The 52 Book Club: 2025 / 2026 Challenge discussion

Our May 2024 mini-challenge has arrived and we have three new prompts for you -- each corresponding with a letter in the word, "May."

This first prompt on our May mini-challenge is super straightforward. Find an author whose last name begins with the letter M and dive in! Any book, format, or genre will work for this prompt — as long as it’s written by an author whose surname begins with M!

If you’re choosing an author who writes under a pseudonym, the “M” name can be the author’s legal last name or any M surname they publish under. This also applies to books written by ghostwriters or books with more than one author — as long as at least one author has a surname beginning with M, you can use it for this prompt.

Feel free to add book suggestions or your book choice to our Goodreads list "Author's last name starts with the letter 'M'" here.

Which book / author are you choosing for this prompt?

I am reading Daughter Mine by Megan Miranda.

I'm going to read Death and Croissants by Ian Moore

Well, I have just read Eirik Raude by Øystein Morten for the prompt 'Non-fiction recommended by a friend', and I have 3 more books by him lined up:

Jakten på Olav den Hellige

Jakten på Sigurd Jorsalfare

Jakten på Olav Tryggvason

I'm in the middle of Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell.

I have started reading Jakten på Sigurd Jorsalfare by Øystein Morten about Norway's crusader king.

I have two books on hold which will fill this prompt. We will see which arrives first.

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

I chose The Mother-in-Law by Kiersten Modglin.

I finished the Red Sparrow trilogy: The Kremlin's Candidate (Red Sparrow Trilogy, #3) by Jason Matthews

I read Professor Wormbog in Search for the Zipperump-a-Zoo by Mercer Mayer, 3 Stars

I read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A McKillip. This was a beautiful book all the way through: the language, the characters, the world, the narrative. I loved every minute of it and will be working my way through the rest of her books.

I read Flat Broke with Two Goats by Jennifer McGaha.

I plan on reading Feed Them Silence by Lee Mandelo for this one.

It will also double for my read for Prompt 6 in the Reading Challenge (Women in STEM)

I read The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

I am reading 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles C. Mann.

Halfway through POST CAPITALISM by Paul Mason, which is interesting but I do need to concentrate.

Just borrowed The Long Drop by Denise Mina from the library. I love her books, so expect I'll finish this first.

I broke out of my reading slump with this title: Paris for One by JoJo Mayes. So happy for this challenge and choosing to run with a short story collection... (I literally went to the library and stood by the FIC M. I chose four titles, took them home and this one won!)

ACOTAR

I read Fatal First Edition by Jenn McKinlay.

I’m reading the German translation of “Rescue Me” by Sarra Manning.

I'm reading The Hawk's Way: Encounters with Fierce Beauty by Sy Montgomery. She is also the author of The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness which I have not read, but might pick up next.

I read Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter — Then, Now, and Forever by John McWhorter

I read When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin

Read "True Believers #1: Star Wars - Skywalker Strikes" by Jason Aaron, John Cassaday and Laura Martin for this prompt. Beautifully graphical read with a strong and gripping story. It's about Han, Luke, Leia, R2, Chewie and C3PO trying to destroy a weapons factory in the Corellian Industrial Cluster. Luke frees the slave laborers, but the others get got. In their attempt to escape, Luke comes face to face with Darth Vader.

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack. super cute and funny murder mystery.

I read several, but for mini-challenge purposes, I'm counting The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell.

I read Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan. Couldn't put it down. https://cdnbookworm.blogspot.com/2024...

This was easy for me, because I had a personal challenge to read all of the Roderick Alleyn books by Ngaio Marsh.

First one I read in May was Scales of Justice.

Done!

I read Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I always knew there were many books, but I didn't realize how much time the first book covered.