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2022 CHALLENGE BUFFET -A Bakers Dozen

Another year, another Buffet. This year the chef has created a Baker's Dozen by adding a few new entries. As always feel free to pick as few or as many challenges as fits your appetite. At this buffet gluttony is not a bad thing, take as much as you want and don't worry about not finishing all you take. This is for fun!

Remember every challenge created, every author and every book listed, becomes a resource for our members to learn about authors and books they haven’t heard of before.

A Bakers Dozen Menu for the 2022 Buffet:
For Entre Details See Messages 2-15

Challenge #1 - New & Old TBR
Challenge #2 - Second Place or Worse
Challenge #3 - Decade/Century/Millennium Challenge
Challenge #4 - Members Choice Challenge
Challenge #5 - Short Story Challenge
Challenge #6 - 2022 Group Reads Challenge
Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors
Challenge #8 - Does the Passage of Time Make a Difference?
Challenge #9 �� Fiction/Non-Fiction
Challenge #10 - The Half a Millennium Challenge with a Sour Lemon Twist of Difficult
Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories
Challenge #12 - A-Z Author Challenge
Challenge #13 - A-Z Title Challenge

General/Helpful Challenge Information:
These challenges are personal. It is important that you enjoy your challenge/s, don't feel pressure to finish, this is for fun. Use your own creativity to make your challenge special. Select books that you truly have an interest in reading. Perhaps some of your selections can be from different countries. Or select different regions from a single country. Perhaps choose men and women from one country, but from different ethnic or social back grounds. It's your challenge your choices, just stick to the basic challenge configuration.

Create your own separate thread to list the challenge/s you wish to participate in. If you plan on participating in several challenges, you will want to save/reserve several message/posts at the beginning of your thread to list each challenge you intend to try. Reserve 1-14 if you are going to try them all. Remember you can always delete the save posts if you don't need them.

To Create your challenge thread simply go to the top of this folder click on the title (Challenge Buffet). Then look to the right for the words (new topic), click that, a new screen will open. In the box (topic) type the name you wish to give your challenge. In the (comment) box list your books chosen for the challenge. Use the (add book/author) link so that others can link to your choices and learn more about the book you have selected.

Feel free to mark your finished books anyway you wish. After you have finished a book your can strike it off your list. Directions are listed at the top of the comment box (some html is ok). You can list the date you finished or add the number of stars you though the book deserved.

Examples of marking books completed:
1899 and earlier
��1. Les Misérables
2. Great Expectations 11/20/19
3. The Woman in White
1900-1999
4. The Great Gatsby Finished 1/25/19
5. The Red Pony 5 Stars, Finished

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

First started in 2015, this challenge is our groups oldest. It is designed to help increase our reading of the classics and reduce our personal TBR's. This challenge commits you to reading 12 books next year. Choose 12 books you want to read and list threee alternates, to use as substitutes should one of your choices need to be replaced. You do not have to read all 15 books listed, 12 books read is a successful challenge. This 12 + 3 challenge will last all year and you can read at your own pace. Once you create your reading thread, you and other members can comment on your progress.

Only six of the 12 books selected are required be Classics based on the Groups definitions, they do not have to come from the groups bookshelf. At least 3 books from the Old School category (published before 1900) and 3 books from the New School category (published between 1900 & 1999). The other six and your three alternates can be any genre or age you wish to read, yes even post 2000.

Starting today you can begin creating your challenge thread. The whole month of December is dedicated to planning your challenge. You can add your books and make edit adjustments till December 31st. No challenge reading can start till January 1, 2022. No changes should be made to your list once challenge starts

If you're a current Group Member, you have until midnight on 12/31/2021 to finalize your list. You can post your list and make all the changes you want until then, but no changes after midnight 12/31/2021. If you join our Classics Group after that date, you may still participate by posting and editing your list within two weeks of joining the group, but you can't make changes after you post your list.

For New Members joining in 2022, in addition to the above rules, feel free to adjust your challenge according to the number of months left in the year. Example: If you join in March 2022 and wish to participate, list 9 books and 3 alternates. If your joined after June 2022 list the appropriate number of books according to the number of months left, but only pick two alternates. Remember to add your alternates to any challenge you set up.

Example of a Challenge:

My fabulous 12 + 3 Old & New Classic Challenge

1899 and earlier/Old School
1. Les Misérables
2. Great Expectations
3. The Woman in White
1900-1999/New School
4. The Great Gatsby
5. The Red Pony
6. Of Human Bondage
My Wild Card Six
7. The Return of the Soldier
8. The Pillars of the Earth
9. Ender's Shadow
10. 2001: A Space Odyssey
11. The Law
12. Sin Killer

Alternates
A-1. War and Peace
A-2. Gone with the Wind
A-3 Home

Challenge #2 - Second Place or Worse

Go back through the groups past polls and select seven (7) total books that are of interest to you but lost the poll and to date has never made it to our group bookshelf. Pick two books from New School, two from Old School, two from Short Story/Novella, and one from the Quarterly Long Read.

Most will agree that the books making it through our nominations process are quality reads. That said, only one wins the poll. There are plenty of reasons why; one of those reasons I believe is the generic popularity 0f the book or the author. Reading the unsuccessful books can help broaden our personal shelves. Hopefully this challenge, through member reviews and thread comments, will bring us some knowledge on a wider selection of books and encourage members to read them. It could also lead to renomination and poll winning.

Set up example:

New School
1.
2.

Old School
1.
2.

Short Story/Novella
1.
2.

Quarterly Long Read
1.

Challenge #3 - Decade/Century/Millennium Challenge

There are three ways to participate. First, read one book per year for 10 consecutive years, one-decade total. Second read one book from 10 consecutive decades, one century total. Third, read one book from 10 consecutive centuries, one millennium total. Only one version of the challenge is required to participate. For those exceptional readers, over achievers, or competitive eating gluttons, for a real challenge feel free to take on 2 or all 3 versions.

The Decade Challenge: Read 10 books from any 10 consecutive years (1 book per year). The authors can only be used once in the challenge. You can use authors previously read by you. Or you can add a level of difficulty to your challenge by selecting only authors you've never read before.

Challenge Example: (Decade Challenge)

My Decade Challenge, Authors-Some Old Some New
1920-Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
1921-The Narrow House by Evelyn Scott
1922-Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
1923-Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
1924-A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
1925-The Professor's House by Willa Cather
1926-The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
1927-To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
1928-Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
1929-Passing by Nella Larsen


The Century Challenge: Read 10 books from any 10 consecutive decades (1 book per decade). Authors can only be used once in the challenge. You can use authors previously read by you. Or you can add a level of difficulty to your challenge by selecting only authors you've never read before.

Challenge Example: (Century Challenge)

My Century Challenge, Authors-Some Old Some New
1850-1859 The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850
1860-1869 Sylvia's Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell, 1863
1870-1879 Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy,1874
1880-1889 Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott, 1880
1890-1899 Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling, 1896
1900-1909 The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, 1901
1910-1919 Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham, 1815
1920-1929 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, 1926
1930-1939 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, 1937
1940-1949 The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, 1940

The Millennium Challenge: Read 10 books from any 10 consecutive Centuries (1 book per century). Authors can only be used once in the challenge. You can use authors previously read by you. Or you can add a level of difficulty to your challenge by selecting only authors you've never read before.

Challenge Example: (Millennium Challenge)

20th Century - 1952 The Far Country by Nevil Shute
19th Century - 1871 Middlemarch by George Eliot
18th Century - 1720 Captain Singleton by Daniel Defoe
17th Century - 1684 The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
16th Century - 1593 The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
15th Century - 1438 The Book of Margery Kempe by Margery Kempe
14th Century - 1353 The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
13th Century - 1298 The Travels by Marco Polo
12th Century - 1150 The Life of Merlin by Geoffrey of Monmouth
11th Century - 1001 The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu

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

1. 19th Century,
2. 20th Century,
3. 21st Century Potential Future Classic,
4. Current or Past Group Read,
5. An Author not read before,
6. Diversity Classic, read a book from a religion, culture, country, or race different than yours.
7. Science Fiction,
8. A book originally written in a language other than your own,
9. A Banned Book,
10. Nonfiction,
11. Mystery/Crime,
12. Horror or Humor,

Challenge #5 - Short Story Challenge
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.

Challenge #6 - 2022 Group Reads Challenge
The challenge is to read 12 of this years group selections. Between New School, Old School, Short Story/Novella, Revisit the Shelf, and Quarterly Long read our group selects 40 new and 12 reread books per year, giving us plenty of choices.

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

Seek out at least six (6) authors that you have never previously read, male or female, from any genre or era you want.

Challenge #8 �� Does the Passage of Time Make a Difference?

“Select 10 books from any single year of interest, then select 10 more from 100, 50, or 25 years earlier, for a total of 20 books. List your choices for other members to explore. The challenge is to successfully read 10 of the 20 books selected, five from your year of choice and five from the earlier year chosen.

Pick a year of your choice and then go back in time 100, 50, or 25 years. You can use your birth year, the birth year of a child, a spouse, a parent, or any other year of interest.

Challenge #9 �� Fiction/Non-Fiction

Select five different subjects of interest to you and read a fiction book and a non-fiction book about that subject. Total number of books for this challenge is ten.

Examples:

World War I
Fiction - All Quiet on the Western Front
Non-Fiction - Somme

Women's Sufferage
Fiction - Hagar
Non-Fiction - Suffragettes: The Fight for Votes for Women

Space Exploration
Fiction - Space
Non-Ficton - The Right Stuff

Sea Travels/Adventures
Fiction - The Sea Wolf
Non-Fiction - Two Years Before the Mast: A Sailor's Life at Sea

Horses
Fiction - Black Gold
Non-Fiction - Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Challenge #10 - The Half a Millennium Challenge with a Sour Lemon Twist of Difficult

Select five books from five diffetent centuries, using the same decade for each century you select. They do not have to be consecutive centuries, but must be the same decade.

Example of five consecutive centuries:

20th Century - 1950-1959 - 1953-Nine Stories
19th Century - 1850-1859 - 1855-Little Dorrit
18th Century - 1750-1759 - 1759-The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia
17th Century - 1650-1659 - 1658-The Witch of Edmonton
16th Century - 1550-1559 - 1552-A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Limiting this challenge to five books will be difficult but doable especially for the more recent centuries. As you move further back in time this should become more difficult. That is why the centuries don't have to be consecutive.

Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories

Select five categories of your choice or use some of these sample categories. Once you make your category selections, link the categories by finding and reading an Old School (1899 or older) and a New School book (1900-1999) that contains some part or is all about your selected categories. It will be more interesting and more varied if you come up with your own categories.

A Baker's Dozen Sample Ideas:

Contains a Trial
Has a Murder
Contains Time Travel
Set in or has Winter involved
Coming of Age
Is About a Fallen Woman
Set on or has The Sea involved
Animals
School
Travel
Life Changing Action
Survival
A book that could make you cry

Example:

Has a Murder-
Old - Crime and Punishment
New - Murder on the Orient Express

Contains a Trial
Old - The Scarlet Letter
New - To Kill a Mockingbird

Life Changing Action
Old - A Horseman in the Sky
New - A Separate Peace

Coming of Age
Old - Great Expectations
New - A Cry of Angels

Travel
Old - Three Men in a Boat
New - Pied Piper

Challenge #12 - A-Z Author Challenge


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Challenge #13 - A-Z Title Challenge


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All Challenges Start 1 January 2022, the folder & discussion thread are open now so that you can begin to plan your year.

This challenge can be used with your other challenges. Books and authors selected can be used to fill other buffet or bingo challenge needs.

NOTE: Start your own thread for your challenge in this folder.

Remember This is for FUN!!

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Thank you, Bob! The Buffet looks very interesting (love the new name of the challenge)

Bob, my head is exploding! Love the old and the new challenges you've chosen. Once I recover from over-eating at Thanksgiving, I'll jump in and start planning my buffet. Thank you!

Great job -- again, Bob! I always like the #1 "Old/New Challenge," but this year I'm also liking #11 "Old and New Linked Categories." That looks like fun! Gotta' go start planning ;)

I didn't have a great year in 2021 completing challenges, but am so excited to try again for 2022. Great challenges, Bob - these will keep reading fun all year.

Great job as always, Bob! It is so nice to see all the interested members. I really think one of the best parts of this group is the challenge community.

Thanks, Bob! I haven’t finished my 2021 buffet - yet - but I am eagerly saving titles to put on my 2022 plate.

You are great,Bob!
I didn't read from my 2021 buffet so I promised mysef that I wouldn't try again until 2023 (I've started waaaay to many books simultaneously and I want to finish all those first). But how is it possible to resist your challenges?! I simply have to take it on! =)
And I think I can use dishes from my unread 2021 buffet.

Excellent buffet, Bob :)
Now where to start��

Never done such a challenge, but will have to think of one... Thanks Bob! :)

Such an interesting collection, Bob! Now I'm tempted to do most of them!

A very appetizing buffet, indeed! A quick question: are we allowed to double up on books across challenges? For instance, if I have read 'The Color Purple' for challenge 1 but it also fits for challenge 11 can I count it towards both challenges?

Also, for challenge 9 do both the fiction and non-fiction book have to be old/new classics?

Valerie wrote: "A very appetising buffet, indeed! A quick question: are we allowed to double up on books across challenges? For instance, if I have read 'The Color Purple' for challenge 1 but it also fits for chal..."

Yes, you can use a single book in multiple challenges, even in your Bingo challenge if you are doing one.

Thanks once again for orchestrating all this fun, Bob. I'm excited to get started, but Mama says you need to finish what is on your plate, and I have a few morsels still to clear from 2021.

Such a great buffet, I'm quite excited for the challenges! Thank you for putting so much effort into baking for us, Bob, creating new challenges and adding twists : )

Hey, Bob, is Challenge #1 the only one that can't be changed after midnight, December 31, 2021?

Terris wrote: "Hey, Bob, is Challenge #1 the only one that can't be changed after midnight, December 31, 2021?"

Yes Terris, I believe you are correct. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.

Terris wrote: "Hey, Bob, is Challenge #1 the only one that can't be changed after midnight, December 31, 2021?"

Yes, it adds a level of challenge difficulty and forces (gently nudges us) to read from our TBR shelf. Since it is a TBR reduction challenge I've assumed most of the books selected we already have on our shelves. Just because we liked it enough to buy it doesn't guarentee we will like it enough to finish it once started. Thats why we have the alternates. Last year, I noticed a couble of the group ran out of alternates, so this year we have three.

All the other challenges can be planned and changed as the year progress and plans change. The preplanning just gives everyone information on new books and authors from other member challenges and we all learn from each other.

Bob, for Challenge #9, the Fiction/Non-Fiction pairings, do both of those need to be classics? Or could I read, say, a classic novel and a more recent non-fiction book that pairs with it?

Hi Bob and everyone - I just rejoined the group as I am rediscovering my love for the classics. I love the challenge format and all the options. Can’t wait to read with you all!

Amanda wrote: "Hi Bob and everyone - I just rejoined the group as I am rediscovering my love for the classics. I love the challenge format and all the options. Can’t wait to read with you all!"

So glad that you are back reading with us, Amanda. Enjoy the challenges.

Bob wrote: "Terris wrote: "Hey, Bob, is Challenge #1 the only one that can't be changed after midnight, December 31, 2021?"

Yes, it adds a level of challenge difficulty and forces (gently nudges us) to read f..."

Thank you, Bob! I thought that was the case. I love being able to change my Bingo challenge throughout the year. But I am always very careful in planning my Old/New challenge since I know I can't change it. It makes it a little more exciting! ;)

Angie wrote: "Bob, for Challenge #9, the Fiction/Non-Fiction pairings, do both of those need to be classics? Or could I read, say, a classic novel and a more recent non-fiction book that pairs with it?"

For me the short answer is yes. I think it is up to the individual. A classic by the group rules is anything published prior to the year 2000. I don’t have any problem with using 21st century books for the more generic challenges that aren’t specific.
Challenge #11 - Old and New Linked Categories, uses the wording old and new. Our group uses the dates 1900-1999 for new and 1899 or older for new. For this challenge I would use books fitting that timeline.

Challenge #9 �� Fiction/Non-Fiction doesn’t mention any timeline. I even used a book published in 2000 in my example. So, pick and read books that you will enjoy and the rest of can learn about.

Amanda wrote: "Hi Bob and everyone - I just rejoined the group as I am rediscovering my love for the classics. I love the challenge format and all the options. Can’t wait to read with you all!"

I'm happy youare back with us and i Hope you enjoy the challenges.

Hi Bob, I’m just getting back into the group after a long absence. Can books from challenges #s 1-11 be counted in challenges #12 & 13?

Yes, a single book can be used on multiple challenges.

Bob wrote: "Challenge #5 - Short Story Challenge
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."

Bob, is the 130 page limit relevant here or is it only for shorter works?

Thank, Bob for providing a wonderful buffet again for us.
It looks sooo good I'm adding another serving, even though I have many leftovers from this year!

Jeri wrote: "Bob wrote: "Challenge #5 - Short Story Challenge
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."

Bob, is the 130 page limit relevant here or is it only for shorter works? ..."

No, I think 130 pages for this challenge is extreme. To me that fall into the novella size and could prove difficult to read 24 in a year along with other desired reading. for me a short story can be one page (250+-) words up to 5000 (20+-) pages. But anything one figures is a good short story regardless of pages is fine for this challenge.

Susie wrote: "Thank, Bob for providing a wonderful buffet again for us.
It looks sooo good I'm adding another serving, even though I have many leftovers from this year!"

Thank you Susie, I hope you and others enjoy and have fun with it.

Jillian ❀‿❀ wrote: "Regarding this challenge:

Bob wrote:
"Challenge #9 �� Fiction/Non-Fiction...

Women's [Suffrage]:
Fiction - Impossible Saints,
Non-Fiction - [book:Suffragettes: The Fight for V..."

OK!

Challenge #9 �� Fiction/Non-Fiction:

Bob, I am so inspired by this challenge that I can't stop coming up with options.

My question to those members who are doing this challenge is: for a chosen topic, which do you read first - fiction or nonfiction?

I'm sure it might vary for me, Marilyn, but what I do intend is to read them back-to-back, so that I have the first on my mind as I am reading the second.

Sara wrote: "I'm sure it might vary for me, Marilyn, but what I do intend is to read them back-to-back, so that I have the first on my mind as I am reading the second."

But which of the two books do you read first - fiction or nonfiction?

Marilyn wrote: "Sara wrote: "I'm sure it might vary for me, Marilyn, but what I do intend is to read them back-to-back, so that I have the first on my mind as I am reading the second."

But which of the two books ..."

Marilyn, like Matt and Sara any progress by me on this challenge will be read back-to-back. As to which one I read first, fiction or non-fiction, I can’t say. I don’t think I will go at it in a ridged way, such as reading all fiction first vs. non-fiction first. For me, I think it will be an impulse choice each time.