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Kathryn's First Challenge Buffet 2024
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#1 - New & Old TBR Challenge1899 and earlier/Old School
1. The Mayor of Casterbridge
2. Hamlet
3. A Tale of Two Cities
1900-1999/New School
--4. Mrs. Dalloway -- Read 31st Jan
5. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
--6. The Secret History -- Read 5th March My Review
My Six Bookshelf Dust Collectors
--7. North and South -- Read 24th Jan
--8. Wuthering Heights -- Read 26th Sep
--9. Jane Eyre -- Read 28th Aug
--10. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Read 4th Oct
--11. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland -- Read 7th Jan My Review
--12. The Picture of Dorian Gray -- Read 9th April My Review
Alternates
A-1. Tess of the D'Urbervilles
A-2. The Secret Garden
A-3. Good Wives
#5 - Short Story Challenge - COMPLETE 28/11/24-- 1. The Pearl - John Steinbeck -- Read 28th Nov
-- 2. Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse -- Read 20th Jan My Review
-- 3. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry -- Read 25th Mar
-- 4. The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka -- Read 20th Jan
-- 5. Animal Farm - George Orwell - planned for March -- Read 23rd Mar
-- 6. Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote -- Read 2nd Jan
-- 7. Lady Susan - Jane Austen -- Read 25th Jan
-- 8. An Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde -- Read 9th February
-- 9. Collages - Anaïs Nin -- Read 19th Jan My Review
-- 10. Candide - Voltaire -- Read 3rd Nov
-- 11. A Room of One’s Own - Virginia Woolf -- Read 30th April
-- 12. The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde -- Read 9th February
-- 13. 84, Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff -- Read 13th Jan My Review
-- 14. The Witness for the Prosecution - Agatha Christie -- Read 16th October
-- 15. The Postman Always Rings Twice - James M. Cain -- Read 16th October
-- 16. A Room with a View - E.M. Forster -- Read 29th June
-- 17. A Modest Proposal - Jonathan Swift -- Read 2nd Nov
-- 18. At the Mountains of Madness - H.P. Lovecraft -- Read 15th Nov
-- 19. Waiting for Godot - Samuel Beckett -- Read 27th Nov
-- 20. Behind a Mask, Or, a Woman's Power - Louisa May Alcott -- Read 26th Jan
-- 21. Only Dull People Are Brilliant at Breakfast - Oscar Wilde -- Read 24th Mar My Review
-- 22. The Canterville Ghost - Oscar Wilde -- Read 16th Jan My Review
-- 23. The Murders in the Rue Morgue - Edgar Allan Poe -- Read 8th May
-- 24. The Turn of the Screw - Henry James -- Read 18th Apr
#6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads Challenge-- 1. Behind a Mask, Or, a Woman's Power - Louisa May Alcott -- Read 26th Jan
-- 2. Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery -- Read 16th Jan My Review
-- 3. Quicksand - Nella Larsen -- Read 10th Jan My Review
4. In Search of Lost Time, Volume 1: The Way by Swann's - Marcel Proust [in progress]
-- 5. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins -- Read 22nd February
-- 6. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- Read 16th October
-- 7. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck Read 24th February My Review
-- 8. The Meek One by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- Read 28th February My Review
-- 9. Neverwhere -- Read 20th Apr My Review
-- 10. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall -- Read 4th Oct
-- 11. Sophie’s Choice -- Read 30th Sep
-- 12. The Picture of Dorian Grey -- Read 9th Apr
#8 –Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year - COMPLETE 28/11/24Top 10 Books from 1979
1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy *
2. The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
3. Kindred *
4. Flowers in the Attic
5. The Dead Zone
6. The Neverending Story *
7. The Long Walk *
8. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
9. Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
10. Sophie's Choice *
* initial selection
2024 Books Read
1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Read 4th Mar
2. The Neverending Story Read 19th July
3. Kindred Read 29th July
4. Sophie's Choice Read 30th Sep
5. The Long Walk Read 28 Nov
#15 - A-Z Author - COMPLETE 3/11/24This was far more tricky than I expected - who knew that all their favourite authors had surnames with the same letters?!
-- A Louisa May Alcott -- Behind a Mask - January
-- B James Baldwin -- Giovanni's Room - March
-- C Lewis Carroll -- Alice in Wonderland - January
-- D Joan Didion -- Let Me Tell You What I Mean - January
-- E Annie Ernaux -- A Girl's Story - January
-- F E.M. Forster -- A Room With a View - June
-- G Elizabeth Gaskell -- North & South - January
-- H Helene Hanff -- 84 Charing Cross Road - January
-- I Kazuo Ishiguro -- Never Let Me Go - May
-- J Henry James -- The Turn of the Screw - April
-- K Franz Kafka -- The Metamorphosis - January
-- L Nella Larsen -- Quicksand - January
-- M L.M. Montgomery -- Anne of Green Gables - January
-- N Anaïs Nin -- Collages - January
-- O George Orwell -- Animal Farm - March
-- P Sylvia Plath -- The Bell Jar - February
-- R Anne Rice -- Interview With a Vampire - August
-- S John Steinbeck -- Cannery Row - February
-- T Donna Tartt -- The Secret History - March
-- U Arthur W. Upfield -- The Barrakee Mystery - September
-- V Voltaire -- Candide - November
-- W Oscar Wilde -- The Canterville Ghost - January
-- Z Yevgeny Zamyatin -- We - October
#16 - A-Z Title - COMPLETE 16/10/24-- A Alice's Adventures in Wonderland -- Read 7th Jan
-- B Breakfast at Tiffany's -- Read 2nd Jan
-- C The Canterville Ghost -- Read 16th Jan
-- D Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl -- Read 16th Oct
-- E 84, Charing Cross Road -- Read 13th Jan
-- F Frankenstein -- Read 14th Oct
-- G A Girl's Story -- Read 12th Jan
-- H The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Read 4th Mar
-- I An Ideal Husband -- Read 8th Feb
-- J Jane Eyre -- Read 28th Aug
-- K Kindred -- Read 29th July
-- L Let Me Tell You What I Mean -- Read 11th Jan
-- M The Mysterious Affair at Styles -- Read 15th Jan
-- N North and South -- Read 24th Jan
-- O Only Dull People Are Brilliant at Breakfast -- Read 24th Mar
-- P Pride and Prejudice -- 23rd Mar
-- Q Quicksand -- Read 10th Jan
-- R Rebecca -- Read 12th Feb
-- S Siddhartha -- Read 20th Jan
-- T The Turn of the Screw - Read 18th Apr
-- U The Unbearable Lightness of Being - Read 16th Mar
-- V Violeta - Read March 12th
-- W Wuthering Heights - Read 26th Sep
Enjoy your planning -- it looks like you're off to a great start!
Wobbley wrote: "Enjoy your planning -- it looks like you're off to a great start!"Thank you! This has been very fun to put together, but I ended up with far more books than I expected. Not a bad problem to have, though! lol
Wow you are jumping right in, Kathryn! Looks great! Have fun reading!
Wow! Great plan, Kathryn!! Lots of good books! You are going to have a great reading year :)
Mod
Sara wrote: "Great lists, Kathryn. I have read all the books on your Old and New--and not a loser among them!"This is funny, but I have also read all the books on your Old/New Challenge, Kathryn! I agree with Sara -- you have picked some great books. You can trust Sara and me! haha!
Thanks all. I’m “starting from scratch” in 2024, as a newbie to the group. It’s so long since I read many classics so admittedly some are re-reads. I’m very keen on the books in my old and new challenge, so I think those and the short stories will be my initial focus… Feeling good about the lists now. It’s around 80 books between all the challenges I have set, which I think is doable. I do get tempted by other recommendations though, but it’s all part of the fun. We will see! Off to see what others are up to now… 😂
Kathryn wrote: "Wobbley wrote: "Enjoy your planning -- it looks like you're off to a great start!"Thank you! This has been very fun to put together, but I ended up with far more books than I expected. Not a bad problem to have, though! lol"
Oh, this absolutely happens to me too! But sometimes it inspires me to read more than I otherwise would...
Kathryn wrote: "Thanks all. I’m “starting from scratch” in 2024, as a newbie to the group. It’s so long since I read many classics so admittedly some are re-reads. I’m very keen on the books in my old and new chal..."Haha. Adding more books to read is the best feeling. I see you're reading many works by Oscar Wilde, he's always a great choice. Siddhartha and Wuthering Heights are my favorites. I'll be interested in your thoughts about Secret History since I'm reading it as well this year. All the best!
I'm looking forward to following your challenge, Kathryn--you have some wonderful books here! Like Ila, I'll also be reading The Secret History, so we'll have to compare notes. Enjoy!
Mod
You have some great books planned for next year. A Tale of Two Cities and North and South are two of my all-time favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!Last year was my first time doing the challenge. I predict you'll be back for more. lol
Mod
Just updated this thread with my reading to beginning of February. Pretty happy with how things are going, but I should read from my Old and New Challenge and 1979 Challenge this month.January Reads (full list - both classics and contemporary):
* Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Last Devil to Die - Richard Osman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* How Proust Can Save Your Life - Alain de Botton - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Hello Beautiful - Ann Napolitano - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Quicksand - Nella Larsen - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Let Me Tell You What I Mean - Joan Didion - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* A Girl's Story - Annie Ernaux - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* 84 Charing Cross Road - Helene Hanff - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels - India Holton - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Canterbury Ghost - Oscar Wilde - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder - Kerryn Mayne - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Collages - Anais Nin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse - ⭐️⭐️
* The Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Everybody - Olivia Laing - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Intuitive Eating - Evelyn Tribole - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches - Sangu Mandanna - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Lady Susan - Jane Austen - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Behind a Mask - Louisa May Alcott - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Haruki Murakami Manga Stories - Jean-Christophe Deveney - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
25 books - average rating is 3.8, which is less than I expected - it's been a good reading month but thinking I'll slow down a little now - I am aiming for around 15 books per month this year.
Oh my goodness, this is an amazing amount of reading, and so many are 4-star or 5-star reads! I'm hoping to get to North and South soon, so I'm glad to see that you loved that one.
Mod
Wow, that is an amazingly productive reading month. Based on the star ratings, it was a really good month for quality as well.
Great job on your reading challenge Kathryn. 25 books in a month is impressive!
OK! Updated these challenges for February reads and March plans. I found so many of my library holds came through in Feb, which meant I read many more contemporary books and new/pre-releases than expected, and missed some of my Catching Up with Classics! Only a couple of books for my buffet, and nothing on my Bingo board. 🙁Overall, though, another good month of reading, with 29 books and an average rating of 3.9 stars!
My favourites were Rebecca and Cannery Row - so grateful for this group read! I'm struggling to pick one over the other this month!
* A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* How to Solve Your Own Murder - Kristen Perrin - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ +half
* The Starless Sea - Erin Morgenstern - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ +half
* An Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Fury - Alex Michaelides ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Declutter Like a Mother - Allie Casazza - ⭐️⭐️
* Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* In the Dream House - Carmen Maria Machado - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* All Systems Red - Martha Wells - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ +half
* Legends and Lattes - Travis Baldree - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* 4am: Answers to conundrums that keep you up at night - Zara McDonald - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ +half
* Conviction - Frank Chalmers - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Secret Adversary - Agatha Christie - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries - Heather Fawcett - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Modern - Anna Kate Blair - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ +half
* Cannery Row - John Steinbeck - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ +half
* First Lie Wins - Ashley Elston - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Lies to Tell - Marion Todd - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* We're All Neurodiverse - Sonny Jane Wise - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind - Dana K White - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* A Woman is No Man - Etaf Rum - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Out There Screaming: an Anthology of New Black Horror - Jordan Peele (ed) - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Autistic World Domination: how to script your life - Jolene Stockman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* Butcher and Blackbird - Brynne Weaver - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
* The Meek One / The Gentle Spirit - Fyodor Dostoyevsky - ⭐️⭐️
* You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty - Akwaeke Emezi - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quite a list, Kathryn! I'm glad you enjoyed Rebecca--I still have to get to that one.
Wow! What a list, Kathryn! You read many that I have read, but the one I'm interested in is your 3* rating of "The Fury." I kind of felt that way, too. I loved "The Silent Patient" so much, and also enjoyed "The Maidens." But this one did not seem special like the other ones. Did you feel that?
Happy Reading in March. I'll be watching to see what other good ones you read ;)
The biggest problem I had was that there was waaaaay too much telling rather than showing, Terris... It just didn't feel well written, but perhaps I'm being too harsh. I really disliked the way the narrator spoke to the reader, so maybe it was that stylistic choice rather than the writing that bugged me... I don't generally dislike unreliable narrators though... I won't write the author off just yet though - I am hoping to read The Silent Patient this month to compare...
Kathryn wrote: "The biggest problem I had was that there was waaaaay too much telling rather than showing, Terris... It just didn't feel well written, but perhaps I'm being too harsh. I really disliked the way the..."I completely agree with you! I didn't like the way it was written, and I didn't like the narrator at all. Way too much explaining to the reader :/
I am anxious for you to read The Silent Patient and see what you think :)
Mod
Wow, that's a huge amount of reading! I too really enjoyed The Starless Sea, though it went a bit bonkers for my taste by the end :)
Wobbley wrote: "Wow, that's a huge amount of reading! I too really enjoyed The Starless Sea, though it went a bit bonkers for my taste by the end :)"I know! I liked The Starless Sea too, but I could never tell anyone what the story was about! Who knew what was happening and how could you describe it in words?! haha!
But the author certainly drew beautiful pictures in my mind :)
Wow is the word!Lots of stars and a nice variety :O)
I love Rebecca too, and anything by Oscar Wilde. Legends and Lattes is such a comfort read. That’s the reason I just had to bake cinnamon rolls (lol). Emily Wilde was very good but I seem to have an aversion to the fey, so I didn’t enjoy it as much. Have you read Lady Trent? If you liked Emily, then Lady Trent should be even better. The first book is A Natural History of Dragons (my review, if you’re tempted - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
Updated my challenges for March and April so far today. Pretty happy with steady progress (let's not talk about my Bingo tho!)I did get to A Natural History of Dragons, Vero - loved it! Thanks so much for the recommendation - hope to continue the series in May with Serpents. I've also started the Veronica Speedwell series, which seems to be in a similar vein (although, alas, no dragons...) lol.
You're making really great progress -- congrats!
Mod
Woot - updated my challenges, and have completed 3 now. I'm hoping to get #6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads Challenge and#8 - Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year completed by the end of November. I don't think I'll be able to complete Old and New in December, but pretty pleased overall! So grateful for these challenges!
Kathryn wrote: "Woot - updated my challenges, and have completed 3 now."Yay -- well done! And you did the A-Z challenges, which are quite hard!
Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)
Books mentioned in this topic
Notes from Underground (other topics)Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (other topics)
Sophie’s Choice (other topics)
The Turn of the Screw (other topics)
Pride and Prejudice (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Anne Rice (other topics)James Baldwin (other topics)
John Steinbeck (other topics)
Sylvia Plath (other topics)
Wilkie Collins (other topics)
More...
2024 Challenges Selected
#1 - New & Old TBR
#5 - Short Story
#6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads Challenge
#8 - Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year
#15 - A-Z Author
#16 - A-Z Title
2024 Challenges Finished
#5 - Short Story Challenge - 28/11/24
#8 - Most Popular Goodreads Books Listed by Year - 28/11/24
#16 - A-Z Title - 16/10/24
#15 - A-Z Author - 3/11/24