Laura’s Comments (group member since Oct 05, 2015)

Laura’s comments from the Around the Year in 52 Books group.

The compiled listopia thread was archived since they’re now in the weekly topics. But all archived posts are still at the bottom of the group:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Valerie, we’re working on revamping the group a bit. There will no longer be an A-Z section. We’re encouraging people to post book discussions here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

It is very similar to the previous A-Z section but just keep in mind that we’re striving for discussions rather than simple “I read this for x week”.
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This is the new ‘help needed’ section. We archived the other one since it was starting to contain a lot of out-dated information :)

Happy 2020, everyone!

I’m currently about halfway through Britt-Marie Was Here so I. Hopi g to finish that tomorrow. Depending on how much have left after tonight, I might go ahead and count it for 2019.

I’m planning on completing the challenge in month order this time in hopes it helps me stay on track better. Since I have multiple options listed for each prompt, I’ll be choosing between:

Kill Creek
Ask Again, Yes
Recursion
Dry
Triptych
The Secret Place
The Black Witch

I have all them requested at the library (some immediately available) so pick ups will help me decide which is first.

Jillian wrote: "My first books of the year that will count for ATY are, 1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y-
• Circe/[author:Madeline Miller|..."

Crawdads wasn’t one of my favorite reads of 2019. I hope you love it as much as I did :)

Alexa wrote: "I wasn't sure where to post this, but I was wondering if it could be a good idea to make a Guild/challenge on Habitica? (It's a site where you can gain XP or items by completing real-world tasks an..."

I know someone posted about Habitica in the off-topic thread but no one has commented in a number of years. It's something the mods can look into more if people are interested :)

The map has now been updated through message 563.

Be sure to get your locations submitted for the remainder of 2019! I will be posting stats around January 5.

Hmm.. I do think that's how the boards typically wind in the US also. This is the first time I didn't hand make the graphic since I've been sick. I shamefully used a Google Image. So we're at the mercy of that.

But just follow the numbers provided on the board :)

1. What are your goals for the read-a-thon?
I know the only challenge I'm likely to complete is the Cover Colors one. Since I've completed it every year, I want to keep up my streak. That means I just need to finish Recursion and Britt-Marie Was Here.

2. Are there any books you're dying to start or finish?
I've loved all of Fredrik Backman's other books so I'm excited to read Britt Marie.

3. Where will you be doing most of your reading?
Likely on the couch. I'll be traveling starting tomorrow so I'm not sure how much reading I will get done the, unfortunately.

4. Are you participating in the team challenge?
No, not this time.

5. Is anything that's going to stand in the way of your reading this week? Let us cheer you on!
Just the traveling for the holidays. I'm staying with my mom so there's rarely the alone time we need for reading.

6. What are you most looking forward to with this read-a-thon?
I think just really getting back into the swing of reading and the group before the new year.

°~Amy~° wrote: "I'm sorry that I am always the first one here with a question!

I am reading a book with a female author, who is new to me and the book was published in 2017....so a 2,3 and a 5. Can I move to spa..."

No worries, Amy, I was working on "sick" brain when doing the game so I'm sure you will not be the only one with questions 😂

But I think that's definitely strategy and it's fine to strategically use your moves. So you can move to space 58.

If people finish the board early, it's always possible to start from the beginning again. The number of "finishes" can just be added to totals.

The final read-a-thon of 2019 is about to kick off (some of you lucky folks in other time zones may already started)! More information can be found in the announcement announcement thread.

This challenge is designed to be completed on your own. If you're interested in a team challenge or even want to do both, head here

Snakes and Ladders

I'm sure that most of you are familiar with the classic game snakes and ladders. I know we're all a bit excited, distracted, and exhausted by the holiday season. So this time we're keeping it simple with a familiar game.



Rules:
- Move along the board as you finish your books. Your finished book should correspond to the one of the numbers below. For this game, this will act as our dice.
- Move the corresponding number of spaces on the board
- If you land on a "snake" then you must slide down its body and stop at the bottom
- If you land on a "ladder" then you can climb to the top it (yay!)

1. Finish a read-a-thon game
2. A book by a female author
3. A book by a new-to-you author
4. A book that is the 1st or 2nd in a series
5. A book published in the 2010s
6. A book you discovered during the read-a-thon

Clearly, you will need to complete each task more than once to finish the board (that's why they are fairly simple).

There may be some strategy in the game:
- A book may count as more than square, you can stack them!
- You must move the corresponding number when you finish a book. Don't like the result? Maybe try holding on finishing (Hint, Hint)

My sincere apologies for completely dropping the ball on this in the last few months.

But rest assured, we will definitely have a complete 2019 map to ring in the new year. Maybe the “reveal” will be exciting enough that my disappearance will all be worth it in the end!

Hello from your ATY moderators!

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Wrapping Up 2019

Can you believe it’s already December?! In a matter of weeks, we will be moving into a new year, a new decade, and a new challenge. Whether you finished your 52 prompts back in June, or if you’re in a mad dash to try and finish some more, the Weekly Topics for 2019 and upcoming 2020 are open for all books. Hint: They’re the perfect place for inspiration for your 2020 plans.

Also be sure to keep updating your list for 2019 in the Community Spreadsheet. You can also claim a spot for 2020, if you haven’t already.

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2020 Reading Challenge

The 2020 Reading Challenge is just around the corner! As we near the end of the year, you can check out the final list here and create your personal 2020 Planning Thread.

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Winter Reading Challenge

A new season means a new group side challenge. Head on over and check out the info page for the Winter Challenge. The seasonal challenges aren’t required (or connected to the main challenge) but they’re a great way to add a little spice to your reading lists.

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Read-a-Thon

Our final read-a-thin of 2019 will be from December 20-29. It will be a week full of reading, games, and group comradery. Be on the lookout for more info soon.

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Book(s) of the Month

We have a few suggestions already entered into the poll for our December BOTM but there are still a few spots left. Be sure to go suggest a book with a weird or intriguing title!

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That's it for today, the Mod team is wishing you a great month and good luck with your final push for 2019! Don't hesitate to ask questions or make any suggestions here.

Happy reading!

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t have helped anyway since you wouldn’t have been able to edit.

But you figured it out?

I guess I’m just confused about why they immediately went to Moyes plagiarized instead of the other way around. I can’t but think it’s being reported that way because it’s more inflammatory to say the major author did it and so leads to more publicity.

Maybe you like to read lesser known books or think that the typical book awards are over-rated. But it’s hard to argue that the most coveted awards don’t sometimes pick a true “winner”. So this week we’re giving ten of the most popular awards to choose from.

-----------------------------------
Suggestions:

ATY Group Listopia

The Specsavers National Book Awards
Nobel Prize in Literature
The Booker Prize for Fiction
Pulitzer Prize
Costa Book Awards
Neustadt International Prize for Literature <
Hugo Awards
Guardian First Book Award
National Book Award
Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction

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Optional Questions
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Which award did it get nominated for?
3. Is it a winner?

St. Augustine, FL for a wedding

What was the last thing you bought?

Yes, we can work on getting that out before the end of the year.

Holy moly, I have a ton of options. Which I was honestly surprised about because I just cleaned out my TBR earlier this week. A lot of the books I didn't even realize were part of the series.

Blackout by Connie Willis
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
The Craftsman by Sharon J. Bolton
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
The Talisman by Stephen King
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
*Triptych by Karin Slaughter
*The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
*The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
*Unwind by Neal Shusterman
#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
*The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
*The Black Witch by Laurie Forest

I starred my likely reads and the list is still long!

Emily wrote: "So I went through my TBR, and in addition to Chains, I have.. a lot of options..

The Alienist by Caleb Carr
The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams
[book..."

I would definitely recommend [book:Illuminae|23395680]. It's so fun and unique. A ton of pages but the format is so quick that you really could probably finish the whole series in the time it takes for a regular novel.

Don't we all love a good mystery? There's just a certain satisfaction when you figure out the ending and especially when you don't.
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Suggestions:
Woman's Day - 20 Best Mystery Books For When You Want to Play Sherlock
Pro Writing Aid - The Best Ever Mystery Novels
Penguin Random House - The Best Mystery Books to Read This Fall
Famous Authors - 10 Best Mystery Books of All Time
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/112.Best_Historical_Mystery (with other lists at top)
Galaxy Press - Best Mystery Books
Bookriot - 8 Murder Mystery Books that will Keep You up All Night
The Oprah Magazine - 12 of the Best Recent Mystery Novels That Will Get Your Blood Racing
Library Thing - Book awards: The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time Mystery Writers of America
Up Journey - The 25 Best Mystery Books of All Time
BookBub - The Biggest Mystery Books of 2019
Epic Reads - 16 Young Adult Mystery Books That Will Keep You Guessing Until the Very End
Bustle - 13 Addictive Mystery Series That Will Pull You In From Book One And Never Let Go

ATY Group Listopia
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Optional Questions:
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Do you typically read mysteries?