Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

This seems like such a fun idea. Even if I don't finish all of the tasks, it will be fun to attempt them.

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

1899 and earlier/Old School

1. A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
2. Dracula (1897)
3. Far From the Madding Crowd (1874)

1900-1999/New School

4. Peyton Place (1956)
5. For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
6. And Then There Were None (1939)

My Wild Card Six

7. Lady Chatterley's Lover (1928)
8. Flowers for Algernon (1966)
9. To Have and Have Not (1937)
10 Death in Venice (1911)
11. Crime and Punishment (1866)
12. Amerika (1927)

Alternates

A1. Great Expectations (1861)
A2. The Age of Innocence (1920)

Challenge #2 - The Year You Were Born and 100 Years Earlier

1984:

Fiction Bestsellers (According to Publisher's Weekly)

1. Stephen King and Peter Strau, The Talisman
2. Robert Ludlum, The Aquitaine Progression
3. Mario Puzo, The Sicilian
4. John Jakes, Love and War
5. Dr. Seuss, The Butter Battle Book
6. Helen Hooven Santmyer, “. . . And the Ladies of the Club”
7. Frederick Forsyth, The Fourth Protocol
8. Danielle Steel, Full Circle
9. Joan Rivers, The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz
10. Gore Vidal, Lincoln: A Novel

1884:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Challenge #3 Your Birth Year Top 10 Best Sellers

Top 10 Best Sellers for 1984:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


Selected 5:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Classic/Genre Challenge

18th Century or older - Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1782)
19th Century - Dracula (1897)
20th Century - Tropic of Cancer (1934)
Current or Past Group Read - White Fang May Group Read (05/16/20)
An Author not read before - The Awakening by Kate Chopin (1899)
Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours.
Science Fiction - Foundation (1951)
Romance - Northanger Abbey or The Age of Innocence
Historical fiction A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
Nonfiction - A Moveable Feast (1964)
Mystery/Crime - The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901)
Horror or Humor - I Am Legend (1954)



Challenge #5 - Decade/Century Challenge

1880-1889 The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) (04/05/20)
1890-1899 Dracula (1897)
1900-1909 The Secret Agent (1907)
1910-1919 Ethan Frome (1911)
1920-1929 The Castle (1926)
1930-1939 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (1937)
1940-1949 For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940)
1950-1959 Desolation Angels (1958)
1960-1969 Flowers for Algernon (1966) (04/20/20)
1970-1979 The Dice Man (1971)

Challenge #7 - 2020 Group Reads Challenge

1. The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe (January selection) 01/03
2. The Body Snatcher by Robert Louis Stevenson (February Selection) 3/29
3. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (March Selection) 04/05
4. White Fang by Jack London (May Selection) 05/16
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Challenge #8 - A-Z Author Challenge
A
B
C. Agatha Christie (And Then There Were None) 02/29/20
D
E
F. Ian Fleming (The Man With the Golden Gun) 03/05/20
G
H. Dashiell Hammett (The Thin Man) 02/18/20
I
J
K. Daniel Keyes (Flowers for Algernon) 04/20/20
L. Jack London (White Fang) 05/16/20
M. Ben Mezrich (The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal) 02/13/20
N
O. Tim O'Brien (If I Die in a Combat Zone: Box Me Up and Ship Me Home) 07/18/20
P
Q
R. Evan Ratliff (The Mastermind: Drugs. Empire. Murder. Betrayal.) 07/05/20
S. Robert Louis Stevenson (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) 04/05/20
T. Lisa Taddeo (Three Women) 07/17/20
U
V
W. Kenneth Womack (Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles) 03/30/20
X
Y
Z

Enjoy your challenges. I couldn't help but smile at your birth year best seller "Dr. Seuss, The Butter Battle Book" mine had Eloise in Paris, I think you may have gotten the better deal.

I've completed my first book for the Challenge Buffett - Challenge #7 - 2020 Group Reads Challenge. I read The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe.

I haven't really ever gotten into short stories, except for maybe The Lottery. I've also never really read anything by Poe, but have been meaning to. I recently picked up a compilation of poems and short stories, but had not opened it up. This was a perfect opportunity to dive right in.

I found this story very well written and well thought out. For such a short story, it felt very creepy. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more Poe. In fact, after finishing the Cask, I immediately went to The Tell-Tale Heart and read that. It was very good, but I enjoyed the the Cask better.

Great lists, Shawn!

Dracula is one of my all time favorite books. So, so much better than any of the movie adaptions of it that I've ever seen.

I've never read The Cask of Amontillado. Up to now, The Tell-Tale Heart has always been my favorite Poe story. I'm planning to read Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination this year, which includes both stories so I'm looking forward to comparing them!

Good luck on your challenge! I look forward to seeing what you think of your other picks.

I've ticked a few more things off a few of the challenges. So far I'm making decent progress on the author challenge and the group reads challenge. Still quite a bit of work to be done, but overall pleased with my progress. I have completed a few classics I have been meaning to read and just didn't get around to reading. I'm glad I finished them and look forward to checking a few more things off the list.

So I just checked in to this challenge and realize I have fallen way behind! I think the closure of my local library due to Covid set me back a bit. Either way, I'm still plugging away and hope to tick a few more off my lists.

On a side note- although not directly included in any of my challenges; I have decided to do a full reading of Ernest Hemingway. I have read some of his stuff before, but looking to do a more in-depth dive. I'm on my 3rd work at the moment and enjoying this little excursion tremendously.