It’s 20 days since I woke up on New Years Day and decided (a little impulsively) to set myself a challenge – to read 366 books this year (you can read my initial post on this here). So I thought it might be time for an update.
So far, I’m right on track – I’ve managed 20 books in 20 days. This is my list so far:
| 1. Straight Line to My Heart | Bill Condon | Allen & Unwin | Young Adult |
| 2. Only Ever Always | Penni Russon | Allen & Unwin | Young Adult |
| 3. Harry’s War | John Heffernan | Omnibus | Children’s |
| 4. Just Like That | Janet Poole | Mountain View | Self Help |
| 5. Shadrach | Meindert Dejong | Harper Trophy | Children’s |
| 6. Nanberry | Jackie French | Angus&Robertson | Young Adult |
| 7. Extinction 2 | Lizzie Wilcock | Scholastic | Young Adult |
| 8. The Fitlh Licker | Cristy Burne | Frances Lincoln | Children’s |
| 9. Crow Country | Kate Constable | Allen & Unwin | Young Adult |
| 10. Note on the Door | Lorraine Marwood | Walker | Children’s/Poetry |
| 11. The Golden Door | Emily Rodda | Scholastic | Children’s |
| 12. Lily Gets Her Wings | Elizabeth Pulford | Scholastic | Children’s |
| 13. Animal People | Charlotte Wood | Allen & Unwin | Contemporary Adult |
| 14. Lily Has a Secret | Elizabeth Pulford | Scholastic | Children’s |
| 15. Button Boy | Rebecca Young & Sue deGennaro | Scholastic | Picture Book |
| 16. I Heart You, You Haunt Me | Lisa Schroeder | Simon Pulse | YA Verse Novel |
| 17. Froi of the Exiles | Melina Marchetta | Penguin | Young Adult |
| 18. The Red Bridge | Kylie Dunstan | Windy Hollow | Picture Book |
| 19. Nog and the Land of Noses | Bruce Whatley | Scholastic | Picture Book |
| 20. How Now Brown Frau | Merridy Eastman | Allen & Unwin | NonFiction – Memoir |
I am really enjoying keeping track of my reading in this way, and seeing just what the spread is of age groups, genres, formats etc. Of the 20 so far, 18 are Australian, 7 are young adult, 7 are children’s/younger readers, 3 picture books, thee for adults (one fiction, two non fiction). There is one collection of poetry, and one verse novel. Allen & Unwin and Scholastic are well represented in the list of publishers – which is a reflection both of the number of books those two produce and the number they send me to review. Another interesting statistic is in the gender balance – four books by male authors and sixteen by women. Interesting because there has been no conscious decision there, it’s just how it’s fallen.
So, how do I choose my books. Usually from the top of my review pile (which is actually not a pile but a shelving system in my office. I shelve them in the order I receive them and generally read them in that order. But this year I am trying to read more books not from my review pile, and have started a little pile of books I want to read for the first time or re-explore. Also, I do occasionally move books up my review pile if I’m simply hanging out to review them or f I need a shorter read. For example, whilst I was ploughing my way through Froi (almost 600 pages), which happened over four days, each day I also read something shorter.
Am I still enjoying the challenge? Yes. No regrets at having set it for myself at all.
Will keep you updated as it expands
Hope you, too, are having fun reading whatever you can during this National Year of Reading.
Oh, BTW – where I’ve reviewed a title in the list above, I have linked to that review!