Every summer, I sign up to 20 Books of Summer hosted by Cathy of 746 Books as a fun sidequest through the summer. I set myself a target, which I inevitably miss. In mid-July point, I reset my goal to just 10 Books of Summer… but where have I ended up?
20 books of summer
Every summer, I sign up to 20 Books of Summer hosted by Cathy of 746 Books. This is a casual challenge to read and review your backlog, with flexible TBRs and a range of targets, which suits me perfectly as summer tends to be when I hit a slump. So how am I getting on at the midway mark?
20 Books of Summer is an annual challenge hosted by Cathy of 746 Books. This is all about reading and reviewing your backlog over the summer – just set a target of 10, 15 or 20 books and declare a TBR (you can always change it later). In spite of 2021 being my year of no goals, I’m taking part as usual with an achievable goal of 15 (which is what i said last year, then spent the summer rereading instead, ahem).
As bombs fall on London, the Natural History Museum’s collections are evacuated to the country. Hetty accompanies the mammals to Lockwood Manor, but its haunted halls hold their own threats – to the collection, and to Hetty’s peace of mind…
Gideon Nav will do anything to escape the Ninth – even serve its despised Lady Harrowhark as she vies to ascend to the immortal ranks of the Emperor’s Lyctors. But the competition is lethal – even for necromancers…
Dan Mackmain has a new home, steady work and a fragile happiness… until he’s asked to go manage the renovation of a Cotswold estate. When the Green Man makes it clear Dan must go south, he packs his bags – but why is he needed at Brightwell?
Times are a-changing. Welcome to Jazz Age Mexico, where hemlines and haircuts are getting scandalously short and the lord of the underworld is about to be released from imprisonment…
Bringing your husband home for the holidays can be stressful at the best of times. Thuan is married to an over-protective angel who is keen on hurting people, and the festivities are set to involve palace intrigue and murder. Happy new year?
When House Harrier explodes into civil war, Paris holds its breath to see who comes out on top. With Silverspires and Hawthorn already weakened, this could be an opportunity for the ruthlessly ambitious – but no-one is ready for what emerges from the fires of Harrier…
A remote house in the mountains. A reclusive family who live by strict rules. A dark history of disease and murder. Can flighty socialite Noemí pierce the stifling gloom of High Place – and what secrets will she find if she does?
My reading has been all over the place this year – I read nearly as many pages in February as I did in March and April put together – so committing to a reading challenge is arguably a daft idea. But I can never resist Cathy’s call for 20 Books of Summer, and this year is no different!
September is here, and 20 Books of Summer is officially over (even if I’m hoping summer itself may linger a few more weeks). So, how did I get on?
I started the dog days of August as a grizzly old timer with much growling and then switched track to happy dappy Labrador thanks to a wonderful first Worldcon. My reading has been dented, but my enthusiasm for genre and books is on fire!
There’s more to life than murder. After a lifetime of killing to survive, Molly must come to terms with what it really means to be Molly Southbourne…
July has been wall to wall work, with interludes of Oh My Word It’s Hot, emergency furniture shopping, and a long weekend splashing about with my nieces and nephews out-law. I’m looking forward to my August interlude: my first Worldcon! But first: more work.
onemore.org 