Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Making the ATY challenge list is one of the best parts of the year. The only problem is there are too many great topics that don't end up on the final list. Choose a topic from the list of polarizing and close call topics from the 2019 list making process, and then read a book that fills that prompt.

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Suggestions:


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Optional Questions:
- What are you reading for this category?
- What topic did you choose? Was it one you voted for during the polls?
- What were some of your other favorite topics that didn't make the final list?

I'm going to read Barbara Kingsolver's The Unsheltered for a book you heard about on a podcast. I already had the book on my TBR but then I heard it discussed on the What Should I Read Next podcast. And I wanted to start reading it right away. I tried to fit it into other prompts but already had other titles selected. Then I remembered the podcast prompt which I'm pretty sure I voted for.

I'm using the close call prompt from poll #16: A book connected to a cultural appreciation month.

I'm hoping that when I'm reading this, it falls during June, and I'll read an LGBTQIA+ book in the spirit of the month. I'm not really planning for this prompt, other than deciding to stick to this particular prompt.

Also, if you're looking for a list of the close call and polarizing prompts, you can check out this list of all of the reject prompts (with the close calls and polarizing options noted).

I am absolutely doing "A book from the ATY list of lesser known books"! It was polarizing in rounds 6 and 10 and close call in round 15. I am sad that it never made the official list.

I have at least 15 books from the list on my TBR List and 4 of those currently planned for 2019. I haven't 100% decided which of those I'll be using for this prompt but it's probably going to be Viper Wine by Hermione Eyre, which was added to the list by Stacey.

dalex wrote: "I am absolutely doing "A book from the ATY list of lesser known books"! It was polarizing in rounds 6 and 10 and close call in round 15. I am sad that it never made the official list.

I have at l..."

I have that one on my rejects list!

I'm not 100% sure on this one yet. This is what I have penciled in:

The Convert by Danai Gurira - under 200 pages
The Magicians by Lev Grossman - portal fiction
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - zodiac sign
Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory - Texas Lariat List

I really like the idea of a portal fiction. I voted it for it every time it came up. But the under-200 page prompt it nice when one has a busy week...

Could be a dark fairytale ( My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales ) ....then again could be just about any of the choices in my rejects challenge.

I am doing the ATY list of lesser know books for this prompt as well. I added quite a few books from the list to my TBR and will likely read some for other prompts as well. I've narrowed it down to these 5 for now:

Peter Darling
Little Black Lies
To the End of the Land
Challenger Deep
Erasure

i do "21.A book by an author from an island " and continue my read of the erlendur series by Arnaldur Indriðason from Iceland - Frevelopfer german version of Outrage

I'm doing the ATY list of lesser known books too.

Top 3:
The Time in Between - Maria Duenas
Little Black Lies - Sharon J. Bolton
Three Floors Up - Eshkol Nevo

Kathy wrote: "I'm doing the ATY list of lesser known books too.

Top 3:
The Time in Between - Maria Duenas
Little Black Lies - Sharon J. Bolton
Three Floors Up - ..."

Three Floors Up was one of my suggestions for the list! I hope if you read it you enjoy it as much as I did!

Rachelnyc wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I'm doing the ATY list of lesser known books too.

Top 3:
The Time in Between - Maria Duenas
Little Black Lies - Sharon J. Bolton
[book:Three Floors U..."

I'm glad you suggested it, Rachel. Looks good!

I like these... not sure which one I'll pick.

A book where the protagonist enters another world - (could fulfil with In an Absent Dream)

A fiction and non-fiction book on the same topic

A Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction winner or shortlist (I own a few of the nominees already, and it might motivate me to try The Luminaries)

A book connected to a cultural appreciation month

I'm going with a book linked to one of your favourite songs or artists, which was polarising in poll #5. I'll be reading Chronicles, Volume One, by Bob Dylan.

I try to confine my choices to my ridiculous TBR pile (physical, Kindle, and those available in the library). I grew up with Dylan, but I know pretty much nothing about him except that I love his music. This should be interesting...I hope!

Rachelnyc wrote: "I am doing the ATY list of lesser know books for this prompt as well. I added quite a few books from the list to my TBR and will likely read some for other prompts as well. I've narrowed it down to..."

To the End of the Land is also on Obama's list, in case that sways you a little. I did not know that when I added it to our list.

I'm trying to fill the prompts with as many books as I can from the list of 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die, so I think I'm going to choose a book related to my zodiac sign and read Libra. It was really hard not to choose a book set after a time of war since I love them so much! The added challenge of choosing as many as possible from the 1,001 list is fun, too :)

Milena wrote: "Rachelnyc wrote: "I am doing the ATY list of lesser know books for this prompt as well. I added quite a few books from the list to my TBR and will likely read some for other prompts as well. I've n..."

Oh thanks Milena! That may sway me because then I can also use it for the Popsugar prompt of a book recommend by a "celebrity you admire".

I've got several I want to read on that lesser known books list, but I think I may go with "read a book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads" I've got lots of options for that on my shortlist of books to read soon.

Although I'm also intrigued by "a book with an interesting or beautiful spine"

I might go with half of a two book prompt & read a book relating to the word "high." I could use the push to read some high fantasy.
I'm also intrigued by "a dark fairytale" or "set in a small town."

I think I'll use the Texas Lariat List (a close call in week 8) because a lot on that list are already on my TBR!

I will probably go with Archangel's Prophecy - Author born on an island (Fiji)

I am choosing American War - Fiction or non-fiction about the climate and/or climate change

Here are some possibilities:
A portal fiction: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
A book of short stories, essays, or poems: The Shell Collector
A book about or featuring STEM: Lab Girl
A book you can connect to the game of Monopoly: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
A book with monsters or a "monstrous" character:
https://bookriot.com/2016/09/21/100-m...

I'm going with the same book Serendipity choose. I'm going to read Barbara Kingsolver's The Unsheltered for a book you heard about on a podcast. I already had the book on my TBR

Katie wrote: "Making the ATY challenge list is one of the best parts of the year. The only problem is there are too many great topics that don't end up on the final list. Choose a topic from the list of polarizi..."
How might I find this list?

Kim wrote: "How might I find this list?"

HERE

A book that's sad, depressing, devastating or dark
The Lady in the Cellar: Murder, Scandal and Insanity in Victorian Bloomsbury by Sinclair McKay

I decided on a close call:

A book by an author from an island: Brutally Honest by Melanie Brown

Was it one you voted for during the polls? I didn't voted, I simply picked from the list :)

The "around the year" anagram challenge is a good one because it gives you hundreds of words to choose from and you only need one of the words to be in the title.

examples:
Under - Under the Skin by Michel Faber, Under the Dome by Stephen King, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Under the Tuscan Sun, etc
Hunt - Hunt for Red October, the Hunt for Vulcan,
Death - the Death Cure, Death Note, Death Comes to Pemberley, Death of Mrs Westway
Return - Return of the King, Return of the Native, River of No Return, Return of the Soldier, Return of Sherlock Holmes

Other words: enter, throne, round, eat, thorn, tear, thunder, hurt, heard, head, heart, rent, hour, tear, tender, yearn, done, theory

What are you reading for this category?
Festive in Death by J.D. Robb

What topic did you choose? Was it one you voted for during the polls?
A book with a romantic element or featuring a romantic relationship

What were some of your other favorite topics that didn't make the final list?
A book you can connect to the game of Monopoly~ I think this one would have been fun to research and find a book to fit

I read Howl's Moving Castle for this, since I voted for portal fiction.

- What are you reading for this category?
This Changes Everything by Denise Grover Swank

- What topic did you choose? Was it one you voted for during the polls?
A book with less than 200 pages, I didn't vote

- What were some of your other favorite topics that didn't make the final list?
A book with less than 5000 ratings would have been different and I try to read books that might not be really popular because I have found several authors I love that are not well known.

- What are you reading for this category?
Passing by Nella Larsen
It's a group read selection in a FB group I'm in.

- What topic did you choose? Was it one you voted for during the polls?
Close call: Book with less than 200 pages. I don't remember if I voted for it but I do like reading novellas.

- What were some of your other favorite topics that didn't make the final list?
King Arthur, related to a song, religion or faith, Monopoly, satire. There were quite a few.

I noticed that one of the possible topics was a shortlist or winner for the Walter Scott Historical Fiction prize. I just made a list of all the shortlist and winners from 2010-2018 if anyone is interested in that and wants to see the full list.
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

I think I'm going to read by Kate Atkinson

I chose 'book with less that 5000 ratings' for this one. I originally planned to read Mark Tidd, Editor, but decided to slot The Holy War there for now since I just finished it but didn't have it on my plan.

Maybe I'll move the Mark Tidd book to 2 related books since I don't have those prompts pre-planned...

I chose a polarising prompt for poll 13: a book in which faith or religion play a role in a main character's life or decision making, and read Barbara Kingsolver, Unsheltered.

I am so glad I looked up this thread because I was absolutely stumped by this prompt as this is my first year of doing ATY and I had no idea where to find said prompts. In the spreadsheet there is a rejected sheet, but I wasn't sure if that was it or what to do with it.

I think I'll go for the Circus prompt, so I can slot in The Night Circus, which doesn't have a prompt yet. But so many seem so much fun! Perhaps it's a list I can use as a side challenge, see how many I can cross off with books I read that don't fit other challenges! Not that I need another challenge. Someone save me.

What are you reading for this category? An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
What topic did you choose? As a historical fiction fan, I was pleased to see this *A book that was nominated for or won the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction"
Was it one you voted for during the polls? No to be honest I wasn't familiar with the Walter Scott Prize.
What were some of your other favorite topics that didn't make the final list? There are plenty, including Man Booker Award.

What are you reading for this category? Secrets of Cavendon (Cavendon Hall #4) by Barbara Taylor Bradford 
- What topic did you choose? This actually fit 2 close calls - Poll 2 Close Call - A book by an author from an island; also from Poll 2 - A book set after a time of war (ie: post WWII)

- What are you reading for this category?
Less
- What topic did you choose? Was it one you voted for during the polls?
A book from the Texas Library Lariat List. I did not vote for it; just liked the sound of the name of the list!!
- What were some of your other favorite topics that didn't make the final list?
Author from an island

I read The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers for this category.

It fits into the "book with faith playing an integral part", which I did vote for.

As for other favourite topics that didn't make the list - where to start??! Other options were a domestic thriller, book from the ATY list of lesser-known books, book involving a circus, the Texas Lariat list...!

I’d like to go with the prompt “related to an obscure holiday” and connect it to one of the holidays during week 21. Some options: missing children, Jazz, or Amnesty International. I’m also trying to read mostly books by authors from marginalized groups. Any suggestions?

- What are you reading for this category? The Heart's Invisible Furies (it's a book group book that needed a home)
- What topic did you choose? Was it one you voted for during the polls? A book in which faith/religion plays an integral role in the plot or the life of a main character. I would never have voted for it! It would have sounded horrible. But looking at the list with the first line of this book in mind "Long before we discovered that he had fathered two children by two different women, one in Drimoleague and one in Clonakilty, Father James Monroe stood on the altar of the Church of Our Lady, Star of the Sea, in the parish of Goleen, West Cork, and denounced my mother as a whore"- how could I pick any other category?
- What were some of your other favorite topics that didn't make the final list?
So many! I love the easy ones. And the hard ones!

1. A book in which faith/religion plays an integral role in the plot or the life of a main character

Read The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code.

Found on the listing of ATY Recommendations for Lesser Known Books.

Extremely interesting account of the attempts to decipher the Minoan language Linear B. Fascinating history.

I read The Girls by Emma Cline. My reject topic was A book about a cult or a group of people, and I did vote for it.

There were so many prompts that didn't make it that I liked that I chose my books for this year's challenge to fit the real prompts and also a list of reject prompts. I especially liked the book linked to a song or artist, choose a book for a fictional character and related to something from your bucket list.

I must admit I picked the book I wanted to read first, and then found a prompt that matched it. I chose Beartown by Fredrik Backman, and am using the prompt " set in a small town".

What are you reading for this category?
The Raven Tower, White Ravens, and The Raven Boys

What topic did you choose? Was it one you voted for during the polls?
I picked "three unrelated books that are linked only by having the same word in the title".
I wasn't yet a member of the group when this year's prompts were being selected, so no, I didn't vote for it.

What were some of your other favorite topics that didn't make the final list?
I had a few:
A fiction and non-fiction book on the same topic
A book related to Arthurian legend
2 books from 2 different sides of an issue/event/perspective
A Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction winner or shortlist
A book about a person who travels to another country as a vacationer, an expatriate, an immigrant, or a refugee

I am going to go with Poll 15 - A book in the "up lit" genre. No idea which book but would like to read something happy!

I had every intention of using the ATY List for this prompt but, alas, the book I had chosen to use was a DNF. I rarely DNF but I got to about page 150 and just absolutely could not continue.

So instead I used A book that was nominated for or won the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction (which was actually a "no designation" suggestion rather than a polarizing or close call but, oh well, close enough.) I read Wake by Anna Hope. The story is set in England after WW1 and explores the interconnectedness of several characters. It was a well-written engaging book and I rated it 4 Stars.