Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

These look great. Let's try them all again next year.


Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
Challenge #2 - Members Choice
Challenge #3 - New Authors
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
Challenge #11 - Future Classics
Challenge #12 - Fiction/Non-Fiction
Challenge #13 - Old and New Linked Categories
Challenge #14 - Genre Locked? Neglecting Your Favorite Author?
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 #1 - New & Old TBR


Only six of the 12 books selected are required be Books based on the Groups date requirements, they do not have to come from the group's bookshelf . At least 3 old books (published before 1915) and 3 newer books (published from 1915-2006). The other six and your three alternates can be any genre or age you wish to read. Yes, even non-fiction, poetry, plays, and post 2006 publications.

Starting today you can begin creating your challenge thread. The whole month of December is dedicated to planning your challenge. You can add your books and make edit adjustments till December 31st. No challenge reading can start till January 1, 2026. No changes should be made to your list once challenge starts.


1914 and earlier/Old school
1. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (1599)
2. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (1900)
3. New Grub Street by George Gissing (1891)

1915-2005/New School
4. Things: A Story of the Sixties / A Man Asleep by Georges Perec (1965)
5. Ricardo Reisin viimeinen vuosi by José Saramago (1984)
6. Nada by Carmen Laforet (1944)

Wildcards
7. Sinuhe egyptiläinen by Mika Waltari (1945)
8. Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass by Bruno Schulz (1937)
9. The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton (1908)
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Alternates
A-1 Mennyttä Miestä by Luigi Pirandello (1904)
A-2
A-3

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

1. 18th Century or Older -
2. 19th Century -
3. 20th Century -
4. 21st Century -
5. A book of interest from another diner's buffet -
6. Members Choice Genre -
7. Members Choice Genre -
8. Members Choice Genre -
9. Members Choice Genre -

Some Genre Choices-
Fiction - Science Fiction. Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Suspense, Young Adult, Poetry, Plays, Romance, etc.
Nonfiction - History, Biography, Memoir, Politics, Religion, Science, Philosophy, Sports, Travel,
Self Help, etc.

Challenge #3 - Expand Your Horizon with New Authors

Seek out at least four (4) authors that you have never previously read, from any genre or era you want.

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Challenge #4 - Short Story Challenge
Read 16 short stories.

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Challenge #5 - Decade/Century Challenge

Only one version of the challenge is required to participate. For those exceptional readers, over achievers, or competitive eating gluttons, feel free to increase the difficulty of the challenge by taking on both versions. There are two ways to participate. First, read one book per year for 10 consecutive years, one-decade total. Second read one book from 10 consecutive decades, one century total.

Decade Challenge

1900 -
1901 -
1902 -
1902 -
1904 -
1905 -
1906 -
1907 -
1908 -
1909 -

Century Challenge

1900 -
1910 -
1920 -
1930 -
1940 -
1950 -
1960 -
1970 -
1980 -
1990 -

Challenge 6 - Group Reads, Buddy Reads, or 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.

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

Many of us read series books. Sometimes these books are neglected in favor of other reading. As much as I like reading several of the series I have on my shelf. I have at times left them untouched for as much as a year. This year’s series challenge is to break the neglect and bring series books back into our current annual reading.

Continue

The Cemetery of Forgotten Books

#2 Enkelipeli
#3 Taivasten vanki

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.

Book Title - Author/Country - Book Setting
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Challenge #9 - Re-reading? - 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.

Books I'd Love to Reread
1. Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust
2. Muumipeikko ja pyrstötähti by Tove Jansson
3. A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro
4. Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee
5. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Read Again in 2026
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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.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/popula...

NOTE: click on the link above then change the date to the date you wish to search.

1985

10 Books of Interest for
1. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
2. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
3. The Cider House Rules by John Irving
4. Contact by Carl Sagan
5. White Noise by Don DeLillo
6. Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
7. Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd
8. Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
9. Satantango by László Krasznahorkai
10. Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie

2026 Books Read
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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.

These Five Were Great, I Believe They Will Stand the Test of Time

1. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
2. Tuulen varjo by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
3. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
4. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
5. The Successor by Ismail Kadare

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.

These Might have a Chance at Greatness?

1. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
2. Puhdistus by Sofi Oksanen
3. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

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.

Spanish Civil War
Fiction -
Non-Fiction -

Religion
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Non-Fiction -

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.

1001 books you must read before you die
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Play
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Challenge #14 - Break Your Reading Rut


Part A-Are you Genre Locked?
Part B-Are you Neglecting a Favorite Author?
If the answer is yes, then this challenge is for you.

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.

Challenge-pick and read one book from two different genres that are not your normal go too. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Suspense, Young Adult, Nonfiction, Poetry, Plays, Romance, etc.

Genre Selected - Book Chosen
1. Fantasy -
2. Play -

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?

Challenge-pick one or more favorite authors you have been mistreating by leaving them on your shelf for far too long. Pick up that book you have been meaning to read and READ IT!

Neglected Author - Book Chosen
1. Hermann Hesse -

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.

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Challenge #16 Terry's Book Chain

This challenge comes from Terry. At first look it seems easy, on further thought it looks kind of difficult. One thing for sure is that it looks like a ton of fun. The idea is to start with a book you want to read, then take one word from that title, and find another book you want to read with that word in the title. Repeat the process until you have the total required to make your chain. The idea is to take yourself on a somewhat random journey through the year. Terry's example has 12 books needed to complete the challenge. Since overeating at the buffet can be a problem for some, for our challenge the total needed is 6 books.

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There is no restriction on book types, age, or genres. So as to not add undo pressure it seems fair to allow a "mulligan". If one of your selections turns out to be a dud and you DNF it, simply select another one that will fit your need. If the replacement proves to difficult by needing to match the top link to the next link, simply skip the DNF'ed book and move to the next link. If this happens, add an additional link to the bottom of the chain to keep a total of six.

Don't get bogged down with suffixes, wood, woods, wooden, woodland, etc. all work.

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

Select 7 books from the year you were born. Select 7 more from 100 years earlier, for a total of 14 books. The challenge is to successfully read 4 of the 14 books selected. 2 from your birth year and 2 from 100 years earlier.

1991

1. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
2. Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett
3. Regeneration by Pat Barker
4. The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson
5. Wise Children by Angela Carter
6. Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
7. England's Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock, and Beyond by Jon Savage

1891

1. New Grub Street by George Gissing
2. News from Nowhere by William Morris
3. Giovanni Episcopo by Gabriele d'Annunzio
4. L'Argent by Émile Zola
5. The Duel by Anton Chekhov
6. Spring's Awakening by Frank Wedekind
7. Hannibal by Theodore Ayrault Dodge


1991
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1891
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Challenge #18 - A-Z Author Challenge

I find this to be a very difficult challenge. Many others consider it one of their favorites. For those who really enjoy this challenge in its pure form use all 26 letters. For those of us who struggle, with this challenge consider it successful by using only 22 letters. There are 4 optional letters marked with an (*), you only need to use one.

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Challenge #19 - A-Z Title Challenge

I find this to be a very difficult challenge. Many others consider it one of their favorites. For those who really enjoy this challenge in its pure form use all 26 letters. For those of us who struggle, with this challenge consider it successful by using only 22 letters. There are 4 optional letters marked with an (*), you only need to use one.

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Welcome to the Buffet! You have a few books penciled in already, and I hope you enjoy your planning -- I love this part!

Thank you, Wobbley. This is definitely exiting time :D Happy planning, and reading!