Twenty Books of Summer update! #20booksofsummer21
With just over three weeks to go until the end of 20 Books of Summer, I thought I’d provide a quick update on how my reading challenge is going!
An all-out win is looking a little unlikely at this point. I’ve read and reviewed 14 books and the remaining six are at various different stages of completion.
Little by Edward Carey
This one has been read but not yet reviewed. I did love it, but it was so deep and sprawling and wonderful that I’m finding it hard to gather some thoughts to share.
The Temptation of Eileen Hughes by Brian Moore
I have also read this month’s Brian Moore choice and I’ll be sharing a review towards the end of the month to coincide with Moore’s birthday.
Brief Lives by Anita Brookner
I tried to start this one and have had to stop because the print is too small! Thanks to lockdown I haven’t been able to get much needed new reading glasses, so the small type in this one just proved too much for my poor eyes. So, I have swapped it out for another Brookner in the 746 – Fraud – which I hope to review later in the week.
The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz
I’m around 30% done with this one and despite a slightly clunky narrative voice, the ideas and themes are intriguing.
The Wedding by Dorothy Baker
I’m about a quarter of the way through this one, but it just isn’t clicking with me. I think I need to give myself a good few hours to get into the feel of it and I’ll enjoy it in the end.
The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe
This is another book that I’ve been picking up and putting down again because the font is so small! I’ll try again one last time, but if it’s still a struggle, this might have to be swapped for another book.
So, it is still possible that I could manage most of my original twenty, but to be honest, I’m not too worried about it. So far this summer I’ve read another nine books so I think I can call it a win either way.
How are the rest of you doing? Is a win on the cards?
Let me know how you’re doing in the comments!
20 Books of Summer Brian Moore 100 #20booksofsummer21 20 Books of Summer
Cathy746books View All →
I am a 40 something book buying addict trying to reduce the backlog one book at a time!
746books.com 
ooh love the update! I’m getting there… fingers crossed! x
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Thank you and good luck!
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With everything else going on in your life, it seems that you’re doing a pretty good job to me!
I know exactly what you mean by the small print; it makes it so much for difficult to read & IMO is also visually unattractive. Good luck completing your Challenge!
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Thank you! I think these two books have the smallest print I’ve ever encountered 🙂
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I’m on book 18.Which is ok, but I picked a few big books stupidly, and have left all these to the end. Book 18 is Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates, I’m 100 pages in out of 740 pages (small print), Book 19 is London Belongs To Me By Norman Collins 740 pages (again small print), and book 20 is Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky by Patrick Hamilton (640 pages, but at least the print size is reasonable). I think I’ll struggle to get all three read by the end of the month, but have a couple of days off work and a bank holiday at end of month so 5 days off work in a row might help. The Patrick Hamilton is actually a trilogy of books, so if it looks like I’m getting close may cheat a little and just count the first part of the trilogy as book 20.
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That’s really good going Pete! And you definitely need to count the first part of the trilogy as one 😊
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I’m going to make my 20 Books Target this year, hooray! Unlike you, I haven’t been reading other books (not counting the few books I swapped out) so I definitely think you should count yours as a win!! I’m on Book 19 and started book 20. As for reviews, I’m up to date, but my reviews are mostly one or two paragraphs. That’s about all I can make myself write these days! Good luck with the rest of your stack.
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Well done Laila! I think my remaining reviews will have to be a whole lot shorter than normal!
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I’m only halfway there, but since I’ve got some shorter books in the second half and I’m now on holiday until the end of August, I quite like my chances! My biggest probable setback is the huge tome of Mongolian history that I just can’t get properly into…
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It’s always tough when there is one hanging over you! Good luck.
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You are almost there and it sounds like you might just make it. I agree, you have read a lot over the summer, so that is definitely a win. I have one more to go to finish my 20. I only swapped one out, almost right at the beginning because it was one I did not own and the library was not coming through for me. I hope to finish this week. I read a lot of romance and easy read books this year, so it was a bit easier for me this year than previous years.
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Still, well done on being so close to finishing Carla, with weeks to spare! I’ll have to do a thirty books of summer for you next year 🙂
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I think I’m going to make it even though most of them aren’t from my original list!
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Ah now, let’s not worry too much about lists 😉
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Between reading and listening to books, I am at 27 books completed!
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You’re another one who needs a 30 Books of Summer challenge – well done! 🙂
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Little was fabulous; really captured the smell of Paris! Loved the illustrations too.
I knew there was no chance of reading 20 but anything beyond 10 counts as success for me. So far i’ve read 10 from my list plus another 3 so if I do some substitution and read 2 more books I’ll have bettered my 2020 achievement!
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Perfect – 15 is great!
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If I count audiobooks, I may just scrape in…
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Count them! Count them! 🙂
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Okay – you’re the boss 😉
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You’ve gotten a lot read so far! I’m in okay but not great shape with my goal. I have read 12, with 2 in progress, from my list. I’m trying not to count the 2 ARCs I read but even with those, I don’t think I’ll quite get there by month’s end. Likely I’ll come in closer to 15 but I’ll count that a win if it happens!
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I have read 15 of my twenty, and think that I can finish the other 5 by the end of August. And they are all books that should be a pleasure to read.
My real problem is reviewing the books. So far I have reviewed 10 of the 15 (better than usual) and I despair of reviewing all 20. But that was my goal this year, so I will try.
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Reviewing is always my problem, it seems to take up as much time as the reading!
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I’m glad to hear you’re counting it as a win, either way. I loved Little, too. A truly original novel!
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Well since I’m only on 10 books of summer I’m doing ok with the reading, but I am behind with the blogging. I’ll try to catch up even if it’s just with a simple paragraph – I’m with you on the small print, all the old black Penguins I have I find almost impossible!
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I found a couple of these really difficult, but then I am overdue an eye test for new glasses so that didn’t help!
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Well, I’ve read my fifteen of 15 Books of Summer now, onto my 17th, and looking good for 20 as I thought I might! A mix of things as usual–graphic novels, classics, kids’ books, short stories, biography, crime fiction, SFF, essays, fiction in Italian, literary criticism—so I’m quite pleased so far.
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Excellent Chris, 20 is definitely in your sights!
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You’re doing amazing! Hopefully I’ll be joining you with getting the full set 😊
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Good work so far Cathy! I picked 10 books and have read and reviewed 6 of them. I am reading #7 now. Though this isn’t a great pace I’m confident I can get the other 3 read as well.
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Sounds good Laura!
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You are doing well! I’m about done as well, Like you some aren’t “clicking” and I’ve chucked them. Others I’ve set aside for another time and one or two I pushed on with and was glad I did.
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Yeah, sometimes books just don’t suit your mood.
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I’ve read 15 out of my 20 books but only reviewed 11 of them so far. I have read several books that weren’t on my list though. I’m still hopeful of completing my list – optimistic!
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Congratulations! Here’s to making the 20…
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Still good going! I’m reading Book 15 and the last five are novels, two small ones, so I think I’ll actually do it. I swapped out two big non-fiction reads for two memoirs, though …
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I’m definitely swapping too Liz and I don’t usually but I need to make sure I pick books with a slightly bigger font next year!
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You’re doing fantastically! I’m kicking myself that I keep missing joining in with this, but with trying to keep my TBR down to small numbers, I just didn’t have enough books this year. I will try my best next year, and might focus on a fully Kindle-based 20 Books of Summer – if that’s allowed!
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That is allowed for sure!
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Brilliant; I will try my best to finally join in, in that case!
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Currently, I have six books read, one DNF’d and two ongoing for my 10 Books of Summer. I am very pleased with this progress, but not sure I get a win overall, because one of ongoing reads is the beastie tome The Count of Monte Cristo! 😅
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Never say never! You’re very close…
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Thank you, Cathy… but I am on chapter 45 of 120 in The Count of Monte Cristo… 🤪
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I thought I would only read 10 but I’m already up to 15, so I call it a WIN for me!
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Absolutely! That’s great!
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I’ve read 15 so far, and I’m reading two at the moment. My 20 Books list has really helped me stick to my reading goals, and I’ve read some fantastic books. A few favorites were Caste and Devil in the Grove. I don’t review most of what I read so I haven’t tried to review everything, but I’m hoping to get through the 20 books.
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Good going, well done!
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I think I have read 13 and reviewed 12; have started two others. I may not make it by August 31 because of two other projects about to start but I will get there.
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That’s still a pretty good number Con.
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Love your update. I know what you mean about small print. Ir’s a real nightmare sometimes. It’s one reason I read so much on my kindle although I really prefer ‘real’ books. I’m up to 15 of my 20 books and I’ve just posted my update here https://devoil.wordpress.com/2021/08/17/20-books-of-summer-nearly-there/
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15 is great going too! I really struggled with the print on these, I should have checked them out before adding them to the pile!
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