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

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

Locations are integral to the books we read. The truly amazing books bring us into the world their describing. This week, we're discovering books with those place directly in the title.
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Suggestions:
Goodreads - Books With Place Names in the Title
Goodreads - A Place In The Title
Ranker - The Best Books With City in the Title
Ranker - The Best Books With Town in the Title
Goodreads - Popular Title Has City Name Books
Tony's Book World - City or Town Names in Excellent Fiction Titles

ATY Group Listopia
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Optional Questions:
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Is the location real or fictional?
3. Does the location have importance in the content of the book?

There's no shame in admitting when we don't know how to pronounce something. Often that's because the word or name originates from a culture other than our own. But the first step in expanding your knowledge of other cultures is to admit that you don't know. So this week we're finding an author name that we don't know how to pronounce, While this group is almost always flexible and accepting of different approaches, this week there is one rule: learn how to pronounce the name of the author you are using.
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Suggestions:
Reader's Digest - Here Is the CORRECT Way to Pronounce Dr. Seuss (and 17 Other Popular Author Names)
The Millions - Hard to Pronounce Literary Names
Pinterest - How to Impress Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Sorry for poor quality!
Book Browse - Author Pronunciations
Soledad Unified School District Libraries - Pronouncing Dictionary of Author's Names

ATY Group Listopia
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Optional Questions:
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Have you read the author before?
3. Where is the author from?

October

40. A book with a place name in the title

✔41. A mystery
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager ★★★★☆

✔42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite ★★★★☆

✔43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse
The Silence by Tim Lebbon ★★★★½

44. A book related to witches

November

✔45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid ★★★★★

46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire"
47. A classic book you've always meant to read

✔48. A book published in 2020
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle ★★★★★

December

49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win (link)
50. A book with a silhouette on the cover

✔51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title
Playing Nice by J.P. Delaney ★★★☆☆

✔52. A book related to time
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead ★★★★★

July

✔28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth ★★★★☆

29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book
30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year

✔31. A book inspired by a leading news story
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell ★★★★★

August

32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan

✔33. A book about a non-traditional family
Dear Child by Romy Hausmann ★★★½☆

34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (Literary Fiction)

35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover

September

36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim
37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1
38. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2

39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

April

✔15. A book set in a global city
The Chain by Adrian McKinty ★★★½☆

✔16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area
Britt-Marie Was Here Fredrik Backman ★★★★☆

17. A book with a neurodiverse character
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
Miracle Creek by Angie Kim

✔18. A book by an author you've only read once before
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter ★★★★☆

May

19. A fantasy book
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

20. The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.]
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1719

✔22. A book with the major theme of survival
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins ★★★★☆

June

✔23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston ★★★★☆

24. A book with an emotion in the title
25. A book related to the arts

✔26. A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren ★★★★☆

27. A history or historical fiction
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

I am desperately trying to get my reading mojo back this year - Damn you, Hulu and Netflix. I've always been a dedicated mood reader (even if that's an oxymoron) but this year I figure I have nothing to lose in trying something new. So I'm going to read in month order. I also am making my plan a little more decorative, because who doesn't love to look at pretty things?



January

✔1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
Recursion by Blake Crouch ★★★★★

✔2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable
Ghosted by Rosie Walsh ★★★☆☆

3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019
The Secret Place by Tana French

✔4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett ★★★★★

✔5. The first book in a series that you have not started
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs ★★★★☆

February

6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover
Full Throttle by Joe Hill

7. A book set in the southern hemisphere
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

✔8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The"
The Dilemma by B.A. Paris ★★★½☆

✔9. A book that can be read in a day
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrick Backman ★★★★★

March

10. A book that is between 400-600 pages
Long Bright River by Liz Moore

✔11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number [2017]
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds ★★★★★

✔12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people
You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks ★★★½☆

✔13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge
A book about a thing that goes bump in the night
The Whisper Man by Alex North ★★★★☆

✔14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood ★★★★☆

Sometimes we need a little contrast in our reading. A lot of times that means switching up a genre, author, or theme. This week we're taking that contrast a bit literally.

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Suggestions:
Note: there are a ton of options, don't feel limited to these.

Short/Long
Goodreads- Popular Short Books
Bookriot - 50 Must-read Short Books Under 250 Pages
Bookriot - 50 Must-Read Books of More Than 500 Pages
Vulture - 26 Very Long Books Worth the Time They’ll Take to Read
Bookbub - 24 Long Books to Read While Waiting Out the Winter

Past/Future
Southern Living - 50 Heart-Pounding Historical Novels to Read Right Now
Goodreads - Popular St in the Past Books
AbeBooks - 50 Essential Historical Fiction Books
Goodreads - Popular Future Fiction Groups
Bustle - 10 Books With Positive Visions Of The Future

Young/Old
Wonderslist - 10 Beloved Child Characters in Literature
Goodreads- Adult Fiction with Child Protagonist
Goodreads - Popular Elderly Protagonist Books
Goodreads - Protagonists over 60
Buzzfeed - 30 Books By Authors Under 30
Goodreads - Authors under 30
ThoughtCo - The All-Time Bestselling Authors Who Debuted After Age 50
Goodreads - Books written by someone when they were over the age of 65

First/Last
Goodreads - First in Series Book Lists
Goodreads - End of Series in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020

East/West
Goodreads - American West Book Lists
Bookriot - 100 Must-Read Westerns
Goodreads - Popular Far East Books

ATY Group Listopia
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Optional Questions:
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. Which "opposites" did you choose?
3. What other ones did you consider?

Emily wrote: "Laura, I had already made a listopia for that one! I must not have posted it here 🤦🏻‍♀️

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1..."

I'm not seeing a way to delete. But I can link to yours in the progress post since it already has books added.

Chinook wrote: "For the binary opposites:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

I added in the notes what I was pairing the bo..."

Chinook, the lists for the threads are not working at the top of this. Would you mind correcting?

Sometimes our reading lists get a little out of control. That's just a part of our love for reading. Whether your list is composed of thousands of books or just a few, there's always those books that we add and totally forget about it. Even if you happen to have a little more self-control, we're all still a little prone to those impulse adds. Maybe you just happen to cross a book while walking in the store. If that happens, this week's challenge is here for you.
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Suggestions:
Because this is a highly personal prompt, it's hard to give suggestions. Simply go to your list and scroll through the books. Don't recognize a book? There you go!

ATY Group Listopia
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Optional Questions:
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. How long has the book been on your TBR/wishlist?
3. Did you have very many options for this prompt?

A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

In my opinion, you should just approach the subtitles consistently between the prompts. So don’t ignore them for one prompt and use them for another. As long as you do the same for every prompt then it doesn’t matter either way.

I love the emoji rating system! May have to steal it :)

Haven't read it

I really like the month idea! I’ve progressively lost my reading mojo over the last 2 years and am desperately looking for a way to get it back. I might have to try out the ‘by-month’ approach.

I like the idea of the sister cities prompt. But it’s rather easy for me since I’ve lived in Boston and that has 11 options itself. It also lends itself well to a BIO option though.

The TBR prompt feels really wordy to me. What about:

A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim

I saw a graphic novel of “IT” at the bookstore last week. It’s very tempting since I’m finally tackling the novel!

Edie, that is actually not your book :)

Traci and Kathy, you’re correct!

I’m really sorry for dropping the ball for this one.

Final letters:

Cali - F, L, A, H, E

Rachel - C, R, G, T, A, Y, A, R, E, E, H, E

Vanessa - I, T, L, C, S, T, L, E, V, I, O, E

Traci - A, A, S, I, D, G, T, E, H, U, R, N

Amy - T, E, O, F, L

Jenny - G, O, R, N, L

Edie - T, E, R, N, H, F, G, T, I, H, I, E

Chelsey - G, O, E, O, N, N, E, G, I, H, T, N

Johanne - V, S, L, E, N, S, T, T, E, E, R, E

Bryony - F, E, P, I, L, S, M, R, E, O

dalex wrote: "Johanne wrote: ""A book from your TBR......that you put there on a whim" can work for most people, even those who don´t have long TBRs (or who have exceptional memories)."

The prompt would have to..."

Oh how jealous I am of people with an exceptional memory...

I also liked the tarot prompt and voted for it.

Keep in mind that we all have the wildcard plus the prompt “A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win”