Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
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Group Rules and Member Introductions
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Welcome Jenny!Enjoy your reading! Having chronic illness is hard and sometimes it really sucks, but I've noticed it's giving me lots of reading time :-)
Also you're here just in time to start planning and participating in our next years challenge list! Are you going to do the challenge this year? Theres still time and you can probably find places on the list to fit some of the books of already read this year.
Good luck with your job search :-)
Hey there... I am joining this group and challenge kinda late in the year, but hey! I was perusing, looking for a new group and I fell in LOVE with the idea. Wow. I am so bummed I didn't jump in with y'all at the start of the year. This is the perfect motivation to keep a person focused on getting through their TBR. Haha.I enjoy all genres (the least of all definitely being YA; I'm most naturally drawn to classics, historical fiction, middle grade). I am --really-- wanting to branch out into some good fantasy and thrillers, a bit of everything.
I'm 27 & a mama of two little ones and have had so many great books sitting on my TBR and physical shelves for years...! I'm dying to read and never make the time! Maybe finished 6 books so far this year, LOL.
Hi,I used to read a ton of books, but in recent years things kind of got away from me (I blame the internet). This spring I really got back into reading books and chose to do a 26-book challenge. Next year, I bet I can make it to 52 (I count audio books and graphic novels -- I know not everyone does).
My favorite genres are probably mysteries set in different time periods and science fiction, but I'll give anything a try. I'm interested in adding more nonfiction and catching up on classics that I haven't read yet.
Marin wrote: "Hi,I used to read a ton of books, but in recent years things kind of got away from me (I blame the internet). This spring I really got back into reading books and chose to do a 26-book challenge. ..."
You can do it!!!! We count audio and graphics here. This group is very encouraging and flexible. I hope you enjoy it!! In this case the internet is going to help you knock out 52 books next year 😂
Kelsey wrote: "Hey there... I am joining this group and challenge kinda late in the year, but hey! I was perusing, looking for a new group and I fell in LOVE with the idea. Wow. I am so bummed I didn't jump in with y'all at the start of the year. "
Hey Kelsey!! Throw your six books on the list and see how many more you can get done before January first! We don't mind if you only do part of the challenge, its so much fun!! And yes, this challenge will definitely help you branch out. I've read so many things I never thought I would have and loved them. I know reading with 2 littles is hard but you can do it !!
Marin wrote: "Hi,I used to read a ton of books, but in recent years things kind of got away from me (I blame the internet). This spring I really got back into reading books and chose to do a 26-book challenge. ..."
Welcome to the group! I can totally relate to blaming the internet. I also started reading less when I first got a smartphone which made the internet oh so easily accessible. (I especially blame sites with infinite scroll features.)
I hope you'll reach your reading goals through this group. There's plenty of inspiration here.
Hi I am Judy, I tried to do this challenge last year, but never finished. Today I am one book away from being finished, the book of award winning short stories, # 51.My Name is AramWilliam Saroyan
Hi Judy... I love My Name is Aram....my absolute favorite short story collection. Hope you like it.
Hello. My name is Helen. I love spreadsheets, so that made me want to join. I am a teacher who is avoiding grading essays at the moment!! I guess I can just add my books onto the last column? I look forward to having fun reading with the group.
Hey my spouse is happily avoiding grading tests right now too.
Ann wrote: "Hey my spouse is happily avoiding grading tests right now too."I understand...I still am only halfway finished with the essays, yet here I am. Hee Hee.
Helen wrote: "Ann wrote: "Hey my spouse is happily avoiding grading tests right now too."I understand...I still am only halfway finished with the essays, yet here I am. Hee Hee."
As a former English teacher turned guidance counselor, I don't miss those essays!
Hi Margaret-- it sounds like you'll fit right in!
Hello! My name is Lilith and I recently came across this idea. Since I am getting a late start, I am reading 11 books for 2018 and starting on my list for 2019. I'm an author of short stories and a book blogger. I live in Georgia with my husband, boyfriend, cat, and hedgehog. Uhm, I'm really into reverse harem and paranormal books lately. I started a new job at a pizza place, so I don't get as much reading done as I would like, but can still finish about a book a week. I also enjoy zombie and YA post-apocalyptic books.
Welcome to the group Lilith! Don’t hesitate to slot the books you have already read this year in the challenge prompts, you might even be able to finish it that way! 😃
Sophie wrote: "Welcome to the group Lilith! Don’t hesitate to slot the books you have already read this year in the challenge prompts, you might even be able to finish it that way! 😃"
Thank you, but not likely. I didn't start reading again until about a month ago. I don't have much on my list at the moment. Lol. Up until last month, I had read a couple of books but didn't finish them and can't remember when I had read them.
Thank you, but not likely. I didn't start reading again until about a month ago. I don't have much on my list at the moment. Lol. Up until last month, I had read a couple of books but didn't finish them and can't remember when I had read them.
I hope this challenge will help you to get back into reading! I know it did for me and other members 😃How did you choose the 11 prompts/books you want to read for the rest of the year?
Sophie wrote: "I hope this challenge will help you to get back into reading! I know it did for me and other members 😃
How did you choose the 11 prompts/books you want to read for the rest of the year?"
I didn't. Lol. I just went with some books that I found that looked interesting. There are 8 in one series, so that helped a LOT. Then there are also some ARC books that I randomly added to my list.
I'm attempting to use prompts to work on my list for 2019, but it feels very overwhelming. I'm going to have to read more about how others make their list and such.
How did you choose the 11 prompts/books you want to read for the rest of the year?"
I didn't. Lol. I just went with some books that I found that looked interesting. There are 8 in one series, so that helped a LOT. Then there are also some ARC books that I randomly added to my list.
I'm attempting to use prompts to work on my list for 2019, but it feels very overwhelming. I'm going to have to read more about how others make their list and such.
Mod
There's threads for both:
Reading in order: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Mood readers: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The 2019 Plan folder will open tomorrow. You can copy and paste the list in your own thread and take your time on how you want to plan.
Laura wrote: "Typically people either choose books as they go and slot them into the challenge wherever they can, or they create their list ahead of time and either read in order or just randomly select based on..."
So I'll create my own thread to track my books and progress? That seems much simpler. Lol.
So I'll create my own thread to track my books and progress? That seems much simpler. Lol.
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
So you just copy the blank from here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Then create a topic and you can edit it as you complete your plan.
There will be an identical section for 2019 posted tomorrow.
Laura wrote: "Yes, the 2018 plans are here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
So you just copy the blank from here:
https://www.goodreads.com/top..."
And you can create your own list, as long as it's 52 books, right?
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
So you just copy the blank from here:
https://www.goodreads.com/top..."
And you can create your own list, as long as it's 52 books, right?
Mod
The 2019 list of prompts will be coming out tomorrow, so you can pick books that fit into those prompts then. You could also narrow it down to only your top 15 or 20 prompts that you like and just choose books that fill those prompts.
The goal of this reading challenge is different for everyone. I personally participate for the community here and because the prompts often stretch my reading habits so I don't get stuck in one genre or type of book.
The good news is that we are really flexible around here, so as long as you are attempting some of the prompts we post (from the official list or from the rejects list that Laura mentioned on the other thread), you're welcome to hang out with us!
Emily, why do you find reading one genre it type of book to be a bad thing? For lack of a better word.
I don’t know about Emily, but switching genre definitely makes me appreciate my reading more. I read A LOT of heroic fantasy at some point, now it’s more rare, but when I do I have much more of a blast. But we are all different and there’s no judging what makes others tick 😉
Mod
I've found that since I started this challenge, I've branched out on my reading. Some of my favorite books that I read this year were in genres or from years (namely, not recently published books) that I would never have picked up.
It's not a bad thing to read from the same one or two genres (and I certainly had my kicks of YA dystopia or historical fiction from WWII), but I personally like that this challenge forces me to look outside of my comfort zone to attempt books I wouldn't have attempted otherwise.
That being said, everyone has different reasons for approaching the challenge... some people just use it as an extra push to read more books or they like to treat it like a scavenger hunt to try to find books that fit with each prompt, and that's fine too!
I'm someone who tends to read heavily in Sci-fi/Fantasy, and I do try to broaden my scope, which is why I like the reading challenges. I don't think it's bad to read only one or two genre, per se, but I like the opportunity to expand. If I read more widely it gives me more to talk about with other readers who aren't necessarily into sci-fi/fantasy. Also sometimes I just get stale, feeling like I'm reading too much of the same thing. I read a LOT, and particularly within genre fiction you can start seeing similar storylines and themes appearing over and over again, and start predicting exactly where a given book is going to go. Spreading the reading around breaks that up a bit. (It's also why I love finding books within my favorite genres that totally surprise me!)
Hi everyone! My name is Margo and I was already trying to read a book per week this year. I would love to do the challenge of 2019, so I can explore more genres. Right now I read a lot of thrillers, I really enjoy reading Unni Lindell with her Cato Isaksen series.
Hi! Welcome! Always good to have a new member that has dogs, cats, and rats and talks about them a lot. Me too. Was thinking of heading to south Idaho to look at a border collie puppy this weekend.
Hi everyone,I'm Lauren and love a good challenge!
I participated in the Seasonal Challenge for a couple of years, but there are so many prompts that it just became too much. Now I'm ready to get back in the challenge saddle with one that is less stressful, so this is perfect for me.
I'm an English Lit lecturer at a local college, have a naughty Jack Russell named Tobie and read most genres with a preference for mystery/thrillers, urban fantasy and romance.
Looking forward to the 2019 challenge :)
Hi!I´m Darja from Czech republic. I like reading challenges because I love looking for books for every prompts.
I participate one reading challenge of one czech webpage and Popsugar reading challenge and I want to try this challenge too. I can´t say I will be able fulfill all three challenges (honestly I doubt) but I´ll try. But I´m quite sure I will not read books in order.
Hello there! I'm Cenda, I'm from Scotland. 2019 will be the first time I participate in ATY. Checked out the list while waiting for the new Popsugar prompts to be revealed and was really interested, and liked the idea of 1 prompt per week, so thought I might as well join in. I don't know if I'll stick to doing the prompts in order but I'll give it a shot for maybe the first month or so.Genre-wise I mostly enjoy fantasy/sci-fi, classics, nonfiction/memoir, graphic novels, and the occasional bit of historical fiction and middle-grade.
Uhhhm... I don't know what else to write, so cheerio! 👋
It's so great to see so many new members participating in the 2019 challenge! Yay- welcome Cenda, Darja, Lauren, Monkie, Margo, and everyone else who is new to the group!
Welcome to everyone, I hope you’re going to have fun with us! The main thing to remember is don’t stress out too much about the rules or the challenge and enjoy your reading, that’s what we’re here for! 😉
Hello, I’m Candice. This year I did the popsugar challenge, but I’m seriously considering doing the AtY challenge next year. I like many of the prompts and am having fun thinking about what I would read. I usually read what I want and hope to find a prompt that fits. Eventually, I find myself reading a specific book for a prompt. I love fantasy, romance and science/nature. That said, I like to use the challenges to help me explore undiscovered genres.
Candice wrote: "Hello, I’m Candice. This year I did the popsugar challenge, but I’m seriously considering doing the AtY challenge next year. I like many of the prompts and am having fun thinking about what I would..."Candice, welcome! I set out to complete the AtY challenge this year, but only recently peeked at the Popsugar one. As it turns out, many of the books I read (for AtY or otherwise) also fit the Popsugar prompts, so I've ambitiously decided to see if I can complete that as well. I'm working on 3 or 4 challenges concurrently and often try to make one book fit multiple prompts. I know others are very specific about preparing their reading plans (as early as now!) but like you, I usually read what I feel like and work on the challenges from there. Unfortunately that means now that it's nearing the end of the year, I'm left with the prompts I've been postponing for one reason or another, so it's gonna be a bit of a struggle for me to get through the next few books on my lists!
Melody wrote: "Candice wrote: "Hello, I’m Candice. This year I did the popsugar challenge, but I’m seriously considering doing the AtY challenge next year. I like many of the prompts and am having fun thinking ab..."How do the reject prompts work? Do people replace prompts with alternatives or do they do them in addition?
Mod
Emily wrote: "It’s in addition to the official list! Many people take on the Reject Challenge as an extra side challenge, especially people who read way more than 52 books in a year."Okay, thanks!
I think some people might also use the rejects to replace a prompt that they just absolutely can't find a book they want to read for, rather than straight up using a wild card and reading whatever they want.
Emily wrote: "It’s in addition to the official list! Many people take on the Reject Challenge as an extra side challenge, especially people who read way more than 52 books in a year."I was wondering the same thing. Thanks very much for the explanation.
Sheri wrote: "I think some people might also use the rejects to replace a prompt that they just absolutely can't find a book they want to read for, rather than straight up using a wild card and reading whatever ..."I wondered about that. There were a couple of prompts in the popsugar challenge that I really disliked. It would be awesome to have an option to switch prompts.
Thanks!
Hi everyone! I'm Anneke and I've actually been a member of this group since the beginning of 2016, but very much in the background. I've been doing the challenge on my little spreadsheet and following along the discussions, voting, etc for the last few years, but I just thought I'd finally say hello properly after all this time!I'm about to start my 6th and final year at medical school in New Zealand, so it's going to be another busy year, but reading is my escape from study and hospital life.
I'm 3 books away from finishing the current challenge and really looking forward to the 2019 challenge.
Anyway, thanks for having me for all these years (albeit in the background) and hopefully I'll find some time to be a bit more present.
Anneke wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm Anneke and I've actually been a member of this group since the beginning of 2016, but very much in the background. I've been doing the challenge on my little spreadsheet and follow..."Hi, Anneke. It's good to finally hear from you. I can't really say "welcome to the group" since you've been here all along. Maybe, welcome to being less invisible? :)
Welcome to the discussion! 😃And good luck for your final year!
HI, I have recently joined this group and am planning on doing this challenge in conjunction with the popsugar one. (I have nearly read over 70 books this year so far and there is quite a bit of overlap so I think this is achievable).
Charlotte wrote: "HI, I have recently joined this group and am planning on doing this challenge in conjunction with the popsugar one. (I have nearly read over 70 books this year so far and there is quite a bit of overlap..."
welcome everyone!!!! ( welcome out of hiding Anneke )
@Charlotte, did you try and fit in your 70 books this year to our 2018 challenge?? A lot of them might work.
Hi, I'm Kristy and just found this group. I've never done this kind of challenge and had the best time making my plan this past weekend. Unfortunately, I usually enjoy the planning of projects more than the execution so I hope I can follow through. Lol. My favorite genres are historical fiction, history, thrillers, classics. I also like fantasy but don't read it often but hope to read more. My least favorite genre is romance.
So excited for 2019!
Kristy wrote: "Hi, I'm Kristy and just found this group. I've never done this kind of challenge and had the best time making my plan this past weekend. Unfortunately, I usually enjoy the planning of projects more..."welcome, let me know what you think of Gone Girl when you finish. It is on my list for this year.
Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Hamnet (other topics)Like Water for Chocolate (other topics)
It (other topics)
Invisible (other topics)
The Leavers (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nnedi Okorafor (other topics)William Saroyan (other topics)
Hamlin Garland (other topics)
Despite having 2 degrees - one in English Literature and the other in 18th Century Studies - I am currently unemployed. I'm actively looking though so hopefully something will turn up in 2018!
I've had a heart transplant and as a consequence of this I have type 2 diabetes and crohn's disease.
My favourite genres are mystery, fantasy, historical fiction/mysteries (especially those set in the period 1688-1830 - see my degrees!) and classics.
I'd love to be able to expand my genres though which is why I have joined the group.
I can also be found on Litsy under @jenniferw88.