Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
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
Challenge #7 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete
Challenge #8 - Travel the World One Book at a Time
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
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
Challenge #18 - A-Z Author
Challenge #19 - A-Z Title
Challenge #20 - No Challenge Here. A Place to List Your 2026 Impulse Reads

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
4/12

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
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 cielby Romain Gary,1956. 578 pages

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.

Challenge #2 - Members Choice
2/9

1. 18th Century or Older : Contes de pluie et de lune. by Ueda Akinari, 1776. 228 pages
2. 19th Century or Older: Notes from the Underground 1864. 136 pages
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
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
6. Members choice genre: Biography Geisha, a Life by Mineko Iwasaki
7. Members choice genre: Thriller The Whisperers by John Connolly, 2010. 409 pages
8. Members choice genre: Sci-fi L'Autre côté du rêve by Ursula K. Le Guin, 1971. 234 pages
9. Members choice genre: Fiction Le Dernier Samouraï by Helen De Witt, 2000. 616 pages

I own 4 of these books.

DONE
Challenge #3 - New Authors
10/4

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

DONE
Challenge #4 - Short Story
32/16

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

Challenge #5 - Decade/Century
6/10

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 I Am Legend by Richard Matheson 1954
1960-1969 La ville et les chiens by Mario Vargas Llosa
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.
4/10

READ 1. Alexis Zorba by Nikos Kazantzakis January 19th 3/5
READ 2. Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf January 4th
3. No Name by Wilkie Collins
READ 4. Une simple affaire de famille by Mistry Rohinton January 13th 4/5
5. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
6. Howards End by E.M. Forster
7. This Rough Magicby Mary Stewart
8. My Brother Michael by Mary Stewart
READ 9. La Fille du roi des elfes by Lord Dunsany January 10
10. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Challenge #7 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete

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

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. I will certainly read the new book schedule for April.
1. The Cold Dish #1
Not sure I will have time for the Craig Johnson series but will certainly read the new book scheduled for May 2026.

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

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.
4/5

Book Title - Author/Country - Book Setting

1. Africa: Petit éloge de la mémoire. Boualem Sansal. 2007. Algérie January 1st
2. Asia: Naufrages. Akira Yoshimura 1982 January 12
3. Australia:
4. Europe: Tous les matins du monde. Pascal Quignard 1991. France January 2nd
5. South America: Histoire d'une baleine blanche. Luis Sepulveda 2019. Chili January 1st

Challenge #9 – Rereading - Some do. Some don't
Some of us reread regularly, others reread rarely, if ever. We have all read books that we found fantastic. We finish the last page, set it aside and think someday I would like to read this again. Let us know the titles of five or more books you found worthy of rereading. This year’s challenge is, reread two of your selections.
1/2

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.
2.

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.

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.
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
Space Exploration
War
Sea Travels/Adventures
Family
Exploration
Animals
Historic Event
Natural Disaster
Survival
Death
Civilization
Justice
Religion/Faith
Slavery
Politics
Royality

Example:
Sea Travels/Adventures
Fiction - The Sea Wolf
Non-Fiction - Two Years Before the Mast: A Sailor's Life at Sea

World War II - Europe: The Beginning of the End
Fiction - The Steel Wave
Non-Fiction - Normandy '44: D-Day and the Epic 77-Day Battle for France

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.

Categories
Contains a Trial
Has a Murder
Contains Time Travel
Coming of Age
An Error in Judgement - Paying the Ultimate Price
Set on or has The Sea involved
Animals
School
Travel
Life Changing Action
Survival
Friendship
Bravery/Courage
Generation Gap

Example:
Life Changing Action
Old - A Horseman in the Sky
New - A Separate Peace

Generation Gap-Mother and Children
Old - Sons and Lovers
New - Peyton Place

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.
1/3

Genre Selected - Book Chosen
1. Biography: Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs or John Adams by David McCullough or Geisha, a Life by Mineko Iwasaki
OK 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
Other Neglected Authors - Book Chosen - Not a requirement
2. Iris Murdoch
3. Christian Bobin
4. William Faulkner
5. Ernest Hemingway
6. Willa Cather
7. Edith Wharton
8. Virginia Woolf: 1- Kew Gardens and Other Short Fiction
9- John Steinbeck 1- Rue de la Sardine

DONE
Challenge #15 - Award Winners
From the below book prize lists, or a prize from your country or local region, seek out and read two award winning books. Please let the group know what prize list or lists you use, as well as the book information.
8/2

Nobel Prize in Literature - since 1901
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
Booker Prize - since 1969
https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booke...
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction - since 1918
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitze...
Hugo Award - since 1953
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Aw...
Newberry Medal - since 1922
https://www.britannica.com/art/Newber...
European Union Prize for Literature - since 2009
https://www.euprizeliterature.eu/

Books Chosen
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

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 ravagée by Jean-Baptiste Del Amo
4- Les Nuits blanchesby Fyodor Dostoevsky
OK 5- Histoire d'une baleine blanche by Luis Sepúlveda January 1st 2026
6- Le retour de l'oie blancheby Mélissa Perron
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-

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.
15/26

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
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
G. David Guterson. Snow falling on Cedars. January 7th 3/5
H. Eduardo Halfon. Signor Hoffman. January 3rd 4/5
I
J. Gaelle Josse. La nuit des pères 2022 4/5
K. Nikos Kazantzakis. Alexis Zorba 1946 January 19th 3/5
L
M. Mariana Enriquez. Un lieu ensoleillé pour personnes sombres. 3/5 January 8th
N
O
P
*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
V
W. Virginia Woolf. Kew Gardens and Other Short Fiction. 1920 3/5 January 4th
*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.
14/26

A
B. Histoire d'une baleine blanche. Luis Sepulveda. 1991 January 1st
C. Snow falling on Cedars. David Guterson January 7th
D
E
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
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
R. La fille du roi des elfes. Lord Dunsany 1924 January 10
S. The Safekeep. Yael van der Wouden January 6
T
U
V. Vol de nuit. Antoine de Saint-Exupery. January 2nd
W
*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. :)