jlshall's 50 Book Challenge for 2020

Well, here we go again. Didn’t get anywhere near 50 books in 2019. Didn’t even make it to 40. But I’m determined to do better in 2020, so I’m back for another try.

Happy New Year, everyone! And happy reading in 2020!

(posted 1/01/2020)

MY PERSONAL RATING SYSTEM

Here at LibraryThing, I use the following:
✭✭✭✭✭ … Loved it - all-time favorites that I wouldn't want to be without; not many get this rating
✭✭✭✭ … Really liked it - an author I might consider reading again
✭✭✭ … An enjoyable read, but nothing extraordinary; most books will fall into this category
✭✭ … It was OK, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to others
✭ … Mediocre; disappointing; had trouble finishing
DNF (Did Not Finish) Books I started reading and then abandoned. This doesn't necessarily mean I didn't like a book, just that I wasn't able to finish it or didn't feel like continuing with it. Might or might not finish it later.

*******************

Master List: WHAT I READ IN 2020

1. Bitter End (The First Nero Wolfe Novella), by Rex Stout ✭✭✭✭
2. In the Last Analysis (Kate Fansler #01), by Amanda Cross ✭✭✭½
3. The Circus, by Jonas Karlsson (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭
4. Unexplained Laughter, by Alice Thomas Ellis ✭✭✭✭
5. Ramona and Her Father (Ramona Quimby #4), by Beverly Cleary; illus. by Jacqueline Rogers ✭✭✭✭½
6. The Light After the War, by Anita Abriel (ARC: GoodReads) ✭✭✭½
7. Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, by John Bloom, and Jim Atkinson ✭✭✭✭
8. The Illness Lesson, by Clare Beams (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭✭
9. You're Only Old Once!: A Book for Obsolete Children, by Dr. Seuss ✭✭✭✭½
10. Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (Miss Pickerell #1), by Ellen MacGregor; illus. by Paul Galdone ✭✭✭✭
11. The Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #11), by Rex Stout ✭✭✭✭½
12. Big Summer, by Jennifer Weiner (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭½
13. A Fragment of Fear, by John Bingham ✭✭✭✭½
14. The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster, by Cary Fagan (Early Reviewer book) ✭✭✭✭
15. The Haunted Lady (Hilda Adams/Miss Pinkerton #2), by Mary Roberts Rinehart ✭✭✭✭
16. And Be a Villain (Nero Wolfe #13), by Rex Stout ✭✭✭✭
17. Murder, She Wrote: Gin & Daggers (Murder, She Wrote #01), by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain ✭✭✭✭
18. Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe #8), by Rex Stout ✭✭✭✭½
19. Still Life (Chief Inspector Gamache #1), by Louise Penny ✭✭✭✭
20. Access Point, by Tom Gabbay (ARC: GoodReads) ✭✭✭✭
21. The List of Things That Will Not Change, by Rebecca Stead (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭✭½
22. Kill Your Darlings (Mallory #3), by Max Allan Collins ✭✭✭✭
23. Beezus and Ramona (Ramona Quimby #1), by Beverly Cleary ✭✭✭✭½
24. Knot of This World (Quilting Mystery #8), by Mary Marks (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭½
25. A Death Long Overdue (Library Lighthouse Mystery #7), by Eva Gates (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭✭
26. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip (Happy Hollisters #2), by Jerry West; illus. by Helen S. Hamilton ✭✭✭✭
27. A Few Figs from Thistles, by Edna St. Vincent Millay ✭✭✭½
28. The King's Justice (Maggie Hope #9), by Susan Elia MacNeal (Early Reviewer Book) ✭✭✭½
29. The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides ✭✭✭✭✭
30. The Suicide House, by Charlie Donlea (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭
31. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (Agatha Raisin #5), by M.C. Beaton ✭✭✭✭½
32. The Talented Miss Farwell, by Emily Gray Tedrowe (ARC: Early Reviewer Book) ✭✭✭
33. Snow (St. John Strafford #1), by John Banville (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭✭½
34. Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book, by Diane Muldrow ✭✭✭✭✭
35. The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1), by Agatha Christie ✭✭✭✭
36. Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary; illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky ✭✭✭✭
37. Amok, by Stefan Zweig ✭✭✭
38. The Queen of the Tambourine, by Jane Gardam ✭✭✭✭
39. An Artist of the Floating World, by Kazuo Ishiguro ✭✭✭
40. Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan ✭✭✭✭✭
41. Take a Look at the Five and Ten, by Connie Willis (ARC: NetGalley) ✭✭✭½
42. The Bennett Case (Markham Sisters #2), by Diana Xarissa ✭✭✭½

Children's Picture Books Read in 2020:

1. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst; illus. by Ray Cruz ✭✭✭✭
2. Goops and How to Be Them, by Gelett Burgess; illus. by the author ✭✭✭½
3. Little Red Riding Hood, retold and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman ✭✭✭✭
4. Eloise, by Kay Thompson; illus. by Hilary Knight ✭✭✭✭

Did Not Finish in 2020:
1. Tiny Love: The Complete Stories of Larry Brown, by Larry Brown
2. Plain Bad Heroines, by Emily M. Danforth

Happy reading in 2020. Don't worry too much about numbers! It's the enjoyment factor that counts. Cheers!

>3 rocketjk: Very true! And happy reading to you, too!

1. Bitter End (The First Nero Wolfe Novella), by Rex Stout



Finished reading: January 10, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

2. In the Last Analysis (Kate Fansler Mysteries #1), by Amanda Cross (pseud. of Carolyn Heilbrun)



Finished reading: January 18, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

3. The Circus: A Novel, by Jonas Karlsson



ARC from NetGalley
Finished reading: January 27, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭

4. Unexplained Laughter, by Alice Thomas Ellis



Rating: ✭✭✭✭

5. Ramona and Her Father (Ramona Quimby #4), by Beverly Cleary; illus. by Jacqueline Rogers



Finished reading: February 6, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

6. The Light After the War, by Anita Abriel



ARC from NetGalley
Finished reading: February 12, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

7. Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson



Finished reading: February 24, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

8. The Illness Lesson, by Clare Beams



ARC from NetGalley
Finished reading: February 27, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

9. You're Only Old Once! A Book for Obsolete Children, by Dr. Seuss



Read: February 29, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

10. Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (Miss Pickerell #1), by Ellen MacGregor; illus. by Paul Galdone



Read: March 8-9, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

11. The Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #11), by Rex Stout



Finished reading: March 14, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

12. Big Summer, by Jennifer Weiner



ARC from NetGalley
Finished reading: March 15, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

13. A Fragment of Fear, by John Bingham



Finished reading: March 26, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

14. The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster, by Cary Fagan



LT Early Reviewer Book
Finished reading: March 30, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

15. The Haunted Lady (Hilda Adams/Miss Pinkerton #2), by Mary Roberts Rinehart



Finished reading: April 2, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

A couple of children's picture books:

16. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst; illus. by Ray Cruz

. . . . .

Rating: ✭✭✭✭

17. Goops and How to Be Them, by Gelett Burgess (illus. by the author)

. . . . .

Rating: ✭✭✭½

18. Murder, She Wrote: Gin & Daggers (Murder, She Wrote #01), by "Jessica Fletcher" and Donald Bain



Finished reading: May 3, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

19. And Be a Villain (Nero Wolfe #13), by Rex Stout



Finished reading: May 3, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

20. Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe #08), by Rex Stout



Finished reading: May 13, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

21. Still Life (Chief Inspector Gamache #01), by Louise Penny



Finished reading: May 24, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

22. Access Point, by Tom Gabbay



Finished reading: June 5, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

23. The List of Things That Will Not Change, by Rebecca Stead



ARC from NetGalley
Finished reading: June 12, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

24. Kill Your Darlings (Mallory Mystery #3), by Max Allan Collins



Read: June 29-30, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

25. Beezus and Ramona (Ramona Quimby #1), by Beverly Cleary



Read: July 31, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

26. Knot of This World (A Quilting Mystery #8), by Mary Marks



ARC from NetGalley
Read: July 27 - August 2, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

27. A Death Long Overdue (Lighthouse Library Mystery #7), by Eva Gates



ARC from NetGalley
Read: August 4-8, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

28. Little Red Riding Hood, retold and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman



Read: August 13, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

29. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip (Happy Hollisters #2), by Jerry West; illus. by Helen S. Hamilton



Read: August 13-15, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

30. A Few Figs from Thistles, by Edna St. Vincent Millay



Read: August 28, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

31. The King's Justice (Maggie Hope #9), by Susan Elia MacNeal



LT Early Reviewer Book
Rating: ✭✭✭½

32. The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides



Finished reading: September 7, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

33. The Suicide House, by Charlie Donlea



ARC from NetGalley
Finished reading: September 17, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭

34. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (Agatha Raisin #5), by M.C. Beaton



Read: September 22-30, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

35. The Talented Miss Farwell, by Emily Gray Tedrowe



LT Early Reviewer Book
Read: September 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭

36. Snow: A Novel (St John Strafford #1), by John Banville (aka: Benjamin Black)



ARC from NetGalley
Read: October 7-20, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

37. Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book, by Diana Muldrow



Read: October 21, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

38. The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1), by Agatha Christie



Read: October 21-31, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

39. Dear Mr. Henshaw, by Beverly Cleary; illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky



Finished: October 31, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

40. Amok, by Stefan Zweig



Read: November 2-4, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭

41. The Queen of the Tambourine, by Jane Gardam



Read: November 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

42. An Artist of the Floating World, by Kazuo Ishiguro



Read: November-December 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

43. Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan



Read: December 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

44. Take a Look at the Five and Ten, by Connie Willis



Read: December 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

45. The Bennett Case (Markham Sisters Mysteries #2), by Diana Xarissa



Read: December 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

46. Eloise, by Kay Thompson; illus. by Hilary Knight



Read: December 29, 2020
Rating: ✭✭✭½

47. ....