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I did an abysmal job with my Old and New Challenge for 2017, so I gave this one a lot of lot.

Late December change: Scrapping my original theme and replacing it with, well, not a theme at all.

Completed: 4/12

Old School (1899 and earlier)
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame - Victor Hugo
� The Raven and Other Favorite Poems - Edgar Allan Poe ★★�
Moby-Dick or, The Whale - Herman Melville DNF

New School (1900-1999)
O Pioneers! - Willa Cather
Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner
� A Wizard of Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin (05/06/2018) ★★�

Wild Cards
A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams
Howl and Other Poems - Allen Ginsberg
� True West - Sam Shepard (01/12/2018) ★★★★�
The Stand - Stephen King
� August: Osage County - Tracy Letts (07/05/2018) ★★★★
The Yiddish Policemen's Union - Michael Chabon

Alternates
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
An Artist of the Floating World - Kazuo Ishiguro

Reserved for stuff and things

I have tweaked my list a bit and am a lot happier with it. Since I did such a terrible job of finishing my list last year, I am trying to keep my list fun this year.

I might consider changing The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin before the challenge starts. Maybe something by Washington Irving or A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier: Some Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of Joseph Plumb Martin. I'm not sure. If anyone has any good American pre-1845 ideas, I am open to suggestions. I'm intentionally keeping the list American-focused this year so I can move through literary periods.

Great list, Angie!
I read The Raven with the group and loved most of his poems .
And Cranford is in my challenge for this year too.

What a nice list! I think you should leave The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin on the list. It's one I've been meaning to get to for a long time. Maybe if you read it first you can tell me what you think! ;) Good luck & have fun :)

Welcome to the challenge!

I read Moby Dick earlier this year and really liked it, and am almost done with Poe now. It definitely looks like a fun list.

Were you wanting suggestions for a non-fiction book for Old School?

Melanti wrote: "Welcome to the challenge!

I read Moby Dick earlier this year and really liked it, and am almost done with Poe now. It definitely looks like a fun list.

Were you wanting suggestions for a non-fi..."

Thanks! Anything, really. Non-fiction, fiction, poetry.

I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed Moby Dick. I've been putting it off for a while.

Well! I got overly excited and started one of the books on my list (The 42nd Parallel) already. I knew this would happen. That's the hard part about making these lists.

I have to figure out something to switch it out with.

This is a nice list!
Willa Cather is never a wrong addition. Moby Dick has been a book I've wanted to read for some time but never pick up. I loved the 2 Faulkner books I've read and am still debating which of his other novels I will add to my list. I may follow you with Absolom! Absolom!.
LOL for starting a book from the list already. I'm filling my reading time with short books until the end of the year.

Moby Dick is a masterpiece. I have read it several times and there is always something new to come away with. I'm thinking you would not have any problem finding a group here that is reading it or putting together a buddy read, and it is always beneficial to read it with others.

I laughed about your dipping into the list and needing to make a change. I have to discipline myself to stay with December reads that are not on my challenge lists.

Petra - I've only read one short story by Willa Cather, but I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to O Pioneers!

Sara - I am waiting for my library to deliver a copy of Moby Dick. Very excited! I wound up making some welcome tweaks before December 31st. I failed miserably at my list last year.

Hope you enjoy Moby Dick, Angie. I like your list.

I've finished two entries thus far. True West was amazing--Sam Shepard has become a favorite of mine. He delves into the mythology of the American west, the notion of manhood, and family. And I will never think of toasters the same way again!

A Wizard of Earthsea was a nice fantasy tale, I am glad I read it, and I understand its merits. Buuut... I didn't enjoy it as much I had hoped.

I have yet to read anything by Sam Shepard. Glad you enjoyed True West so much. Had planned to read Earthsea with a group, but couldn't work it in...so I still have that one to do as well. Congrats on both reads!

Sara wrote: "I have yet to read anything by Sam Shepard. Glad you enjoyed True West so much. Had planned to read Earthsea with a group, but couldn't work it in...so I still have that one to do as well. Congrats..."

I've read a couple of things by Shepard now, and I'm really enamored by him. He had a keen eye for human behavior and a weird sense of humor.