Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Yippie! It's Challenge time again. This year I looked through the Group Bookshelf for books I had meant to read but did not have time yet. I came up with 12 books from previous years. I hope to use those 12 books plus short stories and new 2024 Group/Buddy Reads to fill in the challenge spots.

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
Challenge #2 - Second Place or Worse
Challenge #3 - ☑ Decade Challenge completed November 19, 2024
☑ Century Challenge completed October 21, 2024
☑ Challenge #4 - Members Choice completed New Year's Eve
☑ Challenge #5 - Short Story completed September 25, 2024
☑ Challenge #6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads
☑ Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon with New Authors completed March 7, 2024

☑ Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories completed September 25, 2024
Challenge #12 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete
☑ Challenge #13 - Travel the World One Continent at a Time. completed New Year's Eve
☑ Challenge #14 - Rereading Some do Some don't - Completed June 29, 2024
Challenge #15 - A-Z Author
☑ Challenge #16 - A-Z Title - completed November 23, 2024


Here are my 10 books to focus on this year:

1 The Praise of Folly by Erasmus (1511) 109 pages
2 Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1601) 289 pages
☑ 3 The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) 528 pages
4 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (1848), 576 pages
☑ 5 Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde (1892) December 20, 2024 5*
☑ 6 Behind a Mask; or, a Woman's Power: The 1866 Literary Novella Classic by Louisa May Alcott (1866) 117 pages September 28, 2024 4*
7 Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (1937) 401 pages
☑ 8 Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (1935), 302 pages
9 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (1938) 234 pages
10 The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima (1954) 183 pages

My nemesis....

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge
Old School
1 The Praise of Folly by Erasmus (1511) 109 pages
2 Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1601) 289 pages
☑ 3 The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) 528 pages Mar 16, 2024 5*
4 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë (1848), 576 pages
☑ 5 Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde (1892) December 20, 2024 5*
6 Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (1862) 869 pages
☑ 7 Behind a Mask; or, a Woman's Power: The 1866 Literary Novella Classic by Louisa May Alcott (1866) 117 pages September 28, 2024 4*
☑ 8 With the Night Mail: A Story of 2000 A.D. by Rudyard Kipling (1909) September 25, 2024 3*

New School
9 Death of a Cad byM.C. Beaton (1987) 214 pages.
10 Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (1937) 401 pages
☑ 11 Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (1935) 302 pages, June 12, 2024 3*
12 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (1938) 234 pages

A1 The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima (1954) 183 pages
A2 My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather (1926) 112 pages
A3 A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr (1980) 160 pages


8 British, 5 in-translation, 2 American

Challenge #2 - Second Place or Worse

New School
☑ 1 Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (1935) 302 pages, June 12, 2024 3*
☑ 2 The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951) March 27, 2024 5*

Old School
1

Short Story/Novella
☑ 1 The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges (1941) Jan 16, 2024 4*
☑ 2 "The Doom of the Griffiths" by Elizabeth Gaskell (reread) March 2, 2024

Quarterly Long Read
1


.

Challenge #3 - ☑ Decade, ☑ Century

This is one of my favorite Challenges. I always start with a Decade Challenge of Science Fiction Short Stories (and novellas). Often by the end of the year I will have a Century Challenge as well.


Decade Challenge Short Stories by Hugo Awards Long-list Authors

☑ 1950 The City by Ray Bradbury October 19, 2024 5*
☑ 1951 Inside Earth by Poul Anderson October 29, 2024 5* - reread
☑ 1952 Surface Tension by James Blish November 19, 2024, 3*
☑ 1953 The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick September 2, 2024 4*
☑ 1954 The Midas Plague by Frederik Pohl July 6, 2024 4*
☑ 1955 The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith Jan 23, 2024 4*
☑ 1956 Exploration Team by Murray Leinster April 26, 2024 3*
☑ 1957 Omnilingual by H. Beam Piper September 9, 2024 4*
☑ 1958 The Big Front Yard by Clifford D. Simak April 17, 2024 4*
☑ 1959 The Man Who Lost the Sea by Theodore Sturgeon May 9, 2024 4*


Century Challenge of Short Stories and Novellas

☑ 1905 The Problem Of Cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle June 12, 2024 5*
☑ 1910 The Eyes by Edith Wharton August 10, 2024 3*
☑ 1924 A Little Woman by Franz Kafka September 18, 2024 4*
☑ 1938 Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. May 4, 2024 4*
☑ 1948 In Hiding by Wilmar H. Shiras April 24, 2024 4*
☑ 1958 The Burning of the Brain by Cordwainer Smith Jan 27, 2024 4*
☑ 1964 The Dead Lady of Clown Town by Cordwainer Smith September 4, 2024 5*
☑ 1971 The Queen of Air and Darkness and Other Stories Title Story by Poul Anderson October 21, 2024 4*
☑ 1985 "Snow" by John Crowley June 2 , 2024 4*
☑ 1994 Death do us part by Robert Silverberg October 6, 2024 4*

Challenge #4 - Members Choice Challenge Choose one book per category/genre for a total of 12 books. - Completed

☑ 1. 19th Century, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) 528 pages Mar 16, 2024 5*
☑ 2. 20th Century, The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951) March 27, 2024 5*
☑ 3. 21st Century, Spring Garden by Tomoka Shibasaki (2017) winner of the Akutagawa Prize
☑ 4. A book originally written in a language other than your own, The Gentle Spirit by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1876) Feb 25, 2024 2*
☑ 5. An Author not read before, The City At Worlds End by Edmond Hamilton Jan 28, 2024 4*
☑ 6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours. The King Must Die by Mary Renault (1958) October 11, 2024 4*
☑ 7. Science Fiction/Fantasy, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*
☑ 8. Action/Adventure, My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (1959) March 10, 2024 5*
☑ 9. Childrens/Young Adult, Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight (1940) Feb. 4, 2024 5*
☑ 10. Nonfiction, Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book by Betty Crocker (1950) October 21, 2024 5*
☑ 11. Mystery/Thriller, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939) May 9, 2024 3*
☑ 12. Horror Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. (1938) May 4, 2024 4*


This is my planning list from Dec 2023:

1. 19th Century, Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde (1892) 84 pages
2. 20th Century, My Mortal Enemy by Willa Cather (1926) 112 pages
3. 21st Century, The Siege by Helen Dunmore (2001) 304 pages.
4. A book originally written in a language other than your own, (Latin) The Praise of Folly by Erasmus (1511) 109 pages
5. An Author not read before, A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr (1980) 160 pages
6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours. The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima (1954) 183 pages
7. Science Fiction/Fantasy, The Lives of Dax edited by Marco Palmieri (1999) 400 pages
8. Action/Adventure,
9. Childrens/Young Adult,
10. Nonfiction, Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (1937) 401 pages
11. Mystery/Thriller, Death of a Cad byM.C. Beaton (1987) 214 pages.
12. Horror or Humor, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson (1938) 234 pages

☑ Challenge #5 - Short Story Challenge - completed
Read 24 short stories. This equates to only two per month for the year. Read them all at once or spread them out, it's up to you.

This is another Challenge I love. Some years I set a theme, but since I have Science Fiction short stories planned elsewhere, I will just let the stories happen as they may.


☑ 1. The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges (1941) Jan 16, 2024 4*
☑ 2 Winter's King by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan. 20, 2024 5*
☑ 3 The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal by Cordwainer Smith (1964) Jan 27, 2024 4*
☑ 4 The Gentle Spirit by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1876) Feb 25, 2024 2*
☑ 5 The Christmas Tree and the Wedding by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1848) Feb 25, 2024 4*
☑ 6. The Doom of the Griffiths by Elizabeth Gaskell (1858) this is a reread 5*
☑ 7 The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens (1866) May 31, 2024 4*
☑ 8 I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen (1961) June 11, 2024 4*
☑ 9 The Beauties by Anton Chekhov (1888) June 20, 2024 4*
☑ 10 "The Overcoat" by Nikolai Gogol (1842) reread June 29, 2024
☑ 11 The Four Fists by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1920) July 16, 2024 4*

☑ Stories from Bliss & Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield (1920) - July 2024
12 "Prelude"
13 "Je ne Parle Pas Francais"

☑ Stories from Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges (1941-1956) - July 2024
14 "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius"
15 "The Secret Miracle"
16 "The Three Versions of Judas"
17 "The Sect of the Phoenix"
18 "The Immortal"

☑ Stories from Dubliners by James Joyce (1914)
19 "The Sisters" July 30, 2024 3*
20 "Two Gallants" July 30, 2024 4*

☑ 21 Sarrasine by Honoré de Balzac(1830) August 31, 2024 4*
☑ 22 Two Friends by Guy de Maupassant (1883) August 31, 2024 5*

☑ 23 A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka (1922) September 4, 2024 3*
☑ 24 With the Night Mail: A Story of 2000 A.D. by Rudyard Kipling (1909) September 25, 2024 3*

extras
☑ 25 What the Shepherd Saw by Thomas Hardy (1898) October 18, 2024 3*
☑ 26 The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (1886) Oct 26, 2024 5* reread.
☑ 27 Big Two-Hearted River by Ernest Hemingway (1925) November 8, 2024 4*
☑ 28 Universe by Robert A. Heinlein (1941) November 9, 2024 4*
☑ 29 Christmas at Thompson Hall: A Mid-Victorian Christmas Tale by Anthony Trollope (1861) November 9, 2024 3*
☑ 30 The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe (1842) December 10, 2024 3*
☑ 31 Father Giles of Ballymoy by Anthony Trollope (1867) December 27, 2024 3*

☑ Challenge 6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads Challenge - completed October 11, 2024

The challenge is to read 12 total books from this year's group poll winners or Buddy Reads, in any combination. Your reads can be from the upcoming 53 poll winners, or from the 2023 Buddy Reads thread. Between New School, Old School, Short Story/Novella, Revisit the Shelf, Quarterly Long Read, and Buddy Reads there should be plenty of choices.

1 The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges (1941) Jan 16, 2024 4*
2 The Gentle Spirit by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1876) Feb 25, 2024 2*
3 And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939) May 9, 2024 3*
4 The Beauties by Anton Chekhov (1888) June 20, 2024 4*
5 Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1811) June 23,2024 4*
6 The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol (1842) June 29, 2024 5*
7 "The Immortal" from Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges July 24, 2024 3*
8 The Eyes by Edith Wharton (1910) August 10, 2024 3*
9 A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka (1922) September 4, 2024 3*
10 Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1960) September 14, 2024 5*
11 Behind a Mask; or, a Woman's Power: The 1866 Literary Novella Classic by Louisa May Alcott (1866) 117 pages September 28, 2024 4*
12 The King Must Die by Mary Renault (1958) October 11, 2024 4*
13 What the Shepherd Saw by Thomas Hardy (1898) October 18, 2024 3*
14 The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (1886) Oct 26, 2024 5* reread.
15 Big Two-Hearted River by Ernest Hemingway (1925) November 8, 2024 4*
16 Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1864) November 23, 2024 4*
17 Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1899) December 4, 2024 5*
18 Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe (1842) December 10, 2024 3*


Extra Group Books from Previous Years.
1. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*
2 The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) 528 pages, Mar 16, 2024, 5*
3 Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (1935), 302 pages June 12, 2024 3*
4 Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (1934) October 31, 2024 4*
5 Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde (1892) December 20, 2024 5*

☑ Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors completed March 7, 2024

Seek out at least six (6) authors that you have never previously read, from any genre or era you want.
☑ 1 Mama, I'll Give You the World by Roni Schotter (2006) Jan 24, 2024 4*
☑ 2 The City At Worlds End by Edmond Hamilton (1951) Jan 28, 2024 4*
☑ 3 Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight (1940) Feb 4, 2024 5*
☑ 4 LaRue for Mayor: Letters from the Campaign Trail by Mark Teague (2008) 32 pages
☑ 5 The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951) March 27, 2024 5*
☑ 6 How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning by Rosalyn Schanzer (2002) March 7, 2024
☑ 7 The Building of the Ship. by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1869) March 30, 2024 4*
☑ 8 In Hiding by Wilmar H. Shiras (1948) April 24, 2024 4*
☑ 9 I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen (1961) 4* June 11, 2024
☑ 10 The Problem Of Cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle (1905) June 12, 2024 5*
☑ 11 Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers (1923) September 13, 2024, 4*
☑ 12 The King Must Die by Mary Renault (1958) October 11, 2024 4*
☑ 13 Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (1934) October 31, 2024 4*
☑ 14 Christmas at Thompson Hall: A Mid-Victorian Christmas Tale by Anthony Trollope (1861) November 9, 2024 3*
☑ 15 Spring Garden by Tomoka Shibasaki (2017) winner of the Akutagawa Prize 4*

☑ Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories - completed September 25, 2024

Category - Mystery
Old School The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) 528 pages, Mar 16, 2024, 5*
New School Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (1935), 302 pages, June 12, 2024 3*

Category - Finding Romance
Old School Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1811) June 23,2024 4*
New School Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart (1997) July 16, 2024 5*

Category - Horror Stories
Old School The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens (1866) May 31, 2024 4*
New School Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. (1938) May 4, 2023 4*

Category - War Stories
Old School Two Friends by Guy de Maupassant (1883) August 31, 2024 5*
New School Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1960) September 14, 2024 5*

Category - Science Fiction
Old School With the Night Mail: A Story of 2000 A.D. by Rudyard Kipling (1909) September 25, 2024 3*
New School The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951) March 27, 2024 5*

Category - Literary Fiction (These both had 3rd Person narrators.)
Old School - Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1864) November 23, 2024 4*
New School - A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka (1922) 9/4/2024 3* (reread)

Category - Modernist Literature (These had first person narrators and were influenced by stream of consciousness writers.)
Old School - Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1899) 198 pages December 4, 2024 5*
New School - Big Two-Hearted River by Ernest Hemingway (1925) November 8, 2024 4*

Challenge #12 - Series Books – Start, Continue, Complete

My goal/accomplishment this year.
I read two books from the My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

☑ 1. My Side of the Mountain Mar 9, 2024 5*
☑ 2. On the Far Side of the Mountain Mar 11.2024 5*


I plan to read three more books from the Haimish MacBeth Series.

1 Death of a Cad byM.C. Beaton (1987) 214 pages.
2 Death of an Outsider by M.C. Beaton (1988) 194 pages
3 Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton (1989) 175 pages

Challenge #13 - Travel the World One Continent at a Time completed

Select a book or an author from each of the seven world continents, Antarctica is optional
☑ North America The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*
☑ South America "The Immortal" from Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges July 24, 2024 3*
☑ Africa Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1899) 198 pages December 4, 2024 5*
☑ Europe The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) 528 pages, Mar 16, 2024, 5*
☑ Asia Spring Garden by Tomoka Shibasaki (2017) winner of the Akutagawa Prize 4*
☑ Australia (Technically New Zealand so Australasia) "Prelude" from Bliss & Other Stories by Katherine Mansfield (1920)
☑ Antarctica Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. (1938) May 4, 2024 4*

☑ Challenge 14 - Rereading - Some do. Some don't. Completed June 29, 2024

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 reread this again. Let us know the titles of five books you found worthy of rereading. This year’s challenge is, reread two of your selections.

1. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*
2. "The Doom of the Griffiths" by Elizabeth Gaskell March 2. 2024
3. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (1959) March 10, 2024 5*
4. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen June 23,2024 4*
5 The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol June 29, 2024 5*
6. A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka September 4, 2024 3*
7. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (1960) September 14, 2024 5*
8. The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (1886) Oct 26, 2024 5* reread.
9. Inside Earth by Poul Anderson (1951) October 29, 2024 5* - reread

☑ Challenge #15 - A-Z Title Challenge - completed November 23, 2024

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 23 letters. There are 4 optional letters marked with an (*), you only need to use one.

A And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1939) May 9, 2024 3*
B The Beauties by Anton Chekhov (1888) June 20, 2024 4*
C The City At Worlds End by Edmond Hamilton (1951) Jan 28, 2024 4*
D The Doom of the Griffiths by Elizabeth Gaskell (1858) Mar 2, 2024 5*
E Exploration Team by Murray Leinster (1956) April 26, 2024 3*
F The Four Fists by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1920) July 16, 2024 4*
G The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges (1941) Jan 16, 2024 4*
H A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka (1922) 9/4/2024 3*
I In Hiding by Wilmar H. Shiras (1948) April 24, 2024 4*
J Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (1935), 302 pages 3*
K The King Must Die by Mary Renault (1958) October 11, 2024 4*
L The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*
M The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (1868) 528 pages, Mar 16, 2024, 5*
N Notes from the Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1864) November 23, 2024 4*
O On the Far Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (1990) Mar 11, 2024 5*
P The Problem Of Cell 13 by Jacques Futrelle (1905) June 12, 2024 5*
*Q The Queen of Air and Darkness and Other Stories - Title Story by Poul Anderson (1971) October 21, 2024 4
R Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart (1997) 264 pages 5* July 16, 2024
S Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen June 23,2024 4*
T Two Friends by Guy de Maupassant (1883) August 31, 2024 5*
U Universe by Robert A. Heinlein (1941) November 9, 2024 4*
V The Variable Man by Philip K. Dick (1953) September 2, 2024 4*
W Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. (1938) May 4, 2024 4*
*X
*Y
*Z

..
Challenge #16 - 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 23 letters. There are 4 optional letters marked with an (*), you only need to use one.

A Jane Austen
B Jorge Luis Borges
C Wilkie Collins
D Fyodor Dostoevsky
E
F Jacques Futrelle
G Elizabeth Gaskell
H Edmond Hamilton
I
J
K Eric Knight
L Murray Leinster
M Katherine Mansfield
N
O Tillie Olsen
P Frederik Pohl
Q
R Mary Renault
S Cordwainer Smith
T Leo Tolstoy
U Ursula K. Le Guin
V Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
W John Wyndham
*X
*Y
*Z

You have some great books on your focus list! I think they will be 12 you will be happy you got to.

What a varied selection! All the best for the challenges, Lynn.

You have a lot figured out already! I've read 4 of your chosen 12, and they were all worth reading. Enjoy!

I love your idea of 12 Books for the Year! I may just use that.

Thanks everyone.

I like your idea too!! Have a great year of reading!

Love your focus on the 12 books, Lynn. Great idea, and I just know you'll be successful. Enjoy!

I love looking at your plans, Lynn. And as a teacher I know you are good at planning! I'm interested in several of your books and look forward to some recommendations. Happy reading in 2024! :)

I love the idea of books to focus. I thoroughly loved Lady Windemere's fan, Miss Pettigrew, and Tenant of Wildfell Hall. The Moonstone was good but didn't live up to the hype.

Happy Reading, Lynn!

I have made a small change. As we get close to Jan. 1, and I look at the possible winning group reads, I have dropped from 12 books to focus on to 10 books. It seems more realistic.

From your focus books I can speak to three, The Moonstone, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Jamaica Inn are all good reading. I enjoyed them all. Your plan for a century of science fiction is a great idea. I have neglected my science fiction reading and have planned several for this year. I hope you have a wonderful year. Happy reading.

Bob wrote: "From your focus books I can speak to three, The Moonstone, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Jamaica Inn are all good reading. I enjoyed them all. Your plan for a century of science fiction is a gre..."

Thanks Bob. Well I have finished the first story of the year. I read The Garden of Forking Paths by Jorge Luis Borges. It was one of the unread selections in one of my old college literature books. I liked it. I gave it 4*. This is a good start to another good year.

Well done getting a start, Lynn! I myself am having a very slow start to reading this year...

Wobbley wrote: "Well done getting a start, Lynn! I myself am having a very slow start to reading this year..."

Thanks Wobbley. I am reading longer books, so my current book The Left Hand of Darkness will just take as long as it takes. This year there may be fewer books, but that's ok.

I read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*

This is a reread for me, but it's still a 5*. I really like her writing.

Challenges:
#4 Member's Choice Science Fiction
#`13 Travel the World North American author
#15-16 A-Z Title and Author

Personal Challenge to read 12 books from the Group Bookshelf from previous years.

Lynn wrote: "I read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*

This is a reread for me, but it's still a 5*. I really like her writing.

Challenges:
#4 M..."

Congratulations, Lynn! I need to get to Ursula K. Le Guin. Sci-fi just isn't my go to but I often end up liking it.

I love your 10 book focus list. The Moonstone, Hamlet, The Tenant o Wildfell Hall and Lady Windermere's Fan were all 5 star reads for me and Miss Pettigrew was 4.5 or so. I hope you love them too!

Thanks Sue

I haven't read much by Le Guin, but have enjoyed her writing.

Lynn wrote: "I read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*

This is a reread for me, but it's still a 5*. I really like her writing.

Challenges:
#4 M..."

I'm glad you enjoyed this one, Lynn! It was my first read by Le Guin and I thought it was so interesting -- especially their reproduction system! Wow! Very different :)
The only other one I have read by her is A Wizard of Earthsea, which is completely different. I want to read more, though. I'll see what you read, because not too many others read much science fiction, and I know you enjoy it. Point me to something good! :)
Happy Reading!

Thanks everyone. I wrote a bit more on the Bingo thread about The Left Hand of Darkness.

I have a kindle book with all the shorter works in the Hainish Cycle. Each short story has a little introduction to it by Le Guin. She states that she wrote a short story that turned into the novel The Left Hand of Darkness. The short story is Winter's King. I just read that one. I gave it 5* because I was familiar with the monarchy and the Ekumen delegation from the novel. On its own I might give it 4*. It is super interesting for those who have read the novel. I know it would have been really confusing to me otherwise.

Glad you are off to such a good start with 2024, Lynn!

Terris wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*

This is a reread for me, but it's still a 5*. I really like her writing.

Cha..."

The Le Guin short story collection is The Wind's Twelve Quarters

Thanks Terris. If you like short stories here are a few:

1. Call Me Joe by Poul Anderson. I would start with this one. Wow

2. To See the Invisible Man by Robert Silverberg

3. anything by Clifford Simak

4. The Martian Way by Isaac Asimov

5. "First Contact" by Murray Leinster

There are some great Science Fiction anthologies:
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume II B
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume II A
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume III: The Nebula Winners
Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Twentieth Century

Plus my favorite website manybooks.net has a couple of hundred pdfs to download in the Science Fiction section.

Lynn wrote: "Terris wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I read The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) Jan 20, 2024 5*

This is a reread for me, but it's still a 5*. I really like he..."

Thanks so much, Lynn! I'll keep this list to read from!
I have Simak's Way Station and Clarke's Childhood's End on my Old/New Challenge. I'm looking forward to those. And now I have many more to look into and add to my list! Thanks again :)

I've liked whatever I've read of Le Guin so far. Good work, Lynn!

Good luck on your challenge Lynn, you have many good books on your list.

Thanks Ila and Rora.

January has been all about Science Fiction. There were two novels and five short stories. Authors read were Edmond Hamilton a new to me author, plus Cordwainer Smith and Ursula K. Le Guin two authors I really enjoy. I also read a story by Jorge Luis Borges.

It was nice to be snowed in for a week and a half!

I have begun The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. I really enjoy the chatty narrator in the second section.

Lynn wrote: "January has been all about Science Fiction. There were two novels and five short stories. Authors read were Edmond Hamilton a new to me author, plus Cordwainer Smith a..."

Congratulations on completing so many in January, Lynn. The snowstorms a nd below zero temps gave me more time for reading also.

The Moonstone is such a fun book!

Sounds like a great month of reading! I'm planning to join the Moonstone buddy read too, and I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it so much.

It has been a good month for reading. I thought Moonstone was a great little mystery. I hope you like it.

Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight (1940) Feb. 4, 2024 5*

I also posted this same review on the Bingo thread. I want everyone to know that I heartily recommend this book.

It's just the best of the best. Every so often I need to return to children's literature. I returned to a heart-warming boy and his dog story. This is the first Lassie novel. I know as a child I saw movies, television series, and read other Lassie stories. This was well worth reading. I wanted to pick up something filled with joy to counteract work stress, and this did the job.

Fantastic! Sounds like this was the right book at the right time for you.

Another for the TBR, thanks!

I think I read this when I was a child, Lynn. Perhaps I will revisit it, since it held up well for you.

I don't think I knew that Lassie was a book and not just a TV series. I've never seen the show although it was still on when I was young, but it sounds like I need to check out the book.

I read The Gentle Spirit by Fyodor Dostoevsky Feb 25, 2024 2* because it was a Group Read. I really do not like hopelessness in writing. This was a very bad choice for me. The only reason gave it 2* instead of 0 or 1 is because the author writes suspense well.