Reading Challenge 2020!

Hello

안녕하세요 

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは 

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

It's that time of year again, where I set myself a new reading challenge, last year I set myself the goal of 9 books and I failed miserably. I started of the year so well and then I completely failed, I'm rather disappointed with myself. This year I have set myself the goal of 8 books, with some books being in a rollover from last year, one of which I have been reading since last year so, it's being included in this years challenge.

This years books included in my challenge are: Chris Colfer's The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell and The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns, Carrie Hope Fletcher's When The Curtain Calls, Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase and The Sword of Summer, Bram Stoker's Dracula, P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins, Tim Burton's The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and finally completing Patrick Suskind's Perfume.

Before I start any new books and really start my reading challenge, I need to complete Patrick Suskind's Perfume as I haven't completed it from last years challenge, which is why it's part of this years challenge too. Before all that though lets see how I did in last years challenge.

Last year I read a grand total of 3 and a half books ( I told you I failed miserably), I started the year so well and completed 2 of my books rather quickly.

 My first book was Lethal White by Robert Galbraith, I flew through this book really quickly, I always struggle to put the Strike series down and this was no different. I'm now on the long wait for the next book in the series and I can't wait to see how the series will develop.
'I seen a kid killed... He strangled it, up by the horse.'
When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike's office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts in a panic.

Trying to get to the bottom of Billy's Story, Strike and Robin Ellacott - Once his assistant, now a partner in the agency - set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside.

And during the labyrinthine investigation, Strike's own life is far from straightforward: his new found fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been - Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much more tricky than that...


The most epic Robert Galbraith novel yet, Legal White is both a gripping mystery and a page-turning next instalment in the ongoing story of Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.

My second book was The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, I grew up loving The War of the Worlds, so I'm surprised it took me so long to actually read the book. I loved it and it definitely made me appreciate the film adaptations even more, I was really excited when I saw that the BBC had done their own adaptation, it was interesting to see how they showed what happened after we (thought) we won, but I wouldn't say it was an amazing adaptation, at least they got the time and destination correct to follow the book.
"For countless centuries Mars has been the star of war."

The night after a shooting star is seen streaking through the sky from Mars, a cylinder is discovered on Horsell Common near London. At first, naive locals approach the cylinder armed with just a white flag - only to be quickly killed by an all-destroying heat-ray as terrifying tentacled invaders emerge. Soon the whole of human civilization is under threat, as powerful Martians build gigantic killing machines, destroy all in their path with black gas and burning rays, and feast on the warm blood of the trapped, still-living human prey. The forces of the Earth, however, may prove harder to beat than they at first appear.


The first modern tale of alien invasion, The war of the Worlds remains one of the most influential of all science-fiction works.

My 3rd and final book to be completed was Eve of Man by Giovanna & Tom Fletcher, I really struggled to put this book down and read it within 24 hours. I love that we are told the story from 2 point of views, like Lethal White, I'm now in the long wait for the next instalment in the series, I can't wait to see how the story unfolds and what will become of Eve and Bram.
Against all odds, she survived, The first girl born in fifty years. They called her Eve.
All her life Eve has been kept away from the opposite sex, kept from the truth of her past.But at sixteen it's time for Eve to face her destiny. Three potential males have been selected for her. The future of humanity is in her hands. She's always accepted her fate.
Until she meets Bram.
Eve wants control over her life. She wants freedom. But how do you choose between love and the future of the human race.

Described by Tom and Giovanna Fletcher as an unconventional love story set in a dystopian future - do you embrace your fate - or do you run from it?

I'm currently still in the process of reading Perfume by Patrick Suskind, all I can say is that I am enjoying it and I find it weird how the chapters are set out as it's a new way to me, but I'm sure I'll complete it soon as my review of the book will be up not long after.

That was 2019's book challenge results and it's time to start 2020's reading challenge.

CHALLENGE START!!

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye