20 Books of Summer: how did that go?
Before diving into September, running into Fall and ending up doing Christmas shopping thinking that time flies and that 2022 is almost over, let’s have a look at my 20 Books of Summer challenge. It’s hosted by Cathy and I shared my selection here. I wasn’t sure I could read 20 books this summer but I did it!
I took some liberties with the original list and the books read that weren’t on the list are in bold. I haven’t had time to write billets about all the books I read but I’m on it! Hopefully, I’ll catch up in September.
I’m happy with my summer reads as I had a good mix of crime fiction, literary fiction and non-fiction. I managed to read a few books related to my trip in the USA, which I love to do when visiting places.
Summer with crime fiction:
- The Survivors by Jane Harper (Australia)
- Dead at Daybreak by Deon Meyer (South Africa)
- The Cut by George Pelecanos (Washington DC)
- Adios Madrid by Pablo Ignacio Taibo II (Mexico)
- Fallout by Paul Thomas (New Zealand)
- Winter Count by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (USA)
- Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson (USA)
Trip related books:
- A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (Appalachians)
- Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash (North Carolina)
- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (Southern Region)
- Shiner by Amy Jo Burns (Appalachians)
- The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (South Carolina)
Other books
- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (USA)
- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (USA) This one counts for two and I loved it.
- Thursday Night Widows by Claudia Pineiro (Argentina)
- Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese (Canada)
- The Fire, Next Time by James Baldwin (USA)
- La véritable histoire de l’Ouest américain by Jacques Portes. (France) The most interesting thing I learnt in this one is that the film Stagecoach directed by John Ford is based on Boule de suif, a short story by Maupassant. (Translated as Dumpling or Butterball or Ball of Fat or Ball of Lard) It has also an excellent map of Native American tribes.
- A Bookshop in Algiers by Kaouther Adimi (Algeria)
Books on the list that I didn’t read:
- Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup (Louisiana)
- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (North Carolina)
- Serena by Ron Rash (North Carolina)
- All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren (USA)
- Days of Reading by Marcel Proust (France)
- Proust by Samuel Beckett (Ireland)
- Lie With Me by Philippe Besson (France)
- The Miracles of Life by Stefan Zweig (Austria)
I need to change of scenery and I’m not ready to read other books set in the Appalachians or the Deep South right now. I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as they deserve it.
The upcoming billets about my 20 Books of Summer are…
I’m happy I signed up for the 20 Books of Summer challenge and I’m ready to do it again next year! Many thanks to Cathy for organizing this event.
Book Around the Corner 
Did NOT know Stagecoach was based on Boule de suif! But yes, I can see that now…
Well done on your reading more or less according to plan. I went quite, quite off-topic.
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It was a surprise for me too.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t stick to her list!
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Some great reading, and sounds like you enjoyed it which is the main thing!!
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I did enjoy it a lot. Ready to do it again!
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I did not know that about Stagecoach. Ugh, though, I had to read Boule de Suif et Autres Contes de Guerre for my French A-level and really didn’t get on with it! So so glad you enjoyed Lonesome Dove and will look forward to your review and will add it to my McMurtry project page.
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I had never read Maupassant again after he was inflicting on me in class. Book blogger reviews convinced me to try him again.
I should read his short stories, now that I’m older.
I loved Lonesome Dove, I hope I’ll have time to write about it soon.
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Congrats, you did well!
Days of Reading is really good, and short, lol
Enjoy your September books!
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Thanks!
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It seems to me that you did really well with your list. I really must read Lonesome Dove (everyone who has raves about it)!
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I took some liberties with the list but I’m happy with my choices.
And yes, Lonesome Dove is really worth reading.
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I didn’t think I’d read your Indian Horse review, but I must have because I commented. I’ll probably read the book in the next few months.
I’m looking forward to your review of The Invention of Wings which I thought was wonderful.
I read a McMurtry last week, my first, Sin Killer, which was just ok, a mixture of farce and classic Western.
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Indian Horse is excellent and Winter Count as well.
The billet about The Invention of Wings is coming soon!
Lonesome Dove is the kind of book to listen to while driving.
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