Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Hello, Team Candy Cane!

Here's your thread for plotting and discussing and figuring out how you will tackle this challenge. As a reminder, group members include:

Co-Captain: Kathryn
Co-Captain: Trish
Vish
Bec
Lieke
Hannah (Message 30)
Hilde
Erica
Hannah (Message 4)
Johanne
Ira
Mini
Errlee

In this challenge, you'll be working your way through holiday-inspired prompts to earn badges for your group. Each level must be completed before you can move on to the next level!

The prompts are:

Bronze Level
December 1: World AIDS Day - Read a book where someone is sick
December 2: Cyber Monday - Read a book where the first letter of the title is found in the words AMAZON or EBAY
December 3: Giving Tuesday - Read a book rated 5 stars by a friend on Goodreads
December 4: National Dice Day - Read a book with a 6 in the page number
December 5: International Ninja Day - Read a book set in Asia
December 6: Free Read!
December 7: National Cotton Candy Day - Read a “light and fluffy” book
December 8: Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day - Read a book relating to time in some way
December 9: National Pastry Day - Read a book with a yellow cover
December 10: International Human Rights Day - Read a book by an author whose first or last initial can be found in HUMAN RIGHTS
December 11: National App Day - Read a book whose cover is the same color as your favorite app
December 12: Free Read!
December 13: Friday the 13th - Read a spooky book
December 14: National Postal Worker Day - Read a book that features a letter
December 15: Bill of Rights Day - Read a historical fiction or history book set in the US

Silver Level
December 16: National Chocolate Covered Anything Day - Read a book by an author whose first or last initial can be found in CHOCOLATE
December 17: Wright Brothers Day - Read a book that features a plane or brothers
December 18: International Migrants Day - Read a book that features an immigrant or someone migrating from their home country
December 19: National Emo Day - Read a dark and depressing book
December 20: National Ugly Sweater Day - Read a book with an ugly cover
December 21: Winter Solstice - Read a book with less than 200 pages
December 22: Free Read!
December 23: First Day of Hanukkah - Read a book with a light source on the cover
December 24: Christmas Eve - Read a book centered around family
December 25: Christmas Day - Read a book related to Christmas
December 26: Boxing Day - Read a book that you received as a gift or that you would give as a gift
December 27: National Fruitcake Day - Read a book with a fruit on the cover
December 28: National Short Film Day - Read a book related to a TV show or movie
December 29: Free Read!
December 30: National Bacon Day - Read a book starting with a letter in the words BACON or PIG
December 31: New Years’ Eve - Read a book by an author you’ve read before

Gold Level
January 1: New Years Day - Read a book by a new-to-you author
January 2: National Science Fiction Day - Read a sci-fi book
January 3: Free Read!
January 4: World Braille Day - Read a book featuring someone with a disability
January 5: National Screenwriters Day - Read a book that is not a novel (nonfiction, poetry, play, etc.)
January 6: Three Kings Day - Read a book with three words in the title
January 7: National Bobblehead Day - Read a book with a larger than life character
January 8: Elvis Presley’s Birthday - Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in THE KING
January 9: National Apricot Day - Read a book with a red or orange cover
January 10: National Houseplant Appreciation Day - Read a book with a plant on the cover
January 11: National Vision Board Day - Read a book with multiple timelines
January 12: National Youth Day - Read a YA or Middle Grade book
January 13: Free Read!
January 14: National Dress Up Your Pet Day - Read a book by an author whose first or last initial can be found in DOG, CAT, or FISH
January 15: National Hat Day - Read a book with a hat on the cover
January 16: National Nothing Day - Read a book with a 0 in the page count
January 17: Free Read!
January 18: National Thesaurus Day - Read a book that has a word with 7+ letters in the title
January 19: National Popcorn Day - Read a book with a snack on the cover
January 20: Heroes' Day - Read a book featuring someone who is a hero

Platinum Level
January 21: National Hugging Day - Read a book that feels warm and cozy
January 22: National Blonde Brownie Day - Read a book with a blonde or brunette female on the cover
January 23: National Handwriting Day - Read a book whose title looks handwritten on the cover
January 24: Global Belly Laugh Day - Read a humorous book
January 25: Opposite Day - Read a book with a mostly black and white cover
January 26: Australia Day - Read a book set in Australia
January 27: Free Read!
January 28: Data Privacy Day - Read a book where technology plays a large role
January 29: National Puzzle Day - Read a book with a geometric pattern on the cover
January 30: Free Read!
January 31: Inspire Your Heart with Art Day - Read a book featuring a character who is involved in the arts

Your team's spreadsheet can be found here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Grab your badges here:


Good luck, and happy holidays!

Hi team!!

Excited to get started on the readathon, looking forward to reading with all of you:)

Hello candy canes!
Excited to get started and read with you all :)

I am reading The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra it has 180ish pages left. Looking at the first level it works best for 'related to time' (dec. 8): the space time continuum is important in the book. (Still trying to wrap my head around that). It's a slow read but my last book to finish ATY!

Next up is Farseer Trilogy #1 which is a long book, so we'll see what fits later on. I also have some shorter choices in da house (as usual).

Question for the mods:
I guess it's like other readathons - books with more than 100 pages left when readathon starts, books with 100+ pages (including graphic novels) count?

Oh yeah, and I know we start tomorrow, I'll just read something else tonight.

Yes and yes! Must have at least 100 pages left when you wake up tomorrow, and books should be at least 100 pages long.

Thanks!

Hi team!

Tomorrow I'll be finishing 'The Light Fantastic' by Terry Pratchett which will do for December 10, if that's alright.

I am currently reading ‘The Education of Little Tree’, have about 160 pages left, so will make sure to not read more than 60 pages of it tonight;) It fits the Dec 15 prompt.

Hi team!

I’ve got 5 more books I need to read this year to complete my challenges, so this read-a-thon has really come at the right time for me 😊.

I’ve started four of the books, and I’m also reading an audiobook. I’ll add them all to the planning tab when I get home, and put all of the possible options they would work for, so they could always be moved to a different option if needed.

Good morning Team Candy Cane! And it's the day of the read-a-thon for me - I know the rest of you in time zones further back around the globe have to wait for a few more hours.

And thank you, Emily, for the team spreadsheet - that is a great help!!

I was trying to finish a book last night, but my eyes just wouldn't stay open, and when I checked where I got up to last night, I found I was right on page 288 and the book has 388 pages! I'm also listening to an audiobook, but I'm only halfway done, and it's taken me 10 days to get this far, so I'm not counting on it!

Mini, I added your book to the planning tab.

I know have to go and get started on my day - which doesn't include much reading, at least in the first half of it - and, to be honest, the weekend in general is probably going to be a bit light on when it comes to reading!! But things will settle down for me a bit after the weekend.

Happy reading everyone!

And I thought someone else had mentioned another book that I'd missed - Johanne, I've put your book in the planning tab as well!

Thanks :) and good morning Kathryn.

For the book with a yellow cover, do you think either of these would count?

.

I’m reading the first as an ebook, so it’s a bit hard to see if the cover is a pale yellow or deep cream. And as it says a “yellow cover” rather than a cover with yellow on it, I’m not sure I can count the second option either. What do you all think? Or Mods if you’re reading these threads?

I'd say the second one has enough yellow to count, but maybe not the first one.

Hi team! :)

I’m currently reading De niet verhoorde gebeden van Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell and still have more then 300 pages left. After this one I need only one more book to finish my ATY challenge.

Emily wrote: "I'd say the second one has enough yellow to count, but maybe not the first one."

Thanks for clarification, Emily!

I’ve added all three levels for my books on the spreadsheet as I’m not sure how quickly people will finish their books, and as I’m in the middle of quite a few, I can pick books up and put them down as needed.

So I appear to be co-captain. Who knew!

Pity I'll finish A Christmas Carol tonight, or it would have made a good spooky book.

So, my short-term reading list, which I can try bend to fit, is:

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Mary Roach (my last ATY book)
Broken Heart Attack, James J Cudney
Ruddy Gore, Kerry Greenwood
Speaking from Among the Bones, Alan Bradley
Murder on the House, Juliet Blackwell
A Whale of a Tail, Kathi Daley
Thread the Halls, Lea Wait
The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, Georges Simenon
Aunt Dimity and the Wishing Well, Nancy Atherton
Mr Dickens and His Carol, Samantha Silva


I'll have a look at the spreadsheet and try to fit them in.

Trish wrote: "So I appear to be co-captain. Who knew!

Pity I'll finish A Christmas Carol tonight, or it would have made a good spooky book.

So, my short-term reading list is:..."

Happy to be co-captain with you, Trish!

That's a good point about A Christmas Carol - I have it downloaded as an audiobook, so maybe I'll start listening to it today - it's only 3 hours and I have a bit of driving to do today and over the weekend, so I'll probably get it finished in the next couple of days. Not that I think it's very spooky, but it does have ghosts, and I guess I'd feel spooked if I was Ebenezer Scrooge!

Hannah wrote: "I’ve added all three levels for my books on the spreadsheet as I’m not sure how quickly people will finish their books, and as I’m in the middle of quite a few, I can pick books up and put them dow..."

Just remember that you can't finish a book that you want to count toward silver level until we've crossed off all the books for the bronze level!

However, it's probably worth knowing that if prompts get filled in the lower levels, then we've got some fallback for the upper ones.

Another question: I am not sure I understand December 4, 6 in the page number. Is it meant as a 6 in total page count (like 265 pages fx)?

Yes! So any number that has a 6 in it (196, 671, 265, etc.) would work. You can use your page number of the edition you’re reading or the default page number on Goodreads.

Johanne wrote: "Hello candy canes!
Next up is Farseer Trilogy #1 which is a long book, so we'll see what fits later on. ..."
Ohhh you will love this!! I'm currently reading book 1 in the third series - Fool's Errand.

Hi Candy Caners! I'm excited. As I just mentioned I'm currently reading Fool's Errand. It's the last book in my ATY challenge and my aim is to finish it over the weekend. It's long though and I still have lots of pages so no guarantees.
I'll add it to the spreadsheet.

Next on the list for me is an ARC, Witch Way to Death & Destruction

Hi team. My challenge starts in 8 hours after I wake up. I will finish Who Censored Roger Rabbit? tomorrow and start The Night Tiger. I don't where the first one can fit, but the second one is set in Asia

Bec wrote: "Johanne wrote: "Hello candy canes!
Next up is Farseer Trilogy #1 which is a long book, so we'll see what fits later on. ..."
Ohhh you will love this!! I'm currently reading book 1 in the third seri..."

Ooh, another Aussie, so someone in a similar timezone to me!

I'm finished work for the day, but still no time to do much reading (although I'm sneaking in 30 minutes just at the moment before I get started on other tasks)!

good morning. on my way to work in a bit.
I just realised I am also reading Monstress 2 & 3 to finish aty, and one of them is 160something pages. I'll see where else they fit. I may not get a lot of reading time today, or the next couple of days, because of work (today only then I am off for 6 days :) ) Christmas preparations and my 16year old son who attends boarding school comes home tonight.

Good morning, Johanne!! No dramas - this weekend is probably a bit of a write-off for me too, but I suspect most people are in the same boat. But we’re reading for the fun of it, really, even if we don’t get past bronze level (although I suspect we will!).

Good morning, team! I’m about to go to work where I will hopefully finish my audiobook, and maybe start another if lots of people have taken the day off and so there aren’t as many people around wanting to talk. Then when I get home this evening, I have no plans except reading 😊. I don't have many plans for this weekend, it’s from Monday that I start to get busy so my reading will slow down from then on.

So, to know which book has been read for which prompt, I've added an extra column to the spreadsheet. My thought is that when you tick off a prompt, could you put the name of the book you read in the "Read and Claimed" column.

Hopefully, that way we'll be able to keep track of what's done, and what's pending.

Good evening!
I am about to start Enchantée and I believe it fits into Dec 1st or Dec 15th.
I'm a bit confused with the spreadsheet though (I really should know how to work technology)
Anyway, good luck with your books, team!

Hi team. Just finished reading Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf. I have no idea where it fits except for free read. But I had to read it if I want to have a chance to complete the AtY Challenge. I moving on to The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

Ira wrote: "Hi team. Just finished reading Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf. I have no idea where it fits except for free read. But I had to read it if I want to have a ..."

I've put it into Free Read for now...we can always find another home for it later!

Trish, great addition to the spreadsheet!

OK, I've been MIA most of the day! But my day is coming to a close and I've just finished Death in the Cotswolds which is a cosy mystery, so fairly light and fluffy, so that's what I put it in for. Now I'm about to go to bed, but might just have a look at my books to see what I could read next...!

For Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, we could leave it in the free read category, but it could also go in the "author whose first or last initial can be found in HUMAN RIGHTS" category, couldn't it? Written by Gary, and there's a "G" in there...

Does anyone have any idea why the spreadsheet stops at column AG? I just inserted 4 more columns, but the formulas don't apply to them... Or is it just my spreadsheet that looks like that?? I'm happiest using Excel spreadsheets - I don't cope very well with Google docs!!

I've updated it, Kathryn.

When you add columns to the end of the sheet, the formulas always won't stretch to add all of the columns. I've updated the formulas so they should work no matter where you add new columns.

Emily wrote: "I've updated it, Kathryn.

When you add columns to the end of the sheet, the formulas always won't stretch to add all of the columns. I've updated the formulas so they should work no matter where y..."

Thanks, Emily! You can never get to the end of the columns (or rows) in Excel, so I was very confused when the spreadsheet ended!!

Vish wrote: "Good evening!
I am about to start Enchantée and I believe it fits into Dec 1st or Dec 15th.
I'm a bit confused with the spreadsheet though (I really should know how to work technol..."

I was going to ask what it was about the spreadsheet that you are confused by, Vish, but now I'm confused about why the columns stopped, so clearly I'm not the best person to explain your spreadsheet concerns!

But I think if your book is a historical fiction (no. 15) and has a character who is sick in it (no. 1), then it could definitely work for either of those, if you finish it before anyone else finishes something that works for one of those.

So now that Emily has added more columns in for us, you could add your book to one of those unused columns, and add a "x" in the box for no. 1 and 15. Once you finish the book, if either of those categories is still empty, you can put the name of your book into the corresponding line of column F. Does that make sense, or have I confused you more than ever?!

Kathryn wrote: "Vish wrote: "Good evening!
I am about to start Enchantée and I believe it fits into Dec 1st or Dec 15th.
I'm a bit confused with the spreadsheet though (I really should know how to..."

Thank you so much!
Yeah, I was confused about there being no columns left so I assumed we had to put the books in somewhere but then I couldn't find that 'somewhere'
Whoops.

I just got added to the team and running out the door so I don't have time to look at the spreadsheet or slot books into topics this second but just fyi, I am currently reading:

Spinning by Tillie Walden

and

The Perilous Life of Jade Yeo by Zen Cho

and about to start

Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie

When I get back in a couple of hours I'll try to see if any of those are helpful!

I’ve finished A Possible Life: A Novel in Five Parts and added it to the spreadsheet for 2nd December.

I also highlighted the prompts that have completed books allocated to them in bright green, so we don’t need to keep scrolling through the spreadsheet to see which prompts are already complete.

Kathryn wrote: "For Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, we could leave it in the free read category, but it could also go in the "author whose first or last initial can be found in HUMAN RIGHTS" category, couldn't it? Written by Gary, and there's a "G" in there"

Good idea, I took the liberty to move it to the "HUMAN RIGHTS" prompt to keep the free prompt open a bit more ;)

Errlee wrote: "I just got added to the team and running out the door so I don't have time to look at the spreadsheet or slot books into topics this second but just fyi, I am currently reading:

[book:Spinning|331..."

Welcome to the team, Errlee! :)

Hilde wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "For Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, we could leave it in the free read category, but it could also go in the "author whose first or last initial can be found in HUMAN RIGHTS" category, couldn't it? Written by Gary, and there's a "G" in there"

Good idea, I took the liberty to move it to the "HUMAN RIGHTS" prompt to keep the free prompt open a bit more ;)"

Nice one.

Hannah wrote: "I’ve finished A Possible Life: A Novel in Five Parts and added it to the spreadsheet for 2nd December.

I also highlighted the prompts that have completed books allocated to them in bright green, so we don’t need to keep scrolling through the spreadsheet to see which prompts are already complete."

I saw that. Cool.

I've just discovered a significant letter in Mr Dickens and His Carol, so it might end up in National Postal Worker day, unless someone else ticks that before I get there.

I had to reread the word HUMAN RIGHTS 15 times to figure out where the G was 😂

Great work on knocking out those prompts!

Ok as a relative newbie here and one that isn't very good with spreadsheets, I saw someone put down the books I am currently reading (THANK YOU since I would have no idea how) - so now do I put x's where I think they could slot in?? And for all three levels or just bronze?

Sorry if it's an obvious question.

Yes to both of your questions, Errlee:)

Just as a side note, we need to finish the Bronze level before we can move on to the Silver level though.

I started a new book on my flight today, and it seems to be a good one indeed. It’s ‘The Housekeeper and the Professor’, and since it’s relatively short I don’t think it will take me that long hopefully. Added it to the spreadsheet.