We are somehow halfway through 2024 (which doesn’t SOUND real, but the calendar says it is) – and that means I’m halfway through my timeline for A Century of Books. For the uninitiated, that’s a year where I’m trying to read a book published every year between 1925-2024 throughout 2024. Not in order, naturally. As I read them, I’m adding reviews to my masterlist. It’s not quite up-to-date, but I’m not doing badly on the review front.
But how am I doing with dates? Where are the gaps? You’d think I should be at about 50 books – but it’s quite that easy, as the further through the year we get, the more likely I am to be doubling-up on my reading. For example, I read nine books in June and… none of them qualified for A Century of Books. They were all repeats. Eek.
Ok, here’s how I’m doing – spliced into decades:
1925-1929: 4/5
1930-1939: 7/10
1940-1949: 5/10
1950-1959: 6/10
1960-1969: 5/10
1970-1979: 3/10
1980-1989: 4/10
1990-1999: 3/10
2000-2009: 6/10
2010-2019: 9/10
2020-2024: 4/5
In total, that means I’ve read 56 of my 100 books. Bear in mind that includes quite a few from A Book A Day in May, so I had hoped to be a little far ahead – but the numbers above also reveal my tricky eras. As I might have predicted, I am rather behind in the 1970s-1990s, so might have to dwell in that period for a while.
Incidentally, I’ve read just under 100 books so far this year, so I really need to be more disciplined in the books I’m taking off the shelves… Can’t afford a repeat of my no-qualifying-reads of June.
But we don’t need to panic yet. I think it’s very doable. Wish me luck!
Oh dear, I too am wracked with guilt because I am doing something similar with Australian books, and have made very little progress, especially in the early years. I’m ok from the Sixties onwards, but my worst is 1911-1920 and I don’t even have books I want to read on the TBR.
Oh well, we press on!
If you want to have a look, Reading a Century of Books is in my top menu.
PS I’m thinking of taking out the book cover images, they brighten up the page but they also make it too long and unwieldy. What do you think?
Onwards, indeed! Last time I sort of cheated and read lots of biographies of early-20th century figures that were published in late-20th century – but that doesn’t work if your gap is earlier on!
I actually love the book covers and they help bring the page alive – my vote would be to keep them :)
Good luck Simon! I agree – looks very doable :-)
Thank you my friend!
I suspect I would be the same as you, Simon, in that some decades would be harder than others. But well done on getting to where you have, and good luck for the rest of the century!
Thank you! It’s been fun so far, but needs a bit more discipline…
I think the 1970s would be the hardest decade for me. Good luck as you continue the project!
Thanks Lisa!
I probably should start listing the new centuries, I’m still stuck in the 20th. However, I’m only missing twom ore years there, 1919 and 1921. Any suggestions?
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-century-of-books.html
Well done, you’re so close!
Here are some books I love from those years (best to double check, but I think they’re the right years):
1919 – Christopher and Columbus by Elizabeth von Arnim, Poor Relations by Compton Mackenzie, Living Alone by Stella Benson, Consequences by E.M. Delafield
1921 – Dangerous Ages by Rose Macaulay, Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim, The Sunny Side by A.A. Milne
Thanks for that, Simon. I’m sure I’ll get to that one day.
You’re doing very well, Simon. I’m impressed! Now I’m going to have a look at your masterlist…
thanks Jacqui!!
I’ve set a much easier task for myself, reading a Half-Century of Books, 1915 to 1965 and am happy to say that I have just 11 books to go to complete the project. Doing the research is half the fun. Thanks for posting your update and list.
Oo well done Grier – any highlights?
I just finished Precious Bane, a novel I had avoided as I’m not keen on books with a lot of dialect. I found an audiobook which was a joy to listen to and loved the story and characters.
Well done Simon! At this rate you should make it. I understand the need for discipline in picking the right books off the shelves to fit your gaps. Sometimes, a different books seem to be calling as one book leads to another….
I know! Temptations dragging me hither and thither…
Totally doable! I have every faith in you. I’m at 52 books (only counts if I review them, but I will! At some point!) but my decade breakdown looks a little different:
1920s – 2/5
1930s – 5/10
1940s – 4/10
1950s – 5/10
1960s – 3/10
1970s – 7/10
1980s – 5/10
1990s – 6/10
2000s – 6/10
2010s – 4/10
2020s – 5/5
As usual, I am keeping an obsessive list (currently 18 pages) of titles by publication year so I have ideas if one of my picks turns out to be a dude. Let me know if you want suggestions for any of your missing years!
Oo that’s a pretty even distribution, well done – nothing hogging the reading. And thanks, I think I’m ok for suggestions – my LibraryThing catalogue has all the dates in, so I have lots of choices… I’m just not reading them :D
Simon, I loved this idea as soon as I read about it, and I started on it immediately! It has really gotten me out of my rut of only reading books published in the past few years.
I’m about 5/8 of the way through the century, and I’m not doing any reviews, so I should finish by December. My easiest years were 2000 – 2024 (of course!) and my hardest years have been the 1970s. I was a teenager then, and I still look at the books published during those years with my jaundiced teenage eyes.
I’ll post my entire list of books of the century when it’s complete, in case any one else wants to do this challenge and is looking for suggestions.
Well done! And yes, I can imagine that would put you off the 1970s :D I was a teeanger in the 1990s/2000s and I don’t know anything about fiction in this period, so I’m largely doing non-fiction…
Phoebe, I have exactly the same problem! Almost everything about the 70s is off-putting to me. I’m sure there are some gems though, and it was a golden era of children’s books. (George Selden, Jean Little, E.L. Konigsburg, early Diana Wynn Jones….)
Ha – I’ve been doing mine since 2014 and I STILL have gaps in the 80s. So good luck but I’m sure you’ll get it done!
Hah! Yes, the time limit definitely concentrates the mind
Wow, that’s impressive progress. I used to read about 120 books a year but I doubt I managed half that now. One thing or another gets in the way. I’ll wish you luck but I have every faith in you!
Thanks!!
Surely you can easily up your quota from 1970 to 2020 simp!y by reading all Anne Tyler’s books – always a good read
I’ve only read one and I wasn’t bowled away, but so many people admire her that I should revisit
Oh my goodness, which one? She’s written so many wonderful books; maybe you started on a bad choice.
I’m doing a somewhat similar challenge via Litsy, though we started in 2022 and have through the end of 2025 to finish, so it’s considerably easier.
My difficult areas so far are 19/25-1934, 1970-1974, 1980-1984, 1995-1999 and 2010-2014. I have 41 years left.
Oo interesting that the beginning of decades seem trickier! Well done on your progress – it’s a fun challenge, isn’t it?
Very impressive!
When is the next “Year” Club? 1907 and 1927 are ones I’m hunting for to finish the 20th century. Not that that should influence the outcome of future Club pics lol
Sorry for the delay in replying – afraid it’s rather later than that – it’ll be the 1970 Club (14-20 Oct)
But gosh, 1927 is a wonderful year – I’d very much recommend The Love Child by Edith Olivier. Other gems are Dusty Answer by Rosamond Lehmann, The Way Things Are by E.M. Delafield, and of course To The Lighthouse
Ooo, wonderful suggestions! I have TLC and TWTA — in green Viragos, if course. :-)
What a great idea! And you’re doing very well, you’ll probably make it.
I hope you’re enjoying yourself on this century ride!
Thanks Emma – I’m feeling quietly confident at the moment!