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JulieLill's 2020 Reading Challenge
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Julie
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Dec 15, 2019 02:41PM
Here's To Another Year of Good Reading
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2020 Reading ChallengeRead a Decade of Books - 1950’s
1.1950- A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie 4/5 stars 1/8/2020
2.1951 - Murder by the Book b Rex Stout 3/5 stars 1/25/2020
3.1952- The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith 4/5 stars 1/31/2020
4.1953- Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym 3/5 stars 2/8/2020
5.1954-The Family Nobody Wanted by Helen Grigsby Doss 4/5 stars 2/16/2020
6.1955- Run Silent, Run Deep by Edward L. Beach 3.5/5 stars 2/28/2020
7.1956- The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Sławomir Rawicz 3.5/5 stars 3/6/2020
8. 1957- The World of Suzie Wong by RichardMason 3.5/5 stars 3/14/2020
9. 1958-The Sundial byShirley Jackson 4/5 stars 3/19/2020
10. 1959- Memento Mori by Muriel Spark 3.5/5 stars 5/25/2020
11. Ruth Ware Book -The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware 5/5 stars 1/3/2020
12. Malcolm Gladwell - Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell 5/5 stars 2/12/20
13. A Graphic Novel - Almost American Girl: An Illustrated Memoir by Robin Ha
4/5 stars 2/18/2020
A Wrinkle in Time Series
14. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 4/5 stars 6/8/2020
15. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle 4/5 stars 6/10/2020
16. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle 3/5 stars 7/15/2020
17. Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle 4/5 stars 7/25/2020
18. An Acceptable Time byMadeleine L'Engle 4/5 stars 8/6/2020
19. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers- Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng 4/5 stars 1/12/2020
20. A Book based on one of the topics in Billy Joel’s "We Didn't Start the Fire"- Dark Remedies by Trent D. Stephens 4/5 stars 7/19/2020
21. Neurodiverse characters-The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion 4/5 stars 6/15/2020
22. Two-word titles starting with "the" - The Widow by Fiona Barton 4/5 stars 5/2/2020
23. A book with an “ing” word in the title- Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts 4/5 stars 3/30/20
24. A book set in a global city - The Third Man by Graham Greene 3.5/5 stars 5/20/2020
25. A book set in a rural area- Beartown by Fredrik Backman 3.5/5 stars 6/25/2020
26. A book inspired by a leading news story-The Girls by Emma Cline 4/5 stars 7/5/2020
27. A book related to the Arts- The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt 4.5/5 stars 4/5/2020
28. A book related to time-Man in the Empty Suit by Sean Ferrell 2.5/5 stars 8/16/2020
29. A book from the New York Times ‘100 Notable Books’ list for any year (2018) - The Library Book by Susan Orlean 5/5 stars 2/22/20
30. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse (death, war/conquest, famine, and plague/pestilence)The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 4/5 stars 7/31/2020
31. A book that can be read in a day
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman 5/5 stars 6/12/2020
32. A book set in the southern hemisphere - The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell 4/5 stars 8/31/2020
33. A book featuring a nontraditional family - Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump 4.5/5 stars 7/29/2020
Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites
34. Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation's Leaders by Brady Carlson 4/5 stars 8/21/2020
35. Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West 5/5 stars 8/25/2020
36. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman 4/5 stars 4/11/2020
37. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover More Than This by Patrick Ness 5/5 stars 8/13/2020
38. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover Blade Runner by Philip K. Dick 3/5 stars 6/4/2020
39. A book with a major theme of survival - Where the Wild Things Bite by Molly Harper 3.5/5 stars
40. Australian, Canadian, or New Zealand Authors -
Boy Swallows Universe byTrent Dalton 4/5 stars
41. Published in 2020-The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson5/5 stars 8/9/2020
42. A classic-Bambi: A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten62262] 4/5 stars 8/28/2020
43. Historical fiction or history - West of Eden: An American Place by Jean Stein 3/5 stars 5/30/2020
44. Mystery - The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick 4/5 stars
45. Underrated or Lesser Known Authors -The Two Faces of January by Patricia Highsmith 4/5 stars 9/5/2020
46. A title without the letters A, T or Y -Pied Piper by Nevil Shute 4/5 stars 4/5 stars
47. A place in the title- The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom 3.5/5 stars
48. A book that was nominated for one of the 10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World - The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 4/5 stars 10/16/2020
49. Political Book -
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe 3.5/5 stars 5/17/2020
50. Best Nonfiction Ghost Book - Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach
3/5 stars 1/15/2020
Pick out books from the initials of a favorite book - The Time Traveler’s Wife
51. T Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman by Anne Helen Petersen 5/5 stars 2/5/2020
52. H Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life by Laurie Notaro 8/2/2020
53. E - Enduring Love by Ian McEwan 4/5 stars 9/21/2020
54. T- To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 3.5/5 stars
55. I -Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man by Lynn Vincent Sara Vladic 5/5 star 1/27/2020
56. M - Me by Elton John 5/5 stars 2/26/2020
57. E- Edible Stories by Mark Kurlansky 4/5 stars 10/7/2020
58. T - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 5/5 stars
59. R- Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates 4/5 stars 4/29/2020
60. A - Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson 3.5/5 stars 7/10/2020
61. V - Vanish by Tess Gerritsen 4/5 stars 10/21/2020
62. E - Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman 4/5 stars 10/28/2020
63. L - Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests by Tom Shales 3.5/5 stars 5/28/2020
64. E - Educated by Tara Westover 5/5 stars 10/2/2020
65. R - Ready for a Brand New Beat: How Dancing in the Street Became the Anthem for a Changing America by Mark Kurlansky 4/5 stars 10/9/2020
66. S Scorsese by Ebert by Roger Ebert 3/5 stars 5/8/2020
67. W - What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw! by Agatha Christie 4/5 stars 3/24/2020
68. I In the Great Green Room: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise Brown by Amy Gary 4/5 stars 3/4/2020
69.F - Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops by James Robert Parish 3.5/5 star
70. E - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer 4/5 stars 9/13/2020
70/70
For the 2020 Challenge, I took parts of a couple of reading challenges and added some topics of my own. Also somebody on line talked about the Billy Joel's challenge so I added that. I couldn't resist that one. The decade of books came from Library Thing where people were reading a century of books in 2019. I already had my challenge set up from last year set up so I decided to add a decade of books for my 2020 reading challenge!
I was just thinking I need to post and remind people to create their 2020 Determination lists. :)I also will be putting up the Best of and horrible books you read in 2019 thread.
I have to say, Julie, your 2019 challenge was amazing. Really well done ! I know your 2020 will also me terrific.
I’m with Alias on this one—your categories are such fun to read! Clever about using the title of a favorite book, too. Have reading fun in 2020, Julie.
madrano wrote: "I’m with Alias on this one—your categories are such fun to read! Clever about using the title of a favorite book, too. Have reading fun in 2020, Julie."I can't take credit for that one- I found that online too and added it to my challenge.
Still, you thought to seek out such cool ideas, Julie.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
by Ruth Ware
5/5 stars
Hal, a single woman is living and struggling on her own as a tarot card reader when she gets a letter informing her of a relative that has died and she is to inherit part of the estate. However, she believes that she is not related to that person but still decides to go to the will reading hoping to get some of the inheritance to help her survive. As she arrives and meets the family she has second thoughts but still plans to go through with it. However, there is someone in the family who has a secret to maintain and Hal may be in the way. I flew through this book because I couldn’t wait to see how this ended! Ruth Ware Book
Sounds terrific, Julie. Have you read other books by her?
madrano wrote: "Sounds terrific, Julie. Have you read other books by her?"No, I haven't but I would mind reading more of her. I found that book on the free shelf at work and so I grabbed it. I had always wanted to read something by the author.
It’s such a delight when random books please us so much.
My reviews maybe be a little sort for awhile since my computer is being fixed and I am on my iPad,
I hear ya, Julie! I’m grateful for my iPad but at times...then i realize how useful it is and calm myself. Good luck.I’m reading an old mystery presently, Georgette Heyer’s Footsteps in the Dark. It’s set in a decrepit country house which has recently been inherited by siblings. Set in the ‘30s, it seems there could be a ghost! I’ve only read one other Heyer mystery, Why Shoot a Butler?, which was nice.
madrano wrote: "I hear ya, Julie! I’m grateful for my iPad but at times...then i realize how useful it is and calm myself. Good luck.I’m reading an old mystery presently, Georgette Heyer’s [book:..."
I read Heyer years ago. I enjoyed those -blast from the past!
All those mysteries are a pleasure. It’s a look into another world when they are from the UK in the early 20th century. Patricia Wentworth wrote a series titled Grey Mask, featuring a Miss Silver, an older female sleuth. I’ve only read the first but it delighted my fancy in a similar manner.
Everything I Never Told You
Celeste Ng
4/5 stars
Ng’s story surrounds the Lee family, in particular Lydia, their daughter who has died. The story goes back and forth in time including the meeting and marriage of Marilyn, who is white and James Lee who is Chinese. Their marriage is not going well and their children struggle as the only American Asians in their town. But when their daughter dies it consumes them and threatens the family structure while they attempt to find out what happened to Lydia. Well written and hard to put down. A Book By An Author On The ABE List of 100 Essential Female Authors
I never heard of this list but I sure enjoyed the book.
Julie wrote: "Everything I Never Told You
Celeste Ng
4/5 stars
Ng’s story surrounds the Lee family, in particular Lydia, their dau..."
Read and enjoyed that one, too.
I think several of us read that zing book together. I liked it, despite feeling sad about it. That ABE list is interesting. Of course i just like book lists, don’t i?https://www.abebooks.com/books/best-f...
Julie wrote: A Book By An Author On The ABE List of 100 Essential Female AuthorsThank you for the book list, Julie. I am going to cross post it to our List folder for future reference.
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife
Mary Roach
3/5 stars
Roach delves into the facts of life after death and the people who research the various aspects of this subject. Not my favorite book of hers but a few of the chapters were compelling. Best Non-Fiction Ghost Book
I just saw that title when i opened Goodreads. I used to eat up such books, so fascinated was i in the topic. Now it’s been awhile. Maybe old age makes the difference. After all, it’s coming regardless of what it is!Btw, again your category is delightful, Julie.
Pied Piper
Nevil Shute
4/5 stars
Englishman John Howard, alone in life decides to take a fishing trip to France. On his way home, he is asked to escort a couple of children home to England. Unfortunately, Germany invades France just while he is trying to get the children home. Travel is very hard and along the way he picks up a few more children that desperately need to leave France. I enjoy Shute’s works and this one didn’t disappoint me. Poignant! A Title Without the Letters - A, T or Y
I’ve only read his A Town Like Alice and On the Beach but found them excellent, which has me wondering why i haven’t read more. Julie, this sounds like a winner. Thanks for the comments. Now then, was it a challenge to come up with titles without those letters? Fun category.
There is a Goodreads page for book titles without a A,T or Y. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
However, I went through "my to read" document on my computer. I am trying to fill my challenge with books that I put on my to read list because it is really getting too long.
It is amazing the lists of topics that you can find on the internet when looking for book subjects.
Julie wrote: "There is a Goodreads page for book titles without a A,T or Y. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
However, I went through "my to read" ..."
Oops, that site is for books containing the letters A, T and Y.
Here is the one for books without A, T, and Y in the title.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
You are smart to find ones from your own TBR, Julie. Way to whittle it down. Any idea why those 3 letters? I could see the first 2 but why the “y”? Regardless, it’s fun. We book folk do like our lists! Thanks for the links.
madrano wrote: "You are smart to find ones from your own TBR, Julie. Way to whittle it down. Any idea why those 3 letters? I could see the first 2 but why the “y”? Regardless, it’s fun. We book folk do like our ..."
I have no idea.
Murder by the Book
Rex Stout
3/5 stars
An author and three people who had access to his book are murdered. When the inspector cannot solve the case he contacts Nero Wolfe and his staff to help in the investigation. Of course Wolfe prevails and this unusual case is solved. Interesting plus a fast read! 1951
Your comments remind me of a friend who loved this Stout series. She’d give me details after reading each one, even though they didn’t call to me. Memory Lane. 😊
Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man
Lynn Vincent
Sara Vladic
5/5 stars
This book tells the tale of the WWII ship Indianapolis. During the war this ship had a secret mission to deliver one of the atomic bombs that was used on Japan to help end the war. After that mission, a Japanese submarine attacked the boat causing it to sink, losing the lives of many of the crew. Despite the heroic actions of Commander McVay and the lack of help from the Navy, he was court martialed for not following procedures. Many of his crew were upset with the charges and it took years to have someone look into and dispute the charges. This was so interesting and there was also a wonderful special on PBS that lead me to read the book. I recommend both. Check out more information at https://www.pbs.org/show/uss-indianap... I
Julie, i recall being in my 50s when I first heard this story. 60 Minutes, i think. What an incredible story. My husband has this on his TBR, so i’ll pass your comments on to him.
The Price of Salt
Patricia Highsmith
4/5 stars
Set in the 50’s, Therese Belivet is fresh out of school and trying to establish her career in set design. She has been working part time jobs and dating a young man who is ready to get married. But Therese is not ready to settle down. While working at a store’s toy department during Christmas she meets Carol Aird, wife and mother, who is estranged from her husband. They start to develop a friendship that becomes stronger and soon threatens Carol’s relationship with her daughter. Highsmith does a great job building up the tension and you will be wondering where this will end. 1952
Julie, have you seen the film based on this book? It’s called Carol with Cate Blanchett as the eponymous character. I thought it was good but had forgotten it was based on a Highsmith novel. Rooney Mara played the younger woman. My husband thanks you for sharing your thoughts because i mentioned Highsmith, an author he likes. He’s now going to try to get it. Happiness all ‘round!
madrano wrote: "Julie, have you seen the film based on this book? It’s called Carol with Cate Blanchett as the eponymous character. I thought it was good but had forgotten it was based on a Highsmith novel. Rooney..."I have seen the film and loved it. I do like Highsmith and have read at least one other if not a couple of her books. My memory is not what it used to be! I plan to read more of her. I used the book title that came with the book but it has also been released under the title Carol. Also Highsmith used another name when the book was released.
More info about the book and the title at -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pri...
Interesting history for the book. Thanks for sharing it. I have only read her Strangers on a Train but my husband has read most of the Ripley series, in order. Some are hard to locate today but the first, The Talented Mr. Ripley is easy.
Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman
Anne Helen Petersen
5/5 stars
Petersen writes an engrossing book on the way the world views certain women that buck the traditional roles of mother, wife and female role model. Told through the stories of various women, including Serena Williams, Hillary Clinton, Lena Dunham, Melissa McCarthy and others in the public eye, this book will astound you about the treatment of women and the double standards that they have had to deal with. T
I haven’t heard of that book but it sounds very good. It’s a crying shame that this is still a factor for public figures. The list you give are of talented women who have broken boundaries.
madrano wrote: "I haven’t heard of that book but it sounds very good. It’s a crying shame that this is still a factor for public figures. The list you give are of talented women who have broken boundaries."The book was put out in 2017 but is still very relevant. There is also a chapter on Bruce Jenner/Caitlyn Jenner which was interesting.
I’ll bet. Given what Williams has experienced since the book’s release, it would be instructive to read about her. Interesting book.
Jane and Prudence
Barbara Pym
3/5 stars
Jane and Prudence are friends. Jane is the wife of a clergyman and they have just moved to a new parish. While Jane is adjusting to her new parish, Prudence, a single woman who works for a living is encouraged by Jane to settle down and perhaps marry. She is introduced to Fabian, a neighbor who has issues of his own but there is another man that Pru is attracted to. Written in 1953 but it has some surprisingly modern thoughts on relationships. Not my favorite book but it was an interesting and fast read. 1953
Julie, are you like me in that when you run across those modern thoughts you wonder if history (social history, at least) conned you into thinking we were more Victorian than we were? I’m always pleased but also wonder if i was too sheltered...or were we all?
madrano wrote: "Julie, are you like me in that when you run across those modern thoughts you wonder if history (social history, at least) conned you into thinking we were more Victorian than we were? I’m always pl..."Hard question. Now that I think about it - I think women were more liberal in thinking back then but because of social convention, they kept their thoughts to themselves and only the really brave questioned the status quo.
That sounds about right, Julie. In the ‘80s i bought some old ‘50s magazines for women—Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, etc. and was surprised at the fiction, as well as the articles on homemaking. Sure, there were some extolling getting married but there were also a number questioning whether it was the right choice. Same with not finding cooking & cleaning a pleasure. My favorite was of a married couple feeling alien within their neighborhood for not wanting their children in half a dozen after school activities. As you note, the follow through would have taken much nerve, as conformity seemed vital.
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
Malcolm Gladwell
5/5 stars
I am a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell and this book did not disappoint me. Gladwell discusses the differences in how people communicate and what can go wrong when our communication styles don’t match. I thought the chapter on the arrest of Sandra Bland quite disheartening and definitely a case of miscommunication. Unfortunately, I have read all of his books and now will have to wait till he writes a new one!
Malcolm Gladwell Book
What an interesting topic, Jill. Here’s hoping he’s about ready to release a new one for you!
Julie wrote: "Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know
[author:Malcol..."
I'm glad to see you gave this a top rating, Julie. I have it on my TBR list.
Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops
James Robert Parish
3.5/5 stars
Written in 2006, this book can certainly be updated but as a movie buff, I had seen many of the movies in the book as the author breaks down the reasons each movie failed. There are a couple of movies in the book that I did enjoyed. I liked Paint Your Wagon and Last Action Hero but I definitely agree that Showgirls, Robin William’s Popeye and Ishtar were completely terrible. This book is definitely for movie fans. It would be interesting to see a updated version of this book! F
I’m presuming Parish meant failure both monetarily and artistically. Like you, we enjoyed the first two mentioned. Indeed we bought the LP (yes, that long ago) For Wagon, which we still like. I haven’t seen Ishtar but agree on the other two. An update would be appropriate, particularly in this age of multiple remakes of the same comic-based series. Actually, all sorts of remakes.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West (other topics)1959: The Year Everything Changed (other topics)
1959: The Year Everything Changed (other topics)
1959: The Year Everything Changed (other topics)
The Green Mile (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Cormac McCarthy (other topics)Fred Kaplan (other topics)
Fred Kaplan (other topics)
Fred Kaplan (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
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