Pam's 2020 Reading Challenge

[Pam]

Haven't yet finished the book I started before Christmas but here is the new thread. I am going to try for 100 books again, but will increase it later if it looks as if I'm going to exceed it.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Good luck

[Anna]

100! I'd be happy if I could manage a quarter of that. Maybe one day...

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

I'd love to read that amount too, maybe if I stopped watching TV and mooching on here! GR has definitely made me read less

[Jim]

Pam wrote: "Haven't yet finished the book I started before Christmas but here is the new thread. I am going to try for 100 books again, but will increase it later if it looks as if I'm going to exceed it."

It's certainly a high aspiration :-)

[Pam]

Thanks all. Unfortunately I've got off to a slow start this time and GR is telling me I'm behind already. I've clawed back a bit of it by catching up on my reviews of what I've read so far, but still am 3 behind at the mo.

[Pam]

Review catch up since start of the year:

Book 8 of the Indigo series by Louise Cooper - Aisling - reviewed: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2784951413

Then a Thomas Burnett Swann - The Tournament of Thorns - reviewed: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3134110298

and finally another Swann, The Weirwoods - reviewed: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3158569984.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Sorry you are behind so soon, good luck with catching up.

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Sorry you are behind so soon, good luck with catching up."

Thanks Desley - I'm even further behind now, ha ha. Anyway have managed one review tonight.

[Pam]

Starting to catch up with reviews - read Tudor: The Family Story by Leandra de Lisle and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3158568843.

[Pam]

Read book 1 in a series by Tanith Lee, The Storm Lord, and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1915124909.
Not brilliant but book 2 seems a lot better.

[Pam]

Read volume 2 in Tanith Lee's Vis series and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3176435871

[Pam]

Read another in the Bryant and May series by Christopher Fowler, Hall of Mirrors and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3184700368.

[Pam]

Read book 3 of the Vis trilogy by Tanith Lee but sadly this one didn't really gel for me - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3184781494

[Pam]

Also read Will-o-the-Wisp by Thomas Burnett Swann and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3199245044.

[Pam]

Read book 1 in a series by Tanith Lee - Night's Master and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3201778542


Used to love Tanith Lee but this seems to be two series in a row that I am not getting on well with. Also, in contrast with last year, I am still behind with my challenge, despite posting three in the last few days.

[Pam]

Read Thomas Burnett Swann's Wolfwinter - and loved it, which is a big change from several others of his that I've read - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3201955281.

[Pam]

With those short books, only 3 behind now on the challenge but having started a longer one have a feeling I will lose ground again.......

[Pam]

Read book 2 of Tanith Lee's Flat Earth series Death's Master which started off promisingly but derailed towards the end - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1915123698.

[Pam]

Read The Girl With All the Gifts and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3209684129.

[Pam]

Read book 1 in a Louise Cooper fantasy series - The Deceiver and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3209683297.

[Pam]

Read book 3 in the Tanith Lee Flat Earth series - Delusion's Master and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1915123409.

[Pam]

Read Delirium's Mistress, book 4 in the Flat Earth series by Tanith Lee and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1915123431.

[Pam]

Reviewed some books a while back but didn't get round to actually posting links to them:

Book 5 in Tanith Lee's Flat Earth series Night's Sorceries - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3233262822

Book 2 of Louise Cooper's Chaos Gate trilogy, The Pretender - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3216392791

Volkhavaar by Tanith Lee - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1915124871

and as a break from fantasy

Colin Dexter's Death is Now My Neighbour - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3233304182"

Although I did briefly catch up, I'm 2 behind on my target again, but I have read one book that I have not yet reviewed.

[Pam]

Read Tanith Lee's Tamastara, or The Indian Nights and reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3243365021

[Pam]

Finished a couple of books yesterday and have now reviewed them:

Sung in Shadow by Tanith Lee - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3248316621

The Avenger by Louise Cooper - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3233316593

[Pam]

Well, after catching up briefly I've fallen further and further behind with my challenge; now 8 books down. The trouble is, I've not had my usual concentration since the lockdown started and have been catching up with a backlog of magazines rather than reading books.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Wow, surprised you are 8 behind. Luckily I'm finding it easier to read in lockdown, but I know a lot of people on my other group have your problem.

[Pam]

Read Terry Pratchett's Making Money and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3297899078

[Pam]

Catching up on a few reviews:

Sabella, or The Blood Stone by Tanith Lee - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3310220210

Six Moon Dance by Sheri Tepper - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1381976754

and Lady Of Hay by Barbara Erskine - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1399410863.

[Pam]

Still 8 books down despite that and one of those was a huge tome - the middle one was pretty thick too. Not very encouraging of Goodreads!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Sorry to hear that, ironically I'm 8 ahead! Contemplating amending mine

[Pam]

Even worse now Desley - I am 10 behind after adding my latest review!!

[Pam]

Read Kingdom of Shadows by Barbara Erskine and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1399413230.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

That's not good! I was on the app before, mine told me I have to read 1.5 books a month to hit mine

[Pam]

Bit of a catch-up

Took time out from reading the Barbara Erskine books to read something heavy but very apposite for these times:

The Coming Plague - Newly Emerging Diseases In A World Out Of Balance by Laurie Garrett - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3340242064

[Pam]

Back to Erskine for the last of hers to grace my shelves:

House of Echoes - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1399414446

[Pam]

Enjoyed this crime novel by Ray Bradbury - Death Is A Lonely Business - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3374259155.

[Pam]

Finally finished Philip K Dick's VALIS and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3134096657.

[Pam]

Latest read - Lincoln's Dreams by Connie Willis. Found this one rather disappointing sadly - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3381646037.

[Pam]

For some reason, after adding 2 reviews I am still 10 books behind on my challenge. Can't believe it!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

That is so frustrating Pam!

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "That is so frustrating Pam!"

yes and today I am eleven behind!!

[Pam]

Read volume 1 of a collection by Clark Ashton Smith - Out Of Space And Time Volume 1 - and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3384351702.

[Pam]

Read Cyrion by Tanith Lee and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3386882779.


Still 10 books behind on challenge sadly.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Sorry you are still behind, ironically despite increasing my challenge I'm 10 books ahead! I've read 15 books in the 9 weeks I've been furloughed! Most over 400 pages

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Sorry you are still behind, ironically despite increasing my challenge I'm 10 books ahead! I've read 15 books in the 9 weeks I've been furloughed! Most over 400 pages"

Yes been reading every day so a bit puzzled as to what has gone wrong.

[Pam]

Read a couple of books and reviewed them:

Tanith Lee's The Blood of Roses - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3396615673
and
Tom Holt's The Good, the Bad and the Smug - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3407339435.

[Pam]

Read and reviewed A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3407365043.

[Pam]

Read a couple of books - the first in a series by S J Parris - Heresy - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3410726027
and a large coffee table type book, Barbie: Her Life & Times by Billy Boy - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3396612488.