20 Books of Summer 2024 Reading Challenge

Published on by Margaret

Cathy over at 746Books is hosting her 20 Books of Summer challenge for the tenth year. You can choose to read 20, 15 or 10 books from your TBR shelves and the challenge begins on Saturday 1 June and finishes on Sunday 1 September. You can find the rules and sign up details for this year here.

I first took part in 2015 and I have done it most years since then although not last year as I wasn’t well. Part of the pleasure in taking on this challenge is compiling the list of books I’d like to read and looking through my unread books.

And here are the books I may read – because the ‘rules’ of this challenge allow you to swap any book if you want to, change your list half way through, or decide to drop your goal from 20 to 15 or 10! And I expect I’ll be doing some changes as I’m very good at listing the books I want to read and very bad at sticking to the list.

  1. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
  2. Great Meadow by Dirk Bogarde
  3. The Children’s Book by A S Byatt
  4. The Black Tulip by Alexander Dumas
  5. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
  6. The Innocent by Matthew Hall
  7. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
  8. Killing the Lawyers by Reginald Hill
  9. Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
  10. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
  11. I’ll Never Be Young Again by Daphne du Maurier
  12. Put on by Cunning by Ruth Rendell
  13. Unnatural Death by Dorothy L Sayers
  14. The Silence Between Breaths by Cath Staincliffe
  15. Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace by Kate Summerscale
  16. Where Water Lies by Hilary Tailor
  17. Black Roses by Jane Thynne
  18. Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton
  19. A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
  20. The Lady of Sorrows by Anne Zouroudi

20 thoughts on “20 Books of Summer 2024 Reading Challenge”

  1. I’ve only read one from your list, Margaret, and there are several I would like to try. I’m so pleased that you’re well enough to take part again 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Black Roses is a great start to the Clara Vine series & also a good intro to the life of some of the ‘elite’ Nazi wives.

    As for the Bunner Sisters, well, for my money Saint Edith never wrote a bad book. Her prose is such a joy and always at the service of the narrative whereas I always feel it’s the other way round with Henry James.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Helen. I loved Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, so I have high hopes for the Bunner Sisters. And Black Roses looks good, so I’m glad you recommend both of them.

      Like

  5. Pingback: 20 Books of Summer is back: Post Your Links Here!

  6. That’s a great list Margaret! i adored Strangers on a Train and at the moment it looks like I’ll be including a Dorothy L Sayers book in my 20 as well (if I can finally make up my mind)

    Liked by 1 person

  7. There are some great books on your list! I’ve just read Close to Death and loved it. I’ll be posting my own list later in the month.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I chuckled when I read your comment – “I’m very good at listing the books I want to read and very bad at sticking to the list.” because that happens to me all the time!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. The only one I’ve read is The Silence of the Girls which I loved, so hopefully it’ll be a great summer of reading!

    Like

  13. Dirk Bogarde! So handsome. I’ve had his books on my TBR since they came out (used to be I’d have to special order) today I’m sure I could get a cheap used copy–maybe I’ll get on this summer

    Like

  15. Wow! Almost ten years of you participating in the challenge — that’s incredible! I love that it’s been going on for so long, and I hope it continues for many years to come. Reading challenges never fail to get me excited, even when I’m in a reading slump. Sometimes they provide writing inspiration, too. What better way to write books than to read plenty?

    Like

Comments are closed.