Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

I've been tossing back and forth about whether to try the Buffet again this year. So here I am. No harm nor fowl in giving it a go. It would be a regretful thing if I didn't at least try!

💙💙💙💙Challenge #1 - New & Old TBRcompleted 11-4-23

Challenge #3 - Decade/Century/Millennium

💙💙💙💙Challenge #4 - Members Choice Completed 5-2-23

Challenge #5 - Short Story

💙💙💙💙Challenge #6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads completed 5-19-23 7 group reads and 5 buddy reads

💙💙💙💙Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors completed 2-18-23

Challenge #8 - Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year

Challenge #9 – Fiction/Non-Fiction

Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge
🌟🌟🌟🌟Completed 11-4-23💙💙💙💙

1899 and earlier/Old School
✅1. Dr. Thorne (own)finished 3-5-23 5 stars
✅2. The Mayor of Casterbridge (own)finished 6-8-23 4 stars
✅3. Pride and Prejudice (own) finished 10-22-23 5 stars


1900-1999/New School
✅4. The Ox-Bow Incident (own) finished 1-4-23 5 stars
✅5. The Summer Book finished 5-25-23 4 stars
✅6. The Handmaid's Tale finished 2-21-23 5 stars

My Wild Card Six
✅7. Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont(kindle) finished 2-14-23 4 stars
✅8. Leaving Cheyenne(kindle)finished 11-4-23 3 stars
9. Madam, Will You Talk?(kindle)
✅10. The Blue Castle (kindle) finished 9-8-23 t stars
✅11. The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War (own) finished 4-13-23 5 stars
✅12. The Judas Field: A Novel of the Civil War (own) finished 5-19-23 5 stars

Alternates
A-1. The Fighter (own)
✅A-2.The Outsiders (own) finished 4-21-23 4 stars
A-3.A Long and Happy Life (own)

Challenge #3 - Decade/Century/Millennium Challenge

I will do the Decade Challenge and am thinking to do 1980.

✅1980- Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson finished 4-24-23 4 stars
1981-Good Night, Mr. Tom - Michelle Magorian or Follow the River - James Alexander Thom
✅1982-The Women of Brewster Place -Gloria Naylor finished 2-17-23 3 stars
1983-The Woman in Black - Susan Hill
1984-Love Medicine - Louise Erdrich
✅1985-The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood finished 2-21-23 5 stars
1986-The Prince of Tides - Pat Conroy
1987-The Bonfire of the Vanities - Tom Wolfe
1988-Breathing Lessons - Anne Tyler
1989-The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Challenge
🌟🌟🌟🌟Completed 5-2-23💙💙💙💙
Choose one book per category/genre for a total of 12 books.

✅1. 19th Century,The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens
✅2. 20th Century, The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark finished 1-4-23
✅3. A book originally written in a language other than your own, A Simple Heart by Gustave Flaubert
✅4. Current or Past Group Read,Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
✅5. An Author not read before, The Quiet American by Graham Greene
✅6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours.The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
✅7. Science Fiction/Fantasy, Circe by Madeline Miller
✅8. Action/Adventure,The 39 Steps by John Buchan
✅9. Childrens/Young Adult,The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
✅10. Nonfiction, Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel: A Biography by MORGAN,Judith & Neil,
✅11. Mystery/Thriller,The Whisper Man by Alex North
✅12. Horror or Humor, Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield

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.

January
1. Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose finished 1-7-23
2. The Fall of the House of Usher: An Edgar Allan Poe Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe finished 1-17-23
3. The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens finished 1-18-23
4. The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe finished 1-23-23
5. A Simple Heart by Gustave Flaubert finished 1-31-23

February
6. The 39 Steps by John Buchan finished 2-16-23

March
7. The Real Thing by Henry James finished 3-12-23
8. I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen finished 3-25-23
9. The Dream of a Ridiculous Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky finished 3-29-23

April
10. Somebody's Luggage by Charles Dickens plus 4 other authors - finished 4-17-23 [reading for 2 months] - 10 total stories
11. The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy finished 4-20-23
12. The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin finished 4-22-23
13. The Storm by Kate Chopin finished 4-25-23

May
14. The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck finished 5-5-23
15. The Lady with the Little Dog by Anton Chekhov finished 5-30-23

June
16. Misery by Anton Chekhov finished 6-2-23

July
17. The Open Boat by Stephen Crane finished 7-30-23

August
18. Roman Fever by Edith Wharton finished 8-1-23
19. How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy finished 8-4-23

September


October
20. The Stories of Breece D'J Pancake by Breece D'J Pancake finished 10-27-23

November
21. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff finished 11-17-23
22. Dubliners by James Joyce finished 11-26-23
23. Christmas for Two, The Christmas Gift by Lori Wick finished 11-29-23


December
24. The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield

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. Your reads can be from the upcoming 53 poll winners, or from the 2023 Buddy Reads thread. Between New School, Old School, Short Story/Novella, Revisit the Shelf, Quarterly Long Read, and Buddy Reads there should be plenty of choices.

💙💙💙💙 Complete 5-19-23
Group Reads
✅1.Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose finished 1-7-23
✅2.Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor finished 2-14-23
✅3.The 39 Steps by John Buchan finished 2-16-23
✅4.Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather finished 3-13-23
✅5.The Dream of a Ridiculous Man - Fyodor Dostoevsky finished 3-29-23
✅6.Summer - Edith Wharton finished 4-28-23
✅7. The Moon Is Down - John Steinbeck finished 5-5-23



Buddy Reads
✅1.The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark finished 1-4-23
✅2.Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler finished 3-9-23
✅3.Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson finished 3-31-23
✅4. The Year of Jubilo: A Novel of the Civil War - Howard Bahr finished 4-13-23
✅5. The Judas Field: A Novel of the Civil War - Howard Bahr finished 5-19-23
✅6. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner finished 7-31-23

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors
💙💙💙💙 Complete 2-18-22

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

Classic authors
✅1.Walter Van Tilburg Clark - The Ox-Bow Incident
✅2.Reginald Rose - Twelve Angry Men
✅3.E.M. Delafield - Diary of a Provincial Lady
✅4.Graham Greene - The Quiet American
✅5.Gustave Flaubert - A Simple Heart
✅6.Elizabeth Taylor - Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont
✅7. John Buchan - The 39 Steps
✅8. Gloria Naylor - The Women of Brewster Place
✅9. Fannie Flagg - Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
✅10. Tillie Olsen - I Stand Here Ironing
✅11. Fyodor Dostoevsky - The Dream of a Ridiculous Man
✅12. Winifred Watson - Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
✅13. Kate Chopin - The Story of an Hour
✅14. S.E. Hinton - The Outsiders
✅15. Tove Jansson - The Summer Book
✅16. Anton Chekhov - The Lady with the Little Dog
✅17. Chaim Potok - My Name Is Asher Lev

Contemporary authors
✅1. Christina Lauren - The Unhoneymooners
✅2. Shelby Van Pelt - Remarkably Bright Creatures
✅3. Madeline Miller - Circe
✅4. Alex North - The Whisper Man
✅5. Simon Van Booy - Night Came with Many Stars
✅6. Moira Crone - The Ice Garden
✅7. Stephen King - Fairy Tale
✅8. Claire Tomalin - Charles Dickens
✅9. Larry Brown - Father and Son
✅10. Olga Tokarczuk - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
✅11. Jussi Adler-Olsen - The Keeper of Lost Causes

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...

NOTE: click on the link above then change the date to the date you wish to search.


1972
✅1.My Name Is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok
✅2.The Summer Book - Tove Jansson
3.The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge - David McCullough
4.The Water is Wide - Pat Conroy
5.Augustus - John Williams
6.Lady of Quality - Georgette Heyer
7.All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers - Larry McMurtry
8.The Clock Winder - Anne Tyler
9.Snow in April - Rosamunde Pilcher
10.Invisible Cities - Italo Calvino

Books Read
1.The Summer Book - Tove Jansson 5 stars
2.My Name Is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok
3.
4.
5.

Challenge #9 – Fiction/Non-Fiction

Select five different subjects of interest to you and read a fiction book and a non-fiction book about that subject. Total number of books for this challenge is ten.

Vietnam War
✅NF When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman's Journey from War to Peace - Le Ly Hayslip
✅F The Quiet American - Graham Greene


Charles Dickens
✅NFCharles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin
✅F Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens


Jane Austen
NFJane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley
✅FPride and Prejudice

Louisa May Alcott
✅NF Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women - Cornelia Meigs
✅F Little Men - Louisa May Alcott


Dr. Seuss
✅NF Dr. Seuss & Mr. Geisel: A Biography by Judith Morgan
✅F You're Only Old Once!: A Book for Obsolete Children by Dr. Seuss

Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories

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.

Old-
New-


Old-
New-


Old-
New-


Old-
New-


Old-
New-

You're doing it -- Wonderful! And you're jumping in with both feet! I think you're going to have a blast -- even if you don't finish any challenges. Haha!

You have a lot of good books on your lists. Enjoy your gluttony, along with the rest of us who succumbed to the "siren call" of the Buffet! :)

YES! Terris I just couldn't resist! It's too darn fun and I read some great books from the buffet this year even thought I didn't complete many challenges. I wouldn't have read those books and I'm learning that this is such a great way to find those gems we love to find!

It does look like I'm a glutton here, but I will have fun with it!

I adore Dr Thorne, glad to see it is on your list! Enjoy!

Carolien, I missed out reading it last year and that meant I didn’t read any Trollope at all. I will fix that this year! I’m glad to hear you adored it!

I'm so glad you are back for another meal at the buffet. I'm looking forward to next year. Enjoy!

Bob wrote: "I'm so glad you are back for another meal at the buffet. I'm looking forward to next year. Enjoy!"

Me too, Bob! I sure hope that this year is much more successful! I will do my best and have fun!

You have some marvelous choices penciled in! There are a lot of us including Mrs. Palfrey--I hope it turns into a buddy read.

Dr. Thorne was perhaps my favorite of the Barsetshire books. Such good reading!

Sara wrote: "You have some marvelous choices penciled in! There are a lot of us including Mrs. Palfrey--I hope it turns into a buddy read.

Dr. Thorne was perhaps my favorite of the Barsetshire books. Such goo..."


Oh yes! Mrs. Palfrey as a buddy read would be fabulous especially as this would be my first Taylor.

Dr. Thorne got sidelined sadly last year. I hated missing out on my Trollope for the year. Maybe I can get 2 in to make up for it.

Yay--glad you decided to jump in, Lori. I'm really looking forward to Mrs. Palfrey, and you have some other wonderful choices here. Housekeeping is very special, as is The Color Purple. Here's to a great reading year!

Kathleen wrote: "Yay--glad you decided to jump in, Lori. I'm really looking forward to Mrs. Palfrey, and you have some other wonderful choices here. Housekeeping is very special, as is [book:The Color ..."

Yes, it was difficult to resist! I read some pretty great books from these challenges last year so I’d be missing out if I didn’t.

I’m very excited for my first Elizabeth Taylor. Thanks so much for getting the buddy read going! See you in the threads!

Great lists, Lori. Count me down as another lover of The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil WarHousekeeping.

We should do a buddy read or two for the Howard Bahr books. I purchased them both after our The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil Warbuddy read.

Me too, Sue. Black Flower was one of my favorites from last year and not getting g to the next two about killed me. I figured if I am going to finally complete a New & Old challenge I need to put them there. Now I’ve got motivation for both! Yay!

And yes, I would absolutely love to do buddy reads for one or both. I know we are making lots of buddy read plans. I’m not sure where we are after The Son? I’ve read that one so probably won’t reread.

But I’m taking this year as it comes. No pressure!

let's try for the 1st one in March maybe? and see what happens. We do have a lot of buddy reads and then tons of group reads to keep up with. So many books, so little time!

I'm game for March. I am reading the Parable of the Sower that month but I can make time.

My first two reads with the group have me checking off several spots!

Highly recommend reading Twelve Angry Men and The Ox-Bow Incident this month. Excellent reads.

Lori wrote: "My first two reads with the group have me checking off several spots!

Highly recommend reading Twelve Angry Men and The Ox-Bow Incident this month. Excellent reads."

Glad to see you liked Twelve Angry Men, Lori. One of my favorites and the movie is just as good.

Thanks Ila. I am hearing that the film is well done so will be looking for it.

Good luck, Lori!

Lori wrote: "My first two reads with the group have me checking off several spots!

Highly recommend reading Twelve Angry Men and The Ox-Bow Incident this month. Excellent reads."

I agree, Twelve Angry Men is excellent. I jumped the gun and read it last November when it was nominated. I should have had more faith. I am currently reading Ox-Bow and so far, it is really good.

Coming along very slowly at the buffet. I have completed the new authors challenge #7 and have 2 more to read in the Member's Choice Challenge #4.

I hope to complete the New and Old this year for the first time and have 2 of 12 reads completed and working on a third. Whew!

Wow, I wouldn't call this slow progress -- you've finished so many already and we're only midway through February. Well done!

Slow and steady wins the race. I think. I look at my challenge and think, wow, I’m doing great. Other times I think, wow, I’ll never finish. By the way, one of your book selections keeps jumping out at me, The Power of One. I do hope you get to that one this year, for me it was great.

I do find I usually get off to a quick start and then find myself scrambling in the end. I think there are some categories that just fill in easily for us and others that we have to work at. I'm with Bob, though, on The Power of One.

I appreciate the confidence and encouragement!

I hope this is the year I will get to The Power of One.

I can't believe you think you are coming along slowly at the Buffet, Lori . With the New Authors done and Members choice only 2 away You are plowing through it in my opinion. Great job!

Haha! You’re funny Sue! Those 2 challenges have never been hard these past 2 years and I never plan them just go with the flow. But I appreciate your sentiments. Now to get to those beefier reads!

Lori wrote: "Haha! You’re funny Sue! Those 2 challenges have never been hard these past 2 years and I never plan them just go with the flow. But I appreciate your sentiments. Now to get to those beefier reads!"

The beefier ones are the problem for sure. I wish I could join you with Bonfire of the Vanities. I read that so long ago and own it. I'd love to read it again. It's shocking and funny.

I've wanted to get to The Prince of Tides for ever. If you let me know when you're reading it, I'll try to fit it in If I can.

I'd also love to re-read The Power of One. I read that so long ago and remember it being a slog to get through the technical stuff on boxing. I still gave it 4 stars, but then I saw the film and was completely blown away. It's one where I liked the film better, but I was a different reader back then.

I agree with Sue. New authors is finished and Member's Choice almost is!! Nice reading so far.

Thanks Lynn. I just hope I don’t lose the burst of momentum I had in January but know it will slow down at some point.

Adding two more to my Old and New Challenge

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope

The Handmaid’s Tale gets slotted in several places which is a bonus.
Both of these are 5 star reads.

Congratulations on another two down, Lori! I'm glad they were 5 star reads for you. I've never read an Anthony Trollope novel. I may need to put one of his on my Old and New next year.

So lovely to have two 5-star reads to post to the list. Next year I might do a challenge that I only allowed to be filled with 5-star reads. Okay, maybe not.

Thanks Sue and Sara.

Sue, I’m pretty sure you’d enjoy Trollope especially since you like Dickens. I haven’t yet gotten to writing my review so that will come.

Sara, if you figure out how to create a 5 star only challenge before reading the books, please tell all!😉

You are doing fantastic, Lori! I love Sara's 5 star challenge idea, and do hope she shares when she comes up with one. :-)

What a wonderful experience to read two 5-star reads in a row -- very rare! I've read and enjoyed both those books.

Lori, I plan on reading Doctor Thorne this year so it makes me happy to see you give it 5 stars.

Lori wrote: "Adding two more to my Old and New Challenge

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope

[book:The Handmaid..."

Congrats on the 5-star finds! You seem to be doing really well on the Old and New challenge.

So far this has been a good reading year. I also have had quite a few 5 Star reads, 4 so far, and several more that I marked as 4.5. I hope it keeps up for both of us, congrats on completing two more for your challenge.

Thanks guys. It’s been a good reading year so far. I am trying to tackle that Old and New and beat it this year. And with 5 star reads, that would be an even better deal.