This summer I loosely participated in the 20-Books of Summer reading challenge. I say 'loosely' because all I did for it was keep track of the books I read and wrote reviews for them.
This being the last day of summer (though the challenge ended on Sept. 6th, Labor Day, I believe) made me think I'd best wrap this thing up or else, what was the point? Ha!
I ultimately read 27 books (bully for me!) so exceeded the challenged goal. Back in the days before retirement from my job as a high school librarian I always attempted to read 30 books each summer ferreting out new books to recommend to my patrons. So 27 books is very close to that old goal and remarkable from the stand point that eight of them were over 400 pages long. I used those for another summer challenge with a similar name, The Big Book Summer Challenge.
The book reviews are hyperlinked. It appears I still have a bit of work to finish up the last of the reviews, three left to go. Not bad, even if I never get to them!
20-Books of Summer Reading Challenge
A few details about this bunch of books:
My favorite fiction title: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
My favorite nonfiction/essays: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
The eight 400+ page books read: The Four Winds / We Are Not Free / The Night Watchman / One of Ours / End of Watch / Project Hail Mary / The Ministry of Utmost Happiness / This Tender Land
Four past and present Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction: Breathing Lessons / One of Ours / The Interpreter of Maladies / The Night Watchman
Favorite YA title: Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri
Most likely to reread: Pride and Prejudice or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Oddest selection: A Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck. I ordered this book last November from the library and the hold finally came through in July. It was a short children's book, completely unmemorable. I wonder what the hold up was?
Book Club selections: The Exiles / Love and Other Consolation Prizes / The Ministry of Utmost Happiness / This Tender Land / The Cold Millions / The Tattooist of Auschwitz / The Night Watchman
Children's books: It Began with a Page / Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy / The Tale of Kitty on Boots / Christmas Day in the Morning
Poetry books: Wade in the Water / Why Storms are Named After People and Bullets Remain Nameless / 100 Best Loved Poems of All-Time
Books or Audiobooks I Own: The Anthropocene Reviewed / 100 Best Loved Poems of All-Time / The Creator's Canvas / The Interpreter of Maladies / The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe / Pride and Prejudice /The Night Watchman
Favorite review: The Ministry of Utmost Happiness or The Anthropocene Reviewed
Most popular blog post, based on page views: Breathing Lessons, 245.
And so I wrap up my summer reading projects and look toward the future with many new and old books in mind.
-Anne
