I often feel somewhat notorious (and a bit of a failure!) because of my inability to complete reading challenges! The first one I tried was the LibraryThing VMC group’s Elizabeth Taylor readalong a couple of year’s back, and I just about made it (though I did join in halfway through….). In 2013 their group read was for Barbara Pym and I burnt out mid-year. And this year, they went for a Great War themed readalong which I didn’t even get started with! I *did* succeed with my plan to read Anthony Powell’s “Dance to the Music of Time” series, however, and I’ve also completed the first volume of Proust (out of three I have) plus Olivia Manning’s “Balkan Trilogy”, so I suppose I’m not doing too badly!
For 2015 I’ve decided, along with HeavenAli, Liz and possibly others, to read “The Forsyte Saga” – nine novels plus the odd interlude so at less than a book a month that should be manageable. However, a couple of other possibilities have reared their heads…
The most recent edition of Slightly Foxed magazine had an article on C.P. Snow, which reminded me that I have his “Strangers and Brothers” series of 11 novels on my bookshelves. I think they would be a remarkably interesting exercise following on from the Powells, particularly as Snow was satirised in “Dance” as J.C. Quiggin. The main issue I have with Snow is deciding on the order of reading, as the early novels were published in one order, but later Snow recommended a different reading order. I am one of those odd pedants who insists on reading the Narnia books in the order published, refusing to read “The Magician’s Nephew” first, so I think if I do read the Snows I shall be awkward and stick to the publication order.
Then there is Lawrence Durrell. I read and enjoyed “Prospero’s Cell” earlier in the year, and have been humming and hawing about whether to try his fiction, in particular his Alexandra Quartet. The question was decided in the Samaritan’s Book Cave at the weekend, when I popped down in search of books for Youngest Child’s university studies and instead came out with these:
Yes, all four volumes of the Alexandria Quartet in lovely old Faber editions for £1 each. Cheaper than online with no postage involved (just the wear on my shoulder carting them around town).
So there are several series I could pick up and run with (let alone all the other recent arrivals). I am *definitely* going with “The Forsyte Saga”; but as for the others, I shall keep my mind very much open and free, and if those books happen to float past me, I may well be picking them up…! 🙂
Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings 
Dec 22, 2014 @ 08:06:55
I’m looking forward to reading the Forsyte Saga along with you and others (I’ve just downloaded the whole lot onto Kindle as I have a very unwieldy set of the first six in one ginormous hardback). I’m also going to “do” Trollope in 2015 – the Barsetshire Chronicles first – but I’m not setting any limit on how often / how quickly / when by. My other “challenge” is to give myself a month of re-reading a year – I’ve just decided to push that back from January to February so that I can pick off some of the Christmas/birthday induced TBR in January … Happy reading for 2015!
Dec 22, 2014 @ 09:37:39
A Kindle is probably a good idea here – I have three collections of three books and they’re quite large enough…. I would love to do Trollope too but I’m feeling overwhelmed already. And there are also these ideas buzzing around in the back of my mind to read all J.G. Ballard’s short stories and all Virginia Woolf’s essays. I think I shall have to retire! Ah well – we’ll enjoy what we do read in 2015 – happy reading to you to! 🙂
Dec 22, 2014 @ 09:38:03
Good luck, that will be a fun challenge! Look forward to hearing about it.
Dec 22, 2014 @ 09:40:08
Thank you! 🙂
Dec 22, 2014 @ 10:05:42
Looking forward to The Forsyte Saga and have already promised myself that I will read some poetry next year. The LT group are still wavering over a group read for 2015 so will wait until they decide what to do. As I am already in a book group anyway I am going to try not to join in millions of challenges. They are tempting though. Good luck 🙂
Dec 22, 2014 @ 10:13:08
They *are* tempting, and I tend to get carried away by my own enthusiasm, and then instantly distracted by other books! So I shall *definitely* do the Forsytes, but see how the rest goes. It will be interesting to see what the LT group decides!
Dec 22, 2014 @ 13:38:07
Good luck with your reading challenges for 2015 – I admire your determination and enthusiasm! Looking forward to hearing more about them during the year. I’m planning to focus on my TBR next year but I hope to join a few short themed challenges (such as German Lit Month) as and when I can.
Dec 22, 2014 @ 15:36:32
I would *like* to focus on my TBR – I shall try! 🙂
Dec 22, 2014 @ 13:43:17
Looking forward to The Forsythe Saga, it’s one of my wife’s favorites, which I should read myself.
Dec 22, 2014 @ 15:36:51
Definitely! You’ll have to join in! 🙂
Dec 22, 2014 @ 17:20:27
The Forsyte Saga is fabulous !!!
Dec 22, 2014 @ 17:30:20
I confess that I’ve been sneaking into the first volume a little early, and I do agree with you…..! 🙂
Dec 22, 2014 @ 17:31:41
There is a TV series with Damian Lewis as Soames that is great too ….watching that is what made me read tge books
Dec 22, 2014 @ 20:30:54
Good luck with The Forsyte Saga, I rather like that as a year long project. I’ve just been reading more about the Snow books too. I know of Snow but I don’t think I’ve read anything of his before. 🙂
I am pondering goals for 2015, it’s going to be such a busy year (house move, study etc) that I want to keep things very flexible…
Dec 22, 2014 @ 21:32:42
I’m with you on the flexible angle – which is why I haven’t actually *committed* to anything but the Forstye. It should be manageable because the books aren’t huge and from my initial foray, they’re very readable. Anything else will happen if it happens. And if real life gets in the way (like it obviously will for you!) it will have to be just what takes my fancy!
Dec 22, 2014 @ 20:44:35
I wrote a post about my challenges and I completely forgot I was intending to join The Forsyte Saga read along, especially as I put it on my TBR Pile for that exact purpose.
Dec 22, 2014 @ 21:33:34
Well, do join in anyway – it will be fun! 🙂
Dec 23, 2014 @ 00:52:53
I have read the first three books (plus interludes) of the Forsyte Saga and really enjoyed. I have wondered whether I should continue on to the rest. There are lots of interesting series of novels such as the Forsyte Saga and Dance to the Music of Time, but they all seem like an intimidating time commitment.
Dec 23, 2014 @ 09:36:23
They are a bit scary – which is why I tend to spread them out over the year! That way, one book every month or so doesn’t seem quite so intimidating! 🙂
Dec 23, 2014 @ 18:25:22
Good Luck!
I find that I have challenged myself to emulate Ali and your good self by reading the Powell set in 2015, and I’m doing the TBR Dare until April, so that’s plenty for me – and I’m notoriously bad at challenges.
Dec 23, 2014 @ 18:37:08
Me too – but I did just about manage the Powells at one a month, and the Forstyes will be about the same. I figure I can copy with that (she says, optimistically!)
Dec 23, 2014 @ 23:03:24
We seem to have fallen off the same challenges! This year wasn’t the right time for me to re-read serious books about WW1 and I’ve found that reading non-series books by the same author in rapid succession doesn’t work for me.
I have the Forstytes, Pilgrimage and more Trollope in mind for 2014, but I’ not setting a timetable. It’s take however long it takes!
On the series order thing, I read an interesting comment on a review of a series books, saying that when we meet new people we don’t learn their whole life story at once and in order, and so why should we expect that in fiction and read in a prescribed order. It wouldn’t apply to all series, but from what I can remember of reading Snow many years ago I think it could apply to his books ….
Dec 24, 2014 @ 08:33:29
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment, Jane. And I think you might have pinpointed my feelings exactly – I like the way series of tales unfold; I don’t want to read The Magician’s Nephew first, I want the mystery of Narnia which is gradually revealed by reading the books. I think I will definitely read Snow in publication order (when I finally get to him!) 😀
Dec 24, 2014 @ 18:53:36
All these challenges sound wonderful, and I think you do very well. You keep up with so much online, as well as your other reading. The Forsyte Saga is so much fun, and maybe I’ll read some of the later books with you. I’ve read the first three so many times. C. P. Snow was the husband of one of my favorite writers, Pamela Hansford Johnson. I love his Strangers and Brothers books.
I myself only do challenges by accident: I did read a few World War I books this year, so I’ve decided I can say I did the challenge. It’s very hard to co-ordinate all that reading: good luck to you challenge hosts!
Dec 24, 2014 @ 19:34:15
Thanks! I’m looking forward to the Forsytes which I will definitely do – the rest I shall definitely remain fluid about! 🙂