Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion
2025 Challenge Buffet
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Wobbley's 2025 Buffet Challenge

鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
鉁 1. 19th Century or Older - An Ideal Husband - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 2. 20th Century - The Country of the Blind - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 3. 21st Century - Heartstopper: Volume One - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔陆
鉁 4. Nonfiction - M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 5. An Author never read before - The Fortnight in September - 猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 6. Diversity - Somewhere above the Clouds - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 7. Members Choice Genre: Adventure - The People That Time Forgot - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 8. Members Choice Genre: Play - The Romantic Age: A Comedy in Three Acts - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 9. Members Choice Genre: Historical Fiction - Mother Night - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍

I'm being a bit more lenient with myself than in my first member's choice challenge. I'm not going to make myself read a nonfiction book (a really difficult category for me); instead I'll add an extra Members Choice Genre category.
鉁 1. 19th Century or Older - Round the Moon - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
2. 20th Century -
3. 21st Century -
4. Members Choice Genre -
5. An Author never read before -
6. Diversity -
7. Members Choice Genre -
8. Members Choice Genre -
9. Members Choice Genre -

鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
鉁 1. Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔陆
鉁 2. The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔陆
鉁 3. M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work by M.C. Escher - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 4. The Queen of Air and Darkness by Poul Anderson - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 5. The Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 6. Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍

鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
The first 9 are from Nine Tomorrows by Isaac Asimov
鉁 1. Profession - 猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 2. The Feeling of Power - 猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 3. The Dying Night - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 4. I'm in Marsport without Hilda - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 5. The Gentle Vultures - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 6. All the Troubles of the World - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 7. Spell my Name with an S - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 8. The Last Question - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 9. The Ugly Little Boy - 猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
The next 4 are from The Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt
鉁 10. Black Destroyer - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 11. War of Nerves - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 12. Discord in Scarlet - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 13. M33 in Andromeda - 猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 14. Somewhere above the Clouds - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 15. Sonny's Blues - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 16. Call Me Joe - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
The last 2 are from The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
鉁 17. The Rocket Man - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 18. Kaleidoscope - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆

鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
鉁 1950 - The Voyage of the Space Beagle - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 1951 - Before the Flood - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1952 - City - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1953 - Someone at a Distance - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1954 - M.C. Escher: The Graphic Work - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1955 - Requiem for a Wren - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 1956 - Auntie Mame (play version) - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1957 - Sonny's Blues - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1958 - The Greengage Summer - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1959 - Nine Tomorrows - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆

I'm tackling the 1950s again, because there are just so many books from that decade that I still want to get to. I'm being more lenient with myself for my second 1950s challenge. The only rule is: 10 books from the 1950s that weren't included in my first 1950s challenge (so repeated years and repeated authors are allowed). I'll start out by including a long-list of books I'm interested in trying for this challenge.
鉁 1. The Illustrated Man - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 2. The Season of the Stranger: A Novel - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
long-list to consider
Go Tell It on the Mountain -or- Giovanni鈥檚 Room by James Baldwin
The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley
Childhood鈥檚 End by Arthur C. Clarke
The Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata
A Medicine for Melancholy -or- The Golden Apples of the Sun by Ray Bradbury
Appointment with Venus by Jerrard Tickell
Year In, Year Out by A.A. Milne
The Unknown Ajax -or- The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer
The Sirens of Titan -or- Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
A Game of Hide and Seek -or- The blush,: And other stories by Elizabeth Taylor
The Door Into Summer -or- Have Space Suit鈥擶ill Travel by Robert A. Heinlein
My Cousin Rachel -or- The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier
The Long Good-bye by Raymond Chandler
Babette鈥檚 Feast by Isak Dinesen
Doctor in the House by Richard Gordon
Breakfast at Tiffany鈥檚 -or- The Grass Harp by Truman Capote
Aunt Clara by Noel Streatfeild
...

鉁 1890s: An Ideal Husband - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 1900s: The Country of the Blind - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 1910s: The People That Time Forgot - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1920s: The Romantic Age: A Comedy in Three Acts - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 1930s: The Fortnight in September - 猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
1940s: Pied Piper -or- Random Harvest
鉁 1950s: Someone at a Distance - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1960s: Mother Night - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 1970s: The Queen of Air and Darkness - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 1980s: The Mountains of Mourning - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆

鉁 1. The Angel at the Grave - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 2. Augustus - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 3. Call Me Joe - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 4. The Illustrated Man - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 5. Zero Hour - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 6. Mimsy Were The Borogoves - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
My goal is to read 2 books from among the following:
1. my 2 favourites from the George Smiley series (reread): Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People
2. the 2nd Daddy-Long-Legs book: Dear Enemy
鉁 3. the 2nd book from the Caspak series: The People That Time Forgot - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
4. the first book in the Barsoom series: A Princess of Mars
鉁 5. something from the Vorkosigan Saga series: The Mountains of Mourning - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
6. next book in the Allan Quartermain series: Allan Quatermain
鉁 7. start the Kristin Lavransdatter series with: The Wreath - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍

This is undecided for now, but it's likely I'll decide to do this one once I've done a bit more planning, and have candidates for all the categories
Africa - Allan Quatermain -or-
鉁 Asia - Somewhere above the Clouds - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 Australia - Requiem for a Wren - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆
鉁 Europe - Before the Flood - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 North America - Sonny's Blues - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 South America - The Country of the Blind - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 Antarctica, or another Specific Country: Norway is the country I'd most like to visit - The Wreath - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔

I'll do this one for sure. About a third of my reading in 2024 has been rereads, and it's been so satisfying!
Books I'd Love to Reread
1. No Great Mischief
2. The Life of an Unknown Man
3. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People
4. Winter鈥檚 Orbit
5. Death Comes for the Archbishop
6. Do Not Say We Have Nothing
7. Watership Down
Read Again in 2025
鉁 1. Winter鈥檚 Orbit - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
2.

I couldn't choose between 1951 and 1953, so I'll try to fit in both.
鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
10 Books of Interest for 1951
1. The Illustrated Man
2. The Season of the Stranger
3. Before the Flood
4. The Master of Go
5. Southern Cross
6. Appointment with Venus
7. The Grass Harp (title story)
8. A Game of Hide and Seek
9. My Cousin Rachel
10. The Day of the Triffids
1951 Books Read in 2025
鉁 1. Before the Flood - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 2. The Season of the Stranger - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 3. The Illustrated Man - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔陆

I couldn't choose between 1951 and 1953, so I'll try to fit in both.
10 Books of Interest for 1953
1. Someone at a Distance
2. Go Tell It on the Mountain
3. The Go-Between
4. Childhood鈥檚 End
5. The Long Good-bye
6. The Golden Apples of the Sun
7. The Variable Man
8. Kingfishers Catch Fire
9. Maud Martha
10. The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial: A Drama In Two Acts
1953 Books Read in 2025
鉁 1. Someone at a Distance - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
2.
3.

鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
5 books from the 2000s that I've read that I think will still be read in 50-100 years
partly in the 2000s - Harry Potter Series
2011 - The Martian
2016 - Do Not Say We Have Nothing
2005 - Never Let Me Go
2001 - The Shadow of the Wind
3 books from the 2000s that I haven't read that may stand the test of time
1. Heartstopper: Volume One
2. Convenience Store Woman
3. All the Light We Cannot See
Book Chosen to read in 2025:
鉁 Heartstopper: Volume One - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔陆

鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
a play
鉁 Old: An Ideal Husband - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
鉁 New: Before the Flood - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
a book I've never read by an author I've liked in the past
鉁 Old: The Country of the Blind - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 New: Mother Night - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
sci-fi
鉁 Old: Round the Moon - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍
鉁 New: Nine Tomorrows - 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆

I find this one quite daunting (American bestsellers of the year aren't always my thing), but I'll give it a try. I chose the 10 years using a random number generator. Full disclosure: instead of listing the #1 bestseller from each of these years, I'm listing my preferred option between the #1 and #2 bestseller each year, because I was having trouble finding a book I thought would be a success for me among the #1 bestsellers (and in one or two years I'd already read the #1 book).
10 years of bestsellers
1. 1898 - Caleb West by Francis Hopkinson Smith
2. 1900 - To Have and To Hold by Mary Johnston
3. 1903 - Lady Rose's Daughter by Mrs. Humphry Ward
4. 1912 - The Harvester by Gene Stratton-Porter
5. 1917 - Mr. Britling Sees it Through by H.G. Wells
6. 1941 - Random Harvest by James Hilton
7. 1958 - Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver
8. 1994 - The Chamber by John Grisham
9. 2004 - The da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
10. 2012 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Gosh, most of these are outside my comfort zone. Okay, here goes:
Books chosen to try
1. a genre outside my comfort zone: Anatomy of a Murder -or- The Chamber -or- The da Vinci Code
2. one I might enjoy: Random Harvest

鉁 Challenge Complete 鉁
I'm thinking of trying the Hugo Award for best Novella:
Books Chosen
鉁 1. The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔陆
鉁 2. The Queen of Air and Darkness (title story) - 锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔忊瓙锔
Alternates
1. The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin
2. The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson



Oh my, I'm pretty sure you are going to make me add books! I'm excited to follow your reads and find out about some of these that I am not familiar with.

Thanks Samantha! A lot of them are new to me too, and I found them when I was planning my challenges. :)

Thanks Kathleen! I'm excited to follow yours too, especially since we're both doing the same decade. I'm looking forward to our buddy read of Bradbury's Illustrated Man!

Thanks very much Teri-K. I hope so too!!

Thanks Sara! You've surely noticed that you've made me add some to my challenge too. Off the top of my head, My Name Is Asher Lev, The Fortnight in September, The Go-Between and several more were added because you and a few others recommended them this year. I love how this group helps me find so many new (old) books to try!

You cannot go wrong with Oscar Wilde, John Wyndham, Elizabeth von Arnim, and Daphne du Maurier. I would love to hear your thoughts on My Cousin Rachel. Keep a translator handy for The Name of the Rose :)
A Princess of Mars and Lost Horizon are exciting reads. I keep thinking of rereading them. Maybe in a few years.
Good luck!

Wow, thanks so much for all the advice, Shaina! I read my first Dorothy Whipple this year, and enjoyed it. It seems like everyone in the group enjoys her, regardless of which of her books they read. The Name of the Rose has won the January poll, so I guess I'll need that translator on hand pretty soon, haha!

Whipple is definitely a favourite, with many in our group. I hope to see her nominated some day.


Thanks very much, Ila! I'm feeling quite hopeful about my selections. :)


Thanks April! There's nothing wrong with overplanning -- you can always change your mind later. I find the planning and refining stage quite fun, and I discover new books when I'm trying to plan. The main thing is to enjoy yourself and your reading! :)

Enjoy your reading in 2025!


鉁 Heartstopper: Volume One 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍陆: In this graphic novel, two high school boys become friends and then develop a romantic relationship. This was cute and enjoyable. I'm using this one for my "Future Classics" challenge. It's hard for me to guess whether it will still be read in 50-100 years. I think it probably depends on how similar our culture remains. If it's similar to now, then yes, I think this might still be read. If it's a lot less conservative or a lot more conservative, it might not be needed or it might not be permitted.
鉁 The People That Time Forgot 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍: This is the second book in a "Lost World"-type series. A rescue mission for some people (from Book 1) who are stuck on a secret continent full of ancient life goes wrong, and this book follows one of the rescuers who gets separated from the others and tries to survive. It's a reasonably entertaining adventure story, though very much a product of its time. (His Wikipedia page says that the author was a supporter of eugenics and scientific racism, and I feel like that's pretty evident in the story.)
鉁 The Country of the Blind 猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍猸愶笍: A man finds his way into a cut-off valley full of blind people, who can't understand when he tries to describe sight. I really liked this story by H.G. Wells. The first half feels like a commentary on the stupidity of the colonial mindset, while the second half is about the danger of being an outsider, or different from those around you.

Interesting reading - and you've finished a challenge already. lol Way to get a good start out of the gate! I haven't read Heartstopper but as widely popular as it is I'd agree there's a decent chance people will still read it in the future. It seems to work on several levels, which can help.
But you never know, do you? Just look at all those bestsellers from the past that are out of print now and we have to track down used or read online somewhere.
Must feel good to say you already finished a challenge on day 4! Off to a great start, Wobbley.
Always hard to predict what the future will retain (or even think) of us. Often the most popular books also become the most dated. Sadly, I think reading itself might be in danger in the future and most of the books I think "ought" to be classics probably won't be.
Always hard to predict what the future will retain (or even think) of us. Often the most popular books also become the most dated. Sadly, I think reading itself might be in danger in the future and most of the books I think "ought" to be classics probably won't be.

It's my first visit to your thread and you have already finished a challenge! I noticed The Country of the Blind by H.G. Wells. I liked that story when I read it a few years ago. H. G. Wells was such a prolific writer that there are many, many things to choose from in his portfolio. I still haven't read all his short stories.
I liked your take on The Country of the Blind as being about colonialism. I had not thought of that. I kept thinking how it was similar to Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr..
I liked your take on The Country of the Blind as being about colonialism. I had not thought of that. I kept thinking how it was similar to Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr..

Haha, well, it's pretty easy to finish a challenge that only has one book in it. :) I do enjoy the smaller portion sizes in the Buffet this year.
Yes, that was a really interesting story. I really liked his ability to make me feel completely against the main character in the first half, and then totally on his side in the second half, due to the shift in focus. I've had quite a lot of luck with H.G. Wells.
I haven't read that Vonnegut (actually, I don't think I've ready any of his short stories); I'll have to add it to my list!
Books mentioned in this topic
The Wreath (other topics)Mimsy Were The Borogoves (other topics)
From the Earth to the Moon (other topics)
Round the Moon (other topics)
Year In, Year Out (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Noel Streatfeild (other topics)Elizabeth Taylor (other topics)
Georgette Heyer (other topics)
Truman Capote (other topics)
Daphne du Maurier (other topics)
More...
Will definitely tackle:
鉁 Challenge #2 - Members Choice, take 1
Challenge #2 - Members Choice, take 2
鉁 Challenge #3 - New Authors
鉁 Challenge #4 - Short Story
鉁 Challenge #5a - Decade, take 1
Challenge #5a - Decade, take 2
Challenge #5b - Century
鉁 Challenge #7 - Series Books 鈥 Start, Continue, Complete
Challenge #9 鈥 Rereading Some do Some don't
鉁 Challenge #10a - Books by Year: 1951
Challenge #10b - Books by Year: 1953
鉁 Challenge #11 - Future Classics
鉁 Challenge #13 - Old and New Linked Categories
Challenge #14 - Bestselling Novels in the United States
鉁 Challenge #15 - Award Winners
Undecided:
Challenge #6 - Group Reads and/or Buddy Reads Challenge
Challenge #8 - Travel the World One Continent at a Time
This year I'm going to try to only do challenges where I have at least 2 solid options I'm really interested in for every category. Some of the "Undecided" challenges above will probably be shifted to the "Will definitely tackle" category once I've done more planning for them and have enough options (that's happened to a few challenges already). Of course some challenges kind of just get completed on their own through normal reading ("New Authors", "Short Stories", "Members Choice"), so those ones I'll tackle without much advanced planning.