Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
2017 Plans
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Ali's COMPLETED 2017 Plan
This actually ended up a lot more solid than I thought. I had to change my no "e" book several times because I kept forgetting "the" had an "e" in it. *face palm*But after getting snowed in this weekend I managed to finish my 2nd week pick and am on my week 3 book. It's nice getting a head start especially this seems a bit insurmountable for someone who has never done this before.
Thanks Katie!I've been meaning to read Things Fall Apart forever.
And thanks for the advice on multipls authors. I didnt think about story collections.
I'm also planning on reading Shadow in the Wind, and Watchmen for my 2017 plan! My friend is in the middle of the 5th Season and she loves it. I've put it on my to read but I don't think it will be going in my plan. Happy reading. :)
End of January Progress Update: (edited 2/6/17)Read:
Challenge Books: 7/52
Other Books: 0
Books by Men: 2
Books by Women: 5
Books by People of Color: 0
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 1
Books by Americans: 4
Books by Other Nationalities: 3
Fiction: 6
Non Fiction: 1
New-To-Me Authors: 5
Good for you reading multiple simultaneously! I usually like to read several books at a time but for this I've been reading them one by one cause my pace sucks when I try and multitask. I'm also glad to be ahead. I'm definitely going to have more to do after the January post-holiday lull and I'm terrified of how little time I'll have as the weather gets nicer.
February Progress Update: (edited 2/12/17)I am 6 whole books ahead of schedule and as such am sitting real pretty. I've read my requisite 4 books for February so everything at this point is leisure.
Read:
My nonfiction choice, Seven Lessons, took me about two hours to read. It seemed like a bit of a cheat so I very well may pick another nonfiction in the future.
Currently Reading:
Probably will Finish by the End of February : (2)
(I own these two so if my library holds come through they will be shuffled further along).
or possibly
(depending on library holds)
I hope you enjoy Art of racing in the rain... I LOVED that book but I was definitely in the minority in my book club only two if us really loved it! I thought Life of Pi was pretty good also a little weird but interesting! Also really enjoyed All the light we Cannot See!!
Kelly wrote: "I hope you enjoy Art of racing in the rain... I LOVED that book but I was definitely in the minority in my book club only two if us really loved it! I thought Life of Pi was pretty good also a litt..."Thanks Kelly! I'm about halfway through Art of Racing and I love it but I dread turning every page because I know it's just going to get sadder and sadder! I saw the movie for Life of Pi and am pretty excited to read the book. Hopefully the library will come around and I'll be able to read All the Light We Cannot See for the Feb/March book of the month.
End of February Update: (2/27)Read: 7 total challenge books
Challenge Books: 14/52
Other Books: 0
Books by Men: 5
Books by Women: 2
Books by People of Color: 1
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 0
Books by Americans: 4
Books by Other Nationalities: 3
Fiction: 6
Non Fiction: 1
New-To-Me Authors: 7
Great month of reads, Ali! And I like your super diverse picks!
Have fun Ali!! I love your list, lots of great books here :-)
I had previously posted a great big thank you to you guys for all the positive encouragement that I stupidly deleted. But thanks again!!
Mid-March Update: (3/17/17)Read:
This brings me up to 17/52.
Currently Reading and Will Most Likely Finish by the End of March:
Waiting at the Library (all of my holds came in this week. It's a ton of books):
I think I can reasonably finish one of these. It's really going to depend on which one I take on first. Confession is much shorter.
I feel like I slowed down this month for some reason. Life of Pi took a lot of time even though I really enjoy it. I'm estimating a solid 5-6 done this month which still keeps me ahead of schedule!
End of March Update: (3/31/17)Read: 6 total challenge books.
Challenge Total: 20/52
Other Books: 0
Books by Men: 1
Books by Women: 4
Books by People of Color: 0
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 1
Books by Americans: 2
Books by Other Nationalities: 3
Fiction: 5
Non Fiction: 0
New-To-Me Authors: 5
*I didn't count Hauntings in my breakdown because with multiple authors I'm sure it hits all the categories and I don't feel like going through each story.
Mid-April Updated (4/16)Challenge Reads:
Challenge Total: 22/52
Side Reads:
Currently Reading:
I ideally want to read at least one of these in addition by the end of the month:
End of April Update (5/1/17):Read:
5 total challenge books:
1 side read:
(ATY52: April Book of the Month)
Challenge Total: 25/52
Other Books: 1
Books by Men: 3
Books by Women: 3
Books by People of Color: 3
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 2 (fairly minor and very minor characters in Everything I Never Told You and The Shadow of the Wind)
Books by Americans: 3
Books by Other Nationalities: 3 (South African, British, Spanish)
Fiction: 6
Non Fiction: 0
New-To-Me Authors: 6
Why thank you! I'm trying to read more diversely and I think keeping track of it helps.
Same for me (even if I think I didn't do too bad on the matter). I know next year will be about reading non American authors because there are too many of them in my 2017 reading list. I'm trying to finish several series, so I'll have more clear spots for other countries.
I'm also very heavily British/American - so far this year, only 26% of my reading has been from other nationalities, but that's an improvement on last year so far, so I'm happy!
I'm almost predominately American and Western Europe. I'm okay with reading a lot of Europe so long as I also get writers of color in there which I think I've been a little better at doing.
Mid-May Update (5/13/17):Challenge Reads:
Goose Egg. I got It from the library and have been doing nothing but chipping away at that before the two week hold period is up.
Side Reads:
(on audio book)Currently Reading:
I've just pushed past the 1000 page mark. I'm hoping to rap up the remaining before this weekend is up.
I hope to finish at least one of these by the end of the month but they're also bricks. I'm about ten page into each:
End of May Update (5/31/17)Read:
1 total challenge books:
2 side reads:
(Popsugar 2017: A book with career advice)
(PopSugar 2017: A book that's more than 800 pages).
Challenge Total: 26/52
Other Books: 2
Books by Men: 2
Books by Women: 1
Books by People of Color: 0
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 2
(In It there is a chapter featuring a gay couple, in Bossypants, there are several mentions of LGBTQ issues)
Books by Americans: 3
Books by Other Nationalities: 0
Fiction: 2
Non Fiction: 1
New-To-Me Authors: 1
Not a great month for me. I'll probably finish another challenge book: A Little Life in the next few days but tackling two large books this month ground me to a hault.
Mid June Update (6/15/17):Read: 2 Challenge Reads
1 Side Read:
(Popsugar 2017)Currently Reading:
-I should be done with this today or tomorrow.
- I'm revisiting this one on audio book. I hope to finish this one by the end of the month:
(ATY 52- June BOTM)And at least 1 of these (depending on library holds):
End of June Update (6/30/17)Read:
3 total challenge books:
2 side reads:
(Pop Sugar 2017: A book with pictures)
(ATY 52 June BOTM; Pop Sugar 2017: A steampunk novel)
Challenge Total: 29/52
Other Books: 2
Books by Men: 1
Books by Women: 4
Books by People of Color: 3
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 2
(A Little Life and The Fifth Season; Persepolis mentions gay men in passing in a non-negative way.)
Books by Americans: 3
Books by Other Nationalities: 2
(British, Iranian)
Fiction: 4
Non Fiction: 1 (Persepolis is based on the author's real life)
New-To-Me Authors: 4
I also listened to Coraline on audio book but I didn't count it toward my final total this year since it's a re-read. I kept going back and forth on on this point.
Mid July Update (7/16/17):1 Challenge Read:
1 Side Read:
(Book Riot Read Harder 2017: read a debut novel)
Currently Reading:
- I'm squeezing this one in as it took four full months to come into the library. 
-I've barely touched this. I keep putting it off for more modern books. I hope to finish these all by the end of the month:
And very optimistically I'd like to at least start:
Ali, I liked Lincoln in the Bardobut I'd actually like to read it again since there is so much to it. I plan to read Fingersmith for another challenge. Glad to see you liked it.
Kathy wrote: "Ali, I liked Lincoln in the Bardobut I'd actually like to read it again since there is so much to it. I plan to read Fingersmit[book:Fingersmithh|8913370] for another challenge. Glad to see yo..."I've had a friend suggest to listening to Lincoln in the Bardo. Apparently the audio version has different voices per character and makes the style of the book really come alive.
Take my love for Fingersmith with a grain of salt. I love Sara Waters and from looking at the discussion in this group not everyone was the biggest fan of the book.
End of July Update (8/1/17):Challenge Reads: (3)
Side Reads: (2)
(2017: Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge)
(2017 PopSugar: A book that's published in 2017)
Challenge Total: 32/52
Other Books: 2
Books by Men: 3
Books by Women: 2
Books by People of Color: 0
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 3
(Midnight in the Garden, Ready Player One, Lincoln in the Bardo)
Books by Americans: 5
Books by Other Nationalities: 0
Fiction: 4
Non Fiction: 1
New-To-Me Authors: 5
I started a new job this week so my reading has dramatically slowed with my new one-hour commute.
Mid-August Update (8/15/17)Challenge Reads: (1)
Currently Reading:
(on audio)I will definitely finish:
I hope to also finish:
End of August Update: (9/1/17)Read:
3 total challenge books:
2 side reads:
(Pop Sugar 2017: A book that's becoming a movie in 2017)
( Pop Sugar 2017: an audio book)
2017 Challenge Total: 45/50
Challenge Total: 35/52
Books by Men: 1
Books by Women: 4
Books by People of Color: 0
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 1
Books by Americans: 4
Books by Other Nationalities: 1
(British)
Fiction: 4
Non Fiction: 1
New-To-Me Authors: 4
The book of the month for August didn't work out for me this time around. The library had a limited number of copies and I could only loan out for 2 week periods.
Mid-September Update: (9/17/17)Challenge Reads: (2)
No side reads so far.
Currently Reading:
For ATY I hope to finish:
I also have a couple of side reads that I hope to cram in library holds permitting:
End of September Update (10/2/17):ATY (3)
2017 Challenge Total: 48/50
Challenge Total: 38/52
Books by Men: 2 (Yvain was written by a man but illustrated by a woman).
Books by Women: 2
Books by People of Color: 0
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 0 (arguably the housekeeper in Rebecca is a queer character as well as Rebecca herself).
Books by Americans: 3
Books by Other Nationalities: 1
(British)
Fiction: 3
Non Fiction: 0
New-To-Me Authors: 3
Mid-October Update (10/16/17)Challenge Reads:(1)
Side Reads: (3)
(2017 BR Read Harder Challenge: a book that is set more than 5,000 miles from your location).
(These two were for the hell of it. My new job requires a ton of driving and these two were available immediately from my library on audio. Both were excellent and two of the best books I've ever read).
For ATY I need to finish:
On audio I have a ton of time to listen and this book:
To keep on track with ATY I also need to finish two of these:
From the Library:
If holds don't pull through:
End of October Update: (11/1/17)Welp, with two months to go I'm two books behind *sigh*
Total Read: 5
ATY: (2)
Side Reads: (3)
(PopSugar 2017)
Stats
2017 Challenge Total: 53/50
Challenge Total: 40/52
Books by Men: 2
Books by Women: 3
Books by People of Color: 1
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 0
Books by Americans: 3
Books by Other Nationalities: 2
(British)
Fiction: 5
Non Fiction: 0
New-To-Me Authors: 5
It looks like you are doing a great job. Love the added stats!
Tammy wrote: "It looks like you are doing a great job. Love the added stats!"Thanks for the encouragement!
Mid-November Update: (11/16/17)Challenge Reads: (5)
(Mockingbird and Things Fall Apart were on audio)
Currently Reading:
To finish by November: (Two of these)
End of November Update: (12/6/17)Total Read: (7)
ATY Books: (6)
Side Reads: (1)
Stats:
2017 Challenge Total: 60/50
Challenge Total: 46/52
Books by Men: 3
Books by Women: 4
Books by People of Color: 2
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 2
(a possible third in the Mistress of the Art of Death)
Books by Americans: 5
Books by Other Nationalities: 2
(British, Nigeria)
Fiction: 5
Non Fiction: 0
New-To-Me Authors: 7
Ali wrote: " End of November Update: (12/6/17)Total Read: (7)
ATY Books: (6)
[bookcover:To..."I had to chuckle I am not really sure the full criteria of all your stats but I see you have 3 Books By Men and 4 Books By Women.. just wonder who wrote the other 39 books? LOL
Saw some GoodReads in your list of books! :)
Haha. I do the stats just for the month. So of the seven I read this month, three were men, four were women.
Ali wrote: "Haha. I do the stats just for the month. So of the seven I read this month, three were men, four were women."I figured there was something I was missing... just struck me funny! Who were the authors Dogs, Cats Aliens? lol
Mid-December Update: (12/18/17)Challenge Reads: (2)
No side rides this month yet (and probably at all).
To Finish by the End of December to Complete Challenge On Time:
End of December Updated: (1/2/18)Welp, I haven't finished this challenge yet but am fairly close and should be done by the end of the month. I'm not planning on starting my 2018 challenge until I can knock off my 3 remaining books.
Challenge Reads: (3)
Stats
2017 Challenge Total: 63/50
Challenge Total: 49/52
Books by Men: 2
Books by Women: 1
Books by People of Color: 1
Books by LGBTQ or Featuring LGBTQ: 1
Books by Americans: 2
Books by Other Nationalities: 1
(British/Japanese)
Fiction: 3
Non Fiction: 0
New-To-Me Authors: 2
January Updated: CHALLENGE COMPLETEDChallenge Reads Completed:
Date Completed: 1/21/18 (2 weeks late)
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
State of Wonder (other topics)The Song of Achilles (other topics)
Commonwealth (other topics)
To Kill a Mockingbird (other topics)
The Paris Wife (other topics)
More...
*= owned.
♫= available at the library on audio book
1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, by Bryn Greenwood.1/5/17 ☆☆☆☆2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view)
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio.1/13/17 ☆☆☆3. A book you meant to read in 2016
The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession, by Susan Orlean.*1/6/17 ☆☆☆4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E
California, by Edan Lepuki.2/1/17☆☆☆5. A historical fiction
Fingersmith, by Sara Waters.*1/27/17☆☆☆☆6. A book being released as a movie in 2017.
Annihilation, by Jeff Vandermeer.1/28/17☆☆☆7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein.*2/7/17☆☆☆☆☆8. A book written by a person of color
The Farming of Bones, by Edwidge Danticat.*2/18/17 ☆☆☆9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.*3/13/17☆☆☆☆10. A dual-timeline novel
The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruis Zafon.*4/30/17 ☆☆☆☆11. A category from another challenge
PopSugar 2017- a book with a title that's a character's name
Eileen, by Otessa Moshfegh4/1/17 ☆☆☆12. A book based on a myth
The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller.3/26/17 ☆☆☆☆☆13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors
Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng.4/27/17 ☆☆☆☆☆(Rated highly by Roxanne Gay)
14. A book with a strong female character
I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith.8/7/17 ☆☆15. A book set in Scandinavia
Let Me In, by John Ajvide Lindqvist.1/18/17 ☆☆16. A mystery
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story, by John Berendt.*7/22/17 ☆☆☆☆17. A book with illustrations
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs.9/15/17 ☆☆☆18. A really long book (600+ pages)
A Little Life, by Hanya Yanagihara.6/3/17 ☆☆☆☆19. A New York Times best-seller
Commonwealth, by Anne Patchett.3/25/17 ☆☆☆☆☆20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading
Watership Down,by Richard Adams.*♫11/1/17 ☆☆21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read
The Likeness, Tana French.1/11/17☆☆☆☆22. A book by an author you haven't read before
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison.1/21/18 ☆☆☆23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list
To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.* ♫11/13/17☆☆☆☆☆24. A book written by at least two authors
Hauntings by multiple authors.3/19/17 ☆☆☆25. A book about a famous historical figure
The Paris Wife, by Paula McClain. ♫*1/91/8 ☆☆26. An adventure book
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. *♫10/5/17 ☆☆27. A book by one of your favorite authors
Child of God, by Cormac McCarthy.☆☆28. A non-fiction
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, by Carlo Rovelli.2/8/17. ☆☆☆29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses
Yvain: The Knight of the Lion, by M.T. Anderson from Candlewick Publishing.9/17/17 ☆☆☆30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books (link)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie11/2/17 ☆☆☆31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre
The Beautiful Bureaucrat, by Helen Phillips.8/19/17 ☆☆☆(Dystopia, Science-Fiction).
32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle)
All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr.2/27/17 ☆☆☆☆33. A magical realism novel
Still Life with Tornado, by A.S. King.8/27/17 ☆☆☆☆34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere
Confession of the Lioness, by Mia Couto.4/6/17☆☆(I tried really really hard not to cheat on this one, the author is from Mozambique.)
35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty
Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin.*11/29/17☆☆☆☆☆36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee
The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin.6/17/17 ☆☆☆☆37. A book you choose randomly
The Couple Next Door, by Shari Lapena.3/7/17 ☆☆☆(8th entry down on the 8th page of my To Read List).
38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature
Hag-Seed, by Margaret Atwood. (The Tempest)3/3/17 ☆☆☆39. An epistolary fiction
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky.11/6/17 ☆☆☆☆40. A book published in 2017
Idaho, by Emily Ruskovich.7/7/17 ☆☆☆☆41. A book with an unreliable narrator
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier.9/25/17 ☆☆☆☆☆42. A best book of the 21st century (so far)
Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro.12/12/17 ☆☆☆43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle,by Shirley Jackson.7/22/17 ☆☆☆44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next"
Reconstructing Amelia, by Kimberly McCreight.11/16/17☆☆(Based on Caroline Kepnes's You)
45. A book with a one-word title
Stardust, by Neil Gaiman.6/11/17☆☆☆46. A time travel novel
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut.12/19/17 ☆☆☆☆47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link)
White Teeth, by Zadie Smith.4/21/17 ☆☆☆(favorite color on the cover- red).
48. A banned book
Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. ♫1/7/18 ☆☆49. A book from someone else's bookshelf
Watchmen, by Alan Moore.2/12/17 ☆☆☆☆(Peeped off a pile of books in pictures of Neil Gaiman's house.)
50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe.11/15/17☆☆☆☆51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays)
Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris.12/18/17 ☆☆☆52. A book set in a fictional location
Nitro Mountain: A novel, by Lee Clay Johnson.2/5/17 ☆☆52/52