2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

13/40

Sylvia Plath - The Bell Jar ✔️

Franz Kafka - Dearest Father ✔️

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen ✔️

You are off to a great start! 3 books of 40 is fantastic! I hope March is a smashing success for you!

Thank you! I hope I’ll read more this month.

Good luck Özlem!
Any particular books planned for this month?

Thank you Lisa. Now I am reading Jane Eyre.

Özlem wrote: "Thank you Lisa. Now I am reading Jane Eyre."

cool! How are you liking it so far? I haven't re-read it since high school, but I seem to recall having A LOT of issues with it. Like I liked Jane as a protagonist, but that romance! ugh! Nope! :D

I'd definitely love to know your thoughts on the book once you're finished, because I know it's a book a lot of people love :)

I’m reading it for a literature course at school. I like it but sometimes I feel too sad. I still couldn’t get to the romance part but I am planning to finish the book this weekend. I would like to discuss it with you and it would really help me before the exam. :)

Yeah, I get that. Jane definitely has difficult experiences through her entire life :D

I'd be happy to help with whatever I can remember of it :) I'd definitely recommend asking in the Buddy Reads section, in case anyone is reading it currently or soon, or has finished it recently.

When's your exam?

I will try Buddy Reads section. Thank you :)
I have two weeks.

Canım Aliye, Ruhum Filiz - Sabahattin Ali ✔️

My Dear Aliye, My Soul Filiz (my translation)
Sabahattin Ali was a Turkish novelist and poet. He also wrote many short stories. This book includes his letters to his wife and his daughter. Although I feel as if I am a bad intruder to his private life, I loved reading it. His relationship with his family proved that he was a real good person, I think. I don’t know if there are English translations of his works (if not, maybe I can translate lol) but I recommend you guys to read him.

Stefan Zweig - Burning Secret ✔️

I loved it. I have read some books on cheating, bu it was interesting to see this issue from a young boy’s perspective.

Charlotte Brontë - Jane Eyre ✔️

Finally! I was too slow reading this, I don’t know why. I like Jane and her relationship with Mr. Rochester although I could not like him much. But St. John! I hate him. He is just manipulative, sexist, bossy and know-it-all! At first Jane was doing whatever he wanted her to do and I was so afraid that she would really marry him. Also, I got surprised when she got married to Mr. Rochester considering the fact that he was in a very difficult position now. And I want to talk about Bertha. I think she is one of the reasons why I did not like Mr. Rochester and I am quite happy that Bertha took her revenge for being imprisoned. In a couple of weeks, I will be reading Wide Sargasso Sea which tells the story from Bertha’s perspective.

A book is a dream that you hold in your hand. Looks like you have had some awesome dreams this year. I hope that April brings you many more five star reads.

I love the idea of holding a dream in your hand. Thanks a lot for your nice comment Blagica. :)

Sabahattin Ali - Çakıcı'nın İlk Kurşunu ✔️

Özlem wrote: "I love the idea of holding a dream in your hand. Thanks a lot for your nice comment Blagica. :)"

it's a quote by Neil Gaiman I just thought it would post something different.

Thomas More - Utopia

I am so sorry that I could not like it :(

Sadegh Hedayat - Blind Owl

It was an interesting experience reading this book, I think. At first I tought I could finish it soon because it is short, but I could not. It was a bit tiring with all the “stream of consciousness” thing. Generally he talked about marriage and death. At some points I was like “Wtf are you saying?” But all in all I think his style is really good.

Stefan Zweig - Olağanüstü Bir Gece (A Fantastic Night) ✔️

I should have read earlier.

Virginia Woolf - Mrs. Dalloway ✔️

“Death was defiance. Death was an attempt to communicate ... ; one was alone. There was an embrace in death.”

Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird ✔️

Definitely five stars.

“Reading brings us unknown friends” While the warm weather is coming I hope you make some new friends in May!

Ahmet Altan - Tehlikeli Masallar (Dangerous Tales) ✔️

“I have always imagined paradise will be a kind of library.” I hope you find a corner in Paradise with some great books!!