Now as you may have gathered if you are a regular visitor here, I like to read. I also like to make things fun by adding reading challenge or two. I spotted an intriguing challenge over on Ali Hope’s excellent blog and decided to follow her lead and read A Century of Books. Like her I’ve chosen to read for the century 1919 to 2018, purely in my case because I am lucky enough to receive books that are due out this year so it’s easy to tick at list one of those off the list. I’ve also decided to back date it from the beginning of this year and luckily for me I’ve read books from a variety of years (no it’s not cheating to back date it!). So, I’ll be updating this as and when I read a book published in a as yet unfilled year, and of course, linking to any reviews I may write. I’ve no idea how long this will take me, though I don’t think I’ll finish it this year. (The year by the way refers to the year the book was first published, not when it was written.)
1919
1920
1921 – The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
1922 – Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyll
1923
1924
1925
1926 – The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
1927 – Young Anne by Dorothy Whipple
1928
1929
1930 – Miss Mole by EH Young
1931 – The Fortnight in September by R C Sheriff
1932 – The Division Bell Mystery by Ellen Wilkinson
1933 – Business As Usual by Jane Oliver & Ann Stafford
1934 – Miss Buncle’s Book by D E Stevenson
1935
1936 – The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay
1937
1938 – Excellent Intentions by Richard Hull
1939
1940 – Nothing to Report by Carola Oman
1941 – Where Stands a Winged Sentry by Margaret Kennedy
1942
1943 – Murder’s A Swine by Nap Lombard
1944 – Checkmate to Murder by E.C.R. Lorac
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950 – Tea is So Intoxicating by Mary Essex
1951
1952 – Crossed Skis by Carol Carnac
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961 – The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Murial Spark
1962 – The Sleeping Car Murders by Sebastien Japrisot
1963 – Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
1964 – Surfeit of Suspects by George Bellairs
1965 – The Carlyles at Home by Thea Holmes
1966 – Third Girl by Agatha Christie
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973 – The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
1974
1975 – The Long Shadow by Celia Fremlin
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980 – A Month in the Country by JL Carr
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993 – Black Swans by Eve Babitz (originally published in 1993 though my copy is a 2018 reissue)
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008 – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
2009 – The Crossing Places by Elly Griffths
2010
2011
2012
2013 – Dead Lions by Mick Herron
2014 – The Vintage Girl by Hester Browne
2015 – The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan
2016 – How Much the Heart Can Hold by various authors
2017 – City of Masks by S D Sykes
2018 – The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland
Do let me know if you can suggest any books for any uncompleted year.
From First Page to Last 
It’s a wonderful challenge! I wish I had the time for it! I need to remember it for next year! 🙂 I think Digging to America by Anne Tyler was published in the UK in 2006. I loved it. My UK copy of The Demolished Man is from 1999, if you like good sci-fi that’s not too sci-fi, haha!
LikeLike
I don’t think I’ll finish it this year! Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll look out for copies of them. 🙂
LikeLike
Definitely Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury for 1953!
LikeLike
Thanks for the suggestion Linda. I’ve not read that one so I’ll keep a look out for a copy 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great challenge. Wish I had time to join in!
LikeLike
I’m not envisaging finishing it this year! Unless I read a lot of short stories and count them 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I shall follow this with interest. I couldn’t do it as I can’t seem to read anything older than the last 30 years or so, with the odd exception. Persephone Books might be a good way to fill some of the blanks – I see you have already got Miss Buncle’s Book on your list. For the 80s I’d go for something like Lace or A Woman of Substance for 1979.
LikeLike
Thanks for the suggestions. I have recently discovered Persephone Books and I’ve come across a fair few I’d love to read. I’m trying to read older books as well as modern ones so I’m hoping this challenge will encourage me too!
LikeLike
What a great challenge! It’s 80 years since Rebecca was first published, and there’s a beautiful new edition available…
LikeLike
There is. I’ve not read it before (I got half way through and stopped for some reason, though I was enjoying it). I must read it again and the 80th anniversary year seems fitting 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great challenge! This might help, it’s my Beat the Backlist post but targets all the older books on my shelf – https://keeperofpages.wordpress.com/2016/12/22/2017-beat-the-backlist-tbr/
LikeLike
Thanks Janel, I’ll take a look. I am trying to read more older books so I thought this challenge made sense 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person