So this was my first attempt at the 20 Books of Summer challenge which was being hosted by 746 Books. It officially finished on the 1st. September lasting for 3 months from the 1st. June.
These were the 20 books I chose:
1. Persuasion - Jane Austen
2. The Shell Seekers - Rosamunde Pilcher
3. Washington Black - Esi Edugyan
4. The Giver of Stars - Jojo Moyes
5. The Book Collectors of Daraya - Delphine Minoui
6. Sicilian Carousel - Lawrence Durrell
7. The Towers of Trebizond - Rose Macaulay
8. The End of the Road - Jack Cooke
9. Wanderers - Keri Andrews
10. Spaceworlds - edited by Mike Ashley
11. Faring to France on a Shoe - Val Poore
12. A Borrowing of Bones - Paula Munnier
13. The Mauritius Command - Patrick O'Brian
14. A Quiet Life in the Country - T.E. Kinsey
15. One Summer in Crete - Nadia Marks
16. The Other Bennet Sister - Janice Hadlow
17. Through Siberia by Accident - Dervla Murphy
18. People Missing in the Woods - Steph Young
19. A Dangerous Place - Jacqueline Winspear
20. A House in Sicily - Daphne Phelps
Well, I certainly didn't manage to read all of the 20 books! I managed 12, which isn't terrible but neither is it amazing. Next year if I do this again I'll probably aim for 10 or 15 and spend a little more time choosing the books. I changed several of them for one reason or another so next time I would be more precise.
I wanted to travel around the world with the books I read, and did, so that's good. Places visited include, France, Sicily, Vermont and other parts of the USA, the Indian Ocean, Crete, Siberia, Gibralter, and a tour of the UK.
Anyway, great fun and think I would definitely have another go at this one.
15 comments:
Wow! Just, Wow! Love you!
I didn't hit my goal of 20 either and will choose a lower target next year as well.
Twelve is really good, especially when your mood changes over the course of three months and you end up wanting to read other books instead. That happens to me all the time with reading challenges like this one. So, congrats! :)
It is hard to stick with the book list, although this year I did, and I think it was because I wanted to read all of them, plus several of them were from last year's list. Last year I would guess I read 12-14 of the books on my list. I did a bit of traveling with my books this year too, which was a plus.
I managed to read 13 - my reading has definitely slowed down this year. Next year I think I should go for 10 or 15 too. I find it hard to decide in advance in any case, usually finding other books that I want to read when the time comes.
Cath, I think you did very well with your 20 books. I'm finding that I read less and less from any 'planned' list. And that's OK. I'm just happy to be reading more normally again.
12 of 20 from a set list like this one is really good, in my estimation, because way too many distracting books are going to come along in any three months to move you right off the list. And then those surprises lead to more surprises, etc. Throw in reading a few book blogs, and the list is doomed. Well, anyway, that's why I quit challenges. LOL
Pat: Thanks, Sis, :-)
Diane: I find the minute I choose the books and list them my interest in said books slowly starts to wane...
Lark: Yeah, that's exactly my problem with challenges too. I still keep doing them though. Lost cause. LOL!
Tracy: I think next year I need to aim a little lower. Then if I do well I can change it to higher. But I enjoyed the experience.
Margaret: I found I did really in the first month. Then I realised that if I was going to finish the 20 books I'd need to read 7 each month. That was when I realised I was probably not going to complete it.
Kay: Thank you! I do less well with planned reading than I do with say a book Bingo challenge where you can mood read your way through it. I need to remember that for the future. Very glad to hear you're able to read more normally again.
Sam: Distractions are exactly it. And as you also say 3 months is a long time. LOL... yes, exactly, the list was somewhat doomed after the first month. Still, it was an interesting experience.
Twelve seems like a lot to me! THE GIVER OF STARS is one I still need to read. I've had the book since it came out, but I just haven't gotten to it. One of these days!
Susan: Yes, 12 is not at all terrible. LOL I will get to The Giver of Stars soon... like you I just haven't got around to it.
Really encourage you to read The Other Bennett Sister by Hadlow. You will never (re)read Pride and Prejudice in quite the same way. Hadlow's characterization of Mary is outstanding. Think you will really enjoy the book.
Mary: Yes, I certainly will be reading The Other Bennett Sister. It would be interesting to read that and then read P&P again.
The cover of this book is beautiful and I love stories like this.. The summary mixed with your review has put this book on my To Read List💕🥰… I love that it was a random find, one of my favorite books was a random find “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” by Rachel Joyce 😊
I brought two of mine with me to France - one is really weak. It turned out to be the third in a trilogy and the author has by this time created so many characters it is very disjointed. The other is a book by Rosamund Pilcher's son. He knows her style but cannot capture her way of bringing characters to life.
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