Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

It's been exciting researching the possibilities for each week. I've chosen books for the first 26 weeks although these may change. It's great that many of the books I've chosen fit in more than one category so if I lag behind I have the possibility of sharing a book between two weeks. I'm hoping to read some books I've been meaning to read for a while along with totally new books and authors

1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016
The Princess Saves Herself in this One
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives
The Help
3. A book you meant to read in 2016
Death at La Fenice
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E"
Cold Comfort Farm
5. A historical fiction
The Miniaturist - having read this I've decided to have this as week 43's book and instead I'm choosing Graeme Macrae Burnet's His Bloody Project
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017
My Cousin Rachel
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
Of Mice and Men
8. A book written by a person of colour
Go Tell It on the Mountain
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list
? At the moment it would be Fahrenheit 451
10. A dual-timeline novel
Waterland
11. A category from another challenge (Childhood Classic 2016 challenge)
Finn Family Moomintroll
12. A book based on a myth
The Penelopiad
13. A book recommended by one of your favourite authors (recommended García Marquéz)
The Metamorphosis
14. A book with a strong female character
My Brilliant Friend
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia
The Summer Book
16. A mystery
The Ruby in the Smoke
17. A book with illustrations
Palestine
18. A really long book (600+ pages)
Los herederos de la tierra - change of plan, it's now Les Misérables which I'm going to read in 5 goes, just started on volume 1
19. A New York Times best-seller
We Should All Be Feminists
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading
? quite a few possibilities here
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read
The Summer Snow
22. A book by an author you haven't read before
Vinegar Girl
23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list (link)
Small Gods
24. A book written by at least two authors
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2
25. A book about a famous historical figure
An Officer and a Spy
26. An adventure book
The 39 Steps

I'm really looking forward to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I was very tempted to start the year with it but decided to go with something different and I have it to look forward to later on. Good luck with your plans.

Of Mice and Men really took me by surprise. I thought I wasn't engaged until all of a sudden I was bawling ...

It's been something I thought I should read for ages but haven't got around to. I'm hoping the episode of Family Guy which featured the Griffin's version of it won't spoil it for me.

I've got through books really quickly this week, it has given me an escape from sitting with my mother in hospital, she has spent a lot of time asleep and I felt I should be with her, so the Kindle has been my companion. I've just finished Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist which I'd chosen for the week 5 challenge (historical fiction). However, I think I'm going to have this for week 43 (a book with a chilling atmosphere) as this gives me the opportunity to enjoy another historical fiction. Having visited Amsterdam recently I found that the Miniaturist gave me really interesting insight into 17th century society there as well as providing a gripping story. I'm going to add His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet which was shortlisted for last year's Man Booker Prize

Oh! I'm going to have to hunt that down - I love Family Guy.

I have His Bloody Project on hold at the library. I'm way down on the list. Hopefully that means it's good since so many people are waiting for it.

Now we're halfway through the year I thought I'd revisit my list and see what I changed and what I'm going to read over the next 6 months

1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016
The Princess Saves Herself in this One - read
2. A book with at least 2 perspectives
The Help - read
3. A book you meant to read in 2016
Death at La Fenice - read
4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E"
Cold Comfort Farm - read
5. A historical fiction
His Bloody Project (My original choice was The Miniaturist which I did read and decided to have as week 43's book - a book with a chilling atmosphere
6. A book being released as a movie in 2017
My Cousin Rachel - read
7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
Of Mice and Men - read
8. A book written by a person of colour
Go Tell It on the Mountain - read
9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list
Fahrenheit 451- read
10. A dual-timeline novel
El amante japonés - I read this instead of my original choice of Graham Swift's Waterland which I had already read in the 1980s
11. A category from another challenge (Childhood Classic 2016 challenge)
Finn Family Moomintrolll - read
12. A book based on a myth
The Penelopiad - read
13. A book recommended by one of your favourite authors The Metamorphosis (recommended García Marquéz) - read
14. A book with a strong female character
My Brilliant Friend - read
15. A book written or set in Scandinavia
The Summer Book - read
16. A mystery
I changed my choice from Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke to The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest as I was keen to finish the trilogy
17. A book with illustrations
Changed my choice from Palestine to Shirley Hughes' autobiography A Life Drawing which I came across on a trip to my local library.
18. A really long book (600+ pages)
I am still working my way through Victor Hugo's Les Misérables - not this edition though I'm reading it in French, a bit of a challenge but my vocabulary for hovels, street urchins etc is growing! I'm 80% of the way through. I've been reading this between my other reads. Aim to finish it this month.
19. A New York Times best-seller
We Should All Be Feminists - read
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't got around to reading - I finally opted for a book about labyrinths Working with the Labyrinth: Paths for Exploration
21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read
The Summer Snow - read
22. A book by an author you haven't read before
Vinegar Girl - read
23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list
Small Gods - read
24. A book written by at least two authors
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 - read and found it disappointing
25. A book about a famous historical figure
An Officer and a Spy - read
26. An adventure book
The 39 Steps - read
27. A book by one of your favourite authors
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale - read


I've also read for these weeks: -
28. A non-fiction
Experiences in translation by Umberto Eco
29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses
Three to Kill by Jean Patrick Manchette
30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books
A Wrinkle in Time
31. A book from a sub-genre of your favourite genre
The Maze of Cadiz by Aly Monroe, this was an historical thriller chosen rather randomly at my local library.
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle)
Las adventures des inspector Cabillot by Diego Marani
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty
The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner
36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee
Cat Pictures Please by Naomi Kritzer
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
40. A book published in 2017
New Boy byTracy Chevalier
42. A best book of the 21st century (so far)
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson translated by Reg Keeland
43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold) The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - which I was originally going to have for week 5, historical fiction.
47. A past suggestion that didn't win (Book written in another language) Bajo la fría luz de octubre Bajo la fría luz de octubre, Eloy M Cebrián
51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays)
Reader, I Married Him
52. A book set in a fictional location
Los funerales de la Mamá Grande, Gabriel García Márquez

So as well as finishing Les Miserables I have 11 more books to read.
33. A magical realism novel
Still making up my mind!
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere
I want to read something from New Zealand, possibly short stories.
37. A book you choose randomly
The Well by Catherine Chanter. I was at school with the author so I'm curious to read this novel which I came across in my local Oxfam bookshop..
39. An epistolary fiction
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
41. A book with an unreliable narrator
La familia de Pascual Duarte by Camilo José Cela. This will be a reread, but I read this ages ago when I was a student but I may change and read something totally new.
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next"
The Shape of Water by Andrea Camillieri
45. A book with a one-word title
Silence by Shusaku Endo
46. A time travel novel
I'm not so interested in this theme but may try Slaughterhouse-Five
48. A banned book (in Franco's Spain) For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway. This will be a reread. It's about 40 years since I first read it and I hope my paperback survives!
49. A book from someone else's bookshelf
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
50. A Penguin Modern Classic
Down and Out in Paris and London

So I did finish my choice for week 18 Les Misérables and I can now add these books to my read list
33. A magical realism novel: The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts by Louis de Bernières
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere
Janet Frame's Faces in the Water
39. An epistolary fiction: The Color Purple by Alice Walker
41. A book with an unreliable narrator: La familia de Pascual Duarte by Camilo José Cela
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" The Shape of Water by Andrea Camillieri
45. A book with a one-word title: Silence by Shusaku Endo
48. A banned book: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

And I'm just starting the week 49 book, a book from someone else's bookshelf The Book Thief which 3 Goodreads friends have read and rated 4 or 5 stars. Then I'll have 3 more to go: -
37 (a book chosen randomly),
46 (a time travel novel) and
50 (a Penguin Modern Classic)

Have now read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler as my time travel novel (week 46) and have just started Gerald Brenan's South From Granada as my Penguin Modern Classic for week 50

I've now finished all 52 of my books for this challenge. After completing South from Granada: A Sojourn in Southern Spain I went on to read my book chosen at random Luis Leante's Mira si yo te querré (See How Much I Love You in its English translation by Martin Schifino).

Congratulations! Did you have any favorites, any duds that you want to share?

Congrats! You'll have plenty of free time until 2018!