20 Books of Summer
From now until 6 September I will be trying to read my 20 Books of Summer. Why not join in, read along or just cheer me as I try to get the 746 books down into the 600’s by September!
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary SheteyngartNights At The Circus by Angela CarterBlack Water Rising by Attica LockeLet The Right One In by John Avjide Lindquist- Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Just Kids by Patti SmithWe Have Always Lived at the Castle by Shirley JacksonCaught by Harlan CobenThe Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan- Zone One by Colson Whitehead
- The Ask by Sam Lipsyte
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’FarrellBlack Watch by Gregory BurkeAn Evening of Long Goodbyes by Paul MurrayThe House of Mirth by Edith WhartonThe Buddha in the Attic by Julie OtsukaThe Sense of An Ending by Julian BarnesHollywood Wives by Jackie CollinsWonder by RJ PalacioThe Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
Don’t forget to check out these other fabulous bloggers who are also taking part, there is such a great range of reading going on!
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
746books.com 
Good luck reading your 20 books Cathy! I too have Wonder on my list for the summer. My 10yo just read it and thought it was excellent, so I’m excited to discuss with her once I read it.
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Oh great Helen, I’ll look forward to hearing what you (both!) think.
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I have read House of Mirth and Sense of an Ending …both are excellent . I recently read SHteyngarts memoir Little Failure so will be interested to see what you think of his fiction
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Brilliant, a few to look forward to then!
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I vote you read The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, I loved it but read it some time ago so I’d love to know what you think of it.
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I’ll give a shout out before I start it Cleo, I’m really looking forward to it as I love her writing.
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Excellent – thank you 🙂
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I read that a while ago too. Very lyrical. Accomplished. Sensitive. I’d hazard “low-key” as well, but not in a bad way – just that some of the things that happened in it were sad and shocking but the way it was written was very sensitive
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I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve read and loved After You’d Gone, she’s a gorgeous writer.
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Yay! What a great excuse to read.
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As if we need one 😉
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I adored Just Kids…..
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I’m really looking forward to it Maggie, I don’t know much about her music, but it’s a place and time that is so interesting….
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I love this idea! I’m going to be joining as well if you don’t mind. Happy reading!
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Please do! The more the merrier! Once your post is up I’ll link you up on my master post. X
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I love that Jackie Collins is on your list. You just don’t hear that much about her these days. She probably looks exactly the same as she did in the eighties.
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I thought it would be fun to have one of those old school trashy summer reads on the list. No idea what it’s going to be like though….
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Ha ha, it will probably be terrible and you will roll your eyes a lot, but at the same time so much fun. I read many of her books when I was in high school. Sent my young mind in all sorts of directions. I should probably try reading one her books now too. 🙂
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I love the idea of this, here’s my sign up post. https://746books.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/20-books-of-summer/
Good Luck with all yours 😀
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So glad you are joining the challenge! Bring it on!
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Delighted you are joining us! I’ll link up to you via my master post!
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I love this idea 🙂 Hope to be joining you in the next few days!
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That would be brilliant! Do 20 or 10, whatever suits! Look forward to seeing your list!
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I’m up for 20 🙂 Here’s my list: http://beholdthestars.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/summer.html
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Yay! I’ll link you up to my Master Post!
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So excited to see Geek Love on your list. It still ranks as one my all-time favorite books. Just love, love, love it.
I’m afraid if you didn’t love Super Sad True Love Story, The Ask won’t do much for you either. I was completely underwhelmed.
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Ah, well even if I don’t like it, I’ll get it out of the way! Really looking forward to Geek Love, I’ve heard so much about it.
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I’ll look forward to your opinions on both.
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Ooh, The Sense of an Ending, that was a beautiful book, I hope you enjoy it. Looking forward to your review!
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Delia, I’m really looking forward to it, I’ve yet to hear of anyone who didn’t love it. Plus I’ve never read Barnes before so it’s long overdue.
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Read Let the Right On In when you need to knock off a book in a day or two. It’s a fast read that I found very difficult to put down. I think I stayed up way, way past my bedtime finishing it on a school night as I recall. It’s fun. Scary, really scary, but fun.
In a scary way.
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Brilliant! Will do. I’m behind already so I might have to do a couple of short ones to get me back up to goal!
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i’m a new visitor with a question: do you review some or all of the books on the list? i ask because i thought the Barnes was unexpectedly good, i have had an up and down experience with Whitehead, and i’m curious about Messud.
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Hi Cathy. Firstly I want to say how impressed I am with your goal. I have done this challenge twice in 2nd and 3rd year English for my degree, but I didnt have children and it is very time consuming to read this amount in such a short timeframe. Have read Barnes twice and listened to this on audiobook. Excellent. How did you arrive at your twenty titles? Just curious. M
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I’m really looking forward to the Barnes. I just picked 20 randomly based on books I wanted to read, a couple for challenges and some because they are short! I also figured a Summer Reading Challenge needed a couple of trashy summer reads, hence Hollywood Wives!
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These are great titles, and I also noticed Geek Love by Katherine Dunn on there. Been meaning to read that one. Great choices! Awesome idea, BTW!
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Thanks Jack, there seem to be a lot of fans of Geek Love out there so I’m looking forward to it….
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This is an awesome list and a great idea! I have The Woman Upstairs on my shelves, I’m thinking I might dive into it this summer too! Happy reading! 😀
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Thanks so much! I’m looking forward to The Woman Upstairs, sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?
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hey cathy, here’s my review of The Ask: http://ragingfluff.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/20-books-of-summer-challenge-the-ask/
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Yay!
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I bailed! I don’t work well under expectation. 🙂 Remove me from the list? Thanks Cathy!
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No problem at all Marianne, no point taking part if it feels like homework! Thanks anyway x
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It’s a lovely idea! I’m just absolutely ridiculous with challenges. 😉 Thanks, Cathy!
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Marianne, the rate I’m going, I’m not even going to compete my own challenge 😉
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LOL 😉
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Oh, I love We Have Always Lived In The Castle. I think it’s a better book than The Haunting of Hill House.
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I’m about two-thirds through and am loving it. So, so creepy!
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Hey nice to meet another book addict and I love your blog. I read over 20 so far.
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Thanks for stopping by!
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My goodness, this is quite the list! Good luck! And I’ve been wanting to read “Let the Right One In” ever since I discovered the fabulous movie was based on a book.
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I’m half way through it Alina, so review should be up next week……
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Way to go! Happy summer!
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Thanks!
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Good luck with your summer challenge! I’d never make it. I also seem to acquire many more books than I can keep up with. Don’t we all, lol. I’ve moved twice though in the last ten years so that has really knocked my collection down.
I love House of Mirth! It is one of my top ten favorite books of all time. I also enjoyed Geek Love. Strangely fascinating.
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Thanks so much, I’m really looking forward to House of Mirth as I read my very first Wharton last month (Ethan Frome) and loved it!
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I love your challenge. I started one myself 🙂
https://checkmybooks.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/20-books-of-summer-2014/
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Hi Alexis, I’m sorry I’m only getting back to you now but I’ve been on holiday. Delighted you are joining the challenge, I’ll link your blog to my sticky post. Happy reading x
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Cathy,
All the best to your summer reading plan! Hollywood Wives sounds most interesting. 😉
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Really interesting list. Good luck! I’ve been meaning to read House of Mirth too!
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Thanks Alison, it’s up next after I finish Black Water Rising. I’ve started it already and I’m loving it!
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Good list!
Night at the Circus,The Sense of an Ending (Bought) and Wonder are all on my wish list!! As for the rest,their names tell me something! I think I often come across them on goodreads and wordpress!
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Looking forward to The Sense of An Ending as I am hearing nothing but good things!
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This is such a great list! I was not familiar with 20 books of summer until I saw this blog. What was the Shirley Jackson book about? I just recently read Life Among the Savages by her and laughed my head off 🙂
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Thanks Clara! I loved We Have Always Lived at the Castle, here’s my review. Highly recommended!
https://746books.wordpress.com/2014/07/07/no-714-we-have-always-lived-at-the-castle-by-shirley-jackson/
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Great idea – enjoy the reading! (and happy to have found your blog – always love a fellow bibliophile!).
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Thanks so much! I’m a bit behind to be honest, so it looks like it might just have to be the 17 or 18 Books of Summer!!
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