15 Books of Summer

We went away for a big chunk of May and as a result I only finished two books. I knew it would happen and I’m not upset about it but it does have me looking at my bookshelves feeling that old restless reading feeling.

So when I saw that Cathy @ 746 Books was doing a summer reading challenge, I started thinking that maybe I should join in!

The 20 Books of Summer challenge has you reading 20 (0r 10 or 15!) books on your list and posting reviews of them between June 3 and September 3. It’s a great way to focus your reading and clear out some of your TBR backlog which we all need. September 3 is the day I go back to work (finally right?) and 20 Books of Summer feels like a last mat leave hurrah.

Here are the books on my list – I’ve chosen 15 because that feels a little more manageable to me!

1. Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba. This book has been on my shelf since before it came out and I feel horrible about it. Especially because I know I will enjoy this book about Parisians who fought Nazis by an author whose work I have enjoyed in the past!
2. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I’ve only recently added a copy of this to my shelves but the book has been on my virtual TBR list for ages. A friend recently highly recommended it to me so that’s bumped it back up.
3. The Fifth Avenue Artists Society by Joy Callaway. In 2016, a friend of mine was visiting and we bought matching copies of this book to read. Neither of us have read it as far as I know.
4. 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph. I meant to read this for Non-fiction November and didn’t get to it.
5. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I don’t even know how long I’ve had a copy of this one. When I bought it I think it was because I felt like I should have a copy but I wasn’t super interested in Fitzgerald or the 1920s. Since then I’ve changed my tune…about the 1920s. Jury’s still out on Fitzgerald.
6. Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver. A friend of mine left this in my possession – she doesn’t keep books once she’s read them. And even though I don’t have to return it, I still feel pressure to get it read.
7. Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer. I don’t even remember how I got a copy of this one!
8. Solitude by Michael Harris. I have TWO copies of this one. And since I spend a lot of time solo these days (solo-ish…but my constant companion doesn’t have great conversation skills yet) it might be nice to read about the benefits.
9. Fresh Complaints by Jeffrey Eugenides. I’ve pretty well loved every book that Eugenides has written but when this collection of short stories showed up, I didn’t feel like reading it. I appreciate short stories more these days.
10. Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil by John Berendt. I took this one from my sister when she was giving away all of her things to move to Scotland. Now that she is back, I suspect she will come asking for her books back. Plus, this is true crime??
11. Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler. I bought it when there was all the hype for it and then didn’t feel like reading it. The hype seems done so now feels like a good time to get back to it.
12. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid. Someone on instagram was recently raving about this one and that made me go “oh right, I still need to read that” so it’s on the list.
13. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. I think I stole this one from my sister as well. I think Georgia Hardstark was talking about it on My Favorite Murder and that made me go “I have that book!” Now I guess I will try to actually read it.
14. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd. Not a book that I would have picked for myself but a friend insisted I read her copy and she hasn’t steered me wrong yet.
15. The Illegal by Lawrence Hill. This book won Canada Reads in 2016 which is when I bought it. For some reason I always resist reading Hill’s books and when I finally do, I love them. Here’s hoping for more of the same this time!

Bonus: The Strays by Emily Bitto. This project means I will likely actually finally read it.

I think that’s a good mix of genres and styles. I’m a bit of a mood reader so it can be difficult for me to read from a prescribed list. But if I manage even half of these, it will have made a dent in my cabinet of unread books.

There’s still time to join! Check out Cathy’s post for more info. And thanks Laura @ Reading in Bed for inspiring me to join.