Emma’s
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(group member since Jan 05, 2017)
Emma’s
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from the Around the Year in 52 Books group.
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Update Time! Since I ended up hiking the Pacific Crest Trail this year, my plan as outlined above has been a little thrown out the window! I am still reading significantly more back-list and books off my shelf than other years, but I also ended up reading quite a few comfort books as well.
So far, I have about 9 books left to finish, and it is a mix of freebie books (a book that fits a prompt that didn't make the list) and prompts that are tough for me (the alternate reality one)
String Lights/Fairy Lights
I finished this one in a little of a muddle as I hadn't really tracked my reading for a few months, but I was surprised and happy that I didn't struggle much to make every category work!
This year, I want to take this back to basics a bit, since I had a bit of an off year. I was in a bit of a funk through the summer, and while I still read a ton of books, they were mostly on audio or rereads of favorite middle grade kids books (seriously - I made it most of the way through the entire works of Tamora Pierce, Brian Jacques AND L. Frank Baum, and also reread LOTR. Not that I see anything wrong with this, but it is not as intellectually interesting to me, and I don't feel like reading books like this truly makes me feel inspired or transported in the way a really great new book can. My goal this year is to focus in on reading fewer books that are new and interesting to me, and work on reading books I either already own or can get from the library.
In general, I like to read as I want, and then apply books to the first category that they qualify for. A few quick ideas below:
1.) A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y: This is a tough one to plan for since main characters names are not always easy to spot. On a quick note, some of the ones I am aware of could be:
- Circle of Reason by Amitav Ghosh
- Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
- Shelter by Jung Yun
2.) A book connected to a book you read in 2021: This will also just need to be something I figure out later, but it could be the second Becky Chambers book in her new series, or something else entirely different.
3.) A book with 22 or more letters in the title: I'll just have to count up letters as I read, but I do like to make sure that the primary title is the one with 22 letters (not the subtitle!)
4.) A book that fits your favorite prompt that did not make the list: This is always my "go back and find a book that didn't fit the first time option.
5.) A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name:
- When Elephants Weep by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson could be fun because he has 4 (!) sets of double letters!
6.) A book with an image of a source of light on the cover: I am traveling at the moment, and I don't LOVE cover prompts because I feel like I need to pick the cover of the actual edition I read. I'll look when I get home.
7.) A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind: I always read a few of these a year, so I will get there with this one.
8/9/10.)3 books set on three different continents: I am tempted to make this one where each book takes place on two different continents and make the next one connect (For example, if the first was Europe-->Asia, the second would be Asia-->Africa)
11.) A book from the historical fiction genre: This is not my favorite genre, but I can easily find something to fit into this
12.) A book related to glass: I will get inspired about this later, but there are likely a few that will fit into this.
13.) A book about a woman in STEM: This is right up my alley, and I will definitely get to this!
14.) A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads: I have quite a few friends who have written and/or published books in the last few years, and I can't wait to make one of their books fit this category!
15.) A book without a person on the cover: Funnily enough, I had a hard time with the more than two people one this year because none of my books have people on the cover!
16.) A book related to Earth Day: This should be easy enough, although it would probably be a good time to go to one of the classic nature books like Silent Spring, which, as an environmental educator, I am embarrassed to say I never actually read.
17.) A book from NPR's Book Concierge: I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and breadth of these lists, and should have a easy time with this one!
18.) A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author: I am leaning towards making this a Pacific Islander, and have a few Hawaii books I am interested in for this.
19.) A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history: This falls into my "describe a genre you hate" category, but every once in a while one of these surprises me, and there are a few I have on my TBR I may look at.
20.) A fiction or nonfiction book that is set during 1900 -1950: I sort of wish this time period didn't include WW2, so I will steer clear of that time when I pick this. I may also try and pick a book that is set ENTIRELY within this time period, instead of only partly, which would make it really easy
21.) A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover: This is a cover one again, so one I need some more research for, but I think this may be more challenging for me.
22.) A book with a Jewish character or author: This one will probably be one that I don't need to reach too far for, but I don't have a good idea yet.
23.) A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship: I read a lot of these, so it won't be heard, and who knows, I will likely want to reread TJ Klune this year, since I read and loved both of his books this year!
24.) A book related to inclement weather: This made me change my reading order for the end of the year, as I have a book about Rain I have been wanting to read, and will be using for this!
25.) A book less than 220 pages OR more than 440 pages: This is one I don't have a plan for, but I read plenty of books with these page counts this year, so it won't be a challenge.
26/27.) 2 books with the same word in the title: I don't have a plan for these yet, but I am going to make sure it is an actual word and try and make it something that is at least a little unique (for example, the word girl is just too easy)
28.) A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards: This is broad enough to be a late addition/let me pick through the back-list and find an award that applies to a book I already read.
29.) A book set on or near a body of water: I have a few ideas for this, including a series set in the islands I just moved to, but I want to make sure that the body of water plays at least some role in the lives of the characters.
30.) A book related to mythology: I did just read all the books I think are out there that retell Greek myths recently, but this should be something I can handle
31.) A book published at least 10 years ago: I am also trying to work my way through some old classics, or even just really good books that are not new releases, and this will be a nice prompt for that.
32.) A book where the main character is a female detective, private investigator, or police officer: This is the opposite of difficult as my guilty pleasure books are almost all female-led cozy mysteries!
33.) The next book in a series: This will be fun - I am readying plenty of series, and a few are coming out or recently came out with the sequels
34.) A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role: If Tamora Pierce publishes her next book this year, this will be the prompt I use it for, but I have backups too. Not my favorite genre, but one I can work with.
35/36.) 2 books related to flora and fauna I read a lot of natural history, so this will be relatively simple
37.) A book that uses all five vowels in the title and/or author's name: I like this idea, and look forward to browsing the listopias as I don't know where to start in my own lists
38.) A book by a Latin American author: I also read quite a bit in translation, and will likely be choosing a book translated from Portuguese or Spanish for this, or maybe I will be brave and try and read it in Spanish first!
39.) A book from the TIME list of 100 Best YA Books of All Time: I have The Firekeeper's Daughter and Children of Blood and Bone on my shelves, so if this isn't a reread of an old favorite, it will be one of those two.
40.) A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards: I know nothing about this, and need to do more research, but it seems board and flexible enough. I like the idea of using a generator to narrow it down, so unless I find something really obvious, I will be looking at : The Lovers, Wheel of Fortune or Judgment
41.) A book with a theme of food or drink: Books about food with numbers in the title are a niche genre I love, so this is fun and easy.
42.) A book with a language or nationality in the title: Nothing comes to mind at first, but this should be simple to figure out when I get there.
43.) A book set in a small town or rural area: I have quite a few books that fit this and it will be one I don't need to plan.
44.) A book with gothic elements: This is going to be tough - I don't love gothic or creepy fiction as a rule, and I will likely let myself be a little flexible about what counts for this one
45.) A book related to a game: I will get to this later in the year, and will be keeping an eye out for something that fits, but I don't have anything planned at the moment.
46.) A book with a non-human as one of the main characters: I actually have a book I want to read by a friend of the family that fits this description perfectly, so I will be picking that up
47.) A book with handwriting on the cover: I sort of want to be sneaky on this and just pick a book that has writing inside it, but I should be able to find a book with a handwriting-looking font
48.) A book posted in the 2021 or 2022 ATY Best Book of the Month threads: This will be another good freebie book when I need it.
49.) A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons": So Winds of Winter is coming out this year maybe? But really, this could possibly be a stretch, since I don't do a lot of high fantasy, but I will figure something out. I may need to just read a book about maps.
50.) A book that involves aging, or a character in their golden years: I don't know what I will pick for this, but I look forward to it - these can be lovely books!
51.) A book published in 2022: This will be a good freebie one too.
52.) A book with a time-related word in the title: I can't imagine this being difficult to figure out once I start reading either, but I don't have anything in mind.
December Update - Whoops - I forgot about this for a while this year, but I am revisiting it and found that I basically have two categories left to get! I literally JUST bought Independent People yesterday, and this will kick-start me reading it, and I am sure I can find a good audio Egyptian book to read which I will like.
February Update: Running total - 20/52 (38%)
- 3 unknown/possibilities
Whew! In a crazy, weird month, despite a bit of a reading slump/slowdown at the end, I ended up reading 13 books.
My page numbers are significantly lower than last year, in part due to the specific delicate, dense editions of Agatha Christie books I am reading, but overall, I am enjoying myself, and that is always the ultimate goal.
Not all of these fit into prompts yet - I'm reaching the midway point of the book challenge, and that is always where I slow down and pursue interests over books that "fit" a prompt.
1.) (1) - A book related to “In the Beginning...” A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Ellen Oh
Unless I am dealing with a prompt I have a particular dislike of or that is just hard, I generally start with 1 and put a book in the first spot. With the title, this just made a lot of sense.
2.) (44) - A book whose title contains a negative No Place for Wolverines by Dave Butler
This worked. I wasn't particularly worried about this prompt, but this book didn't fit naturally into most other prompts.
3.) (42) - A mystery or thriller The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
So, I am finding that Agatha Christie is a LOT harder than Austen when it comes to prompts. I was always going to use this one, and I am only sad that it only took like 4 books!
4.) (40) - A book with flowers or greenery on the cover Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver
This was easy mostly because the cover of this book is stunning, and easily fits this prompt. I'm aware it isn't punch you in the face greenery, but I chose it for the artistry and the fact that the subject matter ALSO dealt with greenery and nature.
5.) (43) - A book with elements of magic The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
I'm doing a ton of re-reading this year which is hurting my TBR goal, but soothing my soul, and this was one of them. I like the way the prompt is phrased, and I think it matches this book perfectly. Magic is there, but it is in the fabric of the story and is not front and center.
6.) (4) - A book with a monochromatic cover Gemina by Amie Kaufman
I did sort of want this one to be even more monochromatic, but I always love getting prompts kicked out as fast as possible, and this just didn't fit super well into much else.
7.) (26) - A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author All Systems Red by Martha Wells
I feel like I almost cheated on this one because I listened to it. But the actual book IS under 210 pages, and the audio is super short too so I am going to allow it.
8.) (22) - A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
I usually sort of hate these prompts because they feel more like "look for the book I am currently reading" options, which is how I got there with this one. I considered it for 25 (the island one) because it is about two islands, one small one in the Pacific Northwest and Japan, but ended up figuring that island books are my jam, and I'm sure I'll find another one.
9.) (21) - A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u" The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Even when I do the research and have a full list of options, these are the type of prompts that annoy me, so my rule of thumb is that the first book that fits the rule goes, even if it fits another category better.
10.) (10) - A book with a female villain or criminal A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie
Yes, I know this gives away the ending a bit, but I'm not the one who wrote this insane prompt. For what it is worth, I know a lot of books don't hide the identity of the baddie, but the ones I read that will fit this prompt are almost all mysteries, so there you go......
Books That Need Categories:
- Options are: 6,7,32,41 Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
- Options are: 7, and tenuously 28 and 48 Trapped by April Christofferson
- Options are: 7, 27 (sort of - a "King" and "Queen" figure in the story in a certain way), 32, 36) A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
January Update:This month, I read 10 books, 9 of which fit easily into challenges.
1.) (30) - A long book Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh
This is an ensemble cast historical fiction set in India and Chine by an Indian author. It wraps up a pretty epic trilogy about the opium wars, and it fit numerous categories (4,7,8,10,17 and so on), but in the end it was longer than 600 pages, so I used it for the prompt above
2.) (29) - A book you consider comfort reading Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy
I started a Maeve Binchy reread in December specifically because I needed a comfort reading binge to take my mind off things, so this was a perfect fit for this prompt.
3.) (23) - A cross genre novel The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
I like it when my reasons for picking a book match up with the prompt, and this is a great example. This was pitched to me as a YA fantasy/western (3 genres!), and that is a big reason why I picked it up, so it fits right here.
4.) (31) - A book whose author spanned more than 21 years The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie
When I saw this prompt, it was clear to me that this was only going to be an Agatha Christie book since that is my official reread project for the year. This is the first Christie I read this year and so here it goes.
5.) (45) - A related to a NATO codeword (Alpha) Alpha Female by April Christofferson
This wasn't on my radar when I first saw this prompt, but I new I wanted one with an actual NATO alphabet word in the title, and this made a lot of sense and was a great fit.
6.) (15) - A book with siblings as main characters Pride by Ibi Zoboi
To start with, the original Pride and Prejudice is centered on 5 siblings, and this adaptation has the Bingley/Darcy characters being siblings as well, so this has TWO sets of siblings as main characters.
7.) (16) - A book with a building in the title The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
This was an easy one - I wanted a word that was clearly an actual building, and this is a good one.
8.) (17) - A book with a Muslim author or character Our Women on the Ground: Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World by Zahra Hankir
This is the most shaky fit of the month. This collection of essays is by women from around the Arab world. Not all of them are Muslim, but since the majority of the countries and people talked about in this book are Muslim, I figured it was a solid, if not inspired fit.
9.) (49) - A book with an ensemble cast The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy
Maeve Binchy books are the definition of ensemble casts, and this book, with every chapter told by a different character was a perfect fit for this prompt.
10.) (unknown) Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
I don't know what I will use this for yet (if I do), but it could be a 6, 7, 18/19/20 (it's about a ghost and a lot about the intersection of past and present), 32, 41 or 43)
I went with Alpha Female by April Christofferson which is a really fun mystery/thriller set in Yellowstone. It isn't amazing, but it was an entertaining read.Since I live here, I definitely saw a few dubious facts, but she does a pretty good job overall so I enjoyed it a lot.
Every year, I try and use this to tick off as many books on by TBR as possible (although it never seems to get any shorter!). This year there are a lot of prompts that can be used for many of my TBR books, so my initial plan looks pretty crazy, but I am sure it will slim down pretty quickly. Overall, this is a good list for me - there are lots of books on my TBR for almost every single category, and I don't feel like I need to stretch to meet any of them, which I usually do for at least one.
italics = In Progress
19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2
20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3
- Past: The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
- Present: The Time for Murder is Meow(Now) by T.C. LoTempio
- Future: Islands of Abandonment:Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn
I don't know if it has been suggested, but I always like the prompts that relate to the year, and with 2021, I feel like a prompt relating to turning 21 could be fun?
I finished the challenge this afternoon, and I'll probably actually try and tackle the Read Harder challenge this year (which I never seem to be able to finish) since I finished up early!If you want to see my full list and all my choices, you can visit my post at Emma's TBR 2020 Plan
5 Star books that I read for the ATY Challenge
Swimmer Among the Stars: Stories by Kanishk Tharoor - a delightful book of stories about intercultural interactions!
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - a tearjerker of a novel about the AIDS epidemic in Chicago
Emma by Jane Austen - this was never my favorite of Austen's works, but this time around I really appreciated Austen's wit and comedic efforts here
When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice by Terry Tempest Williams - Terry Tempest Williams is an incredible author, and this memoir-esque collection of essays was very moving
Living and Dying Without A Map by Nancy Ewert - my mom wrote this one about our experience with my dad's illness, and it is a beautiful and heartbreaking look at the many layers of grief - I encourage you to check it out!
In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire - McGuire's fairy-tale novellas are absolutely incredible, and this one was even better than most!
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I know Austen is not for everyone, but she is just so so good
This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps - I picked this up for a funny, light memoir, and ended up crying ugly tears while driving. Philipps is a strong woman with a tough past, and this made me fall in love so much more.
How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin - N.K. Jemisin deserves all the credit and writes absolutely amazing books.
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers - Chambers is a new author discovery for me, and her blend of humanity and science fiction hits a perfect sweet spot for me.
Andy Catlett: Early Travels by Wendell Berry - There is something incredibly soothing about diving into Wendell Berry's world, and this book was no exception
The Buried: An Archaeology of the Egyptian Revolution by Peter Hessler - This was a fabulously detailed account of Egypt that made me so interested in reading more by Egyptian authors! Hessler does a fantastic job of translating a culture for Western readers and I highly recommend this.
My most creative twist on a prompt
My favorite twist was on the books that featured a pair of opposites. I wanted books that were actually related but also had titles that felt like opposites, so I picked When Women Were Birds and If Women Rose Rooted.
The prompt I cheated on
I didn't really cheat on any of these, although technically, Swimmer Among the Stars: Stories was actually published in 2016, but the edition I read was published in 2017 and contained some new formatting.
I also may have bent the rules a bit for the global city prompt, since I chose London based on Sense and Sensibility, which takes place in London but absolutely contains no one from any other country than the UK, so it is hardly "global".
My favorite prompt
I really enjoyed the 20th book one, but also because it worked perfectly for me and I just picked the 20th book I read this year, which was a fun way to get a freebie!
My least favorite prompt
I hated the witches prompt, and only got lucky because Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko references witchery quite a bit. I also disliked the global city prompt and the four horsemen of the apocalypse prompt.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (but I’m so glad I did!)
Since I usually pick books I already want to read and then try and fit them into prompts, there are not usually too many books I wouldn't have read. However, this probably bumped Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope up my reading list, and this was a really great book to have read! It is both depressing and very necessary, especially in today's enviornment.
A book I might not have read if not for the ATY Challenge (and I wish I hadn’t!)
I'm definitely more of a DNF and move on person when I get to books I hate, but I did force myself to finish the fabulously self-indulgent, confusing and frustrating The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, which I absolutely did not like. I actually finished it for another reading challenge and then put it into this one too because it was such a chore I needed double credit to make myself feel better!
Overall, I think the global pandemic definitely made this challenge happen a lot faster than ever before, and it was fun to have something to focus on!
I'm done! See the list above for the final books in each category.
Robin wrote: "I love how you described the process of fitting books with categories. I enjoy that too, though I didn't write it up. I keep thinking I would get more reading done if I didn't spend so much time an..."Thanks so much - this is the first time I have taken this much time on this challenge to be honest, but its a fun experiment (and I totally would have finished by now if I hadn't spent so much time writing about it!)
I also figured this is a tough challenge and it might be fun for people to see one way of making it work without worrying too much about it.
May UpdateIts a few days late, but I am finally getting around to my May update, and I am happy to announce I am in the home stretch! I FINALLY got to the point where I could assign books to the remaining prompts, and I have 4 more to go with 2 already underway.
Here are the prompts I had left at the end of April, and what I did or plan to assign to them:
11 (TO BE COMPLETED) A book originally published in a year that is a prime number - Swimmer Among the Stars: Stories by Kanishk Tharoor: The version of the book I own was published in 2017. I guess the original was not, but you can't have everything.
13. COMPLETED A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge: I chose a prompt from 2016 (A classic under 200 pages) and used 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
17. (IN PROGRESS) A book with a neurodiverse character: If I have been patient, I could have found a perfect fit, but I am so close now, I just wanted one that worked fine. Therefore, I chose The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness by Susannah Cahalan, which is a nonfiction book that looks at how we understand sanity and insanity, particularly through the lens of a problematic study of pseudo-patients and mental institutes. Neurodiversity comes in many forms, but I think it is clear that how we understand and treat mental illness has a big impact on how we understand and respond to neurodiversity.
31. (IN PROGRESS) A book inspired by a leading news story: This was an interesting choice, but I ended up reading The Overstory by Richard Powers, which centers on the timber wars of the 1990s, something that I remember coloring parts of my childhood more than I realized. At least for me, as an enviornmental educator in the PNW, this time period certainly counts as a "leading news story".
36. COMPLETED A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim:
So this was funny because I obviously have a ton of books on my TBR, but the ones I am drawn to most are usually the ones I DO remember putting on the list because the reasons I put them on the list are memorable. However, that was not the case for the graphic novel The New World by Aleš Kot, which I THINK came from Book Riot, but I really don't know.
44. COMPLETED A book related to witches: So this was probably my least favorite prompt. I already read the crucible, I am not super interested in witch fantasy books, and the last book about witches I read was pretty poor, so this was one I wasn't super interested in pursuing. So when I started reading Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, I was super excited to see them reference "witchery" multiple times. Good enough for me to put it on the list.
48. (TO BE COMPLETED) A book published in 2020: Getting to books that just came out when I have such a long back-list is always a challenge, but I received The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré in my Book of the Month box a while ago, and everyone seems to love it, so it is one of my first 2020 books to be read this year.
49. COMPLETED A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win: This was funny, because I really enjoyed Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, and I really just wanted to find a place for it on this list to get it out there to more people. So when I saw a prompt in the 11th Mini Poll about looking for a job or losing a job, which is a great prompt for a book where much of the plot centers on a young woman's struggle with how to stay meaningfully employed and still take care of herself financially, I knew it was the one.
51. COMPLETED A book with an "-ing" word in the title: I would have preferred a book with a action word, stereotypical "-ing", but I was getting impatient, so I ended up choosing Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate by Rose George, which at the very least had the "-ing" word in the actual title!
Hopefully by the end of the month, I will have my final update as I will have completed this challenge, but until then, happy reading!
With the pandemic, April was a big month for me in reading and books - however, this part of the challenge always gets tough. I read what I like to read and fit things in, so sometimes a few books just don't make it. Books Read for the ATY Challenge
1.) 12 - A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers - Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - I knew I wanted to use an Austen here as soon as I started my Austen re-read earlier this year, and so this is the first one that didn't fit anywhere else
2.) 26 - A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards - A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum - This was a great book, and a nominee for the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards so it was a quick fit.
3.) 25 - A book related to the arts - Reading In Bed: Brief headlong essays about books & writers & reading & readers by Brian Doyle - Writing is an art, and half of this book was about the writing process.
4.) 42 - A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ - The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - This is ironic to me because I didn't love the book, but this book won a Costa Book Award for First Novel, so it definitely fits the brief!
5.) 32 - A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan - Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History by Molly Schiot - The Olympics are my jam, and it makes be incredibly sad to be missing them this summer, even though I get why the decision was made. I knew the minute that I saw this book that I wouldn't be reading a book about a random sport or a book about Japan, but a book about actual Olympians. This book was so fun, and highlighted the achievements of so many overlooked athletes!
6.) 43 - A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse - The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - This book would have fit a few categories, and to be honest, I don't love fitting it here, but the prompt was bugging me, so here we are. This is a book about AIDS, and one of the horses stood for "pestilence", and AIDS is certainly a "pestilence". Done.
7.) 41 - A mystery - The Jazz Files by Fiona Veitch Smith - Every once in a while I need a good pulpy mystery, and a side of feminism doesn't hurt. I am trying to pace myself because I don't want the Phryne Fisher books to end, so I am trying a few new series. This was one of those mysteries, so it was perfect for the prompt
Prompts Left:
11 - A book originally published in a year that is a prime number - So far, I haven't fit a book in here yet, and its starting to bug me. I do have a lots of over 60 books that do fit, so one of those will get read soon
13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge - One of the books below will fit here - I'll wait until I have tackled the rest and fit one in here
17. A book with a neurodiverse character - I have a few books on my TBR that fit this prompt, but I haven't gotten there yet - it will come! I do feel motivated to make sure whatever I choose for this is truly a good fit, instead of a side character with depression
31. A book inspired by a leading news story - There have been so many books that fit this prompt, but were better for other ones. I may end up picking one of the books below, or putting in another one if a better one comes up soon
36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim - This will be one I use a book below for. I add so many weird books to my TBR, it shouldn't be too hard
44. A book related to witches - I hate this prompt, and it keeps staring at me! I am so burned by the last book about witches I read that I have little motivation to tackle this. We shall see
48. A book published in 2020 - I will end up with one soon enough, especially now that all the good prompts are taken!
49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win - Again, this is one I will look at once I get the bigger ones out of the way
51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title - I would love the -ing word to be in the title instead of the subtitle, so I am not sure when I will get to this, but I am sure it will come
TBA Books (2020 so far):
- Quaker Spirituality: Selected Writings by Douglas V. Steere
- Prison Island: A Graphic Memoir by Colleen Frakes
- Band Together by Noelle Stevenson
- Persuasion by Jane Austen
- The Biography of a Grizzly by Ernest Thompson Seton
- The New World by Aleš Kot
- 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
- #Notyourprincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy
- To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
- Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
- A Place on Earth by Wendell Berry
So, for this prompt, I ended up reading a book that was self-published. I knew about it because the author is my mom, and I highly recommend it, especially for anyone dealing with grief! Living and Dying Without A Map by Nancy Ewert
I know self-published books can be hit or miss, but this was one worth reading
Apr 01, 2020 10:52AM
I went with a "Novel of Manners", Emma, which was also fun for this challenge because it is also my name.
Apr 01, 2020 10:48AM
I had a good time with this and decided to do Earth and Sky, and link it further by having two books with the same general subject material, but opposing titles. I ended up reading If Women Rose Rooted: The Power of the Celtic Woman (Roots = Earth) and When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice (Birds = Sky)
It was a fun way to connect things and led me to a couple books I have wanted to read for a while!
March Update - Social distancing and reading do go well together, don't they! Last year I said I was going to read mostly TBR books and ended up reading more new books than before. This year, I feel like I am succeeding so much better, especially at picking up the books that are actually on my shelf, which is so fun. Also, I'm on an Austen re-read right now (follow along at factandfables.com), so you will see that below.
At this point in the challenge, a lot of these books would have fit into a category that is already filled, so I am only going to talk about my reasoning for why they fit the categories I chose.
1.) 35 - A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I discovered a useful trick for prompts like this - pick a book with 3000 editions and the chances that one of them has a geometric cover are practically 100%!
2.) 23 - A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author - On Trails: An Exploration by Robert Moor - When looking at this prompt, I wanted to be conscious of making sure that whatever book I picked had this LGBTQIA+ identify clearly marked in its pages in some way, and this fit the bill, as Moor directly references his sexuality in his book.
3.) 4 - A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live - Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich - I took perverse pleasure both in reading this as Covid-19 was kicking off, and in choosing it for the prompt above. Because who WANTS to be living during a pandemic!? *cough, cough*. I know the ATY moderators couldn't have predicted this in the slightest, but how on the nose is this prompt?
4.) 15 - A book set in a global city - Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - I feel like this was cheating, but half this book DOES take place in London, which is on the global city list. I so rarely read urban fiction, and this was a tough one for me, but Jane Austen delivered!
5.) 29 - An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book - Living and Dying Without A Map by Nancy Ewert - So this better not be underrated because I know the author (she is my mom!), and she is an exceptional writer, but it is definitely lesser known as it was self published, and I want to highlight it as much as possible.
6.) 50 - A book with a silhouette on the cover - Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin - When I went through the Listopias for this topic, there wasn't much on there, but this was already on my TBR and so I figured it was a good choice, particularly as I am in the midst of Austen-land already!
7.) 19 - A fantasy book - In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire - This prompt was so simple, I totally forgot about it and didn't match it with this book for a while. I read enough fantasy I wasn't worried about it, but this was a quick and easy one to throw in there
8.) 21 - A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1720 - An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield - I hate these prompts. I always want to use books that fit both subject and themewise, and this was tough because I certainly wasn't going to read about that time period right now. However, Hell was an astronomer, and that means space. Mary Doria Russell has argued that Jesuits are going to be the first explorers to other planets, so a Jesuit Priest astronomer is basically an astronaut, right? Anyway, this is the book I picked and I say it works. So there.
9.) 40 - A book with a place name in the title - Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - It never said it had to be a real place, right? And a title that directly references a big house where almost all the action takes place is just a good choice for this in general
10.) 37 - Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 - If Women Rose Rooted: The Power of the Celtic Woman by Sharon Blackie - When I saw this paired prompt, I knew I wanted to have fun with it, and not just use it to put random books in. This was perfect! These two books are both about female empowerment, but one refers to women having roots (earth) and one refers to women having wings (sky).
11.) 38 - Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2 - When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice by Terry Tempest Williams - see above
12.) 28 - A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author - Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood - I find it hard to believe I only have 5 more of these to read, so I am rationing them. This was a great one though, and by an Australian author set IN New Zealand, so I got 2 of 3!
13.) 34 - A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name (A Novel of M anners) - Emma by Jane Austen - I know this may be a little bit of a stretch for sticklers, but when it comes to books based on names, the fact my name is Emma was too good to overlook. I figure a novel is too generic of a category, so I considered Manners to be the identifier in this version. Am I flexing this a bit? Maybe. Do I care? No.
14.) TBA - To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers - I don't know where this goes yet, and it may not make the final list, but it was good.
Well, I may have stretched a few this month, but I was also super creative with others, so I feel good about it in general.
