Kathy's (kac522) BFBs in 2026

I'm back for another year of Big Fat Books. Last year I managed 10; I hope to match that number at minimum.

BFB's Completed
1. Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens (1865), 800 pages, re-read on audiobook read by Simon Vance
2. Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume II, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 662 pages; on audiobook read by Simon Vance
3. Ayala's Angel, Anthony Trollope (1881); 631 pages
4. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo (1862) 1304 pages
5. John Caldigate, Anthony Trollope (1879); 656 pages
6. South Riding, Winifred Holtby (1936, post.); 515 pages
7. The American Senator, Anthony Trollope (1877); 557 pages

Currently Reading
All Things Wise and Wonderful, James Herriot, 583p
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte; a re-read on audio

Some possible 2026 BFB titles--organized by author:

The Old Wives' Tale, Arnold Bennett
Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
Rough Hewn, Dorothy Canfield Fisher
No Name, Wilkie Collins
Felix Holt, George Eliot
Romola, George Eliot
The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe
The Heart of Midlothian, Sir Walter Scott
Marion Fay, Anthony Trollope
Jessie Phillips, Mrs Fanny Trollope
Marcella, Mrs Humphrey Ward
East Lynne, Ellen Wood

Some possible BFB re-reads--organized by author:

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Testament of Youth, Vera Brittain
Wives and Daughters, Elizabeth Gaskell
The Three Clerks, Anthony Trollope
He Knew He Was Right, Anthony Trollope

Hi Kathy, I am very interested to see how you get along with Les Mis.

>2 MissWatson: Me too. Glad to see you here again, Kathy.

>2 MissWatson:, >3 connie53: Thanks for the encouragement! I really find it daunting. I tried to read The Count of Monte Cristo last year and gave up half-way through.

What little I've read of Les Mis so far has been easy reading--whether that's because of the original or the translation (Christine Donougher), I don't know.
I also found a helpful website that takes you through each chapter with a summary (via podcast): https://sites.google.com/view/readlesmis/home-menu

...so if I start to feel overwhelmed, at least there's a resource to clear things up and get a little incentive to keep on.

Happy reading in 2026! I am still waiting for my copy of Les Miserables to arrive from the library so I already have catching up to do. Look forward to seeing what else you are reading - quite a few of those classics are also on my list.

>5 JayneCM: I've read about 50 pages of Les Mis and so far, so good. My plan is to read about 20-25 pages a day. I have a bunch of other things to read this month: The Moonstone for my book club, the Hardy book (A Laodicean), a Virago (Crossriggs), a couple of epistolary books and a couple of 1950s books for the DecadeCAT.

Happy New Year and wishing you good reading this year.

>7 marell: Happy new reading year to you, too!

Hi Kathy, I hope you enjoy Les Miserables, it is one of my favourite classics, have a great 2026!

>9 bryanoz: Thanks Bryan! I know you'll be knocking out those BFBs!

I would have liked to join the Les Mis readalong but I had already agreed to reread The Lord of the Rings with my Grand Daughter as she reads it for the first time. Hope you will step up with some insightful commentary in my place!

>11 bryanoz: Reading with your granddaughter--what a great project! That definitely takes priority! 👍

I'm trying to read 20-25 pages a day of Les Mis and that should keep me on track. Have you read it before?

>11 bryanoz: Reading with your granddaughter will probably make a reader too. That's wat happened with my granddaughters too.

Hi, Kathy, I've finally made it back over here for the New Year and got my thread set up. I too wish that I could take part in the Les Mis readalong, but I don't have time to add that book this month or next, so I would have gotten too far behind. That sounds like such an interesting way to tackle a big book like that. It's one I have not yet read, so it would have been a good way to start it. But I'll get to it one of these days.

>14 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene--my Les Mis reading has stalled a bit; I have some other books I want to finish in January and the Les Mis project is for 3 months, so I'll do some catch-up in February. I have listened to a few of the podcasts, and they're very helpful for background.

I'm currently listening to another BFB, Our Mutual Friend, with Mark--mostly I listen to that in the car when I'm out and about, so I'm a bit behind there, but it's my 4th time reading it (I think), so I know what happens :) I'm also reading All Things Wise and Wonderful a teeny bit at a time; probably will take me through February.

If there's any books on my list in >1 kac522: that you might consider reading, let me know & maybe we can coordinate. I know I read a ton of classics, and that's not everybody's first choice for long books.

>15 kac522: I love classics, but I'm not sure how much time I will have for them this year. I have two book clubs going, and my primary book club is reading some pretty long books this year. I do want to get to The Mysteries of Udolpho at some point, but I'm not sure that I can fit it in this year. I'll get back to you if I think I'll have time for one of these books. But thanks for the offer, I really do appreciate it!

>1 kac522: oh fanstastic, you're reading Les Mis, I've read it twice and would easily read again but not this year but it's definitely a book I want to get back to. Best of Luck with the challenge.

>16 atozgrl: Sounds good, Irene.

>17 AnishaInkspill: Thanks!

Hi Kathy my dear, good luck with the BFB's this year, haven't got started on Les Mis yet as my reading was interrupted by a short spell in hospital.

Hi John, I've been stalled on Les Mis and I've been healthy, so I have no excuse.

I've been following your frustrating medical journey on your 75ers thread. Wishing you all the best and hope your surgeries happen sooner rather than later.

Took a month, but I finally finished my first BFB of 2026:

BFB 1. Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens (1865), 800 pages, re-read on audiobook read by Simon Vance

NOTE: Spoilers ahead!!

This is my fourth reading of the book. This time I noticed how many characters pretend to be something that they're not, generally for bad or devious purposes:
--the Veneerings--all surface
--the Lammles--on the make for money
--Fascination Fledgeby--owns a nefarious lending house, but pretends he knows nothing about it
--Rogue Riderhood--calls himself "an honest man" but lies...a LOT
--Bradley Headstone--dresses as Riderhood to commit a crime
--Silas Wegg--pretends to be Mr Boffin's friend, but has other plans
--Eugene Wrayburn--pretends not to care about anyone or anything
--Charlie Hexam--trying to escape his roots on the waterfront
--Mrs Wilfer--full of airs of greatness

And there are those who are the opposite: pretending to be someone else or natures other than their own to do good (in their minds):
--John Harmon/Rokesmith/Julius Handford--must hide his identity since he is under suspicion for his own death
--Mr & Mrs Boffin--conspire with the above John to help him secure Bella's affections

And lastly, pretending but under duress
--Mr Riah--forced to be a hard-nosed money lender/debt collector under orders from Fledgeby

There are a few main characters that remain true to themselves:
--Bella Wilfer--admits that she is selfish and mercenary, but dislikes herself for it; we see her gradually change over the course of the novel
--Lizzie Hexam--never turns her back on her father, her brother and where she's from
--Jenny Wren--completely open about her disabilities and her opinions
--Mr Wilfer--always his cheery self, although perhaps a bit delusional when it comes to Mrs Wilfer
--Betty Higdon--refuses charity and is determined to fend for herself despite her age and lack of funds
--Mr Twemlow--confused and unsure, but never false; ultimately he gets the moral courage to do the right thing

The only other somewhat main character I couldn't place is Mortimer Lightwood. I'll need to think more about him--he seems to float in and out of the society of "pretenders." He is always himself, I think, but not particularly heroic or principled until the end when he shows his devotion to Eugene. So perhaps he undergoes a change in character like Bella and Eugene.

BFB 2. Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volume II, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; 662 pages

Back in 2024 I started listening to the Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes read by Simon Vance. This 50-CD set corresponds to the Bantam editions (Vol I and Vol II) that I own in print. I finished Volume I last September.

I started listening to Volume II in October 2025 and today I finished Volume II which includes:
--The Hound of the Baskervilles
--The Valley of Fear
--His Last Bow
--The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes

Note that all of these in Volume II were published after 1900, although "The Case Book" purports to relate some cases from the 1890s.

This has been quite a long journey, but it was the perfect audio listening when I didn't want to invest a lot of time into a book on audio. It's easy just to listen to a couple of stories, particularly between longer books. And you can come back to it weeks or months later and you're right back in the groove with Holmes and Watson.

One of the things I noticed about "The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes" is that several stories are narrated by Holmes himself. At any rate these were all great, and I'm keeping these audio files around to use as filler between books; I'm sure if I go back to the beginning, the stories I read 2 years ago will be almost like new!

BFB 3. Ayala's Angel, Anthony Trollope (1881); 631 pages.

A delightful Trollope about several young women and their suitors and parents/guardians, with funny characters and some laugh-out-loud dialogue. There are no big over-arching themes, except perhaps marrying for love vs. marrying for money. This is one of Trollope's last novels and he must have had a lot of fun writing it.

BFB 4. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo (1862); 1,304 pages.

I did it. Started in January and took a week or two longer than I anticipated. I did enjoy it mostly, but there were parts that were too long, too detailed and, dare I say it, too 19th c. France for me. Although I had notes and am catching up with the podcast, there is still a great deal in this book where Hugo was speaking directly to his contemporary readers, and much less relatable to me. Of course, there are all kinds of universal themes, too, but we could be here for hours. It's a brilliant book and I don't think I'm up to reviewing it. I'm glad I read it.

BFB 5. John Caldigate, Anthony Trollope (1879); 656 pages.

John Caldigate, lured by gold, goes to Australia to make his fortune. Some years later, Caldigate returns to England, having made money and sold his interest in a mine. He marries the girl of his dreams, but is soon confronted with accusations of dishonesty and bigamy by old "friends" from the gold mines. The rest of the story is John's legal issues & trial, how it affects his marriage and the importance of a postage stamp.

This was quite a fast-paced novel, almost sensational in its tone. The descriptions of mining in Australia when John arrives, were fascinating, and were based on Trollope's own experience visiting Australia's mines. John was not particularly likable as a young man, but I think he does gain wisdom as he ages. The character I loved was John's father, Mr Caldigate, who slowly comes to respect and appreciate his son. Overall, a solid Trollope novel, with some interesting bits and some frustrating ones.

BFB 6. South Riding, Winifred Holtby (1936, post); 515 pages.

Set in southeast Yorkshire in 1933-34, this is a sprawling book about a mostly rural area and the challenges of a changing world between the wars. There's a 6 page character list at the beginning of the book, which was most useful. The book does concentrate on 3 people: Sarah Burton, the new headmistress of the girls' high school, just come from London; Robert Carne, a gentry farmer trying to keep his family's many generations' farm afloat; and Mrs Beddows, the first (and only) woman alderman on the local council. There are parallels to some 19th century classics, like Middlemarch and Jane Eyre, with 20th century sensibilities. A sweeping novel that I think I need to read again to really appreciate.

BFB 7. The American Senator, Anthony Trollope (1877); 557 pages.

Won't be a favorite, but it did have some interesting elements. Three main story lines that all intersect a bit: an American Senator visiting England and ruminating on its inconsistencies; a scheming young woman, currently engaged, but looking for an even greater catch; and a determined young woman who is pursued by a man she likes as a brother, but does not love. The first and last of these were the most interesting, but I think the novel is best known (and he felt best done) for the middle story line. I have a hard time reading about selfish people with no morals or scruples, but I know that a great story is made in exposing them.