BACK<<<to the CLASSICS discussion

Our final challenge for 2023 is as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. You choose! Is there a book or series that you planned to read this year? Was there a challenge you wanted to complete but ran out of time? December can be busy, but should be fun too. The only requirement for this month is to choose what you want to achieve, tell us about your choice & then read the classic book to meet your challenge.

Short stories can be used. Whatever you choose to read, have fun!

Please do not comment here until after Jazzy has posted her introduction.

Sorry, we usually time this better!

Play it Again, Sam!
December 2023 Challenge
1/12/23-31/12/23
0/0

1

2

3

1 2 3


Curiously the famous quote never had the word 'again' in it, though that's what we think we remember! It was just..."Play it, Sam."

Players:

Jazzy
✅ Kathy
✅ Lynn
✅ Nidhi
✅ Nike
Pam
✅ Rosemarie
✅ Trisha
✅ Vicky
✅ Vit

Thank you once again for a marvellous challenge, Trisha!



Play it Again, Sam!
December 2023 Challenge
1/12/23-31/12/23
0/0

1 Tough Without a Gun: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of Humphrey Bogart (2011) - Stefan Kanfer

2 Notorious: The Life of Ingrid Bergman (1997) - Donald Spoto

3 Bogart: In Search of My Father (1995) - Stephen Humphrey Bogart

Play it Again, Sam!
December 2023 Challenge
1/12/23-31/12/23
5/5
I aim to complete some other challenges, & also finish Our Mutual Friend which I have been struggling to read for ages.

🌺1 The Christmas Banquet, Nathaniel Hawthorne (author initial N)

🌺2 Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens

🌺3 The Roman Hat Mystery, Ellery Queen ( author initial Q)

🌺4 Tales of the Fish Patrol, Jack London ( author initial L)

🌺5 The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, Agatha Christie (Christmas book)

Thanks Jazzy - as always, great photos that bring our challenges to life.

Play it Again, Sam!
December 2023 Challenge
1/12/23-31/12/23
1/1

EDIT: I'm changing my book. My book has smaller print than I thought. I have an audiobook of this one.

✅ 1. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey

Play it again Sam!
December 2023 Challenge
December 1 to December 31

1.Hadji Murád by Leo Tolstoy✅


2. Invisible Links by Selma Lagerlöf✅


3. Rain in the Doorway by Thorne Smith✅

Play it Again, Sam!

December 2023 Challenge

1/12/23 - 31/12/23

1/2

1 The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

2 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald Publ 1922

1 2

Welcome to the challenge Kathy, Rosemarie, and Nike!

Play it Again, Sam!
December 2023 Challenge
1/12/23-31/12/23
3/4

1 Ivan the Fool by Leo Tolstoy 4 stars

2 Endgame by Samuel Beckett4 stars

3 First Love and Other Shorts by Samuel Beckett3 stars

4

1 2 3 4

Jazzy wrote: "Welcome to the challenge Kathy, Rosemarie, and Nike!

"

Thank you Jazzy, as always you spoil us with wonderful photos. And this time with the Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman ❤️

Play it Again, Sam!
I'm going on with the English section of our October/November challenge!
December 2023 Challenge
1/12/23-31/12/23
3/3

1Cider With RosiebyLaurie Lee(1959)✔3/12/23★ ★ ★ ★
2PygmalionbyGeorge Bernard Shaw
✔9/12/23★ ★ ★ ★ ★
3A Christmas CarolbyCharles Dickens(December,1843)
✔1/12/23★ ★ ★ ★ ★

1 2 3

✅Completed9/12/23

So glad you're on board Nidhi and Vicky!

Nike, Ingrid Bergman was a woman of immense class! Being Swedish was a bonus!

Jazzy wrote: "So glad you're on board Nidhi and Vicky!

Nike, Ingrid Bergman was a woman of immense class! Being Swedish was a bonus!

"

😘❤️🌺

Wintertime visits:

Gorky, Maxim – My Childhood

Bove, Emmanuel – Winter’s Journal

This is the perfect challenge for me this year!!

The only requirement for this month is to choose what you want to achieve, tell us about your choice & then read the classic book to meet your challenge.

I have two books that I wanted to read last month, and they have been moved from previous months due to time constraints.

Plans:
1. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870)
2. The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol (1831)
3. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969) - maybe?

Play it Again, Sam!

December 2023 Challenge

1/12/23 - 31/12/23

2/2

1 The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol (1831) December 15, 2024, 4*

2 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870) December 29,2023 5*


1 2

Play it Again, Sam!
December 2023 Challenge
Dec 1-31, 2023
Completed: 0/3

1. The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester (audio)

2. Mercier and Camier by Samuel Beckett

3. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (audio)

Welcome to the challenge Vit, Lynn, and Pam! x

I've already read my three books!

Rosemarie wrote: "I've already read my three books!"

Well done!

Thanks, Trisha!

Play it Again, Sam!
December 2023 Challenge
1/12/23-31/12/23
0/0

1 The Good Earth Trilogy: The Good Earth, Sons, and A House Divided 🙂

2 A Christmas Carol

3 The Magic Mountain

1 2 3

So I just finished but I think I just might have some time to read Benjamin Button as well before New Years Eve 🙂

And I read The Curious Case of Benjamin Button tonight. I must say I preferred the movie this time. The movie with Brad Pitt. Why? Because of the view upon female aging. In the book Benjamin Button shows contempt towards female aging (and yes, it is common in Western culture but wouldn't have to be something connected to a person that is born old) whereas in the movie there is great love between Benjamin Button and his wife.

In this case I really wish it was possible to use a half star for rating. I want to give it 3,5 stars and I've given it four stars instead but think I'll give it three stars. What do you think? Has anyone here read it?

December’s Octagon:

***** My Childhood by Maxim Gorky
***** A Winter’s Journal by Emmanuel Bove
***** My Apprenticeship by Maxim Gorky
***** The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann
***** A Godforsaken Hole by Yevgeny Zamyatin
***** Odile by Raymond Queneau
****   My Universities by Maxim Gorky
***** The Robber by Robert Walser

Nike, the star rating is up to you. I haven’t read the book, so can’t advise except to say that mathematicians usually round 3.5 up to 4 rather than rounding down. But if you think 4* is too generous for this book that’s fine too!

I just completed my challenge of 5 books for this group, which helped finish some other challenges too.

Good luck to those rushing to complete challenges before midnight! Enjoy your celebrations at midnight, whenever that is in your country. I wish everyone here a very happy New Year.

Way to go Trisha and Vit!

Tr1sha wrote: "Nike, the star rating is up to you. I haven’t read the book, so can’t advise except to say that mathematicians usually round 3.5 up to 4 rather than rounding down. But if you think 4* is too genero..."

Oh lol, I was a bit to fast in changing subjects! I wasn't asking advice for how to rate it, I meant to ask what you think about the book?

Sorry I really missed out on this challenge. I got rather poorly in mid-December and have just had some procedures at the hospital (2 today) and they will be putting me on iron tablets. Hopefully I will be feeling better soon.

Congratulations all who did so well!

I do wish you a quick recovery!
Take good care of yourself<3

(⁠✿⁠ ⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠)

I hope you feel better soon, Jazzy! Take care.

Thinking of you, darling Jazzy. I hope you feel better soon.

Don’t worry, Jazzy - your health is important, reading isn’t! Get well soon & ignore reading challenges until you really want to start again.

Thank you everyone BIG HUGS x

Yes, feel better soon Jazzy. I am glad the medical professionals were able to help.