2020 Reading Wrap - Up

What a massive year of reading 2020 was!

I don't think I'm alone in reading more than usual - extra time at home meant extra time for reading! Although I know many of us also experienced reading slumps along with extended lockdown periods. I found it was a lot harder to concentrate on reading at times.

All the same, I did manage to read 150 books all up, and completed the Dymocks 2020 Reading Challenge.

Here's the list:

✔Australian Author: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA) Review Here
✔Indigenous Author: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA) Review Here
✔From Top 101: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Review Here
✔Kid's Top 51: Withering by Sea by Judith Rossell (AA) Review Here

✔Dymocks 'Book of the Month': House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (March) Review Here
✔Re-read favourite book of all time: The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien Review Here, Here and Here (updated from The Three Musketeers)

✔Friend's recommendation: Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA) Review Here
✔Featuring favourite country (France): Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn (AA) Review Here
✔From TBR pile: North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA) Review Here
✔Award winner: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
✔Mystery/Thriller: One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA) Review Here
✔Memoir: A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA) Review Here
✔Outside usual genre: Entranced by Nora Roberts Review Here
Short stories: A Gathering of Ghosts by David Haynes Review Here (updated from Saga Land)
✔Self Help/Motivation: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Review Here
✔Fairytale/Fable adaptation: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA) Review Here
✔Book 1 in Fantasy series: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan Review Here

✔Teaches something new: Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall Review Here (updated from The Power of Positive Thinking)

✔Adapted to film/TV series: You by Caroline Kepnes Review Here
✔Red cover: Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA) Review Here
✔Colour in title: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin Review Here (updated from Beyond Black)

✔Read in a day: Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA) Review Here
✔About books: The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury Review Here
✔Makes me laugh: Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA) Review Here
✔Published this year: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
✔Said I've read but haven't: The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien Review Here (updated from Wuthering Heights) 

I only ended up switching out five titles which is pretty good for a notorious switcher! (What can I say? I'm a mood reader.) Still, I enjoyed challenging myself with some of the prompts. It also helped me get through some of the books that have been staring at me from my shelves for several years or more!

I had a lot of fun with my reviews as always and enjoyed interacting with others on Goodreads over both shared and opposing views. It's such a fantastic community for book lovers so I'm always grateful when people take the time to like and comment. 

I really did read a lot of incredible books last year, and even discovered some new favourite authors. 

Here's my Top Ten Reads of 2020:

1. The Inner Self by Hugh Mackay (AA)

2. City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

3. Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings (AA)

4. Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke

5. A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA)

6. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

7. Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

8. Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

9. Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller (AA)

10. Honeybee by Craig Silvey (AA)

I was also pleased to read so many fantastic Australian authors! We really are spoiled with talent here so I'm enjoying actively seeking to read more Aussie authors.

Overall, 2020 was a pretty successful reading year for me. :)

You can read my full breakdown of what I loved, hated, re-read, etc. and read a little more of my ravings on my Goodreads review of 2020. Find it HERE

Keep an eye out for my new reading list for the 2021 Dymocks Reading Challenge, coming soon!

Happy reading, friends!

Dymocks 2020 Challenge Eleventh Hour Update

Down to one last book for this challenge, and since I don't even have it yet I think I'm looking at a substitution!

I've been so lucky this year to receive so many great books from publishers, friends, family and authors. It's meant my reading list has been constantly adapting but spending half the year in isolation certainly allowed me the opportunity to read more than I ever have before, so I'm very grateful. Keep an eye out for my 2020 reading breakdown, coming soon!

December is a busy month for me with my martial arts training going into overdrive, but once the madness is over I should have a week or so left to squeeze in the last book for this challenge. Hopefully a few others as well to take my grand total for the year to 150 books read. 

Happy reading!

Progress: 25/26
✔Australian Author: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA) Review Here
✔Indigenous Author: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA) Review Here
✔From Top 101: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Review Here
✔Kid's Top 51: Withering by Sea by Judith Rossell (AA) Review Here
✔Dymocks 'Book of the Month': House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (March) Review Here
✔Re-read favourite book of all time: The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien Review Here, Here and Here (updated from The Three Musketeers)

✔Friend's recommendation: Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA) Review Here
✔Featuring favourite country (France): Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn (AA) Review Here
✔From TBR pile: North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA) Review Here
✔Award winner: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
✔Mystery/Thriller: One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA) Review Here
✔Memoir: A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA) Review Here
✔Outside usual genre: Entranced by Nora Roberts Review Here
Short stories: Saga Land by Richard Fidler & Kari Gislason (AA)
✔Self Help/Motivation: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Review Here
✔Fairytale/Fable adaptation: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA) Review Here
✔Book 1 in Fantasy series: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan Review Here
✔Teaches something new: Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall Review Here (updated from The Power of Positive Thinking)

✔Adapted to film/TV series: You by Caroline Kepnes Review Here
✔Red cover: Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA) Review Here
✔Colour in title: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin Review Here (updated from Beyond Black)

✔Read in a day: Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA) Review Here
✔About books: The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury Review Here
✔Makes me laugh: Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA) Review Here
✔Published this year: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
✔Said I've read but haven't: The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien Review Here (updated from Wuthering Heights) 

Dymocks 2020 Reading Challenge Halftime Progress Report

Currently reading:
Aurora Burning


Progress: 17/26
Australian Author: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA) Review Here
Indigenous Author: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA) Review Here
From Top 101: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Review Here
Kid's Top 51: Withering by Sea by Judith Rossell (AA)
Dymocks 'Book of the Month': House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (March) Review Here
Re-read favourite book of all time: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
*Substitution: The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien Review Here, Here and Here.

(I just re-read TTM last year, so I went with my second fave, instead)

Friend's recommendation: Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA) Review Here
Featuring favourite country (France): Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn (AA) Review Here
From TBR pile: North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA) Review Here
Award winner: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
Mystery/Thriller: One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA) Review Here
Memoir: A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA) Review Here
Outside usual genre: Entranced by Nora Roberts Review Here
Short stories: Saga Land by Richard Fidler & Kari Gislason (AA)
Self Help/Motivation: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Fairytale/Fable adaptation: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA)
Book 1 in Fantasy series: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
Teaches something new: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
*Substitution: Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall Review Here

(Given the current state of the world, this is something that I really want to educate myself on)

Adapted to film/TV series: You by Caroline Kepnes Review Here
Red cover: Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA)
Colour in title: Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
Read in a day: Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA) Review Here
About books: The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury Review Here
Makes me laugh: Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA) Review Here
Published this year: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA)
Said I've read but haven't: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Dymocks 2020 Challenge Highlights

So we've been at it for four months so far.

With 26 books to read in total, we should be into our 10th read for the challenge. How are you tracking?

Here's what I've read so far:

1.  The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury (About books) Review Here (3 stars)
2. Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA) (Indigenous Author) Review Here (3 stars)
3. One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA) (Mystery/Thriller) Review Here (4 stars)
4. A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA) (Memoir) Review Here (5 stars)
5. Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA) (Read in a day) Review Here (4 stars)
6. Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) (Award winner) Review Here (4 stars)
7. Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA) (Makes me laugh) Review Here (4 stars)
8. You by Caroline Kepnes (Adapted to film/TV series) Review Here (4 stars)
9. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (Dymocks 'Book of the Month' for March) Review Here (4 stars)
10. Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn (AA) (Featuring favourite country, France) Review Here (3 stars)
11. Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA) (Australian Author) Review Here (2 stars)
12. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (From Top 101) Review Here (2 stars)

So tracking just a little ahead of schedule!

I've probably read a few books that match some of the other prompts but I wanted to stay true to my list with this one, since that's the whole point of a challenge! This lot has been a mixed bag so far - some I expected to love ended up disappointing, and others I expected not to like so much blew me away.

Highlights: A Sceptic's Search for Meaning has been my only 5-star read so far, and it was completely unexpected. I didn't expect this one to move me as much as it did! It was such a beautiful story of faith, and I really enjoyed his story.

I also found myself thoroughly enjoying Gemina, which was a relief since the first book in the series disappointed me a little.This one came on strong with all of my favourite things, so it was a nice easy read. It was amongst a run of solid 4-star reads so that was a good time for me!

Unfortunately, the last few have been books I expected more from. Four Dead Queens scrimped a little too much on the world-building for my tastes and ended up being rather dull, and The Cruel Prince was dark and disturbing in all the wrong places. 

I've got some great reads coming up that I'm really looking forward to, but since I'm near the halfway mark I think it's time to treat myself with re-reading my favourite book. So The Three Musketeers is up next!

I've also been working on Mao's Last Dancer rather slowly, since it's quite a dense book with a lot of politics and poverty - two of my least favourite things to read about. I'm determined to get through it though! 

Here's the list of what I have left:

1. Kid's Top 51: Withering by Sea by Judith Rossell (AA)
2. Re-read favourite book of all time: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
3. Friend's recommendation: Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA)
4. From TBR pile: North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA)
5. Outside usual genre: Entranced by Nora Roberts
6. Short stories: Saga Land by Richard Fidler & Kari Gislason (AA)
7. Self Help/Motivation: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
8. Fairytale/Fable adaptation: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA)
9. Book 1 in Fantasy series: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
10. Teaches something new: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
11. Red cover: Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA)
12. Colour in title: Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
13. Published this year: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA)
14. Said I've read but haven't: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

On we go! Happy reading!

Dymocks 2020 Challenge April Progress

Currently reading:
Mao's Last Dancer
The Cruel Prince

Progress: 11/26

• Australian Author: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA) Review Here
• Indigenous Author: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA) Review Here
• From Top 101: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
• Kid's Top 51: Withering by Sea by Judith Rossell (AA)
• Dymocks 'Book of the Month': House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (March) Review Here
• Re-read favourite book of all time: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
• Friend's recommendation: Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA)
• Featuring favourite country (France): Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn (AA) Review Here
• From TBR pile: North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA)
• Award winner: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
• Mystery/Thriller: One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA) Review Here
• Memoir: A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA) Review Here
• Outside usual genre: Entranced by Nora Roberts
• Short stories: Saga Land by Richard Fidler & Kari Gislason (AA)
• Self Help/Motivation: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• Fairytale/Fable adaptation: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA)
• Book 1 in Fantasy series: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
• Teaches something new: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
• Adapted to film/TV series: You by Caroline Kepnes Review Here
• Red cover: Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA)
• Colour in title: Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
• Read in a day: Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA) Review Here
• About books: The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury Review Here
• Makes me laugh: Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA) Review Here
• Published this year: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA)
• Said I've read but haven't: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Dymocks Challenge 2020 March Progress

Currently reading:
Mao's Last Dancer

Progress: 8/26

• Australian Author: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA)
• Indigenous Author: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA) Review Here
• From Top 101: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
• Kid's Top 51: Withering by Sea by Judith Rossell (AA)
• Dymocks 'Book of the Month': House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas (March)
• Re-read favourite book of all time: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
• Friend's recommendation: Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA)
• Featuring favourite country (France): Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn
• From TBR pile: North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA)
• Award winner: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA) Review Here
• Mystery/Thriller: One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA) Review Here
• Memoir: A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA) Review Here
• Outside usual genre: Entranced by Nora Roberts
• Short stories: Saga Land by Richard Fidler & Kari Gislason (AA)
• Self Help/Motivation: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• Fairytale/Fable adaptation: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA)
• Book 1 in Fantasy series: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
• Teaches something new: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
• Adapted to film/TV series: You by Caroline Kepnes Review Here
• Red cover: Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA)
• Colour in title: Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
• Read in a day: Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA) Review Here
• About books: The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury Review Here
• Makes me laugh: Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA) Review Here
• Published this year: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA)
• Said I've read but haven't: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Dymocks 2020 Challenge First Reads

One of the best parts of doing prompt challenges is finding books that fit! I've still got a few gaps to fill, and this list is subject to change, but I'm pretty happy with the books I've set myself for this one.

My first read from the list was The Girl Who Reads on the Métro by Christine Feret-Fleury. This was a Book about books that was a little too strange for my tastes. It does include a reading list, though, which is pretty handy!

Second, I tackled the Indigenous Author prompt with Catching Teller Crow by brother and sister duo, Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. This was a mystery set in a small Australian town and told by a dead girl so it definitely held my interest. 

The Mystery/Thriller prompt was tricky, because I do enjoy this genre, so I went with an Australian author I'd never read before. One Last Child by Anni Taylor is the first in a new crime series set in the Blue Mountains, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Most recently, I finished A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Australian journalist Mike Willesee which is a Memoir that absolutely blew me away. It raises some really fascinating questions and is my first five star read of the challenge.

So four books down, 22 to go!

Here's the list again, with links to my reviews so far.

• Australian Author: Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA)
• Indigenous Author: Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA) Review Here
• From Top 101: TBA
• Kid's Top 51: TBA
• Dymocks 'Book of the Month': TBA
• Re-read favourite book of all time: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
• Friend's recommendation: Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA)
• Featuring favourite country (France): Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn
• From TBR pile: North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA)
• Award winner: Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA)
• Mystery/Thriller: One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA) Review Here
• Memoir: A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA) Review Here
• Outside usual genre: Entranced by Nora Roberts
• Short stories: Saga Land by Richard Fidler & Kari Gislason (AA)
• Self Help/Motivation: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• Fairytale/Fable adaptation: Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA)
• Book 1 in Fantasy series: Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
• Teaches something new: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
• Adapted to film/TV series: You by Caroline Kepnes
• Red cover: Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA)
• Colour in title: Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
• Read in a day: Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA)
• About books: The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury Review Here
• Makes me laugh: Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA)
• Published this year: Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA)
• Said I've read but haven't: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Happy reading!

Dymocks 2020 Reading Challenge

So this year's challenge set by Dymocks Books is a set of 26 specific tasks. That makes one a fortnight, so I'm quietly confident.

I'm challenging myself to read at least 13 Australian authors for this one!

Here's the list, and my picks so far:

• Australian Author
• Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte (AA)
• Indigenous Author
• Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina (AA)
• From Top 101
• TBA
• Kid's Top 51
• TBA
• Dymocks 'Book of the Month'
• TBA
• Re-read favourite book of all time
• The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
• Friend's recommendation
• Mao's Last Dancer by Cunxin Li (AA)
• Featuring favourite country (France)
• Josephine's Garden by Stephanie Parkyn
• From TBR pile
• North Star Guide Me Home by Jo Spurrier (AA)
• Award winner
• Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA)
• Mystery/Thriller
• One Last Child by Anni Taylor (AA)
• Memoir
• A Sceptic's Search for Meaning by Mike Willesee (AA)
• Outside usual genre
• Entranced by Nora Roberts
• Short stories
• Saga Land by Richard Fidler & Kari Gislason (AA)
• Self Help/Motivation
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• Fairytale/Fable adaptation
• Beauty in Thorns by Kate Forsyth (AA)
• Book 1 in Fantasy series
• Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
• Teaches something new
• The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
• Adapted to film/TV series
• You by Caroline Kepnes
• Red cover
• Cherry Pie by Leigh Redhead (AA)
• Colour in title
• Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
• Read in a day
• Weapon by Lynette Noni (AA)
• About books
• The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury
• Makes me laugh
• Challenge Accepted by Celeste Barber (AA)
• Published this year
• Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (AA)
• Said I've read but haven't
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Are you doing this one, or any other challenge this year? Let me know! 

Challenge Review: The Book Thief

My #dymocks52challenge book 28/38, for week 42.

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zuzak
Published: 1/9/05
First appearance in 101: 2008 (#27)
Years in 101: 11
2019 101 ranking: #4
Rating: 3 stars

Why I chose this book:
Um, have a look at that mammoth 101 streak! 11 years on the list! It's been on there every single time. As much as I've been avoiding this one, it was impossible to not include it in this challenge. When I realised I was ultimately going to fail the challenge, I knew I had to make a final push to get this one in.

Thoughts:
It's been raved about since publication, agreeing with my theory that people go nuts over war books. I avoid them where I can because I find them way too depressing, but this one surprised me by being okay. It wasn't as dreary as I was expecting, and the unique point of view kept things rather interesting. I liked it more than I thought I would.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?
Of course it was. It was always going to be. I'm not going to argue with eleven years' worth of votes! As much as I hate war books, this was uniquely told, so that it's not all dark and depressing, but it still gets across the message that war books try to convey - the horrific pointlessness to it all. It's well-written and told with wit and ultimately is a worthy read for all.

Challenge Check-In

Not gonna lie, reading challenges are HARD.

The actual reading part, not so much, but reading specific books when I keep acquiring so many amazing new ones? Man there is just not enough time to read them all.

So naturally I've fallen a few weeks behind on my #Dymocks52Challenge refined.

Here are the books on The List that I still have to read:

1. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (AA)
4. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
7. The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Richard Flanagan (AA)
10. The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
11. The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty (AA)
12. The Martian - Andy Weir
16. Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
19. Reckoning - Magda Szubanski (AA)
22. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
24. Wool - Hugh Howey
32. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart - Holly Ringland (AA)
34. A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness

So that's 12 books to go, and only 8 weeks left of the year. Not a worry if I focus exclusively on these titles, but I have some seriously exciting stuff waiting to be read!

Here's the top ten vying for my attention:

1. The Red Sphinx - Alexandre Dumas

I started reading this one back in April and have severely neglected it! It's an 800-page monster meaning its not one I can carry around in my bag, so it's been constantly shunted aside for smaller books. Considering it's an unofficial sequel to my favourite book of all time, I really need to make a solid effort to finish this before the year is up.

2. Five Dark Fates - Kendare Blake

This is the fourth and final book in the Three Dark Crowns series and I'm a little obsessed. It's dark and full of magic and poison and characters that do horrible things. My kind of fantasy. I'm hoping for a pretty epic showdown to end things!

3. Salvation Lost - Peter F Hamilton

I read Salvation a little while ago and it was incredible so very much looking forward to reading this newly released sequel. Not usually a sci-fi gal but this one has me hooked.

4. The Power of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale

Who would I be without my motivational books? This one comes highly recommended so I've been meaning to read it for a while, and I'm really hoping to get to it before the year is up.

5. The Chain - Adrian McKinty

I actually won this a while back and feel bad for neglecting it for so long! It sounds like it's going to be a fantastic thriller and I imagine it'll be something I read in minimal sittings.

6. Midnight in the Graveyard - Anthology

I started reading this with fellow horror-lovers in a Goodreads group and it is chock-a-block full of spine-tingling goodness. It's actually the first time I've ever purchased an e-book (since I read e-books so rarely I usually just stick to freebies). I've been lucky enough to be part of group discussion with 25 authors and it's absolutely fascinating to hear more insight into these little gems as I read them. 

7. Snake Island - Ben Hobson

An Aussie crime novel I'm expecting big things from. This one has been talked about since it released so I'm keen to join the discussions on this one.

8. Godsgrave - Jay Kristoff

I read Nevernight earlier this year and rushed out to buy this sequel the day after I finished it. Yet it's been neglected in favour of challenge reads and ARCs. I need to find out the truth about what happened to Don Tric! So let's all cross our fingers this one makes it into the last eight weeks of the year, too.

9. Weapon - Lynette Noni

Speaking of sequels I've been dying for, this one is just waiting to happen. High chance it'll be overlooked for a few months, though, since I'll need to re-read the first book so I can remember what happened. The down side to reading fresh series books is that painful wait between installations.

10. Deeplight - Frances Hardinge

This one promises gods and monsters and the media release considers it a cross between Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and Frankenstein so guess who is already expecting big things? Love me some monsters. 

***

I've been so lucky this year with book wins and publishers spoiling me with ARCs of some of the most incredible books. I intended to read less so that I could be more productive outside of my book lover life but it's absolutely impossible with so many fantastic books being put out into the world! I'd love to get back on track with my challenge, of course, but I'm easing a little of the pressure because reading is supposed to be fun. So I'll get through those 12 books eventually, but it might take me a little longer than I anticipated.

The beauty of it is that I'll have a better understanding of my reading habits when I do it all over again next year. XD

Dymocks 52 Challenge Halftime Musings

Having just finished Book 19 of 38 for my #Dymocks52Challenge refined, I figured it was time to do another update.

To recap:

This year, Australian book retailer Dymocks challenged readers to read one book a week for the entire year, adding up to 52 books.

As a voracious reader, I was well ahead come April, so I decided to make the challenge a little harder for myself for the remaining 38 weeks of the year.

Since 2008 (as far as my research could indicate), Dymocks has produced a list of the Top 101 books, as voted by readers. Using lists from the past five years, as well as unread books on my shelf, I compiled a list of 38 books that I would attempt to read before the end of the year (one a week from time of commencement).

Some of these are books I've never been interested in reading, or books I've been putting off, or books I've intentionally avoided. Others are books I've been looking forward to, and some are books I hadn't actually heard of. It promised to be a diverse challenge.

Now, here at the halfway point, I can admit that this has already been an interesting, worthy ride.

I started with Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, and it was a great book to start with - 5 stars. My 19th, most recent read, was the worst - 1 star and my first DNF of the challenge. The offending book was Clementine Ford's Fight Like A Girl. This was a book I wanted to throw down in disgust after only a couple of chapters, but I'd given myself the rule of reading at least 50% before giving up on a book (DNF = Did Not Finish) so I struggled through 55% before I finally threw in the towel for good.

With other reads, the 50% rule served me well - The Light Between Oceans was a struggle for a while but I thoroughly enjoyed the final third of it, and Boy Swallows Universe had me worried but took off about 50 pages in and ended up being a fantastic read.

My favourite book so far has been The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson, and that was a fun discovery because the size of this novel has had me putting it off for years. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Happiest Refugee by Aussie comedian Anh Do. 

There's been a couple of disappointments - aside from Fight Like a Girl, Circe left me rather more underwhelmed than I expected, as did Assassin's Apprentice. 

Moving forward, I'm most looking forward to reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, and I'm most nervous about Shantaram, which is of course a 900+ page monster about horrible, horrible things.

The Book Thief, despite having remained in the Top 10 for the past 7 years, and taking out the top spot for three of those, is still neglected. I've been putting it off for years due to my general disappointment in most stories set in WWI and WWII so, true to that, I'm saving it til last.

It's been an interesting challenge to force myself to read assigned books when there's so many other great reads waiting on my shelf. I'm looking forward to continuing to challenge myself.

***

Stats so far:

Books read: 20

Pages read: 7771

Average rating: 3.2 stars

Most popular GR review: The Final Empire 

Least popular GR review: Fight Like a Girl

Oldest book read: Jane Eyre *

Newest book read: Becoming

*Note: I've recently finished Jane Eyre, which is book 20, however the write up is still to come. For statistics, I've included it.

***

AA = Australian Author
Titles not in bold are yet to be purchased

1. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (AA)
2. The Happiest Refugee - Anh Do (AA) (12)  4*
3. Jasper Jones - Craig Silvey (AA) (5) 2*
4. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
5. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (20) 4*
6. The Light Between Oceans - M. L. Stedman (AA) (17) 3*
7. The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Richard Flanagan (AA)
8. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (13) 2*
9. Assassin's Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy) - Robin Hobb (14) 2*
10. The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
11. The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty (AA)
12. The Martian - Andy Weir
13. My Brilliant Friend (The Neapolitan Series) - Elena Ferrante (11) 2*
14. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (3) 4*
15. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
16. Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts (AA)
17. All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven
18. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty (AA) (10) 3*
19. Reckoning - Magda Szubanski (AA)
20. A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara
21. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson
22. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova
23. The Final Empire (The Mistborn Series) - Brandon Sanderson (6) 5*
24. Wool - Hugh Howey
25. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman (2) 4*
26. Boy Swallows Universe - Trent Dalton (AA) (16) 4*
27. Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicles) - Jay Kristoff (AA) (1) 5*
28. Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli (4) 4*
29. Fight Like a Girl - Clementine Ford (AA) (19) 1*
30. Circe - Madeline Miller (7) 2*
31. Mythos - Stephen Fry
32. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart - Holly Ringland (AA)
33. Becoming - Michelle Obama (15) 4*
34. A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness
35. Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan
36. Scrublands - Chris Hammer (AA) (9) 4*
37. Normal People - Sally Rooney (18) 3*
38. Nine Perfect Strangers - Liane Moriarty (AA) (8) 2*

Challenge Review: Fight Like A Girl

My #dymocks52challenge book 19/38, for week 33.

Title: Fight Like a Girl
Author: Clementine Ford (AA)
Published: 28/9/16
First appearance in 101: 2017 (#43)
Years in 101: 2
2019 101 ranking: #2
Rating: 1 star

Why I chose this book:
Hooray feminism! As a girl who enjoys fighting (literally) and believes in gender equality (and human equality, really) I was really looking forward to a book that inspires women to stand up for themselves and not back down. This one is nice and recent and definitely appeals to modern ideals so I had to read it.

Thoughts:

Oh my lord. Talk about disappointing. This was my very first DNF of the challenge and I'm so glad I gave myself the DNF out at 50% because this was hard to choke down after only a chapter or two. It's vulgar, coarse, rude and bitter and so full of anger at the world. The message she's trying to get across is so important but it was utterly lost to me because of the feisty way she chose to deliver it. Not my thing at all; it really hurt my heart to read as much as I did. DNF @ 55%
You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

This book, in my opinion, is everything that's wrong with the feminist movement. It spends so much time being angry and bitter that it alienates anyone who isn't of the same feisty opinions. While the message of fighting for equality, and to be yourself unconditionally, is so incredibly vital, the way it was delivered here will leave a bitter taste in a lot of mouths, and possibly do more harm than good. I hope this disappears from the list soon.