There are always so many shiny ‘new’ authors out there, just as there are alluring unread books. But since I’ve met so many writers over the years whose other books I’d like to try, it’s always a challenge each year to balance out: Old friends? New friends? The devil you know? The devil you don’t know? A bird in the hand? Two in the bush? You get the idea.

Since I knew I’d be reading new-to-me authors this year anyway, I signed up for the New Authors Reading Challenge at the middle level, committing to read 25 books from authors whom I had not read before.

SUCCESS!

In fact, I tallied 71 to date, with just over a week left in the year. To see who I met this year, please visit my original sign-up page for this challenge.

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The Seconds Reading Challenge encouraged me to go back for seconds of authors that I’d read only once.

The great thing about this challenge is that it wasn’t just for my second in a series books, but the second time I’d read any suthor. That is, I could include series and stand-alones. But – it was only for seconds, not thirds and so on. For that reason, I entered at the Just a Spoonful level and promised to read just 3 books that are 2nds.

I did better than I anticipated so I have another

SUCCESS!

You’ll notice some authors that are also on the New-to-Me Authors list (above) but that is, of course, because I read both my first and second book by that author in 2012.

SERIES:
1. Bantock, Nick: Sabine’s Notebook (2nd in the Griffin & Sabine trilogy)

2. Cameron, W. Bruce: A Dog’s Journey (Sequel to A Dog’s Purpose)

3. Taylor, Phoebe Atwood: The Mystery of the Cape Cod Tavern (4th in the Asey Mayo series, but only the 2nd that I’ve read)

STAND-ALONES
4. Grenville, Kate: Searching for the Secret River

5. Norman, Dave: White River Junctions

6. Collins, Wilkie: The Moonstone

7. Richler, Mordecai: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

8. King, Stephen: 11/22/63

9. Johnston, Wayne: The Divine Ryans

10. Montgomery, Lucy Maud: Kilmeny of the Orchard

11. Oates, Joyce Carol: The Museum of Dr. Moses

12. McKay, Ami: The Birth House

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And, finally, the I Want More Reading Challenge was a gimme: the challenge here was to read ‘seconds’, but only stand-alones qualified.

The list is the same as it was for the Seconds Challenge (above) minus, of course, the series books. I went in at the Never Too Late level of 2 – 4 books, so I have one more

SUCCESS!

* * * * *

So:

Jack Sprat could eat no fat; his wife could no lean.
So between them both, they licked the platter clean.

It would seem that between the New Authors Challenge and the Seconds Challenge, I would Have listed all the books that I read this year. But I still need to include those that were 3rd, 4th (or more) times with an author – and that didn’t count for either of these.