Can I get back in the swing of things and complete my 20 Books of Summer Challenge?

This year, I’m reading 16 physical books and 4 e-books, with 14 from the 746, 5 newer books and 1 re-read. I have 4,669 pages to read altogether, which works out at 51 pages a day!

As always, I’ve tried to go for a broad range of genres, eras and styles so that there is always something I’m going to want to read! You’ll see there is some nonfiction, some short stories and a nice little novella or two in there, all to help move the challenge along.

I’m also doubling up on challenges and have included my three William Trevor choices for these three months, along with some translated fiction by women for Women in Translation Month and a book translated from Spanish for Stu’s Spanish Literature Month if it is going ahead this year (better to be prepared!).

So, without further ado, here are my 20 books, starting with my 16 physical choices!

The Venice Train by Georges Simenon

I have never read Simenon, but have long wanted to, so am starting with this standalone novel about a chance meeting on the Venice to Paris train, which upends the life of an unsuspecting family man.

Old School by Tobias Wolff

Old School has been on my Novellas in November list for quite a few years and I have never got round to reading it. I cannot deny that its length was a factor in the decision to include it on my 20 Books of Summer list, but I do love a boarding school setting.

What Happens at Night by Peter Cameron

I bought this quite recently on a complete whim, one of the few books I’ve bought without knowing anything about it in advance, but I was intrigued by the blurb about a deserted European Hotel and a cast of bizarre, enigmatic characters.

The Prestige by Christopher Priest

Christopher Priest is another new-to-me author, despite having a few of his books in the 746. I have always associated his name with science fiction but am going to start my introduction to his work with The Prestige, his 1995 novel about a feud between two stage magicians in the 1800s.

Hotel World by Ali Smith

I haven’t read much Ali Smith, but what I have read, I have liked. This Booker-nominated novel also has a hotel setting, this time, telling the story of five women connected to the building, including a ghost, a homeless woman and a guest at the hotel

The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton

As amusing as it sounds, I originally had The Luminaries on this list, before realising that the likelihood of finishing an 832-page novel during 20 Books of Summer was pretty slim! So instead, I’ve included Catton’s debut, a coming of age tale set in a drama academy (another literary setting that I love!).

Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers

Oh look! Another little short novella! Again, chosen partly for length, this is also the only one of Carson McCullers books that I have left to read. McCullers is a writer that I love, so I have high hopes for this story set in the 1930s on an army base in the southern United States

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

I remember when Beautiful Ruins came out in 2012 it seemed to be everywhere, yet somehow I didn’t manage to get round to reading it. Billed as ‘a gorgeous, glamorous novel set in 1960s Italy and a modern Hollywood studio’, this social satire of Hollywood culture sounds perfect for some summer reading.

Brutes by Dizz Tate

Another recent purchase, Brutes takes the disappearance of a young schoolgirl in Florida as the starting point for an examination of the joys and pain of teenage friendship. Told in both the first person and the first person plural, the novel moves back and forward in time as the girls try to discover the truth about their missing friend.

19 Claws and a Blackbird by Agustina Bazterrica, translated by Sarah Moses

I always try to include some translated ficiton in my list for Women In Translation Month in August  and Stu’s Spanish Literature Month, and was drawn to this one as I only have one other short story collection on my list and was very impressed with Bazterrica’s novel Tender is the Flesh. If these stories are half as dark as that novel was, then I’ll be happy.

Nothing is Black by Deirdre Madden

My aim to read all of Deirdre Madden’s back catalogue continues with the inclusion of this novel from 1994 about three women who find themselves in a remote part of Donegal at a defining moment in their lives, which explores themes of female friendship and the nature of creativity.

An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge

I included The Bottle Factory Outing in my 20 Books of Summer pile back in 2016 and despite loving it, it’s taken me this long to decide to read more of her work. I’m a sucker for a book set in the theatre so this black comedy set in a provincial theatre in Liverpool shortly after the Second World War is sure to be a winner.

The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood

I saw a lot of press about Benjamin Wood recently following publication of his acclaimed new novel The Young Accomplice and was pleased to find his 2012 debut novel The Bellwether Revivials lurking on my shelves. Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, this is a novel about the power of music, that has drawn comparison with Donna Tartt. That’ll do for me.

Felicia’s Journey/ Family Sins/ Death in Summer by William Trevor

As I’m undertaking a Year with William Trevor along with Kim at Reading Matters, three of my choices are my designated Trevor reads for each month. Felicia’s Journey is a re-read for me, having read and loved it pre-blog and I’ll also be reading his 1989 short story collection Family Sins and the 1998 novel Death in Summer.

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Here are the four e-books I’ve chosen to round out my 20 books:

Very Cold People by Sarah Manguso

I wasn’t entirely sold on Manguso’s last book – 300 Arguments – finding it a little slight, but I have heard really good things about this work of fiction, and a positive review from Susan at A Life in Books nudged me to give it a chance.

The Singer’s Gun by Emily St John Mandel

Emily St John Mandel hasn’t let me down yet and I love the sound of this story of a man from a corrupt family trying to go straight. I might miss the fantastical elements of her writing that I’ve come to enjoy in her later books, but I trust her story-telling skills and am sure I will enjoy this one.

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Kraukaer

I always like to include some true crime in my summer reading pile and have heard great things about Under the Banner of heaven which explores the Mormon faith through the story of a brutal murder committed by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their blameless victims. It’s recently been made into a critically acclaimed TV show,  which bodes well.

Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Cespedes, translated by Ann Goldstein

Published in Italy in 1952 and now newly translated by Ann Goldstein, Forbidden Notebook is a rediscovered gem of Italian literature, centering on the inner life of a dissatisfied housewife living in postwar Rome. Recent press on this was has been hugely positive so I’m very much looking forward to it.

So, any thoughts on my choices? Have you read any of my 20 books? Any I should start with straight away or save for later? I’d love to hear what you think and I’ve really been enjoying checking out all your lists that have been posted so far this year.

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