Book List: Books Read in 2019

Every January, I make a list of the books I read the past year. I usually read a 100+ and 2019 was the same. I read 104 books in 2019. Some were very short; some were very long. A few seemed longer than they were.

I'm trying to be less stingy about giving five stars. I've always reserved five for classics or a very few all-time favorites. I'm going start giving five stars for books I really enjoyed and would recommend generally; four for books I liked and would recommend to people who enjoy that type of book; three if I was lukewarm on it or if liked it personally, but wouldn't think of recommending it; two if I didn't like it; and one if I really didn't like it.

MY LIST OF 2019 BOOKS, IN THE ORDER I READ THEM

Educated by Tara Westover ⭐⭐⭐

The Jewel in the Crown (The Raj Quartet, Book I) by Paul Scott ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Year of the French by Thomas Flanagan ⭐⭐⭐

The Day of the Scorpion (The Raj Quartet, Book II) by Paul Scott ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Year of Living Kindly: Choices That Will Change Your Life and the World Around You by Donna Cameron (my interview with Donna Cameron is here) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books by Karen Swallow Prior ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Towers of Silence (The Raj Quartet, Book III) by Paul Scott ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Henri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst-Filled Cat by William Bradon ⭐⭐⭐

Slam by Nick Hornby ⭐⭐⭐ ½ 

The Girl from Oto by Amy Maroney (my interview with Amy Maroney is here) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Shame of Losing by Sarah Cannon (my interview with Sarah Cannon is here) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An Affair with a House by Bunny Williams ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Tenth Man by Graham Greene ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Friend of My Springtime by Willa Cather ⭐⭐

Licking Flames: Tales of a Half-Assed Hussy by Diana Kirk (my interview with Diana Kirk is here) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Division of Spoils (The Raj Quartet, Book IV) by Paul Scott ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mark Hampton on Decorating by Mark Hampton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the Woods by Tana French ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Staying On by Paul Scott (Booker Prize winner) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blood, Salt, Water by Denise Mina ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tatiana by Martin Cruz Smith ⭐⭐⭐

Queen of Spades by Michael Shou-Yung Shum ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Headlong by Michael Frayn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Zuckerman Unbound by Philip Roth ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Vengeance by Benjamin Black ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Robineau Look by Kathleen Moore Knight ⭐⭐⭐½ 

I'd Rather Be Reading: A Library of Art for Book Lovers by Guinevere De La Mare⭐⭐⭐⭐

Agents and Patients by Anthony Powell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson ⭐⭐⭐

Collected Poems: 1944-1979 (NYRB Poets) by Kingley Amis (including A Case of Samples, Poems 1946-1956 and A Look Round the Estate, Poems 1957-67) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Woman of Means by Peter Taylor ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Someone by Alice McDermott ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Poorhouse Fair by John Updike ⭐⭐⭐½ 

A Man of Property (The Forsyte Saga, Book I) by John Galsworthy ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In Chancery (The Forsyte Saga, Book II) by John Galsworthy ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Girl, 20 by Kingsley Amis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante ⭐⭐

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis--and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance by Ben Sasse ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ 

To Let (The Forsyte Saga, Book III) by John Galsworthy ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Imitation Game by Ian McEwan ⭐⭐⭐

Wise Virgin by A. N. Wilson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Best of Friends by Joanna Trollope ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Sight for Sore Eyes by Ruth Rendell ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Uneasy Money by P. G. Wodehouse ⭐⭐⭐½ 

The Quiller Memorandum by Adam Hall ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lila by Marilynne Robinson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold John le Carre ⭐⭐⭐

Set in Darkness by Ian Rankin ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Backwards in High Heels: The Impossible Art of Being Female by Tania Kindersley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There There by Tommy Orange ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lady Into Fox by David Garnett (James Tait Black Memorial Prize Winner) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Great Mortdecai Moustache Mystery by Kyril Bonfiglioli ⭐⭐⭐

Conquests and Cultures: An International History by Thomas Sowell ⭐⭐⭐

Trove: A Woman's Search for Truth and Buried Treasure by Sandra A. Miller ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Power by Naomi Alderman ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Something Special by Iris Murdoch ⭐⭐⭐

Dirty Friends by Morris Lurie ⭐⭐⭐

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Gift of a Letter: Giving the Gift of Ourselves -- Add Richness and Grace to Your Life Through the Art of Letter-writing by Alexandra Stoddard ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown ⭐⭐⭐⭐

And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Do the Windows Open? by Julie Hecht ⭐⭐⭐

The Dying Animal by Philip Roth ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Big Sky by Kate Atkinson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World’s Happiest People by Meik Wiking ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke ⭐⭐⭐

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Small Room by May Sarton ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Heart-Keeper by Françoise Sagan ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Abbess of Crewe by Muriel Spark ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Levels of Life by Julian Barnes ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Gourmands' Way: Six Americans in Paris and the Birth of a New Gastronomy by Justin Spring ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty and Other Tragedies of Married Life by Judith Viorst ⭐⭐⭐

The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

First Love by Joyce Carol Oates ⭐⭐⭐

The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mira's Way by Amy Maroney ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Birds of Wonder by Cynthia Robinson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Cat Abroad by Peter Gethers ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Rash by Lisa Kusel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Milkman by Anna Burns ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Professor's House by Willa Cather ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Shattered by Dick Francis ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Hunter by John Lescroart ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Before Lunch by Angella Thirkell ⭐⭐⭐½ 

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Final Verdict by Sheldon Siegel ⭐⭐⭐½

The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman

The Adults by Caroline Hulse ⭐⭐⭐⭐



NOTE

I usually link to amazon because I know I like to have a link to a book when I want more information about it and amazon is a clearinghouse of information. But I know some people dislike amazon. Please don't take offence. Feel free to find books and information wherever you chose.

Book Beginning: Off Island by Lara Tupper

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

The northern island looked best in morning light: slices of sheer cold rays on rugged pines and cliffs, the gray-blue sea below.

Off Island by Lara Tupper.

Tupper's new novel blends an imagined historical tale of artist Paul Gauguin living on an island off the the coast of Maine with a contemporary story of another painter who finds the art and letters Gauguin left behind.

Off Island launches January 6, 2020 and is available for pre-order from Encircle Publications.

From the publisher's description:

With wry humor and clear-eyed precision, Tupper captures the lure of the unknown, the pull of the familiar and the strangers our loved ones turn out to be. A novel of love and disappointment, duty and wanderlust, Off Island questions what it means to be loyal to one’s art, one’s family and one’s home.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up. Please find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

The dirt road is lined with stocky pines, weak sun slanting in. In winter the dirt freezes in random stretches, making tricky planes Pete likes to crack with steel-toed boots.

2020 European Reading Challenge: WRAP UP POST PAGE

The 2020 European Reading Challenge

WRAP UP POST PAGE

January 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021

THIS IS THE PAGE FOR WRAP UP POSTS

TO LIST YOUR REVIEWS, GO TO THIS PAGE

TO SIGN UP, GO TO THE MAIN CHALLENGE PAGE, HERE,

OR CLICK THE BUTTON ABOVE

When you complete the 2020 European Reading Challenge whatever level you signed up for, please do a wrap up post and enter a link to your post here. A wrap up post can be as simple as an update of your original sign up post. Please link to your wrap up post, NOT the main page of your blog.

LINK YOUR WRAP UP POST HERE:



You can complete the challenge simply by reading one to five books (or more), each set in a different European country or written by an author from a different European country.

You do not have to review books to complete the challenge. But only books reviewed count towards the Jet Setter Prize. So if you are going for the prize, link your reviews on the review page here. Only one book per country counts towards the prize.

When I announce the prize winner, Honorable Mention will go to the participants who visited the most countries, with links to their wrap up posts. If you don't link a wrap up post, I won't be able to find you.

NO BLOG? NO PROBLEM!

You do not need a blog to participate! If you don't have a blog, be flexible about how you alert us to your wrap up. If you post on a platform that allows you to post a link here, post the link. If you post your wrap up on Instagram, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Facebook, or some other place that doesn't generate a link, just leave a comment here with a list of your books and the countries. Please name the countries as well as the book titles so I don't have to guess.

NOTE ABOUT DATES

There is overlap in January 2020 between the last month of the 2019 challenge and the first month of the 2020 challenge. If you participated both years, only count books read in January in one of the years, not both.

2020 European Reading Challenge: REVIEW PAGE

The 2020 European Reading Challenge

REVIEW PAGE

January 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021

THIS IS THE PAGE TO LIST YOUR REVIEWS.

IF YOU HAVE FINISHED, WRAP UP POSTS GO ON THIS PAGE.

TO SIGN UP, GO TO THE MAIN CHALLENGE PAGE, HERE,

OR CLICK THE BUTTON ABOVE.

LINK YOUR REVIEWS HERE

Please put your name or the name of your blog, the name of the book you reviewed, and the country of the book or author. For example: "Rose City Reader, A Gentleman in Moscow, Russia."




When you review a book for the 2020 European Reading Challenge, please add it to this list using the Linky widget above. Please link to your review post, NOT the main page of your blog.

You do not have to review books to complete the challenge. You can complete the challenge simply by reading one to five books (or more), each set in a different European country or written by an author from a different European country. If you complete the challenge, please link some kind of wrap up post (even an updated version of you original sign up post) on the wrap up page. That way, I know who finished the challenge.

But only books reviewed count towards the Jet Setter Prize. So if you are going for the prize, link your reviews here. Only one book per country counts towards the prize.

NO BLOG? NO PROBLEM!

You do not need a blog to participate! If you don't have a blog, be flexible about how you alert us to your reviews. If you post them on a platform that allows you to post a link here, post the link. If you post your reviews on Instagram, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Facebook, or some other place that doesn't generate a link, just copy your review into a comment here. That way, I can find the reviews and count them towards the Jet Setter Prize.

NOTE ABOUT DATES

There is overlap in January 2020 between the last month of the 2019 challenge and the first month of the 2020 challenge. If you participated both years, only count books read in January in one of the years, not both.

Review: A Place in the World by Amy Maroney

A Place in the World by Amy Maroney (2019)

A Place in the World wraps up Amy Maroney's historical fiction series about a female Renaissance artist and the modern-day art historian on her trail. The story throughout the series moves between Mira, the Renaissance artist, to her modern-day counterpart, art historian Zari Durrell. Most of the action of Mira’s story takes place in the Pyrenees, along the pilgrim’s route of Camino de Santiago.

Mira was born into dangerous circumstances and her mother named her Miramonde, "one who sees the world." Growing up, she became known as Mira and set out to fulfill the promise of her name. She makes an admirable heroine, overcoming obstacles, dangers, and heartbreak that would challenge the most formidable spirit. Zari shares the same impulsive, curious nature and strong moral compass. The dual story line works well.

The series was inspired by a 500-year-old portrait of a mysterious woman at Oxford University attributed to female artist Caterina van Hemessen. Maroney wove historical research about women artists during the Renaissance with an adventure story to shine a light on these lost artists of the 16th Century. The books also explore the technical world of art conservation, which has evolved to the point where we can see beneath layers of paint and discover truths that have been buried for centuries.

In this last book, Maroney brings Mira and Zari’s adventure to a satisfying close. Like the first two books, A Girl from Oto and Mira’s Way, A Place in the World is fast-paced and the writing seems effortless. Maroney’s Miramonde series is storytelling at its best.


NOTES

Read my Rose City Reader interview with Amy Maroney here. Amy talks about her books, female artists, and what drew her to historical fiction. She also gives a list of her favorite authors and recent favorite books.

From the Publisher's Description:

1505: Pregnant and reunited with the love of her life, artist Mira survives a harrowing journey to the city of her dreams. But Bayonne is nothing like she imagined. Navigating a dangerous world ruled by merchants and bishops, she struggles to reignite her painting career. When an old enemy rises from the shadows, Mira’s life is thrown into chaos all over again—and she is faced with a shattering decision.

2016: Scholar Zari seizes the chance to return to Europe as a consultant for an art dealer. Overwhelmed by her job, she has little time to hunt for clues about Mira. But when art experts embrace a theory that Mira’s paintings are the work of a famous man, Zari must act. Racing against time, she travels to a windswept corner of Spain. What she discovers there solves the puzzle of Mira forever—and unlocks the secrets of Zari’s own past.

A thrilling tale of obsession, mystery, and intrigue, this mesmerizing saga will stay with you long after you read the last page.

Hope for the New Year!

Over on Instagram, bookstagrammers are collecting #2020hopetitles, “book titles that reflect your hopes for 2020, whether they be personal or global.”

Mine are gathered here with my favorite cuddly throw blanket and Christmas tea mug from Dallmayr’s in Munich because one of my hopes for the new year is to spend more time curled up with a good book. But that’s always my hope for the new year and I don’t know that this coming year will be any different than years past.

Of course, with the 2020 US elections looming, the new year is gearing up to be even more acrimonious than ever. Two of my choices reflect my hopes for civility in public discourse and personal relationships. I have friends all along the political spectrum, from one end to the other, and my hope is we are all still talking by the end of the year.

The first book is Culture Counts by Roger Scruton, a series of essays defending what T. S. Eliot called “the common pursuit of true judgment.” I’m reading this now to remind me of fundamentals.

The next is Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle. My hope is we could all talk more, tweet less.

Closer to home, my personal hope is that I spend more time with IRL friends in 2020, so I included Among Friends by M. F. K. Fisher.

I added these Los Angeles and San Francisco books to reflect my hopes for my job in 2020. On January 1, California opens a three-year “window” in its statute of limitations for child sexual assault that allows victims who were abused at any time in the past to bring claims against abusers or organizations. My law partner and I are filing at least 14 new sex abuse cases against the Boy Scout next week. There will be more. Many of our clients have waited many years for this law to change. My hope is that they finally get justice and accountability for the wrongs done to them as children.

And finally, I included Walk There! because I need surgery on my foot to fix a pinched nerve. Right now, walking feels like stepping on ground glass. So my hope is to get it over soon, successfully, and with a quick recovery.

How about you? What hopes do you have for the new year? Can you find book titles that reflect your hopes? Feel free to list your own titles, in a comment here, or on your own blog, Instagram, or other social media.

Review: Celibate by Maria Giura

Celibate by Maria Giura, from Apprentice House Press (2019)

When she was a young woman, Maria Giura fell in love with a Catholic priest. In her new memoir, Celibate, Giura writes about their complicated, angry relationship and how it led her to finally find her true calling.

In working through her history with Father Infanzi, Giura writes about how she began to appreciate that neither partner in their relationship was all right or all wrong; everyone brings emotional wounds from youth into adult relationships. Unlike what she felt at the time, Giura came to understand that she was not a victim of circumstance or even God’s will, but that she had choices.

Writing her book – and figuring out the real truth about her relationship with the priest, her mother, others close to her, even her relationship with God – helped Giura grow up and leave behind a lot of anger. Giura tells her story with guts and grace.

Recommended for readers interested in stories about personal relationships, mother/daughter relationships, faith, the Catholic Church, and Italian American families.

NOTES

Read my Rose City Reader interview with Maria Giura here. Maria talked about her book, writing, and upcoming projects. She also gave a list of her favorite contemporary and classic memoirs by women dealing with crises of faith. It's worth checking out!

Publisher's Description:

When twenty-eight-year-old Maria Giura fell in love with Catholic priest Father James Infanzi, she had no idea how needy and angry they both were nor how complicated their attraction would become.

His attention seemed to fill the void left by her fractured family, but he also seemed to be a sign for her to finally face the celibate vocation she'd been running from ever since she first felt God's call. Celibate focuses on her ten-year struggle to let go of this priest, to heal from her childhood, and to finally embrace her true calling. Fiercely honest and tender, this memoir is ultimately a story about surrender, forgiveness, and facing one's deepest needs.

2020 CHALLENGE: The Audiobook Challenge

2020 AUDIOBOOK CHALLENGE

hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer

I'm signing up this year for the 2020 Audiobook Challenge hosted by Hot Listens and Caffeinated Reviewer. The goal is to listen to more audiobooks in 2020 than in 2019. I love audiobooks and read a lot of books with my ears. I listened to 42 audiobooks in 2019. It might be hard to top that.

I am signing up for the "My Precious" level 30+ audiobooks in 2020, with the goal of getting to at least 43 and beating my 2019 number. I don't have any in mind yet. I keep a wish list on my library account, and keep several holds going, so I often take pot luck of what hold comes up first.

My usual method of adding to my wish list or library holds is to go through all the book lists I'm working on and see what's available from my library. They add audiobooks all the time. I've gotten through a number of Must Reads and Prize Winners this way, which appeals to the list ticker in me.

BOOKS READ FOR THIS CHALLENGE

I will list my books here as I read them.

MY THOUGHTS ON AUDIOBOOKS

First, I am firmly in the camp that counts an audiobook as "reading" a book. (As long as it is an unabridged edition; but I don't count reading an abridged edition with your eyes as reading the book either.) If the words of a book go into your brain through one of your sense receptors - eyes, ears, or fingertips - that counts as reading the book, in my book.

Second, I love audiobooks. Especially now that they are available for instant download, they are so convenient! And the download versions have the nice added features of being able to back up in 15 second bits if you miss something and listen at faster speeds, which is really nice. I find 1.25 is good for most books. I listen while I fold laundry, cook, walk to work, drive, or putter around the house. I can't listen while I do anything that requires verbal thinking.

Finally, audiobooks have helped me get through several chunky classics I probably wouldn't have tackled in paper. I prefer audio books for older literature. Someone else has parsed the dense, long paragraphs and figured out the proper phrasing; the use of different voices for the characters make them more engaging; and the books are just more lively. It's like the difference between trying to read a Shakespeare play -- difficult -- and watching one performed -- enjoyable.

2020 CHALLENGE: The Reading Classic Books Challenge

2020 READING CLASSIC BOOKS CHALLENGE

hosted by the The Broken Spine

I am signing up for the 2020 Reading Classic Books Challenge hosted by Erica at The Broken Spine.

The goal is to read more classic books. Erica isn't a stickler about her definition, although book must have been originally published more than 50 years ago. There are 12 prompts and each book can count for one or two prompts. I'm going to try to read at least six classic books for this challenge. I'm trying to make some progress on my Classics Club list in 2020 and this challenge will be a good way to do it.

CHALLENGE PROMPTS

1) Read a classic over 500 pages
2) Read a classic by a POC and/or with a POC as the main character
3) Read a classic that takes place in a country other than where you live
4) Read a classic in translation
5) Read a classic by a new to you author
6) Read a book of poetry
7) Read a classic written between 1800-1860
8) Read a classic written by an LGBT author and/or with an LGBT main character
9) Read a classic written by a woman
10) Read a classic novella
11) Read a classic nonfiction
12) Read a classic that has been banned or censored

MY BOOK POSSIBILITIES

1) over 500 pages: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
2) POC:
3) another country: Something to Answer For by P. H. Newby (Egypt)
4) translation: Cheri by Colette
5) new author: The Late George Apley by John Phillips Marquand
6) poetry:
7) 1800-1860:
8) LGBT: Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
9) woman: A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch
10) novella:
11) nonfiction: Prospero's Cell: A Guide To The Landscape And Manners of The Island Of Corfu by Lawrence Durrell
12) banned or censored:

SOCIAL MEDIA, ETC.

Goodreads @ Reading Classic Books
Twitter @Read_Classics
Instagram @Reading Classic Books
hashtag #readclassicbooks2020

THE CLASSICS CLUB

The Classics Club is an ongoing book challenge where participants pledge to read at least 50 classic books in five years. It has been going since 2012 and many participants are on their second or more lists by now. I am still working on my first CC list.

Anyone can join. The Classics Club website has lots of fun stuff for participants, like games, events, and an enormous book list if you need inspiration for "classic" books.

2019 Challenge: COMPLETED - Back to the Classics

2019 Back to the Classics
COMPLETED

I love the Back to the Classics Challenge hosted by Books and Chocolate, but I've been hit or miss with it over the years. The prompts are good and I enjoy participating, but I have failed several times to sign up in time. But I got on board in time for 2019 and I finished the six book I signed up to read!

The idea is to read six, nine, or 12 books published more than 50 years ago, one each from a list of categories. Other than being more than 50 years old, Karen at Books and Chocolate does not strictly define a “classic” book. However, she provides guidelines for each of her categories.

I signed up in 2019 at the six-book level, and ended up reading nine.

CATEGORIES AND BOOKS READ

• 19th Century Classic: The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy (originally published in 1878)
• 20th Century Classic: Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot (originally published in 1939)
• Classic by a Woman Author: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
• Classic in Translation: The Heart-Keeper by Françoise Sagan (translated from French)
• Classic Comic Novel: Agents and Patients by Anthony Powell
• Classic Tragic Novel:
• Very Long Classic (over 500 pages): Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (608 pages)
• Classic Novella: Lady Into Fox by David Garnett (96 pages)
• Classic from the Americas (includes the Caribbean): The Professor's House by Willa Cather (there is a New Mexico story line involving indigenous peoples and artifacts that is dated but still thought provoking)
• Classic from Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia):
• Classic from a Place You’ve Lived: The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (England)
• Classic Play:

Karen offers a prize for those who complete the challenge and review the books they read. She does a drawing for the prize and participants get one entry if they complete six books, two entries for those who complete nine books, and three entries for those who complete 12 books.

I didn't review any of the books I read for this challenge -- I haven't had much time to review books lately! So I'm just happy to have read my nine books even though I don't qualify for the drawing. Like I said, I'm a little hit or miss with this one. Oh well. Book blogging is supposed to be fun!

2020 CHALLENGE: The European Reading Challenge

MY SIGN-UP POST

for the 2020 European Reading Challenge

This is my sign-up post or the 2020 ERC. To sign up yourself (and I hope you do), go to the main page for the 2020 European Reading Challenge here, or click the picture above.

The idea is to read books set in different European countries or written by authors from different European countries. You can sign up to complete the challenge by reading one to five books, each from a different country. Of course, you can read more than five to compete for the Jet Setter Prize. Or just to visit more countries! Read all the details on the main challenge page.

I've signed up for the "FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE)" level to read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries. This year, I decided to read five nonfiction books. My nonfiction shelves are overflowing. None get me to far-flung corners of Europe, but this year I’m determined to clear some space on my nonfiction shelves!

MY CHALLENGE BOOKS

ITALY: A Thousand Days in Venice: An Unexpected Romance by Marlena de Blasi.

FRANCE: Paris to the Past: Traveling Through French History by Train by Ina Caro.

GREECE: Prospero’s Cell: A Guide to the Landscape and Manners of the Island of Corfu by Lawrence Durrell.

U.K.: Britain by the Book: A Curious Tour of Our Literary Landscape by Oliver Tearle.

IRELAND: Country Girl: A Memoir by Edna O’Brien.


NOTE: WHAT COUNTS AS "EUROPE"? For the European Reading Challenge, we stick with the standard list of 50 sovereign states that fall (at least partially) within the geographic territory of the continent of Europe and/or enjoy membership in international European organizations such as the Council of Europe. This list includes the obvious (the UK, France, Germany, and Italy), the really huge Russia, the tiny Vatican City, and the mixed bag of Baltic, Balkan, and former Soviet states.

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

Book Beginning: The Adults by Caroline Hulse

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAYS
THANKS FOR JOINING ME ON FRIDAYS FOR BOOK BEGINNING FUN!

MY BOOK BEGINNING

Matt had known about the trip for months before he dropped it into conversation.

The Adults by Caroline Hulse. A divorced couple convince their new partners to go on vacation together over Christmas for the good of their young daughter, who invites her imaginary friend Posey the giant purple rabbit along on the trip. Things go farcically downhill and blood is shed before the happy ending. It's a delightful holiday romp of a book.

From the publisher's description:

Claire and Matt are no longer together but decide that it would be best for their daughter, Scarlett, to have a “normal” family Christmas. They can’t agree on whose idea it was to go to the Happy Forest holiday park, or who said they should bring their new partners. But someone did—and it’s too late to pull the plug. Claire brings her new boyfriend, Patrick (never Pat), a seemingly sensible, eligible from a distance Ironman in Waiting. Matt brings the new love of his life, Alex, funny, smart, and extremely patient. Scarlett, who is seven, brings her imaginary friend Posey. He’s a giant rabbit. Together the five (or six?) of them grit their teeth over Forced Fun Activities, drink a little too much after Scarlett’s bedtime, overshare classified secrets about their pasts . . . and before you know it, their holiday is a powder keg that ends where this novel begins—with a tearful, frightened call to the police.

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author’s name.

EARLY BIRDS & SLOWPOKES: This weekly post goes up Thursday evening for those who like to get their posts up and linked early on. But feel free to add a link all week.

SOCIAL MEDIA: If you are on Twitter, Instagram, or other social media, please post using the hash tag #BookBeginnings. I try to follow all Book Beginnings participants on whatever interweb sites you are on, so please let me know if I have missed any and I will catch up. Please find me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

YOUR BOOK BEGINNING




TIE IN: The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice is a natural tie in with this event and there is a lot of cross over, so many people combine the two. The idea is to post a teaser from page 56 of the book you are reading and share a link to your post. Find details and the Linky for your Friday 56 post on Freda’s Voice.

MY FRIDAY 56

Sometimes he felt like Claire enjoyed the whole thing a little too much. Like Claire wanted an imaginary friend too.

Merry Christmas!

1 Day to Christmas!

2 Days to Christmas!