Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

I'm in!

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
Challenge #2 - Second Place or Worse
Challenge #3 - Decade Challenge completed 4/23/2023 ☑ Century Challenge completed 9/3/2023 ☑
Challenge #4 - Members Choice completed 4/29/2023 ☑
Challenge #5 - Short Stories 9/2/2023 ☑
Challenge #6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads 8/13/2023 ☑
Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors completed 3/27/2023 ☑
Challenge #8 - Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year
Challenge #9 – Fiction/Non-Fiction
Challenge #10 - The Half a Millennium Challenge with a Sour Lemon Twist of Difficult
Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories 9/3/1012 ☑
Challenge #12 - A-Z Author
Challenge #13 - A-Z Title


I have never finished an Old and New School Challenge. Last year I didn't even list books for it. Well, I tried to put in the lightest fun books I could think of. Perhaps I will do it this year.

Challenge #1 Old and New School Books (12 + 3 Alternates)

Old School
1. The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1851) *
2. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon (1862) *
3. The Ladies' Paradise by Émile Zola (1883)

New School
4. A Heritage of Stars by Clifford D. Simak (1977)
5. The Honorable Schoolboy by John le Carré (1977)
☑ 6. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (1995) 2/23/2023 5*

Six Wild Cards
☑ 7. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 4/9/2023 5*
8. Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery (1925)
9. Jeremy Poldark by Winston Graham (1950)
☑ 10. Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose (1957) 7/11/2023 3*
11. The Bingo Palace by Louise Erdrich (1993)
☑ 12. Blindness by José Saramago (1996) 3/29/2023 4*

Three Alternates
☑ A1 The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (1890) 11/11/2023 3*
A2 Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor (1971) *
A3 Gateway by Frederik Pohl (1977)

Books on the Group Bookshelf I have not read yet. (6)

Challenge #2 - Second Place or Worse

Go back through the groups past polls and select Four (4) total books that are of interest to you but lost the poll and to date has never made it to our group bookshelf.

New School
☑ Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (1995) 2/23/2023 5*

Old School
☑ The Life of a Good-for-nothing by Joseph von Eichendorff (1826) 4/8/2023 4*

Short Story/Novella
☑ Youth: A Narrative by Joseph Conrad (1898) 1/16/2023 4*

Quarterly Long Read
1

Challenge #3 - Decade/Century/Millennium

1950s Short Stories by Authors Who Have Won a Hugo (not necessarily for this story though)
https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/... finished 4/23/2023

☑ 1950 "Coming Attraction" by Fritz Lieber 4/12/2023 2*
☑ 1951 "Inside Earth" by Poul Anderson 4/23/2023 5*
☑ 1952 "The Martian Way" by Isaac Asimov 4/22/2023 5*
☑ 1953 "A Saucer of Loneliness" by Theodore Sturgeon 2/20/2023 5*
☑ 1954 "The Ties That Bind" by Walter M. Miller, Jr. 4/8/2023 3*
☑ 1955 "Two-handed Engine" by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore 3/31/2023 4*
☑ 1956 "A Work of Art" by James Blish 3/29/2023 5*
☑ 1957 "Postmark Ganymede" by Robert Silverberg 3/29/2023 2*
☑ 1958 "Who Can Replace a Man?" by Brian Aldiss 2/20/2023 4*
☑ 1959 "The Answer" by H. Beam Piper 2/2/2023 4*

I read these from collections I own. Most of these short stories are not listed individually on Goodreads.


A Century Challenge finished 9/3/2023

☑ 1900s The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, and The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter
☑ 1915 The 39 Steps by John Buchan 4*
☑ 1926 The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery 5*
☑ 1932 The Web of Earth by Thomas Wolfe 4*
☑ 1942 The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck 4*
☑ 1957 Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose 3*
☑ 1965 Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin 4*
☑ 1978 Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett 4*
☑ 1985 Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton (Marion Chesney) 4*
☑ 1995 Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman 5*





Planning Lists:

This plan was made last year, and I never even started! I still like the idea of each of these stories and I own copies of them so if time permits this year:

Challenge #3 - Decade/Century/Millennium Challenge Planning

1950s Golden Age of Science Fiction Decade Challenge - Short Stories (Hugo Award Winning Authors)

✅ 1950 Coming Attraction by Fritz Leiber
✅ 1951 Inside Earth by Poul Anderson
1952 Surface Tension by James Blish
1953 The Adjustment Team by Philip K. Dick
✅ 1954 The Ties That Bind by Walter M. Miller Jr.
1955 I Do Not Love Thee, Doctor Fell by Robert Bloch
1956 The Dead Past by Isaac Asimov
✅ 1957 Postmark Ganymede by Robert Silverberg
1958 The World That Couldn't Be by Clifford D. Simak
1959 Operation Haystack by Frank Herbert

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Challenge Choose one book per category/genre for a total of 12 books. completed 4/29/2023 8/12 of these texts are from the Group Bookshelf.

☑ 1. 19th Century, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1877) 3/22/2023 4*
☑ 2. 20th Century, The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck (1942) 3/2/2023 4*
☑ 3. A book originally written in a language other than your own, Blindness by José Saramago (1995) 3/29/2023 4*
☑ 4. Current or Past Group Read, A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe (1722) 2/12/2023 5*
☑ 5. An Author not read before, Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov (1925) 4/19/2023 4*
☑ 6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours. Life of a Counterfeiter by Yasushi Inoue (1949) 4/29/2023 4*
☑ 7. Science Fiction/Fantasy, Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (1995) 2/23/2023 5*
☑ 8. Action/Adventure, The 39 Steps by John Buchan (1915) 2/19/2023 4*
☑ 9. Childrens/Young Adult, One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey (1952) 4/18/2023 5*
☑ 10. Nonfiction, 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 4/9/2023 5*
☑ 11. Mystery/Thriller, Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton (1985) 3/27/2023 4*
☑ 12. Horror or Humor The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins (1879) 1/15/2023 3*

Finished 9/2/2023 ☑

This has become my favorite challenge. Two years ago the theme was Science Fiction, and last year it was 19th Century. This year the theme will be Gothic Short Stories. I can revisit some of the authors from the 19th Century but also include Edith Wharton, H.P. Lovecraft and Shirley Jackson. I will simply list them as I read them. I have already purchased American Gothic Tales and GOTHIC TALES: with an introduction by Edith Wharton


Challenge #5 - Short Story Challenge
Read 24 short stories. This equates to only two per month for the year. Read them all at once or spread them out, it's up to you.

1. Bewitched by Edith Wharton (1926) 1/17/2023 3*
2. The Town Poor by Sarah Orne Jewett (1890) 1/30/2023 5* - not really very Gothic LOL just in a collection.
3. The Apparition by Guy de Maupassant (1883) 2/1/2023 3*
4. He by H.P. Lovecraft (1926) 2/21/2023 4*
5. "They" by Rudyard Kipling (1904) 2/25/2023 4*
6. The Romance of Certain Old Clothes by Henry James (1868) 3/18/2023 3*
7. The Traveller's Story of a Terribly Strange Bed by Wilkie Collins (1852) 3/25/2023 4*
8. The Outsider by H.P. Lovecraft (1926) 3/25/2023 3*
9. Children of the Corn by Stephen King (1977) 4/23/2023 2*
10. The Boarded Window by Ambrose Bierce (1891) 4/29/2023 2*
11. Memoirs of a Yellow Dog by O. Henry (1906) 4/29/2023 4* - not Gothic, just fun.
12. The Doom of the Griffiths by Elizabeth Gaskell (1858) 5/12/2023 5*
13 Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin (1965) 5/23/2023 4*
14. Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1835) 5/23/2023 4*
15. Blackberry Winter by Robert Penn Warren (1946) 6/2/2023 4* (Southern Gothic)
16. Looking For Mr. Green by Saul Bellow (1951) 6/3/2023 4*
17. The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (1894) 6/5/2923 4*
18. The Man Who Could Work Miracles by H.G. Wells (1898) 6/5/2023 5*
19. "The Lovely House" by Shirley Jackson (1950) 6/7/2023 3*
20. The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Andersen (1845) 6/7/2023 4*
21. How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy (1886) 7/10/2023 4*
22. The Damned Thing by Ambrose Bierce (1894) 7/29/2023 5*
23. The Bear: Short Story by William Faulkner (1952) 8/13/2023 4*
24. The Web of Earth by Thomas Wolfe (1932) 9/2/2023 4*

Challenge 6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads Challenge
The challenge is to read 12 total books from this year's group poll winners or Buddy Reads, in any combination.

✅ Finished 8/13/2023

✅ 1. The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins (1879) 1/15/2023 3*
✅ 2. The 39 Steps by John Buchan (1915) 2/19/2023 4*
✅ 3. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1877) 3/22/2023 4*
✅ 4. The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck (1942) 3/2/2023 4*
✅ 5. Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov (1925) 4/19/2023 4*
✅ 6. "Children of the Corn" by Stephen King (1977) 4/23/2023 2*
✅ 7. The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (1894) 6/5/2023 4*
✅ 8. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (1595) 6/16/2023 5*
✅ 9. How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy (1886) 7/10/2023 4*
✅ 10. Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose (1957) 7/11/2023 3*
✅ 11. Medea by Euripides (432) 7/23/2023 3*
✅ 12. The Bear: Short Story by William Faulkner (1952) 8/13/2023 4*

Additional Group Reads
✅ 13. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne (1926) 10/21/2023 5*
✅ 14. The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (1890) 11/11/2023 3*
✅ 15. The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol (1831) 12/15/2023 4*

Buddy Reads
✅ 1. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (1926) 9/3/2023 5*

This year I want to concentrate on reading unread books from our Group bookshelf as well so here is a little personal extension:

Twelve Books from the Group Bookshelf Prior to 2023
✅ 1. A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe (1722) 2/12/2023 5*
✅ 2. Blindness by José Saramago (1995) 3/29/2023 4*
✅ 3. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 4/9/2023 5*
✅ 4. Summer by Edith Wharton (1917) 5/13/2023 4* (reread)
✅ 5. Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë (1847) 5/29/2023 5*
✅ 6. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870) 12/29/2023 5*
7.
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12.

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

Seek out at least six (6) authors that you have never previously read, from any genre or era you want.

✅ 1. The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins 1/15/2023 3*
✅ 2. The 39 Steps by John Buchan (1915) 2/19/2023 4*
✅ 3. "A Saucer of Loneliness" by Theodore Sturgeon 2/20/2023 (1958) 2/20/2023 5*
✅ 4. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (1995) 2/23/2023 5*
✅ 5. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1877) 3/22/2023 4*
✅ 6. Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton (1985) 3/27/2023 4*

M. C. Beaton is the pen name of Marion Chesney.

✅ 7. Blindness by José Saramago (1995) 3/29/2023 4*
✅ 8. The Life of a Good-For-Nothing by Joseph von Eichendorff (1826) 4/8/2023 4*
✅ 9. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 4/9/2023 5*
✅ 10 "Coming Attraction" by Fritz Lieber 4/12/2023 2*
✅ 11. Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov (1925) 4/19/2023 4*
✅ 12. Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story John Jakes (1985) 4/19/2023 4*
✅ 13. Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë (1847) 5/29/2023 5*
✅ 14. Blackberry Winter by Robert Penn Warren (1946) 6/2/2023 4*
✅ 15. Looking For Mr. Green by Saul Bellow (1951) 6/3/2023 4*
✅ 16. The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (1894) 6/5/2923 4*
✅ 17. The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves (1999) 7/5/2023 4*
✅ 18. Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose (1957) 7/11/2023 3*
✅ 19. Medea by Euripides (432) 7/23/2023 3*
✅ 20. Yesterday's Son by A.C. Crispin (Ann Crispin) (1983) 8/12/2023 5*
✅ 21. The Family Under the Bridge: A Newbery Honor Award Winner by Natalie Savage Carlson (1958) 8/30/2023 4*
✅ 22. The Web of Earth by Thomas Wolfe 9/2/2023 4*
✅ 23. The Virginian by Owen Wister (1902) 11/26/2023 5*
✅ 24. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (1764) 12/18/2023 4*

This new one looks like fun!!

Challenge #8 –Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year
Locate and list 10 books that most interest you from the year of your choice. The challenge is to read five 5 books from that list. You can use the year of your birth, the birth year of a family member, or friend, or any random year you choose.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/popula...


1977
1. Children of the Corn by Stephen King 4/23/2023


Planning
A Heritage of Stars by Clifford D. Simak
Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper This is book #5 from The Dark is Rising Series
The Honorable Schoolboy by John le Carré
Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven
and to fill out the five
Gateway by Frederik Pohl

I know I can list some alternates. Maybe I will find a few more to add.

Oliver's Story by Erich Segal
Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary

Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories finished 9/3/2023

Select five categories of your choice or use some of these sample categories. Once you make your category selections, link the categories by finding and reading an Old School (1899 or older) and a New School book (1900-1999) that contains some part or is all about your selected categories. It will be more interesting and more varied if you come up with your own categories.

1. Plague
Old School A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe (1722)
New School Blindness by José Saramago (1995)

2. British Mysteries
Old School The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins (1879)
New School Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton (1985)

3. Religious Zealotry Horror or When the Devil Visits! Now that's a theme I never expected to find.
Old School Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1835)
New School Children of the Corn by Stephen King (1977)

4. Madness and Murder
Old School Medea by Euripides (432)
New School The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves (1999)

5. ...And they lived happily ever after.
Old School The Life of a Good-for-nothing by Joseph von Eichendorff (1826)
New School The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (1926)

Challenge #12 - A-Z Author Challenge


A Isaac Asimov
B John Buchan
C Wilkie Collins
D Daniel Defoe
E Euripides
F Ken Follett
G Elizabeth Gaskell
H Alice Hoffman
I Yasushi Inoue
J Sarah Orne Jewett
K Henry Kuttner
L H.P. Lovecraft
M Walter M. Miller Jr.
N
O O. Henry
P Beatrix Potter
Q
R Reginald Rose
S Theodore Sturgeon
T Leo Tolstoy
U
V Joseph von Eichendorff
W Edith Wharton
Below Only One Letter Needed for Successful Challenge
X
Y
Z

Challenge #13 - A-Z Title Challenge


A Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë
B Blindness by José Saramago
C The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
D The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky
E Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett
F The Family Under the Bridge: A Newbery Honor Award Winner by Natalie Savage Carlson
G
H The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins
I Inside Earth by Poul Anderson
J A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe
K
L The Life of a Good-For-Nothing by Joseph von Eichendorff
M The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck
N The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol
O One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
P Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Q
R The Romance of Certain Old Clothes by Henry James
S A Saucer of Loneliness by Theodore Sturgeon - short story
T The Town Poor by Sarah Orne Jewett
U
V The Virginian by Virginia Woolf
W The Web of Earth by Thomas Wolfe
Below Only One Letter Needed for Successful Challenge
X
Y Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Z

Personal Challenge - More British authors

1 The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins (1879) 1/15/2023 3*
2 "Youth" by Joseph Conrad (1898) 1/18/2023 4*
3 A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe (1722) 2/12/2023 5*
4 "They" by Rudyard Kipling (1904) 2/25/2023 4*
5 "Who Can Replace a Man" by Brian Aldiss (1958) 2252023 4*
6 The 39 Steps by John Buchan (1915) 2/19/2023 4*
7 Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett (1978) 3/14/2023 4*
8 "The Traveller's Story of a Terribly Strange Bed" by Wilkie Collins (1852) 4* 3/25/2023
9 Death of a Gossip (Hamish MacBeth #1) (1985) by M. C. Beaton 4* 3/27/2023
10 "Doom of the Griffiths" by Elizabeth Gaskell (1858) 5/12/2023 5*
11 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (1847) 5/29/2023 5*
12 "The Man Who Could Work Miracles" by H. G. Wells (1898) 6/5/2023 5*
13 A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (1595) 6/16/2023 5*
14-16 The Crow Trap (Vera Stanhope #1) by Ann Cleeves (1999) 4* 7/5/2023
17 The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, and the Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter
18 Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne (1926) 5* 10/21/2023
19 The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle (1890) 11/11/2023 3*
20 The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (1764) 12/18/2023 4*

Lynn, I have been a fan of short stories forever. Here is a list that are worth reading. You may have already read them, but I hope there are a couple that you will find interesting.
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas
There Will Come Soft Rains
2BR02B
The Rocking-Horse Winner
A Jury Of Her Peers
The Monkey's Paw
A Horseman in the Sky
Youth: A Narrative
The Story of the Other Wise Man

Sorry, I did say I was a big fan of short stories.

Great planning, Lynn! I'm very excited about your gothic short stories. I'm also taking not of Bob's list! And your decade of Sci Fi looks great--I haven't read any of them.

I'm going to enjoy following your challenges. Have fun!

Bob says: Lynn, I have been a fan of short stories forever. Here is a list that are worth reading. You may have already read them, but I hope there are a couple that you will find interesting


Thank you Bob. LOL We must both have good taste. There are two from your list I have not read yet. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas and Youth: A Narrative. I should get to those soon.

I’m looking forward to your gothic short stories, Lynn and your sci-fi decade looks great too! Good luck with it all :)

Lynn wrote: "Bob says: Lynn, I have been a fan of short stories forever. Here is a list that are worth reading. You may have already read them, but I hope there are a couple that you will find interesting..."

Lynn, both stories are better than good. When finished with Omelas, I hoped if confronted with similar I would be one to walk away. I found Youth to be exceptional. Maybe, because as an older man I am able to look back at my own youth, both the good and the bad.

I just finished by first group book of the year The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins. It was OK 3 stars. I can now say I have read this author and perhaps I will read one of his other books that people say are better sometime. This book can go in so many places! I think I will use it in New Authors and Group Reads. It is already in Bingo. Perhaps it will end up somewhere else as well!

Bob wrote: "Lynn, I have been a fan of short stories forever. Here is a list that are worth reading. You may have already read them, but I hope there are a couple that you will find interesting.
[book:The Ones..."

Bob I just read "Youth" by Joseph Conrad. It is an amazing story, well-written. I gave it 4* which is very good. Thanks for the recommendation!

I read a short story Bewitched by Edith Wharton (1926) 3*. I know it is very soon to want to abandon my Gothic theme for the short stories, but I am considering it. Mostly I chose the theme because of the sheer volume of unread Gothic resources that could easily be found.

I bought a couple of collections of Gothic short stories. I know I do not like modern horror at all. I thought the older Victorian Gothic might be better for me, but now I wonder. The only part of this story I found interesting was the ambiguity at the end. I think Wharton left enough clues that although there was assumed to be a ghost perhaps it was really a human phenomenon after all. That possibility was interesting to me. This story did have the same dark, gloomy atmosphere found in Ethan Frome.

I have discussed The 39 Steps by John Buchan in a few places, so I won't go into detail here other than to say I gave it 4*. It could have fit in so many challenges! I ended up using it on numbers 4, 6, 7 and 12! It is a group read, a thriller, a new author, and his name fit the A-Z challenge!

I have a few things I am focusing on this year. 1. I want to read more British authors so check. 2. I want to up my percentage of Group Bookshelf books, because that dipped a bit in the last few years. 3. This one is hard to put into words, but basically I want the reading to be fun. I want lighter, popular works that don't seem to be preaching to me or stirring up a controversy just for the sake of argument. Also, last year I read three murder novels which were psychological studies. Maybe a little less of those. There are fun classics. I have had enough "angry reads" for a bit and am looking for fun and uplifting things with less outrage.

Oh my, I am with you, Lynn. I am trying to keep a bit of fun in it. Wishing you all the success in the world. BTW, I used 39 steps in several categories too. Always nice when it works out that way.

I can certainly get behind lighter enjoyable reading. This year is at least starting off better than last year. My reading is a little faster and my selections have so far been page turners. Don’t forget Nevil Shute for your British authors. As for 39 Steps, I read it in 2020 and I'm sure I used it for that year’s challenges. This year’s comments have been great.

It's a little bit harder to find, but for a light enjoyable classic, I recommend Four Days' Wonder by A.A. Milne. Such a fun story, full of Milne's usual wit. He's known for his children's books, but has a lot more than that to offer as well. Plus, he's a British author!

Wobbley wrote: "It's a little bit harder to find, but for a light enjoyable classic, I recommend Four Days' Wonder by A.A. Milne. Such a fun story, full of Milne's usual wit. He's kn..."

A.A.Milne is wonderful. Thanks for this.

I just completed my first Challenge #7 New Authors. I read the following authors. The texts were a mix of short stories and novels. I liked the writing of each of these authors and would be willing to read another book by any of them.


Wilkie Collins
Alice Hoffman
John Buchan
Theodore Sturgeon
Fyodor Dostoevsky
M.C. Beaton

Congrats on finishing the challenge, Lynn! Looks like a lovely handful of new authors. I've only tried two of these, but am very curious about Alice Hoffman.

Thanks Kathleen. I really had fun reading Practical Magic. I have even purchased the next book in the series.

Congratulations! I'm glad you enjoyed all the new authors you read. I've heard a lot about the Agatha Raisin series, so I guess I'll add M.C. Beaton to my list.

Congrats Lynn, Collins is a favorite.

Congrats, Lynn. I also love Collins, so very glad you have now sampled him. I need to read Hoffman, because I did very much enjoy a short-story she wrote.

Well done! (from another Wilkie Collins admirer...)

I just finished Blindness by José Saramago. It seems to fit everywhere so let's just say I used it for all the challenges. LOL. Well almost. I wrote a somewhat lengthy review if anyone is interested. I ended with 4 stars. The writing style was interesting. The story was unlike anything I had ever read. The characters were compelling. And then he soured the whole thing by being too graphic. I wish authors would realize that this makes their books worse not better. It detracts rather than adds.

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

I have just put two pairs of books into the Old School / New School comparison Challenge. The fun part of this challenge for me is to compare and contrast.

1. Plague
Old School A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe
New School Blindness by José Saramago

I gave Journal 5* and Blindness 4*. The two books have little in common other than the theme of plagues. Defoe's work is historical fiction written 50 years or more after the event of the London Plague of 1665. Yet, his story reads as if it is an eyewitness journal. It is almost like a newpaper report and includes statistics. The stories of the people were compelling and the details of daily life of the time were interesting.

Blindness on the other hand is completely different. It is speculative fiction that is told with little to no punctuation. There are few details and descriptions since most of what happens is a stream of consciousness type dialog between characters. Thoughts and words are intermingled and rarely attributed to just one person. This is a unique style that emphasizes the commonality of the characters' experience. It does become graphic about smells, disgusting sewage problems and violence. That is something Defoe never did.

2. British Mysteries
Old School The Haunted Hotel: A Mystery of Modern Venice by Wilkie Collins
New School Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton


Both books coincidentally featured vacations and hotels prominently. Both were chatty, fun, light and tending to focus on flirting young people in spite of the murder element. Both had broken hearts and unfaithful lovers. These books were surprisingly similar. The differences were setting, Scotland fishing vs. Venice, and the women in the Beaton book were more modern in their behavior. I liked both quite a lot and gave each a 4* rating.

Lynn wrote: "I have just put two pairs of books into the Old School / New School comparison Challenge. The fun part of this challenge for me is to compare and contrast.

1. Plague
Old School [book:A Journal of ..."

I gave Death of a Gossip 5 stars. If your other books are as good as the former, then I need to glance at your finds and bookish discoveries. :)

Luffy wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I have just put two pairs of books into the Old School / New School comparison Challenge. The fun part of this challenge for me is to compare and contrast.

1. Plague
Old School [book:..."



I watched the BBC series Hamish MacBeth and just really like the characters. I think the book version of Officer Hamish is even more endearing than the television version.

I have Blindness on Old and New reading list for this year. Nice to know it rates 4 stars.

Bob wrote: "I have Blindness on Old and New reading list for this year. Nice to know it rates 4 stars."

I hope you like it. I am on vacation so I could read uninterruptedly. I started it at about 10 AM one morning and almost finished by bedtime. The next day I had about an hour of reading left. Of course, being on vacation I was also puttering around the house. It definitely held my attention, and I wanted see what happened next.

Lynn wrote: "Luffy wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I have just put two pairs of books into the Old School / New School comparison Challenge. The fun part of this challenge for me is to compare and contrast.

1. Plague
Old..."

Yes I agree, Robert Carlyle wasn't the ultimate Macbeth. Someone like Tennant would have fitted the role better.

I just read a book I really loved 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 5*, I wrote about it in my Bingo thread and revived the thread in the Short Story Collection. It is my favorite book so far this year. If you have not read it yet, it is just charming. It was a group read in Nov. 2020 and I have put it off until now.

Lynn wrote: "I just read a book I really loved 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 5*, I wrote about it in my Bingo thread and revived the thread in the Short Story Collec..."

I remember giving CCR 5 stars, but it didn't survive the test of time in the reckoning of my time on GR. There are about 10 or 12 books that likewise gained 5 stars but would be downgraded if reread. That said, I'm of course happy that you liked the book so much.

Lynn wrote: "I just read a book I really loved 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 5*, I wrote about it in my Bingo thread and revived the thread in the Short Story Collection. It is my favorite book so far this year."

Oh, congratulations! Isn't that a wonderful feeling, finishing a book and feeling its the best of the year?

Lynn wrote: "I just read a book I really loved 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 5*, I wrote about it in my Bingo thread and revived the thread in the Short Story Collec..."

I adore 84, Charing Cross Road. I reread it every few years. Whenever I get a chance I walk past the blue plaque on the site where the bookshop used to be. I managed to do that 2 weeks ago when I was in London for meetings. The bookshop is no longer there, so I settled for Foyles!

I hate that the bookstore is not still there, but this book means it will never be forgotten. So much to love about the book and the kindness and loveliness of people.

Carolien wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I just read a book I really loved 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 5*, I wrote about it in my Bingo thread and revived the thread in the Short..."

Foyles would always rank as 2nd compared to quite some bookshops.

Luffy wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I just read a book I really loved 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 5*, I wrote about it in my Bingo thread and revived the thread in the Short..."

Heehee Luffy. In my part of the world CCR isn't a lovely book about New York and London; it's a band Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Lynn wrote: "Luffy wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I just read a book I really loved 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 5*, I wrote about it in my Bingo thread and revived the threa..."

Bravest name I ever heard for a band, though I don't know its other merits. Have a nice day!

Lynn wrote: "Luffy wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I just read a book I really loved 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970) 5*, I wrote about it in my Bingo thread and revived the threa..."

Oh Lynn, that's so funny! And I've seen John Fogerty in concert! I highly recommend CCR -- band AND book!! haha!

I have finished my Decade Challenge. I read Science Fiction short stories. I really have fun with these. Next year I might make the longer 24 Short Stories Challenge Science Fiction again. There are so many left I have not read. Also, I have tried to read some Gothic short stories. I thought it would be a fun theme, but I just like Science Fiction better. There is an optimism to the brand of Science Fiction I like, and Gothic short stories are falling a little flat

Lynn wrote: "I have finished my Decade Challenge. I read Science Fiction short stories. I really have fun with these. Next year I might make the longer 24 Short Stories Challenge Science Fiction again. There ar..."

Congrats on completing your challenge, Lynn! You have the rest of the year for other books now :)