The First Books of 2020

I read 415 books this year. 

That's it for 2019.

(I'm still reading...but I'm not finishing anything else until January 1st....)

Here are the books I am currently reading.

Sheila at Book Journey announced that she will be doing her annual First Book of the Year posting. Hurry, if you want to join in First Book of the Year and take a look here.

Can I read one book all year long? I think I'll try Nick's 2020 War and Peace Chapter-a-Day Read-along. Do I dare?

I'm signing up for Book'd Out's 2020 Nonfiction Reader Challenge. Of course, I shall try for the Nonfiction Know-It-All level; I'm just that sort of person.

I will begin 2020 with mood-boosting books. To help my project, I started a list of The Best Mood-Boosting Books on Goodreads. If you have suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

It's time to download and follow the latest calendar for Action for Happiness. There is also an app available to remind you to be happy throughout the day.

The Classics Club spin was spun. And the result? It's #13, and I shall be reading A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush. I've found this book on audio, and I've already begun reading.

I read all but 5 of the Cybils picture books and board books. Our panel of judges has come to a consensus about the best picture books and board books of 2019....The announcement will be made on January 1, 2020. Stay tuned.

Here are the Best Books of the Decade lists I’ve found so far: 

The Ten Best Fiction Books of the 2010s (Time)

Best Books of the Decade? How to Choose? (Chicago Tribune)

The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century (The Guardian)

The 30 Best Texas Books of the Decade, from Amarillo to Utopia (Texas Observer)

I will be posting my own Best Reads of 2019, Best Books of the Decade, and 2019 Cybils Picture Book and Board Book Finalists this week.

Back in 1964, when I was seven years old, a series of interviews with fourteen seven-year-olds in Great Britain, from a variety of backgrounds, was released called Seven Up. The fourteen were found and interviewed again every seven years, resulting in 7 Plus Seven, 21 Up, 28 Up, 35 Up, 42 Up, 49 Up, and 56 Up. When I saw that the final film in the series, 63 Up, was going to appear in theaters in the US (in March of 2020 it will arrive in Houston), I borrowed the Up Series from the public library. We've been watching the series now and then over the last two weeks, and we've made it through 42 Up. We hope to watch 49 Up and 56 Up this week.

Here's a fascinating take on the Up series from the New Yorker: What '56 Up' Reveals.

Do you know this series? Have you seen any of it?

We had a fabulous Christmas. It was wonderful to watch our grandchildren, Wyatt, 9 months, and Annie, 4, open presents and delight in the wonder that is Christmas.

I must have been very, very good this year as Santa brought me twelve books and this beautiful book quilt. 

Did you get any books for Christmas?

I'd love to hear about your week.

I'm very happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. I am delighted when you link up here and let us know what you have been doing. I hope you will visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about here:

• What was your week like?
• Read any good books? Tell us about them.
• What other bookish things did you do? 
• What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.