Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

B1: Book Published 1950 - 1999 If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin 2/17/22 ★★★★
B2: Classic written in your native language Pale Horse, Pale Rider: The Short Stories by Katherine Anne Porter 4/18/22 ★★★★
B3: Classic Science or Philosophy Under the Sea Wind by Rachel Carson 1/7/22 ★★★★
B4: Classic Banned Book Despised and Rejected by Rose Allatini 1/12/22 ★★★★½
B5: A Classic NOT on Our Bookshelf that Should be There Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor 2/15/22 ★★★★

I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2022 Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen 4/30/22 ★★★
I2: New-To-You Classic Author Changes: A Love Story by Ama Ata Aidoo 2/21/22 ★★★
I3: Classic Drama or Play Miss Lulu Bett: A Play by Zona Gale 3/15/22 ★★★
I4: Classic Over 500 pages Daniel Deronda by George Eliot 8/30/22 ★★★½
I5: Literary Prize or Your Country or Region Now in November by Josephine Winslow Johnson (Pulitzer) 11/9/22 ★★★

N1: Classic Involving Music The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather 2/4/22 ★★★
N2: Classic Mythology or Folklore Bird Girl & the Man Who Followed the Sun: An Athabaskan Indian Legend from Alaska by Velma Wallis 10/17/22 ★★★★½
N3: Free Space Citizen 13660 by Mine Okubo 5/9/22 ★★★★
N4: Classic Poetry or Essay Collection Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion 6/18/22 ★★★
N5: Classic by an Author from a Country you didn’t Read in 2021 The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector (Brazil) 1/2/22 ★★

G1: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize Kristin Lavransdatter (The Wife and The Cross only) by Sigrid Undset (Nobel) 6/11/22 ★★★
G2: Book from a group poll during your birthday month Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs 5/26/22 ★★★★
G3: Classic Tragedy The Street by Ann Petry 5/15/22 ★★★★½
G4: Group Bingo Participant Pick The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields 11/21/22 ★★★★½
G5: Book from the Group’s 2022 Bookshelf The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens 2/5/22 ★★★★★

O1: Book Published before 1900 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (reread) 7/17/22 ★★★★★
O2: Children’s Classic A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett 4/23/22 ★★★½
O3: Classic Short Story Collection Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories by Alifa Rifaat 4/12/22 ★★★½
O4: Classic in translation Iza's Ballad by Magda Szabó 8/25/22 ★★★
O5: Book Published 1900 - 1949 The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim 4/17/22 ★★★★

Have fun with your planning and reading next year, Laurie!

Laurie wrote: "I hope to only read books I already own and intend to fill most of these in as I read a book that applies, but these are some of my possibilities.."

What a great way to whittle down your to read shelf. Happy bingo for 2022.

Laurie, I am also trying to read books I already own, but there are quite a few categories that I cannot fill that way. I hope you have good luck as you begin your quest!

Thanks everyone. I seem to have the same goal every year and I don't read as many of my own books as I would like, so we'll see if I do better next year.

An excellent idea to use books you own. I may try that next time, as they do keep stacking up. You have some great choices here--I loved East of Eden and Another Country. Have fun, Laurie!

I am also determined to read from my stack, but I always seem to start the year that way and end by accumulating more books than I read. Maybe this will be the year, Laurie, because you have some great books on there!

Thanks, Sara and Kathleen. I will definitely read a lot of my books. Even if I have to pick up a few from the library, I will try not to buy new just for a challenge. I had a goal this year of reading at least 75% from my books. I won't make that goal, but I'll hit around 66%. Not too bad.

I am too striving to read down my tbr which includes library lists, book vendor lists, and eservice lists along with bookcase occupants:-) Yet still I add books. I have just now added The World As I See It. I think it is a worthwhile add.

Enjoy your reading in 2022!

Interesting list and I think I like the idea of reading Edith Hamilton for Mythology (if I can get my hands on it). I too plan to read A Little Princess next year as I have read good reviews about it.

I enjoyed Evelina this year and A Wizard of Earthsea was alright too! A Vindication (read in 2020) was very impressive but slow reading. Good luck with your challenge, Laurie!

Thanks, Cynda and Shaina. I am getting excited about my books for next year.

You reminded me that The Wizard of Earthsea has been on my non-written TBR since the 1970s!

Terry wrote: "You reminded me that The Wizard of Earthsea has been on my non-written TBR since the 1970s!"

I have been meaning to read it for a while but not quite as long as you. 😊

You've put down eight very good books that I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on, Laurie, and you still have empty categories to plan out! Looks like 2022 is going to be a great reading year for you.

Aubrey wrote: "You've put down eight very good books that I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on, Laurie, and you still have empty categories to plan out! Looks like 2022 is going to be a great reading year f..."

Thanks, Aubrey. I hope it is. I love to plan then I end up changing those plans so being more fluid works better for me. Like everyone else I am eager to start reading these books now!

I have read two books this past week for Bingo which are posted in the first message. It feels good to get a good start on this challenge.

I also am trying to read books I own, particularly the inherited stacks from my parents. It is a worthy goal and although I don't perfectly achieve it the stack of unread physical books is decreasing. Good luck with your stack and I hope you have fun.

I have never heard of Under the Sea Wind only Rachel Carson 's Silent Spring. That looks very interesting.

Thanks, Lynn. I had only ever heard of Silent Spring as well, but that is actually Rachel Carson's last book. She was dying of cancer when it was published and she never got to see the impact it had. I haven't read it yet but I plan to.

I have added my banned book for B4. Despised and Rejected by Rose Allatini was published in 1918 and quickly banned in England due to the strong pacifist message in the book. Here is my review.

I have completed two more books on this challenge. For the classic involving music I read The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather. I gave this book 3 stars and here is my review. I also read The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens for the book from the group's 2022 bookshelf. I loved it gave it 5 stars.

Despised and Rejected looks interesting, Laurie. I'll add it to the list. Enjoy your reading!

Carolien wrote: "Despised and Rejected looks interesting, Laurie. I'll add it to the list. Enjoy your reading!"

Thanks, Carolien.

I haven't added a new post in over 8 months, but I have been reading and updating my bingo board. I have only two left which I will complete in the next few weeks.

Wow! So many 4 and 5 * books. Looks like you had a great year of reading. Looks like no pressure to blackout is leading to a blackout..lol
I have one book left and it's the I5 square same as you. I'm sure you are headed for a blackout soon.

Laurie glad you are pleased with your progress :-) Keep doing what pleases you as it seems to work. . . .

Thanks, Shaina and Cynda. It has been a good reading year.

So impressive that you read Daniel Deronda--one I'd love to tackle someday but it's huge! Congrats on some wonderful reading, Laurie.

Kathleen wrote: "So impressive that you read Daniel Deronda--one I'd love to tackle someday but it's huge! Congrats on some wonderful reading, Laurie."

Thanks, Kathleen. To make my reading manageable for long classic novels, I usually read a chapter or two each day or a specified number of pages if the chapter plan can't work. I treat almost any pre-20th century doorstopper as a two or three month read.

I have blacked out my bingo board. I read the final two books this month and now my challenges for the year that I can complete are done.

Yay! Just in time since the new Bingo challenge should come out in a few days!! Haha!

Congratulations! Ya dun good!! ;)

Thanks, Terris.

Congrats, Laurie! Whew! It's a great accomplishment!

Well done, Laurie! Great list of books :)

Thank you, Lori and Janelle. It feels good to have read some books I've been meaning to read for a long time.

A wonderful challenge, Laurie--congratulations!

Congratulations Laurie! Nice job.

Thanks, Kathleen and Lynn.

Congratulations! Well done!

Congratulations, Laurie!

Thank you, Terry and Carolien.

Congratulations!!

Thanks, Shaina.

Congratulations on completing your blackout, Laurie. I loved that you read The Stone Diaries, it's one of my favorties.

Thanks, Sue. I really enjoyed The Stone Diaries.

Laurie wrote: "Thanks, Sue. I really enjoyed The Stone Diaries."

Me, too. I'd like to read something else by Carol Shields.