Cathy @746books announced this year’s edition of her annual #20BooksofSummer (or Winter if you’re in the other hemisphere) challenge, a flexible event which invites readers to pick 20 or 15 or 10 books to read between the 1st of June and 1st of September each year. The rules are flexible so you can switch your choices, increase or decrease numbers, pretty much anything. Share your reviews/thoughts and report on your progress when the challenge closes.

The challenge is in its 10th year this time but it’ll be just my third time participating (I didn’t finish either of the previous times but came close with one/two books left over). Unlike the previous two times when I used this challenge to focus on books lying on my physical and eshelves which I’d purchased/acquired on my own since much of my year seems to be spent on catching up with review copies, this year an impending review copy topple over has had me changing things and my list (barring three entries) is entirely from my review pile.

This year my reading has been slower than previous years but I’m still preparing a full list of 20. Included are picks for my own #ReadingtheMeow2024 which I’ll be hosting next month, #MoominWeek which I’ll be co-hosting with Chris at Calmgrove at just the time this challenge closes, #ParisinJuly2024 hosted by Emma at Words and Peace and some possibilities for Women in Translation month. My list actually has 23 books but I’ve kept open the possibility of picking one of two for Reading the Meow and another set of children’s reads, I’m hoping to jointly review, so I’m counting them as one. So here goes:

  1. The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki (trans. Jesse Kirkwood) (Reading the Meow)
  2. Finnigan the Circus Cat; Finnigan and the Lost Circus Wagon and Finnigan the Lionhearted all by Mary T. Wagner (Reading the Meow)
  3. The Nine Lives of Bianca Moon by Delas Heras (Reading the Meow)
  4. The Suspicions of Mr Whisker by Mandy Morton/The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
  5. Parisian Days by Banine (Paris in July/WIT)
  6. What Do I Know by Michel de Montaigne (Paris in July)
  7. Where I Am by Dana Shem-Ur (Paris in July/WIT)
  8. Death of the Red Rider by Yulia Yakovleva (trans. Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp)(WIT)
  9. Return to Latvia by Marina Jarre (WIT)
  10. Death Writes by Andrea Carter
  11. Mongrel by Hanako Footman
  12. Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
  13. Rivers of Treason by K.J. Maitland
  14. The Wolf Hunt by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen
  15. Murder at Cleve Cottage by Merryn Allingham
  16. Perestroika by Joao Cerquiera
  17. Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson (Moomin Week)
  18. Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson (Moomin Week)
  19. Inspector Imanishi Investigates by Seicho Matsumoto
  20. The Glow by Jesse Gaynor

Have you entered or are planning to this challenge this time? Have you read any of the books on my list?

30 thoughts on “#20BooksofSummer 2024: The List”

  2. “an impending review copy topple” ouch, I feel the pain!
    I have only read The Master and Margarita and works by Montaigne in French, but I’m going to check your Japanese titles.

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    1. Ha ha ha; but it never seems to teach me restraint 🙂 I have read only a little of Montaigne, more through references than directly but having read his bio by Zweig a couple of years ago I have meant to pick up the actual works.

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  4. Hah, I’ve read the two Moomin titles here but nowt else! But what a varied and fascinating list – I have a couple of Japanese titles drifting around I might get round to this summer, both of which I think you’ve read. 🙂

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    1. Thank you 🙂 I’m looking forward to seeing your list too (and the Japanese titles on it). It seems I’ve been exploring more of the mysteries recently than other titles but managed t get one mystery and one non on to this list.

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  5. Great list Mallika! I’ve heard that The Glow is very good so look forward to hearing what you think about that one. Thanks so much for taking part and happy reading!

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  6. Pingback: 20 Books of Summer is back: Post Your Links Here!

  7. I have not read these but it looks like a great list! I have seen The Glow around. Will you let us know if it’s any good? Good luck. The Wolf Hunt looks particularly good. I must get cracking on my list too.

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    1. Thank you 🙂 Of course, I’ll post my review when I’ve read the book–it did sound fun taking a satirical look at the wellness industry. The description of Wolf Hunt sounded very good–though I think it may be quite dark.

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    1. I think Pushkin has published it before and this is likely a new ed. In case you’re on Edelweiss, I think it is still listed there and will likely appear on NetGalley too.

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  11. Good luck Mallika. You can do it!

    I am participating in a similar challenge in the Goodreads Aussie Readers Group which I will post about soon. I didn’t finish the summer challenge I think I got to 18/24 books, but I am on schedule to finish the Autumn challenge with just two books to read before the end of this week.

    Happy reading. 💕📚

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  14. I am surprised not to know these but good for you to find such variety! I guess I do know the Moomin books but they are one of the few series I never read, not sure why.

    Good luck!

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    1. Thank you 🙂 You’re welcome to join in with Moomin week and read one (or more if you like). Or if you prefer, you could watch the animated episodes and join in with those!

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  15. Pingback: Book Review: The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki and translated by Jesse Kirkwood #ReadingtheMeow2024 – Literary Potpourri
  16. Pingback: Book Review: The Nine Lives of Bianca Moon (2023) by Delas Heras #ReadingtheMeow2024 – Literary Potpourri

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