Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Happy February, y'all! We made it, after 78 days of January.

Use this thread to talk about how you did on your January goals, what you plan to read in February, and anything else along the way.

Still catching up with books I actually read in 2024. This downsizing exercise has really messed with me....


The Mother’s Day Murder – Lee Harris – 3.5***
This is book twelve in the cozy mystery series featuring former nun Christine Bennett. I really like this series. I like Chris’s careful approach to solving the mysteries that come her way. She’s deliberate and cautious, but she inspires confidence in those she questions. She’s also discreet, careful not to spread rumor and innuendo but wait for facts to back up any suspicions before sharing the information with authorities or others. The series is best read in order so the reader sees the various relationships evolve over time.
LINK to my full review

I read eight books in January; therefore, I currently head of schedule for the ATY challenge. Although I'm generally reading the prompts in order, I have decided to skip some for now because some are so broad, I can use them like a Bingo's free space later in the reading year to fit dificult to place books. Others are being skipped because future books selected for a face-to-face book discussion group will fit the earlier prompts.

For Februray, I'm finishing up the following begun in January:
-West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
-Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
-The September House by Carissa Orlando

I'm planning to begin in February the following:
-The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by by Robert Dugoni
-Shadow Show: All-New Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury by Sam Weller
-Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy

I read 21 books in January, which was a bit of a letdown. I was aiming for 25. Mid-month, I got caught in a cycle of reading one book after another that just didn't engage me. Dud upon dud. That really slowed me down. I'm hoping to make some better choices in February.

Emily wrote: "Happy February, y'all! We made it, after 78 days of January.

And somehow, February will have 106....

Ciara wrote: "I read 21 books in January, which was a bit of a letdown. I was aiming for 25. Mid-month, I got caught in a cycle of reading one book after another that just didn't engage me. Dud upon dud. That re..."

Ciara, I had a similar problem. I read 14 books in January but only finished two after the 17th.

I'm reading the first five prompts, as I joined this group and began this challenge in mid-January. (Fortunately I had 6 books I could list in the challenge.) I'm trying to match TBR books to the prompts.

Here are my 1 - 5:

1. A book with a cover that has an image of something that starts with A, T, or Y
THE LOCAL by Joey Hartstone, T for Truck


2. A prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL by Phillipa Gregory - A book with royalty - HPL


3. A book connected to something mentioned in the Do Re Mi song
THESE TANGLED THREADS by Sarah Loudin Thomas, Sew, a needle pulling thread - Hoopla


4. A book set underground, under sea or in an underworld
THE ROOSTER BAR by John Grisham, Underworld – Libby, ready to borrow


5. A book with a weird or intriguing title
THE LAST LIST OF MABEL BEAUMONT by Laura Pearson - HOOPLA

Ciara wrote: "I read 21 books in January, which was a bit of a letdown. I was aiming for 25. Mid-month, I got caught in a cycle of reading one book after another that just didn't engage me. Dud upon dud. That re..."

Ciara that happened to me a lot last year. When I focus on quantity or speed I don’t enjoy them as much. I read 300 last year, but 120 - 150 would be better. So far I am much happier with my reading.

My goal was 5-6 for January and I only finished three. We had influenza over Christmas break and then I had 9 student IEPs this month on top of progress reports and narrative report cards. I couldn’t keep my eyes open at night! Luckily there’s a lot of time to catch up!

Michelle E wrote: "I'm reading the first five prompts, as I joined this group and began this challenge in mid-January. (Fortunately I had 6 books I could list in the challenge.) I'm trying to match TBR books to the p..."

Thanks! I usually leave till last the prompts with lists because I am to lazy to pull up all the possibilities But now I know I can use A book with royalty - since I just read The Windsor Knot, where Queen Elizabeth II solves a murder.

I think I’m off to a good start. I read 7 books and used 6 for prompts.
This month I’ve started
Milkman
Horse
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Table for Two

Robin P wrote: "Michelle E wrote: "I'm reading the first five prompts, as I joined this group and began this challenge in mid-January. (Fortunately I had 6 books I could list in the challenge.) I'm trying to match..."

Happy to help! ;^>

I gotta say, it feels so freeing to not be reading in order this year. I've come to accept that my new job (and having a 2 year old) doesn't allow me to read quite as much as I am used to, especially in January, so it's nice to know that I can just pull books and they will fit somewhere.

I have.. ambitious... plans for February, mostly because they involve finishing the Tournament of Books shortlist. I've left some of the least favorites (according to the GR group) for last, which was not super smart of me, but alas, here we are.

Book Club Pick:
The Forest of Stolen Girls
18. A book set primarily in nature

ARCs Due:
Show Don't Tell
25. A book with waves on the cover

The Otherwhere Post
4. A book set underground, under sea or in an underworld

Tournament of Books Remaining (In Order of How I'll Read Them)
The Book Censor's Library
14. A science fiction or fantasy novel written by a woman

Someone Like Us
6. A book with a serpentine element on the cover

The Book of George
26. A book by an author with a common noun in their name

Rejection
8. A collection of short stories or novellas, essays, poetry, or a mix of various brief writings

Orbital (if I can get it from the library)

The Extinction of Irena Rey

NancyJ wrote: "Ciara wrote: "I read 21 books in January, which was a bit of a letdown. I was aiming for 25. Mid-month, I got caught in a cycle of reading one book after another that just didn't engage me. Dud upo..."

I don't intentionally read for quantity. I just read a lot. Usually it's a pleasure, but I'm working my way through the 2025 Tournament of Books longlist right now & it seems like there's a miss for every hit, you know? I just happened to have a bad run of misses, & even some of the books I enjoyed tremendously were real downers.

Plus the second half of the month was kind of heavy overall. My daughter got pretty seriously ill & had to have emergency surgery. It's just been hard to focus.

Ciara - I hope your daughter is doing well now. That’s so hard to go through 💕

Tracy wrote: "Ciara - I hope your daughter is doing well now. That’s so hard to go through 💕"

Yes, she is doing great! She's recovering really well & has a great attitude about the whole thing. Thank you!

I had a great January - 15 books total, and 11 for prompts.
Got my ARC for January read and into the first Anniversary prompt, hoping to continue that for the rest of this year.

I'm starting with Prompt #11 for February, and have plans for things up through prompt 20, if I manage to get that far this month.

I like how my plan is working so far - with a plan "out there" but shuffling as I go if something else catches my attention instead. So far the reading in order is helping me limit my focus, and that's helpful when I work in a library and am surrounded by nothing but books.

The Reptile Room – Lemony Snicket – 3***
This is book two in A Series of Unfortunate Events, detailing the (mis)adventures of the Baudelaire orphans. I can see the appeal for children, as it plays on their fears of abandonment while also playing up their resourcefulness and ability to get the best of the bad guy. I like how the three siblings work together, each with his/her own strengths.
LINK to my full review

My reading has slowed down due to our downsizing / moving project. Clearing 35 years of living from this house, to go to a condo that is about 60% the size of this place is taxing, to say the least. And VERY time consuming! I tried listening to audios early in the process, but really couldn't concentrate on the audio, so I felt I missed too much.

I'll catch up eventually.

Jennifer W wrote: "And somehow, February will have 106...."

I feel this to my core. The 10,000 days of 2025...

I had a good January for reading (25 books), although it felt at times like a chore. I think that was entirely related to my mental health, which seemed to be bordering on depression (due to the state of the nation and general fatigue over my life) and wasn't recognized by me until the month was over!

The big excitement for me was that 14 were books I owned. Wow! Kindle, audible, and actual books.

I have chosen to not do the read in order task this year and am finding it rather freeing, just as Emily said.

Currently, I have 7 books going, of which 4 are actively being read. I am OK with that.

My book club reads for this month are A Clockwork Orange, which I finished in January and The Messy Lives of Book People (the latter was supposed to be The Island of Sea Women but the hold list was too long for my friends in Toronto. However, I already got my copy from my library so I guess I will read that too as extra reading.

Although I've done well on the challenges so far, my January reading wasn't very focused on prompts, it was more spurred by wanting to read some Tournament of Books entries, the Canada Reads short list, and random library pickups. So after I get through those, I'd like to start reading books I've pre-picked for prompts.

I have three more to read from the Canada Reads shortlist (Dandelion, Jennie's Boy: A Newfoundland Childhood and Etta and Otto and Russell and James, so hopefully I'll get them this month.

I also have 5 other library books out right now and 3 other active holds. But once I get through those, challenge reading all the way! And hopefully some of those being books I already own. The library is just so distracting!

Bea wrote: "I had a good January for reading (25 books), although it felt at times like a chore. I think that was entirely related to my mental health, which seemed to be bordering on depression (due to the st..."

Wow, that is very impressive, especially if you weren't feeling totally yourself! I am watching a lot less news and reading instead (although finding too often that fiction books also contain themes related to oppression or dystopia.)

Robin P wrote: "Wow, that is very impressive, especially if you weren't feeling totally yourself! I am watching a lot less news and reading instead (although finding too often that fiction books also contain themes related to oppression or dystopia.)"

At times, I was reading to hide from the reality of life during January.

I am frequently amazed at how often random books and authors have comments in their books that address real life today...even fantasy books!

I had a great start to the year, finishing 12 books, 6 of which were for ATY. I've shocked myself and completed two of the list prompts already. January's plan was to get ahead on Popsugar which I think is the tougher challenge these days, but February I'm just going to read whatever strikes my fancy.

Eeeek I'm so excited to have found this group! Starting late, but sticking to it!
This week I plan to finish Father and Sons by Ivan Turgenev and next week ACOTAR (first book). Following week Bear and Nightingale, and then capping the month with finishing Poppy War!

Welcome Neenu! You have a good lineup ahead of you!

10 books read in Jan puts me on target for my 100/year goal. First 5 ATY prompts done, 1 local book club pick, plus a few just for fun. Favourites were Ninth House & Paladin's Grace

I'm reading in order, one book in it's designated week but I'm not preplanning, just looking at the current weeks prompt and reading something I have or can get from the library immediately (no holds, LOL)

Shooting for ATY prompts 6 through 9 in February, Meet Me at the Lake for book club and then what ever I feel like reading.

Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver – 5*****
Kingsolver’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel is a re-telling of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield set in Appalachia. Like the original, the book explores the effects of poverty, especially on children. Oh, but this was sad and tugged at my heartstrings. Certainly, there were moments, even years-long stretches of time when Demon was well cared for and seemed to have beaten the odds, but it seemed that his entire life was destined for one bad break after another. Yet, despite his faults, Demon stole my heart and I was cheering for him by the end.
LINK to my full review

Neenu wrote: "Eeeek I'm so excited to have found this group! Starting late, but sticking to it!
This week I plan to finish Father and Sons by Ivan Turgenev and next week ACOTAR (first book). Following week Bear..."

Welcome, Neenu, we are happy to have you! You can use any books you've read since January 1st to fill in prompts from this year's challenge.

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective – Kate Siegel – 1*
Former child detective is asked by her brother and his girlfriend to solve a missing person case. The premise sounded cute for a cozy mystery, but I just never got into this book. What should have been a fast, entertaining read, turned into a drudge that took me more than a month to read. By the time the case was solved I had ceased to care.
LINK to my full review

Gosh, I'm off to a pretty slow start. Struggled to find the Irish author book. Everything that looked like something I'd like to read, I already have read.

Finally found a Tana French that was new to me and finished it a few minutes ago.

So far, this month ... two books.


I have books slotted now for the next six prompts, so I should be back on track again to get some serious reading done for the rest of this month.

Emily wrote: "Happy February, y'all! We made it, after 78 days of January...



I, for one, would like to apologize for the extended days of January. It was not my fault. I did everything I knew of to prevent it, but ... world, I'm so sorry. I tried my best.

I read 21 books in January, avoiding the cold, and taking time out from the news - working through books I'd already bought for ATY and Christmas presents.

February line-up:

I've just finished Peacock & Vine: On William Morris and Mariano Fortuny for 'book with animal, vegetable or mineral in the title'.

I've just started Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone for book with an unusual or intriguing title.
I also have A Life Discarded: 148 Diaries Found in a Skip for that prompt in my 2016 round.

Also waiting to be read:
Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars for the do re mi prompt,

Roz Chast the cartoonist had a great New Yorker cartoon of January, where the days say - Lost Mittens, Sick, Snow, Ice, Lost Scarf, Still January, Still Sick, Lost Hat, Still January! - etc.

Bea wrote: "At times, I was reading to hide from the reality of life during January."

I think I was always reading to hide from the reality of life during January. I will likely be doing that for the foreseeable future! At least it is a good distraction.

I had to go back to the January thread to see if I had any goals for January. I only mentioned three books: The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto - I finished it. It was not my favorite of hers. It wasn't awful - it just wasn't that good.

I was also reading Children of Virtue and Vengeance which I finished a few days ago. I kept misplacing that book. I guess I have been very distracted. It took me a long time to get through that book because I couldn't find it! It was good. It wasn't as good as the first book, but the first book was really good. I have book 3, and I will tackle it later in the year.

The other book I mentioned was Black by Catherine Winters. It's a vampire book. I am currently reading that one.

I had a good January in books. Most of my reads were four and five stars. I read 17 books and only had one 2 star and one 3 star.

Misty wrote: "I had to go back to the January thread to see if I had any goals for January. I only mentioned three books: The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto - I finished it. It wa..."

I was also underwhelmed by The Premonition so I was on the fence about whether or not I would read anything else by her. Which of her other books would you recommend?

Kendra wrote: "I was also underwhelmed by The Premonition so I was on the fence about whether or not I would read anything else by her. Which of her other books would you recommend?"

I would say to give Kitchen a try. I thought it was a sweet story, and I gave it four stars. If you don't like that one, you probably won't like Moshi Moshi either, and if you do like it you'll probably like the second one. :) I'm not blown away by her work, but I did enjoy those two books.

Thanks. I've got a ton of library books right now, so I probably won't get to your recs right away, but I've added them to my TBR.

The Invisible Man – H G Wells – 3***
This classic of science fiction / horror begins when a man appears at a small English village and takes a room. He is intensely private, but once his secret is revealed, he goes on a rampage through multiple villages trying desperately to find a way to fix the self-imposed condition. There are a few rather humorous scenes caused by his predicament but on the whole the atmosphere is one of anger and frustration and madness.
LINK to my full review

♞ Pat wrote: "Gosh, I'm off to a pretty slow start. Struggled to find the Irish author book. Everything that looked like something I'd like to read, I already have read.
..."

Updating from my previous post.
February Reads so far :

Somewhere Beyond the Sea
The Searcher
The Holdout
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Glamorous Notions
Looking for Jane
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

My reading in order is definitely creating a fun search and find activity, and I've read MOSTLY good books. I don't understand all the hype around Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, but not every book is for every person, so I will be content to leave it at that.

Anyone else hitting a skid of "just ok" books? I can't tell if it's the books I'm picking or if it's me or if it's February blahs....

Jennifer W wrote: "Anyone else hitting a skid of "just ok" books? I can't tell if it's the books I'm picking or if it's me or if it's February blahs...."

I have recently finished two books which I rated five stars:
-West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge (Historical fiction, adventure)
-The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni (coming-of-age)

♞ Pat, I also didn't get the hype around Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Reading it made me decide never to read any more books by the author.

I read 2 books based on cultural legends. I loved Gods of Jade and Shadow but found The Fox Wife overwritten.

Oh man, I LOVED The Fox Wife and did not love Gods of Jade and Shadow haha!

Jillian wrote: "♞ Pat, I also didn't get the hype around Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Reading it made me decide never to read any more books by the author."

I felt like that book was 100 pages too long….it seemed like the story was over after (view spoiler)[ the shooting (hide spoiler)] but the author just couldn’t figure out how to end it and just kept going on and on and it still wasn’t satisfying

I read another much shorter book by the same author and it had the same problem, she just doesn’t want to end the book even when the story is over

Robin P wrote: "I read 2 books based on cultural legends. I loved Gods of Jade and Shadow but found The Fox Wife overwritten."

I am reading The Fox Wife currently and have previously read Gods of Jade and Shadow. So far, I like Gods of Jade and Shadow better. The Fox Wife's pacing is slow and somewhat repetitive as it switches back and forth between the two main characters. With Gods, I felt compelled to read it and with Fox Wife, I'm making myself keep going.

Rae wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I read 2 books based on cultural legends. I loved Gods of Jade and Shadow but found The Fox Wife overwritten."

I am reading The Fox Wife currently ..."

Yes, that was my problem with the Fox Wife. There are 2 POVs. You see an incident from A's point of view, then from B's. Or a different character tells a story to A and later to B, then another different character tells the same story to them. Or A and B remember the story or incident. It could have been a lot shorter.

Overall Gods of Jade had more comedy even though there were tragic elements in it.