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Cynthia wrote: "Title: The Count of Monte Cristo
Author: Alexandre Dumas
Translator (if applicable): there should be one, but they are not identified.
Year of (initial) Publication: 1844
Number of Pages: 978
Forma..."

I enjoyed that as well! Thanks and welcome to the group.

Angelique wrote: "The Call of the Wild (pub. 1903)/White Fang (pub. 1906) by Jack London. ebook, 282 pages Both great books but I recommend that you read them back to back. Nothing like a story coming full circle."

Logged.

Aaron wrote: "The Diaries of Adam and Eve, by Mark Twain. 1893-1905 this edition collected together in 2001, 128 pages, paperback."

Logged. Sounds like an interesting read.

Steppenwolf, Hermann Hesse, paperback, 256 pgs

The Return of the Native, Thomas Hardy, paperback, 448 pgs

The Red Pony, John Steinbeck, paperback, 128 pgs.

Call It Courage

Winnie-the-PoohI, RobotThe CayI Heard the Owl Call My NameBluebeardFahrenheit 451The Great GatsbyA River Runs Through ItThe Swiss Family RobinsonThe Island of Dr. MoreauEast of EdenCannery RowA Son of the CircusTarzan of the ApesThe Autobiography of Malcolm X

All were paperback, except for Great Gatsby & Swiss Family Robinson, which were ereaders

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, 1958. 209 pages, print.

I read this back in twelfth grade and all I can remember from that reading was (1) the main character (Okonkwo) is a d&*k and (2) people eat lots and lots of yams. Upon second reading, these two point still hold up. I think the clash of cultures was probably the most interesting part of the book and it certainly challenges the reader to define civilization and barbarism.

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The Beast in the Cave by H.P. Lovecraft. 5 pages book written 1905 first published 1918

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien. Book, 322 pages published 1954.

The Alchemist by H.P. Lovecraft. 8 pages, written 1908 published in 1916.

Space Viking by H. Beam Piper, 1963, 165 pages, e-book.
Great old school SF!

Just finished The Stand. Never a disappointment when it comes to Stephen King! First book read upon arrival back Stateside. The Complete and Uncut Version, 2001 Edition, 1153 Pages. Was very interesting reading it at the beginning of flu season ;)

The Purple Cloud, M.P. Shiel, published 1911, 202 pages, ebook.

Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber. Originally published 1943, published 1991, book, 224 pages.

A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M Miller, Jr. ,1959, 338 pages, paperback.

I have a bunch of books to catch up from my recent travels.

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, 1898. ~100 pages (it was abridged and on CD). Audiobook.

Always a good book.

Fuzzy Sapiens by H. Beam Piper, 1964, 240 pages, Ereader/Text-to-Speech.

Having read the first book earlier, I had expectations of what this might be and I was pleasantly surprised that the author turned all those expectations, especially those about good and evil, on its head.

The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, 1957, 220 pages, Ereader/Text-to-Speech.

I really enjoyed John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids. This book which is the basis for "the Village of the Damned" is no disappointment. It takes a much more subtle and nuanced approach to the threat of the world. There aren't any strong women characters in this one.

The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham, 1953, 240 pages, Ereader/Text-to-Speech.

This book had quite a few interesting ideas, but took a little too long in explaining them. I was however impressed at the character of Phyllis which was much stronger than the women characters in the Midwich Cuckoos.

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin, 1971, 176 pages, Ereader/text-to-speech.

This was a book that deals with the question, what can go wrong if you play God. It was a good read.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons, 1989, 482 pages, Ereader/Text-to-speech.

This is a more recent book, but has won quite a few awards and is considered highly as a sci-fi book. It follows the pattern of the Canterbury Tales, with many different stories that reveal more about the world. Unfortunately, I can't say that all the stories really caught my interest.

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I am not sure if the following book is considered a classic. It is a sequel to Little Fuzzy and Fuzzy Sapiens, written in the 80s, but it doesn't the critical acclaim of Hyperion. Feel free to include or not include it as necessary.

Fuzzies and Other People by H. Beam Piper, 1984, 216 pages. Ereader/Text-to-speech.

This wraps up the events of the first two books.

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I have recently read one good book "Krieg der Welten", that is the German translation of "The War of the Worlds". . About 150 pages, this was a book with two titles, but I read only this one.

I just logged all of the books above--too many to report individually. Thanks for all your effort and keep them coming. We have about 20 days left.

Title: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Author: Jules Verne
Year of (initial) Publication: 1870
Number of Sound Discs: 10 (11.5 hrs)
Format: Audiobook

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, 1960, 323 pages, print.

And so continues my ad hoc mission to re-read required books from my high school days. It's fairly trendy to slag the books you had to read in high school, but for some reason many/most seem to grant an exception to this book. I can see a number of reasons for this. The protagonist is easy to relate to, especially for female readers. The foreshadowing of changes in the race relations (both from the time the book was written, during the early civil rights period, but also early signs of changing attitudes among children in the 1930's) is something we can all nod our heads to in the age of Obama. And of course some feisty courtroom drama and outright action scenes near the end don't hurt. I noticed the n-word gets tossed around quite a bit in the book, but it never seems to get the same scrutiny that Huck Finn gets when it comes to book challenges. Perhaps it owes something to context. All this said, I'm glad I gave this one a second read and I would encourage others to do the same, especially if they didn't see what the big deal was when they read it the first time.

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I just found this group yesterday. Looks like from your definition of a classic that more that 1/4 of the books I've read in 2013 qualify. I'm currently reading Nicholas Nickleby, but not sure I will finish by the end of the year. I read several books at once and at least one is a classic at all times. If you would like to count any of them, I can log them. Otherwise, I will start from today. I love the goal you have of encouraging young (& young at heart) to read classic literature.

Martha,
The challenge is for the whole year, so feel free to post any that you read that are applicable. Welcome to the group.

Thanks, John.

January 2013 -
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, 1939, 468 pages, ereader
Read this one first in high school and loved it. Decided a reread was long overdue. Steinbeck is a favorite author.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937, 306 pages, print
At the urging of my sons, I read this years ago and hated it. Then when all the hype began last year with the movies coming out, I decided to reread it. I loved it! This is perfect example of how a book can be affected by where I am in life.

February -
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, 1968, 244 pages, print
Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies and I watch it every few years. I had always wanted to read the book. Not my typical genre, but a good story is a good story no matter what the genre.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1855, 521 pages, ereader
This is one of my top 5 favorites! Love Gaskell and am on a quest to read all of her work, but this was a reread.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, 1908, 320 pages, ereader
Anne (with an 'e') is so much fun. I have the rest of the series and will continue at some point.

March -
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin, 1967, 245 pages, ereader
Another reread. So creepy! Love it!

The Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore, 1988, 336 pages, print
I didn't like fantasy. Never wanted to read it ... ever! My sons kept at me until I read the Dark Elf Trilogy maybe 15-20 years ago. I couldn't put it down. In looking for another Salvatore to read, imagine my surprise when I learned that the book he had written first was the 4th in the series. So I am now continuing through the series. I would keep the books, but my middle son is also reading them so when I finish one I give it to him.

North and South by John Jakes, 1982, 812 pages, audio
This will forever by my N&S year. When discussing N&S for a group read in January some thought we meant this one by Jakes so we ended up reading both. I'm now listening to Love & War, the 2nd in the trilogy, but it's taking me forever since I retired. I'm trying to get used to listening while I clean, etc.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, 1948, 352 pages, print
A fun book and one that I will probably reread.

This is about a 1/3 of them so I'll stop here for now.

BTW, please note any you don't consider classics,

April -
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1911, 331 pages, ereader
Loved this book. A great classic.

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, 1950, 359 pages, print
Another favorite author. Read On the Beach in high school, but had never read anything else by him.

May -
A Moveable Feast: The Restored Edition by Ernest Hemingway, 1964, 236 pages, print
I read The Paris Wife earlier this year so I wanted to read his perspective on that time in Paris. I will read more Hemingway.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, 1920, 294 pages, ereader
I started out rereading all the Miss Marple books, but have ventured into the Poirot. This one introduces him.

July -
The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie, 1923, 232 pages, print
Another Poirot.

Streams of Silver by R.A. Salvatore, 1989, 342 pages, print
5th of the Drizzt (the Dark Elf) books. I will understand if you don't consider them classics.

August -
The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier, 1969, 312 pages, print
Another favorite author. I try to read at least one of hers every year. This was not her best.

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, 1857, 985 pages, ereader
I really didn't like this one. This was my 2nd attempt to read it and I was determined to finish. I do love Dickens (Bleak House is in my top 5 favorites), but it will be a long time, if ever, before I read this again.

The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins, 1878, 228 pages, ereader
Collins is my favorite Victorian author with Gaskell a close 2nd.

One more post after this and I will be up to date.

This post will bring me up to date. I am reading A Christmas Carol, but that will probably be the only other classic for the year.

October -
Laura by Vera Caspary
1942, 200 pages, print

QB VII by Leon Uris
1970, 432 pages, print

Dragonwyck by Anya Seton
1944, 342 pages, print

Mrs. Mike by Benedict Freedman
1947, 320 pages, ereader

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
1920, 265 pages, print

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
1962, 202 pages, print

The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
1926, 288 pages, print

Arabella by Georgette Heyer
1949, 280 pages, ereader

Classics I finished this year:

1) O'Pioneers, by Willa Cather (Read in Jan., 176 pages)
2) The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot (Read in Feb., 579 pages)
3) Wives & Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell (Read in Feb., 440 pages)
4) Rebecca, by Daphne de Maurier (Read in March, 441 pages)
5) The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Bronte (Read in March)
6) A Tale of Two Cites, by Charles Dickens (Read in March, 352 pages)
7) The Waves, by Virginia Woolf (Read in June, 297 pages)
8) The Sword in the Stone, by T.H. White (Read in July, 352 pages)
9) Pudd'nhead Wilson, by Mark Twain (Read in September, 160 pages)
10) Benito Cereno, by Herman Melville (Read in October, 86 pages)
11) This Side of Paradise, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Read in October, 288 pages)
12) Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Read in November and December, 438 pages)
13) The Country of Pointed Furs, by Sarah Orne Jewett (Read in December, 139 pages)

My favorite classics I read this year are O'Pioneers (heart-wrenching and beautiful), The Mill on the Floss (the best one by far!), The Waves (gorgeous prose, brilliant), Pudd'nhead Wilson (important statement on slavery, but also highly entertaining), and The Country of Pointed Furs (stunningly beautiful portrayal of a small coastal town in Maine).

Stowaway To Mars by John Wyndham, 1933, 189 pages, Ereader/TTS.

Over the past year I have become a fan of John Wyndham's books. This was not one of his better ones. It seemed to have tried to hard to copy the style of Burroughs with alpha/viking males and rampant sexism.

The Norby Chronicles(books 1-2) by Isaac Asimov, Janet Asimov, 1986, 185 pages, Ereader/TTS/Paperback.

This contained two reasonably enjoyable tales for a young audience. Written primarily by Janet Asimov, it lacked some of the depth of Isaac Asimov's solo works, but contained a bit more humor. Fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, or Piers Anthony might enjoy reading it to their kids.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken, 1962, 192 pages, Ereader/TTS.

This was a decent children's book set on an English estate similar to A Secret Garden, but written more simply. The beginning of the book built up some foreboding that was thoroughly lacking in the neatly packaged last half.

The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde, 1887, 38 pages, Ereader/TTS.

I needed a quick book to listen to while working on my wife's Christmas present this fit the bill. The American/British juxtaposition was interesting.

The Colors of Space by Marion Zimmer Bradley, 1963, 141 pages, Ereader/TTS.

This was an excellent science fiction book for a younger audience. If they would let me, I would definitely either read or recommend this book to my kids as they got older. It is a classic tale of someone caught up in circumstances and I quite enjoyed the ending, without giving anything away.

I read several short stories by John Wyndhamcontained within the Best of John Wyndham books. The clever ideas seem to reveal themselves in the last few paragraphs of the short stories, some worked some didn't.

- The Emptiness of Space (1960), 23 pages.
This was my favorite. What happens when you are placed in cold storage for too long?

- The Man from Beyond (1934), 49 pages.
What happens when you get trapped in time?

- Adaptation (1949) 25 pages.
This was ok, but I wasn't blown away by it.

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Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, 1902, Hardcover, 110 pages.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
1843, 122 pages, paperback

All of that books I read on German this year, but I wrote the english titles down here.

Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa Paperback, 391 pages
Published 1990 by Suhrkamp

The Devil in France: My Encounter with Him in the Summer of 1940 by Lion Feuchtwanger
Hardcover, 274 pages
Published 1954 by Greifenverlag zu Rudolstadt

In My Father's Court by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Paperback, 349 pages
Published October 1st 2002 by Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag

Memories of Happy Days by Julien Green
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published August 20th 2008 by Carl Hanser Verlag

And those two on Russian

The Sebastopol Sketches by Leo Tolstoy
E-book 192 pages

The House on the Embankment
E-book 153 pages
Yuri Trifonow

I just joined this group, and as the year is almost at an end I will list all the Classics I've read this year.

- Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. Original publication: 1862. Penguin Classics edition, published: 2012. Translated by: Norman Denny. 1231 pages; print.
I've seen the play and the movie, but reading the book inspired a new passion for the French Revolution period of history. It's been a goal since finishing this book to learn as much as I can about this time period so as to better understand some of the references.

- The Count of Monte Cristo

-Wuthering Heights

- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Original publication: 1847. Audiobook.

I wanted to help you with your totals. I taught To Kill a Mockingbird and Anthem this year to 129 9th grade Accelerated and Honors students.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, 384 pages, 1960, print

Anthem, Ayn Rand, 128 pages, 1946, print

I also read:
Persuasion, Jane Austen, 288 pages, 1818, ebook
Breakfast at Tiffany's, Truman Capote, 179 pages, 1958, ebook
Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen, 251 pages, 1817, print
The Theban Plays: King Oedipus, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone, Sophocles, E.F. Watling translator, 176 pages, 1950, print

You guys have been logging like crazy. We're now up to 639 books and 178,000 pages. Keep it up--4 days to go.

ONE DAY TO GO! MAKE SURE TO LOG ANY ADDITIONAL BOOKS BY THE END OF THE DAY ON JANUARY 1ST. According to Scott, we are at 649 books right now!

Here are a few more for me.

My daughter and I finally finished the last of The Borrowers Books:

The Borrowers Avenged by Mary Norton, 1982, 312 pages, Hardcover.

A satisfying ending to a great series for children. Highly recommend the series for anyone with children.

The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1916, 108 pages, Ereader/TTS.

This was very standard Burroughs work, not much else to say.

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, 1872, 273 pages pages, ereader/TTS.

This was better than I expected. The ethereal grandmother was an excellent character with interesting insights into the human condition that still seem relevant today. The princess and Curdie were both strong and well developed characters.

The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald, 1883, 177 pages, Ereader/TTS.

Despite the title, the princess is barely in this. There are some great insights from the grandmother and Curdie's interaction, but like a few other goodreads reviewers I found the epilogue to be a bit strange.


The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison, 1961, 137 pages, Ereader,TTS.

This was an enjoyable science fiction tale. It is full of humor, action, adventure, and intrigue. The main action all centers around the main character who is far more developed than any of the secondary characters.

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I don't know if I read this somewhere or if I'm just thinking I read it, but do you want us to report pages we've read in books that we haven't finished?

I'm reading a book of poetry and still working on Nicholas Nickleby, neither of which I will finish by the end of the year.

Began St. Augustine's "City of God" for the new year. I have to admit though that I am reading it on the computer between my Irish fiddle practices. My arm gets tired and it's to St. Augustine I speed until my arm is recharged.

Martha and Terry,

We are just logging the completed books, so make sure to log them in the 2014 challenge when you finish them. I am also in the middle of one with my daughter that didn't make the cut off.

Thanks, John.

The results of the 2013 challenge are in! You can access them by clicking on the 2013 Challenge Results in the 2013 Challenge Archive thread or by clicking the link below.

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