Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Completed: 52/52 - All done 18 Oct 19

✔ 1. A book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy
The Dry by Jane Harper, 5 March 19

✔ 2. A book with one of the 5 W's in the title (Who, What, Where, When, Why)
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, 3 Jan 19

✔ 3. A book where the author’s name contains A, T, and Y
The Sleeping Beauty by Elizabeth Taylor, 22 Jan 19

✔ 4. A book with a criminal character (i.e. assassin, pirate, thief, robber, scoundrel etc)
Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake by Frank W. Abagnale, 26 Apr 19

✔ 5. A book by Shakespeare or inspired by Shakespeare
Richard II by William Shakespeare, 15 Jan 19

✔ 6. A book with a dual timeline
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, 26 Mar 19

✔ 7. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme: Book #1
Miss Julia to the Rescue by Ann B. Ross, 14 Feb 19 - books set in the southern states of the USA

✔ 8. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme: Book #2
The Golden Apples by Eudora Welty, 19 Mar 19 - books set in the southern states of the USA

✔ 9. A book from one of the top 5 money making genres (romance/erotica, crime/mystery, religious/inspirational, science fiction/fantasy or horror)
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie, 23 March 19

✔ 10. A book featuring an historical figure
Maman, What Are We Called Now? by Jacqueline Mesnil-Amar, 7 Feb 19

✔ 11. A book related to one of the 12 Zodiac Chinese Animals (title, cover, subject)
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, 20 Feb 19

✔ 12. A book about reading, books or an author/writer
From Stone Orchard by Timothy Findley, 21 June 19

✔ 13. A book that is included on a New York Public Library Staff Picks list
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey, 19 Oct 19

✔ 14. A book with a title, subtitle or cover relating to an astronomical term
Knowing Me Knowing You by Mandy Baggot, 15 Mar 19 - stars on cover

✔ 15. A book by an author from a Mediterranean country or set in a Mediterranean country
A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot, 2 Feb 19 - France

✔ 16. A book told from multiple perspectives
The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan, 25 Feb 19

✔ 17. A speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy, scifi, horror, dystopia)
Contact by Carl Sagan, 17 Jan 19

✔ 18. A book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements
Whisper To The Blood by Dana Stabenow, 2 March 19 - about gold mining

✔ 19. A book by an author who has more than one book on your TBR
In a Summer Season by Elizabeth Taylor, 4 Apr 19

✔ 20. A book featuring indigenous people of a country
The Colour by Rose Tremain, 16 Jan 19 - featuring Maori people

✔ 21. A book from one of the polarizing or close call votes
Never Mind by Edward St. Aubyn, 28 Apr 19 - author name contains ATY

✔ 22. A book with a number in the title or on the cover
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, 11 June 19

✔ 23. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #1 Something Old
Phantastes by George MacDonald, 10 Feb 19

✔ 24. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #2 Something New
Dictator by Robert Harris, 15 May 19 - a brand new book

✔ 25. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #3 Something Borrowed
On The Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin, 28 April 19

✔ 26. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #4 Something Blue
The Sky Over Lima by Juan Gómez Bárcena, 25 May 19

✔ 27. A book from the 1001 books to read before you die list
The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor, 13 Mar 19

✔ 28. A book related to something cold (i.e. theme, title, author, cover, etc.)
Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick, 28 Apr 19

✔ 29. A book published before 1950
The Scarlet Messenger by Henry Holt, 14 Mar 19 - 1933

✔ 30. A book featuring an elderly character
Charms For the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons, 5 Feb 19

✔ 31. A children’s classic you’ve never read
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, 11 Apr 19

✔ 32. A book with more than 500 pages
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald, 18 Apr 19

✔ 33. A book you have owned for at least a year, but have not read yet
The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West, 5 Apr 19 - owned since October 2017

✔ 34. A book with a person's name in the title
Angel by Elizabeth Taylor, 16 Feb 19

✔ 35. A psychological thriller
Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith, 2 Apr 19

✔ 36. A book featured on an NPR Best Books of the Year list
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, 31 Aug 19

✔ 37. A book set in a school or university
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli, 9 March 19

✔ 38. A book not written in traditional novel format (poetry, essay, epistolary, graphic novel, etc)
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan, 12 Feb 19

✔ 39. A book with a strong sense of place or where the author brings the location/setting to life
Untying the Knot by Linda Gillard, 28 Jan 19

✔ 40. A book you stumbled upon
Lion in the Cellar by Pamela Branch, 12 Mar 19

✔ 41. A book from the 2018 GR Choice Awards
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney, 19 Jan 19

✔ 42. A book with a monster or "monstrous" character
Neuromancer by William Gibson, 8 March 19

✔ 43. A book related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, 7 Jan 19

✔ 44. A book related in some way to a tv show/series or movie you enjoyed (same topic, same era, book appeared in the show/movie, etc.)
Ashenden by W. Somerset Maugham, 30 Jan 19 - inspired the James Bond books and movies

✔ 45. A multi-generational saga
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, 10 Jan 19

✔ 46. A book with a (mostly) black cover
The Double by José Saramago, 1 March 19

✔ 47. A book related to food (i.e. title, cover, plot, etc.)
The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight by Satchin Panda, 14 Jan 19

✔ 48. A book that was a finalist or winner for the National Book Award for any year
The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson, 30 Mar 19

✔ 49. A book written by a Far East Asian author or set in a Far East Asian country
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon, 30 Aug 19 - born in Korea

✔ 50. A book that includes a journey (physical, health, or spiritual)
Contented Dementia by Oliver James, 7 June 19

✔ 51. A book published in 2019
Spring by Ali Smith, 2 June 19

✔ 52. A book with a weird or intriguing title
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain, 23 Feb 19

Kicking off with week 2's book:

2. A book with one of the 5 W's in the title (Who, What, Where, When, Why)

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, 3 Jan 19

Jumping to week 43:

43. A book related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) [fiction or nonfiction]

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, 7 Jan 19

45. A multi-generational saga

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, 10 Jan 19

You're off to a good start! :-)

Yes! I'm enjoying this year's prompts :)

I finished a lot of books last week:

5. A book by Shakespeare or inspired by Shakespeare
Richard II by William Shakespeare, 15 Jan 19

17. A speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy, scifi, horror, dystopia)
Contact by Carl Sagan, 17 Jan 19

20. A book featuring indigenous people of a country
The Colour by Rose Tremain, 16 Jan 19 - featuring Maori people of New Zealand

41. A book from the 2018 GR Choice Awards
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney, 19 Jan 19

47. A book related to food (i.e. title, cover, plot, etc.)
The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight by Satchin Panda, 14 Jan 19

Finished yesterday:

3. A book where the author’s name contains A, T, and Y

The Sleeping Beauty by Elizabeth Taylor

You're going to finish this in no time! Do you plan on doing the challenge more than once this year?

Hi Marina! No, I will probably race through for a while and then get stuck on the last ones :)

Finished yesterday:

39. A book with a strong sense of place or where the author brings the location/setting to life

Untying the Knot by Linda Gillard

This is mostly set in and around a restored ruinous castle in Scotland, with a strong sense of place.

Finished yesterday:

44. A book related in some way to a tv show/series or movie you enjoyed (same topic, same era, book appeared in the show/movie, etc.)

Ashenden by W. Somerset Maugham

This was the first spy novel written by somebody who'd actually been a spy, based on Maugham's experiences in World War I. It inspired the James Bond books and movies.

Finished today:

15. A book by an author from a Mediterranean country or set in a Mediterranean country

A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot, 2 Feb 19 - French author, set in France

Finished yesterday:

30. A book featuring an elderly character

Charms For the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons, 5 Feb 19 - Charlie Kate is a grandmother

Finished yesterday:

10. A book featuring an historical figure
Maman, What Are We Called Now? by Jacqueline Mesnil-Amar, 7 Feb 19 - this is a diary so it features many real people, including leaders of the Vichy government of France during World War 2

Finished this week:

23. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #1 Something Old
Phantastes by George MacDonald

38. A book not written in traditional novel format (poetry, essay, epistolary, graphic novel, etc)
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

Finished today:

7. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme: Book #1

Miss Julia to the Rescue by Ann B. Ross

My theme is: books set in the southern states of the USA

Finished yesterday:

34. A book with a person's name in the title

Angel by Elizabeth Taylor

Angel Deverell is the name of the main character - a romance writer, said to be based on Marie Corelli.

Finished on 20th:

11. A book related to one of the 12 Zodiac Chinese Animals (title, cover, subject)

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - pigs are one of the animals that are the subject of this book about the meat industry, and there may be oxen on the cover

Finished today:

52. A book with a weird or intriguing title

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

Weird title, which is never mentioned in the book, and no postman ever appears. I had to google it after I finished - apparently it means that our bad deeds will always catch up with us in the end.

Fnished today:

16. A book told from multiple perspectives

The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan - from three perspectives that I remember: Cormac, Aisling, Maude

Finished today:

46. A book with a (mostly) black cover

The Double by José Saramago

Finished today:

18. A book related to one of the elements on the periodic table of elements

Whisper To The Blood by Dana Stabenow - about gold mining

Finished today:

1. A book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy

The Dry by Jane Harper - won several awards

Finished yesterday:

42. A book with a monster or "monstrous" character

Neuromancer by William Gibson

The AIs are monsters in the same sense as Frankenstein's monster. Some of them could be called monstrous, too, from a human point of view.

That's my 26th book so I'm halfway through the list - but the earlier books are always easiest to fit in!

Finished today:

37. A book set in a school or university

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Set in high school

Finished today:

40. A book you stumbled upon

Lion in the Cellar by Pamela Branch, 12 Mar 19

I saw very old and battered copies of all of this author's four books and grabbed them because they looked fun. I'd never heard of her.

Finished yesterday:

27. A book from the 1001 books to read before you die list

The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor

Finished today:

29. A book published before 1950

The Scarlet Messenger by Henry Holt, 14 Mar 19

Published 1933

Finished today:

14. A book with a title, subtitle or cover relating to an astronomical term

Knowing Me Knowing You by Mandy Baggot

Stars on the cover

Finished today:

8. 2 books related to the same topic, genre, or theme: Book #2

The Golden Apples by Eudora Welty, 19 Mar 19

My theme is: books set in the southern states of the USA

Finished yesterday:

9. A book from one of the top 5 money making genres (romance/erotica, crime/mystery, religious/inspirational, science fiction/fantasy or horror)

Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie, 23 March 19 - crime/mystery

Nice list and great progress. Which have been your best/worst reads so far?

Thanks, Tammy! I think my favourites were Pachinko and The Lover's Dictionary.

And the scifi was the toughest - Contact kept putting me to sleep, Cryptonomicon was interesting but just so long, and I never knew what was going on in Neuromancer!

Nice to know on Pachinko. That is one that I've had my eye on. I'm not surprise about the others. You have some challenging books on your list!

Finished today:

6. A book with a dual timeline

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

Finished today:

48. A book that was a finalist or winner for the National Book Award for any year

The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2006)

Finished today:

35. A psychological thriller

Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith

Finished today:

19. A book by an author who has more than one book on your TBR

In a Summer Season by Elizabeth Taylor

I have two more books by Elizabeth Taylor on my TBR:
The Soul of Kindness
The Wedding Group

Finished yesterday:

33. A book you have owned for at least a year, but have not read yet

The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West, 5 Apr 19 - owned since October 2017

Finished yesterday:

31. A children’s classic you’ve never read

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, 11 Apr 19

This wasn't around when I was a child!

Finished on 18th:

32. A book with more than 500 pages

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald, 566 pages

I read for three more tasks while I was away last week:

Finished 26 April:

4. A book with a criminal character (i.e. assassin, pirate, thief, robber, scoundrel etc)
Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake by Frank W. Abagnale
- Frank Abagnale was a con man

Finished 28 April:

21. A book from one of the polarizing or close call votes
Never Mind by Edward St. Aubyn, 28 Apr 19
- Close Call: A book where the author’s name contains A, T, and Y

28. A book related to something cold (i.e. theme, title, author, cover, etc.)
Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick - Snow

Finished on 29 April:

25. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #3 Something Borrowed
On The Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin, 28 April 19 - book borrowed from an online friend

Finished yesterday:

24. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #2 Something New

Dictator by Robert Harris, 15 May 19 - a brand new book that was given to me for my birthday this year

Finished today:

26. 4 books inspired by the wedding rhyme: Book #4 Something Blue

The Sky Over Lima by Juan Gómez Bárcena, 25 May 19

Finished yesterday:

51. A book published in 2019

Spring by Ali Smith, 2 June 19

Finished yesterday:

50. A book that includes a journey (physical, health, or spiritual)

Contented Dementia by Oliver James, 7 June 19 - health journey

Finished today:

22. A book with a number in the title or on the cover

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

Finished yesterday:

12. A book about reading, books or an author/writer

From Stone Orchard by Timothy Findley - a memoir by an author about life in the country in Canada with his partner