Reading Updates - A Look Back at 2020 and Forward to 2021 continued

 Yesterday I looked at my 12 + 4 Reading Group Challenge. Today I'll take a look at one of my Individual Challenges. Over the years, I've tried a variety. In 2015, I focused on genres and a certain number of books in each; Classics, Sci-Fi / Fantasy, Fiction, etc. I was also working on an Around the World Challenge (books set in other countries) and a 50 State Challenge (books set in each State). I kept the last two challenges going for a few years. In 2016, I had a Decades Challenge (books written in specific decades), then some genres and also a series challenge. In 2017 I had a Cops vs Sleuths challenge amongst a few others, Can Lit, Sci Fi, etc. I think you get the idea. This year I had 4 basic challenges plus each month I focused on a specific author or genre. I'll work through these over the next few days. 

Individual Challenge 2020 - 1st Book in a Series

I readily admit I've got too many books on my shelves and it makes it difficult to decide what to read. Over the years I've been intrigued by various series.. many many series, so I've been working through them. Some I'm sort of haphazard about and haven't necessarily read them in order. In 2020 I decided to focus on series I have yet to start or have not started in order, hence my first book in a series challenge. I found it a successful challenge, starting the 1st book in 21 series. Some stats below

Author Gender

Male - 11

Female - 10

Genre

(Generally my series tend towards mystery or Sci-Fi)

Mystery / Spy - 14

Sci-Fi / Fantasy - 6

Historical Adventure - 1

Pages

< 250 - 10

250 - 350 - 5

351 - 450 - 2

> 450 - 4

Ratings

5 - star - 4 (Check out my earlier post about my 2020 Favorite Books)

4 - star - 12

3 - star - 4

2 - star - 1

For your interest, these are the series I started this past year.

Mysteries

1. The Black Widowers - Tales of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov (4 stars)

2. Charles Paris - Cast, In Order of Disappearance by Simon Brett (3.5 stars)

3. Linda Wallheim - The Bishop's Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison (3 stars)

4. Lena Padget - Satan's Lambs by Lynn S. Hightower (5 stars)

5. Inspector Montalbano - The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri (4 stars)

6. Marshal Guarnaccia - Death of an Englishman by Magdalen Nabb (3.5 stars)

7. Vanessa Munroe - The Informationist by Taylor Stevens (4 stars)

8. Corinna Chapman - Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood (5 stars)

9. Cecil Younger - The Woman Who Married a Bear by John Straley (5 stars)

10. Ellie McEnroe - Rock Paper Tiger by Lisa Brackmann (5 stars)

11. Gideon Fell - Hag's Nook by John Dickson Carr (4 stars)

12. Rebecca Watson - Stone Cold by James Glass (4 stars)

13. Taylor Jackson - All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison (4 stars)

14. Jenny Cooper - The Coroner by M.R. Hall (4.5 stars)

Historical Adventure

1. Forgotten Legion Chronicles - The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane (3.5 stars)

Sci-Fi / Fantasy

1. Felix Castor - The Devil You Know by Mike Carey (4.5 stars)

2. All Soul's - A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (4 stars)

3. Vorkosigan Saga - Shard's of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (4.5 stars)

4. Demon Cycle - The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett (4.5 stars)

5. Legion of Space - The Legion of Space by Jack Williamson (2.5 stars)

6. Murderbot Diaries - All Systems Red by Martha Wells (4.5 stars)

Individual Challenges 2021 - 1st Book in Series

I still have a number of 1st books in my library that I want to try so in 2021 I'm going to continue with this challenge. I have read the 2nd book in the series I'm starting with so I should read the 1st

1. Hugo Marston - The Bookseller by Mark Pryor.

"Max—an elderly Paris bookstall owner—is abducted at gunpoint. His friend, Hugo Marston, head of security at the US embassy, looks on helplessly, powerless to do anything to stop the kidnapper. Marston launches a search, enlisting the help of semiretired CIA agent Tom Green. Their investigation reveals that Max was a Holocaust survivor and later became a Nazi hunter. Is his disappearance somehow tied to his grim history, or even to the mysterious old books he sold?

On the streets of Paris, tensions are rising as rival drug gangs engage in violent turf wars. Before long, other booksellers start to disappear, their bodies found floating in the Seine. Though the police are not interested in his opinion, Marston is convinced the hostilities have something to do with the murders of these bouquinistes.

Then he himself becomes a target of the unknown assassins.

With Tom by his side, Marston finally puts the pieces of the puzzle together, connecting the past with the present and leading the two men, quite literally, to the enemy's lair.

Just as the killer intended."

I'm looking forward to starting 2021.. Hopefully the list above might provide you some reading ideas. Enjoy the rest of 2020.. Stay safe. 😷