Now that December's here, I guess it's time to start wrapping up some reading challenges. I didn't join many challenges in 2020, so there's not all that much wrapping up to do.
First on the list is Rose City Reader's European Reading Challenge: always one of my favorite challenges, though I don't always do a great job with it. For 2020, I joined up at the "Business Traveler" level and committed to read just three books. And I was only half successful -- I did manage to read my three, but didn't get any reviews posted. (Sorry about that. Didn't really post many reviews to the blog this year. Must do a better job in 2021!) Here's what I read (links are to descriptions at GoodReads):
The Circus, by Jonas Karlsson (set in Stockholm, Sweden)
Murder She Wrote: Gin & Daggers (Murder, She Wrote #1), by "Jessica Fletcher" and Donald Bain (set in UK, mostly London)
Snow (St. John Strafford #1), by John Banville (set in Ireland)
Of those three, Snow was my favorite, although I enjoyed them all. I was just a bit disappointed in The Circus, only because I thought it didn't really come up to the quality of Karlsson's earlier two novels, The Room (which I loved) and The Invoice. But that's a high standard, and it was still a fun read. And I can't believe it took me so long to read my first Murder She Wrote mystery, since I loved the TV series so much. I can see a lot more Jessica in my future.
As I said, I do love this challenge -- it helps me discover new authors and read books I might otherwise ignore. Thanks so much to Gilion for doing the hosting. I'll definitely be joining up for 2021, if she keeps it going.
The only challenge I signed up for is the goodreads 2020 challenge and I have failed miserably. Might not do any next year.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that, too -- no reading challenges next year. I mean, we've got enough challenges just getting by, day to day, right? But the reading challenges really have given me something to concentrate on and get my mind off real life for a while. So I think they're actually a good thing for me.
DeleteI always sign up for the GoodReads Challenge, and usually wipe out. This year I wised up and gave myself a more realistic goal. That way I could fool myself into feeling good about reaching it, even if it didn't really help me read more.