Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

What were your best books of April?

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

The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Five star
Kindle
I used it for published this year but would also fit two title with the and ends a, t or y and maybe even Jimmy buffet due to its bar scenes
Why it’s the best; hard to explain without giving away the twists it’s absolutely brilliant was it as good as The Silent Patient? IMO no but I’m reminded of the interview where Joseph Heller was asked why he’d never read anything as good as Catch 22 and replied “ who has?”

My first 5 star book of the year:

Title: The Familiar
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Kindle
ATY Prompt: Suggestion that didn't make the list (a book with multiple POV)*
Why: The perfect blend of historical fiction and fantasy. I love everything Leigh Bardugo does.

*Would work for tons of other prompts as well:
Two-word title
Set in a country bordering the Mediterranean Sea
A book with a touch of magic
A history or historical fiction
A book with a chilling atmosphere

If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

Rating: 5 Star
Format: Audiobook
ATY Prompt: Chilling Atmosphere
Why: Very unique and humorous. The book itself is a meta look at the act of reading books. It seems to have been written exclusively for the type of person who would join the ATY book club - and this was especially true for me.

Could have also worked for:
17. A book involving intelligence
21. A book with a title containing 6+ words
24. A book with a secondary color on the cover (orange)
25. A book involving a crime other than a murder
33. A book involving travel
36. A book featuring a character in education
41. A book with a chilling atmosphere
50. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2023 or 2024 (since I just did that)
52. A cozy mystery

Title: Lone Women
Author: Victor LaValle
Rating: 4.5 stars
Format: Kindle
ATY Prompt: Chilling atmosphere
Why: A weird mash up of historical fiction, fantasy, Western and thriller/horror. Very satisfying.

Would work for many other prompts including touch of magic, travel, historical fiction.

Just one this month for me:

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
- Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Format: print book
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): none for ATY, fit Popsugar's Indigenous Non-fiction
- Brief reason why it was the best: Just a very different way of looking at the natural world around us. I loved how she blended Indigenous knowledge with Western science. It made me want to plant something.

What were your best books of April?

Answer the following questions:

- Title: My Name is Barbra
- Author: Barbra Streisand
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): None. As a matter of fact, I started the book last year. But due to its' length it kept expiring and I would have to wait weeks to get it back.
- Brief reason why it was the best: It was like having a conversation. I love that she has not tried to train the Brooklyn accent out of her voice. And many of the places in the early parts are familiar to me from growing up in Brooklyn. It was just a really good book about a life well lived without too much trauma. I loved the details about all the movies and albums. The 48 hours did not feel too long.

My best for April was Wellness by Nathan Hill, 5 stars. I read it for the Tournament of Favorites, but it would fit a lot of categories (1 word title this month?). I listened to it, and the narrator was very good.

There were so many things going on and the book is quite long, but I just wanted to know what would happen next! Lots of interesting issues raised.

Chrissy wrote: "My best for April was Wellness by Nathan Hill, 5 stars. I read it for the Tournament of Favorites, but it would fit a lot of categories (1 word title this month?)...."
So glad you liked Wellness. It is up next for me, as I am also working through the ToF books. Really good list this year, I think.

- Title - The Vacancy in Room 10
- Author - Seraphina Nova Glass
- Rating - 4 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - both ebook and audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - #29 A book related to air
- Brief reason why it was the best - I enjoyed the characters a lot and thought that the seedy motel was provided a perfect setting. I have lived in some seedy places and have an appreciation for them. While I thought the mystery part of the book was pretty good it wasn't anything new.

- Title: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
- Author: James McBride
- Rating: ★★★★★ and ❤
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print and audiobook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 21. A book with a title containing 6+ words
- Brief reason why it was the best: Like his previous novel, Deacon King Kong, this work is a testament to the transformative power of a compassionate community to impact change. Chicken Hill and several of its characters are so explicitedly described that I found myself transported to its streets.

reply | flag

- Title: The Age of Innocence
- Author: Edith Wharton
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): print book
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Related to a flavor of ben and Jerry's ice cream (takes place in NEW YORK (super fudge chunk))
- Brief reason why it was the best: Well written, there were many delightful turns of phrase: "bursting with the belated eloquence of the inarticulate" is a favorite

reply | flag

Title Wandering Stars
Author Tommy Orange
Rating 4 stars
Format Large Print (It was the only copy available)
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) I used it for my ATY Rewind challenge, where I picked my favourite prompts from previous ATY challenges: 15. A book by an author you've only read once before.
Brief reason why it was the best Every bit as good as There There, this gave more story about what came before, and what came after the events in that book. And despite the heavy subject matter, I couldn't put it down.

Title The Grief of Stones
Author Katherine Addison
Rating 4 stars
Format Hardcover
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) I used it for Popsugar 13. A book originally published under a pen name.
Brief reason why it was the best This is the second book in the spinoff series from The Goblin Emperor following a priest who can talk to the dead, as he investigates a murder. The romance is a slow burn and the whole thing is just so engrossing. I can't wait for book 3, but it won't be out till next year.

- Title: The Dragons, the Giant, the Women: A Memoir
- Author: Wayétu Moore
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): #22 - A book by an author from an African country - author was born in Liberia
- Brief reason why it was the best: the recounting of how she, her sister and her father escaped Liberia during their civil war; and the impact on the family in the US. Was a great read.

Title: The Saturday Morning Murder
Author: Batya Gur
Rating: 4 start
Format : Audio in Hebrew
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): no
Brief reason why it was the best: it was a good whodunit. More from the tale point then the detective resolve. A first in a series

I had two non-fiction 5-star reads this month out of 34 books:
- Title: Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941–1942
- Author: Ian W. Toll
- Rating: 5*
- Format: eBook & Audio
- ATY Prompt: n/a
- Brief reason why it was the best: This is one of the best books I've read about World War II. It is well-written and provides a captivating narrative. History fans will love it.
My Full Review

- Title: Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival
- Author: Joe Simpson
- Rating: 5*
- Format: Print & Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for: n/a
- Brief reason why it was the best: This is an amazing true story of survival in the Peruvian Andes. Joe Simpson relates his near-death ordeal, and includes his climbing partner's perspective. It is beautifully written - quite impressive since the author started out as a mountain climber. It is a story of physical and psychological trauma, as well as one of friendship.
My Full Review

- Title: The Berry Pickers
- Author: Amanda Peters
- Rating : ★★★★★
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Book, ebook, audiobook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Ben & Jerry's flavors
- Brief reason why it was the best: It's a complicated story, full of grief, secrets, tragedy, and racism. I picked it up because of its beautiful cover and intriguing blurb, but it is a wonderfully good story. Lots of characters, but as they are all from the same family, it's not that hard to keep track of them. There are three narrators: Ben (the oldest), Joe (the youngest who is dying of what appears to be cancer), and Nora (who used to be Rose before she was kidnapped).

Title: Godkiller*
Author: Hannah Kaner*
Rating: 5*
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): ebook*
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book with a main character who is Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color*
Brief reason why it was the best: It's a fantasy quest set in an interesting world with interesting characters that are easy to care about. Bonus points for the jackalope god of white lies.

reply | flag

-Title: The Lost City of the Monkey God
-Author: Douglas Preston
-Rating: 5 Stars
-Format: Print
-ATY Prompt: Ben & Jerry's (Chunky Monkey)
-Why Best: Intellectually stimulating, suspenseful nonfiction archaeology adventure, ending with a medical mystery. Wowser!

I had a truly excellent month in books! I had 15 5-star reads! I will reign it in though..... :)

- Title Killing Trail
- Author Margaret Mizushima
- 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 This series is awesome! I read the first five books of the series this month. The characters are people I want to read about, the plots are twisted and intriguing, the pace is perfect, and, well, dogs! If you enjoy mysteries, this is a great series.

- Title The Preacher
- Author Camilla Läckberg
- 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 This is another excellent series. It is Nordic Noir. This is book 2 of a 10 book series. Again, the characters are real and colorful. The setting comes alive. I can't tell you how much I want to visit Fjallbacka now. I looked it up, and it is gorgeous. The plots in the series are always intriguing. It is such a good series.

- Title Assistant to the Villain
- Author Hannah Nicole Maehrer
- 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 loved every moment of this book. The banter is hilarious. The characters are so fun. The story is great. I had to take my daughter's car down to her at university, so I listened to this all the way there, and I was entertained the entire time. I read it for a book club, and I am so glad I did. I highly recommend this book.

Title: Dragonfruit
Author: Makiia Lucier
Rating: 5 stars
Format: eBook
Prompt: n/a
Why: Loved the sea dragons and cute characters in this ya fantasy.

Title: Funny Story
Author: Emily Henry
Rating: 5 stars
Format: eBook
Prompt: Published 2024
Why: This was happier than Happy Place.

- Title: The Clocks
- Author: Agatha Christie
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: Audible
- ATY Prompt: #47: A book with a two-word title beginning with THE
- Why: I love Agatha Christie's Poirot books. They are consistent quality, cozy-ish (there's still murder but not much suspense), slow-paced whodunits. The ideal comfort reads. This one is the 39th in the series, I'll be sad when I've finished them all.

- Title: My Cone and Only
- Author: Susannah Nix
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: Kindle
- ATY Prompt: #19: Related to a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor - Cone Together
- Why: Cute romance with dual POV. The main characters have had a crush on each other since they were teenagers, but he is her brother's best friend and the brother told him to back off. She thinks he's not into her. I liked it but it was a bit long (hence minus one star).

Also this month I read several excellent books, so I chose the one that surprised me the most 💖

- Title: A Curious History of Sex
- Author: Kate Lister
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): None, but it would fit a couple of the nonfiction prompts
- Brief reason why it was the best: I got it from the library because the title sounded fun, and way surprised by how good it was. The author read the audiobook herself, and did an excellent job. Worth it just for the vindication of the word cunt 😁

reply | flag

- Rainbow Black
- Maggie Thrash
- five stars!
- ebook
- could apply to several prompts, including fewer than 2024 ratings, historical fiction (a lot of it is set in the 1980s), "It's Raining Cats & Dogs", involving a crime other than murder, & others
- Lacey Bond is 13 years old when her parents are accused of running a Satanic cult out of their home daycare. This book is written by adult Lacey in the current-day, explaining how she came to commit the horrific crime of which she has been accused & how she has finally been caught all these years later, none of which would have happened if her own parents had not been falsely accused & imprisoned when she was a young teen.

The story is propulsive & Lacey has a tender, honest, bitter, funny narrative voice. She is unflinching in acknowleging difficult truths of all kinds that complicated the path that led her to the present. I personally have a sweet spot for anything related to the Satanic panic. I had a brush with it myself in the 90s (as an accusee rather than accuser)--nothing to the extent of what the parents in this book go through, but definitely enough to be traumatic, so reading stories about it feels like poking at a bruise. I just related to this book in a lot of ways & loved the moral ambiguities.

- Title: Shout
- Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
- Rating: 5/5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 42. A book with a sound-related word in the title
- Brief reason why it was the best: This is a YA memoir in verse of Anderson's journey from a dysfunctional family and sexual assault into a fully function adult and YA author. She read it herself on the audio and did a fantastic job. It is realistic in its depiction of the numbing of pain with drug use and the effect this has on family life and children. However, it is hopeful in that she was able to overcome this through teachers and librarians who were her mentors and through the experience of living with a loving family for a year in a foreign exchange program.

My best book of April was Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne. Just a delightful cozy fantasy.

And the listopia is up to date!

I had more 4 star than 5 star books in April, but here are my 5 star books:

Nonfiction
- Title: Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language
- Author: Amanda Montell
- Rating: 5
- Format: eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Single word title
- Brief reason why it was the best>: great information about are language.

- Title: Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading
- Author: Lucy Mangan
- Rating: 5
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Botanical cover
- Brief reason why it was the best>: great memoir of childhood reading.

- Title: The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading
- Author: James PattersonJames Patterson and Matt EversmannMatt Eversmann
- Rating: 5
- Format: eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: probably Edgar Winner
- Brief reason why it was the best>:

Fiction
- Title: A Quantum Love Story
- Author: Mike Chen
- Rating: 5
- Format: eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: travel for time travel
- Brief reason why it was the best>: I love time travel, but I wasn't sure about this one because I mostly don't like Romance, but this was much better than I expected.

Title: The Canterville Ghost
- Author : Oscar Wilde
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Title ending in A, T, or Y
- Brief reason why it was the best: It's a novella, and a witty satire more than a ghost story

Updated the listopia

- Title: Bring Up the Bodies
- Author: Hilary Mantel
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt: History or historical fiction
- Brief reason why it was the best: I struggled with the languorous pacing of Mantel's previous book, Wolf Hall, and my lack of knowledge of the Tudor period didn't help. I almost didn't pick up the second book, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. It's shorter, the pace more gripping, and (thanks to Wolf Hall) the characters more familiar. The plot deals with the political machinations of Thomas Cromwell who, having elevated Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall, now brings her down in Bring Up the Bodies.

Three quite different books:

- Title - She Who Became the Sun
- Author - Shelley Parker-Chan
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - A book with a pronoun in the title or A book involving intelligence
- Brief reason why it was the best - excellent alternate history with a woman warrior based on Asian legends

- Title - The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism
- Author - John U. Bacon
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - A book related to sea or a book with an X connection (X in title)
- Brief reason why it was the best - Very readable and engrossing account of a true event that led to the largest explosion before WWII. I was interested after learning about this at a museum in Halifax years ago.


- Title - Tress of the Emerald Sea
- Author - Brandon Sanderson
- Rating - 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - A book involving travel or a book with a touch of magic
- Brief reason why it was the best - More like The Princess Bride movie than the Princess Bride book was! Makes fun of fantasy stereotypes, uses puns and wordplay, and has a a heartwarming message. I have read several books by Sanderson and never found him humorous. He wrote this one n secret for his wife. I think he should write more in this vein.

- Title: Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right
- Author: Arlie Russell Hochschild
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 21. A book with a title containing 6+ words
It could also be used for:
1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
7. A book with a pronoun in the title
45. A book that is not a novel
and possibly others.

- Brief reason why it was the best: The author, a sociologist, approached her research from a very neutral point of view, so as not to taint her results. I found her methods very fair and humanistic, and in fact she became friends (or had friendly relationships) with many of the people she was studying who were on the opposite side of the political spectrum from her. I have been interested/curious for several years about why people vote the way they do, when their choices just seem plain illogical to me. This book helped me understand their point of view, although I still find some of their decisions illogical and continue to not agree with their choices.

========================

- Title: Fourteen Days
- Author: Margaret Atwood (well, actually, by 36 authors in The Authors Guild, some of whom I was familiar with, and some not)
- Rating: 4 stars (only because, as most short story anthologies go, some stories I liked more than others). The concept and general execution was 5 stars.
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Kindle
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 51. Published in 2024 (2/6/24)

- Brief reason why it was the best: Above I mentioned "short story anthology". This book was not exactly that, but that was the closest analogy. Maybe "connected short stories" is closer? The idea of 36 authors writing a complete novel, is daunting. But the way it was conceived was brilliant. I believe the basic framework of the story was shared with the group, and then each author was assigned a character who would share their story with the other characters. Essentially each author was writing a short story that would fit in the overall framework of the novel. One author's job (the co-editor with Margaret Atwood, Douglas Preston) wrote the part of the book that wove it all together. The ending was unexpected, but helped explain some things earlier in the book that I questioned. Quite an achievement!

I have been waiting for this book for about a year, and although it's not on my Best Books of All Time list, I did really enjoy it.

- Title: Table for Two
- Author: Amor Towles
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Number in title
- Brief reason why it was the best: Witty and well-written! If you liked his other books, you will likely enjoy this one also.

Two books this month

- Title: One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In
- Author: Kate Kennedy
- Rating: I don't rate
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 2 books with similar covers
- Brief reason why it was the best: Thoughtful look at growing up as a millennial: American Girl, Spice Girls, Live, Laugh, Love, gig economy: it's all here!

- Title: The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge
- Author: M.T. Anderson
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): red cover in Spring Challenge
- Brief reason why it was the best: Multi-layered, clever look at elves and goblins, spies and archives, where everything may not be as it first appears

- Title | The Lions of Little Rock
- Author | Kristin Levine
- Rating | ★★★★★
- Format | audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for | This book could be used for prompt 40. A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover
- Brief reason why it was the best | I needed a book set in Arkansas/yellow cover for other challenges. Target reader is middle grade and I thought the plot, story and character building were all excellent. A great lesson in friendship and being historical fiction, I learned a few things about this time in history.

- Title: This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You
- Author: Susan Rogers & Ogi Ogas
- Rating: 5/5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 7. A book with a pronoun in the title
- Brief reason why it was the best: just an incredibly in depth look at music and why we like it. Requires a little more work than the average book, but was absolutely worth it. Left me feeling both satisfied and informed.

My best book of April

- Title: Our Missing Hearts
- Author: Celeste Ng
- Rating: 5*****
- Format: Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for: I did NOT use it for ATY 2024, but it would fit # 14 Main Character is BIPOC
- Brief reason why it was the best - The only 5-star read this month.


Our Missing Hearts – Celeste Ng – 4****
This was uncomfortably plausible. Ng holds a magnifying glass to current and past events and predicts the likely dystopian outcome, especially if the silent majority remains silent and complacent when “it doesn’t effect US.” Bird is a wonderful character, and I loved the network of librarians who were used to thwart the “powers that be.”
LINK to my full review

I have 2 for April

- Title: With Winter Comes Darkness
- Author: Robbi Neal
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, Book, Audio): ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I'm thinking of putting it for related to night as it has darkness in the title. also fits for A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand
- Brief reason why it was the best; grabbed me from the first page and I kept me engaged the whole way through. Had 2 separate stories of Alice and Ellery that merged together. Plenty of suspense. Set in Australia.

- Title: The Radio Hour
- Author: Victoria Purman
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Format (Print, Book, Audio): ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): It fits for:
A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand
Historical fiction
A book related to air (airways/radio)
- Brief reason why it was the best; I loved learning about how radio worked and the interactions between all the characters. I particulalry liked how the women looked out for each other. I really felt like I was taken back into the 1950s and got a true sense of what it was like for woman in Australia during this time.

Listopia is up to date!

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
Phaedra Patrick
4 stars
49. A book with a senior citizen character
Fanciful and charming

Updated!

- Title: Salt to the Sea
- Author: Ruta Sepetys
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 28. A book related to the sea
- Brief reason why it was the best: Historical fiction about an event I knew hardly anything about: the little-known January 30, 1945 sinking in the Baltic Sea by a Soviet submarine of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise liner that was supposed to ferry wartime personnel and refugees to safety from the advancing Red Army.

Listopia updated!

- Title Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
- Author Heather Fawcett
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) "A history or historical fiction book" it's a bit of a stretch, but it's tagged as such on Goodreads so I went with it.
Brief reason why it was the best The kind of fantasy I could just wrap myself up in. I absolutely loved the characters.

Listopia is up to date!

- Title: Et al.: Because not all research deserves a Nobel Prize
- Author: B McGraw
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: #45 not a novel
- Brief reason why it was the best: it's fictional science (not science fiction) - not for everyone, but if you read scientific journal articles and like humor, you'll like this book :)

Listopia updated!