Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

This Challenge Starts 1 January 2024, but the folder & discussion thread are open so that you can begin to plan your year. Bingo can be planned ahead or you can just collect squares as you read throughout the year.

This challenge can be used with your other challenges. Books and authors selected here can be used to fill other challenge needs. Also, since this year we are focusing more on reading book series, I wanted to emphasize that using the same author more than once is fine.

Classic books are by group definition first published before the year 2000. Some squares do not require a "classic" book. (Hint. There are some great books being read in our Buddy Read Section.)

I5 A Book Recommended by a Group Member
N3 Free Space
N5 A Literature Class Book
G2 A 21st Century Potential Classic

NOTE: Start your own thread for your challenge in this folder.
Bingo 2024 Folder


Happy Reading! (And big thanks to Katy. I can't seem to get images to post. LOL)

Classics Bingo 2024

The goal is to focus your reading on literary classics.

Read a book that fits the description of a square. You may NOT count the same book twice for different categories in this challenge. (You can, however, use books for more than one challenge.) Each book can be applied to only one square, even if it fulfills the requirements of multiple squares. All books read to mark off squares must be finished in 2024. Using the same author more than once is fine.





Challenge Levels

Level One Bingo
Four Corners: Mark off the four outside corners of the Bingo board.
Five-in-a-Row: Mark off five squares in a row. This can be done horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.

Level Two Bingo
Small Box: Mark off all the 9 inner squares of the board (including the free square), leaving blank the 16 outside border squares.

Level Three Bingo
Outside Box: Mark off all 16 of the outer squares, leaving blank the 9 inner squares.

Level Four Bingo
Blackout! Mark off all the squares of the board

Here's a list of Bingo categories to copy and paste so you can make your own thread!

B1 A Classic by a Nobel Laureate or a Pulitzer Prize Winner.
B2 A Classic Book in Translation.
B3 A Classic Comedy or Satire
B4 A Classic Written Before 1700
B5 A Classic of Asia or Oceania

I1 A Classic from our Short Story Group Shelf
I2 A Classic from your Personal Bookshelf
I3 A Classic Historical Fiction or a Nonfiction History
I4 A Classic Prize-Winning Female Author
I5 A Book Recommended by a Group Member

N1 A Classic Made into Movie/TV
N2 A Classic you've been meaning to read.
N3 Free Space
N4 A Classic on or about the Sea/Ocean
N5 A Literature Class Book

G1 A Classic of North or South America
G2 A 21st Century Potential Classic
G3 A Classic from our Old School Group Shelf
G4 A Classic New-to-You Author
G5 A Classic Play or Classic Poetry Collection

O1 A Classic Book you begged, borrowed, or stole.
O2 A Classic Children's Book
O3 A Classic Book found by using Literature-map.com
O4 A Classic from our New School Group Shelf
O5 A Classic Book that Reminds You of Someone

Classic Bingo 2024 Clarifications and Suggestions

B1 A Classic by a Nobel Laureate or a Pulitzer Prize Winner.
All Nobel Prize winners in literature. Read any book by these authors.
https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/lis...
or
All Pulitzer Prize winners Read any book by these authors.
https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winner...

B2 A Classic Book in Translation.
For instance, read a book originally written in Japanese, but your version is in English or French.

B3 A Classic Comedy or Satire

B4 A Classic Written Before 1700
It says written not published before. Perhaps that would make a difference for some books.

B5 A Classic of Asia or Oceania
This is your challenge. Realize Asia is a large land mass. You decide upon the boundaries. Have fun!

Classic Bingo 2024 Clarifications and Suggestions

I1 A Classic from our Short Story Group Shelf
Any short story we read before 2024 can be used as well as those voted in this year.
Group Bookshelf

I2 A Classic from your Personal Bookshelf
This is your chance to read that book you purchased (physical or ebook) but have not had time to read yet!

I3 A Classic Historical Fiction or a Nonfiction History
Definition: Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events.
or
A nonfiction history book.

I4 A Classic Prize-Winning Female Author
There are many awards to chose from.

I5 A Book Recommended by a Group Member
You may use the thread here to make book recommendations or solicit recommendations on your personal thread.

Classic Bingo 2024 Clarifications and Suggestions

N1 A Classic Made into Movie/TV
This will be fun to explore.

N2 A Classic you've been meaning to read.
Wide open for your own classic choices

N3 Free Space
Any book or short story you are interested in reading.

N4 A Classic on or about the Sea/Ocean
You determine how much the book is about the Sea or Ocean. Examples to use could be Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, The Aeneid, The Pearl, The Sound of Waves or many, many more.

N5 A Literature Class Book
This Goodreads list is a great place to start.
Literature Class Books

Also, if you have a book assigned in a literature class, but not on the list, feel free to use it.

Classic Bingo 2023 Clarifications and Suggestions

G1 A Classic of North or South America
A book set in either of the two continents or written by an author from either of the two continents.

G2 A 21st Century Potential Classic
Any book published in 2000 or later that you think may stand the test of time.

G3 A Classic from our Old School Group Shelf
Any Old School book we read before 2024 can be used as well as those voted in this year.
Group Bookshelf

G4 A Classic New-to-You Author

G5 A Classic Play or Classic Poetry Collection

Classic Bingo 2024 Clarifications and Suggestions

O1 A Classic Book you begged, borrowed, or stole.
Have fun with this! (If you steal something, we must hear the story! LOL. I admit there are a few paperbacks on my shelf I borrowed so long ago that the borrowing statute of limitations may have expired!!)

O2 A Classic Children's Book

O3 A Classic Book found by using Literature-map.com

O4 A Classic from our New School Group Shelf
Any New School book we read before 2024 can be used as well as those voted in this year.
Group Bookshelf

O5 A Classic Book that Reminds You of Someone
This of course will be personal to you.

Welcome to Bingo everyone : ).

..

I love your board, Lynn! Especially the Classic book that reminds you of someone--this will be fun!

Kathleen wrote: "I love your board, Lynn! Especially the Classic book that reminds you of someone--this will be fun!"

Thanks Kathleen. The Classic book that reminds you of someone was Sara's great idea. She thinks outside the box. Confession time - I looked through Katy's boards from previous years and picked things I thought looked fun.

Lynn wrote: "Kathleen wrote: "I love your board, Lynn! Especially the Classic book that reminds you of someone--this will be fun!"

Thanks Kathleen. The Classic book that reminds you of someone was Sara's great..."

True about Sara, but you picked good ones, Lynn! I also like the literature class, literature map ones, and how great is the classic you've been meaning to read one for all of us? :-)

Love the Board, Lynn! Can't wait to start planning!! :)

Excellent board, Lynn!!

Thank you for setting this up, Lynn -- this year's board looks like a lot of fun! I was actually considering just concentrating on the Buffet next year, but now that I've seen the 2024 bingo board, I doubt I'll be able to resist! I especially appreciate you being explicit about which squares need to be "classics".

Wobbley wrote: "Thank you for setting this up, Lynn -- this year's board looks like a lot of fun! I was actually considering just concentrating on the Buffet next year, but now that I've seen the 2024 bingo board,..."

Thanks everyone.

One of the things I like about our Challenges is that in the normal course of reading I can mostly fill the requirements; then there are a few squares I must be intentional about. Yet, the goal was to have a balanced selection with books from various cultures, genres, and time periods. Katy always does a great job with that, and I mostly stole from her. ; )

Love the board, Lynn. And thank you for taking this on for 2024.

Thanks Lynn for a great Bingo board!
Cannot wait to plan, and read, of course :0)

Love the new board. Now that I am back on a computer and no longer stuck on the app, I can't wait to get planning!

I may be dense, but I don’t understand O3. I went to the Literature-map.com website. This doesn’t mention books just authors.

Karen wrote: "I may be dense, but I don’t understand O3. I went to the Literature-map.com website. This doesn’t mention books just authors."

Hi Karen — You input the name of a favorite author and the site generates suggestions of other authors you may like. Pick one of those authors and chose one of their books to read.

(This was one of the prompts for the 2023 Around The Year challenge and seemed pretty popular.)

Heather L wrote: "Karen wrote: "I may be dense, but I don’t understand O3. I went to the Literature-map.com website. This doesn’t mention books just authors."

You input the name of a favorite author and the site ge..."

Exactly Heather. Thank you.

I'm having a hard time finding lists of classics about the ocean/sea. Can anyone help or point me to resources? I'm about to try ChatGPT.

I used Listopia on Goodreads. I found Kon-Tiki, Captain Courageous, Robinson Crusoe, The Island of Sea Women, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. There were others, but I had read most of those, like Treasure Island.

Hayley wrote: "I'm having a hard time finding lists of classics about the ocean/sea. Can anyone help or point me to resources? I'm about to try ChatGPT."

I found a page that has books tagged as ocean. There are multiple lists to look through. I hope you find one that you like.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/ocean

There are ideas about mermaids, pirates, shipwrecks, and a whole list of books about the Titanic. One that I thought was interesting was The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy (1984).

Another direction to go could be The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin

Lynn this is helpful information about the ocean tags. I found a couple of selections. Thanks.

Thank you, Lynn, for creating another great Bingo Challenge board this year (and also to Katy, who has also provided great inspiration in previous years). This is my favorite challenge, although I fell off the bandwagon this year. But 2024 is a new year... right? LOL

I am stumped on one square however: G2 "A 21st Century Potential Classic". Short of re-reading a book I thought might qualify, how do I choose a book I have not yet read and evaluated? What would be the best way of choosing a book for this category? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Shirley (stampartiste) wrote: "Thank you, Lynn, for creating another great Bingo Challenge board this year (and also to Katy, who has also provided great inspiration in previous years). This is my favorite challenge, although I ..."

I did a search for possible future classics to see what the critics though, rejected most of it, and picked something by an author I've previously read. I know she's a quality author, and the book is well-reviewed, so I figured at least I'd probably enjoy the book.

About the "potential classic" I would probably

- look to an author I really trust like Angie said.
- look to award winners.
- listen to recommendations.

Right now, until I change my mind LOL, I think I will read The Siege by Helen Dunmore because it was a Buddy Read and comes highly recommended by Group Members.
Also, it won two awards. People are still reading in in 2023 although it was published in 2001.

- lastly, when in doubt I shamelessly steal ideas from other members' threads.

Not sure if any of that will help??

Thank you so much, Angie and Lynn, for your suggestions on finding a book for G2: "A 21st Century Potential Classic". I followed your advice, and looked at books published between 2000-2009 (I wanted the oldest books of this time period to see which ones were still being read widely today). I then narrowed my list down to those I knew I would enjoy reading, and finally down to an author I read and whose style I loved. That left Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. I loved The Remains of the Day and thought it timeless. I'm looking forward to reading it. Once again, thank you both so much!

Lynn, I would highly recommend The Siege by Helen Dunmore. I read it with the Buddy Read you mentioned, and it was an incredible experience. I would also highly recommend going back and reading everyone's comments. This book is unforgettable, and I still find myself thinking about it. The scenarios Dunmore describes could happen anywhere and at any time, so it is definitely a timeless story.

Shirley (stampartiste) wrote: "I then narrowed my list down to those I knew I would enjoy reading, and finally down to an author I read and whose style I loved. That left Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. I loved The Remains of the Day and thought it timeless. I'm looking forward to reading it. Once again, thank you both so much!"

I love Ishiguro but haven't read Never Let Me Go. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on it.

Angie wrote: "Shirley (stampartiste) wrote: "I then narrowed my list down to those I knew I would enjoy reading, and finally down to an author I read and whose style I loved. That left Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let..."

I loved Never Let Me Go! You definitely need to read it, Shirley! It is not a "feel good" story, but a story that will stay with you. I hope you read it -- I'd like to hear what you think :)

Angie wrote: "I love Ishiguro but haven't read Never Let Me Go. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on it."

I certainly will, Angie! I've only read The Remains of the Day by Ishiguro, but I loved his prose so I'm sure I will enjoy this one as well. Thank you for helping me find this book for G2!

Terris wrote: "I loved Never Let Me Go! You definitely need to read it, Shirley! It is not a "feel good" story, but a story that will stay with you. I hope you read it -- I'd like to hear what you think."

Thank you for that feedback, Terris! Having read several Buddy Reads with you, I already know I will like it. I will definitely let you know what I think when I've read it. You really have me curious about it, so I may start 2024 with it.

Shirley (stampartiste) wrote: "Terris wrote: "I loved Never Let Me Go! You definitely need to read it, Shirley! It is not a "feel good" story, but a story that will stay with you. I hope you read it -- I'd like to hear what you ..."

Yay! ;)

About G2: A 21st Century Potential Classic
I went with the latitude implied in the word "potential." Many books have the potential to be a classic for a variety of reasons, so what do I think has chance/potential of being a future classic? Which one of those many do I want to share with my friends on Goodreads? Because we tend to look over each other's shoulders here. . . . That is probably the most fun part of participating in bingo--for me.

I'm in! Thank you, Lynn, for another great bingo card! I look forward to another year of Bingo! :)

What a wonderful, funny idea for challenge reading. I have belonged to the group for some time, but I didn't see the Bingo Challenge earlier.

Oh, it’s fun, Mela! You should join in! :)

I am creating my Bingo. I have almost finished it.

I don't know where to get I5. Should I ask someone? Or just look at Bingoes of other members and pick from them?

Mela wrote: "I am creating my Bingo. I have almost finished it.

I don't know where to get I5. Should I ask someone? Or just look at Bingoes of other members and pick from them?"

It's really your choice, Mela. If you know other members that you can ask, that's great! OR you can watch for comments that other readers make about books that they have loved. You can even make a comment like "What do you guys recommend?!" and you will probably get quite a few responses. You can also wait till later in the year and see what books people give 4-5 stars on the books they have read. You can go a lot of different ways with it. No one is going to tell you your choice doesn't qualify :)

Just have fun with it!

I am planning to pick a book from the December 2023 What were your favorites this year? thread for I5.

Milena wrote: "I am planning to pick a book from the December 2023 What were your favorites this year? thread for I5."

Great idea!

Mela wrote: "I am creating my Bingo. I have almost finished it.

I don't know where to get I5. Should I ask someone? Or just look at Bingoes of other members and pick from them?"

If you look at the Question of the Month for December 2023 it is an entire thread of favorite books of 2023 that you would recommend for others to read. Also on your Bingo thread you could ask others to recommend personally for you.

I am glad so many people are excited to read this year !

HAHAHA a book you begged for borrowed or stolen.... I do have some of those.... we need a separate threat for the book thief stories!

Lynn wrote: "This Challenge Starts 1 January 2024, but the folder & discussion thread are open so that you can begin to plan your year. Bingo can be planned ahead or you can just collect squares as you read thr..."

I am probably being tech challenged but I have done this challenge in the past. I cannot seem to copy and paste the BINGO challenge into a new thread or topic. Any advice out there?

Nancy (Colorado) wrote: "...I cannot seem to copy and paste the BINGO challenge into a new thread or topic..."

Just the text, or the picture of the Bingo board?

Katy wrote: "Nancy (Colorado) wrote: "...I cannot seem to copy and paste the BINGO challenge into a new thread or topic..."

Just the text, or the picture of the Bingo board?"

I was just copying the text and trying to add a new topic with the text in it. Sorry to be confusing. I have done the challenge before so I am not sure what I am doing wrong!