Cathy at 746 Books is hosting her 20 Books of Summer Challenge again this year. The challenge runs from 1 June to 1 September. There are options to read 10 or 15 books instead of the full 20. And you can swap a book, or change the list half way through if you want. And you can decide to drop your goal from 20 to 15 or 10 if you want to. This is a very flexible challenge!
You can sign up here.
During previous summers I’ve taken part in this challenge and never managed to read all the books I’ve listed, although I’ve read over 20 books during the summer months. It seems that listing books I want to read somehow takes away my desire to read them – or it may be that other books demand to be read when the time comes.
But I do enjoy compiling a list, so here are 20 books I’d like to read, subject to change, of course and as time goes on I may drop my goal to 15 or 10 … depending on circumstances.
- Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
- A Sea of Troubles by Donna Leon
- Death is Now My Neighbout by Colin Dexter
- Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn
- The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pullen
- Recalled to Life by Reginald Hill
- The Hunt for Mount Everest by Craig Storti
- I’ll Never Be Young Again by Daphne du Maurier
- The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths
- The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths
- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
- Broadchurch by Erin Kelly
- The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
- The Hog’s Back Mystery by Freeman Willis Crofts
- Longbourn by Jo Baker
- Weyward by Emilia Hart
- The Cut by Christopher Brookmyre
- A Dirty Death by Rebecca Tope
- Broken Summer by J M Lee
- The Vanishing Tide by Hilary Taylor
What will you be reading?
BooksPlease 
So many good choices here, Margaret! I like the Hill; to me, there’s a neat past/present connection there. And Donna Leon’s Brunetti series is, in my opinion, very good. Elly Griffith’s work’s excellent, too, and you’ve got so many other good ‘uns. I hope you’ll enjoy them all!
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I enjoyed compiling the list from my TBRs – I’d forgotten about several of them.
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I loved Longbourn. Such a clever idea to take the chronology from one book and use it as the structure for another. Almost like finding a missing Jane Austen novel.
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I keep overlooking Longbourn, so I’m hoping I’ll love it too.
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I’ve read Moon Tiger – one of my favourite Booker Prize winners — and also Islands of Abandonment (very interesting).
I can empathise with your comment that listing books to read somehow takes away the inclination to read them
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I didn’t spend long deciding which books to list, hoping that would overcome my resistance to reading them, if you see what I mean.
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I adopted a similar strategy Margaret – in the past I have spent far too long deciding what goes on the list
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Nice list! I liked The Hog’s Back Mystery and own The Hunt for Mount Everest and Longbourn. I think I’ll go for 10 or 15 books this year rather than the full 20. I never manage it and then get stressed, so I think I might enjoy it more going for less.
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I think that could be the way forward and avoid the stress. I’m gland you liked The Hog’s Back Mystery – such a strange title.
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Looks like you’ve got a lot of choices that should be entertaining! I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to join in this year – like you, once I’ve made my list I almost immediately start feeling as if the books are an obligation rather than a pleasure. I prefer challenges without a deadline, I think. But no doubt my will power will crack and I’ll end up making a list… 😉
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You’ve put your finger on my problem with reading from a list – it does become an obligation when it should be a pleasure.
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Moon Tiger very nearly made my list too Margaret. Thanks for taking part, good luck and happy reading!
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Thanks for hosting again Cathy.
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The only one I’ve read is The Virgin Blue which I think is perfect summer reading! Happy Reading
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Thanks that is encouraging!
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A great list! I am adding The Hunt for Mount Everest to my TBR, thanks, can’t wait to read it. Tracy Chevalier always sounds great, too, but I wish I liked Pulley’s The Bedlam Stacks more, a book definitely from an author in development.
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I’m in two minds about The Hunt for Mount Everest as I’ve started it twice and put it aside. I enjoyed Pulley’s The Watchmaker of Filigree, so I’m hoping that Bedlam Stacks would be as good.
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