20 Books of Summer 2020
Embarking on a quantity-based reading challenge in the midst of a pandemic-induced reading slump? What could go wrong?
Fortunately, Cathy, our fearless 20 Books of Summer leader, is very flexible. This challenge will be less about quantity for me, and more about making time for some books I’ve been meaning to get to, and hopefully, posting reviews here. I had so much fun in 2019, writing about disgusting teen boys, Puritans, cannibals, and yes, Jonathan Franzen (and he’s back this year!)
Here’s the stack, and a quick note about each book’s providence:
- The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang – purchased at Glass Bookshop‘s Valentine’s Day sale
- Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Coles, bought “for my husband”, no he hasn’t read it
- Give War and Peace a Chance by Andrew D. Kaufman – Garage sale, I think?
- Green Darkness by Anya Seton – not a clue, had this for many years
- Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy – Garge sale
- Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner – Chapters
- River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay – Coles
- This Marlowe by Michelle Butler Hallett – from the publisher, years ago (sorry)
- The Life of Charlotte Brontë by Elizabeth Gaskell – Wee Book Inn
- The Known World by Edward P. Jones – borrowed from my mom
- In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje – a long-ago library sale
- The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrente – an emergency same-day delivery from Glass Bookshop
- Three Women by Lisa Taddeo – borrowed from a coworker
- Milkman by Anna Burns – Wee Book Inn
- Quartet by Jean Rhys – antique mall
- Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos – Blackwell’s
- Real Life by Brandon Taylor – Glass Bookshop
- The End of the End of the Earth – Coles
- Nerve by Eva Holland – Glass Bookshop
- Weather by Jenny Offill – Glass Bookshop
Given that I haven’t even read 20 books this year, the chances of me reading, let alone reviewing, this whole list is slim. Expect DNFs, random order, round up reviews – you know, the usual.
Are you ready? Let’s see those stacks!
Reading in Bed 
Great pile! I bet you do way better than you think you will. Thanks for joining in the madness again x
Dude how is there still a Coles up in Edmonton??? I haven’t seen one of those in a decade! They were purchased by Indigo, no? I’m also curious what you think of the latest articles interviewing Heather Reisman complaining about Amazon…
Yep, we have a Coles downtown, and of course it is all Chapters Indigo stuff, but they kept the Coles branding. Very nostalgic
I can appreciate the nostalgia, I’m a sucker for that stuff.
I havent seen the interview, I’ll check that out
The Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail basically have iterations of it, but the Star is much more in-depth
So many great books on this list!! I’m really looking forward to reading Weather, hopefully soon. Happy reading!
Great list! I loved the Reid, the Burns, the Offill, the Taddeo, and, jumping to a very different kind of book, the Gaskell!
milkman is so good! i hope u end up getting to it ☺
I’ve read 7 of yours (but also DNFed a few). I’m really keen to get hold of Nerve. I hope you enjoy whatever you do end up reading!
I’ve got Weather on my list too, and I hear Milkman is fantastic. Daisy Jones and the Six is a fun read. Enjoy your summer reading!
Over and over, I’ve heard so many good things about Daisy Jones. And I love Crossing to Safety. Fairly short, too.
Love the provenance note – nice touch 🙂
interesting pile – I want to read Weather too, but I didn’t get a copy in time for the 20 books challenge – I’m taking part for the first time this year