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 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! 

Dymocks 52 Challenge Refined: RESULTS

So last year I of course took it upon myself to read 38 books from the Dymocks Top 101 in the remaining 38 weeks of the year.

I failed.

In the end, I managed 28 books out of the 38, which is an effort I'm still pretty proud of. My downfall was just reading so many other books that weren't on the list.

I found that, as I got through the list, the books that were left didn't quite interest me enough to choose them over the other enticing books I had waiting for my attention. It also meant buying quite a few that I didn't own, and by the end of the year my book budget was maxed out.

So here's some final stats:

Books read: 28

Pages read: 11,611

Average # pages: 415

Shortest: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (212 pages)

Longest: A Little Life (720 pages)

Rating Breakdown:

 5 stars: 3 books

 4 stars: 10 books

 3 stars: 7 books

 2 stars: 7 books

 1 star: 1 book

Average rating: 3.25

Most popular GR review: The Final Empire

Least popular GR review: Mythos

Oldest book read: Jane Eyre (pub. 1847)

Newest book read: Becoming (pub. 2018)

Most popular on GR: Becoming (4.57av)

Least popular on GR: Nine Perfect Strangers (3.50av)

Most pleasant surprise: Ready Player One

Least pleasant surprise: Fight Like a Girl

Good as expected: Nevernight

Bad as expected: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

DNFs: 1

Aussie Authors: 10

Books I'm glad this challenge forced me to read: The Final Empire, Jane Eyre, The Happiest Refugee, Boy Swallows Universe, The Historian

And, finally, here's the list:

1. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak (AA) (28) 3*
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 (25) 5*
16. Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts (AA)
17. All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven (22) 2*
18. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty (AA) (10) 3*
19. Reckoning - Magda Szubanski (AA)
20. A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara (21) 3*
21. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck - Mark Manson (24) 4*
22. The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova (27) 4*
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 (23) 3*
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 (26) 3*
36. Scrublands - Chris Hammer (AA) (9) 4*
37. Normal People - Sally Rooney (18) 3*
38. Nine Perfect Strangers - Liane Moriarty (AA) (8) 2*

(AA = Australian Author)

You can read all the reviews here and please feel free to let me know your thoughts!

Overall I had a lot of fun with this challenge and will be starting the next Dymocks challenge soon! :)

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 Review: The Historian

My #dymocks52challenge book 27/38, for week 41.

Title: The Historian
Author: Elizabeth Kostova
Published: 14/6/05
First appearance in 101: 2010 (#63)
Years in 101: 2
2019 101 ranking: -
Rating: 4 stars

Why I chose this book:
The Historian has been sitting unloved on my shelf for several years, so this was a good excuse to finally pick it up. Another one whose size intimidated me. It hasn't made the 101 since 2013 but since I already had it on my shelf it made the cut for my challenge.

Thoughts:
It was a real tough slog to get through it but in the end I did enjoy it! The timeline jumped around a lot and there were stories within stories which did get a little tedious, but the extensive information on Dracula and the hunt for his tomb was absolutely fascinating. I'm pleased I finally got through it.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

This one is too time consuming for fair-weather booklovers but rich in detail with a unique writing style. It's probably a bit too heavy for the 101, but it has a lot of merit. It's definitely the kind of book that will leave a lasting impression.

Challenge Review: Crazy Rich Asians

My #dymocks52challenge book 26/38, for week 40.

Title: Crazy Rich Asians
Author: Kevin Kwan
Published: 11/6/13
First appearance in 101: 2019 (#38)
Years in 101: 1
2019 101 ranking: #38
Rating: 3 stars

Why I chose this book:
This one came to attention with the recent release of the film, and I'd say the film release is the reason this book made it into this year's 101. The previews suggested a light, funny read, so I picked it as a fun addition to the list.

Thoughts:
Disappointingly bland and stuffed full of way too many details about food, clothes and genealogy. Plus Nick is kind of an idiot. A lot of it went way over my head, and while I enjoyed the drama there was a lot of other superfluous detail to wade through, making the end result a bit of a chore.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?
I notice that a film release will always give a book extra credit, and I suspect the film is responsible for this 2013 release making it on the 2019 Top 101. The book itself was far too dense and dull to feature in its own right, but a film takes away the work of picturing people, places and food so you can identify with the story more. Once the film fades from minds, we're unlikely to see this book on the list again.

Challenge Review: Ready Player One

My #dymocks52challenge book 25/38, for week 39.

Title: Ready Player One
Author: Ernest Cline
Published: 16/8/11
First appearance in 101: 2016 (#100)
Years in 101: 4
2019 101 ranking: #71
Rating: 5 stars

Why I chose this book:
I'd heard plenty about it, and actually thought it had been released earlier than it was. I knew it referenced the 80s, but the dystopian element never really drew me in. However its place in the Top 101 for the past four years straight gave me the opportunity to add it to my list. I'm so glad it did!

Thoughts:
Once again I owe gratitude to this challenge for discovering a fantastic read in a book I likely wouldn't have picked up. This ended up being a fun, addictive read that I couldn't put down! The 80s references are a lot of fun and made me nostalgic for my own childhood, but the story was clever enough to not rely just on gratuitous references to the past. It had some serious themes that I found highly relevant to today's society, meaning there was a solid foundation to all the action. I loved it from start to finish, and it scored a surprising 5 stars from me.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

I'm surprised this took as long to make it into the Top 101 as it did, but I think as more people read it, it will climb higher on the list. It's a must-read for any 80s kid who grew up with video games, and speaks to geeks around the globe. It's also unique in that it's set in the future, focuses on the past but is incredibly relevant to the present. It was clever, fun and packed full of action and adventure. This definitely needs to find its way onto more bookshelves.

Challenge Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

My #dymocks52challenge book 24/38, for week 38. 

Title: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Author: Mark Manson
Published: 13/9/16
First appearance in 101: 2017 (#85)
Years in 101: 3
2019 101 ranking: #61
Rating: 4 stars

Why I chose this book:
I do quite enjoy self-help books that take a more philosophical approach, and this one's no-nonsense title did rather appeal to me. It's also appeared in the top 101 every year since its 2016 release, which clearly suggested more than a temporary fad.

Thoughts:
It's quite blunt in delivery and doesn't bother attempting to placate anyone so naturally this is going to rub some people the wrong way, but I quite enjoyed it. It requires an open mind, and the concepts are certainly nothing new, but it's accessible, easy to read and mercifully short. If you can manage not to take offence, you'll find some great nuggets of wisdom within the pages.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

I think so! The concepts are certainly important and I think more people could benefit from reading books with this attitude - that we need to consider more carefully the things we invest our time and care in. Its ideas aren't anything new but the bold title perhaps makes it easier to relate to and thus accessible to more readers.

Challenge Review: Mythos

My #dymocks52challenge book 23/38, for week 37.

Title: Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold
Author: Stephen Fry
Published: 2/11/17
First appearance in 101: 2018 (#84)
Years in 101: 2
2019 101 ranking: #98
Rating: 3 stars

Why I chose this book:
You might have guessed from the name of my blog that I have an interest in myths and legends, so when this book popped up on the Top 101 list it was an easy add. I'm absolutely fascinated by myths and was looking forward to reading about them from the very beginning.


Thoughts:
I love the stories themselves, but the delivery missed the mark with me. I've never been a big fan of British humour and with a subject so close to my heart it seemed a little crass. But I enjoyed the myths - particularly the lesser-known ones I'd not yet encountered - so it wasn't a total drag to read.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

The myths themselves, yes, but I'm sure there are better deliveries out there. I've yet to read Ovid's Metamorphoses (it's waiting eagerly on my bookshelf) but I suspect that will tell many of these stories in greater depth and with the traditional prose that one would expect for such old stories. This sassy retelling is a great introduction for the uninitiated, but doesn't quite do justice to the great legends of Greek mythology.

Challenge Review: All the Bright Places

My #dymocks52challenge book 22/38, for week 36.

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Title: All The Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Published: 6/1/15
First appearance in 101: 2016 (#72)
Years in 101: 3
2019 101 ranking: -
Rating: 2 stars

Why I chose this book:
This has made three of the last five years of 101 lists, so it nudged out some of the more recent entries, though it didn't make this year's list. This was one I wasn't sure I really wanted to read, but figured it would be easy to get through.

Thoughts:
Ah, more tragic heroes being praised by readers. I can appreciate that this was a powerful glimpse into teenage mental illness (stay away if you're triggered easily) but overall it seemed a little too contrived for me, and I wasn't particularly attached to the two leads. 

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?
Maybe? I mean, to me it was trying too hard to be a John Green book, but this might be a valuable insight for people who have no idea what it's like to experience mental illness, either directly or through a family member/close friend. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, because if it helps ease some of the stigma surrounding mental illness then I'm all for it.

Challenge Review: A Little Life

My #dymocks52challenge book 21/38, for week 35.

Title: A Little Life
Author: Hanya Yanagihara
Published: 10/3/15
First appearance in 101: 2017 (#30)
Years in 101: 3
2019 101 ranking: #29
Rating: 3 stars

Why I chose this book:
This was one I bought a few years back, so this made the list when I was looking at 101s I already had on my shelf. Length is a pretty big factor in determining what I read, and this one was a daunting 720 pages. But I was intrigued by the plot outlined in the blurb.

Thoughts:

Another train wreck. Why are readers so often impressed by tragic stories? This book took enough time building attachment that when the depravity struck hard it was too far to turn back. I hated reading it, but it still left a mark. This was a book of extreme emotions, with no real grey between, so it was a bit too unrealistic for my tastes.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

I can see why so many people are impressed with it, but I really don't understand why readers are so enamoured with doom and gloom. It worked hard to portray its characters, so there's literary merit in that, but the story was a little too far-fetched for my tastes. The writing itself, however, was clever and well structured. I'll concede defeat to this one.

Challenge Review: Jane Eyre

My #dymocks52challenge book 20/38, for week 34.

Title: Jane Eyre
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Published: 16/10/1847
First appearance in 101: 2008 (#10)
Years in 101: 12
2019 101 ranking: #46
Rating: 4 stars

Why I chose this book:
This one is a classic, and has featured on EVERY Dymocks 101 list since 2008. Pretty impressive! I do love the classics, but this one never really attracted me before this challenge. I was happy to add it, but wasn't sure it would be my thing.

Thoughts:

Thankfully this exceeded my expectations and ended up being a great read. I'm not a huge fan of romance but this drew me in with the mystery of that 3rd floor room and then of course I ended up becoming invested in the relationship between Jane and Rochester. It was a wild ride that took a few turns, so it had some unexpected surprises.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

Definitely. Classics are classics for a reason! This one is written beautifully and features a strong female lead who goes against the norm to follow her heart and do what makes her happy. Its themes will resonate throughout time, meaning it is a great read no matter when you choose to pick it up.

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.

Challenge Review: Normal People

My #dymocks52challenge book 18/38, for week 32.

Title: Normal People
Author: Sally Rooney
Published: 28/8/18
First appearance in 101: 2019 (#47)
Years in 101: 1
2019 101 ranking: #47
Rating: 3 stars

Why I chose this book:
This one has been receiving a lot of praise, though it's not normally the sort of book I'd go for. So when it came to filling the extra slots for this challenge, I tried to still branch a little out of my comfort zone. This seemed like an interesting choice.

Thoughts:
There is some brilliant characterisation in this book, but the story itself is pretty repetitive, and the book seems to rely on the gimmick of messing with format and style to make itself stand out. I wasn't particularly impressed overall, but it did somehow end up being an addictive, easy read.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.


Verdict: Was it worthy?

No. This will make waves for a little while because of its depth of characterisation and the way it explores the nature of relationships, but ultimately I'd say it's pretty forgettable. It relies too heavily on unusual styling to stand out, so people are more likely to remember that over the story. I suspect it won't linger long in readers' minds.

Challenge Review: Boy Swallows Universe

My #dymocks52challenge book 16/38, for week 30.

Title: Boy Swallows Universe
Author: Trent Dalton
Published: 18/6/18
First appearance in 101: 2019 (#5)
Years in 101: 1
2019 101 ranking: #5
Rating: 4 stars


Why I chose this book:
That close to the top on debut, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about! It sounded interesting enough, and supporting Aussie authors is always appealing.


Thoughts:I wasn't sure how this one was going to go, but once I gave it a proper chance I found myself completely sucked in. The writing was a bit off-putting for me, but it turned out to be one heck of a story.

You can read my full review on Goodreads here.

Verdict: Was it worthy?

Definitely. This is a masterpiece of Australian literature that's written eloquently but also tells an incredible story. This one will stay with folks for a while and I hope it sticks around for many years.