Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

THE 52 TOPICS OF THE 2026 ATY READING CHALLENGE

Progress:
52 Topics - 0/52
Rejects - 0/10

January
1. A book from a genre that starts with A, T, or Y: YA - The Silence Between Us
2. A book with a primarily red, green or blue cover: Catch-22
3. A book that fits a prompt suggestion for this year that did not make the list: TBD
4. A book by a new-to-you author: Samuel Shem - The House of God
5. A book you want to read because of something you read in 2025:

February
6. A book related to blood, sweat, or tears: All the Colors of the Dark or A Prayer for Owen Meany
7. A book with a character who appears in more than one book
8. A book set in Africa, Asia, or Australia: A Thousand Splendid Suns or The Lion Women of Tehran
9. A book with a number, ordinal, or iterative numeral in the title: The Twelve

March
10. An award winning book: Demon Copperhead - Pulitzer Prize in 2023
11. A history or historical fiction book: The Frozen River
12. A book with cover text that is NOT black or white: The Nix
13. An author's second/sophomore book

April
14. A book related to a painting by Vincent Van Gogh: Sad Cypress or Great Big Beautiful Life
15. A book you've wanted to read for a long time
16. A book featuring a character with a similar occupation to one of the Clue/Cluedo characters
17. A book set in the wellness or beauty industries
18. A book with a location in the title

May
19. A book related to yesterday
20. A book related to today
21. A book related to tomorrow
22. A book by a Korean or Korean-diaspora author

June
23. A book with a road trip or long journey
24. A book that is either frothy or gothy
25. A book from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list
26. A book with a Z in the title and/or author name

July
27. A nonfiction book
28. A book related to a resistance, rebellion, or revolution
29. A vacation book
30. The most recently published book by an author and a book from that same author's backlist: Frontlist Book
31. The most recently published book by an author and a book from that same author's backlist: Backlist Book

August
32. A novella of 100-250 pages
33. A book with an Indigenous character or author
34. A book with a window on the cover
35. A book where all or part of the action takes place in a library, a museum, a school, or another public building

September
36. A book with a primary character who is a woman over 40
37. A book that includes a science topic
38. A book that's part of a series
39. A book connected in some way to the "Queen of Crime", Agatha Christie

October
40. A book that has a punctuation mark in the title
41. A mystery or true crime book
42. A book set in an isolated location
43. A book involving survival
44. A book with a symbol of death on the cover

November
45. A book connected to "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen
46. A book that is not a novel
47. A book with "this", "that", "these", or "those" in the title
48. A book with something edible in the title: Butter

December
49. A second book for your favorite prompt
50. A book with a bird on its cover
51. A book published in 2026
52. A book related to the name of one of Santa's reindeer

REJECTS
1. A book whose title follows the "______ of ______" pattern: Roses of May
2. A book tagged by Goodreads readers as Literary Fiction: East of Eden
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

TO CHOOSE REJECTS FROM:
A biography or memoir
A traditional or contemporary western
A book you would consider a classic
A book with a title that includes a family relationship word
A book about people trapped together
A book about something that gets your heart racing
A book about science
A book set during the time of the American Revolution. (1775 - 1783)
A book with the word "and" or "or" in the title
A book connected to the Middle East in some way
A book by an author who shares one of your initials
A book with an embossed cover or raised lettering
A book written in or set in the eighteenth century
A book on one of Goodreads New Releases by Genre page
A mystery without a murder or death
A book with a challenge or competition, such as a marathon, contest, or campaign
A book with a character who has an unusual, uncommon, or "extinct" occupation
A book featured as a Book of the Month Club pick
A book from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list
A book where being on a boat is important to the story
A book set primarily somewhere creepy or scary
A book that could fit the quote: “May you live in interesting times.”
A book with a six word title
A book by a 2026 debut author
A book with an orphaned or adopted character

Losing Track of Series, a list to help continue that trend during 2025 ...

Currently Reading:

--> 1. Miss Marple, Agatha Christie: They Do It with Mirrors

Completed Series:

1. The Legends of the First Empire, Michael J. Sullivan: Age of War (#3) - audio on Hoopla
2. Lake City Heroes, Lynette Eason: Final Approach (#4) - audio on Hoopla

Ongoing Series:

1. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, Louise Penny: The Beautiful Mystery (#8)
2. DC Morgan, Clare Mackintosh: Other People's Houses (#3) - on hoopla

Next in caught-up series:

1. Hierarchy, James Islington: The Strength of the Few (#2)
2. Charles Lenox Mysteries, Charles Finch: The Hidden City (#15) - paperback out in 2026

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Other Series to Read That Need Finishing and/or Catching Up

Completed Series:

1. The Passage, Justin Cronin: The Twelve (#2)
2. Bloodsworn Saga, John Gwynne: The Hunger of the Gods (#2)
3. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Carlos Ruiz Zafón: The Angel's Game (#2)
4. Miss Marple, Agatha Christie: They Do It with Mirrors: A Miss Marple Mystery
5. Tawny Man Trilogy, Robin Hobb: Fool's Errand (#1)
6. Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie: The Regatta Mystery And Other Stories (#21), Sad Cypress (#22)
7. Jesse Stone, Robert B. Parker: Trouble in Paradise (#2)
8. The Collector, Dot Hutchison: Roses of May (#2) - KU
9. DiscWorld, Terry Pratchett: Mort (#4)
10. Forgotten Realms: Icewind Dale Trilogy, R.A. Salvatore: Streams Of Silver (#2)
11. Dragonriders of Pern, Anne McCaffrey: Dragonquest (#2)
12. Grant County, Karin Slaughter: Kisscut (#2) --> may need to reread Blindsighted first
13. The Green Bone City, Fonda Lee: Jade City (#1)

All others (mostly ongoing series):

1. Natchez Burning, Greg Iles: Mississippi Blood (#3)
2. Orphan X, Gregg Andrew Hurwitz: The Nowhere Man (#2)
3. Myron Bolitar, Harlan Coben: The Final Detail (#6)
4. Hierarchy, James Islington: The Strength of the Few (#2) - out 11/2025
5. In Death, J.D. Robb: Fantasy in Death (#30)
6. Wraith Kings, Grace Draven: In The Darkest Midnight (#2.5)
7. Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, Seishi Yokomizo: (#1)
8. Commissaire Adamsberg Mystery, Fred Vargas: Seeking Whom He May Devour (#2)
9. Grant County, Karin Slaughter: Kisscut (#2)
10. Lucas Davenport, John Sandford: Shadow Prey (#2)
11. Red Rising Saga, Pierce Brown: Iron Gold (#4) - waiting on last book to be released
12. Ender's Saga, Orson Scott Card: Speaker for the Dead (#2)
13. Sigma Force, James Rollins: The Judas Strain (#4)
14. A Rip Through Time, Kelley Armstrong: The Poisoner's Ring (#2)
15. The Empyrean, Rebecca Yarros: Iron Flame (#2)
16. The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman: The Man Who Died Twice (#2)
17. Verity Kent, Anna Lee Huber: A Pretty Deceit (#4)

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Up to Date:

1. Will Trent, Karin Slaughter: up to date as of 10/2/2025
2. Rachel Krall, Megan Goldin: up to date as of 10/2/2025
3. Detective Stilwell, Michael Connelly: Ironwood (#2) - out 5/19/2026
4. North Falls, Karin Slaughter: next book (#2) out 6/18/2026
5. Cork O'Connor, William Kent Krueger: next book (#21) - up to date as of 10/2/2025
6. Lady Darby Mystery, Anna Lee Huber: next book - A Bitter Cut (#14) - out 6/23/2026
7. Northwoods, Amy Pease: Wildwood (#2) - out 1/6/2026

Kindle Unlimited:

1. Shades of Magic, V.E. Schwab: A Darker Shade of Magic (#1) - KU
2. The Bound and the Broken, Ryan Cahill: next book - Of Empires and Dust (#4) - KU
3. Tracy Crosswhite, Robert Dugoni: In the Clearing (#3) - KU

Library:

1. Harbored Secrets, Natalie Walters: Deadly Deceit (#2) - hoopla


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Start:

1. Alex Cross, James Patterson: Along Came a Spider (#1)
2. Legon, Nicholas Taylor: Legon Awakening
3. Kingsbridge, Ken Follett: The Pillars of the Earth (#1)
4. Malazan Book of the Fallen, Steven Erikson: Gardens of the Moon (#1)

Maybe Continue:

1. Veronica Speedwell, Deanna Raybourn: A Perilous Undertaking (#2)
2. Freddie and Grace Mystery, Pepper Basham: The Cairo Curse (#2)

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Completed:

2024: 11 Series completed
2025: 8 Series completed

2026:
1.

Discontinued/No Longer Interested in Reading at this time:

1. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
2. Shadow of the Leviathan, Robert Jackson Bennett
3. Langdon, Dan Brown
4. Psy-Changeling Trinity, Nalini Singh
5. Cal Hooper, Tana French

Maybe 1 from each category?

THE PROMPTS

2016
22. The first book in a new to you series
14. A book with one of the five W’s -or H in the title (Who/What/Where/When/Why/How)
15. A book set in the past (more than 100 years ago)
5. A book with a title beginning with the 1st letter of your name
28. A biography, autobiography, or memoir

2017
34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere
46. A time travel novel
52. A book set in a fictional location
15. A book written by a Scandinavian Author or set in Scandinavia
14. A book with a strong female character

2018
29. A book with a "Clue" weapon on the cover or title (lead pipe, revolver, rope, candlestick, dagger, wrench/spanner)
12. A book set in Africa or South America
24. A book with a map
37. A Women's Prize for Fiction winner or nominee
38. A science or science fiction book

2019
36. A book featured on an NPR Best Books of the Year list
52. A book with a weird or intriguing title
13. A book that is included on a New York Public Library Staff Picks list
4. A book with a criminal character
14. A book with a title, subtitle or cover relating to an astronomical term

2020
43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse
1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author
27. A history or historical fiction
4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live

2021
10. A book with a female villain or criminal
27. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards
48. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?”
12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation
41. A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author

2022
40. A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards
20. A fiction or nonfiction book that is set during 1900 -1951
5. A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name
6. A book with an image of a source of light on the cover
29. A book set on or near a body of water

2023
30. A book related to a chess piece
42. A book related to a ghost, spirit, phantom, or specter
45. A book whose author has published more than 7 books
43. A book that involves a murder
27. A book by an author from continental Europe

2024
20. A book with a single word title
44. A book with a touch of magic
45. A book that is not a novel
5. A book set in one of the 25 most beautiful cities in the world
49. A book with a senior citizen character