I am posting this not as a brag, but people who write usually read a lot. I always wanted to write mystery stories, ever since reading the Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes in elementary school. Add that mystery reading love to my Christian reading and it amounts to a lot of books. This year has been fairly quick getting to this point. I have been “home alone” with my wife babysitting in Tennessee and then there was a “stay-at-home” order – so why not read? And my Bible reading is almost up to the Bible in a year pace, in addition to this reading.
In 2015, I accomplished something that I had tried to do in 1996. I read 26 books (actually a lot more) with an author whose last name started with each letter of the alphabet. In 1996, I could not find an “X”. Thanks to Chamblin’s Book Mine in Jacksonville, FL, I found the “X”, actually two. Thanks to the Jackson Street Bookstore in Omaha, NE, I have found a few more.
In 2020, I have accomplished the feat for the sixth consecutive year, and I have a few more “X” authors to keep the string going. I’ll need to purchase another “V” if I want to continue in 2021, then the “O” and “Q” may be needed for the next year.
Regarding the “X” authors, the “X” authors are Chinese writers. Their last name is their given name and their first name is their family name (Common among most Asian cultures). But that doesn’t change the feat when considering “last names.”
Here is a list of at least one book for each letter this year, 2020. Note, for most of the books mentioned, this is the only book from that letter so far this year. More and better ones may follow. The table that follows will show books for 2019 – modified a little from last year’s post.
The Alphabet Challenge of 2020
AUTHOR | BOOK | COMMENTS | |
A | Atkins, Ace | Wonderland | A Spenser novel. Atkins does an admirable job of continuing the Robert B. Parker series |
B | Box, C. J. | The Disappeared | A Joe Pickett novel |
C | Christie, Agatha | The Murder at Hazelmoor | A non-series mystery |
D | Dekker, Ted | Water Walker | The middle book of the Outlaw Series – always a good Christian principle taught |
E | Ellis, Mary | Magnolia Moonlight | The Prices go on a honeymoon and find adventure while their staff discovers a scam artist targeting churches. |
F | Frank, Dorothea Benton | The Christmas Pearl | Having lived in SC, reading a story about a Gullah ghost was delightful, and with recipes! |
G | Graham, Billy | The Reason for my Hope: Salvation | Wonderfully written |
H | Hoesel, Don | Hunter’s Moon | Family drama with a secret past that may interfere with a political career |
I | Iles, Greg | 24 Hours | More intrigue from a great author |
J | Jance, J. A. | Deadly Stakes | An Ali Reynolds mystery |
K | Kierkegaard, Søren | Fear and Trembling, The Sickness unto Death | Two books about faith written years apart by the philosopher |
L | Lewis, C. S. | Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce | Fiction, but with great meaning |
M | Müller, George | Answers to Prayer | A testimony of faith, as seen from a daily ledger |
N | Nesbo, Jo | Police | A Harry Hole mystery, where police are being killed |
O | Oliphant, B. J. | Here’s to the Newly Dead | Shirley McClintock is still in New Mexico |
P | Patterson, James | Private: Berlin | My first novel to read in his global private eye series |
Q | Queen, Ellery | The New Adventures of Ellery Queen | A novella and a few short stories, but the title is misleading as the book was very old. |
R | Robb, J. D. | Thankless in Death | Nora Roberts’ futuristic Eve Dallas series |
S | Spurgeon, Charles H. | The Power of Prayer, Praying Successfully, Finding Peace in Life’s Storms, The Practice of Praise, Power over Satan | Several short works by Spurgeon |
T | Thor, Brad | The Last Patriot | Scot Harvath chases ancient secrets |
U | Upfield, Arthur | Sinister Stones | Napoleon Bonaparte, I love Bony. |
V | Viets, Elaine | Accessory to Murder | a dead-end job, but with a different protagonist, Josie Marcus, mystery shopper |
W | Woods, Stuart | Santa Fe Edge | Ed Eagle’s ex-wife causing more trouble |
X | Xianliang, Zhang | Half of Man is Woman | A prisoner in a reeducation camp finds love, loses it, and then reunites. |
Y | Yttrup, Ginny L. | Home | An author and her husband find home to be important. |
Z | Zezza, Carlo | Paris 2000 | Written in the vein of Orwell’s 1984, when the world governments abdicate power to the computer. |
Total Books = 45 as of 3/31/2020
Total pages thus far = 12,808
The Alphabet Challenge of 2019
AUTHOR | BOOK | COMMENTS | |
A | Abraham, Abie | Oh, God, Where are you? | The Ghost of Bataan gives an account on the Philippines from before the war through the Death March and POW camp to grave registration. |
B | Bright, Bill | Witnessing without Fear, Come Help Change our World | Bill Bright’s journey and techniques for Cru |
C | Carson, Ben | Think Big | Biographical and Motivational |
D | Doss, James D. | The Shaman Sings | Charlie Moon and the very lovable Daisy Perika |
E | Evanovich, Janet | Top Secret Twenty-One | I am behind on my Stephanie Plum novels |
F | Fenelon, Francois | The Royal Way of the Cross, Talking with God, Meditations on the Heart of God, God of My Heart | Foundational truth, explained |
G | Guinness, Os | Fool’s Talk | Interesting Discussion regarding Apologetics |
H | Hillerman, Anne | Song of the Lion | Move over Chee and Leaphorn as Bernie takes the lead |
I | Iles, Greg | True Evil | More intrigue in Natchez, MS |
J | Jeremiah, David | Agents of the Apocalypse | End Days Prophecies |
K | Kellerman, Faye | Sacred and Profane | Peter Decker makes some hard decisions in the second book of the long-running series. |
L | Lucado, Max | 3:16, Grace, The Greatest Moments, Traveling Light | I started the year with The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis, but … |
M | Marquand, John P. | Thank You, Mr. Moto | Completing the Mr. Moto mysteries |
N | Nesbo, Jo | Headhunters | Not a series novel |
O | Obreht, Tea | The Tiger’s Wife | Very Interesting |
P | Packer, J. I. | Knowing God | Slow at the start, but powerful, in depth Bible study on the attributes of God and our relationship with Him. |
Q | Quindlen, Anna | Rise and Shine | A morning news host goes off the rails and her sister is concerned. |
R | Robertson, David | A.S.K. and The Dawkins Letters | A book about questions posed by youth and an answer to Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion |
S | Simenon, Georges | Maigret in Exile | Maigret travels to the French coast to solve a puzzle |
T | Thoene, Bodie | When Jesus Wept | Jesus’ ministry from Lazarus’ point of view – intriguing, but maybe not totally believable |
U | Upfield, Arthur | Venom House | Napoleon Bonaparte, I love Bony. |
V | Viets, Elaine | Murder with Reservations | Helen Hawthorne works another dead-end job |
W | Warren, Kay | Choose Joy | Wife of Rick Warren |
X | Xingjian, Gao | One Man’s Bible | Nobel winning Autobiography of a Chinese Dissident |
Y | Young, Wm. Paul | The Shack | Interesting |
Z | Zeigler, Kenneth | The War in Heaven | Woven into the End Times, a novel with very interesting characters |
Total Books = 152
Total pages = 45,916
I’m always impressed by those who take the time to read. I myself have a very short attention span and soon find myself drifting off to sleep if a book doesn’t capture my interest right away. As I grow older, I find it harder to focus on reading; My eyes blur or tear up and like I said, I often fall asleep. I guess I would not be classified as a good writer then. Maybe I should stick to short stories.
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You are a good writer. Any old saw has its exceptions. So, that makes you an exceptional writer. The key to good writing is to have something good to say. Maybe I’m not always that good in that I piggy back off what others have said. But I will admit that my attention span is getting worse, and my retention is not as good as it used to be. I may slow down soon, especially when I go pick up my wife.
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Haha!
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We have similar tastes in books, I see.
Right now, I have a little over 500 books on my Kindle, most of which I have yet to read, but at least I will never run out of books! I discovered ebooks ten years ago and now I don’t even like to read a physical book. My kindle reader is so much easier for my arthritic hands to hold than a physical book, plus I can change the font and the backlight to suit my eyes. No need for reading glasses!
My husband, who typically reads one entire book per day, prefers “real” books. Poor man, he is running out of books now.
We both like Stephanie Plum. My hubby sent the author a suggestion for a book title several years ago. His suggestion: Twenty-two, What’s the Catch? Unfortunately, although book 22 was still a couple of years from being released, Evanovich already had a title and had already written the story. I’ve forgotten now what her 22 title was, but it wasn’t as good as my husband’s idea. 😀
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I am way behind on the Stephanie Plum series. I still like “real” books and if your hubby comes by, I can load him down, fill his trunk, whatever. 22 was Tricky Twenty-two, which I read last year, behind, I know. I have tried reading on my tablet, but never got into it. But it is a lot more portable… Maybe.
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Whoa— since these grandkids came my way reading is relegated to Braer rabbit, petter rabbit and petter cottontail 🤓
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I have gone back to Hardy Boys, but I can’t get my 11 yr old grandson interested. He likes dragons and such.
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Ain’t no doubt— I was Nancy drew myself 🥳
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Oddly, my wife enjoyed the Hardy Boys. Then again, she thought the Cub Scouts had much more fun than the Brownies.
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Wow this is incredible
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