Pam's 2020 Reading Challenge

[Pam]

Finished volume 2 of a Clark Ashton Smith collection Out Of Space And Time: Volume 2 - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3384352779.

[Pam]

Finished two books:

The Castle of Dark by Tanith Lee - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3419133799
and
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3425444590.

[Pam]

Catching up with reviews.

Read Poseidonis by Clark Ashton Smith and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3384353013

and the first big volume of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3454281335.

[Pam]

I seem to have forgotten to post a link to my review of volume 2 of Les Mis -

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3454278715

[Pam]

Catching up on reviews: two Bronte biographies and one Bronte novel, plus one in the Matthew Shardlake series

Daphne du Maurier's biography - The Infernal World of Branwell Bronte - review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3468820388

Juliet Barker's biography - The Brontës - review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3468826251

Charlotte Bronte's The Professor - review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3494592881

and C J Sansom's Sovereign - review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2981055749

[Pam]

Read Anne Bronte's two novels though probably unfortunately in the wrong order:

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3498646951

Agnes Grey - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3506361609

[Pam]

Back to science fiction/ fantasy with:

Tanith Lee - Day by Night - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3506425954

and a re-read of one of my favourites, the first two volumes of Barbara Hambly's Darwath series - The Time of the Dark - original review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1405987192
and The Walls of Air - updated review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1405994598

[Pam]

Catching up on reviews:

Volume 3 of Barbara Hambly's Darwath series (and the conclusion of the original story) - The Armies of Daylight - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3519174234

Tanith Lee's Days of Grass - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3519174234

Volume 1 of Robin Hobb's Rain Wild Chronicles - The Dragon Keeper - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1405972503
and
Volume 2 of Rain Wilds - Dragon Haven - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1405972641

[Pam]

Read volumes 3 and 4 of Robin Hobb's Rain Wilds Chronicles:

City of Dragons - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1405972765

and

Blood of Dragons - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1405972809.

[Pam]

Progress update - 61 completed, 6 behind sadly - but I was 10 behind so slight progress!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Wow, 61!! Glad you aren't quite as behind. I think I'm 10 ahead and contemplating increasing it again.

[Pam]

Thanks Desley. Have just reviewed 3 more so am at 65 books and 4 books behind ..... puff, puff......

[Pam]

Catching up on some reviews:

Leslie Wilson's Malefice - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3534999887

and books 1 and 2 of Rachel Aaron's Eli Monpress series -
The Spirit Thief - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3544760074

The Spirit Rebellion - reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3544760342

[Pam]

Finished volume 3 of Rachel Aaron's Eli Monpress series, The Spirit Eater, and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3544760445.

[Pam]

Read Tanith Lee's A Heroine of the World and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3552070432.

[Pam]

Read Tanith Lee's East of Midnight and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3556854232

[Pam]

Read a collection of short stories by Tanith Lee, Women as Demons and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3560110960.

[Pam]

Read Tanith Lee's Kill the Dead and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1915124800. Enjoyed this a lot more than several of hers I've read or re-read this year.

[Pam]

Two books behind on my target - will I ever catch up? Down from about 12 behind at one point though.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Only 2 behind isn't bad! I'm not going to alter mine again

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Only 2 behind isn't bad! I'm not going to alter mine again"

It went back up to three but I've knocked it down to two again. Just started a big history book though which might take a while to finish.

[Pam]

Just read part 3 of Den Patrick's trilogy, The Girl on the Liar's Throne and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3567375260.

[Pam]

Read Arbella: England's Lost Queen by Sarah Gristwood and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3570716950.

[Pam]

Unfortunately because I'm now reading a very long book, I've ended up three behind again on my target.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

How annoying!

[Pam]

And although I've now finished and reviewed it I'm still three behind darn it!

[Pam]

Read Clark Ashton Smith's collection, Tales of Science and Sorcery and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3590605113.

[Pam]

Read Uncle Silas by J Sheridan Le Fanu and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3590605839.

[Pam]

76 read and 4 behind now annoyingly.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Can't believe you have read 76 books!

[Pam]

Read Peter Ackroyd's The History of England: Volume II the Tudors and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3606344500.

[Pam]

Finished Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3618081048

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

I must try and get some more of the Odd series

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I must try and get some more of the Odd series"

I haven't been that impressed Desley to be honest. There were some good ideas in there but they seem to go down the proverbial in the execution.

[Pam]

Finished Jane Dunn's Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3618084802

[Pam]

Read Double Cross by Malorie Blackman and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3635076657

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Pam wrote: "Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I must try and get some more of the Odd series"

I haven't been that impressed Desley to be honest. There were some good ideas in there but they seem to go down the pr..."

I'll make sure I only get them cheap then!

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Pam wrote: "Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "I must try and get some more of the Odd series"

I haven't been that impressed Desley to be honest. There were some good ideas in there but they seem to go..."

I could send you mine though I can't find Brother Odd for some reason - but I have 3 of them, just pay the postage. message me if interested ! ;-)

[Pam]

Seem to have forgotten to post this earlier:
Read H is for Hawk and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1391772779

[Pam]

Read Anthony Masters' The Natural History of the Vampire and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3643555955

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

which 3 have you got? I'm not sure how many I have read, either first 2 or first 3

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "which 3 have you got? I'm not sure how many I have read, either first 2 or first 3"

Odd Thomas, Forever Odd and Odd Apocalypse. I did have Brother Odd but can't find it at the moment.

That's number 1, 2 and 5. Brother Odd is number 3, will keep looking!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Hmm, just gone to check what I've read and apparently have read the first 7! Don't know how that happened!

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Hmm, just gone to check what I've read and apparently have read the first 7! Don't know how that happened!"

OK not to worry!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Thanks for the offer anyway

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Out of curiosity Pam, as you don't have challenges to hit like me, how do you pick what to read next? Might horrify you to know that I'm working on 2021 challenges for another group, got some of it set down already, but will wait till next month to transfer to here.

[Pam]

Desley (Cat fosterer) wrote: "Out of curiosity Pam, as you don't have challenges to hit like me, how do you pick what to read next? Might horrify you to know that I'm working on 2021 challenges for another group, got some of it..."

It's quite random. I have a lot of old books - fantasy/science fiction or horror mostly - that I am working my way through so those have priority but every so often I want a break to non fiction, mainly history, and might read a few of those, then back either to the old books or to one or two modern ones that I bought recently, just to avoid getting fed up.

I couldn't be organised enough to have multiple challenges and as for next year....! I am still behind on my 100 books challenge at the moment :-(

[Pam]

Read John Prebble's The Lion in the North and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3648435145.

[Pam]

Read book 1 of Brian McClellan's Powder Mage series Promise of Blood and reviewed it - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3666210675.

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Thanks for answering my curiosity. Sorry you are still behind