The 52 Book Club: 2026 Challenge discussion

WEEKLY CHECK-IN
April 2, 2026 -- Week 14

Happy April, friends! What book/prompt are you starting this month with?

Today I'm starting the April Fools Mini with prompt 1 and "The Skylarks Secret", but just finished #25 (red herring) from the main challenge with "First Lie Wins".

I just started reading Austlandet : 88 fabelaktige reisetips by Gunnar Garfors - skald.no/om/personar/gunnar_garfors/ for the April Mini challenge - Author's Photo: Smiling With Teeth.
I started readin it on the 30th of March, but when I saw the April challenges, I knew this book fitted. Also A Rhymeless Word In The Title gave me the excuse to read The London Monster: Terror on the Streets in 1790 by Jan Bondeson this month, making it 4th book by this author that I have read so far for a challenge.

I am also reading inbetween other books The Tough Guide to Fantasyland by Diana Wynne Jones for prompt #41 A guide to... and Edward V: The Prince in the Tower by Michael Hicks for prompt #50 Set in a castle.

I was already reading Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop, so I'm using it for the April mini-challenge dealing with rhymeless words in the title.

I'm starting with Hunted by Meagan Spooner

The Prophet (prompt 49) for National Arab American Heritage Month fits the Knock, Knock Who's There? April Mini

I’m currently reading Searching for UP NORTH: A Lifelong Adventure from the Northwoods to the Arctic Circle by Ron VanderVelden. Not sure what prompt(s) it might fill.

Kathi wrote: "I’m currently reading Searching for UP NORTH: A Lifelong Adventure from the Northwoods to the Arctic Circle by Ron VanderVelden. Not sure what prompt(s) it might ..."

#29 Set in Arctic or Antarctica?

Michele wrote: "Kathi wrote: "I’m currently reading Searching for UP NORTH: A Lifelong Adventure from the Northwoods to the Arctic Circle by Ron VanderVelden. Not sure what promp..."

I thought so to, I am reading Kings Bay-saken set on Svalbard myself. It is a non-fiction about a mining accident in 1962, and I am also pairing it with a film, www.imdb.com/title/tt5029220/?ref_=nv... where they ask 'was it really an accident?'

I am reading 4:50 From Paddington for the Agatha Christie Challenge, which I started in 2021. Last year I decided that I would double-dip on this one so I will likely find a spot for it in the Mystery Genre Challenge. Not sure which prompt yet.

I will be finished tomorrow and then I will start the April Mini-Challenge with Wolf Hall.

I'm reading two books right now. My daytime read is Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger for Prompt 6 - Title starts with the letter "O" and my night time read is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck for Prompt 9 - Featuring a natural disaster

Michele wrote: "#29 Set in Arctic or Antarctica?"

For sure, quite a bit of it is in the Arctic. Thanks!

I'm starting Dina Nayeri's The Ungrateful Refugee, even though I'm not sure what prompt it fits.

17. Author’s Bio Mentions Their Dog — My Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💚

I finished There Flies the Witch: An Enchanting Fantasy About Finding Family and Identity for Children by Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev on April 1! It was a free ARC from one of my favorite used bookstores. I found it to be a quite interesting and thought-provoking read.
I am currently reading 4 books, 2 for IRL book club meetings and 2 for author events. I am really enjoying 2 of them and I would DNF one if not for the book club meeting/discussion! I plan to finish the last one today--Autobiography of Red--just to get it out of the way. I may not even attend the book club meeting since this book so far does not in any way appeal to me...

For April I am starting

#8 Detective Aunty
#9 The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
#31 Here One Moment

Lisa wrote: "The Prophet (prompt 49) for National Arab American Heritage Month fits the Knock, Knock Who's There? April Mini"

The Prophet is on my lifelong-favorite book list. I read it when I was an early teen and it has stuck with me ever since (I'm in my 60s now).

JoJo_theDodo wrote: "I'm reading two books right now. My daytime read is Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger for Prompt 6 - Title starts with the letter "O" and my night time read is [..."

Have you read any of the Cork O'Connor series by WKK? SO GOOD.

10. Spans more than a decade- 2001 - A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

I started the month with Anne Frank then moved onto Sherlock Holmes for both challenges.
The Diary of a Young Girl
Sherlock Holmes: Mystery of the Victorian Paradox

Sheryl wrote: "JoJo_theDodo wrote: "I'm reading two books right now. My daytime read is Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger for Prompt 6 - Title starts with the letter "O" and my..."

I have not yet, but it was been on my TBR for awhile and I am still working on the Mystery Mini challenge so I may read the first book in that series for one of those prompts.

Sheryl wrote: "Lisa wrote: "The Prophet (prompt 49) for National Arab American Heritage Month fits the Knock, Knock Who's There? April Mini"

The Prophet is on my lifelong-favorite book list. I read i..."

This was my first time reading it, and I love it! I keep coming back to it. So good!

I started the month with Prompt 16 and read The Silent Patient.

In Pieces by Sally Field, for prompt 13.

Prompt 16: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides