Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

We are about to wrap up the first month of the year! Let's talk about the best books we've read this month!

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

Best Books Listopia

Conviction
Jack Jordan
Three star
ATY PROMPT: I used it for 25 most beautiful cities ( set in London) could also work for single word title.
Why the best: by default a thin month but at least this one had some nice edgy undertones and a clever ending

-Title: James Herriot's Animal Stories
- Author: James Herriot
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A Book that is not a novel
- Brief reason why it was the best: Non-fiction short stories that were a joy to read

-Title: Jade Legacy
- Author: Fonda Lee
- Rating: 4 1/2 stars (rounded down)
- Format: (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book that is part of series
- Brief reason why it was the best: Lots of action-a great family saga that reminded me of The Godfather

- Title: War and Remembrance, Volume One
- Author: Herman Wouk
- Rating 5 Stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) : Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) :Related to the sea
- Brief reason why it was the best: A reread for me that was still outstanding. Stands the test of time

- Title: Villette
- Author: Charlotte Brontë
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook (I downloaded a beautifully formatted free copy from standardebooks.org. Highly recommend them for public domain books, and it's all done by volunteers!)
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Character in education
- Brief reason why it was the best: This was the right book at the right time for me, and while it starts out very slowly, by the halfway point I was completely invested and by the end I was emotionally wrung out with one of those famous "book hangovers" -- I haven't had one in years. My full review is here.

Title: Chain-Gang All-Stars
Author: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Print
ATY Prompt you used it for: I'm reading in order, so I used it for the prompt that didn't get in (GR Choice Award), but it would work for a ton of other prompts as well!
Brief reason why it was the best:
This book was brutal. But man... it did an amazing job of showing the gray area. The main characters were women who had committed some serious crimes, but you were able to see their humanity past "the worst thing they had done" and I was deeply impacted by it. I don't normally commit to my best book so early in the month, but this one will be in my top 5 for the year.

Listopia updated through here!

- Title Sistersong
- Author Lucy Holland
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) 44. A book with a touch of magic
- Brief reason why it was the best It was a beautiful story with vivid characters. I was completely wrapped up in it. It is based on an old Gaelic song. There's magic, intrigue, shady characters, lies, love, acceptance - I really loved the book.

- Title Where the Light Gets In: Losing My Mother Only to Find Her Again
- Author Kimberly Williams-Paisley
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) 45. A book that is not a novel
- Brief reason why it was the best This book was beautiful and heartbreaking. Her mother gets diagnosed with a rare form of dementia when she is only 61 years old. I could relate many of the things she faced with her family to things that have happened in my own family. I bawled a lot. I finished it in one day because I could not put it down. I was crying and my kids said, "Mom. Take a break from the book and finish it tomorrow." I said, "Okay," but then I didn't. I just couldn't stop reading it. If anyone has Audible, it is in their "included" catalog right now.

- Title The Bonnie Dead
- Author Andrew Raymond
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Audio)
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - 06 - Wings on the cover
- Brief reason why it was the best - excellent mystery with fantastic characterisation.

Title: House of Earth and Blood
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: ★★★★★
Format: Hardcover
ATY Prompt you used it for: №37
Brief reason why it was the best: it's a damn masterpiece of mystery-suspense & epic fantasy

Title: The Sword of Kaigen
Author: M.L. Wang
Rating: 5 stars
Format: ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for: 26 - an author known by their initials. Could also be used for any of the "related to land/sea/air" prompts, and 41 a book with a chilling atmosphere.
Brief reason why it was the best: this is the best standalone fantasy novel I have ever read. I had heard the hype, and I was skeptical but I love it. It's not a happy book by any means. It's a story about war and not being able to trust your government. But the character development is *chef's kiss* so good. The writing is concise while being descriptive. It's got incredible fight scenes and the magic system is interesting.

BEST BOOK of JANUARY (so far)


Title ~ Little Exiles
Author ~ Robert Dinsdale
Rating ~ ★★★★★
Format ~ Hardback
ATY Prompt #6 ~ A book with wings on the cover
Why It Was The Best ~ Coming of Age novels are some of my favorites and when they are as beautifully told as this one is, they are painful, inspiring, and real. I find it incredible that there are still things in history that I had absolutely no idea about. This is one of them. Based on the true history of the forced migration of children from Britian to outlying countries - particularly Canada and Australia, but also South Africa.

I have 2:

-Title: Little Women
- Author: Louisa May Alcott
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 7 dwarves, the characters at some point in the book were happy, grumpy, sleepy, dopey, sneezy (colds), saw a doctor, or in Beth's case are bashful
- Brief reason why it was the best: still relevant and enjoyable 100+ years after publication, enjoy the writing. It's my 5 or 6th re-read

-Title: Apeirogon
- Author: Colum McCann
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Suggestion that didn't;t make the final list (400-600 pages and literary fiction)
- Brief reason why it was the best: It is written in 1001 fragments, "shards" the NYT called them, that make up a collage of a story about the friendship between a Palestinian and Israeli bound by their shared experience of losing daughters to violence in Israel. Gives a better understanding about how as the book says "geography is everything" and where you live determines your freedom of movement



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Best Books Listopia

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Title: The World That We Knew
Author: Alice Hoffman
Rating: ★★★★★
Format: Hardcover
ATY Prompt you used it for: #4 - A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
Brief reason why it was the best: The story is layered and the writing is beautiful. I really enjoyed how the author utilized magical realism for the golem and heron characters in this book. Most of the characters got happy endings, even though this book takes place during the holocaust. I was captivated throughout. This is a perfect book as far as I am concerned. I definitely recommend it.

Two for me so far

Title:The Poet X
Author:Elizabeth Acevedo
Rating: So I wavered between 4 and 5 stars but then couldn't think of anything I would want to see changed in it, so 5 stars.
Format: Print
ATY Prompt you used it for: Connected to X
Brief reason why it was the best:I hadn't read a novel in verse before so was a little uncertain at the start ('you mean it's all going to be poems?'). But then I was blown away how it managed to tell a story that was just as fleshed out and engrossing as a prose novel, with the added fun and rhythm of the format.

Title:Chain-Gang All-Stars
Author:Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Rating:Also between 4 and 5 stars for this one for opposite reasons - it felt more personally resonant to my life/interests, but I could think of things I would change about the writing style (mainly tightening it up with some of the different POVs). I forget what I finally went for on this one. Maybe 5? I'm trying to be a little more generous with my ratings this year.
Format: Print
ATY Prompt you used it for: BIPOC main character
Brief reason why it was the best: Ooof. A gut punch of a novel about a future in which US prisoners fight in death matches with the hope of gaining their freedom. I felt for (almost) everyone - cried through the last 50 pages or so. And the footnotes connecting the story to real concerns, facts and legislation really grounded it.

Hayley wrote: "
Title: The World That We Knew
Author: Alice Hoffman
Rating: ★★★★★
Format: Hardcover
ATY Prompt you used it for: #4 - A book related to something mentione..."


I five starred this one as well - only one of two for January.

My only 5 star book this month was Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens, which was actually a book I meant to read in December for "book with a title word you'd find in a recipe" but I had to get my library to order it for me and it took till January to get in. It is an Australian novel about a family of Sri Lankan immigrants to Australia and their family business. The title and cover make it look kind of cozy/cute, but it was something different than that! The flashbacks to the Sri Lankan civil war time were gut wrenching but so well done, and the characters were memorable. I really enjoyed reading it, even though it was about racism.

Title: Lucy by the Sea - -
Author: Elizabeth Strout -
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Print
ATY Prompt: A book related to sea
Brief reason why it was the best - one of the few books (along with The Sentence already written about the era of the pandemic, racial justice protests, and 2020 election. But it's mostly about character. Lucy starts out hating everything, a sentiment I could identify with, but over a year finds more and more to like.

I'm doing a year of mysteries/thrillers and it started well

- TitleThe House Across the Lake
- Author Riley Sager
- Rating 4 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Book connected to sea
- Brief reason why it was the best - I didn't see the twists coming and it was slightly different from his other books

- Title The Wife Between Us
- Author: Greer Hendrix
- Rating 4 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) Crime other than murder
- Brief reason why it was the best: I didn't see the twists coming and it was different from what I normally read

Joanna wrote: "Two for me so far

Title:The Poet X
Author:Elizabeth Acevedo
Rating: So I wavered between 4 and 5 stars but then couldn't think of anything I would want to see changed in it, so 5 s..."

So glad you have discovered Elizabeth Acevedo… I discovered and read two of her books last year and loved them!

The only 5 star book I've read this month is a reread (but I give few books 5 stars, so this isn't unusual--some months none get 5).

-The Raven in the Foregate
-Ellis Peters
-Rating 5 stars
-Format - Print
ATY Prompt - 2. A book connected to something you read in 2023, because I reread a different book in this series in December, 2023

Brief reason why it was best--I decided to give it 5 stars because that's what I gave it the first time I read it. I can't find my old review (from Shelfari) to tell you why.

- Title: Abigail
- Author: Magda Szabó
- Rating: 5.5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): used it for one of the reject prompts: A book set in a new-to-you location
- Brief reason why it was the best: This is a translated piece from Hungary set during WW2. A teenage girl, the daughter of the Hungarian Army General, is sent to live at a very strict religious school in order to protect her from the German invasion. Abigail is a storied, perhaps "magical", statue that stands in the school garden. A beautifully written story, I am still thinking of it.

Listopia updated through here!

- Title: The Testament of Mary
- Author:Colm Tóibín
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 30. A book set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea (Israel)
- Brief reason why it was the best: Mary, the mother of Jesus, has little voice in the Bible. This author gives this historical figure provides a realistic, and touching, voice for the events she witnessed.

-Title: All The Little Bird-Hearts
-Author:Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow
-Format: Print
-ATY Prompt you used it for: 9. A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads. For example, this one at 1590 as of 1/28/2024.
- Brief reason why it was the best: The reader is invited into the protagonist's thoughts, feelings, and memories. This middle-age woman would be diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, which is probably a realistic portrayal given that the author carries the same diagnoisis.

- Title: We Are Not Strangers
- Author : Josh Tuininga
- Rating: 5 Stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt: Not a Novel
- Brief reason why it was the best: it's a great graphic novel that tells the story of how some people including Jewish immigrants in Seattle helped Japanese-American neighbors who were confined to concentration camps during WWII.


- Title: What You Need to Be Warm
- Author: Neil Gaiman
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt: Not sure yet (last year I moved things around when I found another book), but it fits Not a Novel, Best Lists for 2023, Secondary Color on the cover for Orange, has 6 words in the title, Pronoun in the Title and Chilling Atmosphere.
- Brief reason why it was the best
Poem by Neil Gaiman inspired by users on twitter that ansered the question. With illustrations from thirteen artists that each explain their reasons for what they drew to illustrate their section. It raises money for UN Refugee Agency.


- Title: Eclipse Chaser: Science in the Moon's Shadow
- Author: Ilima Loomis
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt: Science or Science Fiction
- Brief reason why it was the best: I saw totality in 2017 and plan to in 2024. It was very good and helped me get excited for my upcoming trip. Lots of information and great pictures.

I have to add a second one, because it was just too good not to.

- Title: Hotel du Lac
- Author: Anita Brookner
- Rating: 5.5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): used it for the Rejects Challenge: A book longlisted for a Booker Prize, this actually won
- Brief reason why it was the best: a slow paced character development of a woman author in the 1980's who needed to take control of her life. It just felt good!

Gail W wrote: "I have to add a second one, because it was just too good not to.

- Title: Hotel du Lac
- Author: [author: Anita Brookner|28244
..."

I read Hotel du Lac last year, Gail, and I loved it so much same as you! I found it so difficult to properly explain WHY I liked it so much, considering not much "happens", but it was just so atmospherical and special.

I struggle with picking one particular book as the best book of January, but I will cheat a bit and choose a series, that I read the first 5 books of this month:
- Title: Temeraire
- Author: Naomi Novik
- Rating: 4.5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio

- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Used it for various different prompts including air, sea, land (as it takes place on a lot of ships and obviously in the air (dragons!) as well as pronouns (the first book is also known as His Majesty's Dragon)

- Brief reason why it was the best: The story is very unusual, dragons during a historical novel about the Napoleonic wars and that time on the planet.
The main dragon character Temeraire is so amazing and the relationship with his captain, Lawrence is so lovely. Most things other than the dragons is very historically accurate, so also fun as a history lesson :)
The audio is particularly good as Simon Vance does amazing voice work!

Listopia updated through here!

Camilla wrote: "I struggle with picking one particular book as the best book of January, but I will cheat a bit and choose a series, that I read the first 5 books of this month:
- Title: Temeraire
- ..."

It seems this is the same book as His Majesty's Dragon, just retitled. I loved that series!

Answer the following questions:

- Title: The Night Circus
- Author: Erin Morgenstern
- Rating: 5*
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Kindle
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 44. A book with a touch of magic
Okay, technically more than a touch of magic, but it was the only task it fitted!
- Brief reason why it was the best. I felt it had the same depth of otherworldliness and engrossing slow burn that Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell did, with a similar conjunction of the real world and the magical. It took me a while to get through it, but I really liked it and I'm glad I persevered.

This had been on my TBR for a long time - like since October 2015. I'm glad I've now read it.

- Title: The Colony
- Author: Audrey Magee
- Rating: 5*
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 01. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
- Brief reason why it was the best: Devoured this in two days, it was oddly gripping. A really beautiful representation of life on an isolated Irish island, with evocative descriptions of the landscape and contrasting accounts of victims of the Troubles, and experiments effectively with the blurring of consciousness and dialogue, and the characters' individual voices.

I read eight books this month, two of which were short stories. My favorite is a duology:


- Title:
The Shepherd King duology:
One Dark Window &
Two Twisted Crowns

- Author: Rachel Gillig

- Rating: 4.5 stars each

- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): ebook

- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable):
For book 1 it fits prompt 3. A book that fits a suggestion that didn’t make the final list --- A book related to a bridge because there's a bridge on the cover
For book 2 it fits prompt 4. A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong --- because of "trees"

- Brief reason why it was the best:
It was just a really fun fantasy duology with an interesting magic system, shippable romances, and funny moments. I had zero expectations because I've never heard of this before, it was just chosen for a book club I'm in. It was bingeable and hard not to pick up the second book after finishing the first. I consider it older YA fantasy.

January started great :)

Title The Road to Roswell
Author Connie Willis
Rating 5 Stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
35. A science or science fiction book
Brief reason why it was the best
Such a gentle, cozy and charming book. The plot wasn’t really exciting but that didn’t matter at all. It was absolutely a feel good book.

Title: The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years
Author: Shubnum Khan
Rating: 4 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I didn't use this for ATY, but it could fit "a book with fewer than 2024 ratings", "a history or historical fiction", "a book with a BIPOC main character", "a book with a title containing 6+ words", "a book by an author from an African country", "a book with a number in the title", "a book with a chilling atmosphere", "a book with a touch of magic", "a book with a senior citizen character", and "a book published in 2024"
Brief reason why it was the best: this is the gothic book of my dreams, honestly. The writing is lyrical and descriptive giving an atmosphere that you can almost reach out an touch. The story is a beautiful one of remembrance and love. This definitely deserves a higher readership and I encourage anyone who thinks it sounds interesting to pick it up.

Listopia updated through here!

No five star reads this month but several good four stars.

Title: Sunbringer
Author: Hannah Kaner
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Format: ebook (review copy)
ATY Prompt you used it for: 2. A book connected to something you read in 2023

I like the way the gods are really part of the world in this series. Solid middle book which left me wanting to know what happens next.

I had two 5-star reads this month, one fiction and one non-fiction:

Fiction:
- Title: The Last Days of Night
- Author: Graham Moore
- Rating: 5*
- Format: eBook & audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for: 46. A book related to night
- Brief reason why it was the best:
Historical fiction that tells the story of how American electrical infrastructure was established, based on true events among big names of the time (such as Westinghouse, Edison, Tesla, J.P. Morgan). It is told via an attorney who develops a relationship with an opera singer. So, we have history, science, business, law, and a bit of romance, all in one compelling, well-constructed story.
My Full Review


Non-Fiction:
- Title: Walking to Samarkand: The Great Silk Road from Persia to Central Asia
- Author: Bernard Ollivier
- Rating: 5*
- Format: ebook & audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for: 33. A book involving travel
- Brief reason why it was the best: French journalist Bernard Ollivier set out to travel the Great Silk Road by foot. This is the second of three books. It takes us to parts of Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The author's style is lively and conversational. His descriptions make the terrain, villages, and personal interactions easy to picture. I have rarely found books set in Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan, so it was great to vicariously visit those regions (which I will never see in person). He also shares the history of the region and many details regarding the cultures, languages, and people in only 300 pages. It is a fantastic book for armchair travelers.
My Full Review

I've got 2 for this month.

Title: Six Scorched Roses
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Print (Novella)
ATY Prompt you used it for: I used it for the rejected prompt: A book with a disembodied hand/hands on the cover.
Brief reason why it was the best: This is book 1.5 in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, although it is more of a side story, than a continuation, so it could be read first. It was just a lovely romance with a dark edge.

Title: Me: Moth
Author: Amber McBride
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Ebook (Novel in verse)
ATY Prompt you used it for:
Brief reason why it was the best: I love novels in verse. This was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. But it was so beautiful.

Title: The House of Doors
Author: Tan Twan Eng
Rating: 5 stars
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for: #10 History or historical fiction
Brief reason why it was the best: Beautifully written historical fiction set in Malaysia and revolving around a visit by author W. Somerset Maugham. I was thoroughly captivated by the story!

- Title: Menewood *
- Author: Nicola Griffith*
- Rating: 5*
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print*
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #10 History or Historical Fiction*
- Brief reason why it was the best: you need to have read the prequel Hild first, but this is an amazing, immersive book that will scratch all your "wish I'd been born in medieval Britain if it weren't for all the war" itches!

Pam wrote: "Title: The House of Doors
Author: Tan Twan Eng
Rating: 5 stars
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for: #10 History or historical fiction
Brief reason why it was ..."

Ooh, I'm headed to Malaysia this year and want to read this book!

Jacqie wrote: "Pam wrote: "Title: The House of Doors
Author: Tan Twan Eng
Rating: 5 stars
Format: eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for: #10 History or historical fiction
Brief reason..."

I am reading it now and it's really good. Very jealous of your Malaysia trip.

-Title: The Lincoln Highway
-Author: Amor Towles
-Rating: 5 stars
-Format: Print
-ATY Prompt: Title ends w/ A, T, or Y
-Why Best: Wonderful characters in a suspenseful and interesting road-trip plot

-Title: The Round House
- Author: Louise Erdrich
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book involving a crime other than a murder
- Brief reason why it was the best: Powerful story of the rape of a professional Native American mother and its impact on a reservation community in South Dakota. Told from the POV of the mother's thirteen year old son.

-Title: The Land of Hope and Fear: Israel's Battle for Its Inner Soul
- Author: Isabel Kershner
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea
- Brief reason why it was the best: Insightful historic overview of the eight communities that constitute Israel with a focus on the "era of Netanyahu" (up to 11/2022) by a longtime New York Times correspondent

- Title: Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution
- Author: Cat Bohannon
- Rating 5 Stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) : eBook, Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) : A book with single word title
- Brief reason why it was the best: A fascinating feminist/humanist reimagining of the story of "Adam's rib" from an evolutionary perspective of life on earth.

I had an excellent reaading month (thanks Snowmagedon?) with three five star reads. My fav
- TitleHello Beautiful
- Author Ann Napolitano
- Rating 5star
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Book
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) Best book of the month thread (thanks contributor)
- Brief reason why it was the best Deep dive into family dynamics had me leaking some tears

- Title: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
- Author: Anthony Marra
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: E-book
-ATY Prompt you used it for: #4 - A book related to something mentioned in the lyrics of What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. It would also work for several others.
- Brief reason why it was the best - loving characterizations of people in desperate situations, this time the war in Chechnya. I’m sure the story would apply just as well in the Ukraine or Gaza.

Perri wrote: "I had an excellent reaading month (thanks Snowmagedon?) with three five star reads. My fav
- TitleHello Beautiful
- Author Ann Napolitano
- Rating 5star
- Format (Pr..."

This was my favorite book last year! I cried too. 🥲

- Title: Miss Mackenzie
- Author: Anthony Trollope
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 9. A book with fewer than 2024 ratings on Goodreads
- Brief reason why it was the best: I enjoyed Trollope's depiction of the "spinster" Miss Mackenzie.

- Title: The Memory Theater
- Author: Karin Tidbeck
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: I didn't use it for any (I'm reading in order, I'm sure it fits something further down the list)
- Brief reason why it was the best: A haunting, sharp fairy tale of a story.

- Title: Looking Glass Sound
- Author: Catriona Ward
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: I didn't use it for any (I'm reading in order, I'm sure it fits something further down the list)
- Brief reason why it was the best: Layers upon layers, it's a book within a book about a book within a book or...something. I love metafiction, and this one uses its narrative möbius strip structure to excellent effect.