Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

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✔1. A book you meant to read in 2015, but didn't
Ten by Gretchen McNeil ★★½☆☆

✔2. A book set in a different continent
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman ★★★☆☆

✔3. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 (winner or nominated)
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter ★★★★★

✔4. A book by an author you discovered in 2015
Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica ★★★½☆

✔5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name
Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton ★★★★★

✔6. The highest rated on your TBR
November 9 by Colleen Hoover ★★★★☆

✔7. A book about books
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ★★★★★

✔8. A classic book with less than 200 pages
Psycho by Robert Bloch ★★★☆☆

✔9. A book that was mentioned in another book
Come Closer by Sara Gran (A Head Full of Ghosts) (BPL) ★★★½☆

✔10. A book by an author you feel you should have read by now
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury ★★★☆☆

✔11. A book from the Rory Gilmore challenge
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didian ★★★★½

✔12. A childhood classic
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum ★★★☆☆

✔13. Reader’s Choice
The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft ★★★½☆

✔14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title
What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler ★★★★☆

15. A book set in the past
The Revenant by Michael Punke

16. A book from the top 100 mystery novels
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

✔17. A book with a beautiful cover
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda ★★★★★


✔18. A book on a summer/beach reading list
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware ★★★½☆

✔19. A non-fiction book
Columbine by Dave Cullen ★★★★★

✔20. A book with a first name in the title
Alice by Christina Henry ★★★☆☆

✔21. A book from the Goodreads Recommendations page
Thumbprint: A Story by Joe Hill ★★★½☆

✔22. The first book in a new to you series
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey ★★★★☆

✔23. The next book in a series you are reading
The Walking Dead, Vol. 03: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman ★★★★☆

✔24. A between-the-numbers book of a series
The Prince by Kiera Cass ★★★☆☆

✔25. A book whose main character is in a profession that interests you (actress)
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham ★★★★☆

✔26. A book everyone is talking about
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline ★★★★☆

✔27. A book with a beautiful title (in your own opinion)
The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry ★★★☆☆

✔28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir
A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold ★★★★☆

✔29. A book by an author who writes under more than one name
Mr. Mercedes ★★★★☆

30. A fairytale from a culture other than your own
Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom

✔31. A work of young adult fiction
Attachments Rainbow Rowell ★★★★☆

32. A historical fiction book - on hold, TBD
America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray

✔33. The 16th book on your TBR
The Blue: A Novel by Lucy Clarke ★★★★★

✔34. A book about mental illness
Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz ★★★½☆

✔35. An award winning book (Bram Stoker Award Best Novel- 2008)
Duma Key by Stephen King ★★★★☆

✔36. An identity book
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie ★★★★☆

✔37. A book that you've seen the movie of but haven't read
Carrie by Stephen King ★★★★☆

✔38. A book about an anti hero
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas ★★★★★

✔39. A book picked for you by someone else (Sweeter Reads Recommendation Swap)
Variant by Robison Wells ★★★★☆

✔40. A novella from your favorite genre
The Mist by Stephen King ★★★★☆

✔41. A book about a major world event (fiction or non-fiction)
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys ★★★★☆

42. A top 100 fantasy novel
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

✔43. A book about a thing that goes bump in the night
Bird Box by Josh Malerman ★★★★★

✔44. A book you're embarrassed to read in public
Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny by Holly Madison ★☆☆☆☆

✔45. A book related to a hobby or passion you have
The Magnolia Story by Chip Gaines ★★★★☆

✔46. A crime story
Faithful Place by Tana French ★★★★★

✔47. An indie book (wildcard)
This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp ★★★½☆

✔48. A dystopia
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey ★★★★☆

✔49. A book with a great opening line
The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens ★★★★½
"A person has to have lived a little to appreciate a survival story."

✔50. A book originally written in a language other than English
Night by Elie Wiesel ★★★★☆

✔51. A short story from a well-known author
In the Tall Grass by Stephen King ★★★★★

✔52. A book published in 2016
The Fireman by Joe Hill ★★★½☆

A-Z Challenge: Titles - Continued from 2015 (↹)
↹ A: After You by Jojo Moyes ★★★☆☆
✔B: Between the World and Me★★★★☆
↹ C: Confess by Colleen Hoover ★★★★☆
D: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
✔E: Endurance by Jack Kilborn ★★★★☆
F: Finders Keepers by Stephen King
G: Ghost Story by Peter Straub
✔H: A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay ★★★★☆
✔I: I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak ★★★★☆
✔J: Jaws by Peter Benchley ★★★★☆
↹ K: The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood ★★★☆☆
↹ L: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira ★★★☆☆
✔M: The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain ★★★½☆
N: Night by Elie Wiesel
✔O: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey ★★★★☆
↹ P: The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliot ★★★☆☆
↹ Q: The Queen by Kiera Cass ★★★☆☆
↹ R: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion ★★★½☆
↹ S: Still Alice by Lisa Genova ★★★★★
↹ T: The Troop by Nick Cutter ★★★★☆
U: Uprooted by Naomi Novik
↹V: Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann ★★★★★
↹ W: Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill ★★★½☆
✔X: Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit ★★★★☆
✔Y: You by Caroline Kepnes ★★★★★
✔Z: Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Thomas French ★★★★☆

Bird Box is a nice choice for week 43 as the plot is exactly this topic! :D

I've heard a lot about it so I'm glad that I'm able to fit it somewhere :)

I loved Pines, I hope you'll be as hooked as I was!

Ooh, I didn't realise that Psycho was so short - it might have to be one of my side-reads next year. I did read the other day though, that when the movie was about to be released, Hitchcock went around and bought all of the copies of the book that he found, so that nobody could know the twist! I thought that was really interesting.

Jody wrote: "Ooh, I didn't realise that Psycho was so short - it might have to be one of my side-reads next year. I did read the other day though, that when the movie was about to be released, Hit..."

Neither did I! Think I need to add that somewhere too.

That is really interesting about Hitchcock, slightly strange too. Haha! Big fan of Hitchcock's movies but not such a fan of him. He wasn't very nice from the sounds of things.

I will be reading The Shadow Of the Wind for the about books week too. Of course I won't e reading in order but at least I will have someone to discuss it with.

I won't be reading in order either :)

I have to use the digital library for books. I also think I might get burnt out with the challenge if I have to follow so strictly.

I'm realizing as I try to pick a book for week 4 that I found a lot of new authors this year! But I think that's a good problem to have. Just another reason why I loved the challenge :)

I agree. if I know I have to read a book at a certain time it will take me forever to read it because its too much like homework. I'd much rather skip around and pick books that fit my mood at the time.

I've been reading in order this year for the most part. But I did notice I read some side reads that fit categories later in the year so I just changed the books I had already picked to the ones I read.

It's very nice of you to join me for Oryx and Crake :D
I'm looking forward to your opinion for The Knife of Never Letting Go! Since I read A Monster Calls, I want to read all his books. My next is The Rest of Us Just Live Here.

Good idea for the A-Z challenge list, I'm pretty sure I won't finish my fantasy bingo (it will end in march) as there are several 500p books so I'll move there too :)

I'm also been completing a A-Z challenge both with titles and authors with this year's books. I don't think I'll be able to finish it this year, but it's made me realize I read 10 books by authors which names start with M, funny coincidence.

I really liked Mary Kubica's The Good Girl. Have you read that, Laura? I've got Pretty Baby on one of my challenges... I think K (Kubica) for the A-Z Author Challenge.

The Good Girl was the book that I read in 2015 (that made me discover the author). The ending really made that one. I've read a ton of Stephen King and Joe Hill but a lot of times I don't revisit authors. So I like the idea of that topic.

I'm finishing up my final book for the 2015 challenge and then I can start filling in this one. I think there's been a mental block... I just can't start thinking about the new challenge until I finish this one :P

Me too! And it was for one of the topics I was least excited to find a book for (mystery/thriller). I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed it. You're right. That ending was really explosive. I'm not sure if I think that because I don't read a lot of mystery/thriller books or if was actually really good, haha. But I liked it enough to want to read more by her. :)

You'll get there. Congrats on being only one book away!

I finally was able to sit down and complete the majority of my list! Now I'm really excited to kick off 2016 and to start checking off some of the books. Even though I'm sure they will change about a million times :p

I was supposed to read House of Leaves this year, too! But then I never got around to borrowing it from a friend of mine... Might try again in 2016, outside the challenge.

I bought it towards the beginning of the year and just never broke down and read it. I keep telling myself that I want a few days to really devote to it and that just never happens as a grad student. I'm graduating in May so maybe House of Leaves will be my celebration! Which makes me sound like the most boring person ever :P

Reading books sounds like a great way to celebrate, since you get to read what you want :D Did you get a copy with all the bells and whistles, ie full colour and all?

I just bought the basic copy on Amazon so most likely not. I don't think it has color. Considering I refuse to buy books since I can get them free from the Overdrive site, buying copy at all was a big step for me. But I heard it wouldn't be the same on my Kindle so caved.

Apparently the full copy even has a bit of actual Braille in it. I think my friend has that one, so I'll have to check with them just to see what it's like. :)

Saara wrote: "Apparently the full copy even has a bit of actual Braille in it. I think my friend has that one, so I'll have to check with them just to see what it's like. :)"

Let me know if it's really different from the basic version. Braille would be a really interesting addition!

I broke down and added Harry Potter to my options for week 10. That's one of the weeks where I don't have a strong preference on what I read so if anyone has an opinion on my choices then I'm open to it :)

I will personally always give a big thumbs up to Neil Gaiman, but he's one of my favourites, so I'm biased :D Buuut if you read HP you will know what everyone's always on about, I guess.

Harry is always the right answer!

What a list! And I've only now discovered that I Am Legend is a book (shudders)! That might have to be on my list this year, unless it becomes a book I have to leave under the living room sofa at night!

Question (and this might be the wrong place for this): is the A-Z challenge part of this group or another one? When I joined the group I thought the A-Z folders here were for that challenge but I'm pretty sure I'm wrong.

The A-Z challenge is one that floats around throughout different groups. I learned last year that I was motivated to read when it counted towards a challenge. In general, I get a lot of satisfaction out of checking things off a list :P

Last year we organized the group by week, with members entering the books into a week folder. But that led to there being multiple discussions of the same book since many books are read for different weeks by different members. So we decided to organize the group alphabetically to condense the discussion to one thread per book.

So that's a long winded way of saying that the A-Z challenge is separate from the group discussion format. It was just another challenge I decided to take on :)

Thank-you Laura!

I finished Jaws today, so I am officially beginning this challenge! :)

It's great to finally kick off a new list and hopefully I can discover as many great reads as I did in 2015.

Finished Last Night I Sang to the Monster ★★★½☆

Continuing to read Someday, Someday, Maybe but really hoping to finish that one today as well.

Copied from A-Z discussion post:

I just finished and have very mixed feelings about it. The content of the book is a five star read, as it was extremely moving and authentic. Considering all of the misconceptions about the mental health field, it was impressive that it portrayed mental illness and the therapy field so accurately. I didn't always agree with the therapists' line of questioning but that happens plenty in the real world.

At the same time, the writing was very simplistic. I've learned that I prefer writing that flows and struggle with the short, disconnected sentences. This made it painful to physically read it and took away from the beauty of the content. So in the end, unfortunately, that bumped it to more of a 3½ star read.

really want to read someday, someday maybe, let me know how you get on with it

Mai, I finished it last night and really liked it :) It was a nice, light read, which was nice following my previous book. I could see Lauren Graham's humor in the main character and she made me laugh quite a few times. I wouldn't say it was a profound piece of literature or anything but it was worth the read.

Finished Bird Box today and moving on to Variant (Week 39)

Copied from A-Z discussion post:

This book was fantastic! The entire time, I kept thinking that I needed to listen to the audiobook while blindfolded. I never took it that far but the storyline was just so eerie. (view spoiler)[Part of me wanted more of a twist ending but it ended up ending beautifully. I wish I knew more about the creatures but the reader is just as "in the dark" as the characters so I suppose it is appropriate. I so wholeheartedly disagree with Victor's fate. I think that killing off the two other dogs would have been plenty and it would have been a nice ending for Jules to have Victor leave even if Jules couldn't. Why would open that door?! (hide spoiler)]

This was a great book to get me excited for the rest of the year :)

Finished Variant and moving on to What We Saw (Week 14)

Copied from A-Z discussion post:

Variant isn't any revolutionary but it was engaging and set up a good story for a second book.

I kept thinking of Red Rising while I was reading and in many ways this book makes up for what I didn't like about the former. The main issue I had with Red Rising is that it felt very pointless. Why on earth were they taking it so serious?! When it all came down to it, they were starving themselves and killing each other for a literal game. I just couldn't get invested. On the other hand, with Variant, there is a greater level of motivation and more room for understanding the characters' actions. There was a sense of urgency and claustrophobia that just made the book make sense.

When I was in the last chapter, I was leaning more towards a 3.5 star rating. But with literally the last paragraph, I was bumped to the 4-star level. It set up a very interesting premise for book 2 and allowed for greater depth in the story. Don't get me wrong, the world building and writing is not up to par with Red Rising. But I did end up much less irritated.

Finished What We Saw and moving on to Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny (Week 44)

Copied from GR Review:

"All I'm saying is there are rules... You don't get wasted. You don't take off your top. You don't flirt with raging drunks... You don't dress like a slut. You have to play by the rules. If you don't this is what happens."

The book tackles an important, yet uncomfortable, topic, especially for a female reader. I can't say that the material is new, as it's impossible to grow up female in most parts of the world without being aware of rape culture. Some women condone it which is always more painful to hear and these are the moments in What We Saw that are the hardest. The book starts the dialogue but I don't know that it delved as deep as the opportunity that was afforded to it. One scene particularly stood out, involving one of the male teachers confronting a student on his beliefs and then leading a conversation on the subject. More of these conversations should be happening, especially led by male role models but often the stigma and fear associated prevents it.

"Fear is the reason I can't let this go, either. It's the reason Rachel needs to believe that whatever happened is Stacey's fault. It's why she insists that we're all very different from Stacey, it could happen to any of us."

In the end, it's a thought-provoking book especially since it's based loosely on a true story but it does fall victim to the same misfortune that happens all too often in the media: ignoring the victim. Much of the focus of the book is on the pain of the experience for those who witness it and the potential motivations for staying silent rather than focusing on who should really be the center of the story. On the one hand, I can see why the author chose this viewpoint, as so many books exist from the victim's perspective but some of her side would have been more appropriate. Despite this, her fingerprint was still on the story:

"'Why do you like bird so much?' I asked. A look of pity flitted over her face, followed by a smile. 'Because they can fly, silly.'"

I can't believe the year is already halfway over! I've really slacked on updating my comments on the plan so I figure I can just place it all in my half-way update.

Favorites Shelf:


Around the Year in 52 Books
Progress: 22/52
Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz ★★★½☆
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham ★★★★☆
Bird Box by Josh Malerman ★★★★★
Variant by Robison Wells ★★★★☆
What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler ★★★★☆
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas ★★★★★
Psycho by Robert Bloch ★★★☆☆
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter ★★★★★
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum ★★★☆☆
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie ★★★★☆
November 9 by Colleen Hoover ★★★★☆
The Mist by Stephen King ★★★★☆
Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny by Holly Madison ★☆☆☆☆
In the Tall Grass by Stephen King ★★★★★
Faithful Place by Tana French ★★★★★
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ★★★★★
The Blue: A Novel by Lucy Clarke ★★★★★
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didian ★★★★½
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury ★★★☆☆
Duma Key by Stephen King ★★★★☆
Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton ★★★★★
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King ★★★★☆

A-Z Titles
Progress: 14/26
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay ★★★★☆
Jaws by Peter Benchley ★★★★☆
Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Thomas French ★★★★☆

2016 Popsugar Challenge
Progress: 3/41
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates ★★★★★
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness ★★★★★
The Walking Dead, Vol. 02: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman ★★★★☆

2016 Rejects Challenge
Progress: 1/?
The Walking Dead, Vol. 01: Days Gone Byeby Robert Kirkman ★★★★☆

Goodreads “Best Books of the Month” Challenge
Progress: 1/65
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline ★★★★☆

Ready Your Age
Progress: 3/28
Afraid by Ernest Cline ★★★★☆
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell ★★★★☆
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey ★★★★☆

The Book Thief seems a must read as everyone rates it very high. I'm not really interested in it, but I'll probably try to read it next year. I also need to read Little Black Lies :)