Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

I'm sure I'm not the only one who plans their reading on a calendar-year basis

I've been planning next year since about July(!)

but it is around October/November time that things start to be "mostly decided"

anybody else at this exciting stage? :oD

I have two rough, nebulous plans... either read my cosies or read 20 classics the whole year.

I plan on catching up on the rest of the fantasy and science fiction books release me in the last few years. I need to know what I’ve been missing. And yes, I’ll continue reading contemporary fiction.

Less challenges, more authors that I haven't read despite having multiple works of theirs on my shelves, at least one monumental series ( The Story of the Stone and Pilgrimage are prime contenders). I feel I didn't do so well with reading translated lit this year, so more of that as well.

I'm going to try to read a lot more of my already-owned books instead of ones I've just bought. There's a C.S. Lewis quote: “It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.” I think I will try to stick to that.

Also I try to start every year by reading a classic, but I haven't decided which one to kick off 2019 with. Leaning towards The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Aside from that I don't have solid plans yet.

I've been too busy to do much planning so far, but I'm toying with the idea of skipping most of the challenges this year and dedicating myself to finishing one of my lists. I do like the challenges though. :(

I loved The Scarlet Pimpernel! Trying to read the "accent" was annoying at first, and that annoyance kind of stayed with me long after the accent was no longer an issue (this is not the only book I've had that problem with). But the more time that passes since I was struggling through the accent, the fonder I remember the book. I need to not only re-read it, but read the rest of the series. It's definitely worth a re-read.

Funny you asked. I put together my plan for next year today. Not many classics as I want to finish my tbr, but I do plan on completing bingo. I guess the only classic on my list is Dona Barbara by Romulo Gallegos, which is supposed to be an influence on Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the founder of magical realism. If I can use this for bingo, I will be giddy.

I started working on my reading goals just a week ago, too.
My tbr is still the center of attention for me - I've roughly 30 books to go to kill it. Since it's mostly big books I'm left with I want to make it a goal to read 10 books with over 700 pages. I'm also in the middle of a fantasy reading project, and I think I could finish that next year if I try and focus.

Sam wrote: "I started working on my reading goals just a week ago, too.
My tbr is still the center of attention for me - I've roughly 30 books to go to kill it. Since it's mostly big books I'm left with I want..."

You're well organised.

I plan to work on some ongoing challenges and skip tackling new challenges. I hope I can resist the lure of the challenges when they are introduced in December. It is so hard when I see others signing up and I get interested in the books that are planned.

Additionally I want to read more books that I own.

I usually plan my reading a few weeks ahead. Thought I was on the ball but now I feel like an underachiever.

Cendaquenta wrote: "I'm going to try to read a lot more of my already-owned books instead of ones I've just bought. There's a C.S. Lewis quote: “It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself anot..."

Definitely read The Scarlet Pimpernel !! :)

I think I'll only do the Bingo challenge to keep up with the Classics I want to read. And as much as I love Classics, I felt a little Classically overwhelmed this year! So I think I may try to get to more books on my bookshelf and my TBR list and add in some best sellers just for fun! But I'm starting to put together a list and I'm getting excited already!

my recent history suggests about 120 books per year

12 will go to Old & New Challenge

I am doing a 52 book personal challenge this year which seems to be working well, so will do something similar again

that leaves about another 60 that I have roughly penciled in, but I won't get too hung up on them specifically,

in particular because Book Group choices tend to throw spanners in the works!

I want to read some ancient stuff
Re-read The Aeneid+Some Greek Plays, like the Oedipus plays

New-to-me/Don't remember thems Greek Plays, 6 of them

Novels about Ancients, such as Circe which I have read. Others too. 10 of those, if at the library/360°/Hoopla.

Having virtually no book budget means that I am being forced to learn the new technology of ebooks because outside of copyright or through library internet services. My brain is re-training. Challenging, Frustrating, and Good.

I am just starting to think abour it...slowly adding books to my 2019 TBR..I will join up for all three challenges ,but won't insist on finishing them.Then ,there is an yearly challenge in another group that is also great.I am looking forward to all four of the challenges.
My plans will be less vague when these are out.

I had like to read more by certain authors that I liked a lot this year and more by authors I liked before.

Cynda loves cool cats wrote: "I want to read some ancient stuff
Re-read The Aeneid+Some Greek Plays, like the Oedipus plays

New-to-me/Don't remember thems Greek Plays, 6 of them

I thought the translation The Oedipus Cycle by Fitts and Fitzgerald was really wonderful Cynda.

The only firm idea I have about next year's plan are things I do not want to do again. I do not feel that I am getting anything out of the A-Z challenges, especially now that I am reading books from those few elusive letters of the alphabet just to say that I did it. I also do not think I will focus on geography. Because I just started this year, and there are many books on the groupshelf I have not read yet, my focus will be books I already own, particularly ones from this group's shelf, plus the BINGO. I find the categories a more interesting way to broaden my reading, and especially like the squares for the winners of different literary prizes.

I don't really have anything planned for next year. I'm not one of those super organized people with a spreadsheet like some of you here :) I know I'll probably play BINGO again next year, (even if I don't finish this year) because it's my favourite challenge. The only thing I'm trying to do is read some of the door stoppers on the long read shelf. I'm thinking maybe War and Peace, or The Brothers Karamazov because I haven't read many of the classic Russian novels. When the new BINGO challenge is posted I'll try to fill in all the squares before I start, but I know I'll probably change them along the way!

Good question, I've been thinking about it a lot over the last few months because I planned my reading in 2018 way too much. I organised so many buddy reads that I didn't have time to pick up many impulse reads at all and I'm really missing being able to do that. So my plan for 2019 at least the first part of next year is to have absolutely no plan at all. I just want to pick up books on a whim.

The only vague "plan" I have is wanting to make progress on series I have already started and I have a list of those so that I can keep an eye on how I'm doing but even then I'm not deciding which of the many series to concentrate on I'll just see where my impulses take me :-)

Hailee wrote: "Good question, I've been thinking about it a lot over the last few months because I planned my reading in 2018 way too much. I organised so many buddy reads that I didn't have time to pick up many ..."

Good plan! That has been my M.O. for years! I've rarely taken part in buddy reads.

I think one of the reasons I am not enjoying the A-Z Challenge as much is that I am currently reading Into the Beautiful North for my letter U author, and I want to come online to discuss it, but no one else is reading it. When I read the older group books on the shelf, I can still go onto the threads and read the discussions.

Luffy wrote: "Good plan! That has been my M.O. for years! I've rarely taken part in buddy reads."

Thanks. I think its a good way to read. I quite like buddy reads but last year in another group we were planning buddy reads in December 2017 that would take place in September/October 2018 and by then sometimes I just wasn't feeling like reading it at that time. So this year coming I am letting the group make their own plans and then when they reach the day of the buddy read they have planned if I feel like it I'll jump into the book with them and if not I won't, that way I'm not breaking any commitments to people.

I have a few more books to finish this year. Then, next year, I'd like to tackle the Lenin biography I bought, a Shakespeare play, maybe one of the ancient plays/epics, and of course continue the Palliser series. Mostly, I'll be working out of my own library, which is overflowing with books I've picked up at charity shops throughout the years. Another Thomas Hardy would also be a nice read for 2019.

My husband and I have also been talking about learning old English together, so I'm planning to pick up his intro book either towards the end of the year or beginning of next. It should be especially interesting now that I've taken all these Dutch courses! Those Dutch textbooks will, of course, also be on the reading list. :P

Helen, I read Into the Beautiful North. Fantastic book. If you want to discuss the only way I can think is to go to my review and we can discuss there or vice versa.

Helen wrote: "I think one of the reasons I am not enjoying the A-Z Challenge as much is that I am currently reading Into the Beautiful North for my letter U author, and I want to come online to di..."

Oh, that sounds fascinating. Onto the want-to-read shelf it goes.

Starting this year and continuing next year, I plan to read several of the classics of China and Japan, including some philosophical works, all sitting enticingly on my bookshelf: The Analects, Tao Te Ching, The Tale of Genji, The Pillow Book, The Golden Days (starting this one soon and plan to get the rest of The Story of the Stone)

There are a several additional major classics that I plan to read next year: The Odyssey of Homer, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Wuthering Heights, Ulysses, Swann's Way, The Count of Monte Cristo, Great Expectations, Anna Karenina, Another Country, Rebecca... and I am simultaneously thinking that may be too many “door-stoppers” but also of all the additional books and authors I have yet to read!

Oh, and there are also more recent fantasy, science fiction and historical fiction that I really want to read... 😆

Cendaquenta wrote: "Helen wrote: "I think one of the reasons I am not enjoying the A-Z Challenge as much is that I am currently reading Into the Beautiful North for my letter U author, and I want to com..."

Great, Cendaquenta. There is an excerpt from this novel used as a practice test for our big Spring test, for my Eighth Grade literature class. I have worked with the excerpt for the last two years with students, and it made me want to read the entire novel.

Brina, thanks for your offer. I did make a comment in the comment section of your review.

Helen, found it. I'm always up for a book discussion. I think your students would like this as well. Cendaquenta do read it... I agree about the A-Z challenges. I opted out this year. Most of the books I had no desire to read but they were clogging my tbr just to fit into the challenge. Yes it allows one to read a variety of authors, but it doesn't always work out.

I am hoping for some Bingo. Just did one with another group. So enjoyed it.

I made a list in January of 66 '2018 on deck' books, of which I've read 13.

So as far as 2019 goes, I can only say:

Helen wrote: "I think one of the reasons I am not enjoying the A-Z Challenge as much is that I am currently reading Into the Beautiful North for my letter U author, and I want to come online to di..."

We have a folder for these types of discussions. Just begin a thread in this folder. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

My 2019 plan? Read at least 50 books (up from 40 this year) and 50% more female than male authors.

Karen wrote: "My 2019 plan? Read at least 50 books (up from 40 this year) and 50% more female than male authors."

An admirable effort.

Sam wrote: "I started working on my reading goals just a week ago, too.
My tbr is still the center of attention for me - I've roughly 30 books to go to kill it. Since it's mostly big books I'm left with I want..."

LOL I will never get to the end of my TBR, cos I add books faster than I read them!

Aubrey wrote: "Karen wrote: "My 2019 plan? Read at least 50 books (up from 40 this year) and 50% more female than male authors."

An admirable effort."

Thanks Aubrey - thanks to Goodreads for making me focus, I have smashed my 2018 Challenge of 40 books already!

Cendaquenta wrote: "Helen wrote: "I think one of the reasons I am not enjoying the A-Z Challenge as much is that I am currently reading Into the Beautiful North for my letter U author, and I want to com..."

I read Luis Alberto Urrea as my U author last year (short stories) and have added a couple more to my TBR - he is FABULOUS!

Katy wrote: "Helen wrote: "I think one of the reasons I am not enjoying the A-Z Challenge as much is that I am currently reading Into the Beautiful North for my letter U author, and I want to com..."

Thank Katy. That is good to know. For this particular book, I may not start a thread. Now that I'm finished with it I am ready to move on. I know a lot of people love it, but it's just not a favorite of mine. (4 out of 5 stars) I really wanted to like it, ...

Matt wrote: "I plan to do A-Z Author Challenge next year, but probably won’t set an overall reading challenge in 2019.

I’m planning to work on a writing project by doing a familial/ancestral history bio next ..."


What a wonderful project Matt! Good luck. I bet you will be overwhelmed with the amount of information you can find if you have a Mayflower ancestor. There are organizations dedicated just to that sort of history!

Matt wrote: "I plan to do A-Z Author Challenge next year, but probably won’t set an overall reading challenge in 2019.

I’m planning to work on a writing project by doing a familial/ancestral history bio next ..."

This sounds like so much fun, Matt--enjoy your writing adventure!

I have the same problem with the 40 book Pop Sugar challenge. I was reading books to check off the prompt. I didn’t have time for any impulse reading. My plan for 2019 is to play Bingo and focus on some group reads.

I won't be doing the A-Z challenges. I may tackle Bingo, but my priorities are set on the Reading Women Challenges, whatever form they might take (even if I have to create my own).

Aubrey wrote: "I won't be doing the A-Z challenges. I may tackle Bingo, but my priorities are set on the Reading Women Challenges, whatever form they might take (even if I have to create my own)."

Same here! I would like to participate in the Old & New, Reading Women Authors and possibly Bingo challenges (if they are among next year’s challenges).

Oh you all seem so much more organised than I am. I generally have three books on the go at anyone time a kindle read, a physical book (for reading in the bath) and an audiobook for my commute. I'm not very good at working down my to read list because sometimes you just don't feel like a particular book.

I haven't historically joined in on challenges other than a reading target for the year. I'm going to go for 50 for 2019 which will be a mix of classical fiction, historical fiction, probably a Pratchett or two and a smattering of non-fiction books.

Would a plan give me more structure? Possibly but I tend to use my to-read list as inspiration and book group reads to pick up authors I might not have tried or to remind me of a book I haven't read in a long time.

I have various competing imperatives informing my plans, to wit:

1) group bookshelf
2) oldest books on my (Goodreads) bookshelf (earliest added)
3) oldest books on my actual bookshelf (earliest bought)
4) re-read all my old sci-fi/fantasy books
5) read some new (to me) sci-fi/fantasy
6) read everything by Philip K. Dick
7) read everything by Iain M. Banks
8) war genre
9) crime genre
10) read some more books of my fave films
11) "mega" classics
12) don't neglect other old-school (pre-1900)
13) world literature
14) more books by authors I've decided I like (this category in particular is mushrooming alarmingly)
15) read everything by Magnus Mills
16) read everything by Iain Banks
17) re-read some faves
18) "one-off" books from Guardian 1000 list (ensuring good spread through all decades of 20th century)
19) good balance of physical books and freely/cheaply available e-texts
12) not too many "chunksters"
21) not too many short books
22) read all personal challenge "year books" from 100 years before my birth to present day
23) allow leeway for as yet unknown group/buddy reads
24) allow leeway for gifts/"queue jumpers"

so YES I need a spreadsheet!

I do like to plan ahead. For 2019 I decided to pick 60 years of songs (1940-1999) that could tell stories to make my own wacky kind of challenge. First I picked a song from each year, not necessarily my favorites but songs that had a broad range of themes. I then set a theme based on the title or artist. After that I picked my books. Below are a few examples. If you can think of a better book for the theme, let me know! I have another two challenges that will make a total of 164 books for 2019.

1. Night & Day by Billie Holiday (A book with a day of the week in the title)
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe

2. Deep in the Heart of Texas by Gene Autry (A book set in TX)
The Last Picture Show by Larry McMurtry

3. Boogie Chillun by John Lee Hooker (A book about a prostitute)
Chéri by Colette

4. Dust My Broom by Elmore James (Book with a tool used to clean in the title, i.e., mop, rag, broom)
The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace

5. Your Cheatin’ Heart by Hank Williams (A character who commits adultery)
Rabbit, Run by John Updike

6. Tammy by Debbie Reynolds (A book with a one word title that is a woman's name)
Justine by Marquis de Sade

7. Tequila by The Champs (A book by an author with drinking problems)
The Love of the Last Tycoonby F. Scott Fitzgerald

8. What'd I Say by Ray Charles (A title that is a question)
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? by Horace McCoy

Darren wrote: "I have various competing imperatives informing my plans, to wit:

1) group bookshelf
2) oldest books on my (Goodreads) bookshelf (earliest added)
3) oldest books on my actual bookshelf (earliest bo..."

Hehe, now I don’t feel so bad with my own competing and only occasionally overlapping imperatives! 😜

We should compare lists of favorite fantasy and science fiction novels read and our priority TBR! 😁

Erin - thanks to the magic of the "select multiple" feature on our Goodreads bookshelves, anyone can see my fave sci-fi/fantasy books:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
and the ones I have planned for 2019:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
plus a quick sort on my spreadhseet reveals those remaining for 2018:
Vurt Noon, Jeff
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Dick, Philip K.
Demolished Man, The Bester, Alfred
Slan Van Vogt, A. E.
Howl's Moving Castle Jones, Diana Wynne
Voyage To Arcturus, A Lindsay, David
Coraline Gaiman, Neil
Wave Theory of Angels, The Macleod, Alison
Jurgen Cabell, James Branch
Norse Mythology Gaiman, Neil
King Of Elfland's Daughter, The Dunsany, Lord
Neverwhere Gaiman, Neil
Moravagine Cendrars, Blaise
Exorcist, The Blatty, William Peter
Victorian Chaise Longue, The Laski, Marghanita

Darren wrote: "Erin - thanks to the magic of the "select multiple" feature on our Goodreads bookshelves, anyone can see my fave sci-fi/fantasy books:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list......"

Oh! I had not discovered that feature — thank you! 😅