Cathy at Cathy 746 has a yearly challenge to read twenty books over the summer months starting on 1 June 2017 and running until 3 September 2017, and once again I’ve decided to join her. My aim this year is to read all twenty books in the allotted time span!!
As I’m competitive I’m signing up for the full twenty. My personal challenge is to read these twenty books from my bookshelf, physical books that I already own and have purchased for myself before today. Funnily enough I have plenty to choose from… a whole 91 in fact!
Because I know that facts in one book tend to lead me to seek out other books in my tangential reading style, I’ve decided to start with a spread of genres and authors for the first ten books – fat books, thin books and books in-between! Book lovers will completely understand the complexity of this choice which has taken many, many hours to hone to just the right mix, especially as I have had to factor in going on holiday and therefore I will have to further reduced the pile for the trip… I will post the next ten when these are all finished which should be in mid-July, if I’m on schedule!
The links below will take you to the Goodreads description
The Doctor’s Wife is Dead by Andrew Tierney
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Girl From Nowhere by Dorothy Koomson
Midnight in Peking by Paul French
Saturday Requiem by Nicci French
Winter Garden by Beryl Bainbridge
What Remains Behind by Dorothy Fowler
Bones and Silence by Reginald Hill
I will be joining Cathy by tweeting my way through the challenge using the hashtag #20booksofsummer to demonstrate when one of my reads is part of this challenge! Should be easy eh?
As in the previous two years there will be a master page linking the titles to my reviews as they are posted, and of course eventually listing the entire twenty books.
Top of my holiday reads is Reginald Hill, I always read one of his books on holiday, and of course there is The Island which I bought after visiting Spinalonga, Greece’s former leper colony in Crete last summer, Dorothy Koomson is an obvious choice but is In Cold Blood too grim for sunshine and cocktails?
So what do you think of my choices? Where would you start?
I’ve enjoyed looking at everyone else’s choices so far and after all having read the full list of 20, I will need replacements.
Cleopatra Loves Books 
Start with The Island, a fascinating story set in Spinalonga, the island just off Crete to where lepers were banished. Follow it with Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood which remains in my top five best books ever.
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Thanks for the recommendations- I visited Spingola last summer and got the book soon after. That’s two for my suitcase
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Sounds like you have some great books to read! I loved the island too fab book x
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I have to decide which ones to take on holiday as well, tough decision eh!
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Toughest of the entire year 😂
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I loved Saturday Requiem, and maybe you could start there! If you love Frieda Klein and that series, of course.
I have enjoyed Dorothy Koomson and haven’t read That Girl from Nowhere, but it looks tempting.
Enjoy the journey through your summer books!
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I know only two of these – The Island and In Cold Blood ( a novel which I read on holiday in Jersey). The second of these was by far the best even though it was tough content
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Haha and I’m going to take it away from Jersey 😊
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Based on the tenuous links it deserves to be in the suitcase
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You can’t go wrong with Nicci French. Also, the Dorothy Koomson book looks good – though I’ve never read her. Love the cover of “The Island”.
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The only one I’ve read is the Truman Capote and it’s amazing! Good luck!
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All the comments about In True Blood has me itching to start it!
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Oh In Cold Blood is so good! I read it in Crete so I say go for it! Thanks for joining in again Cleo xx
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I wouldn’t miss it for anything Cathy 😊
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Ooh, great list! That’s one of my favourite Reginald Hills, and of course I hope you enjoy Midnight in Peking. I’m keen to hear what you think of In Cold Blood – a book I’ve been meaning to read for years – maybe you will be the trigger that finally pushes it off the wishlist onto the TBR! I’m sure you’ll be able to fit in all your review copies too… 😉 Have a great summer of reading! 😀
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It has now become a ‘thing’ that I read one of Reginald Hills’ books on my holiday so good to know I’ve picked a good one. Ah but I don’t have 30 plus review copies, only 20 plus 😏 it’ll be a breeze, you too!!
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Oh this sounds fun! I may have to look into it. Happy reading my friend 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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I like the sound of The Doctor’s Wife and What Remains Behind! Have a great time with this summer challenge! 🙂
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I haven’t read any of the books on your list but I will be adding a few to my TBR list. I like the sound of the Nicci French book as well as the Reginald Hill one.
I’m hoping I can manage to read 15 books and have just picked out my first 10.
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In Cold Blood has been in my TBR for years so I look forward to hearing your thoughts to spur me on! I’ve not read The Island but lots of people have told me its a great summer read 🙂
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I’m about to re-read In Cold Blood with a small book-club. We are reading some American classics together. It’s a brilliant and shocking read. And then you have a Bainbridge. I don’t know that one, but Bainbridge is always delicious!
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