Around the Year in 52 Books discussion
Weekly Topics 2018
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46. 4 books linked by the 4 elements: Book #4 Air
Possibilities:Breath, Eyes, Memory
When Breath Becomes Air
I'm also considering The Silent Sky: The Incredible Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon. Since birds fly in the air, I'm guessing this is a reasonable choice???
The Air We Breathe by Andrea Barrett is my first choice. I really like her writing. Fog Magic, the 1944 Newberry Honor winner, is another possibility.
Right now I'm looking at Leaves on the Wind (the graphic novel based off the TV series Firefly) or The Shadow of the Wind. I was also thinking about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (tornado) or a steampunk novel that takes place on an airship (maybe The Aeronaut's Windlass or Leviathan).
I just saw this on a list of best reviewed science and technology books this year, and now I think I'll choose it for this prompt: Caesar's Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us
Cheri, I'm reading Caesar's Last Breath for this topic. It's one of the books I'm most excited about.
I am reading The Akasha Series. This means I won't be able to read in list order, but I wasn't planning on doing that anyway, so it works out :)This isn't a series I would normally pick up, and I'm happy that it'll take me out of my comfort zone. I'm hoping it's good enough to bear four books.
Book 1: Water - Week 28
Book 2: Air - Week 46
Book 3: Fire - Week 14
Book 4: Earth - Week 4
Katie wrote: "Cheri, I'm reading Caesar's Last Breath for this topic. It's one of the books I'm most excited about."Great! Love to have someone else reading the same thing. Sounds so good!
It's a bit of a stretch, but I'm desperate to read Dreams of Gods and Monsters so I figure a picture of birds flying is as close as you can get to air on the cover.
This is quite challenging since most of the books here don't reallyspark much interest in mw :( . However since the listopia given offered books with balloons on their covers for this topic , would it be okay to read a book with butterflies on the cover? I would love to read Still Alice
Michele, it all depends on how much you want to stretch the connection. I would say it's a bit more tenuous but I'm sure you could argue it :)
Megan wrote: "You could try Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte"LOL I like that! I've been thinking about re-reading Jane Eyre, too!
I'm a little surprised that I'm struggling to find something for this element. Right now, I've tentatively penciled in Castle in the Air.
Q: What are you reading for this category?A: Storm Born
Q: How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
A: The main character is the daughter of a god (?) that was the God of Stoms, or something like that, and she got his powers.
Q: Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
A: Squirtle is my option, so, yes, Water is my type.
For this category, I'm reading Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. It's a steampunk novel involving living airships. Pretty cool.As for what elements I prefer... I don't know? Air is a good one, I guess.
dalex wrote: "I chose Lords of the Sky by Angus Wells. The sky has air in it, right? Maybe?"I would say so. I picked Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan, thinking the same thing. I'm trying to read in order, so I'm not anywhere close to reading it yet & things could always change, but that's what I'm planning to read for this prompt right now.
Nicole wrote: "dalex wrote: "I chose Lords of the Sky by Angus Wells. The sky has air in it, right? Maybe?"I would say so.."
Well, alrighty then. Thanks! :)
- What are you reading for this category?
Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien
- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
(view spoiler)
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
Water -- It's so peaceful to look at and listen to water.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
(view spoiler)
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
Water -- It's so peaceful to look at and listen to water.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
What are you reading for this category?
How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
Well, mostly the cover/title? I tend to associate birds with air. (It turned out that the content had a little bit to do with air too, at one point.)
Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
I have honestly no idea.
I am listening to the audio book of
A Wind in the Door/Madeleine L'Engle with my kids. This book is related to element through the title. I prefer the element of water. We have way too much wind and too little water where I live.
What are you reading for this category?Coming Up for Air
How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
Title
Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
I'm a Taurus, so I prefer Earth.
I'm thinking of using Artemis for this since air, in its absence, is central to the plot and setting.
What are you reading this week?The dog stars by Peter Heller
How is it related to Air?
Hig is a pilot who spends a lot of his time watching the stars.
Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
If I had to pick one, it'd be earth.
- What are you reading for this category?Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
Content - Hurricane
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
Water
- What are you reading for this category?I read The Air We Breathe by Andrea Barrett
- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
Title, obviously. Also, it is related by content in that the story is about TB patients in a sanatorium. Fresh air is important for their recovery.
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
Water
- What are you reading for this category? The Sky Is Yours- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
I've been using books that have the element word in their title (so I'm choosing my four books based on that same criterion, but they aren't really linked). The sky is full of air so I think I will count it for this category.
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer? I have no idea! They're all good! Air is the most necessary, water is intriguing, earth is both soothing and mysterious, fire is both warm and dangerous ...
Shock Wave
By :Clive Cussler
How is it related to the element ( cover,title, content,item, etc)
In the cover is a helicopter so I went with that plus all for books I'm using for the for element challenges are wrote by Clive Cussler.
Which of the 4 elements do you prefer? I would have to say all of them.
- What are you reading for this category? A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)? title
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer? air or water never really thought about it
- What are you reading for this category?The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
The title has the word "sky" in it, and one of the major plot points in the book involves the moon and a set of flying obelisks
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
It depends on how I am interacting with them - I like to breath, so air seems pretty important.
What are you reading for this category?Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)? the passion with which the author writes about the air in the Alps while skiing (to save lives), you can't help but feel it.
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
Earth and Air combined. Mountains, clean fresh air, beautiful green trees; I'll take that over a beach any time.
What are you reading ? The Shadow of the Wind(finished)
How I'd it related to the element? Title - though this one was more tenuous - I wanted the actual word (Air) mentioned in the title but couldn't find something I wanted to read.
Which element do you prefer - Water if I have to choose.
Emma wrote: "- What are you reading for this category?The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
The title has the ..."
I have read the same book for the category (and I didn't even check). I guess it fits then :)
What are you reading for this category?I read Thin Air by Michelle Paver
How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
The word air is in the title
Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
All the same to me. We need them all.
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk W. Johnson
What are you reading for this category?
by Claire Vaye WatkinsHow is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)? Air (or sky) appears on the cover.
Which of the 4 elements do you prefer? I think I like water best, although all are important.
What are you reading for this category?All the Birds in the Sky , it was really quite lovely.
- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
The cover has lots of birds, titles reference birds and sky. One of the main characters learns she's a witch by talking to a bird, her first spell is how to fly. Another character's life work is trying to figure out anti-gravity so people can fly.
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
They're all pretty important. I think i'm pretty balanced between them all since I like hiking, swimming, a good breeze and a warm fire.
This has been my hardest prompt to fill. I've read:Coming Up for Air by George Orwell
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
My 3rd book for my triple challenge will be:
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (because Eyre and Air sound the same...and for a 3rd go around that is close enough)!
From a reading perspective, I've enjoyed the Water prompt the best...by far! Earth was 2nd.
- What are you reading for this category? All the Birds in the Sky- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)? Birds in the sky
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer? I prefer water probably the most out of them. I enjoy the ocean, lakes, waterfalls, streams, etc.
What are you reading for this category? When Breath Becomes Air- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
Has air in the title.
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?
depends on what I'm doing :P
Books mentioned in this topic
Castle in the Air (other topics)Airman (other topics)
Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History (other topics)
Breath, Eyes, Memory (other topics)
Silver Clouds (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kenneth Grahame (other topics)Mary Stewart (other topics)
Claire Vaye Watkins (other topics)
Kirk Wallace Johnson (other topics)
Michelle Paver (other topics)
More...












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Suggestions:
GR Hurricane shelf
GR Wind shelf
Air travel books (listopia)
Balloons on the cover (listopia)
Romance novels with Air in the title (listopia)
Fantasy books with the 4 elements
Librarything Air Tag
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Optional questions:
- What are you reading for this category?
- How is it related to the element (cover, title, content, item, etc)?
- Which of the 4 elements do you prefer?