Sherri’s Comments (group member since Nov 10, 2019)

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

I read Queen Bee (Lowcountry Tales #12) by Dorothea Benton. Not for this challenge. 3 stars. It was fine but this is a case where I read any book that fits the prompt. It was for pop sugar.

I finished Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon. 5 stars. It was very good. Not for this challenge.

JUNE

1. Start of Summer
Summer means the best reading months for so many of us. New releases have bright and shiny colors, and the warm weather makes for great picnics and reading in the sun.

a. Read a happy book.
b. Read a book published in June, July, or August. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey. Published 8/24/2010.
c. Read a book from one of the following lists:
- Beach Read Royalty Recommends Summer Books
- Readers' Hottest Books of Summer
- Armchair Traveling: Books Set in Every U.S. State

2. June Birthday: Octavia E. Butler
Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction author. A multiple recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, she became in 1995 the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. Born in Pasadena, California, Butler was raised by her widowed mother. Octavia Butler was born June 22, 1947.

a. Read book whose main character is a Black woman. Instructions For Dancing by Nicola Yoon
b. Read a science fiction book.
c. Read a winner of the Hugo Award.

3. Pride Month
The majority of Pride events are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969, which most historians consider to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement. At the time, police raids on bars catering to LGBT patrons were common, but that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. While historical accounts of the night vary, the violent response ignited a national firestorm of activism that brought new visibility to the struggle for LGBT equality.

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 Deviant's War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America by Eric Cervini.
c. Read a book written by an author who was nominated for the Lambda Award.

4. Set Sail
One summer activity is to hop on a boat and go for a ride on the water. Whether you're fishing off of a kayak, sailing the open seas, or sunbathing on a yacht, floating on the water is guaranteed to bring peace and relaxation.

a. Read a book that starts with a letter in SAILING.
b. Read a book with a boat on the cover.
c. Read a book that takes place completely on an island. Queen Bee (Lowcountry Tales #12) by Dorothea Benton Frank, Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.

JULY

1. Halfway there!
July 1st marks the halfway point of the year, and that means 2021 is drawing to a close!

a. Read a book with a number in the title.
b. Read a book that is divided into multiple parts (rather than, or in addition to, chapters).
c. Read a book featuring twin characters. American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

2. July Birthday: Madeline Miller
Madeline Miller is an American novelist, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe. Miller spent ten years writing The Song of Achilles while she worked as a Latin and Greek teacher. Madeline Miller was born on July 24, 1978.

a. Read a book whose author's initials are found in MADELINE MILLER. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
b. Read a retelling of a myth, fable, or fairytale.
c. Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction.

3. It's Winter Down South
While those of us in the northern hemisphere are enjoying the warm temperatures and the sunshine, our neighbors in the southern hemisphere are cozying up around the fire and drinking hot cocoa.

a. Read a romance book. Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
b. Read a book with snow on the cover.
c. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in FROSTY THE SNOWMAN.

4. Take a Dip
Summer is hot, hot, hot, so jump in a pool, lake, or ocean to cool off and get some exercise swimming.

a. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in OCEAN. The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
b. Read a book whose author initials can be found in TAKE A DIP.
c. Read a book featured on one of these lists:
- 34 of the Best Beach Reads to Help You Escape
- 2021 Summer Reading List: 48 of the Best Books for Adults, Teens, and Kids
- The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2021

AUGUST

1. Back to School
Many students and teachers are heading back to the classrooms this month. Celebrate that back-to-school feeling with a bit of smart summer reading.

a. Read a book by an author that is new-to-you.
b. Read a YA book. Starfish by Lisa Fipps
c. Read a book often tested on the AP Literature exam, as found on this list.

2. August Birthday: John Green
John Michael Green is an American author and YouTube content creator. He won the 2006 Printz Award for his debut novel, Looking for Alaska, and his fourth solo novel, The Fault in Our Stars, debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list in January 2012. He was born on August 24, 1977.

a. Read a contemporary book. Red,White& Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
b. Read a stand-alone novel (not part of a series).
c. Read a book nominated for the Printz Award.

3. Summer Reading
Summer is a great time to catch up on your backlist TBR or read the newest releases that you haven't got around to reading yet.

a. Read the newest book by a favorite author.
b. Read the next book in a series you've already started. The Art of Theft (Lady Sherlock #4) by Sherry Thomas
c. Read a book published in 2021 that you've been looking forward to.

4. Jump on a Plane
With the world reopening, now is a great time to jump on a plane to new countries (literally or, in the case of reading, metaphorically).

a. Read an adventure book.
b. Read a book set in a country you've never visited.
c. Read a book featuring a character that travels to multiple countries. Captains and the Kings by Taylor Caldwell

I finished the first book in the Walt Longmire series. The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson. 4 stars. I really liked it. I couldn't use it for this challenge. I started the Joe Pickett series by C.J.Box last year. These series are similar so if your reading one but not the other it gives you another series to check out.

I second a book you haven’t read because it is or was overhyped.

Thanks for talking about The Personal Librarian. I hadn’t checked add on’s. I ended up getting Razor Blade Tears & The Personal Librarian. I’m also getting a back log of BOTM books at home but my holds from the library keep coming in.

I think this month is hard. I loved Blacktop Wasteland by S.A.Cosby so planned on getting his new book Razor Blade Tears. Sister In Arms by Kaia Alderson looks really good too. Now I don’t know which one to get.

Sausalito, CA. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave.

July completed ( this is my third entry for round one)
1 a Read a book with a number in the title.
2 c Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize For Fiction.
3 c Read a book whose title starts with a letter in FROSTY THE SNOWMAN.
4 c Read a book featured on one of these lists: 34 of the Best Beach Reads to Help You Escape.

I finished The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave for the second week of the past present future prompt. 5 stars. It has a past present time line. I have gotten into mysteries lately. I read it in a day.

1. What are you reading? The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
2. Are your book choices connected in any way? No. I struggled with this prompt. For the longest time I didn't understand what it was asking. I kept it simple by not using a theme for this prompt.
3. How did you decide what to read? I'm just trying to finish this 3 week prompt. The book has a past present timeline.

June Complete.
1 b Read a book published in June,July,or August. . The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win Published 6/23/2020
2 b Read a science fiction book. The Memory Police
3 b Read a book featuring an LGBTQIA + protagonist (not a side character) Ordinary Girls
4 c Takes place completely on an island. Shuggie Bain Glasgow Scotland

A fictional island in Japan. The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder (Translator), Markus Juslin (Translator).

I read four 5 star reads for June.

Title Hamnet
- Author Maggie O'Farrell
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best. It's a fictional story of Shakespeare's wife Anne Hathaway & their son Hamnet. The story was simple & the writing beautiful.

Okay, I'm starting to feel weird about posting here. I finished The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder ( Translator), Markus Juslin (Translator). 3 stars. I used it for # 12 eligible For The Warwick Prize For Women in Translation. 3 stars. This is the second strangest book I've read in 2021. It is good & I liked it but really different. I read Science Fiction, Magical Realism, Dystopia but this book felt like it's on the outer edges of the genre's. I'm glad I read the author & I may one year read The Housekeeper and the Professor, but not this year.

I read The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, Stephen Snyder (Translator), Markus Juslin (Translator). The original language is Japanese. I don't have any other books in translation that fit this prompt. I only filled the prompt because this book is for my face to face book club.

Wyoming, One For The Blackbird, One For The Crow by Olivia Hawker

1870, One For The Blackbird, One For The Crow by Olivia Hawker

I finished One For The Blackbird,One For The Crow by Olivia Hawker. I used it for #9 a book you associate with a certain time of year. The book is about a lot of things but mainly about surviving winter on the prairie. It is historical fiction, western,magical realism. I gave it 3 stars.

1. What are you reading for this category? One For The Blackbird,One For The Crow by Olivia Hawker
2. What season or time of year do you associate with it? Winter. The whole book talks about preparing for winter. Then winter comes. Whether they will survive winter. Now what about next winter. "Winter is Coming."
3. What book would you recommend to others for this season? I was going to use a Louise Penny book in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Most of those are set in Canada in the winter.