Reading a Century of Books

Inspired by Simon from Stuck-in-a-Book, among others, at the beginning of 2014 I decided to try to read a book from each year 1914-2013. However, I’m not setting myself a time limit, the only rule is that the book was originally published in that year, and I’m not going to get all obsessed about it!

Titles in grey – on the TBR but not yet read (I know that I will have other books that fit missing years on here, but I’m not going to go through my whole library searching them out. Not yet, anyway. This is for books on the TBR and selected for my Months of Re-Reading and is secondary to those reading plans.)

Titles with a link – read and the link is to the review

1914 Robert Tressell – The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

1915 Rupert Brooke – 1914 and Other Poems

1916 Ada Leverson – Love at Second Sight

1917 Dorothy Richardson – Honeycomb

1918 Herbert Jenkins – Patricia Brent, Spinster (e-book)

1919

1920 Mary Webb – The House in Dorner Forest

1921 John Galsworthy – To Let

1922 Catherine Carswell – The Camomile

1923 Margaret Kennedy – The Ladies of Lyndon

1924 Edith Ayrton Zangwill – The Call

1925 Virginia Woolf – Mrs Dalloway

1926 Elinor Brent-Dyer – Jo of the Chalet School

1927 Elizabeth Bowen – The Hotel

1928 Susan Glaspell – Brook Evans

1929 Nella Larsen – Passing

1930 Vita Sackville-West – The Edwardians

1931 Joanna Cannan – High Table

1932 E. H. Young – Jenny Wren

1933 Vera Brittain – Testament of Youth

1934 Winifred Holtby – The Crowded Street

1935 Francis Brett Young – White Ladies

1936 Georgette Heyer – The Talisman Ring

1937 Zora Neale Hurston – Their Eyes were Watching God

1938 Angela Thirkell – Pomfret Towers

1939 Rumer Godden – Black Narcissus

1940

1941

1942 Kate O’Brien – The Land of Spices

1943 D.E. Stevenson – The Two Mrs Abbotts

1944 Cornelia Otis Skinner – Our Hearts Were Young and Gay

1945 Mary Lavin – The House in Clewe Street

1946 Stella Gibbons – Westwood

1947 Mollie Panter-Downes – One Fine Day

1948 Ruth Park – The Harp in the South

1949 Dorothy Whipple – Because of the Lockwoods

1950 Elizabeth Eliot – Alice

1951 Robertson Davies – Tempest Tost

1952 Gwen Raverat – Period Piece

1953 Iris Murdoch – Sartre

1954 Elizabeth Fair – The Native Heath

1955

1956 Patricia K. Caldwell – Prefects at Vivians

1957 Paul Gallico – Mrs ‘Arris goes to Paris

1958

1959 E. R. Braithwaite – To Sir, With Love

1960 Miss Read – Fresh from the Country

1961 Attia Hosain – Sunlight on a Broken Column

1962

1963 Patricia Leitch – The Horse from Black Loch

1964 G.S. Fraser – The Modern Writer and his World

1965 Anne Tyler – The Tin Can Tree

1966 Harold Nicolson – Letters and Diaries Vol. 1

1967

1968 Halldor Laxness – Under the Glacier

1969 Maya Angelou – I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

1970

1971 Josephine Pullein-Thompson – Race Horse Holiday

1972 Jane Aiken Hodge – The Double Life of Jane Austen

1973

1974 James Aldridge – The Marvellous Mongolian

1975 Ruth Adam – A Woman’s Place

1976 Joan Russell Noble – Recollections of Virginia Woolf

1977 Diana Mosley – A Life of Contrasts

1978 Eric Newby – The Big Red Train Ride

1979

1980 James Lees-Milne – Harold Nicolson Vol. 1

1981

1982

1983 Victor Skipp – The Making of Victorian Birmingham

1984 Mary Hocking – Good Daughters

1985

1986 Diana Wynne Jones – Howl’s Moving Castle

1987 Michael Swan – Learner English

1988 Marianne Grabrucker – There’s a Good Girl

1989 Christine Pullein-Thompson – Catastrophe at Black Pony Inn

1990 Dorothy Sheridan – Wartime Women

1991

1992

1993

1994 Veronica Stallwood – Oxford Exit

1995 Jane Smiley – Moo

1996 Simon Armitage – Moon Country

1997 Laura Kriska – The Accidental Office Lady

1998 Diana Wynne Jones – Dark Lord of Derkholm

1999 Alice Thomson – The Singing Line

2000 Roger Deakin – Waterlog

2001 John Sergeant – Give me Ten Seconds

2002 Paul Magrs – Strange Boy

2003 Michael Simkins – What’s my Motivation?

2004 Chitra Divakaruni – Queen of Dreams

2005 Jeremy Lewis – Penguin Special

2006 Simon Elmes – Talking for Britain

2007 Lindy Woodhead – Shopping, Seduction and Mr Selfridge

2008 Stephen Miller – Smart Blonde: Dolly Parton

2009 Martin Cutts – Oxford Guide to Plain English

2010 Dorian Lynskey – 33 Revolutions Per Minute: a History of Protest Songs

2011 Julian Holland – Mapping the Railways

2012 The Persephone Book of Short Stories

2013 Virago is 40: A Celebration

Note: I haven’t yet decided whether I’m going to have a rule of one book only by each author – I may replace doubles if I find another book. No rules is the rule!

68 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. Top books from 2013 and reading plans for 2014 | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jan 01, 2014 @ 14:23:10

  2. State of the TBR and A Month of Re-Reading in January | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jan 02, 2014 @ 08:04:39

  3. Chrys Schlapak
    Jan 10, 2014 @ 12:09:53

    Love this idea, going to have to try it too!

    Like

    Reply

    • Liz at Libro
      Jan 10, 2014 @ 15:36:08

      Yes, it’s a fun thing to do, but I’m not pushing it or aiming to finish by a particular deadline, just seeing where it takes me!

      Like

      Reply

  4. Birthday Haul | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jan 24, 2014 @ 12:10:45

  5. Luci
    Jan 29, 2014 @ 13:14:23

    1914 suggestions
    The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
    Dubliners by James Joyce
    Lucy Fitch Perkins, The Eskimo Twins – I’ve just discovered the Twin books, or some of them, are available as Kindle freebies!
    Lots of boarding school stories – at least two Angela Brazil books, and an Elsie Oxenham

    Like

    Reply

    • Liz at Libro
      Jan 29, 2014 @ 13:18:58

      Aha – thank you. I have had the RT Philanthropists in the past and given them away (ha ha) but might pick that up again. Good news re school stories, too. Phew!

      Like

      Reply

  6. Holiday reading and acquisitions | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Apr 18, 2014 @ 14:37:17

  7. Book reviews – Queen of Dreams and What’s my Motivation – and some acquisitions | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jun 22, 2014 @ 09:57:07

  8. Book reviews – The Marvellous Mongolian and Strange Boy | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jun 27, 2014 @ 08:05:35

  9. Book reviews – The Great Typo Hunt and Good Daughters | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jul 10, 2014 @ 09:49:46

  10. Book reviews – Passing and Penguin Special | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jul 13, 2014 @ 09:09:38

  11. Book reviews – The House in Clewe Street and The Singing Line | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jul 15, 2014 @ 11:59:53

  12. Book reviews – A Woman’s Place 1910-1975 and The Two Mrs Abbotts (Persephone Books) | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Aug 17, 2014 @ 18:02:43

  13. Book review – The Persephone Book of Short Stories, and some shuffling around | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Aug 26, 2014 @ 20:43:49

  14. State of the TBR – September 2014 | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Sep 01, 2014 @ 10:40:12

  15. Book reviews – “The Last Kings of Sark” and “Wartime Women” | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Sep 16, 2014 @ 21:27:36

  16. State of the TBR – October 2014 | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Oct 01, 2014 @ 19:09:34

  17. Book reviews – “Period Piece” and “Moranthology” plus a shiny new book | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Oct 24, 2014 @ 07:01:59

  18. Book reviews – Sartre and Cotillion | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Nov 07, 2014 @ 18:58:00

  19. Book reviews – Learner English and The Horologicon | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Nov 16, 2014 @ 18:08:26

  20. Book Reviews – The Hotel and Underground to Everywhere | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Nov 28, 2014 @ 21:22:41

  21. Book reviews – The Bookshop Book and Youth and the Bright Medusa (plus Christmas comes early!) | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Dec 16, 2014 @ 19:13:57

  22. Book reviews – The European Tribe, Map of a Nation and | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Dec 24, 2014 @ 12:09:26

  23. Book reviews – Americanah and The Talisman Ring | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Dec 30, 2014 @ 18:43:35

  24. Top books of 2014 (plus state of the TBR and 2015 reading plans) | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jan 01, 2015 @ 16:27:49

  25. Book review – “The Woman Who Stole My Life” and a possible readalong … | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jan 18, 2015 @ 11:02:23

  26. State of the TBR February 2015 (in which I Fail a bit) | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Feb 01, 2015 @ 22:24:48

  27. Book reviews – “Joy and Josephine” and “The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists” | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Feb 06, 2015 @ 17:03:17

  28. State of the TBR March 2015 | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Mar 01, 2015 @ 18:39:29

  29. Book reviews – The Edwardians and To Let | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Mar 15, 2015 @ 22:47:44

  30. Book reviews – Barchester Towers and Prefects at Vivians | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    May 22, 2015 @ 11:00:08

  31. Book reviews – Tempest Tost and The Road to Middlemarch | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jun 11, 2015 @ 19:08:02

  32. 20 Books of Summer Challenge Part 1 | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jun 14, 2015 @ 13:25:24

  33. Book reviews – Race Horse Holiday and The Silver Spoon | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jun 19, 2015 @ 18:04:55

  34. Book reviews – Patricia Brent, Spinster and Oxford Guide to Plain English | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jun 23, 2015 @ 16:20:17

  35. State of the TBR – July 2015 | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jul 01, 2015 @ 15:40:12

  36. Book reviews – No Word from Winifred and Clayhanger | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jul 05, 2015 @ 17:48:12

  37. State of the TBR August 2015 | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Aug 01, 2015 @ 06:03:25

  38. Book review – Jenny Wren and a terrible slip-up in the bookshop … | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Aug 23, 2015 @ 18:48:12

  39. Book reviews – Seducers in Ecuador / The Heir and Flowering Wilderness | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Oct 26, 2015 @ 18:28:52

  40. Book reviews – The House in Norham Gardens, To Sir, With Love and The Black Moth, plus … | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Dec 29, 2015 @ 21:51:36

  41. Stats and Best Books of 2015 plus (parlous) state of the TBR January 2016 | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jan 01, 2016 @ 18:14:53

  42. Book reviews – Mrs Dalloway and Backwater | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jan 24, 2016 @ 10:04:59

  43. Book reviews – Crossriggs (Virago) and Tales of the Chalet School (Jan and Feb reads) | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Feb 07, 2016 @ 18:28:42

  44. Book review – Honeycomb (Virago) plus an acquisition and exciting re-issue news! | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Mar 03, 2016 @ 08:44:24

  45. Book reviews – Harold Nicolson’s Diaries and Letters 1930-39 and All in One Basket | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Mar 11, 2016 @ 19:40:28

  46. Book review – The Nutmeg Tree by Margery Sharp | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Apr 12, 2016 @ 17:02:39

  47. Review and acquisition round-up – Evelyn Waugh, Philip Sassoon and Virginia Woolf #SNB #books #Woolfalong | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Aug 04, 2016 @ 13:21:50

  48. Book reviews – The Lighthearted Quest and Moon Country #20booksofsummer #books | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Aug 05, 2016 @ 17:52:23

  49. hopewellslibraryoflife
    Aug 11, 2016 @ 20:10:24

    Reply

    • Liz Dexter
      Aug 12, 2016 @ 16:35:57

      Wow – you’ve only got a few gaps (and I cover two of those so you’re welcome to use those ideas! Did you do it “organically” or on purpose? I’m trying to do it as I read, although I did look up books for certain years … but then I got to read The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, which was excellent, so all good!

      Like

      Reply

  50. A trip to Astley Book Farm | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Sep 04, 2016 @ 18:46:40

  51. Book reviews – Mrs ‘Arris Goes to Paris and Prodigal Summer #books #amreading | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Oct 13, 2016 @ 17:19:55

  52. Book review – Silas Marner | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Dec 23, 2016 @ 17:26:12

  53. Top Ten Books of the Year 2016 (and reading report) | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jan 01, 2017 @ 07:18:37

  54. Book review – Diana Wynne Jones – Dark Lord of Derkholm #amreading #books | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Mar 05, 2017 @ 19:16:43

  55. Book review – Diana Mosley – “A Life of Contrasts” #amreading #books | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    May 04, 2017 @ 10:03:31

  56. State of the TBR – July 2017 #amreading | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jul 01, 2017 @ 21:40:52

  57. Book reviews – Mollie Panter-Downes – “One Fine Day” and Zora Neale Hurston – “Their Eyes were Watching God” (Virago Books) #20BooksOfSummer #amreading #books #Virago | Adventures in reading, writing and working f
    Aug 14, 2017 @ 10:01:04

  58. Book review – Christine Pullein-Thompson – “More Adventures from Black Pony Inn” #amreading #books #ponybooks | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Sep 28, 2017 @ 12:04:15

  59. State of the TBR June 2018 and #20BooksOfSummer TBR | Adventures in reading, writing and working from home
    Jun 01, 2018 @ 12:57:09

  60. Book reviews – Stella Gibbons – “Westwood” and Beverley Nichols – “The Tree that Sat Down” | Adventures in reading, running and working from home
    Dec 29, 2018 @ 19:33:01

  61. Book review – Ada Leverson – “The Little Ottleys” (“Love’s Shadow”, “Tenterhooks” and “Love at Second Sight”) | Adventures in reading, running and working from home
    Apr 07, 2020 @ 14:12:33

  62. Book review (and readalong) – Diana Wynne Jones – “Howl’s Moving Castle” | Adventures in reading, running and working from home
    Apr 09, 2020 @ 07:27:37

  63. Book review – Rumer Godden – “Black Narcissus” | Adventures in reading, running and working from home
    Jan 18, 2022 @ 12:49:00

  64. Book review – Elizabeth Fair – “The Native Heath” | Adventures in reading, running and working from home
    Apr 18, 2022 @ 08:00:17

  65. Book review - Kate O'Brien - "The Land of Spices"
    Mar 21, 2023 @ 08:00:25

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