re: Reading Challenge 2020

Didn’t really have a set goal at the beginning of the year, but with no sports and staying at home, I’ve been on a pretty good roll (sticking to short and medium books has helped). I’ll shoot for 70 now.

1. Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
2. The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli
3. Algorithms to Live By by Brian Christian and Tom Griffins
4. The Body by Bill Bryson
5. The Chain by Adrian McKinty
6. Lifespan by David Sinclair
7. Billion Dollar Whale by Tom Wright
8. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
9. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
10. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
11. Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut
12. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keene
13. Child of God by Cormac McCarthy
14. Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Woo
15. The Sunset Limited by Cormac McCarthy
16. The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton
17. The Glass Hotel by Emily St John Mandel
18. Let’s Go by Jeff Tweedy
19. The Whisper Man by Alex North
20. The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone
21. The Future is Faster Than You Think by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kolter
22. Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold
23. Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
24. Murder on the Bayou by Ethan Brown
25. The Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov
26. Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard
27. Exhalation by Ted Chiang

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Goal - Read 30 books in 2020. Completed 10

1. Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon - I forgot I had already read it when I bought it. Dumbass. 3 out 5

2. Catch & Kill by Ronan Farrow(Audiobook) - Pretty good listen, though I'd probably recommend reading this one. A lot of names and it got confusing at times not having the memory recognition from reading. 3.5 out of 5

3. Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen(Audiobook) - I generally enjoy Hiaasen for a quick, easy, light hearted read, but this one missed the mark for me. 2 out of 5

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Not at all what I expected this book to be about. Thought it was more a Harry Potter or Game of Thrones type. A bit predictable, but a good, easy read. 4 out of 5

5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Not as good as the first, but another enjoyable, easy read. 3.5 out of 5

6. We Were 8 Years In Power - Ta'Nehisi Coats - He revisits 8 essays he wrote in each year of the Obama presidency, and gives some context of where his head was at when he wrote them. Probably way too liberal for most on this board, but I find him to be one of the most thought provoking writers out there. 4.5 out of 5

7. The Whistler by John Grisham(Audiobook) - It's been a while since I read Grisham. Took a while for this one to grab me, but it's typical Grisham stuff, and an easy listen on my morning and afternoon commute. 3 out of 5

8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - The weakest of the 3 in the series, but I still enjoyed it. Far from perfect, but a fun read. 3 out of 5

9. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain(re-read) I just love everything about this book, and because I'm doing more cooking while home more decided to read it again. 5 out of 5

10. Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein(audiobook) - Big fan of Carrie Brownstein, so it was enjoyable to hear her tell her life story and give her insights to late the late 90's alternative music scene. 4 out of 5

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I am off pace to reach my goal so far, but hope to catch up this month. Got 4 on my nightstand, reading 2 of them right now.

I've read the following mysteries by Charles Finch, back-to-back:

A Beautiful Blue Death
The September Society
The Fleet Street Murders

Now I'm changing course to read In the Beauty of the Lilies by John Updike

Bump...I'm updated on pg. 1

Bump. Finished up I am legend

GOAL: 24.

Average one every other week. No more evening television.

Completed:
1. Why Gary Why (Thanks for the signed copy, Jody)
2. Hitchhiker's Guide
3. Animal Farm
4. 1984
5. Hobbit

Reading Now:
Dune

List I want to get through:
Fellowship
Two Towers
Return of the King
Count of Monte Christo
Treasure Island
Fahrenheit 451
Brave New World
Vision of the Annointed
Three Musketeers
The Odyssey
The Crimson Queen
Stormlight
The Gulag Archipelago Vol 1-3

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If you haven't read it, I also highly, highly recommend the Iliad.

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Not only have I read them, I've translated large parts of both of those to English.

Hitchhikers Guide is great. There were parts that made me legit laugh out loud.
I read it in a single sitting of 8 hours.

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Goal - Read 30 books in 2020. Completed 16

1. Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon - I forgot I had already read it when I bought it. Dumbass. 3 out 5

2. Catch & Kill by Ronan Farrow(Audiobook) - Pretty good listen, though I'd probably recommend reading this one. A lot of names and it got confusing at times not having the memory recognition from reading. 3.5 out of 5

3. Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen(Audiobook) - I generally enjoy Hiaasen for a quick, easy, light hearted read, but this one missed the mark for me. 2 out of 5

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Not at all what I expected this book to be about. Thought it was more a Harry Potter or Game of Thrones type. A bit predictable, but a good, easy read. 4 out of 5

5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - Not as good as the first, but another enjoyable, easy read. 3.5 out of 5

6. We Were 8 Years In Power - Ta'Nehisi Coats - He revisits 8 essays he wrote in each year of the Obama presidency, and gives some context of where his head was at when he wrote them. Probably way too liberal for most on this board, but I find him to be one of the most thought provoking writers out there. 4.5 out of 5

7. The Whistler by John Grisham(Audiobook) - It's been a while since I read Grisham. Took a while for this one to grab me, but it's typical Grisham stuff, and an easy listen on my morning and afternoon commute. 3 out of 5

8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - The weakest of the 3 in the series, but I still enjoyed it. Far from perfect, but a fun read. 3 out of 5

9. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain(re-read) I just love everything about this book, and because I'm doing more cooking while home more decided to read it again. 5 out of 5

10. Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein(audiobook) - Big fan of Carrie Brownstein, so it was enjoyable to hear her tell her life story and give her insights to late the late 90's alternative music scene. 4 out of 5

11. Thunderstruck by Eric Larson - I think this is the 5th Larson book I've read. It was probably my least favorite. The parts about Marconi and the development of wireless communication were kind of boring. 3 out of 5

12-15 Since I started watching the Perry Mason series on HBO, I realized I had never read any Perry Mason books. Bought 5 at a used bookstore and read 4 of them on vacation last week. I've never been a big mystery fan, but I enjoyed them all, and they were all very easy reads. 3 out of 5 on all of them.

16. Rum Diary by Hunter S Thompson - Was not a fan of this one. Almost put it down halfway through, but trudged through it. 2 out of 5

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I think if I can get to 20 by the end of this month, I'll easily hit my target. Fall/winter is usually when I read the most.