Crystal’s Comments (group member since Nov 12, 2018)

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

I read Year One. It's a beginning of a series and the story itself deals with beginnings.

If you don't mind a long book: The Memoirs of Cleopatra

I was reading in order until my library closed in March and I only had the books at home. Now they are open for curbside pickup, but only the book they have. So now it is any book I can get a hold of. At this point it is try again next year.

April/May/June: 14

5. The first book in a series that you have not started Crocodile on the Sandbank
12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people Marked
15. A book set in a global city The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
18. A book by an author you've only read once before Hunting Prince Dracula
19. A fantasy book The Starless Sea
21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1719 Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue
28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author The Escape Room
32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
33. A book about a non-traditional family The Graveyard Book
35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover Postern of Fate
37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 Bonk
39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce Girl, Serpent, Thorn
44. A book related to witches The Bone Witch
48. A book published in 2020 A Divided Loyalty

JUNE 3/4

1. Pride Month

a. Read a book with at least 5 different colors of the rainbow on the cover.
b. Read a book featuring an LGBTQIA+ protagonist (not side character). The Starless Sea
c. Read a book that was nominated for or won the Lambda Award.

2. June Birthdays: Anne Frank

a. Read a book set during WWII.
b. Read a book that was published in sometime between 1900 and 1950.
c. Read The Diary of Anne Frank.

3. Father's Day

a. Read a book that starts with a letter in FATHERS DAY.
b. Read a book that features someone's relationship with their father. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
c. Read a book featured on one of these lists about fathers:
☀️11 Unforgettable Books about Fatherhood
☀️28 Books to Give Dad on Father's Day
☀️Top 10 Books about Fathers

4. Hit the Beach

a. Read a book with a yellow or blue cover. The Graveyard Book
b. Read a book where someone goes to the beach.
c. Read a book found on this list of best beach reads.

JULY 2/4

1. Halfway There!

a. Read a book with a page number that ends in 2.
b. Read a book that is divided into multiple parts (rather than, or in addition to, chapters). Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue
c. Read a book that features twins.

2. July Birthdays: Pablo Neruda

a. Read a book set in South America.
b. Read a book published between 1904 and 1973.
c. Read a book written in verse (must still meet the 100 page requirement).

3. It's Winter Down South

a. Read a book set in the southern hemisphere.
b. Read a book where the first letter of each title word can be found in the phrase LET IT SNOW. (Title must be at least two words long.)
c. Read a book found on TED's Winter Reading List. (Boys in the Boat)

4. Summer Reading

a. Read a happy book.
b. Read a book published in June, July, or August.
c. Read a book from one of the following lists: Girl, Serpent, Thorn from Goodreads Employees Share Their Summer Reading Plans
☀️ A New Season of Reading
☀️ Authors Offer Summer Reading Recommendations
☀️ Goodreads Employees Share Their Summer Reading Plans

AUGUST 4/4

1. Read Good Books

a. Read a book by a favorite author. Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption: A Story from Different Seasons
b. Read the next book in a series you've already started.
c. Read a book published in 2020 that you've been looking forward to.

2. Back to School

a. Read a book by an author that is new-to-you. The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror
b. Read a YA book.
c. Read a book often tested on the AP Literature exam, as found on this list.

3. August Birthdays: Ray Bradbury

a. Read a book in which the initials author's name can be found in RAY BRADBURY.
b. Read a sci-fi or horror book.
c. Read a collection of short stories (must still meet the 100 page requirement). An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good

4. Go for a Drive

a. Read a book with a car on the cover.
b. Read a book that starts with a letter in the phrase WINDOWS DOWN, BREEZE BLOWING. Book Love
c. Read a book where a character visits multiple countries

March: 1 Books Read

16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area The Gunslinger

February: 5 Books Read

8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The" The Kingdom
10. A book that is between 400-600 pages Sons of Cain: A History of Serial Killers from the Stone Age to the Present
11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number Flowers in the Attic
13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge (Link) The Bromance Book Club
14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers (link)The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Bolivia: Into the Jungle
Thailand: Passport to Death

January: 8 Books Read

1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y Hollow Kingdom
2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllablePassport to Death
3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019Carrie
4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to liveThe Walking Dead, Book Two
6. A book with a mode of transportation on the coverDragon Teeth
7. A book set in the southern hemisphereInto the Jungle
9. A book that can be read in a day Into Bones like Oil
40. A book with a place name in the title The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

If you like romance, Laura Thalassa has a series called "The Four Horsemen". Currently only 2 books are out, Pestilence and War

Has anyone read Danse Macabre by Stephen King. It won the Hugo Award.

I think I am going to do Life and Death. Both books by Mary Roach. I am working my way through her books.

Life:
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex

Death:
Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife
or
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

I was lucky enough to finish a couple of week ago, and read them all in order.

November Books Finished:
51. A book published in 2019 Molly: The True Story of the Amazing Dog Who Rescues Cats 11/1/19
52. A book with a weird or intriguing title. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory 11/7/19

October Books Finished:
45. A multi-generational saga American Pop 10/2/19
46. A book with a (mostly) black cover Dead Letters 10/9/19
47. A book related to food (i.e. title, cover, plot, etc.) Game of Scones10/11/19
48. A book that was a finalist or winner for the National Book Award for any year (1977) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry10/18/19
49. A book written by a Far East Asian author or set in a Far East Asian country The Travelling Cat Chronicles10/23/19
50. A book that includes a journey (physical, health, or spiritual) Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage: The Titanic's First-Class Passengers and Their World 10/30/19

Cover Quilt:

THE 2020 LIST

28/52

1. A book with a title that doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y Hollow Kingdom
2. A book by an author whose last name is one syllable Passport to Death
3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019 Carrie
4. A book set in a place or time that you wouldn't want to live The Walking Dead, Book Two
5. The first book in a series that you have not started Crocodile on the Sandbank

6. A book with a mode of transportation on the cover Dragon Teeth
7. A book set in the southern hemisphere Into the Jungle
8. A book with a two-word title where the first word is "The" The Kingdom
9. A book that can be read in a day Into Bones like Oil

10. A book that is between 400-600 pages Sons of Cain: A History of Serial Killers from the Stone Age to the Present
11. A book originally published in a year that is a prime number Flowers in the Attic
12. A book that is a collaboration between 2 or more people Marked
13. A prompt from a previous Around the Year in 52 Books challenge (Link) The Bromance Book Club
14. A book by an author on the Abe List of 100 Essential Female Writers (link) The Mysterious Affair at Styles

15. A book set in a global city The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area The Gunslinger
17. A book with a neurodiverse character Forgotten Bones
18. A book by an author you've only read once before Hunting Prince Dracula

19. A fantasy book The Starless Sea
20. The 20th book [on your TBR, in a series, by an author, on a list, etc.] The Darwin Affair
21. A book related to Maximilian Hell, the noted astronomer and Jesuit Priest who was born in 1719 Women Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Defiance, and Rescue
22. A book with the major theme of survival A Thousand Lives: The Untold Story of Hope, Deception, and Survival at Jonestown

23. A book featuring an LGBTQIA+ character or by an LGBTQIA+ author Driven
24. A book with an emotion in the title Love in the Time of Cholera
25. A book related to the arts A Brushstroke with Death
26. A book from the 2019 Goodreads Choice Awards Book Love
27. A history or historical fiction Hell's Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men

28. A book by an Australian, Canadian or New Zealand author The Escape Room
29. An underrated book, a hidden gem or a lesser known book Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood
30. A book from the New York Times '100 Notable Books' list for any year Cleopatra's Nose: 39 Varieties of Desire
31. A book inspired by a leading news story Beautiful Invention: A Novel of Hedy Lamarr

32. A book related to the 2020 Olympic Summer Games in Japan The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
33. A book about a non-traditional family The Graveyard Book
34. A book from a genre or sub genre that starts with a letter in your name The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story
35. A book with a geometric pattern or element on the cover Postern of Fate

36. A book from your TBR/wishlist that you don't recognize, recall putting there, or put there on a whim Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up
37. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #1 Bonk
38. Two books that are related to each other as a pair of binary opposites: Book #2 Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife
39. A book by an author whose real name(s) you're not quite sure how to pronounce Girl, Serpent, Thorn

40. A book with a place name in the title The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
41. A mystery The Murder on the Links
42. A book that was nominated for one of the ‘10 Most Coveted Literary Prizes in the World’ (link) Danse Macabre
43. A book related to one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
44. A book related to witches The Bone Witch

45. A book by the same author who wrote one of your best reads in 2019 or 2018 The Sun Down Motel
46. A book about an event or era in history taken from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire" 11/22/63
47. A classic book you've always meant to read Fahrenheit 451
48. A book published in 2020 A Divided Loyalty

49. A book that fits a prompt from the list of suggestions that didn't win (link) Rabbit Cake
50. A book with a silhouette on the cover To Have and to Hoax
51. A book with an "-ing" word in the title The Lying Game
52. A book related to time The Portal

September Books Finished:

39. A book with a strong sense of place or where the author brings the location/setting to life Death on the Nile 9/5/19
40. A book you stumbled uponWhen Life Gives You Demons 9/10/19
41. A book from the 2018 GR Choice Awards The Immortalists 9/16/19
42. A book with a monster or "monstrous" characterDeviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original "Psycho" 9/17/19
43. A book related to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) [fiction or nonfiction] Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic 9/26/19
44. A book related in some way to a tv show/series or movie you enjoyed (same topic, same era, book appeared in the show/movie, etc.) The Haunting of Hill House 9/29/19

August Books Finished:

34. A book with a person's name in the title The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna 8/2/19
35. A psychological thriller The Woman in the Window 8/14/19
36. A book featured on an NPR Best Books of the Year list Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places 8/23/19
37. A book set in a school or university Go 8/27/19
38. A book not written in traditional novel format (poetry, essay, epistolary, graphic novel, etc) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 8/31/19

July Books Finished:

28. A book related to something cold (i.e. theme, title, author, cover, etc.) Murder on the Orient Express 7/9/19
29. A book published before 1950 Bodies in a Bookshop 7/10/19
30. A book featuring an elderly character The Thirteen Problems 7/13/19
31. A children’s classic you’ve never read Winnie-the-Pooh 7/14/19
32. A book with more than 500 pages Dreamcatcher 7/26/19
33. A book you have owned for at least a year, but have not read yet Haunted House On Henry Street: The Mysterious World Of Professor Darkk And Miss Shadow Book #0 7/27/19