Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

December

Jane Austen Celebration A year long celebration!
What will you be reading this month?

Authors From Around the World
Nov/Dec: The Finer Things in Life:
Marguerite Yourcenar and Françoise Sagan

Non-Fiction Classics
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro 1246 pgs Robert Moses DOB December 18, 1888

American Mystery Classics
The Chocolate Cobweb by Charlotte Armstrong (1948) 242 pgs
or
Lang Lewis The Birthday Murder (1945) 208 pgs

Science Fiction and Fantasy
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

The Hefty Classics
Hefty
January - December: The Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong

July - December: Shōgun by James Clavell

Husky
September - December:
East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Short Story Classics
Q4 - Oct - Dec
Complete Short Stories 594 pgs OR Collected Short Stories 367 pgs by Graham GreeneGraham Greene
(READER'S CHOICE) DOB October 2, 1904

Frontier Western Classics
October-December
1970 - The Collected Works of Billy the Kid by Michael Ondaatje 105 pgs
1957 - The Hell Bent Kid by Charles O. Locke Charles O. Locke 161 pgs

Horror
The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen

Authors of Lesser Know Classics
Quicksand by Nella Larsen (U.S., 1928) 192 pgs

The "Wilderness Writing Series" https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
November-December

The Outermost House: A Year of Life On The Great Beach of Cape Cod by Henry Beston

December 16 is Jane Austen's 250th anniversary of her birthday. Born in the village of Steventon in Hampshire.

Do you plan to read, watch or listen to something Austen during her birthday month?

Or have you already finished what you had hoped during this year long celebration?

December Birthdays

Rachana - 6th
Marie - 13th
Shaina - 16th
Kathy - 24th
Jesus - 25th
Lesle - 26th

Am I missing any celebrations of birthdays or maybe someone in your family? December was my Mom's favorite month because the family always got together during the week before, during and the week after Christmas. How does your family celebrate such a wonderful time?

Lesle wrote: "December Birthdays

Kathy - 24th
Jesus - 25th
Lesle - 26th..."

Kathy I think you and I have Christmas covered!

Hi all. I've finished a short book by Graham Greene. After all, it's a play. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Lesle wrote: "Lesle wrote: "December Birthdays

Kathy - 24th
Jesus - 25th
Lesle - 26th..."

Kathy I think you and I have Christmas covered!"

We definitely do!

I’ll hopefully read:
Sunlight on Cold Water by Françoise Sagan
The Chocolate Cobweb
Quicksand

I also want to read some Christmas stories.

I love Christmas stories!

Lesle wrote: "December Birthdays

Am I missing any celebrations of birthdays or maybe someone in your family? December was my Mom'..."

My husband and I don't have any immediate family nearby because my brothers are in Utah and Wyoming and my sister is in North Carolina. We'll probably do a family Zoom. What I love to do on Christmas Eve is the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod. I get a big mug of hot chocolate (spiked with peppermint schnapps) and read a book that I recently received or have been wanting to read. It's very cozy.

I would be interested in hearing how everybody celebrates Christmas, especially when you have a birthday then!

My two daughters, their husbands and my two grandkids(one from each daughter) eat dinner together on Christmas Eve and then open presents. I'm German and that's when I opened presents when I was a kid. The next day, they celebrate Christmas with the in-laws and my husband and I go to the Christmas church service and after that I get to relax!
For dessert on Christmas Eve we have tartuffo, a yummy Italian ice cream treat.

My Christmas dinner will include my brother, my parents, and my cousin, who turned 84 a few days ago.

Melanie wrote: "What I love to do on Christmas Eve is the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod..."

I love this! I had not heard of it before or if I did I do not recall:

Jolabokaflod, or "Christmas book flood," is an Icelandic tradition where people exchange books as gifts on Christmas Eve and then spend the night reading them, often while drinking hot chocolate.

Melanie it doesnt say anything about peppermint schnapps as part of the tradition haha!

Right after Thanksgiving my Mom would make her Fruit Cake. I am telling you this is not your traditional fruit cake. If you do not care for the strong herb Cloves you might as well forget it. Lol
It had to ferment till Christmas for the 30 odd days.
She would generally make two. One for the family and one to share with others.

We went to church on Christmas Eve evening and listen to the wonderful story and singing.

We celebrated Christmas on Christmas Day. Big dinner and of course Fruit Cake and homemade cookies for desert. We always did the one present at a time so everyone could enjoy what you received and your reaction to it.
Stockings came last. They actually were the best and the most fun. Silly things and treats.

When Mom was here she always hosted Christmas Day. She would play the grand piano and we would sing Christmas Hymns.
I miss my Mom playing and her excitement of us all getting together.

My Birthday for the longest time was spent with my best friend as it was an after thought after Christmas. Sherry would come over and spend the afternoon with me.
After my Mom passed Larron makes sure my day is celebrated special. We have actually gone to the movies a few times which I actually enjoyed!
Just being with family is the most important for me.

Luís wrote: "My Christmas dinner will include my brother, my parents, and my cousin, who turned 84 a few days ago."

Happy Belated Birthday to your cousin and it does sound like a very lovely dinner Luis!

Lesle wrote: "Luís wrote: "My Christmas dinner will include my brother, my parents, and my cousin, who turned 84 a few days ago."

Happy Belated Birthday to your cousin and it does sound like a very lovely dinne..."

Thank you. My brother and I bought her a gift, and she was pleased. But she, poor thing, is very attached to money. She has a vast estate, including houses and land in Brazil and Portugal, and she gives us a few coins there from time to time. She's hilarious and suspicious of others. And she also has several stocks and funds invested in the bank.

We do Jolabokaflod on Christmas Eve as well! Everyone has one present labeled for Christmas Eve (always a book). After dinner we open the books and then read in the evening (that book or something else).

For a themed read this December, I have this Penguin Classics bind up of Nutcracker and Mouse King / The Tale of the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann / Alexandre Dumas, that I'm really looking forward to reading.

Oh Michelle it sounds like a very special time for the family!

Lesle wrote: "Melanie it doesnt say anything about peppermint schnapps as part of the tradition haha! "

Ha, well, I always like to make it interesting! :-)

Lesle wrote: "Right after Thanksgiving my Mom would make her Fruit Cake. I am telling you this is not your traditional fruit cake. If you do not care for the strong herb Cloves you might as well forget it. Lol
I..."

Lesle, this sounds lovely!

That sounds like an interesting fruit cake, Lesle.

Rosemarie wrote: "That sounds like an interesting fruit cake, Lesle."

I agree with Rosemarie.

Rosemarie wrote: "That sounds like an interesting fruit cake, Lesle."

She tweeked it over the years but it did not have candied citrus peel (like orange and lemon). No currants, crystalized ginger or papaya.
Only nut was walnuts.

Believe it or not the Grandsons and Son love it.
This is the one I made last year.

That looks good, Lesle.

I agree with Rosemarie. That looks yummy!

That sounds delicious, Lesle!

Thanks! It is all my Mom's tweaking that makes it yummy!