Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Wow--congrats on another challenge done, Wobbley! Wilde is always worth reading, I think. Glad you enjoyed that one.

Kathleen wrote: "Wow--congrats on another challenge done, Wobbley! Wilde is always worth reading, I think. Glad you enjoyed that one."

Thanks very much Kathleen! Yes, I totally agree about Wilde. :)

Wobbley, you're eating up challenges! And Wilde is one writer who will always be a favorite. I can read literally anything of his and while some works are better than others, I'm guaranteed a good time.

Ila wrote: "Wobbley, you're eating up challenges! And Wilde is one writer who will always be a favorite. I can read literally anything of his and while some works are better than others, I'm guaranteed a good time."

Thanks very much Ila! Yes, Wilde is a satisfying writer for sure.

Congrats on getting more reading done! Youll be completing challenges back to back to back pretty soon now!

Funny all this talk of Wilde, I have snuck in a quick read of The Picture of Dorian Gray for this month. Still a few pages left. I enjoy the writing and the horror-like goth vibe, and yet it is also disturbing on a moral sense. Like it is sad seeing Dorian go down this path (view spoiler)[of self distruction, and especially sad for all of those who get in his way (hide spoiler)], but the dialogue of Lord Henry with others is funny! (Oscar's sense of humor)


I will have to read these others for sure! I cant believe I am only reading Wilde now!

Thanks April! I actually haven't read A Picture of Dorian Gray yet -- I've mostly read his plays. He is very good at funny dialogue. I'll have to keep Dorian Gray in mind.

I'm back with a few more for my Buffet, all from my Decade Challenge this time. I've also completed Challenge 3: New Authors. And I've added a second version of Challenge #10 (books within a single year), since, in researching my Decade Challenge, I found 2 different years in that decade with lots of books I was interested in.

✅ The Greengage Summer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: A group of siblings abroad for the summer accidentally end up in the care of a charming but enigmatic stranger when their mother falls ill. A fond, nostalgic coming of age story that turns unexpectedly dark in places. I really enjoyed this one. And Rumer Godden's writing is very nice.

✅ The Voyage of the Space Beagle ⭐️⭐️⭐️½: A fix-up novel made up of four short stories taking place on a large spaceship far from Earth (the stories are individually starred in my Short Stories Challenge). Some of these stories are credited with being an inspiration for monster-of-the-week-type episodes in Star Trek, and the film Alien. I quite liked three of the four stories: they had interesting ideas and clever solutions. They also combined dangerous situations with onboard politics, and the theme of Academia being full of petty bickering. Overall a worthwhile read.

✅ Sonny's Blues ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: How do I describe this story? I could say that the plot is about a man who reconnects with his brother who is a recovering drug addict, but really that is fairly inconsequential, just a framework there to support what the story is really about. This is a story about living and struggling and trying to find something to hold on to. This is my first James Baldwin, and boy can he write! Sometimes there were entire pages I wanted to copy down. The plot sounds like it would be depressing, but it isn't. It's somehow compassionate and angry and inspiring. What a masterpiece. (I couldn't choose between these two quotes.)

All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it. And even then, on the rare occasions when something opens within, and the music enters, what we mainly hear, or hear corroborated, are personal, private, vanishing evocations.

For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn't any other tale to tell, it's the only light we've got in all this darkness.

All strong ones this time. :)

So glad you enjoyed Greengage Summer. The quotations from Baldwin are very powerful! I am ashamed to admit that I have yet to read him. He is on the TBR, so no excuse except dearth of time.

Sara wrote: "So glad you enjoyed Greengage Summer. The quotations from Baldwin are very powerful! I am ashamed to admit that I have yet to read him. He is on the TBR, so no excuse except dearth of time."

Thanks Sara! If you're interested in dipping into Baldwin, I really recommend Sonny's Blues as a place to start. It's a short story, and I think I read it in an hour. It was easy to find copies online (try googling something like "sonny's blues baldwin read online").

I'm also so happy you enjoyed Greengage Summer, Wobbley. I can still conjure the feeling of that one.

And your first James Baldwin! You picked a good one, but I've loved everything I've read of his so far. I have his book of stories that includes Sonny's Blues coming up, and I look forward to re-reading it.

Congrats on finishing your new author challenge!

Wobbley wrote: "I'm back with a few more for my Buffet, all from my Decade Challenge this time. I've also completed Challenge 3: New Authors. And I've added a second version of Challenge #10 (books within a single..."

You've had some great reading, haven't you? I haven't read Greengage Summer yet, though I've read a little Godden. I'll go look for it. And for the next one, too. I enjoy a little sci-fi now and then.

I can vouch for Baldwin's writing, it's moving and evocative, but for me never gets too sad. I used to live very near near Memphis, so my first by him was If Beale Street Could Talk. I was disappointed when it turned out to refer to the Harlem street, not the Memphis one. But it's a very good book. He deserves to be read more, I think. But then so many authors do, don't they?

Kathleen wrote: "I'm also so happy you enjoyed Greengage Summer, Wobbley. I can still conjure the feeling of that one. And your first James Baldwin! You picked a good one, but I've loved everything I've read of h..."

Thank you Kathleen. Yes, Sonny's Blues has definitely inspired me to read more by him. I'm not sure which I'll try next, but I have high hopes.

And Rumer Godden seems to have a fair bit of range as a writer; for example, this one was really nothing like A Fugue in Time, which is my favourite by her so far.

Teri-K wrote: "You've had some great reading, haven't you? I haven't read Greengage Summer yet, though I've read a little Godden. I'll go look for it. And for the next one, too. I enjoy a little sci-fi now and then. I can vouch for Baldwin's writing, it's moving and evocative, but for me never gets too sad."

Thanks Teri-K! Yeah, I've been pretty lucky with my reading so far this year. That's good to know about Baldwin's writing in general; that was exactly my experience with this story!

And I read that the author of The Voyage of the Space Beagle is actually the one who coined the term "fix-up novel", and this is his most famous one. I first came across the term when I read The Martian Chronicles (which is pretty fantasic, like most Bradbury).

James Baldwin is always a good idea, Wobbley. I've only seen the Black Narcissus movie based on Godden's book but she's one writer I really need to read soon. Great progress!

Ila wrote: "James Baldwin is always a good idea, Wobbley. I've only seen the Black Narcissus movie based on Godden's book but she's one writer I really need to read soon. Great progress!"

Thank you Ila! I've had some luck with Rumer Godden. This one was good, but I especially enjoyed A Fugue in Time.

Wobbley wrote: "Ila wrote: "James Baldwin is always a good idea, Wobbley. I've only seen the Black Narcissus movie based on Godden's book but she's one writer I really need to read soon. Great progress!"

Thank yo..."
I need to read the synopsis mlre thoroughly at some point, but the key words i picked out have my interest. 👍

Looking over your lists again, I see Allan Quartermain this time. I did not know that was a seperate series, but i was reminded of the character when Dorian Gray led me to rewatched A League of Extraordinary Geentlemen. Have you see it? I love it! Oh yea, and youll get Africa checked off! I need to read the first book first though.

Also, i spotted Hunger Games (not sure this was what i wanted to say, but it is another thing). You have never read it? I have never read it! I never watched the movies either. I have been stubborn. But i dunno, maybe one day i will haha! I just dont want it spoiling those other dyatopian series around that time that i love so much (cuz, i am told HG is the best 🤷‍♀️)!

book I've never read by an author I've liked in the past- i might steal this idea for that old/new, because i am kinda struggling with themes for what i have planned to read. It is still early though. Might get another idea before the end. 😅👍

April wrote: "Looking over your lists again, I see Allan Quartermain this time. I did not know that was a seperate series, but i was reminded of the character when Dorian Gray led me to rewatched A League of Ext..."

The first book in the Allan Quatermain series, King Solomon's Mines, is a thumping good yarn! I've never seen The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

No, I've never read The Hunger Games. It's listed on my challenge of bestsellers, but I don't think it's one of the ones I'll read (in that challenge we only need to read 2 of the 10 books listed). It really doesn't seem like my kind of book, although that's true of most of the bestsellers listed there!

And of course, you're welcome to use my categories in your challenges. Happy reading!

Wobbley wrote: "April wrote: "Looking over your lists again, I see Allan Quartermain this time. I did not know that was a seperate series, but i was reminded of the character when Dorian Gray led me to rewatched A..."

A good yarn eh? I have never heard that expression before! Haha! Awesome though!

April wrote: "Wobbley wrote: "April wrote: "Looking over your lists again, I see Allan Quartermain this time. I did not know that was a seperate series, but i was reminded of the character when Dorian Gray led m..."

'Yarn" used to refer to all kinds of fibers and sailors were said to be "spinning yarn" when making rope or nets. A wild or tall tale may be called "a yarn" because sailors told them to each other while working.

It's a fun thing to picture, whether it's historically accurate or not. And I can imagine them telling stories a lot like the Haggard's to while away the time. :)

Teri-K wrote: "'Yarn" used to refer to all kinds of fibers and sailors were said to be "spinning yarn" when making rope or nets. A wild or tall tale may be called "a yarn" because sailors told them to each other while working."

Fun! I never knew that.

Yes, exactly what Wobbley said! 😊

I've got a few more for my Buffet. I've also completed two more challenges: Challenge #7 (Series Books) and Challenge #15 (Award Winners).

✅ The Mountains of Mourning ⭐️⭐️⭐️½: The Count's Heir tries to solve a murder in a small, backward mountain village in his domain, and to deliver justice. This is the second book I've read in the Vorkosigan Saga, and I liked this a fair bit better than The Warrior's Apprentice. Really a completely different genre (almost like a courtroom drama rather than a sci-fi caper), and much better focused.

✅ Call Me Joe ⭐️⭐️⭐️½: A number of psychological and technical problems emerge when exploration of Jupiter involves a human remotely controlling a life form on the surface. I enjoyed this one. It had some interesting ideas, and didn't overstay.

✅ Winter’s Orbit ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: This is a reread for me, so the 5-star rating is no surprise. A prince is forced to marry a widower from another planet to keep an alliance going. They don't know each other, but have to find a way to make it work. Although the setting here is sci-fi, this is actually a story about people, and we are given only enough world building to understand what is happening to the characters. The protagonists are enormously likeable, and I really rooted for them. A hugely enjoyable read. (Look up trigger warnings before reading this one, if that's important for you.)

A lot of variety this time, although now that I look at it, all three had a sci-fi setting.

Yay! I was actually wondering about how your reading has been going lately. Oh Winters Orbit does sound good!

Sci-fi binge! Very happy you read Call Me Joe. I enjoyed trading thoughts with you. Congratulations on finishing the two challenges. I seem to be going in spurts--the last few books haven't fit into any slots and I am drowning in short stories.

April wrote: "Yay! I was actually wondering about how your reading has been going lately. Oh Winters Orbit does sound good!"

Thanks April! I've been away for a couple of weeks, so that's why I've been sort of off the map.

I really do enjoy Winter's Orbit, and recommend it pretty unreservedly. Just, as I noted, check trigger warnings before you start, if that's important for you. I find that when darker subjects come up, the author handles them with a light enough touch (of course different people may react differently). But yeah, I think it's a pretty fantastic read.

Sara wrote: "Sci-fi binge! Very happy you read Call Me Joe. I enjoyed trading thoughts with you. Congratulations on finishing the two challenges. I seem to be going in spurts--the last few books haven't fit into any slots and I am drowning in short stories."

Thanks Sara, I've been enjoying that discussion too (for Call Me Joe).

My reading often goes in spurts too. You could try using individual short stories to fill up slots, if you want to. Anyway, as long as you are enjoying your reading, that's the main thing. :)

Wow--two more challenges done. Wonderful, Wobbley!

Wobbley, you’re doing great work!! I’m looking forward to reading Call Me Joe soon! Something a bit different and more in my husband’s lane. I may have him read it as well.

Kathleen wrote: "Wow--two more challenges done. Wonderful, Wobbley!"

Thanks so much, Kathleen! I'm happy with how my buffet is going this year. Happy reading!

Lori wrote: "Wobbley, you’re doing great work!! I’m looking forward to reading Call Me Joe soon! Something a bit different and more in my husband’s lane. I may have him read it as well."

Thanks Lori. I bet that will be fun to read it with your husband. I generally enjoy reading aloud with others too.

I will also be very interested in your reaction to Call Me Joe, Lori, and your husband's (so please tell us what he thinks). I am a sci-fi novice, admittedly, and I am usually floored by the things I miss when I am reading it or what they mean in terms of the genre itself.

I've finished a few books for my Buffet, which finish off a few more challenges for me.

✅ The Illustrated Man ⭐️⭐️⭐️½: A book of short stories, mainly sci-fi. Like most books of short stories, a bit of a mixed bag, though the best ones were outstanding. I really enjoy Bradbury's writing too. This one finishes off Challenge 10a: 1951, and I'm also using a couple of my favourite stories from the book to finish Challenge 4: Short Stories.

✅ Requiem for a Wren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½: A book in which the main characters remember their experiences in WWII, and try to cope with life in its aftermath. I enjoyed this one so much! I don't always go for war stories, but this one was light on battle scenes, and perhaps more of a home-front story, which is maybe why it worked for me. The story was affecting and the characters memorable. Many thanks to Terris for bringing this one to my notice.

✅ City ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: A set of connected stories chronicle the fall of humanity, and what comes next. I was really impressed with this one. At first I was uncertain -- the first two stories were fine but perhaps just slightly dull. But then it really took off. The stories were so engrossing, and full of creative and interesting ideas. The future presented is quite different from anything else I've read. This book and Requiem for a Wren together complete my Decade Challenge.

All such strong ones this time!

Wobbley wrote: "I've finished a few books for my Buffet, which finish off a few more challenges for me.

✅ The Illustrated Man ⭐️⭐️⭐️½: A book of short stories, mainly sci-fi. Like most books of short..."

Requiem for a Wren sounds right up my alley! Thanks for sharing about it.

I've read some Bradbury stories, and Dandelion Wine, which I didn't care for because I was expecting a memoir! I'll try it again some time, knowing what it really is, and probably enjoy it more. Sometimes I can take a curve ball and swing with it, other times I strike out on them. lol

Congrats on completing the Decade challenge! Requiem for a Wren sounds intriguing, I’ve read some Shute but never heard of that one.

Congratulations on completing your challenge, Wobbley! And while doing it with such enjoyable books! I enjoyed"The Illustrated Man" so much (I'm a big Bradbury fan!). And I recently read "Requiem for a Wren" -- I loved it as much as you did! It's a really good one.
I am interested in "City." I only recently discovered CliffordD. Simak and am trying to read a few of his. I've only read Way Station so far and it was very good! I recommend it if you haven't read it yet.

Keep Reading! ;)

Teri-K wrote: "Requiem for a Wren sounds right up my alley! Thanks for sharing about it. I've read some Bradbury stories..."

Just FYI, "Requiem for a Wren" was sometimes published under the title "The Breaking Wave", so that might help you find it. My favourite Bradbury is The Martian Chronicles. Maybe give that one a try if you want to give Bradbury another go?

Pamela wrote: "Congrats on completing the Decade challenge! Requiem for a Wren sounds intriguing, I’ve read some Shute but never heard of that one."

Thanks Pamela! This one is definitely worth trying! Depending on where you are, you might have an easier time finding it under it's alternate title "The Breaking Wave" (I think this title was used for the U.S. publication).

Terris wrote: "Congratulations on completing your challenge, Wobbley! And while doing it with such enjoyable books! I enjoyed"The Illustrated Man" so much (I'm a big Bradbury fan!). And I recently read "Requiem f..."

Thanks so much, Terris! Yes, I am a big Bradbury fan too -- at his best he's extraordinary -- and there were definitely some outstanding stories in The Illustrated Man. I remember you reading Requiem for a Wren late last year -- your review of it is how it ended up on my Buffet challenge! :)

I definitely recommend you try City, especially since you've already enjoyed something else by the author. I'm hoping to get to Way Station in my Bingo challenge. Happy reading!

Look at you! I so enjoyed sharing The Illustrated Man with you. It got higher marks from me just because it instigated such a nice discussion.

I love Requiem for a Wren. Shute is one of my favorite writers and his books are all so different from one another. If you haven't read it, Pied Piper is another very good and different take on a WWII story.

Way Station is already on my Kindle, so I will read it and, depending on how I react to that, I might want to give City a try.

Sara wrote: "Look at you! I so enjoyed sharing The Illustrated Man with you. It got higher marks from me just because it instigated such a nice discussion. ..."

Thank you Sara! Yes, that buddy read for The Illustrated Man has been really rewarding, hasn't it? I really enjoyed the book, and 3 ½ stars is a good rating from me for a book of unrelated short stories, where I'm trying to give sort of an overall feeling score to a mixed experience -- definitely there were 5-star stories in the book (my favourite being "The Rocket Man", which I thought was pretty flawless).

I haven't read Pied Piper -- thanks for the recommendation!

Well done, Wobbley! I'll have to move up Requiem for a Wren. I love a home-front war story. :-)

Thanks very much, Kathleen! I think you'll enjoy this one.

I've finished a few more books for my Buffet challenges, and I've completed another challenge: Challenge #13 - Old and New Linked Categories.

✅ Round the Moon: Volume One ⭐️⭐️⭐️: In the sequel to From the Earth to the Moon, we follow the adventures of the men who went up to the moon in a rocket. I'd describe this book as uneven. Sometimes it was goofy fun. But sometimes there were many chapters in a row just dryly describing the topography of the moon in minute detail -- oof, those parts were dull.

✅ Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Wreath ⭐️⭐️⭐️: The coming of age of a girl on a farm in 1300s Norway. I enjoyed the first section about her childhood, that focused on the family and their way of life. I didn't enjoy as much the later parts about her romance. It seems this might be a case where you need to read the whole trilogy to really experience the book properly.

✅ Mimsy Were The Borogoves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Two children come across toys from the distant future, and their thought pathways are rewired according to a different system from the present world's. This was a really interesting story of ideas. I enjoyed it very much. Many thanks to Lynn for picking this as a group read.

Also, since I'm getting pretty close to being finished my Buffet challenges, and it's quite early in the year, I've decided to add a couple more: a second Members Choice challenge, and a second Decade Challenge (the 1950's again).

Wobbley wrote: "Sara wrote: "Look at you! I so enjoyed sharing The Illustrated Man with you. It got higher marks from me just because it instigated such a nice discussion. ..."

Thank you Sara! Yes, that buddy rea..."

Yes! You must read "Pied Piper"! So good!!!

You're doing great, Wobbley! I have a lot of work to do on my Buffet challenges, but hope to finish my Bingo challenge after one more book!!!! Isn't this fun?! ;)

Wow! Almost finished and adding seconds. I feels very early, but one third of the year is gone already-poof. I better put on my running shoes.

Terris wrote: "You're doing great, Wobbley! I have a lot of work to do on my Buffet challenges, but hope to finish my Bingo challenge after one more book!!!! Isn't this fun?! ;)"

Thanks Terris! Yes, I love the challenges in this group. Wow, only one book left in Bingo is amazing progress!

Sara wrote: "Wow! Almost finished and adding seconds. I feels very early, but one third of the year is gone already-poof. I better put on my running shoes."

Thanks Sara! I think I'm ahead this year because of the very friendly lighter portion sizes in the buffet this year. I really like this change -- finishing challenges faster feels rewarding, and I can always add more challenges that I'm interested in. I finished my 1950s Decade Challenge, and it just felt like there were so many 1950s books I'd earmarked but hadn't gotten to, so I'm happy my Buffet has room for a second course of this one. ;)

I've read a few more for my Buffet challenges:

✅ Appointment with Venus - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - During the German occupation of a small Channel Island, London stages a covert rescue of a rare pedigree of cow from the island. I enjoyed this one. The protagonists were very likeable. Part caper, part thriller, with bits of meditation on the effects of war on the people on both sides. I think the horrors here are probably pretty watered down, though I still found some parts hard (I'm not that good with horrors-of-war stories), but those parts were infrequent. Sometimes this story was silly, sometimes gripping, sometimes terrible and sad in the way of war stories. It was an odd mix in a way, but nevertheless a pretty good read.

✅ The Unknown Ajax - ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ - Antics ensue when the unknown heir of a posh family arrives. I didn't like this at the level of The Grand Sophy, but it was amusing. Even the characters I didn't appreciate at the beginning grew on me. I felt the pacing was a bit slow for the first half, but the ending was pretty entertaining. And I liked that it wasn't all about the upper class characters: the staff got their time to shine too.

✅ My Brother Michael - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - A young woman on holiday in Greece gets caught up in a dangerous adventure over a lost treasure. Sort of a mix of adventure/thriller/travelogue, with an understated romance thrown in. I enjoyed this one so much! The book explores themes of identity and independence, as well as the ubiquitous presence of the past in our lives. I really liked and rooted for the heroes. Even though I saw a lot of the twists coming, that didn't decrease my enjoyment, because the execution was very entertaining. And some of the scenes were absolutely magical (view spoiler)[such as them finding the Apollo statue in the cave, and Simon reciting in Greek at night in the small ancient theater with perfect acoustics (hide spoiler)]! Thanks to Teri-K who recommended this one to me. One of my favourites of the year so far. (But goodness they smoked a lot in the '50s!)

A very satisfying set this time.