Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

For this one you need to find an author who published books 21 years (or more) apart.

This article is a good jumping off point, plus it has some cool trivia in it: https://lithub.com/when-80-famous-wri...

ATY listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Question:
1. What are you reading for this prompt?
2. How long was/is the author's career?
3. What authors would you recommend checking out?

Kazuo Ishiguro has a new book coming out next year called Klara and the Sun, I think that’s my most likely pick. (His first novel came out in 1982!) I also have had Bleak House on the TBR pile for a bit, and this is one of several prompts it would fit - Dickens wrote from around 1837 till the day before he died in 1870.

I'm reading The Two Swords by RA Salvatore. He's been writing since 1982. I definitely recommend this series if you're into fantasy. The first book is Homeland if you're going in chronological order, The Crystal Shard if you're going in publication order.

Ali Smith has been publishing for at least 21 years. And she’s won the Women’s Prize. Since I’m trying to read all of those winners I’ll probably be reading How to be Both here.

I am planning to read Helen Humphreys, a Canadian author whose first novel was published in 1997. She seems to be an author most people have never heard of despite her lengthy award-winning career. I’ve read all of her books except for her two most recent ones and thoroughly enjoyed them.

I'm reading Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, who had a 49 year career! I'd also really like to read her book of essays published just before she passed away, The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations, so if I can do both I will!

I haven't decided who I'll read for this one yet. Probably Philippa Gregory, as I've just started reading her Plantagenet and Tudor series, so could continue on with wherever I'm up to in that series next year, but also possibly Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro ,John Grisham, Agatha Christie, or Barbara Kingsolver

Chrissy wrote: "Kazuo Ishiguro has a new book coming out next year called Klara and the Sun, I think that’s my most likely pick. (His first novel came out in 1982!) I also have had..."

I hadn't considered Dickens, Chrissy! I was thinking of reading David Copperfield and/or Bleak House. However there's a good chance I won't manage either!! But nice to know that they could work for this category!

years ago, I used to read Elizabeth Peters's Egyptian mysteries regularly, and then life got in the way and I got out of the habit, so there are five books left in the series that I haven't read, PLUS this year I discovered that Barbara Rosenblatt reads the later book in the series and she is phenomenal as an audiobook reader!! So, I'll probably read Guardian of the Horizon or The Serpent on the Crown (and I'll read the other one for the Egyptian Museum prompt!)

Another author I'm considering is Chester Himes - I was surprised to discover his career was so long!! I usually read one of his Harlem mysteries during Black History Month, so I might use The Big Gold Dream here.

I have The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer so I'll be reading it for this prompt. Her first book was published in 1982.

I have a list of 21 authors to start with. The ones on the top of my list are:
Mikhail Bulgakov- The White Guard
Iris Murdoch- The Sea, The Sea
Philip K. Dick- VALIS
Octavia E. Butler- Lilith's Brood
Frank Herbert- Heretics of Dune

I'm going with Jennifer Egan - Look at Me

Below are my other author/book options, and if I've read anything by them I'd recommend:
Kazuo Ishiguro - The Remains of the Day (I loved Never Let Me Go by this author)
Neil Gaiman - Trigger Warning/The Graveyard Book (Loved Good Omens and American Gods, also enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane and The Anansi Boys)
Chuck Palahniuk - Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread (Liked Invisible Monsters by this author)
Ray Bradbury - A Medicine for Melancholy (Read and enjoyed Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles)
Tom Robbins - Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (really enjoyed Jitterbug Perfume)
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Galapagos
James Patterson - The Jester

Pam, I highly recommend Lilith's Brood! It was one of my favorite reads last year.

i'm reading Assassin's Apprentice for this prompt because i have owned it for an embarrassingly long time

I'm just frustrated with this prompt as I keep finding authors who just fall short. I was going to read my last unread Discworld book for Popsugar long series prompt, however I've plugged a Poirot in there so I have that as a backup. I've been saving it because then there will be no more new Discworld. So other options:

Kazuo Ishiguro Klara and the Sun or The Buried Giant
Robin Hobb: Royal Assassin
Garth Nix: The Left-Handed Booksellers of London
Chuck Palahniuk: Fight Club, Invisible Monsters or Lullaby
Bill Bryson: One Summer: America 1927 or At Home: A Short History of Private Life

Ellie wrote: "I'm just frustrated with this prompt as I keep finding authors who just fall short. I was going to read my last unread Discworld book for Popsugar long series prompt, however I've plugged a Poirot ..."

I recently started reading Discworld, and I'm simultaneously wondering how I never read them before, and really happy I haven't so I have them to look forward to :)

I'm going to read either The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler or American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I would recommend anything by Terry Pratchett

@Johanne, I'm a bit jealous, I wish I had more (new) Discworld books to read. Yes, I reread them and I do find some new detail everytime, but it's just not the same as reading them for the first time.

I'm really happy about it :)

Guy Gavriel Kay is a wonderful fantasy writer who has been writing since the 1980's

Georgette Heyer was the original modern writer of Regency romances

Haruki Murakami has also been writing since the mid-80's

Im going to tick off a Stephen King for this although I have The Road by Cormac McCarthy which would also work

I will read Four Past Midnight by Stephen King. One of many of his I am reading this year

1. What are you reading for this prompt?
I was going to go for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, but due to trying to double up over challenges as much as possible I've had to swap it out for The Dinner
2. How long was/is the author's career?
According to GR, Maya Angelou was first published in 1969 and last published in 2014; Herman Koch 1985-2020 and potentially more to come as he is still alive.
3. What authors would you recommend checking out?
Margaret Atwood (but be choosy), A.L. Kennedy, Donna Tartt, Ian McEwan, Arundhati Roy, Janice Galloway

Lots of options for this. Some ideas (all authors I would recommend and am considering myself):

Octavia E. Butler
Agatha Christie
Kazuo Ishiguro
Stephen King
Ursula K. Le Guin
Toni Morrison
Sam Shepard
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

Just found out that Kristin Hannah's first book was published in 1991, so I may use The Four Winds for this prompt!

Nancy wrote: "I have The Ten-Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer so I'll be reading it for this prompt. Her first book was published in 1982."

I'm currently reading The Female Persuasion as my part of my Winter Challenge. I'm up to F in reading books which start with the letters in the phrase "Dreaming Of Snow". Handily it doubles up as a pick for this.

Kristina wrote: "Pam, I highly recommend Lilith's Brood! It was one of my favorite reads last year."

I second that recommendation!

I'm planning to read these books in 2021 (for this prompt or another):

The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Jack by Marilynne Robinson

I want to read more by Isabel Allende (which could fit many prompts), Margaret Atwood, Roddy Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Kate Atkinson.

Or maybe for this prompt I should choose an author that I started reading decades ago, such as Jeffrey Archer or Maeve Binchy.

1. What are you reading for this prompt?
Troubled Blood

2. How long was/is the author's career?
It's going on 25 years now, I think??

3. What authors would you recommend checking out?
Too many to name!

Question:
1. What are you reading for this prompt? A Time to Keep Silence by Patrick Leigh Fermor
2. How long was/is the author's career? 40+ years
3. What authors would you recommend checking out?
Patrick Leigh Fermor is a great travel writer - his masterpiece is A Time of Gifts the first part of a trilogy about his walking from the Hook of Holland to Constantinople in 1933/34. Also would recommend Octavia Butler and Agatha Christie for this prompt

1. What are you reading for this prompt?
Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas
2. How long was/is the author's career? 33 years
3. What authors would you recommend checking out?
Jane Austen

1. What are you reading for this prompt?
I read Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

2. How long was/is the author's career?
According to Wikipedia, he published his first novel (which was Flowers for Algernon) in 1966, and his last novel was published in 2009.

3. What authors would you recommend checking out?
I would definitely recommend Stephen King for this one. He's written in a variety of genres so there is sure to be something for (almost) everyone!

I read Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell for this prompt. He published his first book, Sharpe's Eagle, in 1981 and still writes today.

1. What are you reading for this prompt? Return to Virgin River by Robyn Carr
2. How long was/is the author's career? She wrote her first book in 1987 and continues to publish.
3. What authors would you recommend checking out? Too many to mention!

What are you reading for this prompt?
I read Curtain: Poirot's Last Case by Agatha Christie

How long was/is the author's career?
Well over 50 years

What authors would you recommend checking out?
Too many to mention

I've just finished The Interpreter by Italian Diego Marani and translated into English by Judith Landry. The earliest book I've read by this author is Las adventures des inspector Cabillot a series of comic adventures written in Europanto, his parody of Esperanto and was published in 1999. His most recent novel was published in Italian in 2019, he's still working as a writer. This novel is the third in a series about language and identity and was published in 2016. I've not read the second but I highly recommend New Finnish Grammar.

Hi Jess,
Your Shakespeare book fits perfectly in this category. The challenge is pretty flexible. I think it's fun to see/hear how readers MAKE their book choices fit! Some are very creative. Have fun!

1. What are you reading for this prompt?
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
2. How long was/is the author's career?
1991 to present, so 30 years so far!
3. What authors would you recommend checking out?
Diana Wynne Jones - 43 years according to Wikipedia. I remember when she passed away, I cried.

I think I'm going with Stephen King's Lisey's Story, as it's been on my shelf forever.

Other ones I'd recommend:
Stephen King - Insomnia
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Crime and Punishment
Diana Gabaldon - Outlander
John Irving - A Prayer for Owen Meany

I just finished The Mysterious Affair at Styles for this prompt. I read a lot of Agatha Christie as a teen, and I decided I'd like to read through them all in publishing order as an adult.

Her career spanned either 53 or 55 years, depending on whether you count from the publishing of her first book to when she finishe writing her last book, or when her last manuscript was published.

I read Get Off the Unicorn by Anne McCaffrey for this prompt. Her writing career started in the 1950s and she was still writing up through her death in 2011.

Other authors that I'd recommend for this prompt:
Elizabeth Moon
Garth Nix
Dave Duncan
Jim Butcher
Simon R. Green
Diane Duane
Katherine Kurtz
Tanya Huff

Question:
1. What are you reading for this prompt?
Waiting for the Barbarians 06/03/2021

2. How long was/is the author's career?
been publishing since 1969 - so over 50 years so far

3. What authors would you recommend checking out?

I don't think you can help but include people like
Agatha Christie

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I am reading Sula by Toni Morrison for this prompt. Her career was 49 years- which is incredible. I also would have to recommend Stephen King for this prompt. Of course, I am a King fanatic! :)

1. What are you reading for this prompt?
I read Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer

2. How long was/is the author's career?
The author published his first book in 1974, with this book being the first of a new series, published in 2019. His writing career was begun to help stave off a financial crisis that occurred during his rather checkered political career.

1. What are you reading for this prompt? The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg
2. How long was/is the author's career? Around 30 years.
3. What authors would you recommend checking out?
L.M. Montgomery
Neil Gaiman
Tess Gerritsen
Neal Shusterman - The Scythe Series

I read An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo. 46 years.

1. What are you reading for this prompt?

I read Mom and Me and Mom by Maya Angelou.

How long was the author's career?

Her first book, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was published in 1969. The book I read was one of her last, so 44 years.

What authors would you recommend checking out?

Terry Pratchett; Agatha Christie; Margaret Atwood; Margaret Drabble; Neil Gaiman; Philip Kerr.

I am reading A Donkey in the Meadow by Derek Tangye.
His career spanned 35 years.
I can recommend L M Montgomery, Agatha Christie, Beverley Nichols, Georgette Heyer.

I read LaRose by Louise Erdrich. It was an excellent read.

Other authors I would recommend for this prompt include:
Stephen King
Margaret Atwood
Anne Tyler
Amy Tan

I'm reading The Shipping News by Annie Proulx for this one.

Her first novel Postcards was published in 1991, and her most recent book Barkskins came out in 2016. This puts her career at 25 years at least, though I bet we see something else from her before long.

I'll also recommend Louise Erdrich, John le Carré, and Terry Pratchett.