Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Another year, and hopefully not another year of ignoring the books on my challenges.

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

1914 and earlier/Old School
1. Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, 1849
2. Juan de la Rosa: Memoirs of the Last Soldier of the Independence Movement by Nataniel Aguirre, 1885
3. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, 1764

1915 - 1999/New School
4. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, 1962
5. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, 1938
✅ 6. Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz, 1958

Wildcard 6
7. Watchmen by Alan Moore, 1987
8. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol, 1842
9. Farthest North: The Incredible Three-Year Voyage to the Frozen Latitudes of the North by Fridtjof Nansen, 1897
10. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, 1934
11. The Forty Days of Musa Dagh by Franz Werfel, 1933
12. True Grit by Charles Portis, 1968

Alternates
A-1. At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft, 1931
A-2. Independent People by Halldór Laxness, 1934
A-3. The World According to Garp by John Irving, 1978

Challenge #5 - Short Story Challenge ( or essays & poetry)

Read 24 short stories. This equates to only two per month for the year. Read them all at once or spread them out; it's up to you.

1.
2.
3.
4.
.
.
24.

Challenge 6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads Challenge

The challenge is to read 12 total books/stories from this year's group poll winners or Buddy Reads, in any combination. Your reads can be from the upcoming 53 poll winners, or from the 2024 Buddy Reads thread. Between New School, Old School, Short Story/Novella, Revisit the Shelf, Quarterly Long Read, and Buddy Reads there should be plenty of choices.

✅ 1. Quicksand by Nella Larsen
✅ 2. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Challenge #12 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete

Completed Series:
✅ The Sparrow & Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

✅ The Farseer Trilogy #1
Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

Started Series:
The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk / Palace of Desire / Sugar Street by Naguib Mahfouz
✅ Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz




Just thinking:

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers series
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
The Islam Quintet: Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, The Book of Saladin, The Stone Woman, A Sultan in Palermo, and Night of the Golden Butterfly by Tariq Ali
Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

Challenge #15 - A-Z Title Challenge


✅ A: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
B
✅ C: Children of God by Mary Doria Russell
D
E
F
G
✅H: Horse by Geraldine Brooks
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
✅ P: Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
✅ Q: Quicksand by Nella Larsen
R
✅ S: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
T
U
V
W
*X
*Y
*Z

Challenge #16 - A-Z Author Challenge


A
✅B: Horse by Geraldine Brooks
C
D
E
F
G
✅ H: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
I
J
K
✅ L: Quicksand by Nella Larsen
✅ M: Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
N
O
P
*Q
✅ : The Sparrow & Children of God by Mary Doria Russell
✅S: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
T
U
V
W
*X
*Y
*Z

Have fun with your planning -- I really enjoy this part!

Wobbley wrote: "Have fun with your planning -- I really enjoy this part!"

I agree, the planning is almost as much fun as reading books and finding new favorites.

Great plan, Katy! You have lots of good ones on your list. I loved Mary Poppins, and on the other end of the spectrum, Silent Spring is a good one to read right now! I have The Sea Around Us on my Bingo list this year. I think Rachel Carson had lots of important things to tell us -- if we would have listened to her 60 years ago when she wrote the books!
Happy Reading, Katy :)

Terris wrote: "Great plan, Katy! You have lots of good ones on your list. I loved Mary Poppins, and on the other end of the spectrum, Silent Spring is a good one to read right now! I have "

I have The Sea Around Us also on my shelf to read, but thought Silent Spring ought to be read first.

I loved Palace Walk, I hope you enjoy it too, Katy. Independent People has been on my list for the past 2 years, so hopefully I'll get to it sometime soon. Enjoy!

Wow, your Old and New Challenge is really challenging. Hope you have a great reading year, Katy.

Half a dozen challenges here, and a couple of last minute changes and I am ready for 2024.

Matt wrote: "Good luck on your buffet Katy!"

Thank you

You have some great choices. True Grit is a standout western I think you will really enjoy. Have a good year.

Quicksand by Nella Larsen
Used in challenges #6, 15, & 16

Good luck on your challenge Katy, you have some interesting books on your list.

Great! Well done getting started.

Great book to start with, Katy and congrats on multiple uses.

Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz
Used in challenges # 1, 12, 15, 16

Another of those books I keep meaning to read, Katy. Sigh.

Sara wrote: "Another of those books I keep meaning to read, Katy. Sigh."

There are so many to read; I will need to live to be 300 to get them all in.

Congratulations on your 1st two working for 3 and 4 spots, Katy! I'm trying to reuse books as much as possible this year. It's a challenge within the challenge.

Sue wrote: "Congratulations on your 1st two working for 3 and 4 spots, Katy! I'm trying to reuse books as much as possible this year. It's a challenge within the challenge."

That is my goal also.

Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Challenges # 15 & 16

I have never read anything by Geraldine Brooks but i have a copy of People of the Book. I don't even know where it came from, any info or recommendation?

Bob wrote: "I have never read anything by Geraldine Brooks but i have a copy of People of the Book. I don't even know where it came from, any info or recommendation?"

Yes! It’s good! I think you’d like Geraldine Brooks :)

Bob wrote: "I have never read anything by Geraldine Brooks but i have a copy of People of the Book. I don't even know where it came from, any info or recommendation?"

Yes, read her! My favorites are March and Caleb's Crossing

Thanks, I will dust it off and move it to the top shelf.

Good work, Katy

Thanks

Katy wrote: "Bob wrote: "I have never read anything by Geraldine Brooks but i have a copy of People of the Book. I don't even know where it came from, any info or recommendation?"

Yes, read her!..."

I have March on my kindle. Thanks for the reminder about it. I'm glad to hear it's so good.

This just may be the year of series reading.
Finished another:
The Farseer Trilogy #1
Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

Bravo, Katy!

Katy wrote: "This just may be the year of series reading.
Finished another:
The Farseer Trilogy #1
Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb."

I really liked Assassin's Apprentice and Fool's Errand by her.

Well done! I hope you enjoyed it.

Katy wrote: "Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, Assassin's Quest by [author..."

:O)
That is fabulous. I read them last year, finishing AQ in December, and I have just read Ship of Magic. Are you carrying on?

Veronique wrote: "...I read them last year, finishing AQ in December, and I have just read Ship of Magic. Are you carrying on?.."

I have Ship of Magic queued up for this month's reading.