Sonia's 2018 reading

[Sonia]

My challenges for 2018 are:

1. Buy no more than 4 books. Yes really. If there is a new book I want to read, I can go to the library.
2. Read 40 books
3. Read at least 20 old TBR books
4. A Le Carre project - read all the Le Carre books on our shelves
5. Read 5 or more from the Sharpe series
6. Take part in the genre challenge as often as possible.

[Sonia]

Monthly genre's:

January: Contemporary/Literary Fiction -
1. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
2. The Valkyries
3. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
February: Romance/Chick Lit
1. City of Friends
2. An Infamous Army
March: Mystery
1. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
2. Broken Homes
3. Foxglove Summer
4. The Furthest Station
April: Fantasy
1. Thief's Magic - abandoned.
May: Comedy/Tragedy
1. Hot Water
2. Private Peaceful
June: Travel/Survival/Adventure
1. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush
July: Young Adult/Middle Grade
1. The Prince of Mist
August: Science Fiction/Dystopia
September: Historical Fiction
1. Take, Burn or Destroy
2. Until the Sea Shall Give Up Her Dead
October: Horror/Thriller/Paranormal
1. The Flight of the Falcon
November: Classics
December: Children's

[Sonia]

TBR: I want more than 20 this year, so here goes:
(Post 15)

Level One (5 TBR books) = List Tickler
1. The Jungle Books
2. The Midnight Palace
3. The Valkyries
4. Moon Over Soho
5. Whispers Underground

Level Two (10 TBR books) = List Tamer
6. The King's Curse
7. The Taming of the Queen
8. Hot Water
9. The Honourable Schoolboy
10. Our Kind of Traitor

Level Three (15 TBR books) = Captain of the Shelf
11. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush
12. Absolute Friends
13. The Prince of Mist
14. The Little Drummer Girl
15. Mary Barton

Level Four (20 TBR books) = Master of All Dust Bunnies
16. The Secret Pilgrim
17. Animal Farm
18.
19.
20.
Dance of Book Joy ensues!

[Sonia]

Travel the world:
I'm going to try for getting all regions. It's easy to read books just from your own country.

Around the World
1st Leg: North America
1. The Valkyries
2. Of Mice and Men
2nd Leg: South America
3rd Leg: Europe
1. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
2. An Infamous Army
3. A Farewell to Arms
4. Hot Water
5. Absolute Friends
6. Tender Is the Night
4th Leg: Middle East:
1. Exit West
5th Leg: Africa
6th Leg: Asia
1. The Jungle Books
2. The Midnight Palace
3. The Honourable Schoolboy
4. A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush
7th Leg: Australia & Oceania

[Sonia]

Doorstopper challenge:

Aim for two of these.

1. The Old Wives' Tale
2. Lethal White

[Sonia]

The Le Carre project: Read all the Le Carre books on our shelves.

1. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold Started 18/01/2018. Completed 06/02/2018
2. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Finished 03/03/2017
3. The Honourable Schoolboy. Finished 18/05/2018
4. Smiley's People. Finished 06/06/2018
5. Our Kind of Traitor. Finished 21/06/2018
6. Absolute Friends Finished 09/07/2018
7. The Little Drummer Girl. Finished 07/10/2018
8. The Secret Pilgrim. Finished 15/11/2018

[Laronza]

good luck

[Sonia]

Let's Have Pie:
(Post 10)

Themes

1. Comedy - Something Fresh, Diary of a Provincial Lady
2. Crime - The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Brighton Rock, Of Mice and Men
3. Family & Self - The Old Wives' Tale, Mary Barton
4. Love - An Infamous Army, A Farewell to Arms, Tender Is the Night
5. Science Fiction & Fantasy
6. State of the Nation: Animal Farm
7. War & Travel - Men at Arms

[Sonia]

Buying no more than 4 books in 2018:

Update 1: Today, I did not buy any books in the Oxfam bookshop inn Lichfield despite the temptation. It's a great bookshop though, if anyone is in Staffordshire, UK.

[Sonia]

Buying no more than 4 books in 2018:

Update 2: On a day trip with the family, I helped my children spend their World Book day tokens and I did not get any new books for me. My son has bought his first books from the next age level of shelves - age 5 - 8. This opens up another world of books to explore and is really exciting!

[Rosemarie, Obsessive Reader]

Keep up the good work, Sonia.

[Sonia]

Rosemarie wrote: "Keep up the good work, Sonia."

Thanks!

[Sonia]

Women's history - March 2018:

A History of Britain in 21 Women

[Sonia]

Buying no more than 4 books in 2018:

Update 3: I cracked on Friday. I boughtPrivate Peaceful andTender Is the Night. One is short and the other is fairly short so they shouldn't distract me from my TBR for very long.

I also bought a book for my daughter, The Rhyming Rabbit, which is fun to read.

[Trisha]

You have been very restrained this year! It was obviously time for a treat. I hope your daughter enjoys The Rhyming Rabbit - it sounds very sweet.

[Sonia]

Trisha wrote: "You have been very restrained this year! It was obviously time for a treat. I hope your daughter enjoys The Rhyming Rabbit - it sounds very sweet."

I do feel proud of my restraint so far!

[Sonia]

Update on not buying books 4: I bought a third book a couple of weeks ago. A colleague has just had her first novel published, so I had to buy one. It's Phoebe and I'm excited about reading it.

But I can only buy one more book for the rest of year....

[Rosemarie, Obsessive Reader]

Sonia, congrats on your restraint. That sounds like a fascinating book.
I think you should be allowed to "cheat" on your birthday and buy an extra book, unless it has already passed, of course.

[Sonia]

Rosemarie wrote: "Sonia, congrats on your restraint. That sounds like a fascinating book.
I think you should be allowed to "cheat" on your birthday and buy an extra book, unless it has already passed, of course."

My birthday has already been and gone. However, my husband keeps buying books so new books keep entering our house.

[Rosemarie, Obsessive Reader]

That works out for you.🙂

[Sonia]

Set Sail challenge: A Battle Won.

[Sonia]

Buying no more than 4 books.

Update 4: Today I bought my fourth book of the year. It's Of Mice and Men, so an important addition to our shelves. It's also short, so it doesn't take up lots of space.

However, no more new books for 2018. Hmmm.

[Trisha]

Sonia wrote: "Buying no more than 4 books.

Update 4: Today I bought my fourth book of the year. It's Of Mice and Men, so an important addition to our shelves. It's also short, so it doesn't take up l..."

You’re amazing - I don’t know how you are keeping to this challenge! I have added masses of ebooks recently, first so I had them ready for going away for a few days, then when I returned several more wish list books were on offer. But on Saturday I bought my first “real” book in months (Wide Sargasso Sea), only because it isn’t available as an ebook.

[Sonia]

Buying no more than 4 books:

Update 5: I bought Lethal White last week. It was for my husband so doesn't count towards my no more than 4 new books for the year challenge. Though, of course, I am going to read it when he's finished. I've been excited about it for ages.

[Rosemarie, Obsessive Reader]

It's good when you and your husband read some of the same books. My husband has been collecting Agatha Christie hard covers for a few years. It is really handy for me.

[Trisha]

Sonia wrote: "Buying no more than 4 books:

Update 5: I bought Lethal White last week. It was for my husband so doesn't count towards my no more than 4 new books for the year challenge. Though, o..."

You’re amazing! I don’t know how you have been so restrained about buying books. My “to read” list here keeps getting longer, & my Amazon wish list is growing too.

[Sonia]

Trisha wrote: "You’re amazing!"

I know!!

But the last purchase is a bit of cheat. I've been excited about Lethal White all year. I did buy it for my husband and he is reading it first, but I wish he would hurry up and finish so I can start.