Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

There's nothing like sweeping in on the last day of the year to set up my Bingo for next year! I've been swearing off challenges for 2025 and have not thought about any all of December when most of you all have been planning and getting excited. Well, that didn't do much for my mood and helped to keep me unmotivated. Therefore, in a last minute inspiration and because it's really too hard to not participate, here's my Bingo Board for 2025. As the title suggests, I will be completely "Winging it!"

Cheers to a new year of reading!

💙B1 A book set in an Old or Ancient Empire. Augustus - John Williams
💙B2 A book from our Old School Bookshelf The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
💙B3 A book in translation The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
💙B4 A book you read for another Challenge The Distance Between Us - Maggie O'Farrell
💙B5 A book with a Goodreads rating of 4.0 or better (4.29) The Loving Cup - Winston Graham

💙I1 A story from our Short Story Group Shelf Call Me Joe - Poul Anderson
💙I2 A book from your Personal Bookshelf Tramp for the Lord - Corrie ten Boom
💙I3 A Historical Fiction or a Nonfiction History A Lantern in Her Hand - Bess Streeter Aldrich
💙I4 A book by a new-to-you author. Safely Home - Randy Alcorn
💙I5 A book one of our Group members read in 2024 The Greengage Summer - Rumer Godden

💙N1 A book by a male prize winning author The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury
💙N2 A book by a female prize winning author. Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri
💙N3 Free Space Tom Lake - Ann Patchett
💙N4 A book written by an author born during the 19th Century Jenny Wren - E.H. Young 5 stars
💙N5 A book found by using Literature-map.com So Long, See You Tomorrow - William Maxwell (Wallace Stegner on Literature map) 4 stars

💙G1 A book by one of your favorite authors. Mountain Path - Harriette Simpson Arnow
💙G2 A book by an author found on our Group Bookshelf Sylvia's Lovers - Elizabeth Gaskell 5 stars
💙G3 A book with an imaginary setting (not a real place on Earth). Our Town - Thornton Wilder
💙G4 A book by an author who was born during the 20th Century Rednecks - Taylor Brown
💙G5 Three short stories by the same author. The Country of the Pointed Firs - Sarah Orne Jewett

💙O1 A Mystery, Suspense, or ThrillerPeople of the Mist - Kathleen O'Neal Gear
💙O2 A book about a journey The Same River Twice: A Memoir - Chris Offutt
💙O3 A book written by Anonymous or Author Unknown The Book of Job
💙O4 A book from our New School Group Shelf My Cousin Rachel - Daphne du Maurier
💙O5 A book you would recommend to others The Enchanted April - Elizabeth von Arnim



B1 B2. B3. B4. . B5

I1 12 . I3 . I4 . I5

N1 N2 . N3 . N4 . N5


G1 G2 G3 . G4 . G5


O1 . O2 . O3 O4 O5

Winging it turned out well for you last year, Lori! I hope this year works out as well.

It is so fun to be surprised by books that fall into the bingo categories, Lori. I'm glad you'll be here--enjoy!

It's great that you find the challenges motivate you. I find the same thing. Enjoy your reading in 2025!

This winging it is already paying off! I'm using Jenny Wren for N4 - an author born in the 19th century.

I'm loving E.H. Young after reading 2 last year I'm probably reading at least that many this year. So good!

I'm another fan of Young and of "winging it". Glad you set up a board. Just wouldn't feel right not to be following your reads!

Winging it sounds like a fun way to play. Glad you joined.

Doing a wrap up of where I am after January which doesn't look so bad!

B1 A book set in an Old or Ancient Empire Augustus - John Williams 5 stars for a phenomenal book and an amazing group read

I2 A book from your Personal Bookshelf Tramp for the Lord - Corrie ten Boom - 5 stars for one of the most amazing Christian women to ever live! This book was filled with amazing stories.

I4 A book by a new-to-you author Safely Home - Randy Alcorn 3 stars - a fiction account of Chinese Christian persecution which provided an education in the communism behind that. Where it failed was including an interpretation of heaven and Armageddon.

G4 A book by an author who was born during the 20th Century Rednecks - Taylor Brown - 4 stars for a fictional account of the coal miner's uprising of the Battle of Blair mountain in West Virginia.

O2 A book about a journey The Same River Twice: A Memoir - Chris Offutt - 4 stars for a memoir by one of my favorite Kentucky writers.

Two 5-stars and two 4-stars. That's a terrific month of Bingo reading!

An amazing month of reading, Lori! I must add the ten Boom. I agree she was an amazing woman, and I have not read this one.

Also happy to hear the Offutt was not disappointing--it is on my short-list to get to soon. I enjoy his novels, but you never know if that will translate into a memoir.

Bravo!

Great month, Lori! I haven't read Tramp for the Lord, but I remember reading The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom when I was in high school and loving it!

Hope you read lots more good ones in February :)

2 more to add:


I3 A Historical Fiction or a Nonfiction History A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
5 stars for a fantastic story of settlers and pioneers to the state of Nebraska. I adore these kinds of stories.


G1 A book by one of your favorite authors. Mountain Path by Harriette Simpson Arnow another 5 star read. I have read all 3 of this authors main books in the past 6-8 months and they were all 5 stars. She is definitely a favorite author from my home state of Kentucky writing about the people who lived in the hills and were illiterate. This book has moonshine, feuds, love, and great writing!

Both of these sound marvelous. I love Arnow and really want to get back to her.

Two 5-star reads! Fantastic! I've never heard of either of these authors.

Sara, I know these are right up your alley and I"d love to know what you think.

Thanks so much Wobbley. I hope you can get acquainted with them some day!

Lori wrote: "2 more to add:


I3 A Historical Fiction or a Nonfiction History A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
5 stars for a fantastic story of settlers and pioneers ..."

Lori, I'm glad you enjoyed "A Lantern in Her Hand." When I read that title I thought "That sounds familiar...." I looked and saw that I read it in 1974!!! I don't remember much about it other than that I enjoyed it. I read some good ones during those high school years, and I guess that was one of them ;)

Wow, Terris! I don’t remember much of what I read in school. I’m not sure books like this are considered nowadays, but they should be.

Wow, I've been reading a lot that fits this challenge in March. Here's what I've been able to add:

B2 A book from our Old School Bookshelf - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
5 stars for this satirical look at the southern society that raised Twain and this was his condemnation of their hypocritical beliefs.

I5 A book one of our Group members read in 2024 The Greengage Summer - Rumer Godden
5 stars for an excellent coming of age story set in France. I can't wait for my next Godden.

N2 A book by a female prize winning author. Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri
4 stars for my introduction to this Pulitzer winning author.

G5 Three short stories by the same author The Country of the Pointed Firs - Sarah Orne Jewett
5 stars for one of the most peaceful books I've read in a long time. Loved these stories. The novella length title story and the 3 others were so wonderful.

Not only did you check off some slots, but you had some terrific reads! What a stellar month so far!

Oh thanks Sara! And I forgot to mention it was you who read Godden and thanks to you.

I knew you were going to like her! A Fugue in Time is still my absolute favorite!

Wow, three fives and a four. You must be so happy! I read Greengage Summer recently too, and enjoyed it. Like Sara, A Fugue in Time is my favourite by her.

Some great reading, Lori. You will definitely enjoy more Godden. And thanks for reminding me about Lahiri--I enjoyed that one too and have meant to read more by her.

I have Fugue in Time on Kindle so that one has a very high chance of being chosen next! Thanks for the rec Sara and Wobbley!

Kathleen, I do want to read more Lahiri after being introduced. I'll be watching to see which one!

You have read so many good ones, Lori! I loved all those books you listed, and want to read more by those authors. AND I can't wait for you to read "The Three Musketeers"!! I think you will love it!!

Happy Reading :)

I’m in the middle about halfway through The Three Musketeers! You’re right I am enjoying it and it’s providing some laughable moments!

Lori wrote: "I’m in the middle about halfway through The Three Musketeers! You’re right I am enjoying it and it’s providing some laughable moments!"

How exciting! I thought you’d like it! :)

I joined this group to read the "big names" in literature. What I love about the challenges is seeing so many books I've never heard of. What a nice list Lori.

Thanks Lynn! I joined in order to broaden my reading experience and scope with tried and true books that have stood the test of time. I’ve learned there are oh so many more that fly under the radar and are unknown or less read. I love finding those gems and this group has helped tremendously with that!!

Lori wrote: "Thanks Lynn! I joined in order to broaden my reading experience and scope with tried and true books that have stood the test of time. I’ve learned there are oh so many more that fly under the radar..."

I'm enjoying learning about that with you, Lori! You've read many good ones that I had never heard of, and now I'm adding them to my lists and even reading them!! ;)

Terris wrote: "Lori wrote: "Thanks Lynn! I joined in order to broaden my reading experience and scope with tried and true books that have stood the test of time. I’ve learned there are oh so many more that fly un..."

That’s one of the best things about GR, Terris!! I love the sharing and the growing of our mountains of books to be read! And of course the reading!!!! You added a huge chunk to my list last year with Japanese literature. I hope to get to more of them this year!!

One more to add to the mix and a surprisingly excellent story.

O1 A Mystery, Suspense, or Thriller - I read People of the Mist by Kathleen O'Neal Gear - 4 stars

This was an interesting book set in the prehistoric era of North America (1300) before the Europeans came to the Chesapeake Bay area. The story was informative and highly researched - the author is an archeologist - and she set it up with a murder mystery which was intriguing and entertaining.

People of the Mist sounds intriguing. Interesting that I have just finished a book set in Jamestown. It might be nice to have the view of someone who has studied the native population.

Can't help chiming in on how we get books from one another. Some of the best books I have read have been ones by authors I would never have known of without my friends on GR. I came to the group having already read most of the classics that make "lists" and hoping to read some of the lesser known books by well-known authors. Lucky for me, that wasn't all I found waiting for me in this group.

Buddy reads have been the best thing in thi group. I read with the group reads a lot more when I joined but I don’t remember the last one I participated in. Buddy reads seem to be more participative. Btw, we are still reading The Illustrated Man this summer aren’t we?

Lori wrote: "Buddy reads have been the best thing in thi group. I read with the group reads a lot more when I joined but I don’t remember the last one I participated in. Buddy reads seem to be more participativ..."

I agree about the buddy reads getting more participants, Lori, and I think the Illustrated Man is scheduled for next month, so hope to see you there!

Awesome! Thanks Kathleen! I plan to be there!!

I think the Buddy Reads give us a place to read things that are simply never going to make it through the process for a group read. Many of us have already read the standard classics and want to go off track a bit. I love that we have the outlet!

I will also be joining The Illustrated Man and looking forward to some Bradbury. It has been a while.

Adding N3 Free Space with Tom Lake by Ann Patchett.
4.5 stars for an excellent Patchett novel that was a page turner.

And G3 A book with an imaginary setting (not a real place on Earth)
Our Town by Thornton Wilder.

I interpreted this one as fictional town as imaginary setting because Grover's Corners doesn't exist.

4 stars for this classic American play about appreciating life - the one you're given.

I feel like I've heard a lot about Tom Lake lately. Glad you enjoyed your reads!

Both sound good, Lori. Glad to hear you enjoyed them!

Almost there, Lori. My Cousin Rachel calls to me too. I look forward to any comments you might have :)

Awesome progress, Lori!

Getting ever closer to finishing! 2 more to go.

Adding N5 A book found by using Literature-map.com
I did a search of Wallace Stegner to find William Maxwell. I read So Long, See You Tomorrow which was excellent. I already want and need to read it again as I don’t think I gave it the attention it required. So I won’t write a review yet.

Also completed O3 A book written by Anonymous or Author Unknown with a Bible book The Book of Job. I am in the midst of another read through the Bible this year and always find it rewarding.

And finally completed my long read of Sylvia's Lovers
by Elizabeth Gaskell to complete
G2 A book by an author found on our Group Bookshelf.
This was another outstanding read of an author who deserves to be in the ranks of Austen and Brontë.

That's fantastic progress! Though I haven't read that one, I agree Elizabeth Gaskell is terrific. Only two to go -- woo hoo!

Bravo, Lori!
So glad you read the Maxwell. Will be watching for your review.
I also find reading the Bible always rewarding and Job reveals something new to me every read (as, of course, do all the other books).
We are reading so in tandem this year. I enjoyed Sylvia's Lovers so much and totally agree that Gaskell has earned her place among the greats.

Well done, Lori--sounds like wonderful and enriching reading!

Thanks Wobbley! I am loving Gaskell more with each book I read!

Sara, I have been so pleased with reading on a whim with no plans this year! And how luckily we are to get to share some together!

Kathleen, I’m enjoying this year of reading so much!! Winging it seems to work well for me!

Lori, I'm so glad you enjoyed "So Long, See You Tomorrow." I am reading my 4th William Maxwell (The Folded Leaf right now, and so far, "So Long..." is my favorite (though I also enjoyed the others a lot). He has become one of my favorite writers!

And, I have read several Gaskell books but not "Sylvia's Lovers"! I'm glad to get your recommendation and will move it up on the list :)

Good luck on your last two reads. You've read a lot of good ones this year! :)

I see you and Sara.both read the Book of Job. I read the Book of Ecclesiastes. Another friend we read with said she might read Ecclesiastes. What a good thing that we get to read spiritual guidance for our Bingo cards!