20 Books of Summer is imminent!
Just a couple more days to go until 20 Books of Summer kicks off – are you in?

There is still time to join in with the fiendishly difficult, but famously easy-going challenge where you pledge to read 20, 15 or 10 books from 3 June to 2 September.
I can’t wait to get started.
In previous years, I’ve come to realise that the reading of the 20 books isn’t actually the hard part, it’s the reviewing where you can come unstuck.
In theory, 7 reviews a month should be wee buns, but I know that life doesn’t always turn out that way. it also doesn’t help that I will be off on holiday in Crete for a week in June and will have a few other weeks off to spend time with the kids in July and August.
BUT, I am determined to complete the challenge for the second year in a row. Shorter reviews may be the key here, but I’m hoping to get loads of reading done over the next few weeks and plan 1 – 2 reviews a week.

Anyone else have any strategies up their sleeves? I’m thinking of kicking off on Monday with Tipping the Velvet – but maybe I should start with some slimmer volumes and give myself a head start!
Remember to add your list to the linky in my Sticky post – there are 65 of us taking part so far! And also don’t forget to tweet your progress #20booksofsummer.
Thanks to all who have signed up so far and to everyone else – what are you waiting for?!
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
Ooh I was flipping through a copy of Dominick Dunne’s Justice in a secondhand bookstore recently and ended up putting it back. It sounded really good, though…curious to hear what you think of it. Good luck with your summer challenge!
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I’m really looking forward to it.
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yay! countdown is on!! I totally agree about the reviewing being the toughest part of the challenge! In my ideal world I’d write a review after every book I read – in reality I much prefer reading on to the next book straight away and then grumble when I’ve got a pile of reviews to catch up on haha! I can see me starting on the smaller books on my list first to get me off to a good start! 😉
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That strategy has worked for me in the past! We can do this x
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I’m still choosing mine… it’s a complicated matter… for reasons I can’t yet talk about!
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Intriguing!
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I’m working on my post now and I plan on signing up for the fun! 😀
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Great stuff!
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I like the idea of short reviews, that could be the way to go for me this year!
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Every little helps 🤣😏
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This is such a great challenge! I really need to get back into reviewing books as soon as I finish them, and this challenge might be exactly what I need to accomplish that! Good luck 🙂
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Thanks Alex! Hope you can join in x
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My TBR post is going up tomorrow so I will officially sign up tomorrow.
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Brilliant! Thanks for joining in x
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I never do reading challenges, but I am tempted to do this one because I really need to make a dent in my book pile before moving house in August!
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It’s perfect then! Do hope you can join in.
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This sounds like fun – off to look at my TBR now!
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Yay!
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Do I have a strategy? Yes but you might consider it’s cheating! My strategy is to start ahead of the official start date …. I’m part way through book 1 as a result…
Wish I had a strategy for getting reviews done though. I still have books read in 2018 that I’ve not reviewed. Probably never will now
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I always vow to do proper reviews of each book and every year I end up doing mini reviews!
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I might end up having to do that also but sometimes the mini reviews end up being not mini enough
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Churchill! Highsmith! Moore! These are three reviews I’ll be looking forward to. I’ve done 20 Books of Summer twice. The first year I did not finish, but the second year I did. I consider that a win and will continue reading at my more leisurely pace in 2019 😉
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That sounds like the right attitude! I’ve seen A Number but am looking forward to reading it.
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Oops, better get my list sorted and make a plan! Summer always starts when I’m not looking 🙂
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It creeps up alright!
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My plan is to get the book I have to review for a PRIZE read and reviewed, write a review for Shiny of a book I’ve already finished, then run the 20Books in parallel with my Shiny reviewing schedule. I will get at least one read before starting my Iris Murdoch for the month. This will work beautifully or all fall apart at the seams – we’ll see! Happy reading!
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Let’s be positive – it’s going to work beautifully! X
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I’m joining in too with 10 books. I haven’t reached the computer age yet – still trying to find the on/off switch but thank you Cathy746books for this brilliant idea. What do I need to link to where? I see one of your choices is Lorrie Moore’s ‘Who will run the Frog Hospital’. I taught it once in a seminar.
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My pleasure – thanks for joining in!
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Some of my reviews may be very short – I do a series called Recent Reads, Rapid Reviews – grouping 3 books together – when I don’t have a lot to say!
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Sounds perfect for this challenge!
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I’ve just seen this on One More Word blog so am just drafting up a post and choosing my books this morning if I’m not too late please. Look forward to reading everyone else’s choices.
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Not too late at all! X
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I have several blog tours mixed in over the summer as well as my 20 Books, so I shall see how I do this year. I have no problem reading and reviewing 20 Books over the summer, it is just the ones that I have earmarked to knock off the shelves over that duration that is hard for me. I have not hints or plans, I just keep reading away. Good luck Cathy, I am sure you will do great.
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Thanks! You too x
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This sounds like a great challenge, I’m off to look at my tbr stack now to join in!
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Brilliant Veronica – hope you can join in x
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I’m new to the world of book blogging and just found out about this through Heaven Ali’s post. This is a great idea, and we seem to have similar taste. Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? and Patrick Hamilton are also on my list for 2019 — maybe not for this summer. This coincides with a goal I set for myself for a self-designed study program so many of the 20 will be somewhat difficult non-fiction reads. Need to look through my to-read list for a few more fun ones to intersperse.
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Hi Sarah, thanks for reading! I do hope you can join in x
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Good luck, Cathy! I’ll be looking for your reviews. I think the key is to write short ones. We both know how long it takes to get a review out. I used to be able to just bang them out, but now I can’t. And my early ones weren’t very good anyway. Tomorrow I sign up for our library’s summer reading program. It will be interesting because the theme is A Galaxy of Stories so I will need to find books that fit into certain categories. Here’s to summer!
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Yes, shorter reviews for sure!
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I bet the Waters would be a lovely place for you to start: I remember that one being a real romp of a read, and a little shorter than her others (or maybe it was just over too quickly)! Good luck with your stack and I look forward to hearing about the Hyland!
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I’ve started Tipping the Velvet – it’s so enjoyable! I’m really looking forward to the Hyland
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I’m in! Just posted my link.
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Oh, just found this on Instagram. I know I am late, but I’ll try unofficial to read 20 books and blog a review too.
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Brilliant! Still plenty of time x
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