm just so very happy to see another reader of this wonderful series!! Enjoy it!

Great looking list so far, Bob. Always good to see what you plan to read, and what you read.

Lori wrote: "Bob wrote: "I need a little advise. The Way West was read by several members last year and all spoke highly about it. I happened to find a copy and set on my shelf, now I notice it is..."

Terry wrote: "I think you will be fine, Bob. A few of our Buddy Read participants did them in that order and they loved both books. I would read The Way West first, and then back read The Big Sky. I think you wi..."

Thanks, I am looking forward to reading this. I may make it book number one come January.

Cynda wrote: "Bob, for most of my life I have lived in a place where the American South meets the American Southwest and for a while lived in the Deep South. So if the dialect does become an issue for your read ..."

Cynda wrote: "Better yet Bob, tell me what chapter you are reading from so that I can find what you looking at and puzzling over (lol dialect here) in an online copy I have access to on Scribd."

Thanks for the offer, no wonder this is the best group on Goodreads,

Jillian ❀‿❀ wrote: "Bob wrote: "I found Caldwell to be a good writer. Tobacco Road was smooth reading. Caldwell just aggravated me with his less than savory depiction of poor southern sharecroppers, both sets of my gr..."

I appreciate you sharing this information, Thank you.

Katy wrote: "Great looking list so far, Bob. Always good to see what you plan to read, and what you read."

Thanks Katy, the planning is always fun, the execution can sometimes be difficult.

Good start on your planning. I am another that read The Way West first and then The Big Sky, and I was glad I did them out of order. You are going to like this series. I also loved Kristin Lavransdatter and I will be very interested in what you think of it. Another year of fun.

Just finishing up The Wife and the series does not disappoint. The writing is great and the story just flows...enjoy them!

Sara wrote: "Good start on your planning. I am another that read The Way West first and then The Big Sky, and I was glad I did them out of order. You are going to like this series. I also loved Kristin Lavransd..."

Thanks Sara, I enjoy the planning, but it can be difficult trying to decide what to read. It is fortunate that we can make changes. Even now, before I even finish a complete bingo list I’m gong to make a change to I4: Classic Over 500 pages. I have wanted to read The Winds of War for years. I have also wanted to read The Lord of the Rings. The difference is I have wanted to read Rings for decades rather than years, so this year for sure, it will be Lord of the Rings.

Thanks also for the additional conformation that The Way West is a standalone book. I was worried, it is a book I am looking forward to, but didn’t know it was a series. I am seriously thinking about making it book one for 2022.

Susie wrote: "Just finishing up The Wife and the series does not disappoint. The writing is great and the story just flows...enjoy them!"

Thanks Susie, it never hurts to get positive feedback about a book, especially one I know nothing about, other than the good words written by others. If I get by The Wreath, I will read the rest of the series.

Well as of now I have gone as far as I can go with my planning. I'm stuck on G3, but I have all year. Now it is time to try and set up a buffet meal.

Jillian ❀‿❀ wrote: "Bob wrote: "I have also wanted to read The Lord of the Rings. The difference is I have wanted to read Rings for decades rather than years, so this year for sure, it will be Lord of the Rings."

You..."

Jillian, this has been with me for years and I always set it aside, size, I guess. When you hear “one of the best I have ever read, it makes it much easier to go ahead and give it a go, thanks,

I guess I have done all the planning I can for now. I can almost guarantee changes will likely occur, but for now I' ready. I have at least one book planned per square, except for G3: Classic Tragedy and G4: Group Bingo Participant Pick. Next year promises us nothing, but we can hope for a lot. I’m hoping for a good year!

Fast start!

Lena wrote: "Fast start!"

Yep, Bob must have something else to do after January ;,>)

Lena wrote: "Fast start!"

Wayne wrote: "Lena wrote: "Fast start!"

Yep, Bob must have something else to do after January ;,>)"

Not really as fast as it might look. Other than Odyssey, which I am still reading and will be for a while, the others are novella in length. Two of those are children’s books able to be read in hours rather than days. Jack London is one of my favorite authors and I love reading his short stories.

I do have a slight cheat going on with Flame and Shadow. I learned about this book last year when I read There Will Come Soft Rains by Ray Bradbury. Learning that it was based on the poem by Sara Teasdale I got a copy of the poems and read soft rain and a few others before putting it away for reading this year.

I think things will slow down when I start some of the bigger reads, like The Lord of the Rings 1200+ pages.

School starts over here in two weeks time, which will slow me down significantly. I hope to tick off a few this month though, because I did poorly in the buffet last year. I read both Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Bridal Wreath last year, and scored both high. Hope you enjoy it too. And maybe we will both read Roddy Doyle this year.

You are off to a great start with 6 done already, Bob! I plan on reading Possession and The Wreath this year and may use your categories for them.

I am so glad to see you may be reading The Way West!

Wayne wrote: "School starts over here in two weeks time, which will slow me down significantly. I hope to tick off a few this month though, because I did poorly in the buffet last year. I read both [book:Their E..."

Going back to work will surely slow down reading, but how else can we afford to buy our books. I have never heard of Roddy Doyle, I will have to check him out, thanks.

Sue wrote: "You are off to a great start with 6 done already, Bob! I plan on reading Possession and The Wreath this year and may use your categories for them.

I am so glad to see you..."

Thanks Sue, I am looking forward to both Possesion and The Wreath, but it will be later in the year for them. I hope to read The Way West before the end of next month, I've heard to many good things to let it sit to long.

Bob wrote: "Wayne wrote: "School starts over here in two weeks time, which will slow me down significantly. I hope to tick off a few this month though, because I did poorly in the buffet last year. I read both..."

Well, The Commitments did not make it to your Bingo sheet, but yeah, I will give you a nudge in his direction

You're off to a great start, Bob! I loved Possession in 2021, but it needs time. Enjoy!

I'm delighted you are going to read The Way West soon. I do hope you find it satisfying. I loved Possession and The Wreath. I think you are about to have a great year of reading.

BTW, Wayne has now caused me to add another to the TBR. I can't even read comments on your thread without being at risk. :o)

Sara wrote: "I'm delighted you are going to read The Way West soon. I do hope you find it satisfying. I loved Possession and The Wreath. I think you are about to have a great year of reading.

BTW..."

Well Sara, according to GR, we have an 80% overlap in taste for the books we have rated. So the odds are on that you will have enjoy a great read (knock on wood). The Commitments is one book where I recommend that prospective readers watch the movie too.

Brilliant start, already!

Blackout!! I didn't think I would make it.

Congrats! Well done. You had some great reads in there, including a favorite of mine, A Gentleman in Moscow.

Congratulations, Bob! You have an amazing variety of genres in this one.

Congratulations :O)
Looks like a great board!

Congratulations, Bob. I had Medea on my list of possibilities too. I will have reread someday. . . .Well done!

Congratulations! It’s a great list so of course I added a couple to my Mt TBR. Thanks!

Congratulations on your Blackout!! It is such a nice feeling of accomplishment. Enjoy.

Congrats, Bob!!