20 IN ’20 UPDATE

Back in January, I challenged myself to read twenty books recommended by blogger friends by the end of 2020. Here we are at 8/4/2020, and I have achieved my goal!

Here are the twenty books I’ve read:

Recommended by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz: The Church of Small Things by Melanie Shankle (This also allowed me to read non-fiction, something formerly not read by me, but something I’m trying to read more of. Debbie was the one who introduced me to the joy of reading non-fiction through our book club.)/Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning (She gave me a copy)/and Bookworm, a memoir she also gave me.

Recommended by my grandson, Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda:

Dr. Andrew guest-lecturing at one of my Advanced Writing classes

Dr. Andrew’s blog, Without Ritual, Autonomous Negotiations qualifies his recommendations for this challenge. He recommended: Trauma Stewardship: Self Care by Van Dermot and Burke, again non-fiction/The Sweetest Fruits by Truong, a novel based on fact/and Americanah by Aldichie/Small Teaching Online, which has been the best source for learning to do just that.

Ritu Bhathal of But I Smile Anyway recommended I read her book, Marriage Unarranged.

Carla of Carla Reads reads many, many books and tends to like those I like also. Here are the ones I read after reading her comments or reviews on them: City of Girls by Gilbert/Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins, a new author to me/ several books by the new-to-me author, Kathleen Reay including Dear Mr. Knightly and The Austin Escape.

From long-time blogging friend, Sarah Higbee of Brainfluff, I read her book, Picky Eaters (I had read her Sunblind series earlier and love her books.) as well as a book she edited for Sally Wagle, Miracle in Slow Motion.

I bought, read and continue to use Bridget Whelan’s Back to Creative Writing School

Handy for my Advanced Writing Class

I also “steal” and reblog many of Whelan’s outstanding quotes.

Tegan Riordain Geneviene’s book,Atonement Tennessee was one I read about on her blog and then purchased.

Katia of Bookish Fame helped with my desire to read more poetry. She recommended Jasmin Kaur’s When You Ask Me Where I’m Going, which I read and passed on to a young poet as an example of what was possible to do with her own poems.

From blogs I’ve lost track of I read City of Dark Magic by the pen-named Magnus Flyte and liked it so much I bought the sequel. I also read Jan Sikes’ Brazos Wind which my husband read and liked as well.

There you have it–at least twenty books–challenge accomplished!