Will there be a challenge next year? 

I posted last year's challenge, and I think everybody read more classics than I did.

I blame the Karamazov Brothers; they're still hanging around and I want to be quit of them.

I could poke around for challenge ideas to discuss. Or if someone else wants to, that's good, too.  I think there has to be a sports category for Charles :)

Yes, let's do another.  It doesn't matter how many one reads it just helps me keep going in this area.  I found lots of ideas from those that other people read so I'd be happy to participate.  Categories last year were good, too.

don't do anything on my account. I don't do well on challenges. My reading is too random. I don't direct where I'm going much any more. I used to but I'm too old and lazy to work at it now. I read a lot of stuff that I find at thrift stores so there is no telling what I may find.

I did just get a baseball book in the mail from somebody here a couple of days ago. http://www.paperbackswap.com/Crazy-08-How-Cait-Murphy/book/0060889381/

I have Wait til Next Year on my list.  Dodger fan, you know. And it IS Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Wait Till next year is outstanding. I read that a few years ago. I loaned the book I had at the time to several people and everybody liked it. It's not a very long book. I also read her book Team of Rivals. 750 pp. I used to have a neighbor who loved the Speilberg movie of Lincoln based in part on that book. My neighbor must have seen that movie at least half a dozen times.

you mention Brothers Karamazov.

have you heard of this book http://www.paperbackswap.com/Brothers-K-David-James-Duncan/book/055337849X/

I have no new challenge ideas to offer, but I could easily cover the same topics again as we did this year. They were broad enough...

How about this?  It is adapted from the same blogger as last year, Books and Chocolate.

1.  A 19th Century Classic - any book published between 1800 and 1899.

2.  A 20th Century Classic - any book published between 1900 and 1967. 

3.  A classic by a woman author. 

4.  A classic in translation.  Any book originally written published in a language other than your native language.

5.  A classic published before 1800. Plays and epic poems are acceptable in this category also.

6.  A romance classic. We’re pretty flexible here about the definition of romance around here. It can have a happy ending or a sad ending, as long as there is a strong romantic element to the plot.

7.  A Gothic or horror classic. For a good definition of what makes a book Gothic, and an excellent list of possible reads, please see this list on Goodreads. 

8.  A classic with a number in the title. Examples include A Tale of Two Cities, Three Men in a Boat, The Nine Tailors, Henry V, Fahrenheit 451, etc.

9.  A classic about an animal or which includes the name of an animal in the title.  It an actual animal or a metaphor, or just the name. Examples include To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, The Metamorphosis, White Fang, etc. 

10. A classic set in a place you'd like to visit. It can be real or imaginary: The Wizard of Oz, Down and Out in Paris and London, Death on the Nile, etc.

11. An award-winning classic. It could be the Newbery award, the Prix Goncourt, the Pulitzer Prize, the James Tait Award, etc. Any award, just mention in your blog post what award your choice received.

12. A Russian Classic. 2017 will be the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, so read a classic by any Russian author. 

Wild card ** Substitute one category for another, or one from the 2016 list.  May be used twice.  (Maybe you hate romance or the Russian tomes.)

All alternate suggestions welcome.  Any thoughts?

has anybody's reading choices been disallowed. a book maybe not qualified for some reason?

Always an interesting question in challenges.  I think it is informative to ask, "Hey, is this book considered a Gothic or horror classic?" and see if someone has an opinion of or knowledge on the subject. 

Since it's not competitive here, no prizes or anything, I think the honor system is good enough. I just like to see what other folks read.  Hopefully, I get back to those classics on my shelves this year.

Charles, regarding the Brothers K book you referenced, no, I hadn't heard of that one.  I had a discussion with a friend just the other day on modern day retellings of classics, specifically Anne Tyler's Hogarth Press book, Vinegar Girl, last year.  It's a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew.  I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite fish or fowl, neither Tyler or Shakespeare.  My friend loves the modern versions more than I do.

I think there is a guy named Rick Riordan who writes some series based on the Odyssey and some other classic stuff. I have never read any of it. I think I have only read one Anne Tyler book. Did she write The Accidental Tourist? That's the one I read.

One of my all time favorite books is Light in August by Faulkner. That book is constructed on a Bibilical motif which is really brilliant in my opinion.

Susan K-Your suggested list looks good to me.

Looks good to me, Susan. I'm already checking my shelves to see what I have on hand so I hope this list is a go.

I'll post this challenge list this weekend as is, unless we have some further discussion.

Thank you for setting up the 2017 challenge.