First Read of the New Decade?

[Elyse, Moderator]

Happy New Year!

I meant to post this yesterday but wasn't really on GR or my computer at all. I didn't even do any reading yesterday! I needed a mental break. :)

What was the first book you picked up in the new decade?
Was it new or are you continuing a book you started last year?
Was it a conscious decision or a random pick?
Was it something that's been on your TBR for a long time or is it a new book?

[Elyse, Moderator]

My first book is Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital, which I started this morning, and is an audiobook that I bought LAST January. I'm trying to keep up with my Audible books so if I don't like them I still have time to return them (though I think that policy may have changed).

[Stacie]

My first reads are two books that I've had for a long time and carried over from last year, one physical (Pacific Destiny: The Three-Century Journey to the Oregon Country) and one audio (The American Civil War) and they both count towards the challenges I've set myself this year (total reads, RYS and the Flourish and Blotts Wizarding tour). I am feeling so productive right now ;)

[Charleen]

My first book is Little Women. Started fresh in 2020, and it wasn't even on my TBR, it was more of an impulse pick inspired by the buddy read started last month. I knew I wasn't going to be able to squeeze it in over the holiday break, so I decided I'd make it my first book this year.

Also, I ended the first day of the year with a couple issues from Paper Girls, Vol. 2. I read Vol 1 last year, so this one's sort of a continuation.

[Carol]

The first book I picked up was The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, #1) by Rick Riordan. My oldest daughter suggested it for me because I certain fantasy books and I enjoyed the Percy Jackson

[Amy J.]

I went with a children's picture book that I needed for both my Read Harder and Reading Women Challenges. I don't know why I decided to pick that book, but I decided on it a few weeks ago and I felt strongly that it was the right choice. It was 32 pages and it literally took 5 minutes to read.



I read 3 short works yesterday, which gives me the illusion of really making progress on my challenges!

[Juli, Moderator]

My first book, Schattenfrau was a continuation of a series I started in December. I started it just before midnight on 12/31. My first real 2020 book is an ARC called The Little Bookshop on the Seine. I think it is a re-release but I received this copy for a review. It's the second book in a series and I didn't read the first one, but it doesn't seem to matter. I am enjoying this fluff read so far.

[Annie]

My first read of 2020 was the last 45 pages of Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I. I'm considering it as finished in 2019 due to the amount of pages left. This wasn't planned, just simply ran out of time on New Year's eve!

Here it is January 2nd and I have no idea what I want to pick up next! Mind fog from the holidays, I guess.

[Sarah]

My first book of the year was Never Cry Wolf: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves - I had read it long ago as a teen and wanted to read it again. Plus I wanted to get a start on my ABC Classic books challenge. The other book I read yesterday I had planned on reading. It's Miracles on Maple Hill - I liked the snowy cover on it and I was saving it for Jan due to that cover. It also fits into my ABC challenge too as it was written in the 1950s.

I read Never Cry Wolf more of spur of the moment but I did have it on my book pile for the ABC challenge.

I need to get caught up on my library books though!

[Elyse, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "My first book of the year was Never Cry Wolf: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves - I had read it long ago as a teen and wanted to read it again. Plus I wanted to get a ..."

That book looks really good! And it's available on KU so I nabbed it! Hopefully I get to read it before I forget about it. lol. KU books tend to do that!

[Juli, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "My first book of the year was Never Cry Wolf: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves - I had read it long ago as a teen and wanted to read it again. Plus I wanted to get a ..."

I immediately added Never Cry Wolf to my TBR!

[Icy-Cobwebs-In-Space]

Yesterday was intriguing, boring, scary, and scary-with-gruesome! I started the day with my review of THE DROWNING by J. P. Smith, read December 30-31, an extraordinary! mystery. Then I chose 2 new books from Kindle First Reads, a new Brian James Freeman and a new Luanne Rice.

Then I started reading The Scarred Woman, which I purchased a couple weeks ago at $1.99, later realizing I have it as an overdue NetGalley ARC. I testify I love ScandiNoir, mystery, and horror--but oh dear, I DO NOT LIKE THIS NOVEL!

So I sidetracked to read/review Scare Street's Short Horror Stories Vol. 8, release Jan. 5 (also series, for Hooked On Books' January Challenge: Series, and ARC for ARC Apocalypse group) and then Feasts of Fear by Ron Ripley (Scare Street, series, ARC).

Today I'm slugging again at The Scarred Woman (is it Over Yet?) and starting The Untouched Crime.


The Drowning
Thief River Falls
Last Day
The Scarred Woman
Short Horror Stories Vol. 8: Scary Ghosts, Monsters, Demons, and Hauntings.com
Feast of Fear: Supernatural Horror with Scary Ghosts & Haunted Houses
The Untouched Crime

[Sarah]

Juli and Elyse, I hope you both enjoy reading Never Cry Wolf. It's such a wonderful and moving book! 🐺

[Shelby]

I plan my rough tbr well in advance, and I wanted to start 2020 off with . It goes well with my King reads challenge and my RYS challenge. I was saving it because it’s the last of the really beloved King books on my tbr and I’ve been scared to pick it up because what if I don’t love it? I loved very little that I read last year and my only new favourite of 2019 was a reread. Nothing new. So I’ve been nervous because lots of beloved books have been falling short for me lately.

I’m liking it well enough so far, but it’s too early to know what I think yet. Hoping to get halfway through by the end of this week.

[Juli, Moderator]

Shelby wrote: "I plan my rough tbr well in advance, and I wanted to start 2020 off with . It goes well with my King reads challenge and my RYS challenge. I was saving it because it..."

Did you reread any Kings you didn't love as well? Or just new ones you picked up in 2019?

[Juli, Moderator]

Reading Divergence wrote: "Yesterday was intriguing, boring, scary, and scary-with-gruesome! I started the day with my review of THE DROWNING by J. P. Smith, read December 30-31, an extraordinary! mystery. Then I chose 2 new..."

I hate having to slug through a review book. Thankfully that has happened to me only a few times!

[Juli, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Juli and Elyse, I hope you both enjoy reading Never Cry Wolf. It's such a wonderful and moving book! 🐺"

Thanks!!!!

Elyse, are you planning on reading it this year?

[Drew]

My first book of the year is Three Seconds in Munich: The Controversial 1972 Olympic Basketball Final.
Technically, it's RYS because I bought it in a small bookstore in Cambidge MA on 12/31. I took my daughter into her apartment and after we went to lunch, she wanted to show me her favorite bookstore. Apple... tree...
I am fascinated with everything about the 1972 Munich Olympics. Of course, there are some great books about the terrorist attack on the Israeli athletes, and the strange decision to let the games continue, and so much more, although less important. Mark Spitz winning 7 gold medals with 7 World records, and if athletes were paid back then maybe he would have been in more Olympics rather than becoming a dentist, Olga Korbut, the one Soviet we actually liked;, the imposter crossing this finish line of the Marathon before Frank Shorter; Dave Wottle's amazing comeback in the 800 meters (and I worked with Dave in the late 80's, great guy and very humble, wouldn't' talk about it at all), and the very controversial end to the gold medal basketball game. I was a 10 year old kid into sports, so I remember all of it so vividly.

[Shelby]

Juli wrote: "Shelby wrote: "I plan my rough tbr well in advance, and I wanted to start 2020 off with . It goes well with my King reads challenge and my RYS challenge. I was savin..."

My only new favourite was a reread of Pet Sematary. I had other 5 star reads, but no new favourites. I didn’t mind the other King books I read.

[Andrea, Moderator]

I kicked off the year with a good book The Last House Guest. Now I'm finishing up The Unhoneymooners - which is highly predictable for very amusing! Next up for me is Abide with Me.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Juli wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Juli and Elyse, I hope you both enjoy reading Never Cry Wolf. It's such a wonderful and moving book! 🐺"

Thanks!!!!

Elyse, are you planning on reading it this year?"

Yes! Give me a date so it doesn't get forgotten on my KU list! lol

[Connie]

My first book of the decade was The Dutch House by Ann Patchett after a long wait for it from the library.

Second nook was Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout, an ebook from the library.

[Karina]

My first book I finished was Vacationland by John Hodgman but I started it in 2019 (Jan 30) and finished it New Year's Day but the first fresh book is The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker. Have to finish this by Saturday for book club. My next book will be The Silent Patient which is a January 2019 BOTM book.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Karina wrote: "My first book I finished was Vacationland by John Hodgman but I started it in 2019 (Jan 30) and finished it New Year's Day but the first fresh book is The Animators by Kayla Rae Whi..."

Juli and I buddy read The Silent Patient last year and really liked it!

[LadyS]

What was the first book you picked up in the new decade?
Yearly content planner an ebook that assits with planning strategic content online
Was it new or are you continuing a book you started last year?
it was new
Was it a conscious decision or a random pick?
I'm actively looking for books that help me plan better and become more organized. As such, it was not a random pick.

Was it something that's been on your TBR for a long time or is it a new book?
it was not on my TBR pile.

[Arnetta]

My first book was Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble. A Christian book series set on an island off the Carolina coast. Great mystery as I had no idea who the villain turned out to be. Romance, great setting (I could almost hear the seagulls and feel the salt air breeze) and a great mystery. First book in a series - I will be looking for more!

[Shelby]

I’ve decided to go for more laid back reading this year. I’ve got a bunch of side projects I need to focus on, so I’m going to try reading only 3-4 books a month this year. I plan to binge some during the Magical Readathon months and the Reading Rush to make up for the longer books I’ll be reading and rereading this year, so I don’t have to push myself to reach 40 books this year, as opposed to trying to cram as many as possible.

[Elyse, Moderator]

Shelby wrote: "I’ve decided to go for more laid back reading this year. I’ve got a bunch of side projects I need to focus on, so I’m going to try reading only 3-4 books a month this year. I plan to binge some dur..."

Sounds like a good plan! And then if you read more, you read more!