Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

I mostly read sci fi (for myself) and children's/ya lit (for my job), so the real challenge here is sticking to legit classics instead of just loopholing in the books I read anyway.

I'm aiming for that middle doughnut, which would be ING 2-4.

B1: Written by Nobel Laureate
B2: Sci-fi or Fantasy Classic The Door Into Summer Done
B3: Classic of Africa
B4: Children's Classic Among the Hidden Done
B5: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize The Man Who Planted Trees Done

I1: Published/Written Before 1600’s
I2: New-to-You Author Kindred Done
I3: Classic Play- A Raisin in the Sun Done
I4: Banned Book- Speak Done
I5: Published in the 1700's

N1: Classic of the Americas- for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf Done
N2: Short Story Collection- Breakfast at Tiffany's Done
N3: FREE SPACE
N4: Poetry Collection Carver: A Life in Poems/Bronzeville Boys and Girls Done
N5: Classic of Europe

G1: Published in the 1600's The Tempest done
G2: Book from Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century-The Master and Margarita Done
G3: Classic Non-fiction- Narrative of Sojourner Truth Done
G4: Classic from School-Wuthering Heights Done
G5: Published in the 1800's

O1: Literary Prize of Your Country/Region The Bridge of San Luis Rey Done
O2: Gothic Classic-
O3: Classic of Asia or Oceania
O4: Mystery or Crime Classic And Then There Were None Done
O5: Prize-Winning Female Author The Mists of Avalon Done

The Door Into Summer is a sci fi classic (B2), although it doesn't help me complete the doughnut.

Welcome to the challenge, Phil. Glad you decided to join us in this one. Happy reading.

Kathy wrote: "Welcome to the challenge, Phil. Glad you decided to join us in this one. Happy reading."

Thanks for visiting my thread, Kathy! This is a really nifty format for a reading challenge, and I'm keen to try it.

I read Speak in December. I am not really a big YA fan, but it wasn't too bad. Ridiculous that it is a banned/challenged book. Good luck with your challenge.

Laurie wrote: "I read Speak in December. I am not really a big YA fan, but it wasn't too bad. Ridiculous that it is a banned/challenged book. Good luck with your challenge."

It's one of the few books in my classroom that has generated a parent complaint.

I'm not really a big YA fan, either, but I read enough of it to help my students learn.

Greetings to my namesake!
(Although, for me, it is only a short version of my real name.)

I also thought of incorporating Marion Zimmer Bradley. Most likely in the Prize Winning Femal Author corner with The Mists of Avalon winning the Locus Award in 1984. I think that book could definitely count as a Fantasy classic.

Phil wrote: "Greetings to my namesake!
(Although, for me, it is only a short version of my real name.)

I also thought of incorporating Marion Zimmer Bradley. Most likely in the Prize Winning ..."

Hi, first Phil!

MZB won every kind of lifetime achievement award in Sci Fi, so I would definitely count her as "Prize Winning." Let me know if/when you're picking up Mists of Avalon- I could use the encouragement. It's one of those books that I appreciate while I'm reading, but forget about while I'm not. I usually only make it through three or four chapters before getting distracted by something shiny.

I will get back to you then!
It may take a while, though. I haven't even acquired it yet...

It's been on my to-read list for about three years now and I haven't gotten round to it. There were always more urgent reads on hand (for challenges and this group mostly). So, I guess, the only way to finally start reading is to incorporate it into one of the challenges.
Have you ever made it all the way through?

I'd now love to know your definition of "shiny" ;)
I think my "shiny" might be an easy flowing adventurous read (although not too simple, either) in-between all those classics. I love reading classics and thinking about them, but sometimes the brains feels like bursting and I need to let out a little steam.

I really would like to read Mists of Avalon. It´s not in my challenges but it´s been a while in my TBR-shelf!

Desertorum wrote: "I really would like to read Mists of Avalon. It´s not in my challenges but it´s been a while in my TBR-shelf!"

Maybe we should set up a buddy read!

Here we go:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Completed Speak for my banned book. It was awesome, and you should all go read it, especially if you went to an American high school in the '90s.

I have eight more to complete the doughnut.

Phil wrote: "Completed Speak for my banned book. It was awesome, and you should all go read it, especially if you went to an American high school in the '90s...."

That is a good book. I agree.

I just read Bronzeville Boys and Girls and Carver: A Life in Poems out of professional interest. They are aimed at young readers and won various awards in that field. I'm not sure I want to count them as "classic," though. I was hoping to focus on grown-up books for this challenge.

Phil wrote: "I just read Bronzeville Boys and Girls and Carver: A Life in Poems out of professional interest. They are aimed at young readers and won various awards in that field. I'm..."

Your decision -- after all it is YOUR challenge.

Kathy wrote: "Phil wrote: "I just read Bronzeville Boys and Girls and Carver: A Life in Poems out of professional interest. They are aimed at young readers and won various awards in th..."

Thanks, Kathy!

Finished Mists of Avalon. It took me almost two years, but this group finally got me over the hump. Only now, I remember that I've previously read something by MZB so it doesn't help me with "New To You" like I'd planned. I'll probably just dump it in a non-doughnut spot like O5.

Finished Kindred, which brings me all the way up to two of the eight I need to complete my Doughnut Challenge.

Well that is 25% finished with 1/4 of the year finished. Pretty good I'd say.

I finished a few books by spending 20 hours on a bus full of teenagers on a school trip to Washington DC. I put for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf under "Classic of the Americas," which might be kind of a stretch. I figured that if I filled that spot, I would do it with a non-US book.

On the upside, The Color Purple was amazing, and A Raisin in the Sun was even better than the last time I read it.

Finished The Bridge of San Luis Rey today, which in no way helps me achieve the doughnut. I think I should get some kind of anti-award for "most classics read with no bingo whatsoever."

No biggie, I do most of my reading in June-August and December.

Phil wrote: "I finished a few books by spending 20 hours on a bus full of teenagers on a school trip to Washington DC. ...On the upside, The Color Purple was amazing, and A Raisin in the Sun was even better than the last time I read it..."


I need to do some rereads too!

Finished Narrative of Sojourner Truth to bring me one step closer to that delicious reading doughnut. Still no bingos!

I just need a short story collection and a Le Monde book. I might need a different Le Monde book- I probably won't have time for Life: A User's Manual in 2016.

You'll get there, Phil! Good review and warning--too bad about that one though.

Read The Man Who Planted Trees. The author won lifetime achievement awards in France, so I assume that counts as "Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize."

Completed Withering Heights, bringing me just two books away from that elusive doughnut.

Look like you're nearly there!

I was curious what you thought of Wuthering Heights, so I checked out your review--best review I've read of one of my favorite books! Agreed with everything you said there. :-) You should share it next time we have one of the recurring pro/con, love/hate conversations about that book in this group!

Haha, those love/hate conversations about Wuthering Heights do come up often!

Kathleen wrote: "I was curious what you thought of Wuthering Heights, so I checked out your review--best review I've read of one of my favorite books! Agreed with everything you said there. :-) You should share it ..."

Thanks, Kathleen! That's high praise. I wrote a weird review for a weird book. I'm glad someone liked it.

Finished Breakfast at Tiffany's for the short story collection. Didn't care for it- especially compared to In Cold Blood.

Just one box away from the doughnut! Gotta finish The Master and Margarita for the Le Monde box.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGH
NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTT



Here I am enjoying a doughnut (plain cake, because they were out of crullers) at my local doughnut merchant. A fellow patron took my picture brandishing the final book I needed to complete the inner doughnut of my Bingo sheet. She asked me what the book was about, and I answered, "It's Russian and very confusing. It took me a month longer than anyone else to finish it."

Haha, I love that photo! Well done on finishing the book and earning your doughnut :)

Is that off fountain square?

Welcome to Cincinnati! I live in Hyde Park, and that is the Buskens on Madison. If I were a true hipster, I would've gone to Holtmann's in OTR.

Phil we're neighbors. I'm in Amberley Village :)

Cool! My kids go to the Red Balloon all the time.

Congrats -- perfect photo for a win!

Congratulations on the bingo. And nope, no way to explain to the uninitiated what TMaM is about.

Hm. The outer doughnut beckons. If I went for it, it would probably look like this:

B1: Written by Nobel Laureate The Bluest Eye
B3: Classic of Africa Binti
I1: Published/Written Before 1600’s Richard III
I5: Published in the 1700's maybe The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia
N5: Classic of Europe Hans Christian Andersen
G5: Published in the 1800's Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
O2: Gothic Classic- We Have Always Lived in the Castle
O3: Classic of Asia or Oceania Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio

But who knows. The school year is upon me, and I'll be reading a lot of kids' books for the next three months.