2020 Read My Own Books Challenge

/12 books

Challenge Basics:
Name: Read My Own Damn Books Challenge
Starts: January 1, 2020
Ends: December 31, 2020
Eligible Books: Books you own prior to 2020.
Levels: I'm going to try to read and/or DNF and get rid of 12 books I own.

Why I'm Interested:

I seriously have too many books and they keep sitting on my shelves unread. I did this challenge in 2015 and ended up getting rid of almost all the books I read for the challenge, which means I've carted around and found room for all those books that I didn't even end up liking. Before I move again, I need to reevaluate the books I'm bringing with me and make sure they're books I actually want.

Some books I'm considering:

Anything on my Own-Unread shelf that I acquired prior to 2020.

At the start of 2020, here's where I stand as far as what books I own and what percentage of them I've read:

33% read of books acquired in 2019 (165)
29% read and 5 added of books acquired in 2018 (265)
26% read and 12 removed of books acquired in 2017 (348)
39% read and 6 removed of books acquired in 2016 (362)
21% read and 6 removed of books acquired in 2015 (107)
39% read and 1 removed of books acquired in 2014 (79)
56% read and 3 removed of books acquired in 2013 (55)
47% read and 9 removed of books acquired in 2012 (68)
79% read and 4 removed of books acquired in 2010-2011 (146)
81% read and 0 removed of books acquired in 2008-2009 (36)
89% read and 1 added of books acquired in 2003-2007 (101)
99% read and 1 removed of books acquired in 2002 and earlier (75)

Books Completed:

4. Minette by Melanie Clegg (2019)
3. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote (2019)
2. The Other Tudor Princess by Mary McGrigor (2018)
1. Sword of Destiny (Witcher 2) by Andrzej Sapkowski (2019)

Books DNF'ed:

4.
3.
2.
1.

Comments

Book Review: The Poison Thread by Laura Purcell

Pages: 351 Publisher: Penguin Released: June 18, 2019 Received: ARC from publisher Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads Last year I read and enjoyed Laura Purcell's creeping Gothic horror The Silent Companions and, while I didn't love it, I did enjoy it and I've been looking forward to reading more from this author. The Poison Thread follows a similar pattern of alternating perspectives, one character telling their story, another character learning the tragic and horrifying events of the past. The narrative device worked very well here, building tension, intrigue, and mystery. I felt for Ruth, the character telling her story as she waits in prison for her murder trial, and while I didn't love Dorothea (she's a little too naive self-righteous do-gooder for me) I was interested in the events of her life (though, I think, she picked the wrong man). Characters and place felt real and drew me into the story. I felt for them. I felt like I was there (early Victorian E...

Book Review: Mother Knows Best by Serena Valentino

Pages: 400 Released: August 7, 2018 Publisher: Disney Received: Finished copy from publisher Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads These books are wacky. I've now read three of these Disney Villain origin stories ( Ursula , The Queen from Snow White) and I'm noticing a pretty consistent pattern. Basically: Intriguing plot. I get hooked by these stories. I want to know what happens next. I wouldn't say they're well-plotted stories, since they're actually pretty ridiculous. But I can't help enjoying them . So-so writing. The writing is pretty stilted. The dialogue is sometimes painful. I feel like I'm reading fan fiction. Sympathetic villain. The origin stories turn the villains into saccharine sweet victims of horrible circumstances. It's a little much , but it's also pretty effective. I liked Gothel, I wanted her to win, and my heart broke for her every time her situation got worse and worse. Side characters. There's usually at least one side char...

Book Review: Isabella by Colin Falconer

Pages: 298 Released: April 21, 2015 Publisher: Lake Union Received: Library Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads Sometimes when I can't decide what to read next I pick a handful of books and do the "first chapter" test where I read the first chapter of each book and see which one hooks me. Isabella won out. I'm not even sure why, though it's possible the super short chapters helped (it's always easier for me to read a book with short chapters). I was also in the mood to read something historical, and I haven't read too many books yet on Edward II and Isabella so I was curious to learn more about them and their era of history. I say I'm not even sure why because objectively this book is...not great. The writing style is strange and somewhat off-putting. It reads like an awkward translation with strange sentences and stilted writing. The characters are also thinly drawn and hard to connect with as a result. Most are barely there and interchangeable and ...

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