Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

2020 Classic Bingo Challenge

Am I now visable for the other participants of this Bingo?

Nike wrote: "Can you find my challenge thread? How I executed the start of it correctly? I will copy and paste the list later when I'm at a computer, right now I'm using my pad and I can't copy anything off a p..."

Found it!

You are ready to go with your thread for Bingo Nike! Have fun with the challenge and I look forward to seeing what you read in 2020.

Glad you made it, enjoy your challenge!

Super! :D

I will probably read the following books:

B1: Classic of Asia: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
B2: Classic Tragedy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
B3: A Book Published at Least 200 Years Ago: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
B4: Memoir, Autobiography, or Biography: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
B5: Classic of Europe: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... or
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...#

I1: Classic Mystery or Crime: Something by Agatha Christie or E T A Hoffmann ... or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
I2: Group Bingo Participant Pick
I3: Classic Drama or Play: Something by Shakespeare, I think I've got https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... still unread somewhere in my shelves. I have to find it though, I moved quite recently and still can't find my way through the new order in my bookshelves. And maybe it'll turn out to be another play by him.
I4: Book From Group’s 2020 Bookshelf
I5: Classic Gothic or Horror: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... or
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

N1: Book From Group’s Old School Classic Shelf prior to 2020:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... or
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
N2: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize:

Here I do have a question - it says "Foreign Literary Prize. I am swedish and so of course I naturally think of the Noble Prize first (even if we are quite embarrassed over the events the last couple of years). Strangely enough I can not find it in the list of literary prizes here on Goodreads website. But surely it would count if I choose a book by an author who has received the Noble Prize? The question is .... for whom shall the prize be foreign? For me as a reader or for the majority of you (who I believe are from the USA)?


N3: Reader’s Choice
N4: Classic Short Story: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
N5: Book From Group’s New School Classic Shelf prior to 2020: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... or
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9... depending on which I will find first among my books.

G1: Classic Science Fiction or Fantasy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... or something by H G Wells, don't remember which one I've got.

G2: The Bigger Read List by English Pen -

I can't find that list. Please help me somebody =)

G3: Poetry or Essay Collection: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
G4: Banned Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
G5: Classic Science or Philosophy: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...


O1: Classic of Africa, Antarctica, Australia, or Oceania: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
O2: Classic Western:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
O3: Book Published the Year You Were Born: From my birth year 1970 I will probably choose either https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
O4: Classic Adventure: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
O5: Classic of the Americas: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8... or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

Most of them I'll read in swedish but I've linked to the english versions for you. And .... since I am always an optimist when it comes to time I will probably not read more than a few of these during 2020, it'll probably take much longer (due to the fact that I always find myself starting to read simultaneously in several books) but I will certainly try.
 

Hmm ... okay .... I notice that I have done something wrong here. I have copied the links to the books because I thought I was supposed to do that, however - it doesn't look like it does in your threads. Does it really takes blood, sweat and tears to make this function? Now I'm off to bed. :l

Goodreads can be very frustrating, Nike. To get an easier link, just access goodreads via the internet and use the "add book/author" function. This isn't available on the app so it took me months to figure it out.

Good luck on your challenge!

Nike wrote: "Hmm ... okay .... I notice that I have done something wrong here. I have copied the links to the books because I thought I was supposed to do that, however - it doesn't look like it does in your th..."

There's a link for 'add book/author' that's just on top of your chatbox that you can use to search for/add hyperlinked titles/author names. You can also do it manually: [bo ok:To the Lighthouse] by [aut hor: Virginia Woolf] without the spaces becomes To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.

Nike wrote: "...Here I do have a question - it says "Foreign Literary Prize..."

Choose a Prize that is from a country NOT your own.

Nike wrote: "...G2: The Bigger Read List by English Pen -

I can't find that list. Please help me somebody =)..."

Here is the list: https://www.englishpen.org/translatio...

Nike wrote: "(who I believe are from the USA)"

My impression is that the group members are from all over the globe but most are from western countries, but not particularly the US. The group has activity all 24 hours. We are at least 3 active members from Denmark.

It could be fun to see some real numbers on the demography.

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Nike wrote: "(who I believe are from the USA)"

My impression is that the group members are from all over the globe but most are from western countries, but not particularly the US. The group has a..."

We should do a poll asking people where they come from!

Rosemarie wrote: "Goodreads can be very frustrating, Nike. To get an easier link, just access goodreads via the internet and use the "add book/author" function. This isn't available on the app so it took me months t..."

Thank you Rosemarie! :)

You are most welcome! ☺️

Aubrey wrote: "Nike wrote: "Hmm ... okay .... I notice that I have done something wrong here. I have copied the links to the books because I thought I was supposed to do that, however - it doesn't look like it do..."

Thank you so much, Aubrey! I noticed that Bob had already informed me about that but I managed to miss that. However it doesn't work with "add book/author" for the first book on my list so I will try the alternative way you mentioned. I will be away a few days where I won't have any wifi so I'll come back and try it all over again in a week or so. Thank you, again! :)

Katy wrote: "Nike wrote: "...Here I do have a question - it says "Foreign Literary Prize..."

Choose a Prize that is from a country NOT your own.

Nike wrote: "...G2: The Bigger Read List by English Pen -

I c..."

Thankyou Katy! I was looking for the list Pen-list here on Goodreads! :D!!!
And I have chosen a book from among the Pulitzer-winners instead and that is actually a good thing because I must admit that I only tend to follow the Noble Prize winners and it's about time I follow something else. :)

J_BlueFlower wrote: "Nike wrote: "(who I believe are from the USA)"

My impression is that the group members are from all over the globe but most are from western countries, but not particularly the US. The group has a..."

Thankyou for enlightening me Blueflower! I don't know why I was so sure that everyone was from the US? :)

Philina wrote: "J_BlueFlower wrote: "Nike wrote: "(who I believe are from the USA)"

My impression is that the group members are from all over the globe but most are from western countries, but not particularly th..."

That's an excellent idea! :)

Nike you asked, "Here I do have a question - it says "Foreign Literary Prize. I am swedish and so of course I naturally think of the Noble Prize first (even if we are quite embarrassed over the events the last couple of years). Strangely enough I can not find it in the list of literary prizes here on Goodreads website. But surely it would count if I choose a book by an author who has received the Noble Prize? The question is .... for whom shall the prize be foreign? For me as a reader or for the majority of you (who I believe are from the USA)?"


My response:
Nike you asked about the use of the word "foreign" to describe a literary prize. We sometimes have a square (past years) that specifically says "Read a classic by a Nobel Laureate". But for me, a person who lived in the United States, a Nobel Prize for Literature would be "foreign" because the headquarters for the group that gives out the prize is not in my country. Even if an American author wins, the prize would still be a foreign prize. Does that make it any clearer?

Thank you!

So, I'm back and will try again.

B 1 Classic of Asia: The Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata
B 2 Classic Tragedy: The Sorrows of Young Werther
B 3 A Book Published at Least 200 Years Ago: Frankenstein
B 4: Memoir, Autobiography or Biography: Gandhi: An autobiography
B 5: Classic of Europe: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë ✔

I 1 Classic Mystery or Crime: it will probably be something by Agatha Christie , Arthur Conan Doyle or E T A Hoffmann or The Big Sleep
I 2 Group Bingo Participant Pick
I 3 Classic Drama or Play: probably something by Shakespeare William
I 4 Book from Group's 2020 Bookshelf
I 5: Classic Gothic or Horror: The Phantom of the Opera

N 1: Book from Group's Old School Classic Shelf prior to 2020: Silas Marner or Three Men in a Boat
N 2: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize: The Underground Railroad
N 3: Reader's Choice: Coraline
N 4 Classic Short Story: The Turn of the Screw
N 5 Book from Group's New School Classic Shelf prior to 2020: Beloved by Toni Morrison✔

G 1 Classic Science Fiction or Fantasy: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury or 1984 by George Orwell or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr

G 2 The Bigger Read List by English Pen: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert or Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan

G 3 Poetry or Essay Collection: Complete Poems by Edith Södergran

G 4 Banned Book: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger ✔

G 5 Classic Science or Philosophy: The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud

O 1 Classic of Africa, Antarctica, Australia or Oceania: The Sand Child or Occasion for Loving or Things Fall Apart

O 2 Classic Western: The Last of the Mohicans or The Last of the Plainsmen

O 3 Book published 1970, the year I was born: Maybe Passenger to Frankfurt or maybe I'd rather read The Satanic Witch

O 4 Classic Adventure: My Journey to Lhasa: The Classic Story of the Only Western Woman Who Succeeded in Entering the Forbidden City

O 5 Classic of the Americas: The Old Man and the Sea or Rabbit, Run or The House of the Seven Gables

Nike wrote: "O 1 Classic of Africa, Antarctica, Australia or Oceania: The Sand Child or Occasion for Loving or Things Fall Apart

O 2 Classic Western: [book:The Last of ..."

I'm glad to see 'The Sand Child' as a possibility on your list, Nike. That's a very striking book.

Aubrey wrote: "Nike wrote: "O 1 Classic of Africa, Antarctica, Australia or Oceania: The Sand Child or Occasion for Loving or [book:Things Fall

It will actually be exactly that one for Classics of Africa! I've just decided which books to bring with me at a long-wished-for-holiday, and "The Sand Child" wanted to join me and now lays in the book pile who is destinated for my suitcase. :)

Excellent. I look forward to your thoughts on it.

Hello, everyone (if anyone reads this, that is)! I am sorry for having been neglecting the bingo. I am currently reading a whole bunch of other books and time flies. But I just discovered that at least I've read one of the books in my bingo challenge and that is "Catcher in the Rye" by J D Salinger, square G 4. And I'm reading "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë now. Square B 5. And still reading the poetry collection by Edith Södergran - one or two poems a night so it will last the year probably. Square G 3. I guess I won't aim for a full bingo! 😄

There is a lot of time left in the year and it only takes five in a row for Bingo. You'll make it.

Bob wrote: "There is a lot of time left in the year and it only takes five in a row for Bingo. You'll make it."

Thank you for the good spirits! 🙂👌

You have a rather nice list as well!! And don't worry the year is still quite long, at first I wasn't expecting at all to complet the bingo challenge but now I'm starting to think I might, so it might be the same with you^^
If you would like me to suggest you somethin for I 2, the bingo participant pick, I would be glad to do so^^
Good luck with your reading and enjoy!

Irphen wrote: "You have a rather nice list as well!! And don't worry the year is still quite long, at first I wasn't expecting at all to complet the bingo challenge but now I'm starting to think I might, so it mi..."

Oh, yes thankyou! I would appreciate that! I try to just choose unread books from my own book shelves though (I have collected for many years but it is only the last few years that I have had plenty of time to read) I want to prioritize what I already have before I buy or borrow something else. (Actually I am not very good at obey my own rules when it comes to that = D) So you can suggest a number of books if you like and I will choose from that list. 🙂📚

Nike wrote: "Irphen wrote: "You have a rather nice list as well!! And don't worry the year is still quite long, at first I wasn't expecting at all to complet the bingo challenge but now I'm starting to think I ..."

I understand, I always try to do the same and just like you I tend to feel obeying my own rules! XD Okay I will give you a little list of suggestions then and you do with it what you want^^
Carmila gothic fiction, short and easy to read, I enjoyed it very much!
The Book Thief rather thick but easy to read, I read it in 4 or 5 days because I couldn't put it down! XD
Farewell Waltz kind of philosophical, read it fast and thought it was very good, light writing about rather serious and hard things.
Marina kind of a dark fairy-tale, maybe rather a children's book but I believe also well suited for adults.

Irphen wrote: "Nike wrote: "Irphen wrote: "You have a rather nice list as well!! And don't worry the year is still quite long, at first I wasn't expecting at all to complet the bingo challenge but now I'm startin..."

Wow! Wonderful suggestions!

Do you know if the the first one is available in english? My spanish is not at a level that I can read a whole book. Have you by the way read The Vampire? It's supposed to be the very first vampire novel.

I've got the Book Thief, so maybe it's about time I read it! 😊 I know that everyone seems to love it.

I've read "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera ages ago but I loved it so much. I will put "Farewell Waltz" on my Want-to-read-list. Thank you for that.

I've heard of "Marina" and would love to read it some day. I love the books by Carlos Ruíz Zafón. I' ve read the first three in the series that starts with "The Shadow of the Wind" and I recently bought the last one "The labyrinth of Spirits" and I am so looking forward to reading it. So now you can help me by deciding wether I should start with the "The Book Thief" or "The Labyrinth of Spirits". Have you read it by the way?

I have also found a really exiting book that was published the year I was born. A cult classic "The Satanic Witch" by Anton LaVey. Maybe that is something in your taste as well?

Thank you so much! Lovely to meet someone with similar taste.

Nike wrote: "Irphen wrote: "Nike wrote: "Irphen wrote: "You have a rather nice list as well!! And don't worry the year is still quite long, at first I wasn't expecting at all to complet the bingo challenge but ..."

Hehe, thanks!^^
Oh sure! Sorry I give you a link to the spanish version ( wasn't aware of that ), it's actually orginally written in English I think for the writer is Irish. I think you might as well find it as a free ebook on internet as it is rather a classic.
I haven't read The vampire but I will make sure to do so some time soon^^ Thanks for the recommendation!

You're welcome^^ Cool! I haven't read The Unebearable Lightness of being yet but I might just read it some time^^

Carlos Ruiz Zafon is indeed a great writer that I love as well! I've read most of his "children" books plus Marina and one of the series The Cementery of Forgotten Books.
And to answer your question, I haven't read The labyrinth of Spirits, I only read The Prisonner of Heaven quite some years ago, nonetheless I loved it, and I have The Shadow of the Wind which is waiting for me in spanish on my self. As for to start with The Labyrinth of Spirits or The Book Thief, I don't really know. Maybe the Book Thief cause I think it's an easier and quicker read, the protagonist is a child in war time which gives a bit of a different view. Also it made me eager to read a lot myself again and also I realised how lucky I was to have access to so many books, somehow it even increases your love for books and make them value more as the girl is obsessed with books and only has very few at her disposition. But of course i read this much more recently so it's easier for me to talk about it, anyways the choose is up to you!^^

I've heard of Anton LaVey but never read anything by him, however this sounds indeed rather interesting. I will go check it out, thanks for the recommendation!^^

You're welcome, and I'm pleased as well to find someone with similar taste!^^

♡♡♡

I have finally finished a second (!) book in this bingo! Yeah! B 5 Classic of Europe: "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë. Wow, what a magnificent reading experience! I'm totally blown away by it!

So glad you enjoyed Wuthering Heights, Nike. It is my favorite, just for that experience you describe.

I agree with Irphen's recommendation of Carmilla. I just finished it and it is SO good! I read it as part of a collection, In a Glass Darkly.

You have many great choices--enjoy your challenge!

Kathleen wrote: "So glad you enjoyed Wuthering Heights, Nike. It is my favorite, just for that experience you describe.

I agree with Irphen's recommendation of Carmilla. I just finished it and it is S..."

Thank you Kathleen! =)

Matt wrote: "So glad you enjoyed WH Nike! It is one of my favorites."

And now it's also one of mine =)

Finally ... I finished this outstanding piece of literature last night and I am overwhelmed.

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison! N5 New School Classic Shelf.

This might very possibly be the best book I have ever read. I'm totally blown away. It's horrific things she is telling us about but in a language that is so remarcably beautiful, her words flowing like a river, sometimes wild and roaring and sometimes smooth and comforting. My heart was actually pounding so hard while reading the last chapters.

It's the first book I have read by this author (certainly not the last) and when I turned on the TV two hours ago they announced that a documentairy about Toni Morrison will be broadcasted Tuesday! Wow! (This is in Sweden where I live). I feel happy 🙂💕💕💕

This is only the third square I can mark as read on my bingo sheet though. Tough things in life has occurred with my youngest son being very ill (not the corona) so my ability to concentrate hasn't been functioning at all. Now he is slowly recovering and has started to take care about me a bit, my own health has deteriorated due to me worrying about him, and now he cooks me good meals so I can sit down, relax and read again. We take good care of each other with a lot of love and that's the most imortant thing.

I am also working hard on getting him to try reading good fiction. He has Asperger Syndrome and prefers reading about C++ and other computer related stuff but he has now actually started reading "1984" and even though he has just read six pages during three weeks (yes, he has ADHD as well and really big difficulties concentrating) he actually likes the book and wants to finish it! And that is nothing less of a miracle!

Hope you and yours are healing. Get well and enjoy what you read.

I'm so sorry you and your son are having heatlh troubles, I will send you good vibes and hope you will be better soon again!^^ And 1984 is a great book so I can understand that! Have fun reading!^^

Katy wrote: "Hope you and yours are healing. Get well and enjoy what you read."

Thankyou so much for your kind words, Katy <3

Irphen wrote: "I'm so sorry you and your son are having heatlh troubles, I will send you good vibes and hope you will be better soon again!^^ And 1984 is a great book so I can understand that! Have fun reading!^^"

Thankyou dear Irphen ❤

My fourth book in the bingo is read: "Fahrenheit 415" by Ray Bradbury for square G1) Classic sci-fi. I liked it a lot even though the story wasn't that chiselled and even though the intellectuals were only men (I accept the biased genderroles only because the book was written 1953).
Before I hit rock bottom many years ago and got chronic fatigue syndrome I could read fast but now I am happy I can read at all. I lost my ability to read completely during a period of two - three years and after that I've still hade problems with focusing. BUT with that said - after having had chronic fatigue syndrome for man then twenty years I have actually been able to read more regularly and concentrated the last few weeks, after a period of turmoil and illness in my core family. I love those periods when I can dive into reading and being focused and I do hope this period will last because reading has always been the most precious thing to do for me. I do not read only books that match the bingo criterias for the moment, I am naive enough to believe I can participate in more than one reading activity on Good Reads in the same time. Only because I want to, not because I can read every day because of the CFS (=ME). I'm stubborn and want to believe I can read more than I can, hahaha! Anyway it's a sheer joy every time I have been able to read a book without a "many days long pause". And I managed that with "Fahrenheit 451"! =)

Read what you can when you can. I'm glad you are doing better. One of me biggest fears is loosing the ability to read as I get older. What you went through must have been terrible. Good luck

Thank you so much for your kind words Bob! =)