Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

10/19

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
DONE: Challenge #2 - Members Choice
DONE: Challenge #3 - New Authors
DONE: Challenge #4 - Short Story
Challenge #5 - Decade/Century
Challenge #6 - Group Reads, Buddy Reads, Moderators Run Amok
DONE. Challenge #7 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete
DONE. Challenge #8 - Travel the World One Book at a Time
DONE Challenge #9 – Rereading - Some do. Some don't.
Challenge #10 - Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year
DONE: Challenge #11 - Future Classics
Challenge #12 - Fiction/Non-Fiction
Challenge #13 - Old and New Linked Categories
DONE Challenge #14 - Genre Locked? Neglecting Your Favorite Author?
DONE: Challenge #15 - Award Winners
Challenge #16 - Terry's Book Chain
Challenge #17 - The Year You Were Born and 100 Years Earlier
DONE: Challenge #18 - A-Z Author
Challenge #19 - A-Z Title

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
5/12

1914 and earlier
1. The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1851. 314 pages
2. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1853 257 pages
3. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather,
1913. 159 pages

1915-2006/New School
READ 4. La Grosse Femme d'à côté est enceinte by Michel Tremblay, 1978. January 14th
READ. 5. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, 1943. 181 pages January 19th
READ 6. Vol de nuit by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1931. January 2nd

Six Bookshelf Dust Collectors
READ 7. Tous les matins du monde by Pascal Quignard 1991. January 2nd
8. The Call of the Wild by Jack London, 1903. 172 pages
9. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner, 1936. 316 pages In progress
READ. 10. Le Premier Jardin by Anne Hébert, 1988. 255 pages
11. La ville et les chiens by Mario Vargas Llosa,1962. 544 pages
12. Les Racines du ciel by Romain Gary,1956. 578 pages. In progress

Alternates
A-1. The Warden by Anthony Trollope,1855. 336 pages
A-2. Notes from Underground by Dostoîevski, 1864. 136 pages
A-3 Rashômon et autres contes by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, 1915. 135 pages

I own 9 of these books.

DONE
Challenge #2 - Members Choice
9/9

READ 1. 18th Century or Older : Contes de pluie et de lune. by Ueda Akinari, 1776. January 28th 3/5
READ 2. 19th Century or Older: Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo February 13th
READ 3. 20th Century: Vol de nuit by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1931. January 2nd
READ 4. 21st Century: Petit Éloge de la mémoire by Boualem Sansal, 2007. 3/5 January 1st
READ 5. A book of interest from another diner's buffet
Sara: One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash, 2002
Pamela: Sanctuary by William Faulkner, 1931
Teri-K: Katherine by Anya Seton, 1954
Bob: The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner, 1943
Jeri: A Cry of Angels by Jeff Fields 1974
Wobbley: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata March 4th 2/5
READ 6. Members choice genre: Biography/Memoir: La place by Annie Ernaux. 1983 January 22 5/5
READ 7. Members choice genre: Thriller The Whisperers by John Connolly, 2010. or Nulle part où revenir by Henry Wise 2024. January 26th 4/5
READ 8. Members choice genre: Sci-fi L'Autre côté du rêve by Ursula K. Le Guin, 1971 or horror King Sorrowby Joe Hill 2025 January 24th 5/5
READ 9. Members choice genre: Fiction Le Dernier Samouraï by Helen De Witt, 2000. January 29th 2/5

I own 5 of these books.

DONE
Challenge #3 - New Authors
20/4

1. Boualem Sansal. Petit éloge de la mémoire. January 1st
2. Pascal Quignard Tous les matins du monde. January 2nd
3- Yael van der Wouden. The Safekeep January 6th
4- David Guterson. Snow falling on Cedars January 7th
5- Mariana Enriquez. Un lieu ensoleillé pour personnes sombres. January 8th
6- Lord Dunsany La fille du roi des elfes January 10th
7- Gaëlle Josse. La nuit des pères January 11th
8- Akira Yoshimura Naufrages January 12
9- Rohinton Mistry Une simple affaire de famille January 13
10- Nikos Kazantzakis. Alexis Zorba January 19th
11- Joe Hill. King Sorrow January 24th
12- Henry Wise. Nulle part où revenir January 26th
13. Ueda Akinari. Contes de pluie et de lune January 28th
14. Florence Knapp. The Names: A Read With Jenna Pick. February 5th
15. Varlam Shalamov. Mes Bibliothèques. February 9
16. David Diop. At Night All Blood Is Black: A Novel. February 15th 5/5
17. Xenobe Purvis. The Hounding. February 25th 3/5
18. Wilkie Collins. No Name. March 2nd 4/5
19. Marjan Kamali . The Lion Women of Tehran. March 2nd 4/5
20. Olivier Adam. Et toute la vie devant nous. March 9 4/5

DONE
Challenge #4 - Short Story
43/16

1. Signor Hoffman. Eduardo Halfon 4/5
Total stories: 6 Finished: January 3rd
2. Kew Gardens and Other Short Fiction. Virginia Woolf 3/5
Total stories: 15 Finished: January 4th 3/5
3. Un lieu ensoleillé pour personnes sombres. Mariana Enriquez
Total stories: 12 Finished: January 8th 3/5
4. Contes de pluie et de lune. Ueda Akinari
Total stories: 9 Finished: January 28th 3/5
5. 2BR02B. Kurt Vonnegut. February 21 5/5
6. The Story of an Hour. Kate Chopin February 20th 5/5

Challenge #5 - Decade/Century
7/10

Century Challenge
1900-1909 Le Mystère de la chambre jaune by Gaston Leroux-1907
1910-1919 O Pioneers! by Willa Cather-1913
READ 1920-1929 Kew Gardens and Other Short Fiction by Virginia Woolf January 4th
READ: 1930-1939 Vol de nuitby Antoine de Saint-Exupéry-1931 January 2nd 4/5
READ. 1940-1949 Cannery Row by John Steinbeck 1943 January 19th
1950-1959 Les Racines du ciel by Romain Gary 1956. In progress
READ 1960-1969 Marcovaldo by Italo Calvino 1963 February 18th
READ 1970-1979 La Grosse Femme d'à côté est enceinte by Michel Tremblay 1978 January 14th
READ 1980-1989 Naufrages by Akira Yoshimura 1982 January 12th
READ. 1990-1999 Tous les matins du monde by Pascal Quignard-1991. January 2nd 4/5

Challenge #6 - Group Reads, Buddy Reads, Moderators Run Amok
The challenge is to read 10 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! There should be plenty of choices.
9/10

READ 1. Alexis Zorba by Nikos Kazantzakis January 19th 3/5
READ 2. Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf January 4th
READ 3. No Name by Wilkie Collins
READ 4. Une simple affaire de famille by Mistry Rohinton January 13th 4/5
READ 5. La Fille du roi des elfes by Lord Dunsany January 10
READ 6. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel HawthorneFebruary 10
READ 7. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne February 5th
READ 8. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne. February 18th 5/5
READ 9. Don't look now by Daphne du Maurier February 23rd 4/5
10. Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. In progress
11. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. In progress
12. The Lifted Veil by George Eliot
13. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
14. Maurice by E.M. Forster
15. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

DONE
Challenge #7 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete
2/2

Start:
I am starting the Chronicles of Barsetshire by Anthony Trolllope in January. I hope to read the series in 2026.
1. The Warden

I've started Les Chroniques du Plateau Mont-Royal by Michel Tremblay and I loved the first book so much, that I intend to read the full series this year
1- La Grosse Femme d'à côté est enceinte January 14th 5/5
2-Thérèse et Pierrette à l'école des Saints-Anges February 25th 4/5
3- La duchesse et le roturier.

Continue:
I've started to reread the Charlie Parker series by John Connolly. I hope to continue in 2026
1. The Whisperers #9

I've also decided to reread the Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson.
1. The Cold Dish #1
UPDATE: Not sure I will have time for the Craig Johnson series but will certainly read the new book scheduled for May 2026.

Continue: The Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box
1. Storm Watch. March 3rd 4/5
2. Three-Inch Teeth

Complete:
I want to complete the Emigrants series by Vilhelm Moberg.
1.
I also want to finish The Great Plains Trilogy by Willa Cather and the Sun and Salvation series by William Faulkner

DONE
Challenge #8 - Travel the World One Book at a Time
Select 5 books, by 5 different authors, from 5 different countries, other than your own.
5/5

1. Algeria: Petit éloge de la mémoire. Boualem Sansal. 2007. January 1st 3/5
2. Japan: Naufrages. Akira Yoshimura 1982 January 12
3. France: Tous les matins du monde. Pascal Quignard 1991. January 2nd
4. Chili: Histoire d'une baleine blanche. Luis Sepulveda 2019. January 1st
5. U.S.A. : Snow falling on Cedars. David Guterson 1994. January 7th 3/5

DONE
Challenge #9 – Rereading - Some do. Some don't
2/2

Books I'd Love to Reread
Read. 1. La Grosse Femme d'à côté est enceinte by Michel Tremblay January 14th 5/5
2. The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay
3. La place (A Man's Place) by Annie Ernaux
4. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
5. Gone With the Wind (Autant en emporte le vent) by Margaret Mitchell

Read Again in 2026
1. I first read La Grosse Femme d’à côté est enceinte around 1978–1980 and remember thinking it was quite good. Reading it again now, I find it to be a perfect novel, and I truly believe the author deserves all the awards he has received since the beginning of his career. Living in this Montreal neighbourhood today made the experience even more enjoyable—it was a real pleasure to recognize the streets near my own and to follow the story of that family in such a familiar setting. I do recomment this book that was translated to English. January 14th 5/5
2. La place by Annie Ernaux1983 5/5

Challenge #10 - Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year
Locate and list 10 books that most interest you from the year of your choice. The challenge is to read 2 books from that list.
1/2

10 Books of Interest for 1949
1. 1984 by George Orwell
2. The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
3. The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg
4. The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir
5. The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr.
6. Arabella by Georgette Heyer
7. Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima
8. The Man with the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren
9. The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
10. The Third Man by Graham Greene
11. Time of Hope by C.P. Snow

2026 Books Read
1. Mil neuf cent quatre-vingt-quatre by George Orwell February 20th 2/5
2.

DONE
Challenge #11 - Future Classics
A Quarter of the 21st Century has passed; did you read any potential classics? For discussion, and the benefit and curiosity of our members please list 5 books you have read over the last 25 years that you believe will still be actively read in 50-100+ years.

Examples
These Five Were Great, I Believe They Will Stand the Test of Time
1. 2003 - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
2. 2006 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy
3. 2015- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
4. 2024- La part de l'océanby Dominique Fortier. If you can read French and are fan of Herman Melvile and Nathaniel Hawthorne, I strongly recommend that book.
5. 2024 for the French edition, 2025 for the English one. The Dream of the Jaguar by Miguel Bonnefoy

The Future Classic Challenge - List 3 unread books published between 2000-2025 that you feel have the potential to become a classic.

The challenge, read 1 of your 3 selections. Then let us know if you think it has a chance at greatness, or will it pass into oblivion.

Examples
These Might have a Chance at Greatness?
1. 2016. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
2. 2024. The Safekeepby Yael van der Wouden
3. 1999. Kiss of the Fur Queen by Tomson Highway

Book Chosen for Challenge
1, 2, or 3
Book 2: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. January 6. 3/5

Challenge #12 - Fiction/Non-Fiction
Using the below categories or a selection of your own pick two subjects of interest and read a fiction book and a non-fiction book about that subject. Total number of books for this challenge is four.

Categories

Sea Travels/Adventures
Fiction - The Terrorby Dan Simmons, 2007 or Birds of Prey by Wilbur Smith, 1997
Non-Fiction - In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essexby Nathaniel Philbrick, 2000

Slavery
Fiction - Gone With the Windby Margaret Mitchell,1934 or ABSOLOM, ABSOLOM!by William Faulkner,1936 or The Underground Railroadby Colson Whitehead,2016
Non-Fiction - The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slaveryby Siddharth Kara,2025

Totalitarianism
Non fiction: Les ingénieurs du chaos by Giuliano da Empoli
Fiction: Mil neuf cent quatre-vingt-quatre by George Orwell February 20th

Challenge #13 - Old and New Linked Categories
Using the below categories or choices of your own, pick two subjects of interest. Link the chosen subjects to an old book 1914 or earlier to a newer book 1915 -present. Total number of books for this challenge is four.
2/4

Dragons
Old - The Book of Dragonsby E. Nesbit, 1899
New - King Sorrowby Joe Hill, 2025 January 22nd

Crime
Old - Le Mystère de la chambre jaune by Gaston Leroux, 1907
New - Nulle part où revenirby Henry Wise, 2024. January 26th

DONE
Challenge #14 - Genre Locked? Neglecting Your Favorite Author?
Part A - Are you stuck in a Genre Rut? Reading to many romance novels or God forbid to many classics? Break out of that rut by picking a couple of different genres, any two genres will do.
3/3

Genre Selected - Book Chosen
READ: 1. Biography/Memoir: La place by Annie Ernaux January 22nd 5/5
Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs or Geisha, a Life by Mineko Iwasaki
READ 2. Short Stories : Signor Hoffman by Eduardo Halfon. 2015 January 3rd

Part B - Who have you been neglecting the most? Has your favorite author slipped away from you because life is hectic or other books get in the way? Think about your favorite author or authors, who haven't you read in a while?

Neglected Author - Book Chosen
1. Nathaniel Hawthorne, La Lettre écarlate, 1850 February 10th 4/5
Other Neglected Authors - Book Chosen - Not a requirement
2. Iris Murdoch
3. Christian Bobin
4. William Faulkner 1- Le bruit et la fureur: Nouvelle traduction
5. Ernest Hemingway
6. Willa Cather
7. Edith Wharton
8. Virginia Woolf: 1- Kew Gardens and Other Short Fiction 2- Entre les actes
9- John Steinbeck 1- Rue de la Sardine

DONE
Challenge #15 - Award Winners
10/2

Books READ
1. Vol de Nuit. A de Saint-Exupéry. 1931 Femina Prize
2. The Safekeep. Yael van der Wouden. Women's Prize for Fiction 2025
3. Snow falling on Cedars. David Guterson. Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction 1995
4. Je m'appelle Lucy Barton. Elizabeth Strout NAIBA Book of the Year 2016
5. Une simple affaire de famille. Rohinton Mistry Kiriyami Prize for fiction 2002
6. Un ange cornu avec des ailes de tôle. Michel Tremblay. Prix des libraires du Québec for Lauréats québécois. 1995
7. John Steinbeck. Nobel of literature in 1962.
8. Alexis Zorba. Nikos Kazantzakis. Prix du meilleur livre étranger for Roman 1954
9. La Place. Annie Ernaux. Nobel of literature in 2022
10. Holy City (Nulle part où revenir). Henry Wise. Edgard Award for best first novel 2025

Challenge #16 - Terry's Book Chain
Since overeating at the buffet can be a problem for some, for our challenge the total needed is 6 books.

Possible book chain:
1. Le Dieu des petits riens
OK 2. Petit Éloge de la mémoire. January 1st
3. La route des petits matins
OK 4. Tous les matins du monde. January 2nd
5. À la recherche du bout du monde by Michel Nöel
6. Le Monde du bout du monde by Luis Sepulveda
7. Lettres pour le monde sauvage (Totem)by Wallace Stegner
8. La Belle Sauvage
9. Les Belles Endormies

or:
OK 1. Vol de nuit by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry January 2nd
OK 2- La nuit des pères by Gaëlle Josse January 11th
3- La nuit du cœur by Christian Bobin
4- Les Nuits blanches by Fyodor Dostoevsky
OK 5- Histoire d'une baleine blanche by Luis Sepúlveda January 1st 2026
6- Le retour de l'oie blanche by Mélissa Perron ou Histoire d'une domestication by Camila Sosa Villada
7- Retour à Belfastby MIchael Magee
8- Sisters of Belfast by Melanie Maure
9- The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
10- The Brothers McKay by Craig Johnson

Challenge #17 - The Year You Were Born and 100 Years Earlier

1960
1- Butcher's Crossing
2. Country Girls
3. The Leopard
4. The Violent Bear It Away
5. After the Banquet
6. La promesse de l'aube
7. Dix heures et demie du soir en été
8. The Flanders Road
9. Life and Fate

1860
1. The Mill on the Floss
2. First Love
3. The Trail of the Serpent
4. Castle Richmond
5. The Black City
6.Framley Parsonage
7. The Marble Faun
8. Le Lis et le Lion
9. Le Temps Des Secrets

1960
1-
2-
1860
1-
2-

DONE
Challenge #18 - A-Z Author
For those of us who struggle, 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.
24/23

A. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Vol de Nuit. 1931 January 2nd 4/5
B. Boualem Sansal. Petit éloge de la mémoire. January 1st 3/5
C. Varlam Chalamov. Mes Bibliothèques. February 9th
D. Lord Dunsany. La fille du roi des Elfes. 1924 January 10th 4/5
E. Elizabeth Strout. Je m'appelle Lucy Barton 2016 4/5 January 9
F. William Faulkner. Le bruit et la fureur 1929. January 31st
G. David Guterson. Snow falling on Cedars. January 7th 3/5
H. Eduardo Halfon. Signor Hoffman. January 3rd 4/5
I. Italo Calvino. Marcovaldo. February 18th
J. Gaelle Josse. La nuit des pères 2022 4/5
K. Nikos Kazantzakis. Alexis Zorba 1946 January 19th 3/5
L. Dany Laferrière. Un certain art de vivre. March 6 3/5
M. Mariana Enriquez. Un lieu ensoleillé pour personnes sombres. 3/5 January 8th
N. Nathaniel Hawthorne. La lettre écarlate. February 10 4/5
O. George Orwell. La ferme des animaux. February 15 4/5
P. Xenobe Purvis. The hounding. February 25th 3/5
*Q. Pascal Quignard. Tous les matins du monde. 1991 4/5 January 2nd
R. Rohinton Mistry. Une simple affaire de famille 2002. January 13th 4/5
S. Luis Sepulveda. Histoire d'une baleine blanche. 1991 January 1st 3/5
T. Michel Tremblay. La grosse femme d'à côté est enceinte. January 14th 5/5
U. Uedo Akinari. Contes de pluie et de lune. January 28th
V. Virginia Woolf. Kew Gardens and Other Short Fiction. 1920 3/5 January 4th
W. Henry Wise. Nulle part où revenir. January 26th
*X
*Y. Yael van der Wouden. The Safekeep. 2024 3/5 January 6
*Z

Challenge #19 - A-Z Title
For those of us who struggle, 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.
21/26

A. Entre les actes. Virginia Woolf January 28th
B. Histoire d'une baleine blanche. Luis Sepulveda. 1991 January 1st
C. Snow falling on Cedars. David Guterson January 7th
D. Le dernier samouraï. Helen de Witt January 29th
E. La lettre écarlate. Nathaniel Hawthorne February 10th
F. Une simple affaire de famille. Rohinton Mistry January 13th
G. La grosse femme d'à coté est enceinte. Michel Tremblay 1978 January 14th
H. Signor. Hoffman. Eduardo Halfon 2015 January 3rd
I
J. Le premier jardin. Anne Hébert March 2nd 3/5
K. Kew Gardens and Other Short Fiction. Virginia Woolf 1920. January 4th
L. Je m'appelle Lucy Barton. Elizabeth Strout 2016 January 9
M. Tous les matins du monde. Pascal Quignard 1991 January 2nd
N. La nuit des pères. Gaelle Josee 2022 January 11
O
P. Un lieu ensoleillé pour personnes sombres. Mariana Enriquez January 8th
*Q. Mil neuf cent quatre-vingt quatre. George Orwell. February 20th 2/5
R. La fille du roi des elfes. Lord Dunsany 1924 January 10
S. The Safekeep. Yael van der Wouden January 6
T. Therese et Pierrette a l'école des Saints-Anges. Michel Tremblay February 26th
U
V. Vol de nuit. Antoine de Saint-Exupery. January 2nd
W. Winnie-the-Pooh. A.A. Milne February 5th
*X
*Y
*Z. Alexis Zorba. Nikos Kazantzakis January 19th

Challenge #20 - No Challenge Here. A Place to List Your 2026 Impulse Reads
Use this thread any way you wish.

We encourage December pre-planning. Most people enjoy the planning, and all members benefit from members' plans by learning about books they may have been unaware of before December's buffet planning. The only buffet challenge that can't be pre-planned is Group Reads. They will occur throughout the year. The other issue is that life will get in the way of even the best laid plans. Unplanned books are going to come our way, and we are going to read them. That is one of the reasons these challenges are for fun, and there is no requirement to finish them.

Take me as an example. Last December, I sorted through 89 books to plan and create my buffet. Sixty-nine of these were books that I own, while the other 21 would have to be secured if I needed them. I only planned a few short stories reads and no group reads.

In addition to the books, I planned last December to read in 2025. I, on impulse, came across 26 novels and 108 short stories. None of these were planned or thought about last December.

Now you have a place to record them.

Well done already having a plan for your New & Old TBR! Enjoy your planning. :)

Lorraine wrote: "Challenge #14 - Genre Locked? Neglecting Your Favorite Author?
Part A - Are you stuck in a Genre Rut? Reading to many romance novels or God forbid to many classics? Break out of that rut by picking..."

Grreat plan! And I am also going for my second year! I replied to your "neglected authors" post, because i am also trying to incorporate Hawthorne, Hemmingway, and Faulkner this year. Maybe we will read some together!
Have a great year!

April wrote: "Lorraine wrote: "Challenge #14 - Genre Locked? Neglecting Your Favorite Author?
Part A - Are you stuck in a Genre Rut? Reading to many romance novels or God forbid to many classics? Break out of th..."

Thanks April. Good luck on your second year. I really like buddy read so anytime!

Oh, I just replied from my thread but wanted to remember the ideas 😅 Good thing I looked! I am planning to read some Hemmingway short stories starting in January. Perhaps you'd be interested? If you know how and can do it sooner, maybe remind me of this in the buddy reads requests thread?

Your plans look wonderful. Have a happy second year!

I first read La Grosse Femme d’à côté est enceinte around 1978–1980 and remember thinking it was quite good. Reading it again now, I find it to be a perfect novel, and I truly believe the author deserves all the awards he has received since the beginning of his career. Living in this Montreal neighbourhood today made the experience even more enjoyable—it was a real pleasure to recognize the streets near my own and to follow the story of that family in such a familiar setting. I do recomment this book that was translated to English. The Fat Woman Next Door is Pregnant by Michel Tremblay

I always think it is such fun to read a book that has a setting with which I am intimately familiar. Adds an element of reality to everything! Nice that the book was even better this time around.

Thanks so much for the recommendation Lorraine. I've been meaning to read more from Quebec. I'm glad it lived up to your memories. :)

I’ve been lucky with my rereads this year! La grosse femme d’à côté was a 5/5, as was La Place by Annie Ernaux.
I also reread The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner as part of a group I moderate here in Canada on Facebook. I had first read it in 2025 and gave it a 3/5. I started with the English version but found it too difficult.
When I learned that a new French translation would be published in 2026, I bought it.
I’m not sure whether it was the new translation or simply the fact that it was my second reading, but this time I finally understood why so many readers admire Faulkner’s writing. This novel demands a great deal from the reader. First, it is not a “fun” story. Second, you have to work hard to follow it. Faulkner shifts from present to past in the blink of an eye, moving just as abruptly between a character’s thoughts and immediate action. Once I adjusted to that rhythm, I found myself loving it.
Now I’ve started Absalom, Absalom! and I have to admit I’m really struggling. I will probably set it aside for a while and return to it in the spring. In the meantime, I’m looking for texts, books, or articles that might help me better understand Faulkner, as I intend to read all six novels of his “Sin and Salvation” sequence.

Wow, you're off to a terrific start!

I have added your recommended book about the fat pregnant woman to my TBR mountain. I read a lot of Faulkner in my 20s, but don’t think I am up to a reread, at least not this year. His books do demand a lot of concentration, but I found them quite worthwhile.

After reading The Sound and the Fury, I was told that Les Fous de Bassan by Anne Hébert was strongly influenced by William Faulkner, so I decided to give it a try.
I do not have the literary expertise to trace that influence precisely, but I was struck by the novel’s structure. The story moves backward in time, gradually revealing the tragic fate of two young girls. This is not a conventional murder mystery built on suspense and twists; rather, it is a novel about how violence reverberates through a community.
Beautifully written, this is a powerful novel whose final revelation comes in the very last sentence. I highly recommend reading it. Another 5 stars for me.
Here is the link to the English version In the Shadow of the Wind by Anne Hébert.

I am trying to read one Booker Prize winner a month. For February, the Booker website recommended At Night All Blood Is Black by David Diop, winner of the International Booker Prize in 2021. I read it in French, the language in which it was written, but I am quite confident the English translation must be excellent, since most of the judges likely read it in English.
First, this book should come with a warning for graphic violence. But if you are a reader who is not disturbed by violence on the page, I think this novel is a must-read. It is about war and its impact on the human mind—how witnessing and committing violence can shatter a person’s sanity; how regret and guilt can drive someone toward madness; how the expectations placed on oneself in times of war can slowly break a human being.
I know there are many books on this subject, but David Diop’s writing feels almost magical. There are so many sentences—so many lines—that have stayed with me since I finished the book and will remain with me for a long time. I have decided to purchase a copy so that I can return to it again—many times.
At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

Goodness, what an amazing run you're on!

Wobbley wrote: "Goodness, what an amazing run you're on!"

Thank you, Wobbley. I’m leaving in a month for a four-week trip to Japan. It’s a group tour—my first time traveling this way—and I understand we’ll be very busy. I suspect I won’t get much reading done during that month, so I’ve been trying to read as much as possible before I leave. I’ve been lucky to have a few five-star reads lately, which really helps when you’re struggling with other books!

That sounds exciting. I hope you'll have a terrific time!

To finish Challenge #2: Members’ Choice, I picked Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, which I discovered through Wobbley's selections for her challenge. Since I’m leaving for Japan soon — and will almost certainly visit a convenience store while I’m there — I thought it would be a fitting choice.
(view spoiler)[ Unfortunately, this book was not for me at all. I’m not sure whether it was the translation or the way the subject was handled, but at times I almost felt that the author didn’t fully love her main character, judging by how she portrays her life and her differences. If one chooses to write about people who are perceived as “different” (many readers interpret the main character as being on the autism spectrum), I believe it should be done with great sensitivity.
That said, it could very well be a matter of translation. Since I don’t speak Japanese, I have no way of knowing how much nuance may have been lost along the way. (hide spoiler)]

I read Convenience Store Woman in 2024 and thought it was brilliant, Lorraine. I hope you enjoy it. It’s quirky, no doubt, but a serious study of two characters who don’t process information or relate to others in conventional ways.

I just read your spoiler. Sorry it didn’t work for you!

Well done completing a challenge. That's always such a satisfying feeling!

Lorraine wrote: "After reading The Sound and the Fury, I was told that Les Fous de Bassan by Anne Hébert was strongly influenced by William Faulkner, so I decided to give it a try.
I do not have the literary expert..."

Im intrigued by your review and just put it in my tbr list!

Hope you enjoy Japan when you go! And congrats on completing a challenge!

P.s. i just noticed Cranford in your list. I just added that this morning to my tbr as it came up in recommended reads. 😅👍

April wrote: "Lorraine wrote: "After reading The Sound and the Fury, I was told that Les Fous de Bassan by Anne Hébert was strongly influenced by William Faulkner, so I decided to give it a try.
I do not have th..."

Thank you April. Let me know what you think of Les fous de Bassan when you read it.