The 2020 Annual Reading Challenge List Thread (2024)

2020 Goals

3,000 pages per month : Met in Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec
Ebooks - TBR Reduced by 10; Current: +179
Audiobooks - TBR Reduced by 10; Current: -1
Magazines - TBR Reduced by 10; Current: -2

Magazines Read So Far: 6

Spoiler:

2020 Purchases Read: 32

Spoiler:

Short Stories & Novellas - 101

Spoiler:

Books
January - Pages read: 5122
01. 5/5 Reckoning - Scott Bartlett (audio)

This author went where most don't go. Great battles!

02. 4/5 Automatic Detective - A Lee Martinez (audio)

Wonderful noir with a robot cab driver as detective.

03. 5/5 Nashville Noir - Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain (audio)

Music city murder involving teenager from Cabot Cove

04. 3/5 Ranger Confidential - Andria Lankford (ebook+audio)

Good and bad of a practicing ranger in national park.

05. 2/5 Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble - H P Mallory (audio)

Disappointment after excellent first series.

06. 4/5 Jack of Spades - Carol Joyce Oates (audio)

I had my doubts, but this turned to be a good psychological mystery.

07. 2/5 Toil and Trouble - H P Mallory (audio)

Didn't like it. Author switched to mommie porn after 1st successful series.

08. 5/5 The Concrete Blonde - Michael Connelly (audio+ebook)

This was excellent. A trial and serial killer keep you guessing.

09. 5/5 Magic Kingdom For Sale: Sold - Terry Brooks (audio+ebook)

Kept my attention right through. Reread.

10. 3/5 Viva Durant & the Secret of the Silver Buttons - Ashli St Armant (audio)

This was a good read - kids would enjoy this mystery, Free Audible Original

11. 5/5 Scions of Shannara - Terry Brooks (audio)

1st of 4 books. Great, slow build up to several quests.

12. 5/5 Druid of Shannara - Terry Brooks (audio)

2nd book of 4. More intense now, really enjoyed!

13. 4/5 Wizards of Once - Cressida Cowell (audio)

Wizards, warriors and witches in a kids story. Enjoyed!

14. 3/5 Book of Baby Names - Norman Prentiss

Series of horror short stories. Some good, some a miss.

15. 5/5 Elf Queen of Shannara - Terry Brooks (audio)

3rd book of 4. Another great story. Focus on Wren and search for elves.

February - Pages read: 5112
16. 5/5 Talismans of Shannara - Terry Brooks (audio)

Too much coincidence, but otherwise satisfying ending.

17. 3/5 Caffeine - Michael Pollan (audio)

Current science on caffeine. Author is good narrator!

18. 5/5 Murder in an English Village - Jessica Elliot (audio)

This was a delightful cozy set in 1920s England.

19. 5/5 Dead Beat - Jim Butcher (audio)

Chicago under threat from necromancers. Excellent!

20. 4/5 Stalking the Zombie - Mike Resnick

Short stories from Fable of tonight. Good for a fan of the series.

21. 4/5 Dead or Alive - Tom Clancy & Grant Blackwood (audio)

Not as good as his early novels, with some slog, but kept me interested.

22. 5/5 The Pusher - Ed McBain (audio+ebook)

Addict dies, his sister is attacked, addict in cop's family.

23. 5/5 Nameless - Dean Koontz (audio) *

6 short stories revolving around nameless vigilante seeking justice for others.

24. 5/5 Running With The Demon - Terry Brooks (audio)

Excellent lead into the 3 book story.

25. 5/5 Call of the Wild - Jack London (audio) *

Adventure story from the viewpoint of a dog. Still great!

26. 4/5 Knight Of The Word- Terry Brooks (audio)

Excellent story but a bit slow and short on action.

27. 5/5 Angel Fire East - Terry Brooks (audio)

Excellent end to this trilogy.

28. 4/5 Borders of Infinity - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)

Three great stories with Miles.

29. 1/5 Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection - Alexander C. Kane (audio)

I gave it 2 hours and can't take any more. Has some good lines. Returned.

30. 2/5 A Hunger For The Infinite - Gregory Benford (audio)

Just doesn't keep my attention

March - Pages read: 4422
31. 5/5 Plum Island - Nelson DeMille (audio)

This was good although sometimes a bit rambly.

32. 3/5 Patrimony - Alan Dean Foster (audio)

Good, but rambles in the center.

33. 4/5 Keeper of Lost Causes - Jussi Adler-Olsen (audio)

Danish detective works cold case with Muslim assistant.

35. 5/5 Ilse Witch - Terry Brooks *

Story really draws you in. Looking forward to next book.

36. 3/5 The Queen's Jewels - Jessica Fletcher/Donald Bain (audio)

Good story but not compelling.

37. 5/5 Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher (audio)

Still a great story!

38. 3/5 Beezer - Brandon Snider (audio)

Kid's story. Not bad but kids would enjoy more.

39. 2/5 Breach of Security - Susan Hill (audio)

Lack of plot cohesion

40. 5/5 Antrax - Terry Brooks (audio) *

They get to their destination. Bad things happen.

41. 5/5 White Night - Jim Butcher (audio)

Another great story. Witches are being killed.

42. 4/5 V-Wars - Jonathan Maberry ed. (audio)

This was pretty good. Stories by different authors.

43. 5/5 Killer's Choice - Ed McBain (audio+ebook)

Reread and just as good as the first time!

April - Pages read: 5490
44. 5/5 Just One Damned Thing After Another - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

This is great! 3rd read of it.

45. 5/5 Symphony of Echoes - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

These people are so crazy yet so dedicated.

46. 5/5 A Second Chance - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

The Trojan War... and other incidents.

47. 5/5 A Trail Through Time - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

Another great story. Time police out of control.

48. 5/5 No Time Like The Past - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

Multiple calamities. What do you expect? They are historians.

49. 5/5 What Could Possibly Go Wrong - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

Suspicions of traitor. Middle ages mostly.

50. 5/5 Lies, Damned Lies and History - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

All the things go wrong with inaccurate history. Fun!

51. 5/5 And The Rest Is History - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

This one will make you cry.

52. 2/5 Death of Yesterday - M C Beaton (audio)

Thankfully short; Didn't really hold my attention.

53. 5/5 Argumentation of Historians - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

1399 England. Still witty, but this one was more serious.

54. 5/5 The Morgawr - Terry Brooks

Lots of things were drawn out over the whole book, but satisfying at end.

55. 4/5 Hope For The Best - Jodi Taylor (audio+ebook)

Enjoyed the story but Clive Ronan is getting overdone.

56. 5/5 Small Favor - Jim Butcher (audio)

Denarius and goat people!

May - Pages read: 3385
57. 5/5 Turn Coat - Jim Butcher (audio)

Focus on the island out in Lake Michigan. Morgan is in trouble.

58. 3/5 Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins - Erin Johnson (audio)

Mermaid palace with pirates. Choppy plot cozy/paranormal but fun.

59. 2/5 Camp Red Moon - R L Stine (audio)

Kid's horror - not for me.

60. 1/5 Race of Thieves - S M Reine (audio)

Didn't like it. Abandoned half way through.

61. 5/5 Ranger's Oath - Blake Arthur Peel (audio)

This was great!

62. 3/5 Asimov's Scifi Magazine - Oct/Nov 2010

Good stories, nothing outstanding to me.

63. 4/5 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens (ebook +audio)

Wonderful! So many threads, all nicely wrapped by end.

64. 2/5 Carnival Row - Stephanie K Smith (audio)

So so.

65. 4/5 Hail To The Chief - Ed McBain (audio)

Includes extensive 1st person for gang member. Enjoyed this.

66. 4/5 Nice Dragons Finish Last - Rachel Aaron (audio)

Fun with lots of villians. Leans YA

67. 5/5 Changes - Jim Butcher (audio)

Red Court is focus in this one.

June - Pages read: 4461
68. 4/5 Ghost Story- Jim Butcher (audio)

Dresden has to work through his ghost.

69. 5/5 Cold Days - Jim Butcher (audio)

Dead guy becomes winter knight

70. 5/5 Doin' Time - Jodi Taylor (audio)

1st book of new series. This was just as great as the first!

71. 5/5 Skin Game - Jim Butcher (audio)

This one was really good. Lots of action.

72. 5/5 Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett (audio)

Death is told he will die. He becomes a hired hand on a small farm.

73. 3/5 Brief Cases - Jim Butcher (audio)

Short stories and novellas in Dresden Files. Ok stories.

74. 4/5 A Dying Shame - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Silly cozy with octogenarian sleuth.

75. 5/5 A Progressive Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Multiple murders in a family.

76. 5/5 A Body In The Backyard - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Love the characters and plot. Don't really like the narrator.

77. 5/5 Death at Drop In - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Multiple unrelated murders.

July - Pages read: 5478
78. 5/5 Death at Book Club - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

I love these stories. Book clubs can be dangerous!

79. 3/5 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep - Philip K Dick (audio) *

This was a good story but not outstanding for me.

80. 4/5 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

Good book. The end was almost a letdown from the chase.

81. 2/5 The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury (audio)

Stories were just ok for me. Too much philosophy.

82. 5/5 The Vor Game - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)

Miles has graduated from cadet school. Gregor has an adventure.

83. 3/5 How To Defeat the Demon King in 10 Easy Steps - Andrew Rowe

Kid's book. Gave it a 3 for the excellent narration.

84. 4/5 The Hugo Stories Volume 1 - Mike Resnick

Good stories; three out of 5 were outstanding for me.

85. 3/5 The Black Unicorn - Terry Brooks (audio)

Good book, but not outstanding as the first one. Meeks is back

86. 4/5 Spellsinger - Dean Alan Foster (audio+ebook)

Pretty good. Pre-law student whisked to world of animals.

87. 5/5 The Relic - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (audio)

Great story but much like a disaster movie.

88. 2/5 Captain's Door - Ciara Houghton (audio)

Dull and narrator was monotone.

89. 5/5 The Hugos Volume 2 - Mike Resnick (audio)

Outstanding! Every story is at least very good, but most outstanding!

90. 1/5 Red Rising - Pierce Brown (audio)

Abandoned 1/2 through. Excellent narration.

91. 3/5 Science of Diskworld - Terry Pratchett

Earth science documentary using Diskworld wizards to explain. more or less.

92. 3/5 Whiskey Sour - J A Konrath (audio)

Detective searches for serial killer. Somewhat humerous.

93. 3/5 Raised Bed Gardening - James Paris

Bought for my late sister (she never got to read it). Interesting, but I knew most of this stuff already.

94. 4/5 Seniors Sleuth - J J Chow

Winston Wong's first case investigates death of man at assisted living.

95. 3/5 I Am Legend - Richard Matheson

Vampires. Good book. Had to read during pandemic.

August - Pages read: 5760
96. 3/5 One Minute organizer Plain & Simple - Donna Smallin

Took me 7 years to finally read this. Says something about me. The 2020 Annual Reading Challenge List Thread (1)

97. 3/5 Buchanan's War - Jonas Ward

Buchanan becomes a Ranger. Story is stilted.

98. 4/5 Ambush on the Mesa - Gordon Shirreffs

Suspense - survivors are trapped in a canyon.

99. 5/5 Side Jobs - Jim Butcher (audio)

Relisten. All great stories!

100. 4/5 Hugh Monn - Lee Houston (audio)

Pulp detective novel with aliens. I enjoyed most of it.

101. 3/5 Horseman of the Shadows - Bradford Scott

Texas ranger Slade - rescues people; solves some sneaky rustling

102. 3/5 The Blue Mustang - Will Henry

16 year old suddenly faces fight for life.

103. 5/5 Jarka Ruus - Terry Brooks (audio)

Good intro - Grianne is center in story (again), this time as head of Druids. Enjoyed!

104. 4/5 Wanted Dead or Alive - Ray Hogan (audio)

2 stories - 2nd one very good of man trying to return money to dead man's wife.

105. 3/5 Gun Runners - Jackson Cole

Texas Ranger left to die in ant hill. Vows revenge.

106. 5/5 Tanequil - Terry Brooks (audio)

Very much enjoyed. Book 2 of trilogy.

107. 4/5 Apache Lawman - Phil Dunlap

Marshall and new Apache partner investigate a prison escape.

108. 3/5 Trap For Buchanan - Jonas Ward

Buchanan helps 2 kids. Grandpa of one is a gold miner in trouble.

109. 5/5 The Straken - Terry Brooks (audio)

Great end to this trilogy.

110. 5/5 Eighty Million Eyes - Ed McBain (audio)

Comedian murdered during live television.McBain really enjoyed writing this.

111. 3/5 Epic Tomatoes - Craig LeHoullier

Great history of tomato varieties.

September - Pages read: 5306
112. 5/5 Theft of Swords - Michael J Sullivan (audio)

Excellent sword and sorcery!

113. 3/5 Probable Paws - Leann Dobbs (audio)

I almost gave it up but it got better. Ghosts, missing books, interfering sheriff.

114. 4/5 Death Pays A Visit - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Slueths are advised of murder before it happens.

115. 5/5 Bearers of the Black Staff - Terry Brooks (audio)

If you ignore modern idioms used 500 years after destruction, great story.

116. 3/5 Ghosts - Ed McBain (audio)

2 different murders but are they related?

117. 4/5 Gateways - Elizabeth Hull ED. (audio)

Stories written in style of Frederick Pohl. About half are outstanding.

118. 5/5 Tidy the F*ck Up - Messie Condo (audio)

This was a funny poke at Marie Kondo, but includes valid dejunking tips.

119. 5/5 The Measure of Magic - Terry Brooks (audio)

The new Bearer of the Black staff has to battle trolls and demon. Conclusion.

120. 3/5 Winnie the Pooh (dramatized) - A. A. Milne (audio)

Cast presentation was great. Story, well, I'm not a kid anymore.

121. 2/5 The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff (audio)

Loved the poem near the end. Simon Vance made this book tolerable.

122. 5/5 Peace Talks - Jim Butcher (audio)

1st of 2 parts. Excellent, kept my attention.

123. 5/5 Body at Bunco - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Murder amongst the gnomes;

October - Pages read: 4014
124. 5/5 Wizard at Large - Terry Brooks (audio)

Way better than book 2. Story is cohesive.

125. 3/5 Buchanan's Gamble - Jonas Ward

Card game was boring, but rest of story was great.

126. 5/5 Battle Ground - Jim Butcher (audio)

This was great! 80% of book is battle!!

127. 5/5 Murder on Opening Night - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Still love this series. Actress dies on stage while Myrtle and Miles watch.

128. 5/5 The Institute - Stephen King (audio)

This was incredibly suspenseful but difficult in the beginning.

129. 3/5 Cruising for Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Murder on a cruise. Plot didn't work well for me.

130. 5/5 Cetaganda - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)

Miles and his cousin are being framed on Cetaganda.

131. 5/5 Wards of Faerie - Terry Brooks (audio)

The Druid's Keep is a dark character in this book.

132. 3/5 Ethan of Athos - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio) *

Good story but lacks the humor in the Miles' stories.

133. 4/5 Bloodfire Quest - Terry Brooks (audio)

I had some issues with the plot in this 2nd book of trilogy.

134. 5/5 Witch Wraith - Terry Brooks (audio)

Thrilling end to trilogy.

135. 4/5 Cooking is Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Good story but getting a bit formulaic.

November - Pages read: 3844
136. 5/5 Tangle Box - Terry Brooks (audio)

Enjoyed but the plot confusion in center. Apparently on purpose.

137. 5/5 Brothers In Arms - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)

Miles is on Earth. Makes up clone to hide his dual role.

138. 5/5 Mischief - Ed McBain

The Deaf Man. Again!

139. 4/5 Body in the Trunk - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

This time Myrtle and Miles find a body in the trunk.

140. 4/5 Cleaning is Murder - Elizabeth Spann Craig (audio)

Myrtle and Miles are called to investigate a body found by someone else.

141. 5/5 Plan For The Worst - Jodi Taylor (audio)

Micean, the princes, and other historical stops.

142. 5/5 The Big Bad City - Ed McBain *

Carella is being tailed by his Dad's killer.

143. 4/5 Pretty Is As Pretty Dies - Elizabeth Spann Craig

This first book isn't nearly as good as the rest of the series. Intro to series.

144. 5/5 High Druid's Blade - Terry Brooks (audio)

Excellent start to new trilogy.

145. 4/5 Darkling Child - Terry Brooks (audio)

Some kind of disconnect on this plot. Progress though.

146. 4/5 The Sorcerer's Daughter - Terry Brooks (audio)

Good ending, but not my favorite trilogy in Shannara world.

December - Pages read: 3056
147. 5/5 Mirror Dance - Lois McMaster Bujold (audio)

Mark attempts to rescue the clones left behind.

148. 5/5 Black Elfstone - Terry Brooks (audio)

Good beginning. Multiple plots.

149. 5/5 The Skaar Invasion - Terry Brooks (audio)

Lots of betrayal and a cliffhanger!

150. 3/5 Le Guide Officiel To Becoming British: How to Fit In When You're French - Muriel Demarcus

Pretty funny.

151. 5/5 The Stiehl Assassin - Terry Brooks (audio)

Oh no! The bad guys are winning!

152. 5/5 The Last Druid - Terry Brooks (audio)

Great ending to series! I feel bad for Drisker, but he did good.

153. 3/5 Zero G - Dan Wells (audio)

Good kid's science fiction

154. 2/5 Moon Trilogy - C L Belvill

1st & 3rd books are paranormal mommie porn. 2nd book was 3 star

155. 4/5 Princess of Landover - Jim Butcher (audio)

Final book in series. Confusing/boring in spots, but overall good.

* - unowned
=======
TBR = owned books
TBR (audio) Jan 1: 1013 (includes freebees)
TBR (ebooks) Jan 1: 1356 (includes magazines, no freebees)
Audiobooks listened: 131 (including 07 freebies, 4 abandoned, 15 re-reads)
Books Read: 050 (including 03 freebies, 0 abandoned, 1 re-read)
Books otherwise removed from TBR: 2

Book Rating/Comments:
1: Awful, or did not finish
2: So, so, or not to my taste
3: Good book
4: Very good book; possible reread.
5: Wonderful book! A keeper.

The 2020 Annual Reading Challenge List Thread (2024)
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