Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

THE 2022 LIST

✅1. A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y - A Stranger in the House (Tom)
✅2. A book connected to a book you read in 2021 - Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter - 🎧
✅3. A book with 22 or more letters in the title - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
✅4. A book that fits your favorite prompt that did not make the list - Crying in H Mart - an autobiography - 🎧
✅5. A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name - Reminders of Him
✅6. A book with an image of a source of light on the cover - Rogue Lawyer - 🎧
✅7. A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind - The Sanatorium
✅8. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 1 - The Hypnotist's Love Story
✅9. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 2 - The Cactus
✅10. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 3 - The End of Her
✅11. A book from historical fiction genre - The Alice Network
✅12. A book related to glass - Confessions on the 7:45
✅13. A book about a woman in STEM - The Soulmate Equation
✅14. A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads - The Fox and The Hound
✅15. A book without a person on the cover - The Anthropocene Reviewed - 🎧
✅16. A book related to Earth Day - Migrations
✅17. A book from NPR's Book Concierge - The Vanishing Half
✅18. A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author - Fault Lines
✅19. A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history - Maybe in Another Life
✅20. A fiction or nonfiction book that is set during 1900 -1951 - Night
✅21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover - The Time Traveler's Wife
✅22. A book with a Jewish character or author - My Mother's Secret
✅23. A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship - Heartstopper: Volume One
✅24. A book related to inclement weather - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
✅25. A book less than 220 pages OR more than 440 pages - The Outsider
✅26. 2 books with the same word in the title - Book 1 - Where the Heart Is
✅27. 2 books with the same word in the title - Book 2 - Heart of the Matter
✅28. A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards - Red Queen
✅29. A book set on or near a body of water - Where the Crawdads Sing
✅30. A book related to mythology - Lore Olympus: Volume One
✅31. A book published at least 10 years ago - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - 🎧
✅32. A book where the main character is a female detective/private eye/police officer - In the Woods
✅33. The next book in a series - If It Bleeds
✅34. A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role - The Rooster Bar
✅35. 2 books related to flora and fauna - Book 1 - Acceptance
✅36. 2 books related to flora and fauna - Book 2 - The Lost Apothecary
✅37. A book that uses all five vowels in the title and/or author's name - Anxious People
✅38. A book by a Latin American author - The Book of Unknown Americans - 🎧
✅39. A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time - Speak
✅40. A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards - The Ex Hex
✅41. A book with a theme of food or drink - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
✅42. A book with a language or nationality in the title - Mexican Gothic
✅43. A book set in a small town or rural area - The Help
✅44. A book with gothic elements - Lock Every Door
✅45. A book related to a game - Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity - 🎧
✅46. A book with a non-human as one of the main characters - Project Hail Mary
✅47. A book with handwriting on the cover - How to Fail at Flirting
✅48. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2021 or 2022 - Fangirl
✅49. A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons" - The Eyes of the Dragon
✅50. A book that involves aging, or a character in their golden years - Apt Pupil
✅51. A book published in 2022 - The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation - 🎧
✅52. A book with a time-related word in the title - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - 🎧

I was looking through my list and realized a lot of the books I put on here I don't have already. I need to read some books that I already own which is a lot. Here is what I have that I need to read

Lady Chatterley's Lover
Uglies
Seabiscuit: An American Legend
✅Lock Every Door
✅Fangirl
✅Acceptance
Boy, Snow, Bird
✅Mexican Gothic
The Night Circus
✅The Alice Network
✅Red Queen
✅The Time Traveler's Wife
Crazy Rich Asians
Cold Mountain
Anna Karenina
✅The Help
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Last Days of Night
✅The End of Her
Fallen

Winter Challenge


SNOWFLAKES FALLING

Example:
- W: What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli (Title)
- I: Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (Author's First Name)
- N: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (Author's Last Name)
- T: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Genre: Thriller)

✅S - A Stranger in the House
✅N - My Southern Journey: True Stories from the Heart of the South - Non-Fiction
O - Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
✅W - My Mother's Secret by J. L. Witterick
✅F - The Fox and The Hound
✅L - Lock Every Door
✅A - The Anthropocene Reviewed
✅K - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
✅E - The End of Her
✅S - Lore Olympus: Volume One by Rachel Smythe
✅F - Speak - Fiction
✅A - Anxious People
L -The Hypnotist's Love Story by Liane Moriarty
✅L - Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson
✅I - I Miss You When I Blink: Essays
✅N - Crying in H Mart - Non-fiction
✅G - Deadline by Mira Grant



Others that will work:
L - The Guest List by Lucy Foley
K - Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

15/17

The Phrases


✅1. music - The Soulmate Equation
✅2. vocalist - Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
✅3. midnight blues - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
✅4. rapper - Rogue Lawyer
✅5. marching band - Mexican Gothic
✅6. fox trot - Fault Lines
✅7. heavy metal - The Ex Hex
✅8. arpeggio - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
✅9. marimba - If It Bleeds
✅10. chanting - The Hypnotist's Love Story
✅11. festival - Fangirl
✅12. orchestra - The Outsider

How to Fill the Prompts:
1. Phrase contains BOTH letters of the author's name (ignore middle initial)
2. Phrase contains the first letter of the title (ignore or include A, An, and The)
3. Phrase is exemplified on the cover (your interpretation)
4. Phrase is found somewhere in the text (should be exact word)



12/12

SUMMER CHALLENGE

THE PROMPTS

Hot Yoga - 100 points
✅1a. A book with a twist - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
✅1b. A romance - Maybe in Another Life
1c. An author you've been meaning to try
1d. A book with a lot of hype
✅1e. A person is on the cover - Blackout

Jazzercise - 200 points
Author's initials are in:
2a. PUMP UP THE JAM
✅2b. LET'S GET PHYSICAL - The Cactus
✅2c. HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - Confessions on the 7:45
✅2d. CANT TOUCH THIS - The Book of Unknown Americans
✅2e. THE FINAL COUNTDOWN - How to Fail at Flirting

Cross Fit - 300 points
✅3a. A book published in 2022 - Reminders of Him
✅3b. Part of a series of at least three books - Red Queen
✅3c. A book that combines more than one genre - The Time Traveler's Wife
✅3d. Title includes the name of a place (real or fictional) - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
3e. Set in more than one country - Lilac Girls

Aquarobics - 400 points
4a. By an author over the age of 50 - The Institute
✅4b. Published before 1922 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
✅4c. The cover has water on it - Where the Crawdads Sing
4d. A book that takes place in more than one era of time
✅4e. A biography or memoir - I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

Ninja Warrior - 500 points
✅5a. A book with more than 500 pages - The Help
5b. A book set primarily in Japan - Memoirs of a Geisha
✅5c. A collection of essays, poems, or short stories - Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror
5d. A weapon is on the cover - The Reaper: Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers
5e. A book with fewer than 5000 goodreads ratings

Need 5,000 points

200 Points - The Cactus
500 Points - The Help
200 Points - The Book of Unknown Americans
200 Points - How to Fail at Flirting
100 Points - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
300 Points - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
300 Points - Red Queen
300 Points - Reminders of Him
400 Points - Where the Crawdads Sing
500 Points - Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror
400 Points - I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
400 Points - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
100 Points - Maybe in Another Life
300 Points - The Time Traveler's Wife
100 Points - Blackout
200 Points - Confessions on the 7:45

4,500 Total Points

Fall Challenge

The Prompts:
Find a book that...
✅- Has a red cover - Apt Pupil
✅- Fits the phrase "I'm falling for you" - Heart of the Matter
✅- Has a leaf on the cover - Forever, Interrupted
✅- Is magical realism - The Eyes of the Dragon
✅- Is set in autumn - Gray Mountain
✅- Is historical fiction - The Lost Apothecary
✅- Makes you think of pumpkin spice - The Final Girl Support Group
✅- Is one last summer read - Ugly Love
✅- Has a tree on the cover - In the Woods
✅- Features family drama - The Vanishing Half
✅- Is a banned book - Preludes & Nocturnes
✅- Reminds you of homecoming - One True Loves
✅- Is set in a small town - The Sanatorium
✅- Features sports - Heartstopper: Volume One
✅- Was published in September - Acceptance

Winter Challenge


DECEMBER

1. Winter

Brrrr. Time to break out the hats, scarves and gloves as the coldest time of the year approaches (in the northern hemisphere at least). On the other hand, cold weather is the perfect excuse to curl up under a blanket with your latest book. And, however cold you are, at least you can be glad your home town is warmer then Antarctica, where the lowest temperature on Earth was recorded: an icy −89.2°C (−128.6 °F).

a. Read a book with a title beginning with a letter in WINTER (you can use or ignore a, an or the)-
✅b. Read a book with snow, snowflakes or a snowman on the cover OR a book with a person wearing winter clothing (scarf, hat, warm coat etc) on the cover - Migrations
c. Read a book that is between 89 and 128 pages long (you can ignore the 100 page requirement for this task)

2. December birthdays: Jane Austen

Jane Austen was born on December 16th.

a. Read a book written by a female author - When No One Is Watching
b. Read a novel set in the 19th century
c. Read a romance novel

3. The Holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Whether you celebrate Christmas or would prefer to indulge in National Cookie Day, December is packed full of end-of-the-year holidays.

a. Read a book related to a holiday that happens in December. (Some examples: Rosa Parks Day, National Cookie Day, Dewey Decimal System Day, Nobel Prize Day, Kwanzaa, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, Hanukkah, etc.)
b. Read a book that has one of the gifts referred to in The Twelve Days of Christmas shown on its cover (ignore the numbers - eg a book with a gold ring works, you don’t need a book with five gold rings!) - Pretty Things
c. Read a book that features a family gathering

4. Winter sports: yukigassen

Imagine if someone turned snowball fighting into an official sport with rules, a referee, a court and a snowball making machine. That’s yukigassen! Created in Japan in 1988, there are now competitions all over the world. Teams of seven players battle to capture each other’s flag, while trying to avoid being hit by a snowball and eliminated from the game. Preparation for a match involves making 270 snowballs, no wonder they invented a snowball making machine!

a. Read a book by an author whose first and last initials appear in YUKIGASSEN - Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
b. Read a book in a series that is at least 7 books long
✅c. Read a book set in a country where yukigassen is played (Japan, Armenia, Canada, China, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, or Slovakia) - Between Shades of Gray: The Graphic Novel

JANUARY

1. Happy New Year!

Happy 2020! Here’s to a great year of reading. Around the world people will be welcoming the new year while watching fireworks displays, drinking champagne and singing Auld Lang Syne.

✅a. Read a book by an author who is new to you - Night
b. Read a book from a genre that is new to you (you can use a sub-genre, eg urban fantasy, historical romance, etc if you already read books from most genres)
c. Read a book in which all the words in the title have the same number of letters (eg The Bat, Ninth House, The Old Man and the Sea)

2. January birthdays: Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami was born on January 12th.

a. Read a book set in Japan
b. Read a book that features a cat in some way
c. Read a magical realism novel

3. New Year Resolutions

Millions of people see January 1st as an opportunity to set goals for the year ahead and the practice of making new year resolutions has a long history. In Babylonia new year was a time to promise the repayment of debts and return of borrowed items. And Romans are believed to have made sacrifices and promises to the god Janus, who is depicted as having two faces - one looking to the past and one to the future. Given that history, whether you keep or break your own resolutions this year, you’re probably in good company!

a. Read a book where the first letter of each word in the title can be found in NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS (the title must be at leat three words long for this option)
✅b. Read a book that looks into the past (historical fiction, history, etc) or a book that looks into the future (science fiction, fantasy, etc) - Project Hail Mary
c. Read a book that will help you keep one of your New Year resolutions OR if you don’t make resolutions then read a book related to one of the top ten New Years resolutions. Tell us what your resolution is when recording this task as completed

4. Winter sports: bobsleigh

Bobsleighing originated in the Swiss town of St Moritz in the 19th century. Holidaymakers looking for entertainment in the cold winters hit on a plan to adapt delivery sleds into racing sleds and compete in races down the steep roads of the town. While undoubtedly entertaining for holidaymakers, the high speed sled races became immensely unpopular with residents of the town who, not unreasonably, objected to being mown down on their own streets by out of control sleds. In order to restore calm, a local hotel owner constructed an ice half-pipe track outside the town where the sled races could continue, and the sport of bobsleighing was born.

a. Read a book set mostly in a location that begins with a letter in SWITZERLAND
b. Read a book in which a conflict between characters is a major part of the plot. Tell us what the conflict was (using spoiler tags if necessary) when recording the task as completed
c. Read a book that is fast-paced - Ready Player Two

FEBRUARY

1. Valentine’s Day

February 14th is celebrated around the world as Valentine’s Day. It was originally a feast day honouring an early Christian saint and only became associated with love and romance in the 14th century. Fun fact: Cadbury first began producing heart-shaped boxes of chocolates for Valentine’s Day in 1868. Buying overpriced novelty chocolates as a token of love has a long history!

✅a. Read a book with Romance listed as one of the top five genres on its Goodreads page - Heartstopper: Volume Two
b. Read a book by an author whose first and last initials appear in VALENTINE’S DAY
c. Read a book written in or set in the Medieval period (usually defined as the 5th to 15th centuries)

2. February birthdays: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7th.

a. Read a book set in the American midwest
b. Read a novel that features the wilderness
c. Read a coming of age story

3. Winter sports: Ski jumping

Ski jumping has featured in every Winter Olympics since 1924. Athletes ski down a specially designed ramp and compete against each other to see who can make the longest jump. The current world record is over 253 metres. It was set by Austrian ski jumper, Stefan Kraft, who perhaps predictably is known by the nickname Air Kraft.

a. Read a book that is at least 253 pages long
✅b. Read a book published in a year in which the Winter Olympics took place (1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022) - Killing the Legends: The Lethal Danger of Celebrity
c. Read a book where the plot “jumps” about (a non-linear narrative as it’s normally called)

4. The Shortest Month of the Year

Take some time to explore a variety of genres and topics during the shortest month of the year!

a. Read a literary fiction novel
b. Read a book that features a ghost - The Sun Down Motel
c. Read a book that starts with a letter in the word SHORT

6/12

I'm not sure how this year's challenge is going to go. I'm in a bit of a slump. I think I may randomly read books and then see if they fit anywhere. I need to get some of my excitement back in reading. I was doing pretty well for the first 3/4 of last year but fell in a slump in the last quarter. I'm going to attempt the winter challenge but at this point I realize I probably won't complete. I was two books short of the fall challenge. At least I managed to complete the challenge last year but if I wouldn't have read so much in the first part of the year I would have never completed it.

I think I'm going to start with My Mother's Secret. It will fit the Jewish prompt and it's a pretty short book. I found while Christmas shopping on clearance at Books-a-Million. I wasn't even thinking that it would fit a prompt.

I'm getting more excited about the challenge this year. I should be finishing My Mother's Secret in the next couple of hours. I'm just hoping I can fit more of my psychological thrillers in somewhere. I was supposed to read a bunch of them after I finished last year's challenge but I lost my reading mojo. I don't think I'll be able to complete the winter challenge though.

I've officially finished my first book for the challenge. I read My Mother's Secret. It was for prompt 22 a book with a Jewish author or character. I didn't even realize that I started off 2022 by reading prompt 22. It was a pretty good book. It was one of those books that I didn't know about but found while browsing in the book store. I rated it 4 stars. It was short but heartfelt.

1/52

I completed my second book. I read Lock Every Door. It was a psychological thriller that didn't disappoint. I moved it to the gothic prompt because of the gothic elements that it had in it. I enjoyed the amount of gothic that was in it. The apartment building was gothic and had gargoyles. It was a creepy book. I couldn't figure out the mystery. The writing was suspenseful and I read it in a couple of days. It also prompted me to look up a few things which always means I'm really into a book. With all of those qualities I rated it 5 stars.

I'm going to read another suspense book next. I hope this one doesn't disappoint either.

I bought The Fox and The Hound on kindle. I'm planning on using that for ratings under 5,000. I did the author's tax returns years ago and I met his son. The beginning of the book has quite a biography on the author that I didn't know. This is where Disney bought the rights for their movie. I've heard it's quite different from Disney and I'm really looking forward to it. It takes place in the county I grew up in. I'll probably be reading it at night since I got it on the kindle. I can only get the book in print if I'm prepared to part with $150. At some point I would like an actual copy. I'll just stick with kindle for now.

2/52

Well I've read my third book for the challenge. I read A Stranger in the House for the first prompt. I do enjoy psychological thrillers but sometimes reading too many in a row can get a little boring. I did like this book. I thought the mystery and the suspense was pretty good. The characters needed a little more depth and there wasn't really a sense of place like Lock Every Door. I rated it 4 stars but that's more rounding up from a 3.5. After reading Lock Every Door I probably should have rated A Stranger in the House lower but I considered how much I was still turning pages and that I couldn't put it down.

I don't know what to read next. I did have another psychological thriller planned next but I'm not feeling it. I've started The Fox and The Hound over the weekend. I'll finish that and then decide what I want to read I guess.

3/52

I finished listening to The Anthropocene Reviewed. I enjoyed it. I didn't like all of the short stories but I liked leaning about him and how his mind works. Some of the short stories really resonated with me. I thought he did a good job of narrating it. I rated it 4 stars.

I think I should be finishing Anxious People tonight as well. The Fox and The Hound started out good but now it's kinda boring because the author is just talking about the hunts and it seems that way for the rest of the book so I've kinda lost interest but I'll pick it back up.

4/52

For someone in a bit of a slump you’re doing well! Go Joan!!

Jody wrote: "For someone in a bit of a slump you’re doing well! Go Joan!!"

Yeah, I'm hoping I got it back.

It's so good to see you on the site again!

I completed Anxious People. It was different than I thought it was going to be. The story was kind of messy in parts. There was confusion which I think the author wanted it that way. It was told differently and I enjoyed it at first but then it kind of dragged on at about 2/3 through. There were a lot of quotes I liked in it that made me stop and think. I was going to pass it on to someone else to read but because of those quotes I think I'm going to keep it and that's also what made me give it a 4 star review.

I'm not sure what to read next. I still have to complete The Fox and The Hound. That one is moving slowly but glad I'm reading it finally.

5/52

I listened to Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter. It had been on my tbr for awhile and audible had it free. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I felt like I learned a lot about her or at least what was known about her. I rated it 5 stars. It kept my attention. The narrator wasn't my favorite but she did a good job. I slotted it in the #2 prompt because last year I had listened to The House of Kennedy.

6/52

I completed The End of Her which I'm slotting in the different continent section. I felt like one of the spots was a freebie spot for North America. My main goal this year is to slot the books in that I want to read and not feeling like I have to read them. One of my other goals is to knock some of the older books off of my tbr. I've got quite a few of them planned.

The End of Her - I rated it 3 stars. I'm going to mark this as spoiler. (view spoiler)[ Through the whole book I couldn't figure out if the husband actually killed his first wife. At the end it turns out that he did. But I was sincerely annoyed because they changed his narrative basically to an unreliable narrative. I don't think it's fair to have his narrative be all loving thoughts and then change it 80% through. Maybe not tell his narrative then. It made me mad. So much mad that I'm not going to read a psychological thriller for awhile. (hide spoiler)]. Those are just my thoughts. I've liked her other books and it did keep me reading. I'd be interested to know if anyone else felt the same after reading this book.

I have a buddy read for The Alice Network and The Hypnotist's Love Story love story this month. I'm hoping I don't get mad at these books.

I've made really good progress in January but I still don't see how I would complete the winter challenge but I'm giving it my best.

7/52

I finally completed The Fox and The Hound. It was under 200 pages but parts of it ran long for me because it was so detailed about the hunts. That part was actually amazing but also a little tiring to read. The author writes really well and obviously studied these animals in the wild. I rated it 4 stars. The last 3/4 was probably better than the first quarter. It was the basis for the Disney movie but nothing like the Disney movie. Kind of an overall dark theme. It was honest as far as what happens to animals in the wild. I knew the author's son and did their tax returns for him and his father that wrote the book. I grew up in the area it was written. I'm glad I read it.

8/52

You know for prompt 5 - I missed the fact that it's supposed to be 2 sets of double letters for the author.............ugh. Can't read Pretty Things for that prompt then. So I guess I'm going to replace with Acceptance. I can finally complete that series then. I'll try to find another spot for Pretty Things.

I read Lore Olympus: Volume One for the mythology prompt. This was one of my most least favorite prompts and I was glad I found a graphic novel for it. It had 384 pages so that made me feel better about using it for the prompt. I do like the occasional graphic novel but I didn't like this one. I liked the graphics but I had a hard time following the actual story. I rated it only 2 stars which was an unpopular opinion with the other readers.

I'm 30% through The Alice Network. It is taking me a little while. It's not a book I can speed through. I'm also listening to Crying in H Mart. I'm trying to figure out if I can squeeze that into my prompts somewhere but haven't figured out where. It's an excellent book so far.

9/52

I listened to Crying in H Mart which was a wonderful book. It was narrated by the author and she did a great job. This was a unplanned book. I pretty much just picked it out because it one it's class on Goodreads for last year. I read it for the prompt that didn't make the list. I used an autobiography, biography or memoir that didn't make the final list.

I feel good having read 10 books. I'm hoping to get a lot read during the read-a-thon as well. I need a book for the I for the winter challenge. I don't think I'm going to be able to complete In the Woods in time.

10/52

I completed The Alice Network. It was a really good book and one that I was putting off. I always seem to put off the historical fiction ones but I love them when I read them. I rated it 4 stars. It did tie all together nicely. It took me awhile to get into which is why I went with 4 stars and not 5 stars.

I'm going to read Speak and The Hypnotist's Love Story next. I'm also thinking about squeezing in The Call of the Wild for the read-a-thon.

11/52

I completed Speak. I liked it but the ending was a little too tied up for me. I feel like I'm always complaining about endings. I only rated it 4 stars because of that. I liked the way it was written and being in the different classes. Made me feel like I was in school again. I definitely connected with the character and seemed like a good representation of high school.

12/52

I completed . It took me awhile to complete. At first it took me a little bit to get into and then I was really into it. At the end however it just seemed like it took forever to wrap up. I love a book that wraps it all up and doesn't leave any questions but this one seemed like overkill. I ended up rating it 3 stars. I loved the premise of it.

I have a couple of buddy reads to do for March so the next three books are planned for me.

I'm bummed I didn't complete the winter challenge but I only read one book in December and for me 16 books would have been a lot in two months. The spring challenge should be better for me since it is only 12 books. Twelve books is about my average for 3 months.

13/52

I completed Mexican Gothic. It definitely had the gothic elements that made it an enjoyable read for me. I rated it 3 stars because I wasn't a fan of the reason everything was happening but it was creative. It was suspenseful up through about 3/4 of the book. It wasn't a book that I couldn't put down though and that was another reason why I rated it only three stars.

I'm reading The Outsider now which is a Stephen King book and it's like 560 pages. Obviously not one of his longest but it will take me a bit to get through. I'm also listening to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It is kind of a weird book so far. I got the library book to go back over some parts.

14/52

I was still undecided about what to read for the STEM prompt. I just found The Soulmate Equation on kindle for $1.99 and for whatever reason I had a $1 credit so I got it for $.99. Can't argue with that and it works for my annual Goodreads Choice Awards Challenge as well. I previously had The Kiss Quotient which I want to read eventually but I didn't have a copy of it yet. And part of my fun is finding books for bargains so The Soulmate Equation checked that off for me as well. And don't get me wrong - sometimes I pay full price for a book because I have to have it but other times I think it's fun to bargain shop for the prompts. Kindle isn't my favorite method of reading. I'd rather have a physical copy but when it's $.99 and I wasn't crazy about the prompt then I do Kindle. I always look at my Kindle deals of the day. The Soulmate Equation wasn't on there. I just happened to pull it up to see if the paperback was out yet and I saw it was for $1.99. So if any of you want to grab it - today is the day.

I listened to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I wouldn't recommend the audio version of this book. I think I would have enjoyed reading it better. It was written more like a fiction book anyway even though it wasn't. I generally prefer audio for non-fiction but not in this case. I rated it 3 stars for that reason. I'm glad I finally got to read it though. I always wanted to.

I'm currently reading The Outsider and I love it. I don't know why I haven't read more Stephen King. I haven't read his books since the 90's I think.

15/52

I completed The Outsider and I rated it 5 stars. I don't know why it took me so long to read another Stephen King book. I plan on watching the series as well. I've also purchased If It Bleeds and The Institute to read. I forgot what a great storyteller he is. This book had me creeped out. The characters were awesome. I gave up reading the horror genre for awhile and now I've been back into it for some variety. King didn't disappoint.

I'm currently reading a bunch of books and not knowing which one to stick with and finish. Hoping to read a ton this month.

16/52

My reading has slowed down. I'm only 3 books ahead instead of 4. I'm currently listening to an audiobook that won't count for my annual challenge but will count for the spring. I'm doing two buddy reads this month. I have to get going on those books. I had gone away for a long weekend and I didn't read at all. I saw family and watched some movies and Netflix and we saw the Harry Potter Exhibit in Philadelphia. I'm hoping to read more this week.

I just completed Fault Lines. I used it for the Asian Author prompt. I also picked it because I needed a book where an author's name started with an I. I came across it in the library and it was pretty short and it looked interesting. It also had a pretty cover. I've been into pink and purple covers lately. I don't know why. I still like orange covers also. The story was ok. I rated it three stars but I was struggling with giving it two stars. The first 2/3 didn't really have my attention that much. I did enjoy reading about the culture. I got more into it the last third. It was pretty predictable but I did enjoy the setting a lot.

I'm currently reading four other books. I don't know which to pick up. One is audio and I listen to it in the car. One is an ebook and I try to read when I go to bed but I've been too tired. The others are for my buddy reads and I feel like I need to read them quicker. I think April may be another low reading month for me. We'll see I guess.

17/52

I read Fangirl for prompt 48. I rated it 4 stars. It was a cute book that I had some interest in reading. My daughter had a copy of it. The characters and dialogue were really good. I felt like it depicted my first year at college pretty much. It was a fun diversion and I couldn't put it down even though I was pretty busy this week. I would have flown through it sooner. I just wasn't a fan of the ending. It just seemed like it was dropped or something. I was left with the feeling of "That's it?".

18/52

I just completed The Soulmate Equation, another lighthearted book. I've been so busy between my daughter's prom last week and training a new employee last week that my reading has definitely slowed down. I enjoyed the book but had the opposite feeling of the book I just read. I felt like the ending went on forever. The epilogue was 30 pages and I thought it should have been shorter. The last chapter of the book maybe needed a little more explanation and not as much in the epilogue. I used it for prompt 13 and although the woman was in math (statistics) it didn't really go into her work as much. I did struggle with this prompt as I felt I've already read many of the books for the prompt that I was interested in, This year I'm trying to go with more books that I want to read and not that I'm forced to read to make the reading year fun. I would recommend this book for a lighthearted read.

19/52

I'm a little behind in updating. I completed two more books towards the challenge. I have slowed down due to family activities and my daughter's high school senior year coming to a close.

I listened to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings sings. I only rated it two stars. I know this is usually a beloved book. I'm thinking maybe it was the format for me. Maybe reading the actual book would have been better. It felt a little disjointed to me. I did enjoy parts of it and I'm glad I read it. It has been on my to read list for awhile. I guess in the end it just wasn't my kind of book.

Where the Heart Is - This was a five star read for me. I loved her voice in the book. It was sweet, innocent and southern. I enjoyed the heartfelt story. I do wish there would have been an epilogue just to know that the character was going to be ok. Novalee Nation is now probably one of my favorite characters from a book. I want to rewatch the movie now.

I'm currently reading Stephen King's If It Bleeds which is a combination of four short stories. I'm enjoying it so far. I just completed the first short story. I'm also reading The Ex Hex. It's a light romantic that is fun so far. I started listening to The Rogue Lawyer. I find I kind of prefer listening to Grisham books and usually I don't like to listen to fiction. I used to be a huge Grisham fan and I thought this would be a good way to catch up on the books that I haven't read of his.

21/52

Well I completed Rogue Lawyer which wasn't originally in my plan. I decided to use it for the cover with a source of light on it. I listened to this book on audio and it was pretty good. It kept my attention the whole time. My attention has been waning with audio books lately. There was a lot of action in the book. I rated it 4 stars.

I just completed The Ex Hex which I also did not have in my plan this year but it fits in nicely with the tarot card prompt. There were tarot cards in the book. The emperor was used and also the fool and the star. It was a cute book. It kept my attention. I ended up rating it 3 stars though. Some parts I thought were a little rushed and maybe other parts weren't that well explained.

23/52

Yay! I completed the spring challenge. I wasn't able to complete the winter one.

I just finished If It Bleeds which was 4 short stories from Stephen King or novellas. There was one story I thought was disjointed. The one the book was named after wasn't my favorite either. I enjoyed Rat and Mr. Harrigan's Phone. They were creepy. I plan on reading at least two more Stephen King books this year and put some novellas on my birthday wish list from him also. It has been a long break from reading King and now I want to try and fit all the books I can in this year.

24/52

I listed to The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation. It was pretty interesting. I learned some things I did not know before. Some parts of it I got bored with so I pretty much downgraded from a 4 star review to a 3 star review. I learned more about Anne Frank than I knew before. That was the really interesting part. I read the diary when I was young. I know it affected me then. I'm considering reading it again.

25/52

Well I'm halfway done! I'm three ahead but was hoping to be a little bit more ahead. I have two others that I'm close to completing so maybe I can get them done and be more than three ahead.

I read The Cactus which was an unplanned read for me. It was in the free prime members digital books and reading books on kindle before I go to bed helps relax me and also when I can't sleep it takes my mind off that I'm not sleeping. I loved the voice in the book. The character makes quite a transformation and it was a romance but was understated romance. The romance wasn't a sexual one and that was nice for a change. It was nice to read a romance that didn't concentrate on that. I didn't know which way the book was going to go with the ending so that made it fun to read. About halfway through I didn't want to put it down. I thought it was a heartfelt book. I rated it 4 stars. Some people in the reviews found the character deplorable but that's life. Some people are like that. It was a different take on a romance and I really liked it. Of course it was all tied up at the end and while I like that it isn't what life is really like and that's why I rated it four stars. One part I was hoping for in the book was (view spoiler)[Susan couldn't get her cactus' to bloom and I thought at some point that Rob would have them blooming for her. I thought that would have been very cute. (hide spoiler)]

26/52

I finally read The Help. It was number one on my tbr for many years I believe. I finally read it. I first put it on my tbr in 2012. I also have my #2 book (now #1 book) slated to read also this year. I have actually read several this year that were on my tbr for awhile. I don't know why it took me so long to read The Help. It was pretty good. It flowed well and had a lot of mystery and suspense to it. The characters were great. It was a heartfelt book. I ended up rating it 4 stars.

27/52

I also managed to finish listening to The Book of Unknown Americans last night. Actually when I got it I thought it was non-fiction so I was kind of surprised when I found out that it was not. It ended up being a nice overall story but I wanted more of a non-fiction book. I ended up rating it 3 stars.

28/52

I completed How to Fail at Flirting which I slotted in the handwriting spot. It was an unplanned read this year. I saw it in the library and picked it up. It also worked for my Goodreads Awards Challenge. It was pretty good. I rated it 4 stars. A little predictable but sometimes that is what you want. I enjoyed the characters. It read quickly once I got into it.

I'm not sure what to start next. It's kind of just a quiet weekend. Debating on reading something quick to get another book ahead in my challenge. I have so many I'm interested in to read right now that it is making the choice hard. I keep coming up with other books that aren't on my challenge and then I work them into my challenge which knocks off a book that I already own which drives me nuts. But that's how I am. I can't stick to what I say I'm going to read. I go for new and shiny. I am glad I finally read The Help. That was #1 on my tbr for so many years. I have In the Woods as #1 now and that is in my plan so I plan to knock that off at some point this year.

29/52

I completed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time the other day. I thought it was pretty good. It had a twist in it. But, about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way through I kind of got sick of reading it. I thought the author did a really good job of the voice of the character in the book but I was done with it after I found out the big mystery. I did rate it 4 stars and I'm so glad I read it. I didn't know what to expect with the book and I was pleasantly surprised.

Today I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I read it for the food prompt. I wanted to make sure I stayed 5 books ahead so I read a short one on my list today. It was a cute book. I had always meant to read it and when I saw the food prompt I thought it was the perfect time. I rated it 4 stars.

I also counted Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the summer challenge for the 3D prompt and I'm not sure it goes there. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a proper name in the title for it. But the prompt didn't specify so I used chocolate factory as the place.

31/52

I read Red Queen which wasn't originally part of my plan but my other book group had it as a group read and I've had the book for awhile. I found it enjoyable but not great. I rated it 3 stars. I do plan on getting the next one in the series to read. It was kind of predictable but I didn't completely see the twist coming. I thought the world building was pretty good though.

I'm still 5 ahead. One more week and I'll be on vacation so I'm hoping to read at least a couple of books for the challenge while I'm off.

32/52

I read Reminders of Him and I used it for the author's double letter prompts. It was an unexpected read. I got it cheap off of Kindle. It was a quick read and I really enjoyed it. I rated it 4 stars.

I also read Where the Crawdads Sing which I hadn't planned on reading either but I wanted to read it before everyone spoiled it with the movie that came out. I'll see the movie eventually. I'm glad I read it. I went through it quickly but I think that was more due to the fact that I was on vacation. I thought the writing was pretty. I liked the characters. I also rated that one 4 stars.

I'm finding it hard to give out any 5 star reads and I'm not sure why. I keep thinking of how they could have done something differently. I used to hand them out pretty easily but I've gotten pretty picky.

I'm now reading Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror which I'm reading for the summer challenge. I can't really fit it in my annual challenge. I'm enjoying reading it on vacation. Short horror stories can be really fun.

I'm halfway through the summer challenge and I'm really not sure I'll be able to complete it. I'll have to read books with a higher point value to complete it. I guess we'll see. I should have 3,000 after I'm done the short stories. I guess I'll read Wizard of Oz next and that will help with the point value.

I'm happy I'm six ahead in the challenge and hoping I can keep gaining on my progress.

34/52

Well I read Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror for the summer challenge. It was a book of short story collections on how vacations went wrong. I read it on vacation to make it fun. It counted for 500 points. I really enjoyed it. I came across it on a recommendation from Instagram. I liked it because it wasn't a popular book so I didn't know what to expect. I'm up to 3,000 points now and I was going to read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which I think will count for 400 points.

Up to 3,400 on the summer challenge. I should be completing another 400 point book soon. Not sure I'll be able to get the challenge done by the end of the summer. I listened to I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. It was pretty good. I rated it 3 stars just because the story seemed disjointed. I thought her story in and of itself was amazing. The book just wasn't written well. The order seemed to be messed up and it was hard to listen to at those points.

Well I've kinda been going off track as far as what books I said I was going to read. I did complete The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which I said I was going to read. I rated it 3 stars. I wasn't really a fan of the way it was written but I liked that it was different from the movie. It didn't really keep my attention as much as I thought it would.

I guess I'll read The Time Traveler's Wife next and I'm finishing up Maybe in Another Life which wasn't planned. I guess I'm slotting that one in an alternative reality.

35/52

I completed Maybe in Another Life which I wasn't expecting to read. It was $1.99 on Kindle. I really enjoyed it and it was a fast, quick read. It had two story lines which worked well except for the parts where the writing repeated itself from the two different realities. That was really the only part that annoyed me. I ended up rating it 4 stars. I hadn't heard anything about it so I had no expectations and sometimes those are the best books.

I'm currently 6 ahead in the annual challenge. I'm hoping to complete The Time Traveler's Wife this week to stay ahead. It's over 500 pages and it's flowing well. I've watched the mini series so the start of it is reading fast for me. I've had this one on my tbr for a long while.

37/52

I finally read The Time Traveler's Wife. I've had it on my tbr forever and I actually bought a copy of the book 3 years ago. I only rated it 3 stars. There was some stuff that I didn't like about the time traveling. I thought the book could have been shorter. I thought the beginning part was interesting and the last part. I was kind of bored with the middle part of the book. For the most part I liked how the book skipped around but at times it was confusing. I actually watched the series first and that helped me understand one part in the book. If I hadn't of watched the series I don't think I would have understood that.

Well, I'm six ahead in the challenge and hoping to keep it that way. I still think it's going to be close for me to complete the summer challenge. We will see. I'm trying to complete it.

38/52

Well I didn't read much in August and what I did read didn't really apply to my annual plan so now I'm only 3 books ahead. I have another book that doesn't apply to my plan that I was gonna start but maybe I'll wait.

I just completed The Vanishing Half. It was written really well and the characters were defined well. It took me awhile to read though. I thought the relationships in it were pretty complex and that's what I enjoyed the most. I rated it 4 stars. The ending didn't really tie up that nice and it was kind of sloppy but other than that it was a good read.

I also didn't get to complete the summer challenge but I came close. I got to 4,500. Oh well. I think I'll have better luck with the fall challenge.

39/52