Each January for the past few years (just for the fun of it) I’ve been giving myself little reading challenges. Not an original idea I know but things like A to Z of author’s surnames or A to Z of book titles (sometimes known as the Alphabet Soup Challenge) Among other things, last year was about trying to finish more books from series I’d begun…..finally getting to the last of the Ann Cleeves Shetland series was one. If you’d like to see what I’ve read over the past few years I’ve gathered all the previous ‘books read pages’ together and placed them in a seperate page which you can find up there under the header picture.
And this is last years in a different format – https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2019
This year I’ve decided it’s all about the titles!
Trying to find books with one word titles corresponding to letters of the alphabet is going to be fun – following on and extending that theme I thought The *plus* titles would also be fun. Just by luck I found two in the ship’s library that fit the bill – Devotion (Louisa Young) and The Disappeared (M.R. Hall) both quick reads which meant that where ‘that’ challenge is concerned I’m off and running at a good rate of knots 😊
But what I’m really excited about is Giving the Girls a Go!
Reading books with a description of a female status in the title! There seem to be more and more of them in the library catalogue so I’m aiming for one a month…12 in all.
I read The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter ( Hazel Gaynor) last week so that’s January taken care of 😊
A tale of two women and their involvement with lighthouses about a century apart. Two stories with lots of twists and turns linking each to the other. Lots of social statements on female roles and current (at the relevant time) attitudes to ‘the way things were’ Good read!
The Clockmaker’s Daughter (Kate Morton) has been sitting on a shelf here at home for a few months now. It’s another of the Historical Fiction genre I enjoy, I’ve set it aside for February and as it’s a fairly thick book it might take me most of the month to finish.l
I know there are lots of books about Mothers, Sisters, Nieces, Wives and Widows out there so there’s bound to be one for each month of the year!
Do you plan your reading or do you just go with the ‘pick a book any book’ method?
Still Waters 
No plans here.
This greedy reader will read almost anything – though I have a preference for female authors and a weakness for biographies and memoirs.
I have just finished The Sorcerer’s Apprentices which tells the tale of the flunkies working in a restaurant which was named ‘best in the world’ four times. Slave labour. Definitely slave labour – and some of them willingly came back for another ‘unpaid’ session.
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I just grasp a book, any book, though I prefer older books to newer. I long ago made myselv promise to skip the book if I did not like it. This has made it much easier for me to try new books I’m not sure off. I normally go by title alone, only seldom I can remember who wrote a book without loking it up somewhere, so reading by the author is not my cup of tea.
But I love challenges – especially some concerning titles like your one-worders or women’s status 😉
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I usually just decide as I browse. Something about a book will grab my attention enough to read the blurb, and I decide from there. Although at times I have read books I have heard about on the radio.
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That’s a good challenge, Cathy! There’s a WordPress blog, The Bookshelf of Emily J – she was in a book club and the group read a book every month about a wife or wives. You did so much good reading last year; I’m sure you will this year, too!
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I’m much like “Elephant Child” in that I’m a greedy reader, who is easily distracted by new shiny titles, so I rarely plan my reading. I have a huge back log of books on my Kindle that I flip through and see what appeals on the day. I read a mix of biographies and fiction.
I’ve just finished Anne Glenconner’s book “Lady in Waiting”. It was most interesting, but good heavens her husband was stark raving mad. I know he was filthy rich and awfully good looking (according to her), but there’s no way I would have put up with him,1950s or not! It was however a very good read. I am now starting on Celia Imrie’s autobiography. So far, so good.
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I do like a nice reading challenge- mine is to read across Europe this year. I have started with an author from Hungary. I too have the Kate Morton book which was a gift waiting to be read.
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Hello, the reading challenge sounds fun. I have been reading many mysteries written by the ladies. I love all Louise Penny’s and the Ann Cleeves books. I will check to see if my library has the Kate Morton book. I enjoy reading and finding new “to me” authors. Enjoy your day!
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