mathgirl40's 2018 BC challenge

My goals for 2018 are to read my 10 remaining ABC books from 2017 and earlier and to read, register and release 25 books from my shelves.

Books acquired in 2018:
Robertson Davies: A Portrait in Mosaic by Val Ross (BC link) - to be read
Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (BC link) - to be read
Why Did You Lie? by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (BC link) - to be read
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (BC link) - to be read
The Byerley Turk by Jeremy James (BC link) - finished
Wild by Cheryl Strayed (BC link) - finished
The Poison Tree by Erin Kelley (BC link) - finished
Hunger by Roxane Gay (BC link) - finished
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (BC link) - finished
A Basket Brigade Christmas by Judith Miller, Nancy Moser and Stephanie Grace Whitson (BC link) - finished
Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold (BC link) - to be read
The River at Night by Erica Ferencik (BC link) - finished
The Bride Wore Black by Cornell Woolrich (BC link) -- to be read
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (BC link) -- to be read

Books acquired in 2017:
Miss Silver Comes to Stay by Patricia Wentworth (BC link) -- to be read
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh (BC link) -- to be read
Well-Schooled in Murder by Elizabeth George (BC link) -- to be read
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George (BC link) -- to be read
The Wreckage by Michael Crummey (BC link) -- to be read
Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh (BC link) -- finished
A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow (BC link) -- to be read
Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson (BC link) -- finished

Books acquired before 2017:
Doctor Who and the Masque of Mandragora by Philip Hinchcliffe (BC link) -- finished
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (BC link) -- finished

Books to release:

1. The Black Book by Ian Rankin (BC link)
2. All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault by James Alan Gardner (BC link)
3. The Ivory and the Horn by Charles de Lint (BC link)
4. South: The Endurance Expedition by Ernest Shackleton (BC link)
5. Satellite by Nick Lake (BC link)
6. Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond edited by Bill Campbell (BC link)
7. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith (BC link)
8. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri (BC link)
9. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall (BC link)
10. Bad Move by Linwood Barclay (BC link)
11. Traitor's Purse by Margery Allingham (BC link)
12. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams (BC link)
13. Murther and Walking Spirits by Robertson Davies (BC link)
14. A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence (BC link)
15. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White (BC link)
16. Black and Blue by Ian Rankin (BC link)
17. The Inspector and Silence by Hakan Nesser (BC link)
18. Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson (BC link)
19. Chaos by Patricia Cornwell (BC link)
20. World War Z by Max Brooks (BC link)
21. Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie (BC link)
22. The Body on Mount Royal by David Montrose (BC link)
23. Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie (BC link)
24. Absolution by Caro Ramsay (BC link)
25. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (BC link)
26. Death of a Hollow Man by Caroline Graham (BC link)
27. Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh (BC link)
28. Frost at Christmas by R. D. Wingfield (BC linke)

Hi there!! I read the Margaret George book awhile back (as well as her Cleopatra and Henry) books. As memory serves, it was my favorite as I learned the most about that time. Don't be dissuaded by the size, it moves pretty quickly.

PokPok

>4 PokPok: It's good to know you enjoyed it so much. I've read only one of her books, Elizabeth I, but I liked it very much so I'm looking forward to this one.

>1 mathgirl40: A note about Trainspotting. It really helps to enjoy that book if you have a glossary at hand. I found one online that I used to translate from English to English. Do the same! :D

>6 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the warning!

I finally figured out my goals for 2018. Because of this challenge, I've managed to get my pile of ABC books down to 10, and I hope to read all of them in 2018.

I've also signed up for the Favourite Books of 2017 roundabout and hope to read those books in a timely fashion, releasing them soon after they come into my hands.

Finally, I hope to read, register and release at least 25 books from my shelves. I plan to register and release a good number more from those I've finished already, in an attempt to reduce the clutter in my house, but I'll track only those I'm reading in 2018.

I finished one of my ABC books, though it's my latest one (for a roundabout) rather than an older one: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. This was a reread for me, and I enjoyed it even more second time around!

I also finished and registered one of my older books, The Black Book by Ian Rankin.

>8 mathgirl40: - Oh, I started that one (the Ozeki) last year but didn't finish it. I was actually really enjoying it but got sidetracked by something else (really?!). It is on my bedside table, as a reminder to get back to it and not forget.

>9 jessibud2: That seems to happen to me as well. I too have a pile of started-but-not-finished books on my bedside table.

>9 jessibud2: I am soooo determined to stop doing that very thing. I am trying my *hardest* to not read more than one book at a time (except for kids books, as you know!).

Paulina, do you know if anyone sets up a thread for Canada Reads? I seem to remember seeing one when I first came to LT, a few years ago, but I wonder if it's already been started for this year?

>12 jessibud2: http://www.librarything.com/topic/283213

Excellent! Thanks, Madeline!

>13 SqueakyChu: Thanks for the link!

>14 jessibud2: >15 mathgirl40: You’re welcome!

I finished several books since my last update:

The River at Night by Erica Ferencik -- this was my second book in the BC Roundabout. It was just OK, but it was a decent fast-paced thriller that I was able to finish in a weekend.

Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson -- a good installment in the Sarah Brandt historical mystery series and one of my ABC books.

These others are ones from my shelves that I've finally read and registered:

All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault by James Alan Gardner -- a fun novel about superheros versus villains, from a local author and set at my Alma Mater, the University of Waterloo.

The Ivory and the Horn by Charles de Lint -- a very good collection of urban-fantasy short-stories from one of my favourite authors.

South: The Endurance Expedition by Ernest Shackleton -- a gripping account of the 1914 expedition to Antarctica written by the explorer himself.

Satellite by Nick Lake -- an excellent YA novel about a 16-year-old boy who has lived his entire life in a space station and is finally coming to Earth for the first time.

I finished my roundabout book for this month, A Basket Brigade Christmas. Unfortunately, it was not at all my cup of tea. Oh well ... I did join the roundabout to broaden my reading and perhaps get out of my comfort zone. :)

I also finished and registered a few older books from my shelves:

Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond edited by Bill Campbell -- this is a collection of science fiction and fantasy stories from a diverse set of authors but unfortunately, the quality is very uneven. There are a few notable names like N.K Jemisin and Victor Lavalle, and I liked their stories very much.

The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith -- this is the 4th book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. It was a quick, easy and entertaining read.

August Heat by Andrea Camilleri -- this is the 10th book in the Inspector Montalbano series set in Sicily, which I've been enjoying very much.

Since my last update, I've finished another roundabout book, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. This was a reread and I enjoyed it as much the second time around.

I finished another ABC book, Doctor Who and the Masque of Mandragora. This was a quick and fun story set in 15th-century Italy.

I also finished and registered a few more from my shelves:

The Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall -- This is the second book in Hall's Vish Puri series, featuring a private detective living in Delhi. I found it a light and entertaining read in an interesting setting.

Bad Move by Linwood Barclay -- I'm a huge fan of Barclay. This first book in the Zack Walker series is one of his early books and not as good as the later ones, but I still found it very enjoyable.

Traitor's Purse by Margery Allingham -- This Albert Campion novel seems darker than the others I've read in the series, and it is more of a spy thriller than a mystery. I still enjoyed it very much even though it was different from what I'd expected.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams -- This is the first book in the Dirk Gently series. It's a fun satirical time-travel story, but I like the Hitchhiker's Guide series better, though I may change my mind with future books in this series.

Yikes, it's been two months since my last update! Since then, I finished two books for the roundabout in which I'm participating:

Hunger by Roxane Gay -- I found Gay's memoir about her struggles with obesity, which started soon after she was raped at a young age, to be both powerful and moving. I hope that, after reading it, I am less judgemental about my own and others' bodies.

The Poison Tree by Erin Kelly -- This is a suspenseful psychological thriller about a woman who abandons her safe conventional world and gets involved with a mesmerizing and charismatic woman and her brother. It started off slowly but by the midway point, I couldn't put it down!

Unfortunately, I did not get to the older books on my ABC list, so I'll have to do better with those next month.

I finished a few of my own books to register and release:

A Bird in the House by Margaret Laurence -- This is an excellent collection of short stories that together make up a poignant coming-of-age story. It's set in Laurence's fictional town of Manawaka, where several of her other novels are also set.

The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White -- This was originally published as The Wheel Spins and the story is about a young woman who is disturbed by the sudden disappearance of a friendly passenger she meets on a train. After reading this, I watched the 1938 Alfred Hitchcock film, which I found very enjoyable, though there are some significant differences between it and the book.

Murther and Walking Spirits by Robertson Davies -- In this novel, the ghost of a murdered man attends a film festival in which he sees the stories of his ancestors. Davies is one of my favourite writers but this book is not among his best. Still, there are some brilliant moments.

>20 mathgirl40: I read Murther and Walking Spirits quite a while ago, well before I had read High Spirits. I liked Murther but in hindsight I can see it wasn't his best and for ghost stories I would recommend High Spirits.

I still have The Cunning Man to read and then I think I may have read all the novels written by Davies. Sigh! I might have to reread some of them.

>21 gypsysmom: I have read High Spirits and liked it very much. One of my daughters is now studying at University of Toronto, and I can't help thinking of Davies when I walk through the campus.

I too have only The Cunning Man to read from his novels. It's sitting on my shelves and I hope to get to it before too long.

Since my last update, I've finished Wild by Cheryl Strayed, my Favourites of 2017 roundabout book. I'm not generally fond of this sort of memoir, but I ended up enjoying it very much, especially the detailed descriptions of the Pacific Coast Trail which the author had hiked.

I also finished an ABC book, Miss Silver Comes to Stay by Patricia Wentworth. This was my introduction to the Miss Silver series, and I will definitely be reading more from it.

I also finished and registered 3 books from my own shelves:
- Black and Blue by Ian Rankin, a very good installment in the Inspector Rebus series in which Rebus searches for not one but two serial killers.
- The Inspector and Silence by Hakan Nesser, a Chief Inspector Van Veeteren mystery in which the inspector investigates the disappearance of girls from a cult-like summer camp.
- Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson, a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel set in Toronto. Zombies in the CN Tower!

>23 mathgirl40: I have to read Brown Girl in the Ring. It's shameful I haven't read this Canadian piece of science fiction.

>24 gypsysmom: I was even more ashamed that I'd never heard of Nalo Hopkinson until this book was chosen for a local book club, since I consider myself a devoted fan of both science fiction and Canadian literature. A Canadian-Jamaican friend of mine who also loves science fiction was especially thrilled to discover this author.

I've not read any ABC books since my last update, but these are the ones from my own shelves that I've registered and will be releasing:

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie -- I found this to be a very enjoyable mystery in the classic Agatha Christie style. A murder takes place during a bridge game, and both Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver are on the scene to investigate.

Passenger to Frankfurt by Agatha Christie -- This book is more of a cold-war thriller than a typical Agatha Christie mystery. I just couldn't buy into the plot, but some of the characters appealed to me.

Murder on Mount Royal by David Montrose -- I picked up this recently republished hard-boiled mystery from 1953 at Bouchercon last year. The mystery is just OK but I loved the setting, which is in my home town of Montreal.

World War Z by Max Brooks -- I have a weakness for post-apocalyptic zombie novels and this one provides a different and interesting take on that genre. It's written in the form of interviews with citizens from various parts of the world.

I finally finished another ABC book, A Cold Day for Murder. This was an enjoyable mystery featuring a diverse cast in cold snowy Alaska. The book was an RABCK from Boekentrol.

Cards on the Table was one of my first 5 Agatha Christie's read, back in the day. It still holds fond memories.

>28 PokPok: I understand what you mean. I feel the same way about Dead Man's Folly and Death Comes as the End. They're far from Christie's best, but they were the ones that I'd first read as a teenager.

I've been doing pretty well since my last update, having finished a couple more ABC books:

- The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie -- I really enjoyed this epic fantasy story, which had great characters. This was my oldest ABC book, one which I'd picked up when I visited the Toronto OBCZ at the Harbord House Pub a few years ago.

- The Byerley Turk by Jeremy James -- This was one of my Favourites of 2017 Roundabout book, a historical fiction book based on the true-life story of a horse, one of the ancestors of modern thoroughbreds.

I also finished a few from my own shelves that I registered and will be releasing soon:

- Absolution by Caro Ramsay -- I picked up this mystery set in Glasgow after seeing the author at the Bouchercon mystery convention in Toronto a couple of years ago.

- The Death of a Hollow Man by Caroline Graham -- This is the second book in the Inspector Barnaby mystery series (which spawned the popular TV series Midsomer Murders), about a murder that happens during a theatre production of Amadeus.

- Died in the Wool by Ngaio Marsh -- Inspector Alleyn investigates the murder of a well-known and powerful woman on a sheep farm in New Zealand.

I finished off the year by reading and registering another book from my shelves, Frost at Christmas by R. D. Wingfield. This is the first book in the series that inspired the Touch of Frost TV series. I loved the series and I liked the book just as much.

I met my goal of reading and registering 25 books off my shelves and ended up with 28 in all. I only finished 6 of the 10 on my ABC list. However, I'm not particularly disappointed, as I did manage to finish the very oldest ones. Also, I showed restraint this year in not acquiring too many new books and those that did come in, I tried to move along relatively quickly.

In summary, I started the year with 10 ABC books and I am now ending the year with the same number (but different books). Any year that MTBR does not grow exponentially is a good year! :)