Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

37/52

√1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016: Adulthood Is a Myth by Sarah Andersen 01/01/2017
√2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view): An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir 01/26/2016
√3. A book you meant to read in 2016: Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple 03/30/2017
√4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E": Moonglow by Michael Chabon 04/07
√5. A historical fiction: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 11/13/2017
√6. A book being released as a movie in 2017: The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann 02/05/2017
√7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman 08/20/2017
8. A book written by a person of color: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
√9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read listBeauty Queens by Libba Bray 11/10/2017
10. A dual-timeline novel: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
√11. A category from another challenge: The Marvels by Brian Selznick 01/06/2017
√12. A book based on a myth: Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman 02/09/2017
√13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors: The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman 11/20/2017
14. A book with a strong female character
√15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland): The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules 05/16/2017
√16. A mystery: Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson by Lyndsay Faye 07/02/2017
√17. A book with illustrations: Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan 01/10/2017
18. A really long book (600+ pages): Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
√19. A New York Times best-seller: Camino Island by John Grisham 07/04/2017
20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading
√21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read: Insurgent by Veronica Roth 07/28/2017
√22. A book by an author you haven't read before: Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger 02/21/2017
√23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list: Emma by Jane Austen 04/15/2017
√24. A book written by at least two authors: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan 02/23/2017
√25. A book about a famous historical figure: Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell 02/19/2017
√26. An adventure book: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger 02/25/2017
√27. A book by one of your favorite authors: Angel Catbird, Vol. 1 by Margaret Atwood 04/08/2017
√28. A non-fiction: The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale 07/03/2017
√29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) : Landing by Emma Donoghue 05/05/2017
√30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books: The Giver by Lois Lowry 02/01/2017
√31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre: The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries 06/04/2017
√32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle): The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry 08/12/2017
33. A magical realism novel
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere
√35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty: On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen 08/06/2017
√36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link): The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon 11/13/2017
√37. A book you choose randomly: Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story by Andrea Warren 08/15/2017
√38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature: Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay 05/09/2017
√39. An epistolary fiction" Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero 05/10/2017
√40. A book published in 2017: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella 07/03/2017
41. A book with an unreliable narrator
√42.A best book of the 21st century (so far): The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon 09/10/2017
√43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold): We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 05/25/2017
44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" (link)
√45. A book with a one-word title: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld 03/06/2017
√46. A time travel novel: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain 08/18/2017
√47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link): Brief Histories of Everyday Objects by Andy Warner 07/15/2017
√48. A banned book: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier 08/16/2017
√49. A book from someone else's bookshelf: Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler 03/22/2017
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition
√51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays): Sherlock Holmes: The Rediscovered Railway Mysteries and Other Stories by John Taylor 08/13/2017
√52. A book set in a fictional location: Saga, Vol. 7 by Brian K. Vaughan 04/09/2017

Book Riot 2017
15/24
√1. Read a book about sports: The Crossover by Kwame Alexander 01/05/2017
√2. Read a debut novel: The Nix by Nathan Hill 01/11/2017
3. Read a book about books: Ten Years in the Tub: A Decade Soaking in Great Books by Nick Hornby
4. Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author
√5. Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative: The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen 05/16/2017
√6. Read an all-ages comic: Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson 01/02/2017
√7. Read a book published between 1900 and 1950: Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster 05/07/2017
√8. Read a travel memoir: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson 11/17/2017
√9. Read a book you’ve read before: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick 01/08/2017
10. Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location.
√11. Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location: The Dry by Jane Harper 07/08/2017
√ 12. Read a fantasy novel: Storm Front by Jim Butcher 11/22/2017
13. Read a nonfiction book about technology.
√14. Read a book about war: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman 07/20/2017
√15. Read a YA or middle grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz 01/18/2017
√16. Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel 01/09/2017
17. Read a classic by an author of color.
√18. Read a superhero comic with a female lead: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 1: Squirrel Power by Ryan North 01/07/2017
√19. Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey: [:Parable of the Sower|52397] by Octavia E. Butler 11/22/2017
√20. Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan 06/11/2017
21. Read a book published by a micropress:
√22. Read a collection of stories by a woman: Kabu Kabu by Nnedi Okorafor 11/07/2017
√23. Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love: Extravagaria by Pablo Neruda 11/09/2017
24. Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color:

Pop Sugar 2017

21/40

1. A book recommended by a librarian
2. A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long
√3. A book of letters: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky 11/11/2017
√4. An audiobook: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella 11/14/2017
√5. A book by a person of color: March: Book Three by John Lewis 01/04/2017
√6. A book with one of the four seasons in the title: The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare 11/15/2017
√7. A book that is a story within a story: Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda 04/03/2017
√8. A book with multiple authors: Jim Henson's Tale of Sand by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl 04/09/2017
√ 9. An espionage thriller: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter 11/19/2017
√10. A book with a cat on the cover: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman 09/13/2017
√11. A book by an author who uses a pseudonym: Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger 03/18/2017
√12. A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read: Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance 09/02/2017
√13. A book by or about a person who has a disability: The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti 05/07/2017
√14. A book involving travel: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick 04/16/2017
√15. A book with a subtitle: The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson 01/30/2017
√16. A book that's published in 2017: Geekerella by Ashley Poston 08/22/2017
√17. A book involving a mythical creature: Waistcoats & Weaponry by Gail Carriger 03/09/2017
√18. A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile: I am a Pole by Stephen Colbert 11/12/2017
√19. A book about food: Assault and Pepper by Leslie Budewitz 07/22/2017
20. A book with career advice
√21. A book from a nonhuman perspective: A Dog's Purpose 05/10/2017
√22. A steampunk novel: Goliath by Scott Westerfeld 03/13/2017
√23. A book with a red spine: The Circle by Dave Eggers 05/03/2017
√24. A book set in the wilderness: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 11/18/2017
√25. A book you loved as a child:Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar 06/13/2017
√26. A book by an author from a country you've never visited: Beartown by Fredrik Backman 05/24/2017
√27. A book with a title that's a character's name: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 05/21/2017
√28. A novel set during wartime: Keep the Home Fires Burning by Simon Block 11/05/2017
√29. A book with an unreliable narrator: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 02/14/2017
√30. A book with pictures: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick 01/03/2017
√31. A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang 07/21/2017
√32. A book about an interesting woman: Faithful by Alice Hoffman 11/16/2107
√33. A book set in two different time periods: Glass Houses by Louise Penny 11/08/2017
√34. A book with a month or day of the week in the title: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs 11/23/2017
√35. A book set in a hotel: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 08/05/2017
√36. A book written by someone you admire:The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher 03/24/2017
√37. A book that's becoming a movie in 2017: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon 02/17/2017
√38. A book set around a holiday other than Christmas: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti 11/22/2017
√39. The first book in a series you haven't read before: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld 02/07/2017
40. A book you bought on a trip

Pop Sugar *Advanced*

5/12
Advanced
1. A book recommended by an author you love
√2. A bestseller from 2016: Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld 07/05/2017
√3. A book with a family member term in the title: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 03/03/2017
√4. A book that takes place over a character's life span: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson 02/04/2017
5. A book about an immigrant or refugee
6. A book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of
√7. A book with an eccentric character: Jughead, Vol. 2 by Chip Zdarsky 03/11/2017
8. A book that's more than 800 pages
9. A book you got from a used book sale
10. A book that's been mentioned in another book
√11. A book about a difficult topic: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler 04/11/2017
√12. A book based on mythology: The Wicked + The Divine: Year One by Kieron Gillen 05/12/2017

Thanks Katie. Looking forward to it!

At the end of week 7 I've ready 7 on each of my lists. That's surprisingly symmetric. It totally won't stay that way.

My biggest problem so far, aside from a pretty ambitious number of books is that I have a hard time not getting invested in series if I've read the first book. Even when I didn't love the first book, I kind of want to see what happens next. So now I've got to find spots for like seven more books. I don't really know that I liked An Ember in the Ashes enough to read the next book. However, the way that it ended I do kind of want to know what happens next so now I've found a spot for the next one.

I did the same thing with my first ever Steam Punk novel Leviathan but it was the beasties rather than the gears that interested me... and really... truly... the narration by Alan Cumming that has me eagerly anticipating the next book in that series.

I found Life After Life, Code Name Verity, and The Giver more compelling than the first books of the other two series and I fully expect I'll read the next books in each of these series but they are all more books set in the same verse than true serialized works and so I'm less anxious about getting to the next one than the others.

I got the Audio book for Norse Mythology as a pre-order and started listening to it immediately. Neil Gaiman is such a good storyteller and his narriations (as opposed to some author/narrators are just always so compelling. You really feel like he's telling you a story and so it fit so well with these stories. I didn't have a lot of familiarity with Norse Myths before and I suspect I'll be going back to them and will not only get this book in print but also some others.

And speaking of books I now have in multiple formats, The Invention of Hugo Cabret was my favorite movie the year it was released. And I almost immediately listened to in on audio. I think I knew it was an illustrated book, but maybe not. But with the movie's images so fresh in my mind I certainly didn't feel like I was missing out on anything in the Audio.

This year I had several illustrated book type prompts and for the very first one I picked was Wonderstruck and that was charming which led me to The Marvels which is probably my favorite of the three, but by the end of that I wanted to experience Hugo Cabret the way it was intended. I still think that is an amazing adaptation to film and is one of my favorite ever uses of 3d, I'm really glad I got around to the book.

First book that made me feel like I'd wasted my time this year is Everything, Everything.

And I've read the first five pages of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making about 5 times before moving on to my next option. I don't feel like I've gotten far enough into it to say I don't like it, I've barely started, but it isn't pulling me in so that my be a very rare scrap for me. We'll see.

But all and all it has been a very enjoyable 7 weeks in reading!

15 weeks in and I'm pretty well on track. 17 books read here. 14 at Pop Sugar and 7 at Book Riot (which only has 24 entries). I'm happy with how the year is going, although, per always I knocked out a whole bunch of easy ones early on and I'm sure I will be struggling more later on.

Recently I read Moonglow: I used it for book without an E but it fits about 12 other categories. I'd rank Moonglow right under The Amazing Adventures of Kavelier and Clay in my list of favorite Chabon books. Which is high praise coming from me... and really given that it is a fictionalization of his grandfather's stories at the end of his grandfather's life that doesn't surprise me. That is so right up my alleyway. Loved it.

I read Saga, Vol. 7 after having read the previous six volumes for the panel challenge last year. Ouch that was heartbreaking. I hadn't read a comic book since I was a little kid until last year. Now I'm reading a lot of them, but this series was my reintroduction into the world of comics and graphic novels and it still packs quite a punch.

Last year it seemed like somebody was always reading something by Octavia E. Butler. I always read those recommendations after having finished the category that particular book was recommended in. My nephew came to visit recently and he mentioned how much he liked Fledgling. I read that, a vampire book. And moved on to Kindred a time travel book but where the protagonist goes back to the times of slavery. These two books were both wonderful and they couldn't have been less alike. I'm so glad Rye reminded me I'd been wanting to check out some of her work! I love it!

I've just started her Parable of the Sower which I'm hoping will fill in Bookriot's Person of color goes through a spiritual journey. We'll see. I've just started but so far it is completely different from both Kindred and Fledgling. The mind it boggles!

I've Parable on my plan. I loved Kindred, I hope I'll enjoy this one too and I'm very curious to see how she told this new story. I'm looking forward to your opinion :)