It’s my sixth year participating in Cathy’s 20 Books of Summer challenge, which starts today and runs through the 1st of September. In previous years I’ve chosen a theme.
2018: Books by women
2019: Fauna
2020: Food
2021: Colours
2022: Flora
Only in 2018, I think, was I strict enough with myself to only read books that I own, but every year that’s been my main goal: to clear things from the print TBR.
So, that means: no library books, no review copies bar the long-neglected backlog or the set-aside ones, and Kindle books only if I purchased them. Though I won’t be prescriptive about it, I’d like to prioritize hardbacks, recent acquisitions or longtime shelf-sitters, and books by women.
I thought about having no theme, or multiple mini ones, this year. However, I’ve amassed so many foodie reads that I could easily fill my 20 just with that topic (fiction and nonfiction pictured below, with some supplementary summery reads at left), so I’ll see how I go.
Below is my set-aside and review backlog area, which takes up much of the top two shelves. The bottom shelf is books I’m keen to reread. I could easily select some of my 20 from here.
I hoped to get ahead by reading one or two relevant books on the plane back from America, where I’ve been for the last 10 days for my sister’s nursing school graduation and some sadmin for my mom. Did I manage it? After I get over the jet lag, I’ll report back with my first read or two.
Are you joining in the summer reading challenge? What’s the first book on the docket?
Bookish Beck = Rebecca Foster. American transplant to England. Freelance proofreader and book reviewer.
Bookish Beck 
Just reading from the tottering TBR pile is challenge enough for me. So sorry about the sadmin, but what a great word! Did you coin it?
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No, the first place I encountered it was in Rev. Richard Coles’s memoir about his husband’s death, but I don’t think it was original to him.
Pick 20 and call it your summer pile!
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Cheating …
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Sadmin is the worst, I’ve been there and know how tough it can be. Looks like you have some good options – the Bourdain and the Buford are great fun and Light in August is one of my all time favourites. Thanks for joining in again.
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The paperwork wasn’t as bad as expected. My mom’s financial advisor came and helped me out for free. And we started with the easy fruit when going through her belongings: we dealt with all the clothing this time, as well as some seasonal decorations and books. The mementos and photos are the real challenge and will wait for another time.
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Take your time with it, you’ll know when you’re ready. My parents died 13 & 12 years ago and I still have some items that I haven’t been able to bring myself to sort out.
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I’m excited to read more by Bourdain and Buford. I read Light in August at university but fancy a reread.
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[…] 20 Books of Summer 2023 Plan – Rebecca at Bookish Beck […]
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You’re so well organised! I spotted Becky in your pile which is a very easy, quick read despite its size. Happy reading!
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That case with all the set-aside and review backlog books feels chaotic to me! Becky sounds like a good summery read then.
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We are not quite sure if we ask you before how you organize your private library. How do you know where to find a particular book in your library?
Happy reading
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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For the most part, my books are arranged thematically. I have two cases of memoirs in my study, and another split between poetry, short stories and biographies. Fiction is divided across multiple cases, with divisions between read and unread books; and separate piles for novellas and books by BIPOC. I have one shelf in the bedroom dedicated to signed copies. The rest of the nonfiction is downstairs with shelves for different categories: travel, theology, miscellaneous. I also have a small case of classic fiction. Everything’s alphabetical by author surname so I can find things within the categories. Review copies are in deadline order on their own shelf. And then I have a few areas where I keep themed sets of books for future challenges.
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Hi Rebecca
thanks a lot. We have a similar system: 5 different rooms with shelves of different categories ordered alphabetically by the author’s surname. We use a library programme.
First editions, books dedicated to (one of) us and rare books we store on shelves in our drawing room behind glass.
Have a happy weekend
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Sounds sumptuous!
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Hope your trip to the US went as well as possible. I loved the photos from your sister’s graduation!
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It was great. Got a lot of useful stuff done, as well as the special family events. I hope your North American travels have been going well!
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I’ve read the Bourdain twice. I’m a huge fan
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I read Kitchen Confidential a few years ago but want to get to the second volume in that omnibus.
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Does Flora mean reading about plants or just anything with a plant reference in the title?
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I read a lot of books about flowers and trees that summer, but also some fiction that just happened to mention a plant in the title.
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Nice
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Oh, I see that was last year’s theme. Did you pick a theme for this year?
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I’m probably going to focus on the foodie books, but I’ll be lax and let myself pick up whatever takes my fancy.
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Like anything from The Omnivor’s Dilemma to Like Water for Chocolate. I recommend both.
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I love Michael Pollan’s books!
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good luck! I’m really looking forward to it all again! Still deciding on what to read first haha!
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Anything that gets people reading more, and more deliberately, has got to be a good thing. I hope you enjoy whatever you choose!
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My only plan for 20 Books is that I must have owned the copy by end 2022, so from the TBR backlog. Within that I am prioritising books in my bedside bookcase, theoretically!
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That should offer you plenty of variety of genre, author, theme and length!
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That’s a delicious shelf/set of piles to choose from! I had a sunny afternoon in the garden clearing the decks of Golem Girl and a poetry pamphlet so will be starting my first read tomorrow: Eniola Aluko – “They Don’t Teach This” which is her memoir of being a Black woman in football, chosen slightly randomly from the shelves of the local bookshop last October.
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How wonderful to have some garden reading weather. We’re ready for some rain, though, to help the plants (and thereby the insects and thereby the birds).
A good excuse to get to some recent purchases. I hope to pick up some long-time shelf-sitters too.
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Yes, I usually go for older ones but this time I had the idea of linking it to the bookshop. I’ve ringfenced some extra evening reading time so I’m hoping I can hang onto that after the end of 20Books and get through some more older ones afterwards!
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[…] far I’m sticking to my vague plan and reading foodie lit, like it’s 2020 all over again. At the same time, I’m tackling a few […]
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