The Reading Challenge Group discussion

The genre for the month of November is one of my favourite genres - Classics.

I really can't believe how quickly the year as gone by. But I have read a lot of great books so far.

Happy reading, everyone!

I have started a Literature Book Club this year and it has gone well so far. We read Frankenstein for October and had an interesting discussion. For November we decided to read the first in a series by Anthony Trollope. I have only read a small part so far but I am enjoying the wit of this author. I will be counting this as my genre choice - The Warden. My first Trollope!

You are in for a treat. The Warden is good but the rest of the series is even better. My favourite is Doctor Thorne.

I think that I am going to have to give up on this challenge after doing it for 9 months. I have had very little time to read lately because of responsibilities at work and am barely a third of the way through my October book. There is no way that I can finish that and a classic in November.

Good luck to you all, and I hope to do this challenge next year!

Thank you, Badly done.
I totally understand that life gets in the way of reading. I do hope you get some time to relax.

Badlydone wrote: "I think that I am going to have to give up on this challenge after doing it for 9 months. I have had very little time to read lately because of responsibilities at work and am barely a third of the..."

I’m sorry to see your comment - it’s sad to have to give up on a challenge after getting so far. If things get a bit easier at work, perhaps you could read a classic short story this month. There are lots of free ones, especially Edgar Allen Poe, in the Kindle store.

I read The Frozen Deep by Wilkie Collins today & thought it was excellent. I only found it by chance. It’s changed my opinion of Wilkie Collins, as I didn’t enjoy the Woman in White very much. After reading this one, I’ll see what else is available.

Another recommendation (though not actually a classic) is Jane Austen and Food by Maggie Lane. I’ve always struggled with Jane Austen’s books, but this gave a lot of fascinating background information that explains many of the details I’d not understood before.

I have just finished A Legend of Montrose by Walter Scott. This was one of his shorter works and full of action.

I read The Raven again. I read it last year for the first time & hoped I would enjoy it more. This version has a very long-winded introduction by someone else. The actual poem has a lovely rhythm, but that’s the only positive thing I can say about this book.

Well, I take back my comments in message #7! After enjoying The Frozen Deep, I chose The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins & it was a big disappointment. I didn’t like it at all. I found it unbelievable, & didn’t care for any of the characters so it was a chore to finish reading it.

That is too bad, Trisha.

Lol! I hated The Haunted Hotel! It was so Penny Dreadful!
But I’ve liked all the other Collins I’ve read. :)

Renee wrote: "Lol! I hated The Haunted Hotel! It was so Penny Dreadful!
But I’ve liked all the other Collins I’ve read. :)"

I’m so glad to see your comment, Renee.

Today I finished reading Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. I’d read it many years ago & enjoyed reading it again.

I read Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw and really enjoyed it. It is one of his lighter efforts, with the musical version called A Chocolate Soldier. It is a fun read.

I have always wanted to read something by Italo Calvino, so this month I read Marcovaldo. It's a small book with twenty short stories following Marcovaldo and his family through everyday life. I really enjoyed it, and plan to read it again sometime. :)

Trisha wrote: "Badlydone wrote: "I think that I am going to have to give up on this challenge after doing it for 9 months. I have had very little time to read lately because of responsibilities at work and am bar..."


Thank you for being so encouraging, Trisha! I finally finished my October read and am going to start a very slim classic, The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. It has been sitting on my shelf for a long time.

Badlydone wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Badlydone wrote: "I think that I am going to have to give up on this challenge after doing it for 9 months. I have had very little time to read lately because of responsibilities at ..."

That’s good news! It’s always a relief to finish a long read. I’m happy you’re back on track with your challenge, hope you enjoy reading The Time Machine.

That's good to hear, Badlydone. The Time Machine is a fascinating book.

I just finished The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

Rosemarie wrote: "I just finished The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would."

That looks interesting, Rosemarie. I may try it some time.

My latest recommendation, especially if anyone needs a quick read, is The Spectacles by Edgar Allan Poe which I found free on AmazonUK. The start wasn’t particularly promising, but keep reading!

Sounds intriguing, Trisha. I recently discovered that I like Poe's stories. I will give it a try.

I just finished The Scarlet Pimpernel. It had a slow start, but I liked it once it got going.

Would you read any other of the Pimpernel series, Allison?

I feel pretty well satisfied for now, leaving it with this one, but you never know.

That's what I think too. One Pimpernel is probably enough. I thought the plot was okay, but I'm not that impressed with the writing.

I did a little Viva La Revolution thing many years ago and read The Scarlet Pimpernel, Scaramouche, and A Tale Of Two Cities. Then watched the movies. Big fun for the Book Nerd but I had a very good time. 🤓

I read Scaramouche around the same time as The Scarlet Pimpernel. Scaramouche has one of my favourite opening lines to a novel. That same line is the author's epitaph.

I have just finished The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope. It was a hefty read.

Rosemarie wrote: "That's what I think too. One Pimpernel is probably enough. I thought the plot was okay, but I'm not that impressed with the writing."

I felt a bit let down by the ending for some reason.

That’s a great story, Rosemarie!! I loved Raphael Sabatini when I was younger, but I didn’t know about his epitaph. Of course, I had to google...

"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."

How perfect!

Finished My Ántonia - it was slow but good

I am glad you enjoyed it, Cindy.

I finished The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. I enjoyed it, and do want to read more books by Wells. This was my first.

Wells wrote a wide variety of books, not just science fiction, so you have fun reading ahead of you, Badly Done.

🤣