Reading Envy 188: TBR Explode and SUMMER READING

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

On this bonus episode, Jenny reports on the first quarter of her TBR Explode project (now on its second year) and announces this year's Reading Envy Summer Reading Challenge! It's almost May, so it's almost summer, depending on how you define it. Please let me know what you are reading for your summer reading by using the hashtag #readingenvysummerreading in social media.

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[Carol]

Hmmmm, I liked two of the Tana French books that I've read so I may join you in this series read. But in one of the book challenges, reading two or three books from the same author was an option so I may consider John Steinbeck too.

[Nadine in California]

I like this summer challenge, which will be especially challenging for me. I haven't had much luck with series - there haven't been many first-in-a-series books that I liked well enough to carry on. My biggest exception is Wolf Hall - I have the last in the trilogy (thrillogy!) The Mirror & the Light sitting on my shelf and I've been postponing reading it so I can savor the excitement a bit longer. I'm doing the same with Maria Doria Russell's Epitaph

I think I'm going to have to modify this challenge - rather than finish a series, I'll probably have to either start or continue one. I own 2 complete series that I haven't even started: Thessaly: The Complete Trilogy by Jo Walton and the Sea of Poppies trilogy by Amitav Ghosh. I'll be happy to just start these series.

I have the first book in Ben Winter's The Last Policeman series and I'm sure I'll read all of them - I love this author, although I tend to space his books out, since the tone of them has a sameness to them. I also have the first book of Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles.

I'd like to continue reading these trilogies: Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders, Marilyn Robinson's Gilead, and Robert Harris' Cicero.

Lastly, it looks after more than 20 years, Vikram Seth has followed up A Suitable Boy with A Suitable Girl but it seems like there are publishing problems with it, since it's AWOL everywhere, including Amazon.

For someone who thinks she doesn't do well with series, I seem to have a lot of them in my life after all! I may have bored everybody to death at this point, but this post feels like a productive therapy session for me ;)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Nadine wrote: "I like this summer challenge, which will be especially challenging for me. I haven't had much luck with series - there haven't been many first-in-a-series books that I liked well enough to carry on..."

Nadine, I'm a bit stalled on the Mantel but only because I have it in audio and I AM NEVER ALONE and my husband isn't super into popping in and out of my audiobooks. I listen to it now and then if I'm cooking.

I didn't mean to leave people out so I'm happy that people are finding their own interpretations of the challenge. I think starting a series is perfectly valid!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Carol wrote: "Hmmmm, I liked two of the Tana French books that I've read so I may join you in this series read. But in one of the book challenges, reading two or three books from the same author was an option so..."

I didn't mean to leave people out, I think you should do whatever works for you and multiple books by one author is a great way to think of it (or maybe this is another challenge?) The whole point is to feel inspired to read.

[Nadine in California]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Nadine, I'm a bit stalled on the Mantel but only because I have it in audio and I AM NEVER ALONE and my husband isn't super into popping in and out of my audiobooks. I listen to it now and then if I'm cooking."

I've got 2 words for you, Jenny: wireless earbuds.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Nadine wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Nadine, I'm a bit stalled on the Mantel but only because I have it in audio and I AM NEVER ALONE and my husband isn't super into popping in and out of my audiobooks. I ..."

I spend so much of my "working from home" day with headphones that I just can’t outside of that right now.

[Elizabeth☮]

I'm not big into series because I have a tendency not to complete any of the ones I start. My only success has been with series aimed at middle grade readers!

As a Duranie, I take issue with whether Duran Duran is STILL popular. My guess is that's a generational gap. I'm close to fifty, so Duran Duran was my life in junior high. When I saw them four years ago, I ran into so many of my friends from that time period. It was amazing! That said, Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut is really a fan's homage to the band. I loved the nostalgia of the book. I did love Love Is a Mix Tape also. I have mixed tapes! My husband made me two when we were dating. Ah curating the perfect list. It's not the same with a playlist. It was all about releasing that pause button perfectly to get little to no silence between songs; and when you timed your tape to the last rotation -- wow.

Can you tell I miss human interaction?

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Elizabeth☮ wrote: "I'm not big into series because I have a tendency not to complete any of the ones I start. My only success has been with series aimed at middle grade readers!

As a Duranie, I take issue with whet..."

I ended up not finishing that book but it was during that period where I just couldn't focus on ANYTHING. I liked Love is a Mix Tape too.

[Kim]

When I heard you announce your summer reading challenge I cheered! Yay, this is going to be so fun, and so easy for me! I love series (what is the plural of series??), I read them all the time!

And then ...hmmmmm....what series have I NOT finished? I’m getting ready to start the final book in Celeste DeBlasis’s Wild Swan trilogy for the XXth time but am not going to count that as the only “challenge” to that is being very gentle with the book itself as the binding is beginning to fail 📖.

I think I’ll go ahead and read an entire series....surely there are multiple “First book of the __________ series “ on my ever growing TBR....it’s just a matter of finding something that sounds light yet interesting that doesn’t have a large hold list on it. 📚

Thanks Jenny, for coming up with an idea that is flexible enough that all of us can find something that works for us wherever our reading brains are during these unprecedented times!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Kim wrote: "When I heard you announce your summer reading challenge I cheered! Yay, this is going to be so fun, and so easy for me! I love series (what is the plural of series??), I read them all the time!

An..."

Oh great, I'm looking forward to what you end up reading!

[Carol]

Hi Jenny,
What was the order of the Tana French books that was recommended?

[Carol]

Carol wrote: "Hi Jenny,
What was the order of the Tana French books that was recommended?"
Never mind, I found it in your blog!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Carol wrote: "Carol wrote: "Hi Jenny,
What was the order of the Tana French books that was recommended?"
Never mind, I found it in your blog!"

Ah great was going to send you to BR. ;)

[Kim]

I knew I had to have an unfinished series waiting somewhere on my TBR list...
Daniel Jose Older’s Shadowshaper series (3 novels and 2 novellas) is now completed:-) A solid 4 stars all the way through for me.

Hmmm....it’s still May, I’ve got plenty of time to get through another series....back to my TBR I go for inspiration! 📚

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Kim wrote: "I knew I had to have an unfinished series waiting somewhere on my TBR list...
Daniel Jose Older’s Shadowshaper series (3 novels and 2 novellas) is now completed:-) A solid 4 stars all the way throu..."

Oh interesting Kim, I've had that on my periphery for a while now.