Challenge Update, July 2020

With all the stress this month brought, I’m happy with what I have been able to read. We’re buying a house and a car has been in the shop all month which has taken away a lot of reading time. I could keep on like this for the rest of the year and still hit my goal. You can look at my progress at any time on my challenge page.

Books finished in July:

These Women // Ivy Pochoda (3/5)
How to Speak Midwestern // Edward McClelland (4/5)
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek // Kim Michele Richardson (3/5)
Chasing Water // Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides (4/5)
The Glass Hotel // Emily St. John Mandel (4/5)

I’ll be caught up on reviews by tomorrow which I’m feeling pretty good about!

When Are You Reading? Challenge

10/12
Steady progress on this goal. I knocked one more off this month. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson filled in the 1920-1939 time period. I’ll have to start taking a look at certain books to fill in the last two time periods. I have 1300-1499 and 1500-1699 left. Those are great time periods for some amazing historical fiction! If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Goodreads Challenge

41/55
Nine ahead again. I’m really happy with this and I hope I can keep this far ahead as my year gets a little crazier with moving. It feels pretty good to be ahead like this, though!

Cover image via Amazon

Book of the Month

It was a long time coming since my buddy and I read this one together, but I have to give this accolade to The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. Mandel has a beautiful way of writing and I look forward to reading anything else she writes in the future.

Added to my TBR

I’ve dipped down again to 45. I think this might be about my equilibrium since I’ll start adding books again as I wear this list down. We’ll see what the next few months bring.

• Splash! by Howard Means. My aunt knows Means and gave me a copy of this since she knows how much I love swimming and reading. It seems like a fun non-fiction read.
• New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson. This was another free audiobook download from my library’s summer program. I can’t wait to dive into this stack!
• Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. The last of the summer program books. I’ve heard really good things about this title.
• The Narcissism of Small Differences by Michael Zadoorian. A late book-club pick that I’ll be starting soon for a discussion at the end of the month. We’ve read one title by this Detroit author already so I’m looking forward to seeing what else he’s got.

How are your challenges going so far? I hope you’re off to a good start. If you love historical fiction, give some thought to my challenge for this year, it’s fun!

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

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