Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

✔ -- B1: Book Published 1950 - 1999: Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood; 1988; 420 pages; owned. Read 02/27/22 *****
✔ -- B2: Classic written in your native language: The Sea Wolf by Jack London 1904; 424 pages; read 04/08/22 **
✔ -- B3: Classic Science or Philosophy: A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold; 1949; 240 page; read 04/16/22 *****
✔ -- B4: Classic Banned Book: A Separate Peace by John Knowles; 1959; 204 pages; owned; read 12/17/22 ****.
✔ -- B5: A Classic NOT on Our Bookshelf that Should be There: The Time It Never Rained by Elmer Kelton; 1973; 416 pages; read 8/06/22 *****

✔ -- I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2022: (5/2016) Black Beauty by Anna Sewell; 1877; 255 pages; read 9/6/22 ***
✔ -- I2: New-To-You Classic Author: All the King's Men: Restored Edition by Robert Penn Warren; 1947; 642 pages; read 10/1/22 ****
✔ -- I3: Classic Drama or Play: An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde; 1895; 96 pages; 4/21/22 ***
✔ -- I4: Classic Over 500 pages: The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye; 1978; 1189 pages; read 5/21/22 *****
✔ -- I5: Literary Prize of Your Country or Region: The March by E.L. Doctorow; 2005; 509 pages; read 04/16/22 *****

✔ -- N1: Classic Involving Music: Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey ; 1964; 715 pages; read 6/19/22; *****
✔ -- N2: Classic Mythology or Folklore: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell; 1988; 293 pages; owned as audiobook. Read 1/26/22 *****
✔ -- N3: Free Space: Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim1921; 190 pages; read 8/10/22 ****
✔ -- N4: Classic Poetry or Essay Collection: The Silverado Squatters by Robert Louis Stevenson; 1883; 134 pages; owned, Read 12/19/22 ***

✔ -- N5: Classic by an Author from a Country you didn’t Read in 2021: (Mexico) Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo; 1955; 120 pages

✔ --G1: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize: (Orange Prize) The Siege by Helen Dunmore; 2001; 203 pages; read 1/13/22 *****
✔ -- G2: Book from a group poll during your birthday month: (December 2016) The Birds by Daphne du Maurier; 1952; pages ?; read 11/29/22 *****
✔ -- G3: Classic Tragedy: Cool Hand Luke by Donn Pearce; 1965; 304 pages; read 7/16/22 *****
✔ -- G4: Group Bingo Participant Pick: A Cry of Angels by Jeff Fields; 1974; 383 pages; owned; read 12/10/22 *****
✔ -- G5: Book from the Group’s 2022 Bookshelf: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway; 1926; 251 pages. read 03/25/22 **

✔ -- O1: Book Published before 1900: The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne; 1852; 176 pages; read 10/12/22 **
✔ -- O2: Children’s Classic: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain; 1881; 240 pages; read 1/1922
✔ -- O3: Classic Short Story Collection: That Distant Land: The Collected Stories by Wendell Berry; 2005; 448 pages; 9/1/22 *****
✔ -- O4: Classic in translation: Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekov; 1898; 116 pages; read 7/28/22 **
✔ -- O5: Book Published 1900 - 1949: The Trees by Conrad Richter by Conrad Richter; 1940; 199 pages; read 7/6/22 ***

Regarding G4: Group Bingo Participant Pick --

I would like a lot of suggestions from which to choose, but I would prefer suggestions that are:

- 300 pages or less
- classic from the 20th century

Thanks!

Terry
I suggest these 20th-century shorter novels:

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark 150 pages. About a eccentric teacher at a girl's school.

Animal Farm by George Orwell 122 pages. About farm animals seeking their rights.

Terry, I see some chunksters on your TBR that I loved, but for shorter ones, I'll recommend Sula by Toni Morrison. It's a big story, but clocks in at only 174 pgs. Have fun!

Terry wrote: "Regarding G4: Group Bingo Participant Pick --

I would like a lot of suggestions from which to choose, but I would prefer suggestions that are:

- 300 pages or less
- classic from the 20th century
..."

Orlando by Virginia Woolf? Most of the editions are under 300.

How about Travels with Charley: In Search of America

Cynda wrote: "Terry
I suggest these 20th-century shorter novels:

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark 150 pages. About a eccentric teacher at a girl's school.

[book:Animal..."

Thanks, Cynda, but I have read both and I want to read books that are new to me.

Matt wrote: "I recommend Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - around 200 pages. It can fit in G3 tragedy square or the O5 book published 1900-1949.


Also, [b..."

Thanks, Matt, but I have read Ethan Frome. However, The Outsiders may be in contention.

Kathleen wrote: "Terry, I see some chunksters on your TBR that I loved, but for shorter ones, I'll recommend Sula by Toni Morrison. It's a big story, but clocks in at only 174 pgs. Have fun!"

Thanks, Kathleen. Sula may be in contention.

Aubrey wrote: "Terry wrote: "Regarding G4: Group Bingo Participant Pick --

I would like a lot of suggestions from which to choose, but I would prefer suggestions that are:

- 300 pages or less
- classic from the..."

Thanks, Aubrey. I am pretty sure I read Orlando back in the 1970s when I was reading Woolf during my early feminist days.

Matt, The Outsiders is in contention.

Janelle, Travels with Charley is in contention.

Terry, I don't know how hard it would be for you to find this book in your library, but I thought The Waiting Years (1957: 203 pp) by Fumiko Enchi was outstanding!

Nothing wrong with going slow. Hope you enjoy your challenge.

The Quiet American by Graham Greene is my suggestion, although you already have some good ones here.

Thanks, Jillian. I actually own another Hemingway short story collection with the Snows in it. Hmm, maybe…

Shirley, thanks for the suggestion. The Waiting Years is on my TBR. I will consider it.

Thanks, Sara. The Quiet American is also on my TBR. So many good suggestions! I would like to read more Greene, too. It will be hard to choose.

Terry, looking forward to seeing all of your reading next year! I would love to suggest Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith.

Lori, that’s another one on my TBR! Hard to choose!

Sara, Did I hear something about A Cry of Angels? Would that be one you would recommend to me?

Absolutely, Terry. Bob recommended it to me the last time we had this square for Bingo, and it was among the best books I read all year. I'd love to see everyone read it!

Okay, great! This will be my participant pick! Thanks!

I still have a few categories to fill, so maybe one or more of the
above recommendations nay still make the bingo card. Thanks to all who have sent me ideas!

Terry wrote: "Sara, Did I hear something about A Cry of Angels? Would that be one you would recommend to me?"

Terry, I was so close to recommending this one to you! I'm so glad you picked it!

Me too! Over the moon.

Thanks, Matt. If you want to do a Buddy Read for This Side of Paradise, let me know! As far as that goes, we could try to read A Sand County Almanac at the same time.

Sara and Lori, I am thrilled with this choice!

All your other good choices aside, I do hope you enjoy A Cry of Angels. It is a true favorite and the only book I have read 4 times.

Moby Dick may be a bit ambitious for me, Bob, but I am looking forward to a great Bingo year!

Jillian, I will definitely get to it, since I am dedicated to reading down the books I already own. Hemingway is not my favorite author, but I usually do enjoy reading his stories.

Great BINGO board, Terry. I've been trying to decide on something for Myths and may take your idea. I'm trying to use books I own when possible so I have to dig through my enormous Kindle collection to see if I have something that fits first.

I look forward to seeing how you like everything. Good luck!

Thanks, Sue. I am not making much progress yet because I overbooked myself for January! I may not start on my Bingo card until February this year. We’ll see how the month goes.

I still haven't updated my 2021 challenges or done a year end review (or many other reviews). I've been out of sorts and hope something will change that.

I updated my list in the beginning post. As predicted, I have gotten off to a slow start! I have finished B1 Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood and N2 The Power of Myth (Audiobook) by Joseph Campbell, both excellent. I am currently reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway which when finished will be my pick for G5. So I am definitely behind in my game at this juncture! I think I should choose a couple of short ones just to show a little progress.

Terry wrote: "I updated my list in the beginning post. As predicted, I have gotten off to a slow start! I have finished B1 Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood and N2 The Power of Myth (Audiobook) by Joseph Campbell, bo..."

Cat's Eye was brilliant Terry, and it was crushingly affecting. I related to it so much; I liked that nothing was softened to make characters more sympathetic. Damaged people don't behave perfectly while they're healing from what they've gone through, and she captures that so well.

Greg, Ah yes! I was really struck by how authentic her writing about childhood was. She is such a good writer. I want to read The Blind Assassin one of these days.

Those two are both special to me, Terry! I'm a fan of both authors and Cat's Eye is my favorite Atwood. Glad you enjoyed them, and congrats on the architectural award!

Thanks, Kathleen! I hope all my Bingo choices this year are this good!

I updated and edited my list, and finished G-5 The Sun Also Rises, B-2 The Sea Wolf, B-3 A Sand County Almanac and I-5 The March. By edited, I mean I changed a couple of the books to fit into categories, thereby showing a little progress in the last month! I aml also changing I-4 to the Far Pavilions and read it along with others in a Buddy Read.

Nice choices so far. It seems like I have read sections of The Power of Myth, and especially the parts about hero journeys. Very interesting.

I added I-3 Classic Play: An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde. I am working on I-4 Classic Over 500 Pages: The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye (which is great, by the way), but I also plan to read Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey. Lots of reading to do!

By switching around some titles into categories, I have added 3 books since last posting: N1 Classic Involving Music -- Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey; G3 Classic Tragedy -- Cool Hand Luke by Don Pearce; and O5 Book Published 1900-1949 -- The Trees by Conrad Richter. No Bingos yet. I still have a long way to go to get to a blackout. It might not happen this year. Still, I have been reading some great books!

You have had some great reads, Terry, and that is really what it is all about. You still have some great ones on your list!

Thank you, Sara! We are reading some great books together!

I love how you've placed all 3 of these great reads, Terry! I've actually had more fun placing the unplanned Bingo reads into the board this year. It's been a great strategy and it seems to be working great for you too!

Well, Lori, you inspired the Music category placement, thanks so much! Still, even with such inspired placement, I have a lot of work ahead of me if I can get to blackout!

I haven't posted progress in many months. With some review of of my read books, switching around and filling in blanks, I am five books away from blackout and somewhat doubtful I can do that in December. I have started A Cry of Angels (G-4), so that will be checked off, and probably get to A Separate Peace (B-4). That still leaves The Birds (G-2) which I could perhaps listen, the Silverado Squatters (N-4) which I would still like to read, and something for A Classic in Translation (O-4) for which I have little enthusiasm. I need to find something really quick to read for that one. It means I may need to neglect other pursuits. So, I said I would be slow at this from the start, but we shall see when it comes down to the wire!

I found myself in the same situation, Terry. I'm using a bunch of short books to complete my challenge. I hadn't posted since January, I believe! It's been a bad Goodreads year for me for reviews and participation. I'm hoping next year is better!

Terry wrote: "I haven't posted progress in many months. With some review of of my read books, switching around and filling in blanks, I am five books away from blackout and somewhat doubtful I can do that in Dec..."

The classic in translation - I just read two murder / unhappy couple stories. I gave them both 4* although murders usually aren't a genre I like. Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola and The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy. I knocked them out this month to help with challenges.

A book I truly loved was A Simple Soul by Gustave Flaubert

A final thought is that one of our group reads for December is The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann Good luck.