Never too Late to Read Classics discussion
Archived Reading Challenges
>
2024 BOX Challenge
Kathy's Box ChallengeBox 1
�January The Bell - Iris Murdoch [published January 1, 1958]
�"L" - The Late Monsieur Gallet - Georges Simenon (1931) [title starts with L]
� - 100 pages Selections From Coleridge - Coleridge; Lincoln R. Gibbs 90 pages
�Russian The Shot - Alexander Pushkin
Box 2
Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility or Emma - Jane Austen
February
�Love Letters of Two Brides - Honoré de Balzac [ bride = "love"]
Box 3
�March Murder in the Mews - Agatha Christie [pub. 3/15/1937]
�"B" Bats in the Belfry - E.C.R. Lorac
�Ireland Death of a Naturalist - Seamus Heaney [set Ireland, Irish author]
�Castle Castle Skull - John Dickson Carr
Box 4
�April A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax - Dorothy Gilman [pub. April 1, 1973]
Spring
�+150 pages Cover Her Face - P.D. James [254 pages]
�"W" The Woodlanders - Thomas Hardy [W in title]
Box 5
�May - Now We Are Six - A.A. Milne (1927) [completed in May}
Science
�Detective[book:Post After Post-Mortem|60387540] (Robert MacDonald #11) - E.C.R. Lorac
�Purple box The Half-Finished Heaven - Tomas Tranströmer
[looks blue online, but the cover is this shade of purple]Box 6
�June Pippi Longstocking - Astrid Lindgren [read this in June]
�France Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne [French author]
�"D" Death of an Author - E.C.R. Lorac
300 pages
Box 7
�July Death on the Riviera - John Bude [reading in July]
�Cat Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats - T.S. Eliot
�Hot A Zoo in My Luggage - Gerald Durrell - set in Cameroon
�Island Island of the Blue Dolphins - Scott O'Dell
Box 8
�August Goodbye, Columbus - Philip Roth - read in August
Mark Twain
�Summer The Greengage Summer - Rumer Godden
Box 9
September The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America's Great Migration - Isabel Wilkerson [published September 7, 2010]
30
�Hefty Lies and Sorcery - Elsa Morante
Asian
Box 10
�October A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute (read during October)
�Horror Carrie - Stephen King
�Pair The Two Destinies - Wilkie Collins
�"S" - The Seventh Sinner - Elizabeth Peters
Box 11
�November Yours, Plum The Letters of P.G. Wodehouse - P.G. Wodehouse [published Nov. 15, 1990]
Thankful
�Family Wild Strawberries - Angela Thirkell [Leslie family]
�German Linda Tressel - Anthony Trollope [set in Germany]
Box 12
�Christmas The Christmas Egg - Mary Kelly
�Snow Mystery in White - J. Jefferson Farjeon
�English The Rainbow - D.H. Lawrence [English author]
Five Five on a Treasure Island - Enid Blyton
Mod
1. The CLASSIC you read HAS to do with AT least ONE thing that is IN the BOX.
Hint: What all is inside of that box?
Hint: It all does not have to go together.
Mod
Box 1 📕📗📘📙
>100 pages: The Dead Alive by Wilkie Collins (84 pages)
"L": Smoke Bellew by Jack London
January: Little Novels by Wilkie Collins, who was born on January 8, 1824
Russian: The Thaw by Ilya Ehrenburg
Box 2 📕📗📘📙
February: Le Rayon vert by Jules Verne Born on February 8, 1828
Jane Austen: The Letters of Jane Austen
Love: Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare
Pink Cover: Die Günderode by Bettina von Arnim
Box 3 📕📗📘📙
March: News from Nowhere by William Morris Born March 24, 1834
"B": Betsy's Wedding by Maud Hart Lovelace
Ireland: Peig: The Autobiography of Peig Sayers of the Great Blasket Island
Castle: The Castle of Wolfenbach by Eliza Parsons
Box 4 📕📗📘📙
+150 pages: Les Tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine by Jules Verne 255 pages
April: Betsy and the Great World by Maud Hart Lovelace Born April 25, 1892
Spring: The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward
"W": The Wolves of God: And Other Fey Stories by Algernon Blackwood
Box 5 📕📗📘📙
May: All Roads Lead to Calvary by Jerome K. JeromeBorn May 2, 1859
Science: On the Nature of the Universe by Lucretius
Detective: Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham
Purple: The Purple Cloud by M.P. Shiel
Box 6 📕📗📘📙
France: Paris, Notes d'un Vaudois by Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz
"D": Death of Anton by Alan Melville
June: Satires of Circumstance, lyrics and reveries with miscellaneous pieces by Thomas Hardy Born on June 2, 1840
300 pages: Praga magica by Angelo Maria Ripellino
Box 7 📕📗📘📙
July: Red Planet by Robert A. Heinlein Born on July 7, 1907
Cat: Thomasina: The Cat Who Thought She Was a God by Paul Gallico
Hot: The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
Island: The Island of Adventure by Enid Blyton
Box 8 📕📗📘📙
August: Poems: 1842 by Alfred Tennyson Born on August 6, 1809
Mark Twain: The Innocents Abroad, Or, the New Pilgrims' Progress
Summer: After Many a Summer Dies the Swan by Aldous Huxley
Grey: The Grey King by Susan Cooper
Box 9 📕📗📘📙
Hefty: Erfolg by Lion Feuchtwanger 816 pages
September: They Do It With Mirrors by Agatha Christie Born September 15, 1890
Asian:Life for Sale by Yukio Mishima Japan
30: The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Eerie Tales by Rudyard Kipling Born December 30, 1865
Box 10 📕📗📘📙
October: Il deserto dei tartari by Dino Buzzati Born on October 16, 1906
Horror: The Terror by Arthur Machen
Pair: A Mão e a Luva by Machado de Assis
"S": Silver on the Tree by Susan Cooper
Box 11 📕📗📘📙
November: Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis Born on November 29, 1898
Thankful: Pollyanna bu Eleanor H. Porter
Family: The Grass Harp by Truman Capote
German: Der Mann Im Mond by Wilhelm Hauff
Box 12 📕📗📘📙
Christmas: A Surprise For Christmas: And Other Seasonal Mysteries by Martin Edwards
Snow: Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
English: The Belton Estate by Anthony Trollope
Five: The Five Orange Pips by Arthur Conan Doyle
Mod
�: Finished (12/12)
Box 1
�Termush by Sven Holm (set in a "L"uxury hotel/coastal resort, per the GR description.)
Box 2
�Heartbreak Tango A Serial by Manuel Puig (Love)
Box 3
�A Zoo in My Luggage by Gerald Durrell (B for "beef" - pidgin for animals and British Cameroons)
Box 4
�Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars by Ellen MacGregor (yellow cover)
Box 5
�The Long Secret by Louise Fitzhugh (Harriet the Spy - detective)
Box 6
�Maigret and the Toy Village by Georges Simenon (France)
Box 7
�Carrie by Stephen King
(Hot - fire)
Box 8
�An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie (gray and white cover)
Box 9
� The Manticore by Robertson Davies (salmon/pink color on the cover (picture frame); also has 30 in the number of pages 310)
Box 10
�The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories (Horror)
Box 11
�From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (family - brother and sister)
Box 12
�The Tunnel by Ernesto Sabato ( White type on cover)
Mod
Welcome Pam and nice job with the thinking inside the box!
Interesting idea and a way to expand my reading subject habits. I'm in!
Mod
Glad to have you join in with us Karen!
This looks fun!BOX Challenge: The CLASSIC you read HAS to do with AT least ONE thing that is IN the BOX.
Box 1
January
"L"
- 100 pages
Russian - Doctor Zhivago?
Box 2
Jane Austen & Love - Emma
Box 3
March - Little Women?
"B" & Castle - The Blue Castle?
Box 4
April
Spring
+150 pages
"W"
Box 5
May
Science
Detective
Box 6
June
France
"D"
300 pages
Box 7
July
Cat
Hot
Island - Treasure Island?
Box 8
August
Mark Twain
Summer
Box 9
September
30
Hefty
Asian
Box 10
October
Horror
Pair
"S"
Box 11
November
Thankful
Family
German
Box 12
Christmas & English - Hercule Poirot’s Christmas, English author
Snow
Five
Mod
2024 Box Challenge🌠Box 1
Russian The Gulag Archipelago (Russian prisons)
Box 2
Jane Austen
February
Love
Box 3
March
"B"
Ireland
Castle
🌠Box 4
"W" The Milagro Beanfield War (war over water)
🌠Box 5
Detective The Adventure of the Dying Detective
🌠Box 6
"D" The Great Divorce ("D" is for Dream!)
🌠Box 7
Cat Breakfast at Tiffany's (the unnamed cat!)
Box 8
August
Mark Twain
Summer
🌠Box 9
Asian My Several Worlds (Asian cultures)
🌠Box 10
"S" Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott ("S" is for seven boys!)
🌠Box 11
Thankful & Family Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (thankful to be adopted into a loving family)
Box 12
Christmas
Snow
English
Five
_X_X_
_X_
_X_
Pam wrote: "I love the options and the creativity allowed so I will give it a try! Box 1
The Crying of Lot 49 ("L"- Lot, January - month published)
Box 2
é (love)
[book:Mansfiel..."
Pam, I want to read Cousin Bette this year. Would you like to do a buddy read?
Looks like fun...I'm a little late, but I'm in 🙂
Box 1: The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (published January 1, 1905)
Box 2:
Mod
Happy to see you join in for this one!
How is the weather in NY. It has been raining all day and so very windy.
Take care!
I don’t think this will over-stress me (she says on January 14th).5/12 7.1.24 - Slow and steady, but I have all the heavies in front of me.
12/4 10/12 - needed to sub out a bunch, but still have more to go. Might finish Les Mis which would be satisfying.
Yearend! 11/12 - pretty good!
X Box 1 Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
January/"L"/- 100 pages/Russian
X Box 2 Persuasion by Jane Austen
Jane Austen/February /Love
X Box 3 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton
March/"B"/Ireland/Castle
X Box 4 The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe
April/Spring/+150 pages/"W"
X Box 5 Richard III - read in May
May/Science/Detective
X Box 6 Ubik by Philip K. Dick
June/France/"D"/300 pages
X Box 7 The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene - replaced Island of Dr Moreau because I was willing to carry it in my suitcase on holiday. And it’s set in Mexico and everyone was always hot in the story.
July/Cat/Hot/Island
X Box 8 A Man for All Seasons: A Play in Two Acts
August/Mark Twain/Summer
X Box 9 Les Miserables
September/30/Hefty/Asian
Box 10 The Turn of the Screw - Didn't get to this one!!
October/Horror/Pair/"S"
X Box 11 Cold Comfort Farm
November/Thankful/Family/German
X Box 12 Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Christmas/Snow/English/Five
Ok, a few of these may stress me.
Mod
I’m overlapping multiple buddy reads and other challenges. These are books that I’ve wanted to read, so maybe this is just the impetus to make it happen. My list of painful tbr is actually much smaller than 3 years ago when I first retired. And often, unsurprisingly, what I’ve been dreading, turned out to be just fine, if ridiculously long in most cases.
2024 Box ChallengeBox 1 January, "L", -100 pages, Russian
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Confession by Leo Tolstoy Russian collection of stories
Box 2 Jane Austen, February, Love
The Weary Blues by Langston Hughes read in February
Box 3 March, "B", Ireland, Castle
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester author's name begins with B
Box 4 April, Spring, +150 pages, "W"
The Collected Poems of Wilfred Owen by Wilfred Owen written during WWI
Box 5 May, Science, Detective
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie Detective story
Box 6 June, France, "D", 300 pages
Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust French all around
Box 7 July, Cat , Hot, Island
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne occurs on an island
Box 8 August, Mark Twain, Summer
The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith read in August
Box 9 September, 30, Hefty, Asian
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra Hefty but fun!
Box 10 October, Horror, Pair, "S"
The Tree of Life by C.L. Moore horror sci-fi
Box 11 November, Thankful, Family, German
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter Pollyanna is glad & thankful
Box 12 Christmas, Snow, English, Five
The Christmas Angel by Abbie Farwell Brown occurs at Christmas, has snow, in England...
Mod
Sounds great Annette! I hope you enjoy it!!
January L: Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima
- 100 pages: In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
Russian: Clouds above the Hill: A Historical Novel of the Russo-Japanese War, Volume 1 (Volumes 1-4) by Ryōtarō Shiba
February
Jane Austen: Emma by Jane Austen
Love: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
March
B: Babette's Feast and Other Stories by Isak Dinesen
Ireland: Dubliners by James Joyce
Castle: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
April
Spring: The Spring of My Life and Selected Haiku by Kobayashi Issa
+150 Pages: The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter by anonymous
W: A Woman in Berlin by anonymous
May
Science: The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
Detective: Laura by Vera Caspary
June
France: Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir
D: Dark Passage by David Goodis
300 pages: Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska
July
Cat: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
Hot: Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
Island: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
August
Summer: Death in Midsummer and Other Stories by Yukio Mishima
September
30: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
October
Horror: Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
November
Thankful: Pollyanna and Pollyanna Grows Up by Eleanor H. Porter
Family: Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford
December
Five: Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton
Mod
L: Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima
- 100 pages: In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
Russian: [book:Clouds above t..."
Really interesting choices Laurel. Thank you for sharing and welcome to the challenge!!
Lesle wrote: "Laurel wrote: " January L: Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima
- 100 pages: In Praise of Shadows by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
Russian: [book:..."
Thanks, Lesle!
I was doing a "January in Japan " challenge for my other book club, so thought for a minute the "Russian" cue might throw a spanner in the works of my grand plan to fulfill *all* the cues this year. But it pushed me to find some literature on the Russo-Japanese War, which will lead to its own separate deep-dive. Thank you!
Mod
Thank you again for sharing your month!
Something we can take awe in :)
Karen's Box ChallengeBox 1
January
"L"
- 100 pages Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven
Russian Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven
I did a two topics in one read here. On to February's challenge!
Mod
Lesle wrote: "Great thinking with working inside the Box Karen!!" Thanks, Lesle! I was at a loss for what to read for February. I don't have any books with "February" or "love" in the title. (No interest in love stories; that ship sailed a long time ago.) However, I found a Jane Austin in the basement. I've been dreading reading it, because Jane Austin is not one of my favourite authors. (Hence, the book was relegated to the basement.) However, I'm only about 50 pages into Emma and I'm enjoying it. Surprise! My boundaries are being challenged (read: expanded)!
Mod
You're so right, Lesle! Glad I left my comfort zone.
Mod
Hi Melanie - I just noticed that I didn't respond to your question. Sorry, I thought about it and then forgot to post! I would prefer to not schedule a buddy read, at this time, but I can post a comment here when I'm getting ready to read it (if I actually do). I bought the book for my husband for Christmas so it won't be until after he reads it. Maybe around May or June.
Box 1January
"L"
- 100 pages Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven 73 pages
Russian Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven
Box 2
Jane Austen Emma
February
Love
Reading Jane Austen's Emma was tedious at times. I really liked the characters, and that's what kept me going. Glad I read it, but certainly would not reread. Now I have to find something appropriate for the Box 3 challenge.
Mod
Mod
Color = the color of the box can be used as "The color of the cover"
or "the color is in the title'
Size of Box = the size of the book. If you notice some are bigger and some are smaller.
Number of the Box = as Karen mentioned she is on Box 3. 3 can be in the title or a triology.
Thinking outside the Box lol!!!
Lesle wrote: "There are a couple hints I would like to share when I was doing the Box Challenge.Color = the color of the box can be used as "The color of the cover"
or "the color is in the title'
Size of Box..." Great tips, Lesle! I had no idea. Gives one more options. Thank you!
Mod
I’ve been reading mostly contemporary books this year but this challenge is encouraging me to pick up some more classics!
Pam wrote: "I really like the color option. Lesle! I thought of some other visual clues- cursive writing on the cover, title/author in white type or brown, vertical print on cover.I’ve been reading mostly co..." Such good tips, Pam. I need to try harder to think outside the box.
Mod
Great job on finding other clues Pam!!
I thought this might be a fun way to do a challenge this time!!
Mod
Lesle wrote: "How are we doing with the Box Challenge?"I have 9 of 12 boxes with at least one book finished. I'll probably try for 2 per box; or out-of-the-box. Fun challenge!
Mod
Congratulations Kathy!! Good luck with the additional challenge of the second per box.
Update:Box 3
March
"B" The Body in the Castle Well
Ireland
Castle The Body in the Castle Well
Box 4
April
Spring
+150 pages A Case of Need 416 pages & yellow cover
Box 5
May
Science
Detective A Scone to Die for & violet cover
Box 6
June
France
"D"
300 pages Homecoming 547 pages
Mod
Mod
I am! I'm just editing my original comment each month. Have managed all the cues so far!
Mod
Funny, I was just looking at that yesterday and then saw your message, Lesle. I have read 5 so far and edited my original comment too. So, I'm only 1 behind for this time of year, but I have so many big books jotted down to finish. sigh.
Mod
Thanks for updating!!
I decided to try this one.Box 1
January
"L":
- 100 pages: The Executor by Mrs. Oliphant
Russian
Box 2
Jane Austen
February
Love: Cotillion by Georgette Heyer
Box 3
March
"B": The Belton Estate by Anthony Trollope
Castle
Box 4
April
Spring
+150 pages: Claudine in Paris by Colette
"W"
Box 5
May
Science
Detective: The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley
Box 6
June
France: Claudine at School by Colette
"D"
300 pages
Box 7
July
Cat: The Cat Saw Murder: A Rachel Murdock Mystery by Dolores Hitchens
Hot
Island
Box 8
August: Night Life of the Gods by Thorne Smith
Mark Twain
Summer
Box 9
September
30
Hefty
Asian: Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata
Box 10
October
Horror
Pair
"S": The Beautiful Story of Joan of Arc, The martyr maid of France, by Viola Ruth Lowe
Box 11
November
Thankful
Family: Post After Post-Mortem by E.C.R. Lorac
German
Box 12
Christmas
English
Snow: Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata
Five
Lesle wrote: "NIce job Karen!"Thanks, Lesle! I think I'm going to read Islands of the Damned for July. I'm a very eclectic reader and read according to my mood. Although I love the cozy mysteries with cats, I'm on a cat overload just now. Have to move on to something else.
Mod
Never thought about reading that way actually Karen. By Genre? Yes but what is contained like cats...might be fun!
Never too Late to Read Classics
Books mentioned in this topic
Five on a Treasure Island (other topics)Hons and Rebels (other topics)
The Body in the Library (other topics)
The Collected Poems of Wilfred Owen (other topics)
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Confession (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Enid Blyton (other topics)Jessica Mitford (other topics)
Wilfred Owen (other topics)
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (other topics)
Jules Verne (other topics)
More...
The BOX Challenge Rules
1. The CLASSIC you read HAS to do with AT least ONE thing that is IN the BOX.
Go ahead and save you comment box now. (why the post is early)
Put ideas in your comment box. (why I am posting early)
Think Inside the box. (why I posted early)
Let us know how you completed each box with the classic and author.
Have fun!!!