Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

A thread where we can connect with each other about our Personal Challenges.

Thank you to Anisha Inkspill for the suggestion.

Katy wrote: "A thread where we can connect with each other about our Personal Challenges.

Thank you to Anisha Inkspill for the suggestion."

brilliant, thanks!!!! 😊

This year's plan was to read 72 but I've just finished my 73rd and still have 3 I want to read, actually 4 now as, libby delivered The Castle by Kafka.

I'm not sure if I will be able to read them all but I will try.

Great idea :)
My personal challenge thread is a work in progress - ongoing since around 2015!

I love that it helps my towards my reading goals, which among other things focus on reading the books from this group as well as "completing" several awards.
(Which is actually giving me trouble as some award winners, especially older award winners, can be hard to come by here in Denmark).

For me, there is always the Goodreads challenge for the number of books read in any given year. I started paying attention to it because my primary goal in joining Goodreads was to increase the number of books I read. I am falling short of my average of 60 books a year by 7 books. So, between now and the end of the year I have decided to fill some of that gap with novellas. The first one I am reading, actually listening to, is The Shawshank Redemption (aka Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption). Since I don’t much enjoy horror, this is the first Stephen King book for me. The storytelling is very engaging, quick and easy listening to knock one down.

Terry wrote: "... I am reading, actually listening to, is The Shawshank Redemption ..."

I've been meaning to get to this one, and have seen the movie, brilliant story

The Shawshank Redemption was fabulous storytelling snd a great way to assist with my end of year Goodreads number challenge! I have finished two novellas by Stephen King today. The second was Elevation, which I listened to while decorating my Christmas tree.

I'm thinking about 2025.

I've lined up some Jane Austen reads, so far I have 6 but there maybe more.

Jane Austen’s Emma is one of my faves. I recommend paring that book with the movie Clueless — basically the same story.

Terrific pairing, I've seen Clueless multi times, as you say, basically the same story. I was going to do this then talked myself of it to focus on other works by Austen.

Julie wrote: "as "as well as "completing" several awards.
(Which is actually giving me trouble as some award winners, especially older award winners, can be hard to come by here in Denmark)."

that's a tough challenge you've set yourself

Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I'm thinking about 2025.

I've lined up some Jane Austen reads, so far I have 6 but there maybe more."

Great idea! I'm hoping to read some too. Maybe we can list the ones that we're considering here, to give each other ideas.

Here are some I'm considering:
1. Re-read of Pride and Prejudice
2. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
3. Jane Austen: A Life
4. Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen
5. What Matters in Jane Austen?: Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved
6. Austen Country

Kathleen wrote: "Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I'm thinking about 2025.

I've lined up some Jane Austen reads, so far I have 6 but there maybe more."

Great idea! I'm hoping to read some too. Maybe we can list the ones t..."

That sounds like a lot of fun. I try to read one of the Bronte sisters' books each year. I did a reread of six Jane Austen books the year my children gave me my first Kindle for Christmas. It was a great gift and good to read the books.

One of my personal challenges is to read Jane Austen in 2025 too. I've only read Mansfield Park, which I liked a lot but it's been over 12 years.

Another personal challenge is a year-long slow read of Anna Karenina with r/yearofannakarenina

Also want to read all of Shakespeare's plays again and read some books in French. I've been neglecting both Shakespeare and my French.

My personal challenge thread is here

Kathleen wrote: "... Maybe we can list the ones that we're considering here, to give each other ideas."

yes, I am looking forward to this, or was as I coudn't wait and have started to listen to an abridged version of Northanger Abbey. The comedy always surprises me.

The letters and puzzles look really interesting . I'll alo be reading Jane Austen: A Life (Claire Tomalin)

So far I've got:

The novels I've lined up are
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
Sense and Sensibility: (Wisehouse Classics - with Illustrations) (Jane Austen)


Also
The History of England: by a Partial, Prejudiced and Ignorant Historian (Jane Austen)
A Memoir of Jane Austen: And Other Family Recollections (James Edward Austen-Leigh)

And so far, non-Jane Austen
The Task and Other Poems (William Cowper) --- Claire Tomalin mentions in her book he is Austen's favourite poet.

CJ wrote: "One of my personal challenges is to read Jane Austen in 2025 too. I've only read Mansfield Park, which I liked a lot but it's been over 12 years.

Another personal challenge is a year-long slow re..."

I haven't yet worked out how to fit in anything by Tolstoy, I just looked at your thread, that's an amazing list

2 books left to finish, and with 10 days left with the end of the year, and with next week being chaotic and not knowing how much reading time I'll have, here's a link to my this year's wrap up

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I'm about to add Balzac's La Comédie Humaine Series to my Personal Challenges :oO
anybody else crazy enough to take this on?
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5670...

Darren wrote: "I'm about to add Balzac's La Comédie Humaine Series to my Personal Challenges :oO
anybody else crazy enough to take this on?
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5670..."

this sounds like a challenge and a half, much too big for me but I will try and look out for your updates

Darren wrote: "I'm about to add Balzac's La Comédie Humaine Series to my Personal Challenges :oO
anybody else crazy enough to take this on?
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5670..."

Maybe over several years. Good luck to you.

my target is 62 this year, some planned listed here

Terry wrote: "Jane Austen’s Emma is one of my faves. I recommend paring that book with the movie Clueless — basically the same story."

Read an abridged version and you might be interested in this musical adaptation for the theatre of Emma . V entertaining, really homed in onthe coemdy.

More info on this and other Jane Austen productions here https://www.streamingmusicals.com/jan...

I didn't see this thread before. Great idea! Except can we not reply on individual threads? Actually, I was wondering about that, because I wasn't seeing many replies but the main posts were being updated.

Since I am here, I've created a thread. Started with Kafka stories, and then added my overflow of my want-to-reads from the Buffet Challenge. I also have a few personal challenges. One specifically is inspired by Mary Shelley. When I read Frankenstein last year, there was supplemental stories suggested, as it turns out, they're mostly Romantic era stories and people and things that inspired Mary Shelley's writing, hence the name "Shelley's World." I have come to enjoy this era for writing. Interestingly, I prefer a bit earlier days when it comes to music, or at least, don't care as much for the writing earlier. Still looking for things though!

April wrote: "I didn't see this thread before. Great idea! Except can we not reply on individual threads? Actually, I was wondering about that, because I wasn't seeing many replies but the main posts were being ..."

Yes, please continue to reply and comment on individual threads.

Darren wrote: "I'm about to add Balzac's La Comédie Humaine Series to my Personal Challenges :oO
anybody else crazy enough to take this on?
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5670..."

I've wanted to this for years, but very few have been translated into Croatian, and I am not sure of the availability of editions in English.

I just discovered this thread. I live on my Personal Challenge page. I try to incorporate my to-be-read list of books I already own, along with the works of my three favorite authors, into the BINGO and Challenge Buffet items. I am so grateful for this group and all of the encouraging creative ways they've come up with to get us to read more.

I've kind of fallen behind on the books I have lined up for the yeat but still trying to read as much of Jane Austen's as I can.

In doing so, I came across Emma Approved* a spoof web series of jane Austen's Emma.

I’ve seen the first couple, v amusing.

*wouldn't let me post link, it's on youtube

at the beginning of year I lined up all my reads, flashforward 10 months and it hasn't quite gone to plan but liked how it gave me a rough path to follow

Anisha Inkspill wrote: "at the beginning of year I lined up all my reads, flashforward 10 months and it hasn't quite gone to plan but liked how it gave me a rough path to follow"

I make plans at the beginning of the year too, but rarely do I follow much of it.

Katy wrote: "Anisha Inkspill wrote: "at the beginning of year I lined up all my reads, flashforward 10 months and it hasn't quite gone to plan but liked how it gave me a rough path to follow"

I make plans at t..."

that's good to know, and I guess there's always next year

This was my first year, and i was intense about it, nearly completing all of my... oh, well, i mean the buffet challenges. This section i have mostly been using to track all of the books i have read that wouldnt fit in the buffet. Haha! But i have had guides here and read a few of those too. I think my plan is more of a long term goal, so i will be conti uing it into next year and maybe even more. Still deciding.

But what i was going to say is that with the buffet specific challenges, i will probably only attempt to complete a couple and then not stress as much with completing the rest. It has been fun, but i need to cut back on my reading too a little, as was mentioned (in another thread) to be healthier. 😅👍

I'm thinking about next year and I'm trying to not line up too many books, but already I have 50 I want to read. It's really hard because there are so many books I want to read.

Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I'm thinking about next year and I'm trying to not line up too many books, but already I have 50 I want to read. It's really hard because there are so many books I want to read."

I hear that! I just looked, and I have 136 on my list. lol I think some I will finish this year though and I can cut a few. But this doesn't even include those that will come up next year from bookclubs or from here, so yeah, I think I definitely have to move a few to another year. eek! lol

I have a major Buddy Read lined up for April but I am trying to hold myself back from planning too much until the Bingo and Buffet Challenges are posted. I have some general ideas about what I want to read. I think this year is my year to finish my Multi Year 20th Century Challenge, or at least get close to finishing. That one has been hanging over my head for far too long.

I want to read more non-English language authors. I have a book club that reads about one book every five weeks, almost always a contemporary novel. Although we vote and I have a voice in the book club selection, I only have one of five or six. I would also love to leave some things to chance. And I seem to read at the rate of 60 books per year. That does play into things, so I need to find synergies between all of the above and maybe choose a couple of shorter novels to compensate for the long dense reads.

It’s like a complex jigsaw puzzle! Trying to fit all these variable pieces together can make my head spin!

I think we all struggle with too many books and not enough time. I always seem to carry forward at least a dozen books that I absolutely, positively must read and then don't get to. Sorting time is around the corner...good luck to everyone in making the right decisions.

April wrote: "I hear that! I just looked, and I have 136 on my list. lol ."

😂 😂

Sara wrote: "I think we all struggle with too many books and not enough time. I always seem to carry forward at least a dozen books that I absolutely, positively must read and then don't get to. Sorting time is..."

that's reassuring Sara, thank you, and you too, good luck

Have you started to plan your reads for next year?

This is what I'm doing whilst wrapping up the reads for this year.

I like to read a variety of things but the downside of thjs is is keep trek and created some stprygraph challenges to see if year goes any better.

Most of the time I am torn of the books to read and it's v hard when books come up here that I want to join in with but I have no room to read them.

What I really under-estimated is how much I would take to reading books.

Anisha Inkspill wrote: "Have you started to plan your reads for next year?

This is what I'm doing whilst wrapping up the reads for this year.

I like to read a variety of things but the downside of thjs is is keep trek a..."

So happy that you enjoy your reading. I know full well how it can be hard to find room for the books from this group amongst all the other stuff I'm reading.
I join the challenge buffet in this group and try to incorporate some of the group read that I've missed throughout the year.

Julie wrote: "So happy that you enjoy your reading. I know full well how it can be hard to find room for the books from this group amongst all the other stuff I'm reading.
I join the challenge buffet in this group and try to incorporate some of the group read that I've missed throughout the year."

Thank you, brilliant idea, I didn't think of this and will keep this in mind for next year.

each year I start next-year-planning on 1st July(!)

gradually as the year progresses I distill out about 100 shiny new books (to go with about 20 of the inevitable carryovers)

that then gives me enough room for manoeuvre to identify 52 titles to form my main personal challenge for the year

52 is the magic number for me - it breaks down nicely to 4 per month (plus 1 per quarter of the 4 shortest)

the fun bit is deciding which theme(s) to use to guide which 52 to pick out of the 100

for 2026 I have decided to simplify things by equivalencing my 4 main Buffet challenges (which serendipitously contain 52 titles!) with my main Personal challenge

I will also be forging on with my intention to read all of Balzac's Comedie Humaine :oD

I see Woolf's Kew Garden is lined up for Jan read next year, I'm really pleased about this, I've been wanting to read this again, and I really want to read more short stories. I say this year but it never happens so this year I created my own challenge to help me get there but will see how it goes.

Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I see Woolf's Kew Garden is lined up for Jan read next year, I'm really pleased about this, I've been wanting to read this again, and I really want to read more short stories. I say this year but i..."

I hope it goes well. I love short stories and find myself reading more and more of them. So many wonderful classic authors wrote short stories. A positive for reading them is that so many good short stories can be found online.

Lynn wrote: "Anisha Inkspill wrote: "I see Woolf's Kew Garden is lined up for Jan read next year, I'm really pleased about this, I've been wanting to read this again, and I really want to read more short storie..."

yes there are, I'm really looking forward to going through my books and discovering other short stories, this is something I've been wanting to do for a few years but I couldn't work out how and I'm hoping tis challenge will give me the structure to do this now.

a few days away from 2026, I just wanted to wish you all Happy Book Reading for 2026