Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Update on March 22 - I'm back from my trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, which was awesome! I read quite a few books in preparation for the trip and towards my blackout for the bingo challenge. Updates, with ratings, are below. I've got I2, I4, N5, G1, G2 and G3 so far.

I'm inspired and afraid at the same time ... but I'm going to aim for a blackout and see how it goes! I'm going to Vietnam and Cambodia in March so I'm trying to include some of my trip reading in this list. As well as books from my ever-growing TBR list. Some of the categories I'm going to leave as "to be determined" in order to give myself some flexibility.

This is what I've identified so far on January 2, 2019:

B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic The Mysteries of Udolpho Ann Radcliffe
B2: Book Chosen by the Cover
B3: European Classic
B4: Telegraph’s 100 Novels List The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieMuriel Spark
B5: 20th Century Classic The Talented Mr. RipleyPatricia Highsmith

I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2019
I2: New-to-You Author I Capture the Castle Dodie Smith - finished January, 2019 ***
I3: Classic Play
I4: Literary Prize of Your Country The Time in Between David Bergen - finished January 2019 - ** - very disappointing
I5: Classic on Your Bookshelf For over a YearCat's EyeMargaret Atwood

N1: South American ClassicPortrait in Sepia Isabel Allende
N2: Short Story CollectionThe Witness for the Prosecution and Other StoriesAgatha Christie
N3: FREE SPACE
N4: Poetry or Essay Collection Love Songs Sara Teasdale
N5: Asian Classic - The Quiet American - finished in February, rated ****

G1: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize - The Sympathizer - finished in March, rated ****
G2: Classic By a Female Author The Lover - finished in January - rated ****
G3: Classic Non-fiction A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam Norman Lewis Finished in February, rated ***
G4: Written by Nobel Laureate BelovedToni Morrison
G5: Book from the Group's 2019 Bookshelf

O1: 19th Century Classic
O2: Classic Sci-fi or Fantasy The Once and Future KingT.H. White
O3: Classic Comedy or Satire
O4: Classic Romance
O5: 21st Century Potential Classic - too many to choose from - thinking about Homegoing by Gyasi or Manhatten Beach by Egan or Great Alone by Hannah

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Good start! Enjoy your reading and your trip!! )

Great planning, and so nice to see you inspired. No need to be afraid. You can do this.

Great list so far! One of the reasons I like the Bingo challenge is because it's so flexible. Hope you enjoy them all!

N5 - The Lover by Margurite Duras ****

Nice start Leslie. And I see you quite liked the read.

Jan 2 2020 - Update on my 2019 Bingo Challenge

Well, I aimed for a blackout and didn't get there. I blame a couple of books for this:
Mysteries of Udolpho The Mysteries of Udolpho
proved too much for me. Too long and not much happening. Lengthy descriptions of landscapes ... and not much happening. I kept trying but couldn't make much headway.

The Blind Assassin - I've owned this book since it was first published in 2000 but never read it, so I picked it for I5: book on your bookshelf for over a year. When I opened it, I discovered a bookmark at page 125. I should have taken that for a warning - I didn't make it much farther this time: page 202. I do intend to make another try for it this year.

Below is what I did finish - discovered a lot of new (to me) books and authors that I really enjoyed and was disappointed by some I had always looked forward to reading. All in all, despite not finishing, I enjoyed the Bingo Challenge. But I think I'm going to take a break in 2020.

B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson 11/03/2019 - ***
B2: Book Chosen by the Cover Company of Liars 11/21/2019 - *****
B3: European Classic The Diary of a Young Girl 12/07/2019 - *****
B4: Telegraph’s 100 Novels List The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieMuriel Spark 10/05/2019 - ***
B5: 20th Century Classic The Talented Mr. RipleyPatricia Highsmith 06/20/2019 - *****

I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2019 - Never got here
I2: New-to-You Author I Capture the Castle Dodie Smith - finished January, 2019 ***
I3: Classic Play - Never got here
I4: Literary Prize of Your Country The Time in Between David Bergen - finished January 2019 - ** - very disappointing
I5: Classic on Your Bookshelf For over a Year The Blind Assassin Tried by Failed! Will keep trying ...

N1: South American ClassicPortrait in Sepia Isabel Allende 11/22/2019 - ** - so disappointed in this one - Loved Daughter of Fortune - so bored by this!
N2: Short Story CollectionThe Witness for the Prosecution and Other StoriesAgatha Christie 10/26/2019 - ****
N3: FREE SPACE The Handmaid's Tale Finished 09/03/2019 - ***** - this is a re-read, but I hadn't read it since it was first published at which time I thought it was overrated. On re-read because The Testaments was released, I thought it was brilliant.
N4: Poetry or Essay Collection ] - Never got here
N5: Asian Classic - The Quiet American - finished in February, rated ****

G1: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize - The Sympathizer - finished in March, rated ****
G2: Classic By a Female Author The Lover - finished in January - rated ****
G3: Classic Non-fiction A Dragon Apparent: Travels in Cambodia, Laos & Vietnam Norman Lewis Finished in February, rated ***
G4: Written by Nobel Laureate BelovedToni Morrison Finished - 08/17/2019 - *****
G5: Book from the Group's 2019 Bookshelf Kindred Finished 05/07/2019 - *****

O1: 19th Century Classic Sanditon - 09/01/2019 - *** - read because series released in UK - looking forward to seeing it on PBS in Canada in 2020
O2: Classic Sci-fi or Fantasy Foundation Finished 05/18/2019 - * - so boring - so sexist
O3: Classic Comedy or Satire - Never got here
O4: Classic Romance Foreign Affairs Finished 12/13/2019 - ****
O5: 21st Century Potential Classic The Testaments - Finished 10/09/2019 - *** - Really enjoyed it at first but half way through, I lost interest.