It's almost time for 20 Books of Summer. This is my tenth year of participating in this reading challenge. The event was previously hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. When she decided to stop hosting last year, Annabel from AnnaBookbel and Emma from Words and Peace took up the mantle.
The challenge is very flexible. You don't have to aim for 20 book but can also opt for 15 or 10. Here are some of the rules...
- The #20BooksofSummer2025 challenge runs from Sunday June 1st to Sunday August 31st
- The first rule of 20 Books is that there are no real rules, other than signing up for 10, 15 or 20 books and trying to read from your TBR.
- Pick your list in advance, or nominate a bookcase to read from, or pick at whim from your TBR.
For more information and the place to sign up, check out this post at AnnaBookBel. There is also a book bingo card, which is new.
I love to make lists of books to read, so I would start with a list whether I plan to stick with it or not. However, I do plan to stick with my list, and here it is...
At Bertram's Hotel | Agatha Christie (mystery)
The '44 Vintage | Anthony Price (spy fiction)
State of Wonder | Ann Patchett (fiction)
Before Your Memory Fades | Toshikazu Kawaguchi (fantasy / time travel)
The Burgess Boys | Elizabeth Strout (fiction)
Olive Again | Elizabeth Strout (fiction)
Table for Two | Amor Towles (short stories)
The Murder of Mr. Ma | John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan (mystery)
A Death in Tokyo | Keigo Higashino (mystery)
A Death in Summer | Benjamin Black (mystery)
Death by Accident | Bill Crider (mystery)
The Amateur | Robert Littell (spy fiction)
The Killing of the Tinkers | Ken Bruen (mystery)
Mrs. Dalloway | Virginia Woolf (classic, fiction)
Oona Out of Order | Margarita Montimore (time-loop fiction)
Pesticide | Kim Hayes (mystery)
The Day the World Came to Town | Jim DeFede (nonfiction)
Perplexing Plots | David Bordwell (nonfiction)
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone | Benjamin Stevenson (mystery)
Ninefox Gambit | Yoon Ha Lee (science fiction)
32 comments:
I always love seeing the different book cover designs in each country that come up during this challenge. The Strout is very different to the Australian covers.
Tracy, I've read THE MURDER OF MR. MA, as well as the Crider and the Bruen. All excellent choices.
So many good books on your list! I love both Mrs. Dalloway and The Day the World Came to Town. Happy reading all of these this summer. :D
You have an interesting list there, Tracy. Look forward to seeing what you read. At Bertram's Hotel should be good, I don't think I've read it, but the Joan Hickson drama, which I saw a few weeks ago, is excellent.
Great list!
You have an interesting list with many books and authors I've not heard of. I've read two Ann Patchett novels, one I enjoyed and one I didn't. I've not read the one you list. That Agatha Christie is tagged on my Libby wishlist in audio.
Have fun with the challenge!
You do have a varied list and I hope you enjoy each and every one of them. The only one I've read is the Christie book. I've thought about doing this summer challenge, but I probably won't. Not sure how my reading for summer will look. May tackle another mystery series and then do some 'happy' beach books or something.
A nicely varied list! I loved Table for Two - hope it works as well for you!
Book cover designs is one of my favorite parts of reading. It has, unfortunately, resulted in my reading some books that did not really appeal after all.
Jerry, I don't know why it has taken me so long to read another book by Bruen. I read and loved the three Tom Brant books in The White Trilogy, and the first Jack Taylor book. I am looking forward to getting back to Crider's Sheriff Dan Rhodes. The Murder of Mr. Ma will be a change of pace for me, but I am a big fan of Rozan, so I am sure I will enjoy it.
Lark, I never thought I would read a Virginia Woolf book but I have read a lot of good things about Mrs. Dalloway.
Cath, I have that Joan Hickson series on DVD but have only watched two of them. I should be sure to watch it after I read the book. I have enjoyed the ones I have watched, but the story in the adaptation of A Caribbean Mystery was a good bit different than the book.
Thanks, Patti. I think I am going to like reading all the books.
Kelly, I have read two books by Patchett and liked both of them. I hope this one works for me also.
Kay, your summer reading plans sound good to me. I did not make a big effort to go for happy books, but I hope that none of these will be too dark or sad.
FictionFan, I think that I will like Table for Two. I did read your review of the book, and it helped encourage me to try the book. I liked two out of three of his novels.
A nice list and I see Bill Crider's name. I have to get back to his novels. I really like the small TX town and its people and especially Sheriff Dan Rhodes. Good luck with the challenge!
Kathy, I look forward to reading another Bill Crider book this summer. It has been a while.
Sorry I'm so late to the party once again, Tracy! But I do love your choices of books. I also respect the way you set reading goals for yourself, and I'll be interested in what you think of your choices.
I expect to have some good reading experiences this summer, Margot.
NancyElin: Perplexing Plots looks really good and I see some new CF authors I never heard of....I'll have to investigate! Science fiction...I wonder what that book will be about.
Nancy, I think Perplexing Plots will be very good. Demanding but good. I bought that science fiction book by Yoon Ha Lee based on a short story I read, and I hope it was a good decision. I am assuming it is a space opera or something like that.
NancyElin: You are so brave to delve into a "space opera". I'll have to ask "Perplexity" or "ChatGPT" to see what exactly this genre is!
wow, great list! Fun to see Higashino also on your list - I have loved that title, well anything by Higashino.
A note on the Bingo card:
it’s not a 5×5 card, but 4×5, so you have 20 squares, in case you exclusively want to pick your books based on this card.
The horizontal lines have 4 squares, so feel free to complete any 4 square diagonals as well!
My list is here: https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/05/21/20-books-of-summer-2025/
Nancy, I have had discussions with my husband and son about the definition of space opera. Wikipedia says it is stories that emphasize space warfare, with plots involving adventures, relationships, and sometimes romance. I see it on a smaller scale as anything that involves space travel, but I will admit that all the space operas of I have read do include some conflicts between varying groups in space.
Emma, I have enjoyed all the books by Higashino that I have read, and I think that they keep getting better and better.
Thanks for further information on the Bingo Card. I look forward to seeing how people fill in the Bingo categories.
I checked out your 20 Books of Summer list; the books were very interesting.
Love seeing your list! I have read some of these: the Strout books, and the Ann Patchett novel is a good one, and I have read Towles Table for Two stories. Excellent choices. I have not read the mysteries ... but I think you're the expert on those. Wishing you a great summer reading. I have recently put out my Summer List too. I'm trying for 15 books this time. Cheers.
Susan, I am very happy with my list. I can't wait until June 1st, although I may start the first one a day earlier.
I look forward to Table of Two. I included two by Strout because I want to get to Strout's most recent book before the end of the year, if possible.
I've read just three of these but I think I possess Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. I am still working on my list - I wanted to incude an L.R. Wright I can never get past the first chapter - but I can only find the dust jacket.
Constance, I think I will enjoy reading Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. I hope so. I look forward to seeing your list soon.
That Agatha Christie sounds great, and I love the cover!
Erin, I enjoy reading Agatha Christie's mysteries and this one will get me closer to finishing all the books in the Miss Marple series. I love the cover too.
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