Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

What reading achievements did you have this year? Did you get through a challenging book? Try something outside your comfort zone? Complete any special reading goals?

Also feel free to share about an achievement in the past - for instance, reading all of a particular author or learning about a new subject.

I got through Ulysses for an Irish book. If I'd have known how difficult it was, I wouldn't have done it.

My personal challenge for the year was to read a book set in each of the provinces of Canada. I also had goals with series books and Nobel laureates - but I always have those goals.

Dubhease wrote: "I got through Ulysses for an Irish book. If I'd have known how difficult it was, I wouldn't have done it.

My personal challenge for the year was to read a book set in each of the pro..."

Wow! I almost put that down as an example "For instance, did you finish Ulysses?" but figured nobody would have done it. I did it a few years ago by listening to it, which actually was helpful, because much of it is like poetry, and also following along with some online group (not sure if it was on GR) that had lots of notes of all kinds.

Dubhease wrote:

My personal challenge for the year was to read a book set in each of the provinces."

I'd like to know what you read for the Canadian provinces.

Robin P wrote: "Dubhease wrote:

My personal challenge for the year was to read a book set in each of the provinces."

I'd like to know what you read for the Canadian provinces."

Reading Across Canada

1. Denial - BC - written by Canada's former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
2. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands - AB
3. Who Has Seen the Wind - SK - set in the prairies - a Canadian classic
4. A Complicated Kindness - MB - a Mennonite town south of Winnipeg
5. Vampires of Ottawa - a kids book - the joke was that I live in Ottawa, love vampires, and read this author as a kid
6. The Tin Flute - QC - a classic set in the slums of Montreal
7. Wicked Woods - ghost stories around NB (NB is one of the hardest provinces to find books set there)
8. An Audience of Chairs - NS (a struggle with mental illness set in Cape Breton Island)
9. The Troop - PEI - a disgusting horror story (this is the worst book I read)
10. NLFD - on reserve from the library

I had 6 resolutions specifically connected to reading this year. (Popsugar, ATY with the bonus prompts, the Canada Reads shortlist, reading and returning 5 books from a friend, reading the 16 books that I added to my Goodreads TBR in 2015, and reading 40 books I already owned but hadn't read yet at the start of the year.

Of those, I've achieved 2 so far (Popsugar, Canada Reads), am within shouting distance of ATY (1 regular prompt and 2 bonus to go), and much further from the rest (4/5 of my friend's books to go, have 7 left on the 2015 TBR, and have 24 more of the ones I own to read.

Despite that, I think I'll be adding to the resolution list for next year or increasing some of the numbers, so I guess I achieved a year that made me want to keep reading!

This has been a medically challenging year so my only goal was ATY. I did complete the ATY in September, mainly because I read so many books in January, and I was very flexible with what counted for other prompts. I did a lot of rereads so I'm hoping next year to fit in a few challenging books.

Dubhease wrote: "Robin P wrote: "Dubhease wrote:

My personal challenge for the year was to read a book set in each of the provinces."

I'd like to know what you read for the Canadian provinces."

Reading Across C..."

Thanks, I actually read The Tin Flute this year (in French) - good but very sad.

Robin P wrote: "Thanks, I actually read The Tin Flute this year (in French) - good but very sad.."
..."

I didn't know anyone else read in French. The last book I read in French was L'Étranger and that was a few years ago. I had to look up too many words and the book was also terrible.

The Tin Flute was sad, but it was also the Great depression and start of WWII. And everybody warned me it was sad, so I was ready for it. I'm going to read The Grapes of Wrath in 2026 and I'm prepared for it to be a downer because once again, it's the Great depression.

I was a French major with most of a PhD, though I never finished. I taught high school a long time ago. I have been able to keep it up through groups I have been in. I did The Tin Flute on audio, which is actually more challenging for me than reading print, so it took me a while.

I had only two challenges this weel with the exception of participating in four book clubs, and all those entail:
1) The exceed my personal challenge of reading 80 books, a goal which I barely squeaked by in the last couple of years, and,
2) Complete the ATY 2025 prompts, both the 52 and ten anniversary one.

Completing the ATY 2025 challenge and adding on one additional book club assisted me in breaking the 80 book personal challenge. I have currently read 90 books. I doubt that I will reach 100 books by year's end, but should be able to read 98 books.

John wrote: "I had only two challenges this weel with the exception of participating in four book clubs, and all those entail:
1) The exceed my personal challenge of reading 80 books, a goal which I barely squ..."

Very impressive, John!

I'm aiming for 35 books this year. I'm getting close. I participate in ATY and PS, but obviously not aiming to finish either one. Really, I'm just challenging myself to spend more time reading. I spend too much time doom scrolling the news... I also have health issues, so I take what I can get when it comes to reading time.

I got more reading time in the last year because I can't stand to watch the news here in the US, which I used to do religiously. I do see it online but my husband spends hours on shows where much of the talk is just speculation about things that might happen. I have to go in another room and read, or put on headphones and listen to an audiobook instead!

I set my reading goals at 125 books. I’m well on my way to completing that. I also wanted to reread Sue Gafton’s series. I’m almost there but I won’t finish the goal. I also wanted to read the Harry Potter series again. But I haven’t even read one! I also promised myself that I wouldn’t add any new books to my TBR list without first removing one. I was able to exceed that goal! I actually reduced the number of books on my list while reading most of the popular books of 2025.

I completed several different Goodreads groups challenges - that was fun. For my personal goals outside of challenges, I wanted to have 70% of my books to be by women authors, and I exceeded that. I also wanted to read from 25 different countries - I also exceeded that at 28: US, Singapore, Ireland, Japan, China, Egypt, Myanmar, Australia, Hungary, Palestine, South Korea, France, Canada, UK, Czech Republic, Turkey, Haiti, Italy, Uruguay, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine, Russia, Sri Lanka, Dominican Republic, Israel, Georgia, Sudan, India.
I did a #20BooksbyEastAsianWomen challenge:
1. Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu
2. Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu
3. The Loving and the Dead: Tales of the Supernatural by Catherine Lim
4. The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto
5. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa
6. The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
7. Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata
8. Saving Fish from Drowning by Amy Tan
9. The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing Life by Amy Tan
10. Greek Lessons by Han Kang
11. The Stand-In by Lily Chu
12. The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart
13. The Takedown by Lily Chu
14. We Do Not Part by Han Kang
15. City of Night Birds by Juhea Kim
16. Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
17. Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
18. The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan
19. Taoism: An Essential Guide by Eva Wong
20. Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge by Ovidia Yu