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Pam's 2020 LIST
I am reading in random order. I have numerous options for each prompt but am only listing 1-2 since they will probably change anyway! In message 2, I am listing books in order that I read them with an explanation of why I chose them or how they link to the previous book(s).

Completed: 52/52
Finished the challenge on December 9

�� = Finished

NF= Non-Fiction (Goal=10) Goal met and exceeded!
Completed: 14!

��1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
(Excluding the subtitle) Superbugs: The Race to Stop an Epidemic (NF) Finished: Jan15- 4 stars
��2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable
Matilda by Rolad Dahl Finished: Jan- 4 stars
��3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019
Hardboiled & Hard Luck
�� 4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live
Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan
��5. The first book in a series that you have not started
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
��6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover
The Real-Town Murders by Adam Roberts Finished: March (3 stars)
��7. A book set in the southern hemisphere
Silence of the Chagos: A Novel
Finished: Feb 1 (4 stars)
��8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The"
The Stand by Stephen King
��9. A book that can be read in a day
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig (NF) Finished: Feb (4 stars)

��10. A book that is between 400-600 pages
The Rotters' Club by Jonathan Coe Finshed: Feb (5 stars!)
��11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number
Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence (NF)
��12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people
Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the 116 Days that Changed the World by Chris Wallace with Mitch Weiss: Finished July 30 (5 stars) (NF)
��13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge
From 2016 List: #19 Non-fiction and #45 Related to a hobby or passion you have (Music)
Me by Elton John Finished: 2/4 (4 stars)
��14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers
The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
��15. A book set in a global city (Berlin)
While the World Is Still Asleep by Petra Durst-Benning Finished: April (4 stars)
��16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area
Malagash by Joey Comeau
�� 17. A book with a neurodiverse character
Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum (NF) Finished: April (4 stars)
��18. A book by an author you've only read once before
Olive's Ocean

��19. A fantasy book
Terra by Mitch Benn
��20. 20th book
20th book on my GR Shelf Books about Books:
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
��21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1719
Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy
��22. A book with the major theme of survival
Typhoon by Joseph Conrad Read: 1/12 (3 stars)

��23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (NF) Finished: Jan (3.5 stars)
��24. A book with an emotion in the title
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Finished: July 28 (3.5 stars) (NF)
��25. A book related to the arts
The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
��26. A book from the 2019 ŷ������ Choice Awards
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World (NF) by Cal Newport Finished: Jan (4 stars)
�� 27. A history or historical fiction
The Library Book by Susan Orlean (NF) Finished April (4.5 stars)

��28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author
We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsin (Canadian)
��29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book
A Life Without End by Frédéric Beigbeder
��30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood (NF) by Trevor Noah
��31. A book inspired by a leading news story
American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst (NF) Finished: Feb (4.5 stars)

��32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan
Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax Finished: Jan 28 (5+ stars!)
��33. A book about a non-traditional family
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
��34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name - MYSTERY
Pietr the Latvian Finished: 1/29 (3 stars)
�� 35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover
The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson Finished: May (3 stars)
��36. A book from your TBR/wish list that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim
Severance by Ling Ma
��37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1
Devil in a Blue Dress
��38. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2
Archangel
��39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce
The Sadness of Beautiful Things: Stories by Simon Van Booy
��40. A book with a place name in the title
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

��41. A mystery
As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luca #7) by Alan Bradley Read: Jan
��42. A book that was nominated for one of the ��10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World�� - Costa award
Middle England by Jonathan Coe
Finished: March 8 (3 stars)
��43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse
Flu: The Story Of The Great Influenza Pandemic Of 1918 And The Search For The Virus That Caused It by Gina Kolata (NF) Finished: 4/27 (4 stars)
��44. A book related to witches
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

�� 45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman Fin: 12/9 (4 stars)
�� 46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire"
China in Ten Words by Yu Hua (NF)
��47. A classic book you've always meant to read
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
�� 48. A book published in 2020
Three Brothers: Memories of My Family by Yan Lianke
�� 49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win (Character performs an experiment)
The Dragon in the Sea by Frank Herbert
��50. A book with a silhouette on the cover
The Night Circus Finished: April (4 stars)
��51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title
Cutting for Stone
�� 52. A book related to time
My Century by Günter Grass

I'm curious about my book selection process so I'm trying something new this year! I want to connect each read with the next, in some fashion, or at least explain why I chose it.

First Half:
1. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust - Randomly picked to downolad on my new Kobo (to figure out how it works). Because it had an upside down image (Popsugar prompt) and works for the ATY mystery prompt, I read it, even though it's out of order for the series.
2. Typhoon - I had planned to read this book in Dec for a GR group read but ran out of Hoopla downloads and had to wait until January! Not much in common with book 1 except that it is set on a ship. Book 1 includes a trip on a ship from England to Canada but it's a much calmer trip.
3. Superbugs: The Race to Stop an Epidemic - Like Book #2, this was a book I planned to read in December. I won it as a GR giveaway. It was very interesting and scary, at the same time! I had no idea that antibiotics came from the soil. I thought they were manufactured.
4. Read another non-fiction Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Learned some good strategies including deleting Facebook from my phone. Smartest thing I've done in ages! I don't even miss it.
5. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman- The only thing in common with book #4 is that it was a library hold that I had been waiting on for a long time. They both came in within days. This was a good sequel but a little too dark for me. I still found it interesting, especially the 2nd half.
6. I decided to finally read Matilda since it's been in our house for ~20 years, one of my daughter's favorites and it has books on the cover (which works for a Pop Sugar prompt). It connects with book #5 Us Against You in that there is a battle between "teams" - the Evil Trunchbull vs. the kids and Miss Honey!
7. I had discovered the title Plum Rains in 2019 and had it slotted for this year - ATY: set in Japan and PS: AI character. It was sitting on the librarian-recommended shelf so I grabbed it. Similarity with Matilda? Not much except that 2 of the main characters are also female! This may end up my favorite read of the year! It's that good!
8. I read Pietr the Latvian which is about as different as can be from Plum Rains (book #7). It's my least favorite book this year. I read it because it was selected as the Feb group read in another group. It was a good contrast and is helping me understand what I look for in a book. I've decided that detective mysteries are not my thing. I want character development, heartfelt stories, history and/or speculation of the future, and stories that make me think.
9. I read Silence of the Chagos: A Novel for prompt #7 A book set in the southern hemisphere. It starts off in the Chagos Archipelago, which was part of Mauritius at that time. The main characters were forced to move off of their island, by the government, to Mauritius. This book is nothing like book #8 except they are both library books. It does have a similarity with book #7 - pregnancy is an important factor in the story. This was a very interesting and moving novella about a place and event I knew nothing about. The Afterward provides historical information explaining the timeline of events and the most recent actions up to 2019.
10. I read Me by Elton John. Not too much in common with book #9 other than it is a library book and based on true events. The lifestyle lived by EJ is completely opposite of that lived by the Chagossians on their idyllic island, living off the land eating turtle eggs and making drums out of the hide of a skate! EJ's life was out of control (drugs, booze, sex, and rock-n-roll), jet-setting all over the world, having everything done for him, and spending money like crazy. It was a good book and very interesting, especially his early years. He did a good job of poking fun at himself and the ridiculous things he did. (I still don't understand the point of the big Donald Duck outfit.) My next book The Rotters' Club will have a connection to this one. It's set in 1970s England. It's easier to make connections with books when you own them rather than a random library hold coming in.
11. I read The Rotters' Club by Jonathan Coe, one of my favorite authors. I have been meaning to read it for several years but, after reading about Elton John and the 1970s, it seemed like the perfect follow on book. One of the boys was a musician. It had references to 1970s British music, including punk rock. I loved this book! It made me laugh out loud and at other times think, "Did that just happen?!" It also reminded me of young love. Can't wait to read more about the Trotter family in book 2 of the series!
12. I had American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst by Jeffery Toobin checked out of the library and almost returned it without reading it. But, having wanted to know forever what happened to Patty Hearst, I decided to jump in. I was engaged from the beginning! I remember the news story and her famous picture all too well. (I read this for prompt #31 Related to a news story.) It ties to book #11 in that it happened in the mid-70s and both books had acts of terrorism in them. This one much more than The Rotter's Club. I feel like I now have the whole story behind the kidnapping, crimes, and trial! Disturbing but very interesting!
13. My next read was Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig, which I read for prompt #9 A book that can be read in a day. It has a connection to #12 in the sense that the author was fighting to stay alive (from mental illness in his case). He talks about his debilitating illness, which left him on the brink of committing suicide, and how he was able to deal effectively with his severe anxiety and depression. It is a hopeful book and one that helps the reader better understand people who suffer from anxiety and depression. It's a very easy read for being a dark subject matter.
14. I read Middle England by Jonathan Coe. It doesn't relate to my last book read, other than it is another book written by a British author and there are some depressing st It is the 3rd book in The Rotter's Club series. I read #1 for book #11, skipped book #2 and went straight to #3. My main interest in this book was to better understand the reasons/sentiments behind Brexit. It did feel very one-sided, for staying in the EU, but I did learn a lot. Sadly, there are a lot of parallels between the US and the UK, which becomes very clear. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first in the series. It's not as funny or engaging. I'll still probably read #2, though.
15. I finally finished The Real-Town Murders fro prompt #6 Mode of Transportation on cover. Another British author! I didn't really enjoy it but could be due to the fact I kept starting and stopping it so there was no continuity for me. I do still like the author Adam Roberts, though. This particular story just didn't work for me.
16. I read The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson for prompt #35 Geometic design on cover. It's a sequel to Michael Chrichton's The Andromeda Strain, which I remember enjoying reading back in the '70s. Like my previous read, it was sci-fi. Maybe I'm not in a SF mood since I didn't love this one either. It was ok, though. I might like it better as a movie!
17. My next book was Flu: The Story Of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It. I read it for prompt #43 4 Horsemen. Not much of a connection to my previous read other than it had the potential to wipe out all of humanity. It didn't but the 1918 flu did kill millions around the world. It didn't help that a World War was gong on at the time! I started reading this book when the Coronavirus started hitting the US. It's very interesting and informative, especially in light of our current situation.
18. I read My Century for prompt #52 Related to Time. This is one of the few original picks that I made. I knew I wanted to read it. The connection to my previous book is that it mentioned the 1918 flu. I enjoyed this book but it was a challenging read. Each chapter is one year in 20th century Germany. I learned a lot about life in Germany but I did a lot of Googling as I was reading to understand the context! If you like to read to learn, I suggest this one! I appreciate the uniqueness in the way the author told his story.
19. I read The Library Book for prompt #27 History. Like my previous book, it was historical. Being a library lover, I loved reading about the history of the Central Library in Los Angeles, with the focus being on the big fire in 1986. I found it fascinating to read about all of the changes over the years, since 1880, with libraries, in general.
20. When I logged on to Overdrive this month, Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum popped up as the Big Book Read so I checked it out, knowing that it fit prompt #17 Neurodiverse character. It's a very short memoir by a 22 year old comedian who bases his acts on his autism. I've worked with students with autism so I am familiar with the behaviors. But, what this book offered was a chance to get inside the author's head. I found that most of his anxieties and feelings are very relatable. I'll be curious to see where he goes with his career. My one complaint about the book is that he wrote it too soon! He has a documentary in the works. Why not wait until it was complete and add that to the book? I found the book to be inspirational and a good read, if you want to better understand high-functioning autism.
21. I read While the World Is Still Asleep by Petra Durst-Benning. Like the previous book in #20, it is about a young adult. She has a rough start but is very resourceful and determined to live her life the way she chooses. It is set in 1890s Berlin and is centered around female bicycle racing. There is some romance and I would classify it as YA. I enjoyed it and rated it 4 stars
22. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Continuing with reading books I own since the libraries aren't open. Like the previous book, this one is set in Europe (mostly) and has a romantic element. I liked it but didn't love it the way some readers do. I couldn't help thinking of the Ray Bradbury book Something Wicked This Way Comes.
23. Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan
Another book I own! This one was so good. It is a historical fiction set in Taiwan starting in 1947 with the declaration of martial law and ending in the 2000s. So much history and heartache! 5 stars
24. Three Brothers: Memories of My Family by Yan Lianke
This one is set in China also, but on the mainland, and is also about the experiences of a family. Rural China during the cultural revolution - so interesting and devastating! Yan Lianke is a contemporary Chinese writer (mostly fiction). This memoir reads like a novel! The writing and translation is beautiful. Another 5 star read!
25. China in Ten Words by Yu Hua
A third in a row book set in China! The author has written 10 essays on 10 words that represent China. Much of the book describes times under Chairman Mao, in order to understand contemporary China. It is a very interesting, informative, and funny (at times) book.
26. The Dragon in the Sea by Frank Herbert
Herbert's first novel. Skip it! Read Dune instead. 2 stars

2nd Half (Books Read)
27. Severance by Ling Ma
I listened to this one on audio and feel like I missed something (possibly fell asleep). It is a non-linear story which I found confusing. Reading the book, I could've gone back and reread passages. I enjoyed the cultural references and the dystopian story line but was disappointed with the ending. 2.5 stars
28. The Stand by Stephen King
This book actually has a very similar story line to my last book. A superbug wipes out almost everyone on the planet and its the story of the survivors. The similarities end there. This was a re-read but I had forgotten all of the details so it was almost like reading it for the first time. It was really engaging but, like many of his books, I feel like King adds too many background stories and conversations that aren't necessary for the story. 4.5 stars
29. I reread The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I'm sure i read this book in the early 70s in grade school. It is a very good rea, especially for young readers. i had picked it up at Goodwill last year, remembering that I liked the book as a child but not remembering the story. 4 stars
30. We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen - I was at my mom's house taking care of her and she mentioned this book she had heard about. So, she downloaded the audiobook and I downloaded the ebook. I finished mine but she gave up on it. I enjoyed it for a mid-grade/YA read. Like the previous book I read, it's geared more to younger readers (mid-grade?) 4 stars.
31. Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
I decided to do Marie Kondo's 8 week challenge. The first step is to review the materials (her books). I had already read the first one so I read Spark Joy. I am now on a mission to declutter, which includes many books (~80!) I slotted it in to prompt #24. A book with an emotion in the title. That worked out accidentally!
32. My daughter gave me Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the 116 Days that Changed the World for my birthday so instead of letting it sit on my shelf for years, I immediately read it. Slotted it in for #12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people - Chris Wallace with Mitch Weiss. Another book that just happened to fit in to the open prompts. Excellent history! The author did a great job bringing out the emotions and tensions of the times! 5 stars.
33.The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line - A Veronica Mars (TV show) mystery. My daughter bought it since she loves the show. I've watched a few episodes but the book didn't work for me. 2 stars
34. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
This was a book I bought a few years ago and have been meaning to read. The pandemic helped motivate me to read it since the libraries were shut down. I was slow to get into it but really loved it, especially after the halfway point. I found it to be a fascinating story of twin brothers growing up in Ethiopia. I loved the medical/hospital aspect! 5 stars
35. Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence by Bill O'Reilly
It was clear from the beginning of the book that my knowledge about the Revolutionary War was greatly lacking. This was a very informative book and easy to follow. The Benedict Arnold story was particularly surprising to me. I didn't know anything about him except that he was a traitor. I listened to the audiobook. I plan to read more of Bill O'Reilly's Killing series. 4 stars
36. A Life Without End by Frédéric Beigbeder
This was a random pick off of the library shelf. I was just so glad to be able to browse the shelves again! I liked the author's exploration of technological and philosophical ideas around life and death. 3.5 stars
37. Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Loved this memoir! It was heart-breaking but also funny and so interesting! I didn't want to put it down! What a life! I feel like I have a different perspective on racism and a better understanding of apartheid than I had before reading it. I've heard the audiobook is fantastic so I may give it a listen next year. 5+ stars
38. Malagash by Joey Comeau
"A precisely crafted, darkly humorous portrait of a family in mourning." Set on the rural coast of Novia Scotia, the daughter of a dying man is recording her father's words and laughter for a computer virus she is developing. It's a short book at 178 pages with an interesting take on death. It's worth a read! 4 stars
39. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
40. The Sadness of Beautiful Things: Stories by Simon Van Booy
41. Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
42. Terra by Mitch Benn
43. The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
44. Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
45. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
46. The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
47. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
48. Archangel by Andrea Barrett
49. Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy
50. Hardboiled & Hard Luck by Banana Yoshimoto
51. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry
52.

I have been trying for several years, unsuccessfully, to downsize my book collection. This post will track my net physical book acquisition, which needs to be a negative by Dec 31 2020!
Goal= <40> (~10%)
Net Acquisition To-Date: 0

JANUARY
In: 3
Out: 0
Annual Net: +3
Yikes! Going the wrong direction! They were all free, though.

FEBRUARY
In: 0
Out: 4
Annual Net: -1

MARCH-MAY
In: +2
Out:
Annual Net: +1
Note: Nothing was open so I couldn't donate or sell any books!

JUNE
In: +3 (The Foundation Trilogy from my dad's closet)
Out:
Net: +4

JULY
In: 2
Out: 70
Annual Net: -66

Yes! Success! Thank you Marie Kondo for the inspiration.

AUG
In: 0
Out: 30
Annual Net: -96

I'm going to stop counting since my mission has been accomplished!

Good luck on meeting your book de-acquisition goals! You’ve got a lot in your list that I’ve been meaning to read. I discovered Richard Wagamese this year and enjoyed a collection of short stories he has - and I added the Czech book you’ve listed -The Good Soldier to my tbr. I really enjoyed War and Peace, which sat on my shelf for no less than 20 years before I got over how long it was and just read it.

Middlemarch has been pencilled into my challenge for three years, and still I avoid it.

MJ wrote: "Good luck on meeting your book de-acquisition goals! You’ve got a lot in your list that I’ve been meaning to read. I discovered Richard Wagamese this year and enjoyed a collection of short stories ..."

MJ- Thanks for the encouragement! These things don't happen by themselves, that's why I feel the need to track.

That's me, too, with Middlemarch! My husband read it 3 years ago and loved it. Every year it goes back on my list. Maybe I should make it book 1 of 2020 or the last book of 2019 (devote the month of December to it). War and Peace I need to make happen. too.

I'm glad to hear that you added The Good Soldier Svejk. I think it will be really good! I wish it wasn't 752 pages, though! Maybe it will be so good that I won't notice the length.

I discovered Wagamese this year - read and saw the movie Indian Horse. Such an excellent writer! Makes me sad that he died young. I'm interested in reading Louise Erdrich, also.

I've been meaning to read some of Erdrich for some time now, and I plan to read at least one of her books next year. More, if I enjoy the first.

I didn't notice the 752 pages! I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it fit into next year's list.

Updated Message 2 though Feb 1st - a brief synopsis of the first 9 books I've read. Best read so far - Plum Rains .

Updated Message 2 through Feb 26th - adding a brief synopsis of books 10-13.
Close tie with my 2 favorite books of the year : Plum Rains and The Rotters' Club!
I've read 5 non-fiction already, meeting 50% of my goal!

I updated message #2 with synopses of my #15-20 books read! My favorites still haven't changed. Looks like I will meet my goal of reading 10 non-fictions this year! I'm already at 9. I might increase the goal.

Working on While the World Is Still Asleep, set in 1890s Berlin, which fits a few prompts. I may hold off on reporting it until I decide where to slot it. I'm getting close to the halfway point and it's starting to get more difficult to just read and fit books in without planning! I may have to start referring back to my plan.

I updated message #2 with synopses of my #21-26 books read and message #3 with book #27! Just passed the halfway mark! Woohoo! I have some really long books (War and Peace, The Luminaries, Middlemarch) planned for the 2nd half of the year. I'll have to fit in some shorter ones, also, to balance it out.

My favorites still haven't changed but I did have some more 5 star reads, finished some books that I own, and surpassed my non-fiction goal. I hope to continue reading books I own and clear my shelves! I'm currently re-reading Stephen King's The Stand. I read it so long ago that I couldn't remember why I liked it so much! The 2nd time around I feel like it is a bit bloated at 1100 pages. There are some sections that are terrific and then there are some that are just not necessary. Well, that's how it is with Mr. King! He always has interesting characters though - Trashcan Man, Randall Flagg (The Walkin' Dude), Mother Abigail.

I started the back half of my challenge reading, which is a great feeling, and updated books #27 and #28 on message 3. It is starting to get harder to just read whatever I want. I will have to plan a bit more! I have books I want to either donate or sell but the libraries aren't taking donations and the used book store is still closed!

I updated #29-32 on message #3. June and July were slow reading months. My dad had a stroke and I have been providing care for both him and my mother, which is keeping my very busy and has been very stressful. I'm still on track to finishing the challenge though and am very pleased with my book downsizing effort! I released 68 books in July! I have 2 books that I am close to finishing. Then I plan to start the massive Middlemarch!

I updated message #3 with books 33-46 but only added a brief critique and rating to 33-38. (I have other things to do this morning and this is a very time-consuming process since I haven't written reviews for the books!) Hopefully, I'll come back and add a few words for each of the books. I have 6 books to go and I have 2 of them started. My goal is to finish by November UNLESS I decide to read Middlemarch.

Favorite books from the summer and September:
The Tsar of Love and Techno
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Cutting for Stone

Down to my last 3 books and have started all of them! I envision a November finish although Anna K might slow me down. I'm reading it on the Serial Reading App but will switch over to the ebook or physical book at some point.

#20 20th Book: The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep - 20th book on my GR Shelf Books about Books
#42 10 Most Coveted Lit Prizes: The Lacuna
#45 Same author- best read of 2018-2019: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

#42 might change if I can't get into the book. My other 2 options are The Adventures of Augie March and The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

I finished The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep (4 stars) and moved a few books around so that I could fit in The Importance of Being Earnest. Down to my last book - Anna Karenina! Hope I can finish it by year end!

Put Anna K on hold (maybe to finish next year) and read Anxious People by Fredrick Backman instead! Done for the year! Woo hoo! Ready to start 2021 in a few weeks.