SammyMantha's "Read Your Shelf" Challenge

[Samantha]

Friends, I own too many unread books. I said it. I own it. But now I'm making it my goal to actually read the books I own, and I'm using this challenge to help me do it. If I can read 51 (*cough* Prompt 52 doesn't count *cough*) of the books on my shelf, I will be a super happy girl. So, let's see if I can find books to fit these prompts...

1. A book with the letters A, T & Y in the title
A Court of Mist and Fury

2. A book from the first 10 books added to your To Be Read list
The Odyssey

3. A book from the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards
Borne

4. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #1 Earth (in title, cover, content, setting, author...)
In a Dark, Dark Wood 3 Stars

5. A book about or inspired by real events
The Oath: A Surgeon under Fire*

6. A book originally written in a language other than English
The Name of the Rose

7. A gothic novel
Northanger Abbey

8. An "own voices" book
Wild Beauty

9. A book with a body part in the title (heart, bones, teeth, skin, blood, etc)
Under a Watchful Eye

10. An author's debut book (their first book to be published)
Even the Darkest Stars

11. A literary fiction
Jude the Obscure

12. A book set in Africa or South America
Heart of Darkness

13. A book with a plot centered around a secret (forbidden love, spies, secret societies, etc)
Dissolution 4 Stars

14. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #2 Fire
Fire in You 4 Stars

15. A book with an unique format/writing structure
Gemina 4 Stars

16. A narrative nonfiction
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

17. A book you expect to make you laugh
John Dies at the End

18. A book with a location in the title
172 Hours on the Moon 2 Stars

19. A book nominated for the Edgar Award or by a Grand master author (books & authors)
The Man with a Load of Mischief by Grand Master: Martha Grimes

20. A book rated 5 stars by at least one of your friends
The Left Hand of Darkness

21. A book written in first person perspective
Jane Steele

22. A book you have high expectations or hope for
Caliban's War

23. A medical or legal thriller
Exhume

24. A book with a map
Graceling

25. A book with an antagonist/villain point of view
American Psycho

26. A book with a text only cover
Prince Lestat

27. A book about surviving a hardship (war, famine, major disasters, serious illness, etc)
Flashfall

28. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #3 Water
The Atlantis Code

29. A book with a "Clue" weapon on the cover or title (lead pipe, revolver, rope, candlestick, dagger, wrench)
The Last Dickens

30. A short book
Mapping the Interior

31. A book set in a country you'd like to visit but have never been to
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

32. An alternate history book
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

33. A book connected (title, cover, content) to a word "born" in the same year as you
A Dark Lure Word: Sexual Predator

34. A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call
Eliza and her Monsters by Francesca Zappia Prompt: "A book whose title or author's last name starts with Q, X, Y, or Z"

35. A book featuring a murder
Afraid Of The Dark*

36. A book published in the last 3 years (2016, 2017, 2018) by an author you haven't read before
Bleed

37. A Women's Prize for Fiction winner or nominee
I don't own any of these, but since Gone Girl is on the list, I'm going to go with Sharp Objects, which I do own

38. A science book or a science fiction book
Prelude to Foundation

39. A book with a form of punctuation in the title
Arthur Rex*

40. A book from Amazon's 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime list
The Shining

41. A book by an author with the same first and last initials
The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan 5 Stars

42. A book that takes place on, in, or underwater
Treasure Island

43. A book with a title that is a whole sentence
This Book is Full of Spiders

44. A ghost story
Five Stories High: One House, Five Hauntings, Five Chilling Stories

45. A book that intimidates/ scares you
The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination

46. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #4 Air
Roar*

47. A book where the main character (or author) is of a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than your own
Flame in the Mist

48. A book related to one of the 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth)
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies

49. A book from one of the Goodreads Best Books of the Month lists (link)
Scythe

50. A book with a warm atmosphere (centered on family, friendship, love or summer)
Roman Crazy

51. An award-winning short story or short story collection
Greener Pastures

52. A book published in 2018
Beneath the Sugar Sky 5 Stars

*edited to update proper book link

Total Read: 07/52

[Tammy]

I really enjoyed the David Wong books. You've got some fun and varied reading ahead of you!

[Jody]

I’ve been trying to read more books on my shelf this year too, and that will continue next year. I’ve bought so many at used book sales and just put them away. It does feel good to finally read some!

[Zaz]

You reminded me that I first thought of Marissa Meyer for the same initials and totally forgot about it later (I've 2 other options, so I don't think I'll use her there).

Flame in the Mist was disappoiting, but I'll probably try her other series, I hope I'll enjoy it more. Wild Beauty and Eliza also are on my TBR, I heard good things about them :)

I never heard about The Roar, so if you read it, I'll be interested in your opinion (always hunting good dystopias).

[Pam]

Good luck and enjoy! I'm trying to do the same thing- read books I own. Its so easy to get distracted by library books and new books!

[Kelly]

Nice plan!!! ;) since I am audio girl don't own a lot I haven't listened too but I do have some in audible I should listen to ;) hope you have success!!!

[Mel]

Excited to see that someone else is doing Roar for #46; I hadn't thought of it until the other day when I was cleaning up my TBR list and realized how spot-on a fit it'd be for the category. :)

Also, props to you for using only books you own! I wish I had the restraint to do that lol.

[Samantha]

Well, it's end of March and I've read exactly 2 of the 52 books on this list. I've read a lot of books that are NOT on my list though.

Read-a-thon 2 is here, and my goal is to get a little caught up. I want to read at least A Court of Mist and Fury, Wild Beauty and The Name of the Rose by the end of the readathon.

[Heather]

How far into ACOMAF are you?

[Samantha]

Just started this morning, only about 25 pages in. But it should be a relatively quick read once I get going.

[Samantha]

So, my original plans just didn't work out for me. I still want to read all the books on my list, but I guess I'm more of a mood reader than I anticipated for this challenge. So, below is a new list of books that I've actually read this year which fit.

1. A book with the letters A, T & Y in the title
Mostly Harmless 3 Stars

2. A book from the first 10 books added to your To Be Read list Ok, so technically not one of the first 10, but I it is one of the first 10 that I actually want to read, which I think is good enough
Jurassic Park 4 Stars

3. A book from the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards
Stillhouse Lake 4 Stars

4. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #1 Earth (in title, cover, content, setting, author...)
In a Dark, Dark Wood 3 Stars

5. A book about or inspired by real events
The Aliens Are Coming!: The Extraordinary Science Behind Our Search for Life in the Universe 4 Stars

6. A book originally written in a language other than English
The Bat 3 Stars

7. A gothic novel
The Death of Mrs. Westaway 4 Stars

8. An "own voices" book
Binti 4 Stars

9. A book with a body part in the title (heart, bones, teeth, skin, blood, etc)
The Heart of Matter 3 Stars

10. An author's debut book (their first book to be published)
The Dry 4 Stars

11. A literary fiction


12. A book set in Africa or South America
Exhibit A 5 Stars

13. A book with a plot centered around a secret (forbidden love, spies, secret societies, etc)
Dissolution 4 Stars

14. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #2 Fire
Fire in You 4 Stars

15. A book with an unique format/writing structure
Gemina 4 Stars

16. A narrative nonfiction
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 4 Stars

17. A book you expect to make you laugh
I Hate Fairyland: Book One 4 Stars

18. A book with a location in the title
172 Hours on the Moon 2 Stars

19. A book nominated for the Edgar Award or by a Grand master author (books & authors)
Murder on the Orient Express 5 Stars

20. A book rated 5 stars by at least one of your friends
Goldie Vance Vol. 1 4 Stars

21. A book written in first person perspective
The Ship of the Dead Jane Steele 5 Stars

22. A book you have high expectations or hope for
Caliban's War 5 Stars

23. A medical or legal thriller
A Criminal Defense 3 Stars

24. A book with a map
Flashfall 3 Stars

25. A book with an antagonist/villain point of view
The Butcher of Anderson Station 4 Stars

26. A book with a text only cover
One for the Money 4 Stars

27. A book about surviving a hardship (war, famine, major disasters, serious illness, etc)
Out of the Black 4 Stars

28. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #3 Water
Meg 4 Stars

29. A book with a "Clue" weapon on the cover or title (lead pipe, revolver, rope, candlestick, dagger, wrench)
Her Final Breath 4 Stars

30. A short book
The Silent Companions 4 Stars

31. A book set in a country you'd like to visit but have never been to
Ararat 3 Stars

32. An alternate history book
Something Rotten 5 Stars

33. A book connected (title, cover, content) to a word "born" in the same year as you
The Butterfly Garden 4 Stars

34. A suggestion from the AtY 2018 polls, that didn't win but was polarizing or a close-call A Book Under 100 Pages
Ghastle and Yule 4 Stars

35. A book featuring a murder
Dead Until Dark 4 Stars

36. A book published in the last 3 years (2016, 2017, 2018) by an author you haven't read before
Neighborly 3 Stars

37. A Women's Prize for Fiction winner or nominee
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet 4 Stars

38. A science book or a science fiction book
Obscura 4 Stars

39. A book with a form of punctuation in the title
Miramont's Ghost 4 Stars

40. A book from Amazon's 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime list
Fahrenheit 451 4 Stars

41. A book by an author with the same first and last initials
The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan 5 Stars

42. A book that takes place on, in, or underwater
Day Four 4 Stars

43. A book with a title that is a whole sentence
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish 3 Stars

44. A ghost story
Took: A Ghost Story 4 Stars

45. A book that intimidates/ scares you
A Court of Mist and Fury 4 Stars

46. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #4 Air
Stealing the Wind 3 Stars

47. A book where the main character (or author) is of a different ethnic origin, religion, or sexual identity than your own
Arrow of Lightning 4 Stars

48. A book related to one of the 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, sloth)
6 Mountain Brothers for Christmas 2 Stars

49. A book from one of the Goodreads Best Books of the Month lists (link)
Scythe 5 Stars

50. A book with a warm atmosphere (centered on family, friendship, love or summer)
A Madeline Treasury 4 Stars

51. An award-winning short story or short story collection
Strange Weather 3 Stars

52. A book published in 2018
Beneath the Sugar Sky 5 Stars



Total Read: 51/52