Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Hey everyone! Happy February (since January seemed to last 71 years...).

How are you doing on your ATY challenge? What do you plan on reading this month?

I've completed 16 books, all of which fit prompts for ATY! I should complete the Golden Compass tonight for the first book in a series I haven't started. Hopefully February will be just as good!

I have these 5 planned to start:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Elanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Ready Player One
How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child

I have only finished 2 books (I have to find a prompt that fits for 1 of them) but I have set up 5 to start this month:

When It's Time For Leaving
Haunted House Murder
The Winter Of Our Discontent
Love Lettering
Blind Spot
Mere Civility

I also have the monthly reading for BN reading challenge that I will find a prompt to fit:

The Look-Alike

I finished 15 books in January which might be a record number for me. Eleven were for ATY.

February plans so far:
Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (re-read)
Witch World by Andre Norton (using for #19 Fantasy)
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie (audio - I'm halfway through)
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain (using for #6 a mode of transportation on the cover)
Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George (using for #41 Mystery)

I need to finish the Winternight Trilogy series and Ember Queen because I've been waiting a year!

Outside of that, I'm going to try to read books by or about black characters in honor of February being black history month. So far I'm thinking:
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
On the Come Up
Americanah
Homegoing
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
The Nickel Boys

I finished 10 books for January so I'm quite pleased with that! It makes up for the fact that I had far too many dissapointing ratings. I don't think my average has ever been so low! I have a ridiculously ambitious TBR planned for February (over 20 books) which likely won't actually happen, but here's a few that I'm really looking forward to.

Children of Blood and Bone
Fangirl
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages
Let Me Hear a Rhyme
The Other People
Before the Devil Breaks You

I read 14 books in January, which is pretty much my average. 10 were for ATY, yay! My reading is lining up very well with the prompts so far.

February is the last month of the current Seasonal Reading Challenge, so I'll be focusing on books that will work for points there. The list will probably include:

The Road (set in a place I wouldn't want to live)
A Discovery of Witches (related to witches)
Girl with a Pearl Earring (related to the arts)
Dancer from the Dance (set in a global city)
Proper English (historical fiction)

I have 14 library books either on hand, or on hold and I really want to read them all, lol. I read 15 books in January BUT, one of my February books is Under the Dome, which is over 1,000 pages!! I anticipate that taking me 8-12 days to read, which is a chunk of the month.

I don't know that I'll get through everything by the end of the month, especially with it being a bit shorter than last month. Then again, if that crazy virus keeps spreading I'm going to stay really close to home, and that will free up more time to read, ugh lol.

My tentative February TBR list
Death Below Stairs
Firelight (re-read)
Subhuman
The Ghoul Vendetta
The Myth Manifestation
The Phoenix Illusion
This Earl of Mine
Take Me Home
Under the Dome
Subterranean
The Duchess Deal
Angels' Blood
Tempting the Beast (re-read)
Dragon Actually

Sarah wrote: "I read 14 books in January, which is pretty much my average. 10 were for ATY, yay! My reading is lining up very well with the prompts so far.

February is the last month of the current Seasonal Rea..."

The Road is such an amazing book!

Sarah wrote: "I read 14 books in January, which is pretty much my average. 10 were for ATY, yay! My reading is lining up very well with the prompts so far.

February is the last month of the current Seasonal Rea..."

Discovery of Witches is one of my favorite adult series! And it's perfect for that prompt!

I plan on reading at least half of my books in February written by African or African American authors, so I have a few books tentative, but I'm also subject to whims of my reading prompt jar.

I'm starting The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee for author with a one-syllable last name, then following it up with The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls for one half of the binary prompt. The other half will be an audio of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (boys/girls and fiction/nonfiction). I haven't pulled my fourth prompt yet, so that prompt and book are still up in the air.

Aside from that, I plan on reading Children of Virtue and Vengeance and The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives for some Black History Month reads. My book club picked Homegoing for this month's read, so I'll probably reread that one as well so I can participate in the discussion.

My goal is 8 books, so all that's left is that final ATY prompt, and I'll need to find an LGBTQ+ book for the month as well. If anyone has an LGBTQ+ recommendation that overlaps with a black character, please let me know! I definitely don't read enough of that intersectionality.

Ah, January's thread got locked before I could update my January reads (I finished one more book last night) so I guess I will update it here.

I was able to complete the first 8 prompts of the ATY challenge. I did really good with reading books that I already own. I only used one library book and that was because I had a day of driving and needed an audio book that would work for my next prompt.

Also, 4 of my 9 books were over 500 pages but I find fantasy books read faster than other long books.

I think, I have finally decided to start February off with finishing Messenger by Lois Lowry and starting Long Bright River by Liz Moore based on the January discussion thread.

I also put a hold in for the audio book The Gunslinger by Stephen King since I'm determined to read the Dark Tower series this year and I'm thinking maybe it will be easier on audio.

I also plan to continue on the Outlander series and read Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon.

February is usually one of my worst months of reading so I'm hoping this year it will be better.

My goal for this year is to complete at least 36 of the prompts (taking a more lax approach this year). I complete 3 of the prompts in January:

34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name Diary of a Murderer: And Other Stories

42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ Blindness by José Saramago (Nobel Prize 1998)

48. A book published in 2020 The Authenticity Project (ARC)

Books I'm planning for February:
Things in Jars
Saga, Vol. 9
Crescent Dawn
The Remains of the Day
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves
Amid the Shadows
Four Friends (1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y)
The Master and Margarita (49. A prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win – A book related to a tarot card [The Devil])

I just borrowed Things in Jars from a friend, so I may be reading that in February as well!

Jillian wrote: "Ah, January's thread got locked before I could update my January reads (I finished one more book last night) so I guess I will update it here.

I was able to complete the first 8 prompts of the AT..."

I really want to read King's Dark Tower series too, I keep hearing good things about it!

Kristina wrote: "My goal for this year is to complete at least 36 of the prompts (taking a more lax approach this year). I complete 3 of the prompts in January:

34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts wit..."

Just added The Master and Margarita to my TBR list, I really want to start reading more of the classics and this one sounds promising :)

ZeeJane wrote: "Jillian wrote: "Ah, January's thread got locked before I could update my January reads (I finished one more book last night) so I guess I will update it here.

I was able to complete the first 8 p..."

Several years ago, I read the first book and I was a bit lost. But I think part of the problem was that I just had too many books going when I read it. I also think it might be one of those series that gets better.

Jillian wrote: "ZeeJane wrote: "Jillian wrote: "Ah, January's thread got locked before I could update my January reads (I finished one more book last night) so I guess I will update it here.

I was able to comple..."

I've just started reading King's books and his writing style takes some getting used to, I've found that it takes me a lot longer to read through his books than other authors. But, I've been happy with the few that I've read so far, so it's worth the extra time/effort :)

I've completed 8 books for ATY and almost done with 2 more so I'm off to a strong start. But, several of these books were short. I save the longer ones for later in the year, when I have a buffer!

I am terrible at predicting what I'm gong to read for the month, as I've found in another GR group, but this is my best guess as of today:

Finish: Silence of the Chagos: A Novel and The Real-Town Murders

Some possibilities:
The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien (Inspector Maigret #4)
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
The Andromeda Evolution
The Seine: The River that Made Paris
No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller
Me (Waiting on library hold)

ZeeJane wrote: "I really want to read King's Dark Tower series too, I keep hearing good things about it!"

Dark Tower is one of my absolute favorite series! I'm actually doing a reread of it this year, since it's been a while since I read them all through. I love basically everything King writes, though - I've read over 40 of his books!

Emily wrote: "If anyone has an LGBTQ+ recommendation that overlaps with a black character, please let me know! ..."

Emily, have you read Girl, Woman, Other yet? It would be perfect as the majority of the characters in the novel are British black women and probably about half of them identify as LGBTQ+. I'm about 75% done and it's so good! The characters are fleshed out so well, I can't put the book down.

Sarah wrote: "ZeeJane wrote: "I really want to read King's Dark Tower series too, I keep hearing good things about it!"

Dark Tower is one of my absolute favorite series! I'm actually doing a reread of it this y..."

40 books, Wow!! I've only read 2 so far, lol. 11/22/63 and It. I'd like to read at least 3 more this year though! I have Under the Dome on hand from the library right now and then I'd like to read The Shining and The Tommyknockers later this year.

Wow, where did January go?
I have several books on my TBR this month. They are as follows:

✔ Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco for week #34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name.

The Paladin: A Spy Novel by David Ignatius

✔ Memory Man by David Baldacci for week #37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1.

✔ The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern for week #3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

While these are pretty lengthy reads, I hope to add one or two "spontaneous selections" along the way!

**UPDATE**
I only read 3/5 of my intended books but also finished four additional reads. They were as follows:

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris for week #23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath for week #14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female
Writers.

Shipping News by Annie Proulx for week #11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris for week #41. A mystery.

I hope to read The Paladin in March and will attempt to read The Kite Runner over the summer. I already have my March books stacked!

I only had one book for ATY picked out for February so writing this post was good motivation to get some more cemented plans.

6. Transportation on the cover Little Fires Everywhere
7. Set in southern hemisphere A Long Petal of the Sea
8. 2 word title starts with The The Unpassing
9. Read in a day Convenience Store Woman

In addition, I have 2 books left to finish for the Tournament of Books: Girl, Woman, Other and Nothing to See Here.

I'm behind on my graphic novel a week challenge, but I have two borrowed from the library currently: The One Hundred Nights of Hero and King Lear.

Jillian wrote: "I also plan to continue on the Outlander series and read Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon.

Ooh, I hope you like it! I think I preferred Dragonfly in Amber to Outlander.

Happy February and Super Bowl weekend, everyone :) I'm a little bummed that we don't get to watch hometown boy Lamar tomorrow, but I'll console myself by cheering for Andy Reid and his fabulous moustache.
Last year I read eight (!!) books in February, but I have no such hopes this year, even with the extra day. I'm aiming to just complete the four monthly prompts. Several holds are coming in to the library tomorrow and I own the fourth book on the agenda, so this really couldn't be easier... but I'm just not feeling motivated! It's also been hard summoning enthusiasm for my baking challenge and my own writing. Maybe winter blues are starting to take hold (even though we've only had winter weather for a total of like 6 days...)

To finish:
The Iron King

To start:
The Sport of Kings
The Seamstress
The Accursed
The Troop

I finished 11 books in total in January, only two of which were for ATY.

I have quite a few books in mind for this month, loosely based on a Valentine's Day theme. Some are romances, and some are domestic thrillers or thrillers based around a relationship. Some of the books I'm planning to read are:

- The Flatshare
- Read Bottom Up
- Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating
- The Marriage Pact
- Cross Her Heart
- The Love That Split the World

For some reason, I keep going back and forth about Cross Her Heart because I've never read a Sarah Pinborough book before. I keep thinking that I *should* read Behind Her Eyes first, but also didn't want to read both of them too close together, and Cross Her Heart somehow feels like it fits my self-imposed theme better.

Emily wrote: "I plan on reading at least half of my books in February written by African or African American authors, so I have a few books tentative, but I'm also subject to whims of my reading prompt jar.

I'm..."

I just started Ace of Shades and it has a black bisexual male protagonist! It's a really fun and unique YA fantasy and I'm really enjoying so far

I'm all about Black History Month reading this month. Other than books I already have checked out from the library, almost all my reading will be from black authors. I am not going to get to ALL of these, but I'm going to try.

poetry
Vintage Hughes - selected poems by Langston Hughes
The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks - selected poems by Gwendolyn Brooks
The Black Maria by Aracelis Girmay
On the Bus With Rosa Parks poems by Rita Dove

classics
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

SFF
The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin
The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin
I don't usually read one author back-to-back like this, but Jemisin is so good that I think it might work for me.

mystery
Black Water Rising by Attica Locke
Little Scarlet by Walter Mosley
The Big Gold Dream by Chester Himes

romance
Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole
A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Say You Need Me by Kayla Perrin

general fiction / literary fiction / short stories
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan (already started this one - it's very engaging - but a lot of reviews say it sags in the second half ...)
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
A Lucky Man by Jamel Brinkley
The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (I've got this audio book checked out already - I'm looking forward to it! Just as soon as I finish the two books I have borrowed before it ...)
Lazaretto by Diane McKinney-Whetstone

non-fiction
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race ed by Jesmyn Ward
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

I'm not sure if this is the best place to ask this, but does anyone know if My Dark Vanessa is literary fiction?

Everyone's read a lot!

I finished 5 prompts using 4 books and 1 short story. It's more than I planned to read so that's a pleasant surprise.

February plans:
1. Finish chapter 10 of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression
2. Finish The Ocean at the End of the Lane
3. Finish Scarlet
4. Read a few chapters of The House of the Spirits

I find that I like planning my books monthly. The ATY plan in its entirety of 52 books is too overwhelming for me, but not having a plan at all makes it all too easy to forget that I have a reading challenge to accomplish! So monthly plans are just right.

January absolutely flew by for me, I can't believe it's already February. I realised the other day that the Spider only has one more week of school before another two weeks of school holidays. Argh!

I'm really enjoying going challenge-less so far. I finished six books in January, and it was great not to be pushing myself to finish stuff "just because". I think last year I finished something like fifteen books in January, which was crazy1 My plans for this month are modest - I want to finish Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China (which I am LOVING, and I now want to read everything else she's written, because I want to learn more about China) and Oliver Twist. Both are chonks. I'm taking on more work from next week which is going to be a bit mentally draining so I don't want to put too much pressure on myself.

Didn't want to mess up the flow of the other thread, but wanted to let the mods know that I absolutely LOVE the new Best Reads of the Month threads that were just started! My TBR list is going to go through the roof, lol.

Emily, you’ve already gotten a few recs but I wanted to put a plug in for An Unkindness of Ghosts, which is in my top 10 books.

My February list is long, not sure I’ll get through all of these:

Trail of Lightning (AtY) - in progress
A Few Red Drops (RH) - in progress
Storm of Locusts (AtY)
The Old Drift (AtY)
The Deep (AtY)
Heart Berries (AtY)
The Cellist of Sarajevo (PS)
The Beekeeper of Aleppo (PS 43)
The Widows of Malabar Hill (RH)
A graphic memoir (RH) - TBD
Start World without End audio

I have been borrowing more books than I can actually read for the last few weeks. If it was food I would say "my eyes are bigger than my stomach"

Not all of these are for AtYB but I am really excited about reading all of them.

31. A book inspired by a newspaper story - specifically the extinction of animals and climate change Amphibian - it has been compared to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Sputnik's Children
27. Historical Fiction The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism
51. A book with "ing" in the title Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club
20. The 20th book on your TBR Horrorstör - I am listening to this with my daughter so it is taking awhile
5. The first book in a series you have not started yet Sea of Poppies - currently reading
24. A book with an emotion in the title The Joy Luck Club
Lovecraft Country
Reject challenge - A dark satire The Warehouse
A Corpse in the Koryo
The Witchwood Crown - ongoing, it is a long audiobook
3. Prompted to read by something you read in 2019 Obasan

I have changed my usual MO. Since the start of doing the reading challenge with this group when we started Popsugar together, I have read in order. This year I wanted to do away with that constraint. It has made reading more fun. It is probably why I have more books then time as well, LOL.

I have some recommendations from my last months reading.

The Memory Police by the author who wrote The Housekeeper and the Professor. It is a short book that has so many layers. I used it for 4. A book set in a place you would not like to visit.

Smaller and Smaller Circles - works as an Around the World book. It is set in the Philippines. It is about 2 Jesuit priests who help the local police solve a murder. I would suggest it for a place you would or time you would not want to live, or the Maximillian Hell prompt, which I used it for.

Radicalized - is a book of short stories. All of them are linked by the communities we create, hardships and social justice issues. I ended up using it for 22. A major theme of survival.

P.S I really like this new format. It has encouraged more discussions.

Jody wrote: "January absolutely flew by for me, I can't believe it's already February. I realised the other day that the Spider only has one more week of school before another two weeks of school holidays. Argh..."

I really enjoyed Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China. The background the author included help me understand the culture and history so much more.

Rachel wrote: "I finished 11 books in total in January, only two of which were for ATY.

I have quite a few books in mind for this month, loosely based on a Valentine's Day theme. Some are romances, and some are..."

Both The Flatshare and The Marriage Pact are so good. That they challenge the norms of what society expects and at least I as a reader expected. I hope you like both of them.

Hello February,
I read 12 books in January for either ATY or PS.

On 2/1 I finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and loved it!

Currently reading:
My Cousin Rachel
The Alchemist
The Curious Incident of the Dog
Chess Story by Stefan Zweig
The first wife for Around the World challenge

Next up:
The Casual Vacancy
99% Mine
The Time Machine
Mrs. Calloway
Winter by Ali Smith
What ever Reese’s February BOTM is.

I had about 5 books on suspended hold at the library and didn’t realize that the release date was 1/30, so those are now ready to be picked up. I’ll see if I can fit a few in.

I want to join in on the group reading of the Count of Monte Cristo, but I think it will take me more than a month to read it.

Happy reading in February ❤️❤️

I read 8 books in January - 4 for Pop Sugar and 4 for ATY (and some also double up for Book Riot and/or Reading Women). I'm doing ATY in order (but not Pop Sugar) and on schedule right now, provided I finish my 5th book today.

So currently reading: Land of Shadows by Rachel Howzell Hall for first book in a series, and I am quite enjoying it. It's been awhile since I read a police procedural type book and the detective (Elouise Norton) is a great character. I'd like to try to read the rest of the books in the series if I can slot them in or find time ... I find I have trouble reading series these days with challenges and just so many NEW books I want to read.

February plans (I'm still making decisions):

For ATY:

6. Transportation on the cover: Full Throttle by Joe Hill OR The Topeka School by Ben Lerner
7. Set in southern hemisphere: House of Stone: A Novel by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma OR Euphoria by Lily King
8. 2 word title starts with The: The Godmother by Hannelore Cayre OR The Chain by Adrian McKinty OR The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
9. Read in a day: Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss OR All Systems Red by Martha Wells or the second Binti

For Pop Sugar or just because (including IRL book club and Canada Reads):

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera (for my IRL bookclub)

The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone by Felicity McLean (pink cover PS)

Sarong Party Girls by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan (Olympic city PS)

From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle (Canada Reads)

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib (Canada Reads, might use for book by a journalist PS prompt)

Phew - don't think I will necessarily get through all of them -and I have more Canada Reads to get through before mid-March!

I finalized my February TBR and it is long and unreasonable but here it is:

Ace of Shades (in progress and really enjoying!)
How Long 'til Black Future Month?
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1
Children of Blood and Bone
Tiny Pretty Things
My Sister, the Serial Killer (in progress, lukewarm so far)
Let Me Hear a Rhyme
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir
Heartstopper: Volume One
The Other People
I Wish You All the Best
Fangirl
People Kill People
The Boy Who Steals Houses
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Before the Devil Breaks You
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Neverworld Wake

These ones are all maybes because clearly 18 isn't enough
Carry On
Wayward Son
Strange the Dreamer
The Crucible

I'm kind of just desperate to find something I love after a 3.2 average rating in January, which is so weird because I'm usually good at knowing my taste. So the more I read, the more likely I am to finally get some 5 stars.

Here we go then!

I've read two books this month, but one of them is actually a March prompt (book 400-600 pages). My hold came in early and I finished it in two days - My Plain Jane. A big book, but a fast read. It is based on Jane Eyre, with Charlotte Bronte as Jane's friend at the boarding school, but quickly becomes different, with ghosts, villains, ghost hunters, and a very different ending. I enjoyed it, but is not for those who are irritated by anachronistic historical fiction. The dialog is very modern.

The second #9, a book that can be read in a day. This one was My Boyfriend Is a Bear, a graphic novel about a young woman whose boyfriend is a 500-pound black bear. If you can suspend your disbelief, it is a fun romance.

ZeeJane wrote: "Didn't want to mess up the flow of the other thread, but wanted to let the mods know that I absolutely LOVE the new Best Reads of the Month threads that were just started! My TBR list is going to g..."

Same! That thread's going to balloon my TBR.

I read 13 books in January, with 6 of them for ATY. I've since finished The Burning Land for #7.

This month I want to read
8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The": The Foundling by Stacey Halls
9. A book that can be read in a day: Heartstopper: Volume Three by Alice Oseman
10. A book that is between 400-600 pages: Deathless Divide: The sequel to Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

I also have Glass Town and The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Pictures ordered but I don't think I'll save them for an ATY prompt.

Whew, I go away for Super Bowl Sunday, and I come back to this!

Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. I really was interested in Girl, Woman, Other, but they only have the ebook at my library. I requested a physical copy, so hopefully it can come in before the end of the month. I actually already had An Unkindness of Ghosts already on my TBR (and marked LGBT+ lol), so that is my second option. And I'm glad to have Ace of Shades on my TBR for future months when I need a YA break.

I'm so glad everyone is enjoying the best books of the month thread! My TBR has also exploded to the point that I've broke my own rule and allowed my To Read shelf to get larger than my Read shelf... Looks like I'll be spending some time weeding out some older books.

I made it through a record breaking 13 books in January, and finished #14 on Febraury 1st. I have a few library renewals out for this month:
Envy by Sandra Brown (started this yesterday)
The Binding
The Farm
Dumplin'
Sadie ( not on my plan for this year, so if anyone has read it and has any ideas where to put it in ANY of the challenges let me know... I'm working on ATY, PopSygar, Reading Women and BookRiot)

Also 60% done with A Game of Thrones

side read- a-loud with the kiddos: Maggie & Abby's Neverending Pillow Fort ( not for any challenge, but it's on my backlist for my ATY middle grade 2018).

My goal for the month to keep up pace is 13 books ( Ha!) so I requested a few short ones from the library:
Home
and
The Night Masquerade

that leaves me with 6 books to read for challenges and I'd like to get a few in for black history month ( although the Binti books will work for that), so I'll probably add in A Mercy by Toni Morrison.

The other 5 can come off my kindle or my shelf since I have a few here at home on my list. I have a few changes I'd like to make or add to my plans. I have 2 re-reads that I'm not opposed to changing- Rebecca, for A Book With A Great First Line ( I found something Im interested in for this prompt), and Memoirs of a Geisha for A Book Set In Japan (?).... anyone have a recommendation for that one? I loved both of those books, they're on my favorites shelf, but always good to try something new. I also want to change my book By Or About A Journalist to No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us, since I just heard of it, and its so relevant to life right now.

@Tracy - have you read Norwegian Wood? I absolutely loved it, and would fit for the book set in Japan.

Tracy wrote: "Sadie ( not on my plan for this year, so if anyone has read it and has any ideas where to put it in ANY of the challenges let me know... I'm working on ATY, PopSygar, Reading Women and BookRiot)..."

Oh I loved it, the audiobook was just perfect. For Popsugar, it won a load of awards last year, I also have the feeling Sadie might be in her 20's but I'm not 100% on that. Sadie has a stutter, so depending on your definitions she could be neurodiverse or possibly a disabled character for BR. She's also part of a non-traditional family and it's a mystery.

Jody wrote: "@Tracy - have you read Norwegian Wood? I absolutely loved it, and would fit for the book set in Japan."

I'm ashamed to say I haven't read anything by Haruki Murakami yet, but that's where I was thinking of going with this prompt. Thanks :-)

Ellie wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Sadie ( not on my plan for this year, so if anyone has read it and has any ideas where to put it in ANY of the challenges let me know... I'm working on ATY, PopSygar, Reading Women an..."

Thanks Ellie :-)

I already read some of these prompts, Ninth House for a character in their 20's, . Elevation for a mystery. I'll have to take a look and se whats replaceable, or double up maybe if I have time. If not it's on a challenge backlist somewhere in my infinity list :-)