Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Can't wait to get started!

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
✅Challenge #2 - Members Choice
✅Challenge #3 - New Authors
✅Challenge #4 - Short Story
✅Challenge #6 - Group Reads, Buddy Reads, Moderators Run Amok
Challenge #7 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete
✅Challenge #16 - A-Z Title
Challenge #17 - A-Z Author
✅Personal Bookshelf Challenge - Officially Completed but still reading!!

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

1914 and Earlier
✅1. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace, 4****s, 10-7-25
✅2. She: H. Rider Haggard (Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Literature) Annotated by H. Rider Haggard, 4****s, 10-15-25
✅3. Mr. Harrison's Confessions by Elizabeth Gaskell, 5*****s, 1-6-25

1915-2005/New School
✅4.In a Summer Season by Elizabeth Taylor, 4****s, 6-28-25
5. The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier
✅6. The Folded Leaf by William Maxwell, 5*****s, 7-13-25

Six Bookshelf Dust Collectors
✅7. The Priory by Dorothy Whipple, 5*****s, 7-25-25
✅8. A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym, 4****s, 3-14-25
9. Chatterton Square by E.H. Young
✅10. Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis, 4****s, 4-25-25
✅11. A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain, 4****s, 3-26-25
✅12. Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard, 3***s, 5-3-25

Alternates
A-1. A Son at the Front: Historical Novel by Edith Wharton
A-2. The Rector's Daughter by F.M. Mayor
✅A-3. No Highway by Nevil Shute, 4****s, 11-15-25

Challenge #2 - Members Choice Challenge Choose one book per category/genre for a total of 9 books. -- COMPLETED!

✅1. 19th Century or Older - Mr. Harrison's Confessions by Elizabeth Gaskell, 5*****s, 1-6-25
✅2. 20th Century - A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym, 4****s, 3-14-25
✅3. 21st Century - My Friends by Fredrik Backman, 5*****s, 1-19-25
✅4. Nonfiction - Tove Ditlevsen, The Copenhagen Trilogy, 4****s, 1-15-25
✅5. An Author never read before - Ngaio Marsh, A Man Lay Dead, 4****s, 1-4-25
✅6. Diversity, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours - The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima, 4****s, 1-31-25
✅7. Russian Literature - The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky, 5*****s, 1-30-25
✅8. Banned Books - All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, 4****s, 2-6-25
✅9. Science Fiction - Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor, 3***s, 2-10-25

Science Fiction. Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Suspense, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Poetry, Romance, etc.

Challenge #3 - Expand Your Horizon with New Authors -- COMPLETED!

Seek out at least six (6) authors that you have never previously read, from any genre or era you want.

7/6

✅1. Ngaio Marsh, A Man Lay Dead, 4****s, 1-4-25
✅2. Tove Ditlevsen, The Copenhagen Trilogy, 4****s, 1-15-25
✅3. Percival Everett, James, 5*****s, 1-21-25
✅4. Alison Espach, The Wedding People 4****s, 1-28-25
✅5. Katherine D. Kinzler, How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do—and What It Says About You, 5*****s, 1-29-25
✅6. Yukio Mishima, The Sound of Waves, 1-31-25
✅7. The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham, 4****s, 3-22-25

Challenge #4 - Short Story Challenge -- COMPLETED!
Read 18 short stories.

18/18
✅1. The Angel at the Grave by Edith Wharton, 4****s, 1-1-25
✅2. It Isn't the Money I Mind by Shirley Jackson, 4****s, 1-6-25
✅3. Company for Dinner by Shirley Jackson, 4****s, 1-6-25
✅4. The New Maid by Shirley Jackson, 4****s, 1-6-25
✅5. A Lost Opportunity by Leo Tolstoy, 5*****s, 3-15-25
✅6. The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin, 3***s, 3-15-25
✅7. The Voice in the Night by William Hope Hodgson, 4****s, 3-30-25
✅8. To See the Invisible Man by Robert Silverberg, 5*****s, 4-7-25
✅9. Mimsy Were The Borogoves by Lewis Padgett, 5*****s, 5-1-25
✅10. The Terrible Old Man by H.P. Lovecraft, 3***s, 5-3-25
✅11. Silent Snow, Secret Snow by Conrad Aiken, 4****s, 5-6-25
✅12. Zero Hour by Ray Bradbury, 4 ****s, 5-15-25
✅13. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber, 5*****s, 5-18-25
✅14. A Telephone Call by Dorothy Parker, 4****s, 7-6-25
✅15. Here We Are by Dorothy Parker, 4****s, 7-6-25
✅16. Dusk Before Fireworks by Dorothy Parker, 4****s, 7-6-25
✅17. The Destructors by Graham Greene, 4****s, 7-7-25
✅18. Eve's Diary by Mark Twain, 4****s, 7-10-25

Challenge 6 - Group Reads, Buddy Reads, or Moderators Run Amok -- COMPLETED!
The challenge is to read 12 total books/stories from this year's selected group reads. Your reads can come from this year's poll winners, the Buddy Read Requests, or the new Moderators Run Amok!

12/12

✅1. The Angel at the Grave by Edith Wharton, 4****s, 1-1-25
✅2. Augustus by John Williams, 4****s, 1-13-25
✅3. Meditation by Franz Kafka, 2**s, 1-18-25
✅4. A Lost Opportunity by Leo Tolstoy, 5*****s, 3-15-25
✅5. The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin, 3***s, 3-15-25
✅6. The Magician by W. Somerset Maugham, 4****s, 3-30-25
✅7. Mimsy Were The Borogoves by Lewis Padgett, 5*****s, 5-1-25
✅8. Zero Hour by Ray Bradbury, 4 ****s, 5-16-25
✅9. The Promise by Chaim Potok, 5*****, 5-28-25
✅10. A Man of Property by John Galsworthy, 4****s, 7-11-25
✅11. Lois the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell, 4****s, 7-17-25
✅12. Regret by Kate Chopin, 4****s, 7-28-25

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

So far I have read:

13/20

✅+The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - #26 In the Time of Five Pumpkins by Alexander McCall Smith, 4****s, 9-18-25
✅+Isabel Dalhousie Series - #14 The Sweet Remnants of Summer by Alexander McCall Smith, 4****s, 6-24-25
+44 Scotland Street Series - #12 A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McCall Smith
+Portuguese Irregular Verbs - #6 Your Inner Hedgehog by Alexander McCall Smith
+Detective Varg Series- #3 The Man with the Silver Saab by Alexander McCall Smith
+Irish Country Series - #12 An Irish Country Practice by Patrick Taylor
✅+The Emmy Lake Chronicles - #4 Dear Miss Lake by A.J. Pearce, 5*****s, 9-7-25 SERIES COMPLETED
✅+Mitford Years - #14 To Be Where You Are by Jan Karon, 4****s, 6-14-25
✅+Mitford Years - #15 My Beloved by Jan Karon, 5*****s, 9-28-25
+Stephanie Plum Series - #26 Twisted Twenty-Six by Janet Evanovich
✅+Chronicles of Barsetshire Series - #5 The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope, 4****s, 2-24-25
✅+Emily Series (LM Montgomery) - #3 Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery SERIES COMPLETED!
+Anne of Green Gables - #6 Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
✅+Allan Quatermain - #2 Allan Quatermain by H. Rider Haggard, 3***s, 5-3-25
+The Chronicles of Barsetshire - #6 The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope TO COMPLETE
✅+The Hunger Games - #0.5 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, 4****s, 5-26-25 SERIES COMPLETED
✅ + Reuven Malther - #2 The Promise by Chaim Potok, 5*****s, 5-28-25 SERIES COMPLETED
✅+ Asher Lev - #2 The Gift of Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, 5*****s, 10-31-25 SERIES COMPLETED
✅+ Susan Ryeland - #3 Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz, 5*****s, 6-6-25 SERIES COMPLETED
✅+ Cormoran Strike - #8 The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith, 4****, 9-20-25

Challenge #16 - A-Z Title Challenge -- COMPLETED!
With this challenge consider it successful by using only 23 letters. There are 4 optional letters marked with an (*), you only need to use one.

✅A -The Angel at the Grave by Edith Wharton, 4****s, 1-1-25
✅B - Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, 4****s, 3-6-25
✅C - The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen, 4****s, 1-15-25
✅D - Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor, 3***s, 2-10-25
✅E - The Evening Shades by Lee Martin, 4****s, 4-29-25
✅F - French Exit by Patrick deWitt, 4****s, 2-3-25
✅G - A Glass of Blessings by Barbara Pym, 4****s, 3-14-25
✅H - How You Say It: Why You Talk the Way You Do—and What It Says About You by Katherine D. Kinzler, 5*****s, 1-29-25
✅I - If I Stay by Gayle Forman, 4****s, 5-28-25
✅J - James by Percival Everett, 5*****s, 1-21-25
✅K - Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen, 4****s, 7-15-25
✅L - A Lost Opportunity by Leo Tolstoy, 5*****s, 3-15-25
✅M - A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh, 4****s, 1-4-25
✅N - Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro, 4****s, 8-11-25
✅O - O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton, 4****s, 6-4-25
✅P - The Promise by Chaim Potok, 5*****s, 5-28-25
✅*Q - The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin, 3***s, 3-15-25
✅R - The Rector by Mrs. Oliphant, 3***s, 4-17-25
✅S - The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima, 4****s, 1-31-25
✅T - A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain, 4****s, 3-26-25
✅U - The Unmaking of Rabbit by Constance C. Greene, 4****s, 3-27-25
✅V -The Voice in the Night by William Hope Hodgson, 4****s, 3-30-25
✅W - The Wedding People by Alison Espach, 4****s, 1-28-25
*X
*Y
✅*Z - Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis, 4****s, 4-25-25

Challenge #17 - A-Z Author Challenge

With this challenge, consider it successful by using only 23 letters. There are 4 optional letters marked with an (*), you only need to use one.

✅A - Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi, Dream Count, 3***s, 3-3-25
✅B - Backman, Fredrik, My Friends, 5*****s, 1-19-25
✅C - Cher, Cher: The Memoir, Part 1, 4****s, 2-12-25
✅D - Ditlevsen, Tove, The Copenhagen Trilogy, 4****s, 1-15-25
✅E - Everett, Percival, James, 5*****s, 1-21-25
✅F - Feeney, Alice, Beautiful Ugly, 4****s, 3-6-25
✅G - Gaskell, Elizabeth, Mr. Harrison's Confessions, 4****s, 1-6-25
✅H - Hodgson, William, The Voice in the Night, 4****s, 3-30-25
✅I - Ishiguro, Kazuo, Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall, 4****s, 8-11-25
✅J - Johnson, George M., All Boys Aren’t Blue, 4****s, 2-6-25
✅K - Kafka, Franz, Meditation, 2**s, 1-18-25
✅L - Lovecraft, H.P., The Terrible Old Man, 3***s, 5-3-25
✅M - Marsh, Ngaio, A Man Lay Dead, 4****s, 1-4-25
✅N - Ng, Celeste, Everything I Never Told You, 4****s, 8-26-25
✅O - Okorafor, Nnedi, Death of the Author, 3***s, 2-10-25
✅P - Pooley, Clare, How to Age Disgracefully, 4****s, 2-10-25
✅Q - Quindlen, Anna, More Than Enough, 4****s, 10-12-25
✅R - Reichl, Ruth, The Paris Novel, 4****, 6-25-25
✅S - Silverberg, Robert, To See the Invisible Man, 5*****s, 4-7-25
✅T - Trollope, Anthony, The Small House at Allington, 4****s, 2-24-25
U
✅V - Van Booy, Simon, Sipsworth, 4****s, 6-12-25
✅W - Wharton, Edith, The Angel at the Grave, 4****s, 1-1-25
*X
✅*Y - Yates, Elizabeth, Amos Fortune, Free Man, 3***s, 1-17-25
*Z

Personal Bookshelf Challenge -- Try to read 6 books!!!
Officially COMPLETED! -- But still reading!! ;)

6/6

✅1. Winner of the National Book Award by Jincy Willett, 4****s, 4-1-25
✅2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman, 4****s, 5-28-25
✅3. French Exit by Patrick deWitt 4****s, 2-3-25
✅4. The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl, 4****s, 6-25-25
✅5. Trouble with Lichen by John Wyndham, 4****s, 4-16-25
✅6. The Lost Apothecary, Sarah Penner, 4****s, 5-5-25

8/12

Oh, yeah, I said "read 6" -- but there are more books on my bookshelf --
KEEP READING!! ;)
✅7. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, 4****s, 8-26-25
✅8. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace, 4****s, 10-7-25
9. Rose Cottage
10. Betty Leicester
11. The Antiques
12. The Art of Fielding

Thanks, Matt! :)

Good luck with all your planning -- this part is so fun!

Wobbley wrote: "Good luck with all your planning -- this part is so fun!"

I know! I love it! Thanks, Wobbley -- can't wait to see what you've planned :)

Looking forward to another year of you adding to my TBR. Seriously, have a great time, Terris.

Enjoy your planning, Terris! "It's the most wonderful time of the year ..."

Sara wrote: "Looking forward to another year of you adding to my TBR. Seriously, have a great time, Terris."

Thanks, Sara! As you know, I always have fun reading with you and all our "Classics" group friends! Am looking forward to another entertaining year of reading ;)

Kathleen wrote: "Enjoy your planning, Terris! "It's the most wonderful time of the year ...""

Yes, Kathleen! You took the words (or song!) right out of my mouth :)

Wonderful list, Terri! I'm very happy to see The Priory, Chatterton Square, Barbara Pym, and the books by H. Rider Haggard. I think I will put Allan Quartermain on my O&N.

Terris, Good luck with your Bingo card this year!

Oops, I meant Buffet Challenge!

Shaina wrote: "Wonderful list, Terri! I'm very happy to see The Priory, Chatterton Square, Barbara Pym, and the books by H. Rider Haggard. I think I w..."

Great!! ;)

Terry wrote: "Oops, I meant Buffet Challenge!"

No problem, Terry! Don't forget, I speak your language -- "bookish"! ;)

I can't hardly keep myself from reading 2025 books!! And we have 5 more days to wait :/

;)

if only you were a member of a group that has "She" in its polls for January... then you could vote for it ;o)

Great list Terris! I’ll be looking up lots of your choices as many are new to me. Enjoy!

Good luck Terris. I have only read 2 of your listed books. I will learn a lot from your challenges this year.

Darren wrote: "if only you were a member of a group that has "She" in its polls for January... then you could vote for it ;o)"

Darn it! I missed that vote! :/
Also, The Woodlanders is on my buffet challenge! I could have voted for it, too! I'm going to have to try harder to keep up ;)

Sharon wrote: "Great list Terris! I’ll be looking up lots of your choices as many are new to me. Enjoy!"

Yes, I am looking forward to so many of these, Sharon! I'll let you know if any of them blow me away and you need to put them on your list ;)

Lynn wrote: "Good luck Terris. I have only read 2 of your listed books. I will learn a lot from your challenges this year."

Only two, Lynn? I bet there are a few on my list that would appeal to you. I'll let you know if I think any of them would pique your interest!

I just finished:

A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh, 4****s, 1-4-25

I liked it a lot! I had not read Marsh before and will consider reading more in the series. And, I'm glad this one fit into several of my buffet challenges!

Congratulations, Terris. I've never heard of Ngaio Marsh. I'll have to check her out.

Sue wrote: "Congratulations, Terris. I've never heard of Ngaio Marsh. I'll have to check her out."

I had not either! Then I found out she was a very famous murder mystery writer. And I had to Google how to pronounce her name!
If you like Agatha Christie at all, you’ll like Ngaio Marsh!
And just as a reference, look at this new book by Marie Benedict The Queens of Crime. Marsh is right up there with the best of them. Hope you get a chance to try her out :)

Your lists seem great, Terris! I had never heard of Ngaio Marsh, thanks.

Terris wrote: "Sue wrote: "Congratulations, Terris. I've never heard of Ngaio Marsh. I'll have to check her out."

I had not either! Then I found out she was a very famous murder mystery writer. And I had to Goog..."

I very much liked A Man Lay Dead, though not as much Overture to Death. Have you read others by her you could recommend?

Another stranger to Marsh. You might have started something here.

I'm going to butt in here, as I'm a long-time Marsh fan and have reread all her books multiple times. My personal favorites to recommend are Artists in Crime (where he meets Troy, who plays a part in some of the others), A Clutch of Constables, Killer Dolphin, Scales of Justice, Hand in Glove.

I truly believe she should be more widely read, but people expect her to be like Christie, and she's not. Marsh has books set in New Zealand, where she grew up, she studied painting and worked in a travelling repertory theater, so many details in her books give them a sense of realism I don't necessarily find in Christie, for instance. And her detective isn't eccentric, nor does he make himself the focus of the stories. (Don't get me wrong, I love Christie, but she's different, as is Sayers.)

I hope you all try a couple of Marsh's books and let us know what you think.

Sara, Sue, and Ila, I guess we're going to have to get on the ball, not having read Marsh before!

Thanks, Teri-K and Klowey, for the recommendations! Marsh sounds like a very interesting woman. And since I'm getting a little bit tired of Christie's stories (sorry, but some of them are too much the same), I'm ready to try something different. I think Ngaio Marsh will fit the bill!

I just added to my Old/New Challenge!


Mr. Harrison's Confessions by Elizabeth Gaskell, 5*****s, 1-6-25

This one was so cute! And so unexpected from Elizabeth Gaskell! I've never read anything of hers that was remotely funny :o
And it's very short. If you need a short, relaxing, humorous read, I highly recommend this one!

Congratulations on knocking off an Old and New one, Terris! It's even better that it was with a 5 star one. I've added it to my tbr.

I am definitely up for Marsh, especially since neither Christie nor Sayers do it for me. Congrats on knocking off an O&N already. I liked that one as well and it is definitely a departure from her longer novels.

Sue wrote: "Congratulations on knocking off an Old and New one, Terris! It's even better that it was with a 5 star one. I've added it to my tbr."

I think you'd enjoy the lightness of it, Sue -- and it's only 80 pages!

Sara wrote: "I am definitely up for Marsh, especially since neither Christie nor Sayers do it for me. Congrats on knocking off an O&N already. I liked that one as well and it is definitely a departure from her ..."

Yes, I enjoyed it! I think I liked it more because it was so unexpected from Gaskell! :)
And, I don't think either one of us read many in the murder mystery genre. But I do like the era these (Marsh, Christie, Sayers, etc.) were written in and am interested in a new author. I am anxious to try something else of hers!

A prequel to Cranford! Hmm. I may be reading this soon too. Thanks, Terris!

Terris wrote: "I just added to my Old/New Challenge!
Mr. Harrison's Confessions by Elizabeth Gaskell, 5*****s, 1-6-25"

Ooh, thanks for this! I've been wondering what to choose for my next Gaskell...

Kathleen wrote: "A prequel to Cranford! Hmm. I may be reading this soon too. Thanks, Terris!"

Oh Kathleen, this is so funny -- I didn't realize this was a prequel to Cranford! haha! I read Cranford long ago, but nothing clicked in memory!

I'm glad I was able to bring this one to your attention. I'm sure you'll love it ;)

I have a bind-up of Mr. Harrison's Confessions, Cranford, and My Lady Ludlow. I've read and enjoyed the first two, MLL is on for this year. I expect it to be in the same vein - a send up of Victorian society with some humor and a little pathos. We'll see.

Terris your buffet looks very enticing with an excellent bunch of books!! The Gaskell sounds great so I’ll be adding it!

You are so very good at reading and keeping up with your series books. I’ve got the Mitford series on my list and own about 5 so I need to find time. So many books and never enough time!! Haha!

Teri-K wrote: "I have a bind-up of Mr. Harrison's Confessions, Cranford, and My Lady Ludlow. I've read and enjoyed the first two, MLL is on for this year. I expect it to be in the same vein - a send up of Victori..."

I happened to read MLL just a couple of months ago. I'm interested to see what you think.
I think I liked Mr. Harrison's Confessions best of the three, only because Gaskell's humor was so unexpected to me!

Lori wrote: "Terris your buffet looks very enticing with an excellent bunch of books!! The Gaskell sounds great so I’ll be adding it!

You are so very good at reading and keeping up with your series books. I’ve..."

Yes, I think I have a lot of good ones to read this year, Lori!
And regarding "keeping up with series books" -- I was doing terrible until Bob added the Series Challenge to the Buffet last year! I give him all the credit for giving me a little "push"!

I've read the Mitford series, and you should definitely get into that one -- very sweet! I especially enjoyed the first several. You will want to move to Mitford and live with those people! ;)

You are making so much progress, Terris! You go, girl!