Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Happy end of July! As we round the corner to August, let us know what your favorite book of the month was.

Answer the following questions:

- Title
- Author
- Rating
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
- Brief reason why it was the best

I'm not done reading for the month but I don't know of a book that will top this one:

Title: Malibu Rising
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Print
ATY Prompt you used it for: Published in 2021, but it would be great for the siblings prompt as well
Brief reason why it was the best:
This book was part family drama, part mystery, part historical fiction, and I loved every part of it. The characters were really nuanced and dynamic, and, even while I felt conflicted about some of their actions, they made me FEEL. This was one of the first books I finished this month but it still pops in my head and gives me a warm feeling.

After a month long drought, I had 3 five-star reads this month!

I’ll pick the one that impressed me the most:
The Tsar of Love and Techno, one of my very few books this year that I couldn’t use for any prompt from any of my 3 challenges. It is supposedly a set of linked short stories, but the links create an overall plot arc over about 80 years and three locations: St. Petersburg, Siberia, and Chechnya.

I had a drought during July! The book I enjoyed most was Call Your Daughter Home.

The first sentence drew me into the world the characters inhabited: "It's easier to kill a man than a gator, but it takes the same kind of wait."

The writing is beautiful and I gave the book 5 stars.

I read two 5 star books for July.
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon. Not for ATY challenge. A YA book about race but not about pain.
Starfish by Lisa Fipps. Not for ATY challenge. Such a strong middle grade book about body positivity.
My honorable mention is Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Another positive story but Lgbt.

- Title - Revolutionary Road
- Author - Richard Yates
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - none
- Brief reason why it was the best - the characterisation and the distinctive voices plus the clever structure. There are, however, a lot of unhappy people in this dissection of the fifties pursuit of the American Dream.

Title: The Henna Artist
Author: Alka Joshi
Rating: 5 stars
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 8. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1 (past)
Brief reason why it was the best - fascinating setting (1950s India), well-drawn and interesting characters, and an intriguing plot.

Honorary mention to the audiobook Becoming read by the author, my other 5-star book

I had one 5 star read this month.

- Title: Wild Rescues: A Paramedic's Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton
- Author: Kevin Grange
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I didn't use it for the challenge
- Brief reason why it was the best: I enjoy memoirs and found the experiences that Kevin faced interesting. I have not been to Yellowstone but would love to go someday.

I know I won't finish another book before the end of July so here we go...

I had several 5 star reads this month! I'm on a good book streak apparently. But I think this one was my favorite

- Title: Anxious People
- Author: Fredrik Backman
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): The prompt I used is kind of a spoiler so I won't put it here, but there are several prompts that this book could fill!
- Brief reason why it was the best: I don't even know where to start. I read this in one sitting. I laughed, and I cried and felt all the emotions. The characters are so well written and relatable. It doesn't take much work to find yourself written in these pages. This is a wonderful mystery about mistakes, trying to cope with life everyday life the best way we know how, loss and grief, and coming to terms with the past.

Just a warning: The book talks about mental health in a really honest way, which is amazing, but I think it could be triggering to some people. Depression, anxiety, s*icide, and self-h*rm, are all really prevalent themes. As someone who has struggled with their mental health, I know there were times in my life where this book would have been triggering to me.

Title: Boyfriend Material
Author: Alexis Hall
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): did not use it for ATY
Brief reason why it was the best: Takes a trope and turns it on its head with a story that is honest, amusing, and emotionally connected. Probably my favourite book of the year so far.

I had a few five stars this month but will go with :
- The Haunting of Hill House
- Shirley Jackson
- 5 stars
- I borrowed the ebook from my library
- I used it for the prompt about building in the title
- I've put this above the other 5 star books I read because it was out of my 'comfort zone' which is one of the main reasons I do these challenges. Really enjoyed it except I couldn't read it at bed time !

My other 5 star books in July: Artists in Crime(comfort read)Men at Arms(magic - a reread) , and honourable mention to Raven Black ( an island) which I gave 4.5 stars to but rounded down

- Nation
- Terry Pratchett
- 4 stars
- Print
- summer - Printz award nominee
- I love Terry Pratchett, but had never read anything of his outside Discworld. It has a little of everything Pratchett does so well - survival, society, faith, gender roles, and the human spirit.

- Title Project Hail Mary
- Author Andy Weir
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) n/a
- Brief reason why it was the best I found it unexpected and heartwarming. I would very much recommend the Audio book.

- The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
- Leigh Bardugo
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Hardcover
- A book that involves magic
- This was a collection of fairy tales from the Grishaverse and it read like a bunch of 'real' classic fairy tales, full of death and betrayal. It added nothing to the series, but it was just so wonderful on its own.

I somehow read five whole five star books in July! I will go with the most surprising one...

Title: House of Hollow
Author: Krystal Sutherland
Rating: 5 stars
Format: ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for: building in the title

I had no idea what I was picking up when I started this, it was so stylishly dark and creepy. I think it's the first YA horror I've read that I've found properly disturbing. It's also a story about a strong bond between sisters.

My other 5 star reads were A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Black Water Sister, Migrations and A Master of Djinn.

- Title: Bryony and Roses
- Author: T. Kingfisher
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Didn't use it for a prompt, but originally had it on my list of ideas to read for 'related to a lyric from My Favorite Things'
- Brief reason why it was the best: Possibly the funniest retelling of Beauty and the Beast I've ever read, as well as avoiding a lot of the the messed up relationship angle which BatB can easily stray into.

Honorable mention to The Fellowship of the Ring which was a re-read, but my only other full five star book in July.

- Title: All Quiet on the Western Front
- Author: Erich Maria Remarque
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: “Are You Well-Read in World Literature”
- Brief reason why it was the best: Beautifully written heart-breaking classic about the First World War from the point of view of a young soldier.

- Title: A Fall of Marigolds
- Author: Susan Meissner
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): NA
- Brief reason why it was the best: Honestly, I'm not positive this was my best book of the month, but I haven't read historical fiction dual timeline in awhile and it's one of my favorite types, so I felt happy reading it. I liked how this came together, and the older setting wasn't one I've read about before.

Updated the listopia through here!

My blah spot is over

- Title Seven Days in June
- Author Tia Williams
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) A love story
- Brief reason why it was the best It was a romance novel but the characters were much more fleshed out and multi-dimensional and real. I was angry at the end because I didn't want to say good bye

- Title Mudlark: In Search of London's Past Along the River Thames
- Author Lara Maiklen
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) The Past of Past, Present, Future
- Brief reason why it was the best It was fascinating! "A book about stuff found in the mud of the Thames" sounds mighty boring but she made it so interesting, she told so many stories at so many levels, and had a talent of knowing how much to give so you got enough information and details but didn't get bored. She told the stories of the objects but also the people who used them, London, and the bigger world. I mean, when I realized a chapter was about clay pipes I was ready to quit as we didn't have any author-reader trust yet, but she made it fascinating, You might want to avoid me cause I just want to talk about weird broken things in the mud.

Title: Instructions for a Heatwave
Author: Maggie O'Farrell
Rating: 5 stars
Format : Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book you associate with a specific season or time of year
Brief reason why it was the best: This was my only five-star read in a fairly disappointing month, but it was very well-deserved and now easily one of my favourite books. After reading Hamnet, I wanted to dig into more O'Farrell and I think I enjoyed this one even more. Her investigation of the minutiae of family life (and the more devastating aspects of a tragedy that hits them) is stunning. I read this in the middle of the UK's heatwave a couple of weeks ago, too, and the description of the oppressive heat felt particularly pertinent!

Okay, I should never attempt to answer a question asking for just ONE favorite book, even just from one month's complete reads...

There are two that honestly are too good not to mention from my July reading:

- Title
Song for a Whale
- Author
Lynne Kelly
- Rating
5 stars (4.26 on Goodreads)
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
Print--almost always print!
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
Note: I always list all the prompts to which I feel the book applies...
#1-In the beginning it seemed that Iris would never be able to participate in Blue 55's life
#3
#8-Alaska
#20-While Iris’s future is uncertain, she will be much better prepared for life
#23- Adventure, Animals, Contemporary, Fiction, Juvenile, Prejudice/Discrimination, Young Adult
#28
#29
#34
- Brief reason why it was the best
Although the protagonist is deaf, this book concentrates on all she accomplishes regardless of any additional challenges her deafness presents. I specifically read this to fulfill the 2021 Read Harder Challenge prompt #21 Read a children’s book centered on a disabled character but not their disability.

- Title
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
- Author
Malinda Lo
- Rating
5 stars (4.35 Goodreads rating)
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
PRINT
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
#6
#9-Chinese New Year
#16
#19-By not lying about the past, Lily guarantees a better future for herself, eventually on her terms
#23- Coming-of-Age, Contemporary Fiction, Family, Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Race, Romance, Young Adult
#24
#27-The Lovers, Strength, Justice, Judgement, The World
#29
#36
#39
#41
#49
NEW #50
#52-In the end Lily and Kath get to determine their own futures
- Brief reason why it was the best
This story felt so very genuine, realistic, and accurate! I resonated very well with the writing and characterization.

I also read the next installments for the following series: Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax
Orson Scott Card's Ender's Saga
Dan Brown's Robert Langdon

I have found all the books in these four series to be totally absorbing reads!

July was an easy month to pick a favorite from, because it was not my best month... 👿 But the best one is truly one of the best, at least!



Title: When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain
Author: Nghi Vo
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audio
ATY prompt: Author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
Why it's the best: Nghi Vo is simply magical. Her stories are enchanting. And if you like stories about storytelling, that's just an added bonus. And tigers. And mammoths.

Title: Malibu Rising

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 5 stars (4.17 on Goodreads)

Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audiobook

ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book whose cover shows more than two people

Brief reason why it was the best: I just fell in love with this family. And I really related to the sense of taking what makes us stronger from our relatives and leaving the rest behind - forging our own paths.

Updated through here on the listopia: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Title: Grown
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book about a pressing social issue (for a different challenge)
Brief reason why it was the best: This book was so impactful and touched on so many important topics, and I loved the way Enchanted's story was handled

Title: People We Meet on Vacation
Author: Emily Henry
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A summer read (for a different challenge)
Brief reason why it was the best: I loved the dynamics and chemistry between the two characters and I loved the way their relationship developed over the years

Updated through here (great books, Rachel!)

I didn't have any 5 star ratings. I don't give those out easily.

Rated 4 stars:

Wyoming Tough by Diana Palmer
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt: "A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years"
Reason why it was the best: I just love me a western romance.

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt: "A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author"
Reason why it was the best: I just loved all the use of the Lakota language and how it doesn't show a glossed over look at life on the reservation.

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt: "3 books related to past present and future" (used it for future)
Reason why it was the best: Climate change is a topic I am interested in and liked how this explained some things and instead of just telling us about climate change this book attempts to actually find solutions. It is repetitive in some places and that got a little annoying.


Other books I read in July (All with 3 star ratings):

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West
Format: Audio Book
ATY prompt: A book that might cause someone to react "you read what?!?"

One by One by Ruth Ware
Format: Audio book
Didn't use for ATY

Murder in Morningside Heights by Victoria Thompson
Format: eBook
Didn't use for ATY

- Title: Refuge: A Novel
- Author: Dot Jackson
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: Audiobook
- ATY Prompt: 18. related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1
- Brief reason why it was the best: Atmospheric, with U.S. Southern Gothic influences.

Updated the listopia through here!

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

Title: When We Left Cuba
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Rating: 4.5
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): audio
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 18. A book related to the past
Brief reason why it was the best: I love historical fiction and books about strong, independent women.

- Title: Last Night at the Telegraph Club
- Author: Malinda Lo
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Published in 2021
- Brief reason why it was the best: Well written, believable characters that I cared about, and an engaging story. I gained some perspective that I didn't have before.

- Title Graveyard Shift
- Author Angela Roquet
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) NA
- Brief reason why it was the best - this was a reread of a series I read back in 2016. There is a companion series being released next year. I wanted to see if I still loved this as much now as I did "way back then". I did!

Title
The Institute
Author
Stephen King
Rating
4.5★
Format (Print, eBook, Audio)
Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
31 - a book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years
Brief reason why it was the best
Not a "horror" novel of King's, although some of the stuff that happens is horrific, but there wasn't anything that kept me awake at night, jumping at shadows! I really enjoyed this - the ending fell apart a little bit for me (possibly because I had to stop with less than 50 pages to go and I think it broke the spell for me!!), but it was still a wonderful read.

Title
Untethered: An Exploration of Bipolar Disorder Through Art and Prose
Author
Rachel Marie Watson
Rating
5
Format
Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
4. A book with a monochromatic cover
Brief reason why it was the best
Full disclosure: the author/illustrator is my niece. This is a non-fiction piece of work for which I had to start the book a second time to pretend that I didn't know her, that I was reading the book for a challenge. It is a vivid, raw, brave, honest, powerful piece of writing.

Title: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
Author: Christopher Paolini
Rating: ★★★★★
Format: ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #30- a long book
Brief reason why it was the best: A great sci-fi book about first contact and alien conflict

- Title Less
- Author Andrew Sean Greer
- Rating 5 Stars
- Format Physical book
- ATY Prompt you used it for N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best A delightful, poignant, and hilarious adventure around the world. I was obsessed with it from page one and found Arthur Less a perfectly likeable and nuanced main character who I loved rooting for.

I had three five star reads in July, and they were all in the same series. :)

- Title: Empire of Storms
- Author: Sarah J. Mass
- Rating: 5 Stars
- Format: Audiobook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: 10. A book with a female villain or criminal
- Brief reason why it was the best: This whole series was fantastic. I was hooked from book 1 even though her writing definitely improved with the later books. The protangonist is complicated, strong, smart, and powerful. This fantasy series is amazing.

My other five star books from July are also from the series: Queen of Shadows and Crown of Midnight.

Updated the listopia through here!

- Title One of Us Is Lying
- Author Karen M. McManus
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) Not for ATY but it was inspired by a Popsugar challenge
- Brief reason why it was the best I was riveted. I typically don't love mysteries, but this one the pages kept turning.

Updated the listopia through here!

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

My two favorite books of July were both well written fantasies with non-human characters that are full of intelligence and humanity.

Title: The Golem and the Jinni
- Author: Helene Wecker
- Rating 5 stars
- Format: Audio and print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: A Long Book
- Brief reason why it was the best: Gorgeous, intelligent writing, showing diverse neighborhoods in NY City circa 1900.

- Title: His Majesty's Dragon
- Author: Naomi Novik
- Rating 5 stars
- Format: Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Rejected prompt -Alternate History
- Brief reason why it was the best: This is an engrossing fantasy for grown-ups, with wonderful characters. It also included interesting workplace and leadership issues.