Joining the Bookish Books Reading Challenge 2024

 

Susan at Bloggin' Bout Books is hosting the Bookish Books Reading challenge for the second year. The focus is on books about books...

Any book counts as long as one of its main themes is books (reading them, writing them, hoarding them, stealing them, eating them, burning them, decorating with them, organizing them, sniffing them, selling them, etc.). Any book that is essentially bookish in nature counts. All formats are acceptable. Since this challenge isn't about pages read, length doesn't matter either. Picture books are totally fine.

Reviews aren't required, but they're always welcome. There will be a monthly linky so participants can share books that they have read for the challenge. 

The challenge runs from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. You can sign up any time during the year. See the sign-up post for full details and suggestions for books.

The levels are: 

• Toe in the Door: 1-10 books read
• Picking and Perusing: 11-20 books read
• Lost in the Stacks: 21-30 books read
• Living in the Library: 30+ books read

And I will be aiming at Toe in the Door. I read a decent number of bookish books for the challenge last year but did not post about them all.

Susan has created a Goodreads list of Bookish Books if you need inspiration. 

These are books I may read:

• Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani 
• The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
• Found in a Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
• The Pleasure of Reading edited by Antonia Fraser
• Baking With Kafka by Tom Gauld
• The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
• The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa
• The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk 
• Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
• I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider
• Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J. Sullivan

Bookish books I am currently reading:

• The Book of Books (An Eclectic Collection of Reading Recommendations, Quirky Lists, and Fun Facts about Books) by Les Krantz and Tim Knight
• More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl

Bookish book I have read recently:

• Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

My Sign-up for Book Bingo 2023

 

I am joining in on Book Bingo 2023 at Unruly Reader. I did this challenge last year (and will soon do a post listing all the books I read that fit that challenge). This year’s theme is School. The challenge runs from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

Here is the card with the categories:

Some of the categories are obvious, for example: 

• MODERN LIBRARY TOP 100 = A book from the Modern Library Top 100 list, or from their Fiction or Nonfiction Top 100 Lists.

Other categories are not so obvious, and some can be interpreted loosely:

• FIRE DRILL = A book about preparation, survival, or passion. Or a book that ignites something within you. Or, of course, a book about FIRE.
• HOMEWORK = A book or article that enhances and deepens your knowledge.

I think I will naturally end up reading some books that fit the categories (I have already read four), and I could have fun finding books for other categories. But I am fairly sure I won't be filling them all in. I have made sure that there are books I want to read for at least one column and one row on the bingo card. 

The sign-up post at Unruly Reader, titled Introducing Book Bingo 2023, provides definitions for each category and instructions on How to Play.

20 Books of Summer for 2022

 

This is my seventh year of participating in the 20 Books of Summer reading challenge. That is hard to believe. 

The event is very flexible. You can go for 15 Books of Summer or 10 Books of Summer if 20 is more than you want to commit to. Books can be substituted along the way. And that is fine. The event is hosted by Cathy at 746 Books. 

This event starts June 1st, 2022 and ends September 1st, 2022. Sometimes I read all twenty books, other years I have been less successful, but I never review them all. I have given up on that part of the goal. 

To be honest, coming up with the list is the best part. Here is my list.

Mysteries

Steve Burrows: A Pitying of Doves

Catherine Aird: Some Die Eloquent

Stuart Kaminsky: Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express (Europe / Russia)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (short stories)

L. R. Wright: Fall From Grace 

Raymond Chandler: The Long Goodbye

Louise Penny: The Long Way Home

Luke McCallin: The Man From Berlin (Europe / Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, 1943)

Robin Spano: Dead Politician Society

Ted Woods: Dead in the Water    

Stef Penney: The Tenderness of Wolves

Science Fiction

John Scalzi: Head On 

Connie Willis: Fire Watch (short stories)

Martha Wells: Rogue Protocol

General Fiction 

Penelope Fitzgerald: The Bookshop

Gail Honeyman: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo 

Harry Mulisch: The Assault (Europe/ The Netherlands)

Adrienne Chinn: The English Wife 

Leo Tolstoy: Anna Karenina 

Reading Summary for April 2022

I felt like my reading in April went very slowly, and that has continued into May. Towards the end of April, there were nine days that I did not finish a book at all which never happens to me. But I did read eight books in April. Two general fiction books, one fantasy, and five books in the crime fiction genre. All of them were good reads, and three of them I gave five stars, which for me just means that they were especially good reads. So, not a bad month at all.

And here is what I have read...

General Fiction

Rebecca (1938) by Daphne du Maurier

This is the most widely known novel written by Daphne de Maurier. It may not be the best; I haven't read any others. I read Rebecca for my Classics Club list and for the Back to the Classics Challenge and it was a great read. I can't decide if I had read it before, years ago. Maybe I had just watched the Hitchcock film. Either way, we will be watching the Hitchcock film again soon.

Because of Sam (1954) by Molly Clavering

This book is part of the Furrowed Middlebrow collection from Dean Street Press, books by women writers of the early to mid-twentieth century. I had heard of the author, and purchased some her books for the Kindle, including Because of Sam, but I was motivated to read this book after I read Cath's review at Read-Warbler. I loved it, although it took me half the book to figure out where it was going, and even then I was only partly right. It is a lovely postwar story set in a village in Scotland. 

Fantasy

The Midnight Library (2020) by Matt Haig

After dying, Nora Seed wakes up in a library and the books on the shelves are all possible lives she could live. She is given the opportunity to try some of those lives and return to one of them if she chooses. The story is about regrets and opportunities. This was my first book by Matt Haig.  It did not live up to my expectations but I still enjoyed it a lot. I do look forward to reading Haig's other books on my shelves.

Crime Fiction

Go, Lovely Rose (1954) by Jean Potts

Rachel Buckmaster returns to her small midwestern hometown when her brother calls to tell her that the housekeeper who had lived with them for decades has died. When her death is declared murder rather than accidental, Rachel's brother is the main suspect. My review here.

Dog On It (2009) by Spencer Quinn

This was a book which went beyond my expectations. It is a mystery narrated by a dog, and I was a bit leery of that, although I knew that this is a series loved by many. Chet, the dog who narrates, flunked out of K-9 training, but still has the heart of a detective. His owner, private investigator Bernie Little, is not perfect but never gives up on the case. Together they are a great pair and I hope to read more of the books in the series. The setting seems to be Arizona, although I don't think that is really specified in this book.

Beast in View (1955) by Margaret Millar

Beast in View by Margaret Millar was my pick from the latest Classic Club Spin. Helen Clarvoe is a rich young woman who lives in a low quality hotel. She gets a threatening call from a woman from her past that she does not remember, and calls in her father's old investment counselor to help. This is a very brief book that could easily be read in one sitting or in one day. The book was published in 1955, and won the Edgar for Best Novel in 1956. My review here.

Bangkok 8 (2003) by John Burdett

This story is set in Thailand and the main character is a Thai policeman, Sonchai Jitpleecheep. His partner (and life-long friend) is killed on the job and Sonchai has vowed revenge. The story is told from Sonchai's point of view and I really like the voice it is told in. The story covers some challenging topics: transsexualism, prostitution, drugs and alcoholism. This book is #1 in a series I would like to continue reading.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1934) by Agatha Christie

This is lighter and breezier than most novels by Agatha Christie. The two main characters are Bobby Jones, the vicar's son, and Lady Frances Derwent (Frankie). They were friends in childhood but have drifted apart as they grew older. Bobby discovers a dead body which had fallen off of the cliffs of the Welsh seacoast, and Frankie is convinced it was murder. It was a very entertaining story, once I settled into the tone of the book, and I never had a clue who the murderer was. I read it at this time because we wanted to watch Hugh Laurie's adaptation, and we have now done that. I enjoyed it as much or more than the book.

Status of my challenges and other events:

• I have read and reviewed four novels for the European Reading Challenge. That leaves only one more to complete my goal of five books, but I hope to read more novels set in European countries.
• I have read at least six books that fit categories for the Book Bingo Challenge. 
• Back to the Classics Challenge: I have read Rebecca by du Maurier, for the "20th century classic." I have read and reviewed Beast in View by Millar, which can be used either for a "classic by a woman author" or for the "Mystery/Detective/Crime classic."
• The TBR Pile Challenge: Two books that I read this month were for this challenge, Dog On It by Spencer Quinn and Bangkok 8 by John Burdette. 
• In March and April I read two books for the 1954 Club: Go, Lovely Rose by Jean Potts and Death Likes It Hot by Edgar Box (aka Gore Vidal).

The photo at the top of the post and the one immediately above are from a recent visit to our local plant nursery, the first one this year. My husband took photos of plants, pots, and garden decorations. Click on the images for best viewing quality.

A Few Challenges for 2017

In 2017, I am joining in on three challenges hosted by Bev at My Reader's Block. First up is The Read It Again, Sam Challenge. This challenge is for those who like to reread old favorites.

There are four levels for this challenge. I am joining in at the Déjà vu level: Reread 4 books. I will probably reread more than that, but I will start slow.

My favorite author to reread is Rex Stout, but I also hope to include books by: 
Josephine Tey
Margery Allingham
Emma Lathen
Jill McGown
Charles McCarry
Patricia Moyes

Next is the Color Coded Challenge. I took part in this one in 2013 and now I am back for more. These are the basic rules:

* Read nine books in the following categories.
1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc) in the title. 

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgundy, etc) in the title.

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.) in the title.

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc) in the title.

5. A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown (Tan, Chocolate, Beige, etc) in the title.

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc) in the title.

7. A book with "White" or any shade of White (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc) in the title.

8. A book with any other color in the title (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, Magenta, etc.).

9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.).

I have a lot of books with a color in the title and a couple of series I want to read more of that feature colors in the title: the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald and the Pat and Jean Abbott series by Frances Crane.

And finally, the Vintage Mystery Cover Scavenger Hunt 2017

The goal is to to find as many objects on the scavenger hunt list as possible on the covers of the mystery books you read. Participants can play along in either the Golden or Silver Mystery Eras or both.

For the purposes of this challenge, the Golden Age Vintage Mysteries must have been first published before 1960. Silver Age Vintage Mysteries may be first published any time from 1960 to 1989 (inclusive). 

My goal will be to read six Golden Age mysteries to satisfy this challenge. I am sure I will read more than that number but sometimes matching objects to the scavenger hunt list is harder. I was not successful with the Silver Age mystery covers in 2016, but if I am luckier this year I will join in on that one later.