Retro Reads discussion

I am putting this up now, but will close it until Cindy & I have talked again. I have done my usual thing of thinking I am perfectly clear - but I'm not! 😅
Any questions, please ask in this thread.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Rules

1 The Book Pool will run from the 1st of January till the 30th Of November 2027. Books started before the 1st of January or finished after the 30th of November will not be counted.
2 Members who want to select books, please do so by the 31st of December - PST. You can only change your mind about the books you have chosen until the 20th of December. (PST) Members who add their books on or after the 21st of December can't change them at all. This is so the planners amongst us can organise their reads. No books can be added after the 31st of December. If you join this group or decide you want to join the Book Pool after the 31st of December, that will be great, but you can't add books to the book pool.
3 Everyone taking part will be given a number - for example I will be #1.
4 Anyone else can still join in after the 1st of January, but can't add books. There is no obligation to read all the books - or any of the books. This includes the books you selected to be part of the pool. This isn't just a fiction book pool - Non fiction, later books in a series, YA & books for older children are all fine!
5 First publication date should be 1900-2000.
6 Everyone selects 3 to 10 books. If someone has already selected one of your choices, please don't select it again. Kate Hannigan isn't eligible for 2027 as it was a selection in 2025 & 2026, but will be eligible again in 2028.
7 This year I'm putting up numbers, (up to 10) so if people have a particular number they want to be given they can choose it. This will be on a 'first come first served' basis. If you want a number later than 10, let me know!
8 Books should be individual books - not sets, trilogies, etc. For example not The Lord of the Rings but you can add the three parts individually.
9 DNFs don't count towards your total, but Cindy will note them down for you (look at this year's list & you will see how I did this)

#1 She's So Novel
#2 Cindy SR
#3 Barb in Maryland
#4 Susan in NC
#5 Sharon
#6 Cphe
#7 Neer
#8 Mela
#9 Jackie
#10 Lesley
#11 Amanda

Hi I'm opening this thread now.
Please only post if you are intending to take part (& if you want a particular number) & I will add you to message #3. :)

Now that I am am used to it, I'd like to be #5 again.

BTW, I was so excited about reading South Riding by Winifred Holtby next year, that i'm reading it now instead. It has been compared to Middlemarch for its scope and the comparison seems apt. An epic look at Yorkshire in the early 1930s. Superb.

Sharon wrote: "Now that I am am used to it, I'd like to be #5 again.

BTW, I was so excited about reading South Riding by Winifred Holtby next year, that i'm reading it now instead...."
Added you as #5 Sharon. I've read South Riding & it was amazing!

I will be in again, and maybe do better this time! :)

QQ - I think I had South Riding on my list in 2025 but never got to read it. Would I be able to put it on the 2027 list?

Lesley wrote: "I will be in again, and maybe do better this time! :)

QQ - I think I had South Riding on my list in 2025 but never got to read it. Would I be able to put it on the 2027 list?"

Cool Lesley - I've given you #10 if that is ok.

& yes having South Riding as one of your books will be fine. I'm just trying to avoid consecutive years. :)

It would help me out if, when you post your list, please state if this is your FINAL list or TENTATIVE list. Thanks!

Count me in:

When does my list have to be finalised by?

COVERS

LINKS

#1. The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour
#2. Anything Considered by Peter Mayle
#3. My Sister Mike by Amelia Elizabeth Walden
#4. So Big by Edna Ferber
#5. Hungry Hill by Daphne du Maurier
#6. Kate Hannigan's Girl by Catherine Cookson
#7. Katie Mulholland by Catherine Cookson
#8. South Riding by Winifred Holtby
#9. The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
#10.The Man With a Load of Mischief by Martha Grimes
#11.Report for Murder by Val McDermid
#12.Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
#13.The Broken Wing by Mary Burchell
#14.The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry
#15.The Titan by Theodore Dreiser
#16.The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
#17.The Tragedy at Freyne by Anthony Gilbert
#18.O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
#19.Fell Murder by E.C.R. Lorac
#20.Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
#21.Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit by P.G. Wodehouse
#22.A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
#23.Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
#24.The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
#25.Wineburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
#26.Benchley Beside Himself by Robert Benchley
#27.The Proper Place by O. Douglas
#28.The Snake Has All the Lines by Jean Kerr
#29.The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning
#30.Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes by Mollie Panter-Downes
#31.The Man in the Dark by Susan Scarlett
#32.Fletchers End by D.E. Stevenson
#33.Bellwether by Connie Willis
#34.Faculty of Murder by June Wright
#35.The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
#36.Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
#37.The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
#38.Désirée by Annemarie Selinko
#39.Crook o' Lune by E.C.R. Lorac
#40.The Rendezvous by Evelyn Anthony
#41.Living in the Maniototo by Janet Frame
#42.Make-Believe by Elizabeth Goudge
#43.Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson
#44.Young Mrs. Savage by D.E. Stevenson
#45.Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman
#46.A Murder of Quality by John le Carré
#47.The Fair Miss Fortune by D.E. Stevenson
#48.The Bronze Eagle by Emmuska Orczy
#49.One by One They Disappeared by Moray Dalton
#50.Charlie Chan Carries On by Earl Derr Biggers
#51.Lost Lagoon by Armstrong Sperry
#52.To All the Living by Monica Felton
#53.Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart
#54.Sackett by Louis L'Amour
#55.The Leper of St. Giles by Ellis Peters
#56.Golden Afternoon : Volume II of the Autobiography of M. M. Kaye by M.M. Kaye
#57.Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer
#58.The Way of the World: Two Men in a Car From Serbia to Afghanistan by Nicolas Bouvier
#59.An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
#60.The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt
#61.Redwall: The Wall by Brian Jacques by Brian Jacques
#62.Tiger Burning Bright by Marion Zimmer Bradley
#63.Topaz by Leon Uris
#64.A Farewell to France by Noel Barber
#65.The Rich Mrs Robinson by Winifred Beechey
#66.Five Women by Rona Jaffe
#67.Shining Through by Susan Isaacs
#68.Martin Eden by Jack London
#69.The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
#70.On the Beach by Nevil Shute
#71.Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy
#72.Sin by Josephine Hart
#73.The Sand Pebbles by Richard McKenna
#74.Circles of Deceit by Nina Bawden
#75.The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
#76.Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald
#77.Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple
#78.Naked Earth by Eileen Chang
#79.Trade Wind by M.M. Kaye
#80.The Happy Tree by Rosalind Murray
#81.The Rain Forest by Olivia Manning
#82.Armageddon: A Novel of Berlin by Leon Uris

Cphe wrote: "Count me in:

When does my list have to be finalised by?"

Hello Cphe!

2 Members who want to select books, please do so by the 31st of December - PST. You can only change your mind about the books you have chosen until the 20th of December. (PST) Members who add their books on or after the 21st of December can't change them at all. This is so the planners amongst us can organise their reads. No books can be added after the 31st of December. If you join this group or decide you want to join the Book Pool after the 31st of December, that will be great, but you can't add books to the book pool.

Hi
I will be participating again and would like to be #3 again.

Book list to follow sometime in November, as I haven't had time yet to really think about my choices.

Thanks, Carol and Cindy SR, for keeping this running smoothly. You are the best!

Cphe wrote: "Count me in:

When does my list have to be finalised by?"

Hi Cphe

I have given you #6.
I have also given Susan, Barb & Mela the same reader numbers as they had last year.

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Hi
I will be participating again and would like to be #3 again.

Book list to follow sometime in November, as I haven't had time yet to really think about my choices.

Thanks, Carol and Cindy SR, f..."

Great minds think alike - I just gave you #3!

Hi Carol
I'd like to be #9. Shall submit the book list later.

I see that #7 has also not been taken, so would prefer it to 9.

Neer wrote: "I see that #7 has also not been taken, so would prefer it to 9."

I've made you #7, Neer! :)

Thanks Carol

#8 Mela

My choices for 2007:

Martin Eden by Jack London (1909)
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer (1948)
On the Beach by Nevil Shute (1957)
Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy (1968)
Sin by Josephine Hart (1992)

No 6 - final list

The Sand Pebbles
Circles of DeceitThe Witness for the Prosecution: an Agatha Christie Short Story
Zemindar
Someone at a Distance
Naked Earth
Trade Wind
The Happy Tree
The Rain Forest
Armageddon: A Novel of Berlin
On the Beach

She's So Novel! ꧁꧂ wrote: "Cphe wrote: "Count me in:

When does my list have to be finalised by?"

Hi Cphe

I have given you #6.
I have also given Susan, Barb & Mela the same reader numbers as they had last year."

Thanks, I’m fine with #4 again - like Barb I haven’t finalized my ‘27 books, but will soon, definitely before the deadline. Thanks again for doing this, Carol and CindySR!

That's ok. :)

I haven't finalised my books yet either - although I am close!

I create a GR shelf for pool potential titles and add to it all year whenever I come across an intriguing title that fits our criteria- now to winnow it down, figure out if I can get hold of the book!

Susan in NC wrote: "I create a GR shelf for pool potential titles and add to it all year whenever I come across an intriguing title that fits our criteria- now to winnow it down, figure out if I can get hold of the book!"
I have a secret group which I use for all sorts of Gr related things.

;o)

#10 (FINAL)
Kate Hannigan's Girl / Catherine Cookson (2000)

Katie Mulholland / Catherine Cookson (1967)

South Riding / Winifred Holtby (1936)

The Bridges of Madison County / Robert James Waller (1992)

The Man With a Load of Mischief / Martha Grimes (1981)

Report for Murder / Val McDermid (1987)

Bridge to Terabithia / Katherine Paterson (1977)

The Broken Wing / Mary Burchell (1966)

The Face of a Stranger / Anne Perry (1990)

She's So Novel! ꧁꧂ wrote: "Lesley wrote: "I will be in again, and maybe do better this time! :)

QQ - I think I had South Riding on my list in 2025 but never got to read it. Would I be able to put it on the 2027 list?"

Cool..."

Thanks Carol, and #10 is fine by me - it's like my age, just a number . lol

Mela wrote: "#8 Mela

My choices for 2007:

Martin Eden by Jack London (1909)
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer (1948)
On the Beach by Nevil Shute (1957)
[book:Oute..."

Hi Mela! Just to be sure, is this list final or is there a chance you might make changes?

I'll join, I've still got 2 months to figure out what books I want, right?

Jackie wrote: "I'll join, I've still got 2 months to figure out what books I want, right?"

Yup, till the 31st of December, can't change your selections after the 20th December PST.

Edit: & you are #9.

Jackie wrote: "I'll join, I've still got 2 months to figure out what books I want, right?"

2 months and 5 days ;) But no changes to your list after 12/20.

She's So Novel! ꧁꧂ wrote: "Jackie wrote: "I'll join, I've still got 2 months to figure out what books I want, right?"

Yup, till the 31st of December, can't change your selections after the 20th December PST.

Edit: & you ar..."

Twinning! My brain is braining tonight!

#4 my books:

1. The Titan by Theodore Dreiser (1904)
2. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck(1939)
3. The Tragedy at Freyneby Anthony Gilbert (1927)
4. O Pioneers!by Willa Cather (1913)
5. Fell Murder by E.C.R. Lorac (1944)
6. Cotillion by Georgette Heyer (1953)
7. Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit by P.G. Wodehouse (1954)
8. A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr (1980)
9. Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner (1984)
10. The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (1992)

Susan in NC wrote: "#4 my books:
..."

Susan, are these your final choices or might you make changes later?

#5, my books (final):

Wineburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson (1919)
Benchley Beside Himself by Robert Benchley (1943)
The Proper Place by O. Douglas (1926)
The Snake Has All the Lines by Jean Kerr (1960)
The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning (1960)
Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes by Mollie Panter-Downes (1999)
The Man in the Dark by Susan Scarlett (1940)
Fletchers End by D.E. Stevenson (1962)
Bellwether by Connie Willis (1996)
Faculty of Murder by June Wright (1961)

CindySR wrote: "Susan in NC wrote: "#4 my books:
..."

Susan, are these your final choices or might you make changes later?"

These are my final choices, thanks Cindy!

All final books are listed so far except for Mela. Mela, is your list final or tentative?

Ok after much wavering, here is my final list. All of them are books where I have a physical copy.

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (1939)
Pied Piper by Nevil Shute (1942)
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh (1948)
Make-Believe by Elizabeth Goudge (1949)
Désirée by Anne Marie Selinko (1951)
Crook o' Lune by E.C.R. Lorac (1953)
The Rendezvous by Evelyn Anthony (1967)
Living in the Maniototo by Janet Frame (1979)

I'm excited about my list & looking forward to reading all of them equally!

#9

1. Queen Lucia E.F. Benson - 1920

2. Young Mrs. Savage D.E. Stevenson - 1948

3. Dance Hall of the Dead Tony Hillerman - 1973

4. A Murder of Quality John le Carre - 1962

5. The Fair Miss Fortune D.E. Stevenson

written in 1938 but apparently not published until this century, so I will understand if you don't allow it.

Final list Jackie?

Also Year Written is more important than year published IMO.

yes, final, thank you Cindy

Thanks Jackie! If I have to make changes weeks from now I'm afraid I'll mess up!

#3 Final List

The Bronze Eagle by Baroness Orczy (1915)
One by One They Disappeared by Moray Dalton (1929)
Charlie Chan Carries On by Earl Derr Biggers (1935)
Lost Lagoon by Armstrong Sperry (1939)
To All the Living by Monica Felton (1945)
Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart (1955)
Sackett by Louis L'Amour (1964)
The Leper of St. Giles by Ellis Peters (1981)
Golden Afternoon : Volume II of the Autobiography of M. M. Kaye (1997)
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (1998)

That's 5 I haven't read and 5 old favorites that I haven't read in a while.

Barb, I thought Into Thin Air was fascinating and I hope you enjoy it, too.

1. The Way of the World: Two Men in a Car From Serbia to Afghanistan by Nicolas Bouvier 1963
2. An Equal Music by Vikram Seth 1999
3. The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt 1978
4. Redwall by Brian Jacques 1986
5. Tiger Burning Bright by Marion Zimmer Bradley 1995
6. Topaz by Leon Uris 1967
7. A Farewell to France by Noel Barber 1983
8. The Rich Mrs. Robinson by Winifred Beechey 1984
9. Five Women by Rona Jaffe 1997
10. Shining Through by Susan Isaacs 1988

🤞Adding Amanda and Mela's lists now and crossing my fingers that they are final choices 🤞

Cphe finalized so I am all caught up. This is an involved job! Thanks so much to Carol for doing it these past few years!

Please everyone, check both covers and links to make sure I have your choices correct. For those who haven't added any yet please do, plenty of time.

Jackie wrote: "Barb, I thought Into Thin Air was fascinating and I hope you enjoy it, too."

Jackie, I've heard only good things about it. It has been in my TBR for a while, so I decided to prod myself by putting it on this list.